8:36am

Tue May 21, 2013
Oklahoma Tornado

Death Toll From Devastating Tornado Revised Down

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 7:48 pm

Credit RIchard Rowe / Reuters /Landov
The destruction was wide and devastating in Moore, Okla., on Monday after a tornado roared through.

(We're following the news from Oklahoma, where a tornado devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday. Most recent update: 8:40 p.m. ET.)

A day after a monster EF-5 tornado pummeled Moore, Okla., the focus turned to the victims.

NPR's Wade Goodwyn spent the day in the city talking to survivors. Christie Parrish decided to leave her home for her sister's shelter.

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7:36am

Tue May 21, 2013
Politics

Texas Ethics Commission Bill Gets Initial House Approval

Credit Veronica Zaragovia
Members of the Texas House passed a bill that makes changes to the Texas Ethics Commission, among other provisions.

  • Story as it aired on KUT 90.5 FM

State lawmakers had a lengthy debate on the House floor Monday when they took up, and passed, a Senate bill that would make changes to a key commission. One that determines the rules state officials must follow. 

The measure by State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, would make changes to the Texas Ethics Commission, which provides rulemaking and oversight for state officials, like lawmakers, executives and judges, as well as lobbyists and state agency employees.

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6:05am

Tue May 21, 2013
Affordable Housing 101

Under One Roof: Who’s Using Affordable Housing in Austin?

Credit Filipa Rodrigues, KUT News
A home in the Blackland neighborhood of East Austin. A neighborhood development corporation helps create homes affordable to low-income families.

  • Under One Roof, Part One: The Users

If you’re going on a tour through the world of affordable housing, it’s good to have one of Austin’s most knowledgeable experts as your tour guide.

Meet Stuart Hersh. He’s a consultant with non-profit organizations that help produce affordable housing. During the last 30 years, Hersh has worked in a variety of fields that have to do with writing and enforcing building codes to writing affordable housing regulations.

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7:32pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Hunger

Non-Profit Asks Travis County for Money to Deliver 10,500 Meals

Credit http://facebook.com/mealsonwheelsaustin

A non-profit organization that provides food to elderly and homebound people is asking Travis County for money to help deal with the sequester. Those across-the-board federal spending cuts include about $120,000 that would have gone to a local Meals on Wheels program that pays for food to be delivered to senior centers run by the city or the county. 

The organization is requesting $61,000 from Travis County to pay for the "Congregate Meals Program." 

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7:28pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Oklahoma Tornado

Massive Tornado Rips Through Oklahoma City Suburbs

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 3:54 am

Credit Sue Ogrocki / AP
A woman carries her child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., on Monday A tornado as much as a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school.
(This post was last updated at 11:45 p.m. ET.)

A massive tornado ripped through the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City, Monday afternoon, killing at least 51 people, according to the state medical examiner's office.

The death toll was expected to rise.

Helicopter images showed large tracts of Moore, Okla., completely leveled by what the National Weather Service says was at least an EF-4 tornado with winds in excess of 166 mph. The tornado stayed on the ground for 40 minutes and traveled 20 miles.

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7:18pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Austin

The Mayor's 'Office:' Leffingwell Welcomes Athlead to Austin

Credit Chris Haston/NBC
Cast members of "The Office." Mayor Lee Leffingwell capitalized on Austin's mention in the series finale.

Last Thursday, 5.4 million fans watched the series finale of NBC’s Emmy-winning comedy “The Office.” Who knew that one of those fans was Mayor Lee Leffingwell – and that he would take the finale’s Austin-centric ending so seriously?

The longrunning series ended with Athlead – a fictional sports promotions company lead by John Krasinski’s character Jim Halpert – was moving business to Austin. This revelation earned a humorous backing from Mayor Leffingwell. He released a statement on his Facebook page giving a thumbs up to Austin’s latest corporate relocation.

