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PHOTOS: Check out a sneak preview of this year's Austin Outdoor Living Tour

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — This Saturday, Austinites will have the opportunity to tour 10 backyards decked out by local landscape architects. The annual Austin Outdoor Living tour, organized by the Modern Architecture Design Society that puts on the Austin Modern Home Tour, showcases local landscape architectural feats to inspire those with landscape aspirations themselves.  MORE: A shed filled with dolls, a house adorned with mermaids and more in Austin’s Weird Homes Tour "Some people don’t know what to do with their space and so they are looking for ideas," said Laura Parsons, a designer whose home is featured in this year's tour. "I love inspiring people and hope we can help them with their spaces."The back and front yards on Saturday's tour will feature a varying assortment of designs. Some projects featured, like Parsons', have more modern and sleek designs, perfect for hosting parties, and others, like Reese Baloutine's — of Seedlings Gardening — showcase a project that heightens the n...

APD officer facing 2 separate murder charges heads to first pretrial court hearing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Court proceedings for two separate murder charges against Austin police officer Christopher Taylor, 31, continued Thursday morning with a scheduled hearing.Thursday’s hearing was a pretrial with witnesses, according to Travis County records.In July 2019, Taylor was accused of shooting and killing 46-year-old Mauris Nishanga DeSilva in downtown Austin during a check welfare call. In addition to a murder charge, he also faces a charge of deadly conduct for the discharge of a firearm related to the 2019 incident.In April 2020, Taylor was also accused of shooting and killing 42-year-old Michael Ramos in southeast Austin during a confrontation.Court records displayed that Taylor was arrested and booked into the Travis County jail twice in 2021 related to the investigations—once in March and another time in August.Records showed Taylor was set to appear again May 15 for another pretrial with witnesses.As of Thursday, Taylor’s trial for the murder charges was set for May 22...

Who's funding Austin police oversight measures? Equity Action money largely national

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin voters will have the option to vote "yes" or "no" on two separate propositions this Election Day. Both will impact police oversight.KXAN has extensively covered the groups behind these competing propositions -- one a political action committee focused on public safety and the other backed by the Austin Police Association -- but who's funding those groups? Let's get into it. Prop A: Equity ActionThe group behind Prop A, Equity Action, wants the Office of Police Oversight to have more access to police files, among other changes. You can read more about each proposition here. Of the more than $790,000 Equity Action has raised since April 1, 2022, more than $770,000 of it is coming from outside of Austin, City of Austin campaign finance data shows. The majority of that money comes from only two groups, the Heising-Simons Foundation ($450,000) and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies ($325,000). The Heising-Simons Foundation lists its address as Los ...

Orioles fight back after blowing 7-run lead to beat Royals, 13-10, win 7th straight series

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

What appeared to be a blowout win in the making Thursday started to turn into a potentially devastating loss for the Orioles. That is, until Ramón Urías bailed out Baltimore’s pitching staff in the eighth inning.The Orioles led 8-1 in the third as the offense jumped on Kansas City right-hander Jordan Lyles, but Baltimore starter Grayson Rodriguez and the bullpen combined to surrender that lead by the seventh to give the Royals a one-run advantage.Pinch-hitting against seven-time All-Star reliever Aroldis Chapman, Urías absolved Rodriguez and the bullpen of their misdeeds, lining a two-run single to put the Orioles up one, an advantage the bullpen wouldn’t relinquish again as Baltimore defeated Kansas City, 13-10.Urías’ single scored Adam Frazier and Jorge Mateo, both of whom walked to open the eighth and stole a base to get into scoring position. The third baseman then tacked on insurance in the ninth with a two-run double to right-center field....

Man charged with setting one mosque fire; he’s also suspected of vandalizing Ilhan Omar’s office

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

A man suspected of setting fires to Minneapolis mosques and vandalizing the office of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was indicted Thursday on federal charges of arson and damage to religious property.Jackie Rahm Little, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury for an April 24 fire at the Masjid Al-Rahma mosque. Authorities are also investigating him as a suspect in a fire that damaged the Masjid Omar Islamic Center inside a Somali shopping mall on April 23, as well as in the January vandalism of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s office and of a Somali American police officer’s vehicle, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said at a news conference.“The freedom to worship is sacrosanct. We will respond to any attack on any house of worship with urgency and determination,” said Luger, who noted that the charge accusing Little of damaging religious property is a civil rights violation.An undated photo provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota of Jackie Rahm Little, who was arrested on Satur...

