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Central Texas top stories for July 15, 2025. The Lower Colorado River Authority has one gate open at Buchanan Dam, sending water down into Lake Travis. Catastrophic flooding in Austin would have happened again if not for that system of up-river lakes and dams. Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax is proposing a $6.3 billion budget. Women over the age of 40 can get free mammograms at Ascension Seton Primary Care through July 25th.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 15, 2025: The Lower Colorado River Authority opened floodgates at Lake Buchanan this week for the first time since 2019 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 15, 2025. The Austin area is still under a Flood Watch until 1 p.m. today. Austin City Manager T.C. Broadnax released a proposed budget of $6.3 billion for the 2026 fiscal year. AISD is working on a plan to close certain campuses to reduce its multimillion-dollar budget deficit. Travis County opened a Volunteer Reception Center for those who want to help people affected by the July 4th weekend floods in the Austin area. Lake Travi is now 83 percent full, four feet above its average for the month of July.  

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 15, 2025: Austin City Manager proposed a $6.3 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 14, 2025. A Flood Watch has been extended until tomorrow morning at 7:00 for the Austin area and west into the Hill Country. The Lower Colorado River Authority opened four flood gates this afternoon at Buchanan Dam. Debris pickup services in the northwest Travis County neighborhood near Big Sandy Creek started today. Travis County officials are working to restore access to homes near Big Sandy Creek after flooding in the area severely damaged a bridge and left some people in the neighborhood trapped on one side of the creek. Mexican volunteer teams helped with recovery efforts in Kerr County.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 14, 2025: Mexican volunteers rushed in to help after floods in Texas. Some want to continue recovery efforts appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Sherry Richardson, 64, was considered the “office mom” at Hope House, a long-term residential home for children and adults with disabilities in Liberty Hill.

The post Austin-area home for disabled Texans begins recovery after losing ‘office mom’ in flooding appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 14, 2025. A flood watch is still in effect for Central Texas until 9 tonight. A candlelight vigil in Leander this weekend helped people grapple with the grief caused by deadly floods in Central Texas over the Fourth of July weekend. Congregants from churches across Kerrville, in Central Texas, are preparing for a lengthy recovery. Austin firefighters say they have no confidence in Chief Joel Baker over flood response. The Austin Independent School District is hosting four workshops this week on its plan to consolidate campuses to save money; the first one is tonight.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 14, 2025: Leander vigil honors flood victims as community grapples with grief appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 11, 2025. Texas state lawmakers are looking at whether they could have done more to make the state ready for floods. Texans are doing what they can to help people recover from the deadly and destructive flooding. The Presidential Disaster Declaration has been expanded to include counties in the Austin area. A member of Congress from Austin is calling for an independent investigation into the federal response to devastating flooding in Central Texas. As of today, there’s still one person missing in Burnet County. A burn ban is in effect for northwest Travis County, the part of the county most affected by flooding.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 11, 2025: A bill to provide more money to counties for alert systems is getting another chance appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Many of the flood victims were children. They left behind their stuffed animals. KUT’s Audrey McGlinchy reports.

The post Stuffed animals are strewn across flood-ravaged Texas. People are trying to get them to their owners. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 11, 2025. Texas House and Senate established flood and disaster committees ahead of the special session. Cedar Park residents held a vigil to honor the lives lost in the Austin area floods last week. The Central Texas Food Bank opened satellite sites to help those affected by flooding. Education advocates are relieved several changes to a federal student aid program did not make it in the final version President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” 

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 11, 2025: Cedar Park residents hold a vigil for the flood victims from the Austin area appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 10, 2025. The resource center is offering people help with putting their lives back together. The Central Texas Food Bank is opening satellite sites in neighboring counties affected by flooding. A program that assesses Austin’s air for biological threats will continue despite uncertainty about federal funding. Williamson County has its first known human case of West Nile virus for this year.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for July 10, 2025: A new resource center opened today in northwest Travis County appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for July 10, 2025. As recovery efforts continue after flooding in the Texas Hill Country, officials in Kerr County have yet to answer questions about how the emergency alert system was used. The aftermath of deadly flooding in the Austin-area has raised questions about how effective the region’s notification systems are. Two of the state’s best-known brands, both born in Kerrville, are showing their support for Hill Country flood victims. Elon Musk narrowly wins fight against neighbors over Austin-area home. A program that assesses Austin’s air for biological threats will continue after federal funding uncertainty put it at risk. KUT’s Olivia Aldridge reports. 

The post KUT Morning Newscast for July 10, 2025: After deadly flooding in Central Texas, questions are raised about the region’s emergency notification systems  appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.