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6:15pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Transportation

Lane Closures Mean Toll Roads on MoPac

Credit Jillian Schantz Patrick for KUT News
MoPac will see intermittent closures nightly as workers prepare to add toll lanes.

Overnight lane closures on MoPac between Lady Bird Lake and Parmer Lane have begun. They'll last from now until the end of July as roadway designers begin a plan to add toll lanes.

The MoPac Improvement Project will expand the highway by adding one express lane in each direction.

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6:09pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Education

Non-Profit Ranks Austin Metro Area Public Schools

Credit Voices Empower with Alice Linahan/flickr
Harmony Science Academy, ranked top public high school by Children at Risk.

In a new statewide ranking of schools, Austin has some of the best grades and some of the worst.

The group – Children at Risk – grades schools on an A through F scale. Out of the four major metro areas in Texas, the Austin area has the highest percentage of campuses with A's.

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6:04pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Education

AISD Considers Putting Ads on School Buses

Credit KUT News
AISD is considering placing advertising on school buses at its board meeting tonight

The Austin School Board tonight will consider contracting with a company to put advertisements on the side of school buses. 

Cynthia Calvert owns the company Steep Creek Media. AISD is recommending the board approve a three year contract with the company.

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5:58pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Austin

Cap Metro Could Raise Rates

Credit Courtesy of Capitol Metropolitan Transit Authority
Click the image above to view Cap Metro's infographic of possible fare increases.

You may have to dig out another quarter to board a bus in Austin.

Capital Metro Transit Authority met today to hear a proposal that could bump up fares over the next two years.

Though the transit board won’t approve anything until September, the possible move to raise rates by 25% could net as much as $2.2 million annually. 

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5:30pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Politics

Agenda Texas: Carona's Bidness

Credit Bob Daemmrich, Texas Tribune
Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas.

The Texas House takes up a major ethics bill today. Government watchdog groups had hoped the legislation re-authorizing the Texas Ethics Commission would have strengthened disclosure and conflict of interest laws.

But the bill didn't go as far as those advocates hoped it would.

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4:25pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Austin

Lake Austin Community Meeting To Take Place Tonight

Credit flickr.com/mdconnell
Shoreline erosion, noise levels and unregistered construction are a few of the issues addressed in a city-commissioned report on Lake Austin.

As summer sets in, the City of Austin is looking for input on issues along Lake Austin.

The Lake Austin Task Force was formed last year to assess issues on the lake, including shoreline erosion and wake-free zones, and the group presents its findings tonight in a public meeting.  

Chuck Lesniak of Austin Watershed Protection says that the report also addresses the problem of construction along Lake Austin in recent years.

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2:09pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Education

Austin 5th Grader Represents Texas in National Geographic Bee

Credit National Geographic
Chinmay Murthy, the Texas finalist in the National Geographic Bee.

Update: Chinmay Murthy, the 5th grader representing Texas in the National Geographic Bee, did not move on past the preliminary round of the Bee.  He missed a chance to qualify in the Top Ten by two questions. Murthy is vowing to try again next year.

Original Story (9:18 a.m.): Monday marks the start of the three-day National Geographic Bee in Washington D.C.

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1:07pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Education

CSCOPE to Cease Making Lesson Plans for Texas Public Schools

Credit Veronica Zaragovia for KUT News
Dr. Kyle Wargo, member of CSCOPE's governing board, speaks at a Capitol press conference on May 20, 2013.

Republican state lawmakers announced this morning at the Capitol that public school teachers will stop using CSCOPE, a digital curriculum product of Education Service Centers used in nearly 80 percent of Texas school districts. 

The move comes amid concerns about the content of the teaching plan. Some conservative groups claimed it promoted anti-American values. Now CSCOPE has agreed to scrap its curriculum, and the board will formally vote to do so this Friday.

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12:27pm

Mon May 20, 2013
Education

Texas Students Solve Math Problems for West Recovery

Credit Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams at a check presentation ceremony. Students raised money for West, Texas disaster relief.

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