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Traffic Alert: Portion of I-35 shut down after semi hits bridge

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Southbound lanes of a portion of northern Interstate 35 just north of Austin were shut down Saturday morning after an incident where a semi-truck hit the bridge.According to the Travis County Sheriff's Office, deputies were working the collision at I-35 and Grand Avenue Parkway.TCSO said the southbound lanes were shut down in order to check the integrity of the bridge.This is a developing story. Check back with KXAN for updates.

Excessive heat and more thunderstorms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Saturday dawned under a partly to mostly cloudy sky with a few areas of drizzle/mist/light rain. Most low temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s, including 78° at Camp Mabry. Lows in the low 70s were recorded in some of Lampasas, Mason, and San Saba Counties.Morning dew points were in the low to mid 70s in the Hill Country, rising to the mid to upper 70s along and east of I-35. Dew points at La Grange and Flatonia were still in the low 80s at 9 a.m.This afternoon's heat index should be a little lower than Friday's when all of Central Texas had "feels like" temperatures of 110° and higher. Not-to-be-believed dew points topped 120° during the 6 p.m. hour at Flatonia (122°) and La Grange (121°). The Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Sunday for Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties eastward, as well as for Lampasas County. The Hill Country will remain under the Heat Advisory.More extreme heat and humidity making for an uncomfortable dayMore cloud ...

What to do if you see a 'chupacabra' in Texas this summer

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

(NEXSTAR) — Do you believe chupacabras exist? You're not alone, at least not in Texas.A "chupacabra" — sometimes referred to as "the chupacabra" — is one of the American Southwest's most famous cryptids. Cryptids, according to Merriam-Webster, are "animals that have been claimed to exist but never proven to exist," like the Loch Ness Monster or Sasquatch, for instance. 9 U.S. theme parks named among the ‘most-visited’ in the world The folkloric creature, whose name means "goat sucker" in Spanish, is believed by some to roam areas of Puerto Rico, Mexico and the U.S., especially southwest Texas. Chupacabras were first reported as recently as 1995 but they've persisted as a feared livestock predator for decades. A few of the most recent alleged sightings, which frequently take place in the summer months, include:a 2014 report by a Ratfliffe, Texas, family who claimed they captured the chupacabra in a cage. The animal was cared for while its species was determined (more on that below)...

Soucheray: We must remember that nature is bigger than we are

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

Personally, I would have preferred the Stanley Cup, which went to that hockey hotbed of Las Vegas, but Minnesota was No.1 in the country this week. We won something at last. We made the national news, which always excites us. There were photographs. We were tuned in to our televisions.For lousy air.In fact, there was a time midweek when we might have even had the worst air in the world, all because of wildfires in Canada.There’s no discounting it. It was terrible. It smelled like burning plastic, a hellish melting down of wiring harnesses and connectors from outlets gone haywire and unchecked. Sometimes the smell of a fireplace fire or a bonfire can be comforting. The stuff we had smelled like Dante lit the match.It was tough on outdoor workers and people who maintained their jogging routines around the lakes, which could not be seen across. One of the local channels caught up to a jogger and asked him how he felt.“My chest hurts,” the young man said.I didn’t know whether to b...

Working Strategies: Job search and depression need not be debilitating

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

Amy LindgrenHave you ever looked for work while underwater? I’m guessing not. But you may have felt that way if you were experiencing depression while job searching.A client recently described the challenge of managing both situations at once, for which I’m grateful. When you’re not currently feeling depressed, it’s easy to forget that others are. No matter how well turned-out someone might be for a meeting, or how responsive to an email, that’s not necessarily an indication of how they’re feeling.As a reminder, some of the more common signs that you may be depressed include changes in sleep patterns or appetite, isolating yourself, not enjoying favorite activities, feeling lethargic, or feeling persistently sad.If you’ve had this experience, or if you’re having it now, you might be frustrated by others who don’t seem to understand why you’re “not getting more done” or “not moving forward” or however else it’s not-so-gently phrased.Rather than blame the messenger (even when the mess...

