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Central Texas top stories for October 7, 2024. Today is the last day to register to vote in the November election. The U.S. Department of Energy is helping fund a plan to connect the Texas power grid with grids outside of Texas. How Georgetown ISD is navigating its budget deficit. Five new parks could be on the way for Austin. HEB will soon roll out tap-to-pay in stores. Parts of the City of Taylor were put on a boil-water notice this afternoon after a water main break caused a decrease in pressure. Longhorn football is ranked number one in the nation.

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Central Texas top stories for October 7, 2024. Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor is now facing sentencing after being found guilty of deadly conduct. Austin City Council members will take more time to look over the new labor contract for police officers. Austin City Council will consider a plan this week to help recruit people for public safety jobs.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for October 7, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for October 4, 2024. Monday is the deadline for Texans to register to vote. Williamson County has hired its first-ever county manager. A chance to weigh in on where CapMetro buses should go is coming up over the next two weeks. A vote on a proposed new contract between the City of Austin and Austin Police had been planned for next week but is now being postponed. Longhorn sports. ACL weekend one kicks off.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 4, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

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.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for October 4, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

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.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 3, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

USPS backs out of voter registration push; average rent prices keep falling in Austin; water rebates in Georgetown; and a new veterans center opens in the Hill Country.

The post KUT Morning Newscast for October 3, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for October 2, 2024. Under proposed Austin Police contract, complaint files would be public. Austin area school districts get the word out about tax rate elections. Ascension Seton still concerned about staffing even after getting a contract agreement. Avoiding the hassle of getting to and from ACL Fest.  

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 2, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Central Texas top stories for October 2, 2024. The deadline to register to vote is this coming Monday, October 7th. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Austin’s only clinic for women struggling with drug addiction shut down, a non-profit hopes to fill the gap. Last year, Williamson County officials funded an effort to help detect breast cancer early, hear the latest updates. 

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Central Texas top stories for October 1, 2024. The City of Austin has unveiled its most detailed vision yet for the I-35 caps. The federal government is giving borrowers who have defaulted on their student loans extra time to apply for a program that will return them to good standing. A longstanding legal battle over the environmental impact of development in Dripping Springs arrived at the Texas State Supreme Court today. Hays County is a step closer to establishing its own animal center. On the ballot in this fall’s election are half of Austin’s 10 city council seats and the mayor’s office. TxDOT is warning about the increased risk to pedestrians from drivers less able to see them as the days get shorter.

The post KUT Afternoon Newscast for October 1, 2024 appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Matthew Shepard was a 21-year-old college student in Wyoming in 1998. On October 7th of that year, in an anti-gay hate crime, he was attacked, tied to a fence, and left to die in a field outside Laramie. Shepard died five days later. Conspirare founding Artistic Director Craig Hella Johnson still remembers the grief, anger and fear he felt when hearing what had happened. Johnson went on to create the musical piece “Considering Matthew Shepard” which is being reworked and performed Thursday night, October 3, at Bass Concert Hall in Austin. KUT’s Jennifer Stayton spoke recently with Conspirare soprano Gitanjali Mathur and Johnson about bringing this work back to the Austin stage. But they start by discussing Johnson’s initial reaction to Shepard’s killing. Conspirare’s newly-staged performance of “Considering Matthew Shepard” is happening Thursday night at 7:30 at Bass Concert Hall. There will be a post-performance discussion with Matthew Shepard’s parents, Judy and Dennis, and Craig Hella Johnson.

The post Re-Considering Conspirare’s “Considering Matthew Shepard:” Music and Themes Still Resonate Today appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.