Travis County

KUT Morning Newscast for October 9, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 8, 2024. Travis County seems to have as many people registered to vote as last presidential election. Austin ISD is asking voters to increase taxes to help pay down a budget deficit and provide some staff raises. Hays County voters will decide this fall whether to pass a major bond for road improvements. Travis County Commissioners want to join a City of Austin plan to reduce road deaths in the area.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 8, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 8, 2024. Property owners in Travis County will have to wait a little longer this year before getting their tax bill. Austin has been losing more water from its water system despite efforts to fix leaks. The Austin City Council is in the homestretch of approving a five-year labor agreement with the city’s police. Lady Bird Lake levels are down by a couple feet. Samsung supplier is establishing a presence in Williamson County. It’s been more than a month without rain at Austin’s official sites and that’s creating a lot of dry fuel for fires.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 4, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 4, 2024. Texas planning to vote in this fall’s election must be registered to vote by Monday. While some cities appear to attract to extra rainfall, Austin doesn’t seem to share the same luck. Travis County will launch mental health diversion program on Monday. Being recognized as a “dark sky” place isn’t cheap, but one Central Texas nonprofit is trying to ease that cost. Day one of the Austin City Limits music festival kicks off in Zilker Park and that means extra humans and traffic in Austin.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 3, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 3, 2024. The Texas Secretary of State expresses confidence in the state’s election system. A new study finds an overwhelming majority of Texans support increasing state funding for public schools. Travis County is set to launch its mental health diversion program on Monday. Higher than normal temperatures expected for ACL weekend one. Drought has returned to the Austin area.  You can hear from the contenders running to be Austin’s mayor in a panel tonight at city hall.

KUT Morning Newscast for October 1, 2024

Central Texas top stories for October 1, 2024. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed another lawsuit yesterday against Travis County. Rental assistance in Austin’s new city budget. Austin voters will soon decide who’ll represent them on the City Council. The San Marcos City Council is moving forward with a plan for the city’s future development.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 30, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 30, 2024. This September has been one of the driest ever recorded in Austin. A deal between Baylor Scott & White Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas will keep health services in-network for thousands of Texas patients. Today is an Ozone Action Day. Attorney General Ken Paxton filed yet another lawsuit against the Travis County Commissioners Court. Delta Airlines is launching five new routes out of Austin this spring. Applications open tomorrow for the City of Austin’s first ever poet laureate program. U.S. News and World Report ranked Huston-Tillotson University as the number one private historically Black college and university in Texas.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 27, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 27, 2024. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the City of Austin. Austin ISD voters will soon be deciding whether to approve a new tax rate that would generate millions of dollars in additional revenue for the district. Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium just became the first soccer-only stadium in the world to earn TRUE Gold certification. A big expansion of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is officially cleared for takeoff. You’ve got a chance tomorrow to get a first look at new plans for the future of I-35. Travis County wants to get the word out about a new scam call tactic.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 27, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 27, 2024. The Austin City Council has rejected a proposed rate hike from Texas Gas Service. AISD is working on a place to reduce its spending by tens of millions of dollars, here’s an update. Unhoused Austinites staying at the ARCH or 8th Street shelters will soon have access to a free career training course from Austin Community College. Travis County residents can get their dogs and cats spayed or neutered for free today and tomorrow, here are the details. 

