Austin Texas News

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Legislature opens with Republicans having smaller majorities in both chambers as a result of electoral defeats, which suggests that hot-button social issues could take a back seat to such matters as fixing the state’s flawed school finance system, cutting property taxes and paying for Hurricane Harvey recovery. That might mean fewer culture clashes over immigration and a “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people, but making progress on lowering taxes and…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – This isn’t your average pet adoption story. “The 6 dogs we got from Mexico was sold from a pound down there, sold to a non-disclosed laboratory university we were fortunate enough to have a group of people down there. They go to these places and ask if they have any dogs ready to be relinquished.” Martin Palmer is a volunteer at Rescue + Freedom Project saves animals all around…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Dashcam video from a Manor police officer shows a high speed response late Wednesday night to a swift water rescue on Gregg Lane. Manor Police Chief Ryan Phipps said the rescue call pulled his officer from another emergency; a wreck being cleared on Hwy 290. For the Chief, a low water crisis like this one is entirely avoidable.  “The time it’s taken to go out and put out barricades…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – All of the rain Wednesday caused problems across Central Texas. Dozens of roads were closed due to flooding, rocks fell from a cliff on 2222 reducing traffic to one lane, and a flood gate at Tom Miller Dam is partially open. Around 200 crossing were closed according to ATX floods. In the pouring rain, traffic westbound was rescued to one lane on 2222 near Paradox Cove as rocks fell…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – With steady rain falling, barricades at low-water crossings quickly went up. Most of the closings were at usual locations like this neighborhood in Cedar Park. The roads are near the intersection of Highway 183 and New Hope Road. No homes were flooded but several yards had standing water in them, swamping play areas. Residents like Debbie Reed were not worried. They were keeping a watchful eye on the nearby creek. Conditions…

AUSTIN,Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The city’s Parks and Recreation Department announced Sunday that Barton Springs Pool will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 5a.m. after shutting down earlier this week because of heavy rains and flooding. Deep Eddy and Barton Springs pools will resume normal operating hours beginning Wednesday, Jan. 2.   Park officials want to remind visitors to use caution when swimming, no lifeguards will be on duty, so swim at your own risk. 

AUSTIN,Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – The Lower Colorado River Authority will lower lakes LBJ and Marble Falls for the first 8-weeks of 2019. During that time, property owners along the Colorado and Llano Rivers can begin repairing and rebuilding from the heavy rain and flooding earlier this year. Sunday through Feb. 23, lake LBJ will be dropped 4 feet and lake Marble Falls will be lowered 7 feet. Residents will have time to remove debris…

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Julie Roush Butler says God was with her Thursday morning as she waited for rescue in cold rushing water in northwest Austin. “I don’t know what to say other than I don’t usually ever cross those water crossings but it seemed so not very wide,” Butler said. Palmer Buck, Division Chief with the Austin Fire Department says they got a call around 1 Thursday morning from Butler saying her…

MARBLE FALLS, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Water levels are about to drop over at Marble Falls and Lake LBJ. Following the devastating flooding in October, the LCRA is going to make it easy for victims to make repairs to damaged property along the shoreline. December 30th, Sunday, the LCRA will begin dropping the lake levels at lake Marble Falls and Lake LBJ about 1 foot a day, this will give residents a chance to…

GEORGETOWN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Most of Central Texas was under a tornado watch Wednesday. With the potential for hail, damaging straight line winds and possible isolated tornadoes, people here are not taking any changes. There’s a storm brewing over Central Texas. “It’s not uncommon a big storm anytime of the year here in central Texas,” said Joe Sponsel who lives in Georgetown. With the rain falling and winds begin if to howl many…

The combination of unseasonably warm air, abundant moisture, and an incoming upper-level storm system will set the stage for possible severe weather Wednesday night. The line of thunderstorms will enter the Hill Country tonight between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. and near the I-35 corridor by midnight. Rainfall should come to an end for Fayette, Lee, and Milam Counties by sunrise. As of Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center had an “Enhanced…

WASHINGTON (AP) – Lashed by rare criticism from conservatives, President Donald Trump declared Thursday he would not sign a bill to keep funding the government because it fails to provide billions for his border wall with Mexico, throwing Congress into deep disarray and risking a federal shutdown this weekend. Conservatives want to keep fighting for the money to pay for the wall as a last act of the GOP-led Congress before Democrats take House control…

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Powerful natural disasters in Texas on the scale of Hurricane Harvey’s deadly destruction last year will become more frequent because of a changing climate, warned a new report Thursday ordered by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in a state where skepticism about climate change runs deep. But the report makes no mention of global warming. And in urging steps Texas should take to lessen the impact of intensifying hurricanes and flooding, the…

BASTROP, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) – Bastrop County hosted its annual Lost Pines Christmas Snow Day but the festivities were a little different this year because of some wet weather. Much of Fisherman’s Park was under water Saturday due to heavy rains that hit most of Central Texas.  Friday’s severe weather had many residents in Bastrop concerned whether holiday festivities would be postponed or even canceled. “It’s put a big damper on festivities you have…