8 people shot at party in Carson 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

Authorities are investigating after eight people were shot at a house party in Carson overnight. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a shooting occurred at the gathering, which took place in the 1500 block of Abila Street, around midnight on Saturday. A female teenager was shot in a car, while the other victims were struck on the sidewalk or in the roadway, investigators said.Two of the victims are in critical condition at a local hospital.Neighbors say at least 50 teens were attending a pool party at the house on Abila Street at the end of the cul-de-sac off Martin Street. Witnesses told KTLA that they heard gunshots and saw two men flee the area in a car. Authorities have no information on a suspect or suspects. Much of the area remains blocked off while police conduct their investigation.This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates.

Suspected DUI crash in Baldwin Hills kills 1 teen, injures 2 

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

A teenager was killed and two more were injured after a crash in Baldwin Hills that is believed to have been caused by a DUI driver. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, a vehicle traveling southbound on La Brea Avenue near Coliseum Street made a left turn in front of a vehicle carrying three teenagers that was traveling northbound on La Brea Avenue around 11:45 p.m. Friday night. The driver of the vehicle carrying the three teenagers, an 18-year-old Hispanic male, was transported to a local hospital where he died. A teenager was killed and two more were injured after a crash in Baldwin Hills that is believed to have been caused by a DUI driver. (RMGNews)A teenager was killed and two more were injured after a crash in Baldwin Hills that is believed to have been caused by a DUI driver. (RMGNews)A teenager was killed and two more were injured after a crash in Baldwin Hills that is believed to have been caused by a DUI driver. (RMGNews) LASD investigating after 8...

Blue whales are thriving in California waters — the story of their amazing comeback

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

Everyone loves a good comeback, and one of the most impressive stories in Southern California is still being written — the resurgence of Pacific blue whales. If you've recently taken a Southern California whale-watching tour, you may have been lucky enough to come across earth's largest animal. Pacific blue whales grow up to 110 feet long and can reach a weight of 200 tons. They spend their winters off the coast of Mexico, but migrate north for summer feeding, and Californians are seeing them with more regularity. Decades ago, blue whales were nearly hunted to extinction, and although still listed as protected under the Endangered Species Act, marine biologists and researchers are heralding a "conservation success story," unlike any other.A blue whale is shown, apparently entangled in some kind of fishing line, off the coast of Dana Point on June 27, 2016. (Credit: Capt. Dave's Dolphin & Whale Safari)According to a study published in 2014 by researchers at the University of Wash...

Saratogans report multiple incidents of identity theft

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

JUNE 6Identity theft: A Saratoga resident reported that someone used their personal information to access their airlines rewards account and redeemed miles of an unknown value.JUNE 7Forgery: A Saratoga resident reported that someone obtained their bank check, then altered and cashed the check for approximately $4,908.Identity theft: A Saratoga resident reported that someone used their personal information to obtain multiple loans totaling approximately $32,029, impacting the victim’s credit score.JUNE 9Petty theft, attempted theft by credit card: Between 3:30 p.m. and 5:51 p.m., Someone took a Saratoga resident’s wallet for a loss of about $100, and then used credit cards from the wallet and attempted to make a fraudulent purchase totaling approximately $2,053, but the transaction was declined.JUNE 11DUI: At 12:55 a.m., deputies stopped a motorist at Paramount Drive and Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road for traffic violations. An investigation revealed the motorist was driving under the influ...

Leaving California: What states are the safest places to live?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:40:53 GMT

It seems many folks, when starting their quest to leave California, talk about enhancing the sense of safety in their lives.The Golden State’s migration woes have grabbed recent headlines as debate swirls about California being too soft on crime. So as a public service – no less, to provide an economic lesson or two – my trusty spreadsheet looked at a trove of statistics measuring the many factors surrounding the concept of “safety” for the 49 other states.Now, feeling safe is somewhat vague but also very personal. Is it simply crime avoidance? Do you include chances for other “harm,” ranging from weather to business cycles, driving or working? And what about the costs of these hazards?Yet for readers who are in a rush to exit California, my math says you’ll be safest in Massachusetts, followed by Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island.Safety seekers should avoid Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi and Oklahoma.Now let’s...