Minneapolis scientist Brian Alzua to compete on Friday’s episode of ‘Jeopardy!’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

Brian Alzua, a biocompatibility scientist from Minneapolis, will compete on “Jeopardy!” in an episode that airs at 4:30 p.m. Friday on KARE 11.“I’m so excited to share that I will be on ‘Jeopardy’ coming straight to your living room on May 5!! Be sure to shout anything I didn’t know the answer to at your screen for maximum viewing enjoyment,” Alzua wrote in an Instagram post that showed him and host Mayim Bialik on the game show’s set.It remains to be seen if Alzua can match the success of Minneapolis meteorologist Eric Ahasic, who won six games in a row last June and returned to compete in two shows of the Tournament of Champions in November.Now in its 39th season, “Jeopardy!” draws a weekly audience of more than 20 million viewers. The show has won a total of 43 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for “celebrating and rewarding knowledge.”Related ArticlesMovies & TV | Meghan Markle’s estranged family gives interview before coronation, pleads for reunio...

2 baby bison born in Dakota County park come as a ‘wonderful surprise’

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

“It was a wonderful surprise,” said Tom Lewanski, when two baby bison were born back-to-back last weekend at Dakota County’s Spring Lake Park Reserve.When eight bison were relocated to the park last fall, Lewanski, who works as the park’s natural resource manager, said they were keeping an eye on the lead bison and had suspicions she was pregnant.Much to their surprise, a two-year-old bison gave birth to a new calf on April 28 and, 24 hours later, the other two-year-old bison gave birth as well.“It was a total surprise,” Lewanski said, adding “The lead cow may not even be pregnant.”Located northwest of Hastings, the park is along the Mississippi River and includes around 160 acres of prairie landscape.During the winter months, Lewanski said the bison were out of public view for the most part to give the herd time to bond and create their own social structure.“We intentionally secluded them so they could form their own herd … We wanted them to get to know each other and their new hom...

Missouri officials, lawmakers react to Kim Gardner's resignation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - After months of calls, requests, and demands for her to resign, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is stepping down. Her resignation is effective June 1.Gardner, the city’s first African American chief prosecutor, announced her resignation Thursday afternoon. "It is with a heavy heart but steadfast resolve that I am resigning my position as your Circuit Attorney, effective June 1st," she says in a two-page letter. Missouri officials and lawmakers have learned of this decision and are weighing in on Gardner, who resigned following a series of legal battles. Mike Parson - Missouri Governor"Our office has officially been notified of the resignation of Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, effective June 1, 2023.We fully understand the gravity of this situation and approach our duty to appoint a replacement with the utmost seriousness. We will immediately start the replacement process according to the Missouri Constitution and Section 105.050, RSMo.We are committed to ...

Cardinals swept again, drop sixth straight with 11-7 loss to Angels

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Luis Rengifo homered, drove in four runs and finished a triple shy of the cycle, as the Los Angeles Angels beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-7 on Thursday to complete a three-game sweep.The Angels won for the fourth straight time to improve to four games above .500. The Cardinals lost their sixth in a row and have dropped nine of their last 10.Griffin Canning (2-0) gave up five runs in five innings to earn his second-straight decision for the Angels. Canning allowed six hits, struck out three and walked three.Rengifo’s three-run homer capped a four-run second inning and gave the Angels a 4-2 lead. He drove in another with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and scored twice.The Angels blew the game open by sending 11 batters to the plate in a six-run third that featured seven hits — all of which were singles. Zach Neto, who left Wednesday’s game in the fifth inning with a right finger contusion, capped the inning with a two-run single to make it 10-2.Matt Thaiss had a pair ...

Colorado judicial watchdog seeks unprecedented public censure of former Chief Justice Nathan Coats

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:11:14 GMT

The Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline is seeking the public censure of former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan “Ben” Coats for his role in a controversial contract given to a top administrator — an unprecedented rebuke of the state’s foremost judicial figure.The censure request is based on an agreement between Coats and the discipline commission, which found he failed to “perform judicial and administrative duties competently and diligently,” the commission announced in a statement Thursday.While such a censure carries no penalty, it would mark the first time a Colorado Supreme Court justice has ever faced this type of discipline. Coats retired in 2020.The entire Colorado Supreme Court recused itself from the case, directing a special tribunal comprised of judges from the Colorado Court of Appeals to review the matter.“The Special Tribunal will review the parties’ stipulation to affirm or deny the Commission’s recommendation,” the statement s...