KUT Morning Newscast for September 25, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 25, 2024. Travis County approved a new budget and tax rate for Central Health. Advocates respond to the tentative deal between Austin’s police union and the city. Capital Metro’s board of directors has voted to spend 3-million dollars on hundreds of bus benches. Tonight is the next Austin City Council Candidate panel, it’s for district 2.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 24, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 24, 2024. Austin ISD’s plan to build apartments is moving forward. Travis County approved its highest budget in its history. Williamson County has formed partnerships with Austin-based non-profits to address the county’s growing homeless population. The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Hays County Buda is raising its property tax rate and other fees. Senator Ted Cruz and his challenger, Congressman Colin Allred, have agreed to face off in a debate next month.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 18, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 18, 2024. Travis County is giving 15 million dollars to nonprofit organizations to build more housing. Hays County Commissioners have approved a new budget. Central Texas education officials say the state has not provided enough money to implement school safety legislation passed last year. An Austin police officer who was charged twice with murder will face a lesser charge. The Austin History Center is hosting conversations with the community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The Texas Volleyball team is headed up to Waco tonight to face former Big 12 foe Baylor.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 18, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 18, 2024. Travis County filed a federal lawsuit accusing state leaders of violating the National Voter Registration Act. Austin has seen a rise in its older population over the last decade, that’s according to a new Census survey. Travis County Commissioners postponed a vote on the budget for Central Health. Barton Springs pool will open tomorrow. The Austin History Center is hosting conversations with the community to celebrate Hispanic/Latino Heritage month.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 13, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 13, 2024. A larger percentage of Austin renters are living in housing they can’t afford, according to new Census data. Travis County staff are making sure ballots are accurate and voting equipment is working properly for the November election, they are encouraging residents to come see the process for themselves. Hays County voters will decide on a major bond for road improvements this November. Starting in March, British Airways will fly from Austin to London Heathrow twice a day. The Austin based theater group Proyecto Teatro got selected to be part of the Encuentro 2024 festival in Los Angeles.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 10, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 10, 2024. Travis County Commissioners today will get a first look at an audit of Central Health. Austin-Travis County medics saw fewer opioid overdoses over the summer. The Austin city council will consider amending its noise ordinance. The City of Georgetown is encouraging residents to conserve water.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 9, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 9, 2024. A new poll finds nearly 80 percent of Texas teachers have seriously thought about leaving the job in the last year. The Austin City Council is considering a resolution that would eliminate the use of harmful chemicals that firefighters are exposed to when they’re on a call.  A civil trial started today in federal court in Austin claiming intimidation and harassment by the “Trump Train” in 2020. Travis County employees are set to get a 5 percent raise next year, but some say it’s not enough to keep up with their workload. TxDOT has announced a major environmental study to look at expanding the bridge from Corpus Christi to Padre Island. The Hays County Sheriff’s Office will be ramping up enforcement on US Highway 290 along a stretch between Cedar Valley and Dripping Springs. Sally Duval is highlighting a platform of marijuana legalization. Tropical Storm Francine is expected to make landfall on the Upper Gulf Coast as a hurricane later this week.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 6, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 6, 2024. UT-Austin fell in the bottom ten out of more than 250 institutions nationwide in a ranking of the best and worst colleges and universities for free speech. Potential fraud in the application process has raised questions about the Texas Energy Fund. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Travis County today over a program encouraging voter registration. The Cheneys throw their support behind Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. Austin’s Bat Fest is tomorrow. Del Valle ISD is getting a new acting superintendent after the current one announced his retirement. Longhorns visit The Big House this weekend. This should be a better weekend than last to fill up your gas tank.

KUT Morning Newscast for September 6, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 6, 2024. Travis County officials are responding to a recent announcement from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who says more than a million people have been taken off state’s voter rolls since 202. Travis County is trying to revive efforts to fund a passenger rail from Austin to San Antonio. The City of Leander and its firefighters are one step closer to establishing their first-ever collective bargaining agreement. The City of Austin will receive a $10.5 million dollar grant to reduce fatal and serious pedestrian injuries.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for September 3, 2024

Central Texas top stories for September 3, 2024. Texas sent the third-largest U.S. contingent to the 2024 Paralympic Games. A judge’s ruling could mean a dramatic shift in how Austin releases information related to police misconduct. Barton Springs Pool is now expected to be closed for several weeks. Austin Energy is now using Artificial Intelligence to help detect and respond to wildfires. Travis County is looking to hire over 100 people at a job fair tomorrow. A streak of cooler than normal weather continues in the Austin area.

KUT Morning Newscast for August 30, 2024 

Central Texas top stories for August 30, 2024. The City of Austin is pushing back on SB4. Travis County Commissioners approved six- point- three million dollars to offer legal counsel during people’s first appearance in front of a judge when accused of a crime. Austin Community College’s semiconductor training center has been awarded one-and-a-half million dollars in federal funding. If you’re traveling this weekend, make sure to plan ahead.

KUT Afternoon Newscast for August 28, 2024

Central Texas top stories for August 28, 2024. The City of Austin is having a tough time keeping employees. The city has a big chunk of money available for museums, cultural centers and other sites in Austin with a historic designation. A public hearing on a long-anticipated audit of Central Health was postponed this week. Affording a home is becoming increasingly difficult in Texas and across the U.S. according to the Texas Comptroller’s Office. For the election this fall, Travis County will have 41 Early Voting sites and 171 polling places on Election Day. A ruling is expected soon on whether the City of Austin can keep 13 amendments to the city charter on the fall ballot. Austin karaoke bar Ego’s is staying open.