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Austin City Council taking action on loophole allowing windowless apartment bedrooms

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri is bringing a resolution to the Sept. 14 council meeting to start looking for ways to close a “loophole” that allows developers to build apartment buildings without windows in the bedrooms. Developers can do this across the city, but the issue is more prevalent in some student housing highrises in West Campus near the University of Texas at Austin. “There's currently a loophole in our building code that allows developments across Austin to be built that don’t have windows,” Qadri said. “Our hope with this resolution is that we can kick off the process to close this loophole,” he continued. Austin architect and UT Austin professor Juan Miró has advocated for changing the building code as it relates to windows for years. He said he learned about the windowless bedroom issue when he asked his students to draw pictures of their windows at home for an assignment.  “I started to have students say, ‘I don't have a wi...

Westlake to honor huge senior class before district opener vs. Akins on Friday

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Instead of honoring seniors at the end of the season, the Westlake Chaparrals will do it Friday before the 6A-District 26 opener against Akins at Chaparral Stadium.Westlake has 61 seniors on this year's team that has started the year 2-0, and the Chaps are fresh off a 47-0 systematic dismantling of Converse Judson last week. Akins, meanwhile, is in the midst of a 17-game losing streak dating back to 2021 and the Eagles have yet to score in two games this year. The last time Akins won was Sept. 30, 2021, when they topped Austin High 20-18.REPORT YOUR SCORE: We'd love to post your team's score on our website, but we need your help to do it. Email the score of your game to [email protected] and we'll get it on our websiteThe game will be streamed in the video player above and also on KXAN.com/Westlake for those in the KXAN viewing area free of charge. For those outside the viewing area, you'll have to watch the game through our official streaming partner NFHS Network. The...

Austin to host annual Oita Japan Festival as part of sister city program

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin and Austin Sister Cities International will host a Japanese cultural festival at the Asian American Resource Center on Sunday, marking a 33-year partnership with sister city Oita, Japan.The event, which runs from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., will include performances, hands-on activities and vendors. Tickets for the event are already sold out, but Austin-Oita Sister City Committee Chair Kristie Bryant said that day-of tickets will become available as earlier attendees leave the event."It's pretty amazing for anybody who has looked at plane ticket prices recently. If you come on Sunday, you'll be able to experience the tastes, the sounds and the culture of Japan," Bryant said.Bryant, who has been with the committee since nearly the beginning of the partnership, said that Oita and Austin were fairly comparable back then."Oita has stayed about the same size as it did back then. Austin now has totally changed [in comparison]," Bryant said. "We have a really ...

Emo rockers Fall Out Boy set to return to Target Center in April

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

Emo rockers Fall Out Boy will wrap their early 2024 tour when they headline Minneapolis’ Target Center on April 6.Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 15 through Ticketmaster. Neither the promoter nor the venue announced ticket prices. Jimmy Eat World, Hot Mulligan and Carr are also on the bill.Fall Out Boy emerged from suburban Chicago in 2001 and took their name from a character on “The Simpsons.” After releasing a pair of EPs on the indie label Uprising, they signed to Fueled by Ramen and quickly became one of the emo label’s biggest acts. They played the Warped Tour in 2004 and continued to tour heavily.They broke through on radio with 2005’s “Sugar, We’re Goin Down,” the first of a string of smashes that include “Dance, Dance,” “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” and “Thnks fr th Mmrs.” But by the end of the decade, the hits had dried up and the band went on a hiatus.Fall Out Boy re-emerged in 2013 and found s...

Alvaro M. Bedoya: Hollywood is scanning actors’ moves. What that could mean for the rest of us

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

Twenty years ago, Jet Li was offered a part in “The Matrix Reloaded.” It was sure to be a hit. But the martial artist said no. In his words, the producers wanted to “record and copy all of my moves into a digital library.” To Li, this would do more than copy his body; it would capture his trade. “I’ve been training my entire life,” he said. “And we martial artists could only grow older. Yet they could own (my moves) as intellectual property forever.”Jet Li’s account is jarring. Yet it’s notable that he was told the job would involve body scanning, told how and why he would be scanned and who would own the data — and then was given the option to accept or decline.That was thenRecent social media posts from background actors who underwent full body scans describe a different experience. Many actors were surprised with scans once already on set. Many were told little to nothing about how the scans would be used or ...

Jordan Hicks, the mentor, Brian Asamoah, the mentee, leading Vikings linebackers

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

Jordan Hicks and Brian Asamoah flew under the radar for most of Vikings training camp.That’s because undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. was seemingly pushing for playing time at linebacker.When the Vikings host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium, however, Hicks and Asamoah will be the starters with Pace likely mixing in throughout the game.“We will try to as best we can get as many guys in as possible,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. “We feel good about those three guys.”The mentor-mentee relationship between Hicks and Asamoah should help both players once they get on the field. It started last season when they were placed next to each other in the locker room of TCO Performance Center. It has continued this season with Hicks and Asamoah talking on a daily basis.“He’s grown up a lot,” Hicks said. “It’s fun to watch young players really mature from Year 1 to Year 2.”Why ...

Man charged after opening fire at St. Louis officer

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A man faces felony charges one day after he allegedly opened fire at a St. Louis officer following a stolen car chase that ended with a crash. Prosecutors have charged Byron Doss, 36, with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, resisting arrest, and tampering with a motor vehicle.This shooting happened just before noon Thursday in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of north St. Louis. No officers were injured, but Doss is accused of gunfire toward an officer. Doss was reportedly shot and treated for injuries at a hospital prior to his charges. FOX 2 photographer run over after community threatens to tow cars Police initially responded to a tip of a stolen vehicle in the area, leading to what the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department described as a "tactical pursuit." The driver fled eastbound on Dr. MLK Blvd. and encountered traffic at a gas station near Clara Avenue. Police say the driver of the stolen vehicle crossed the center turn lane into ...

Locals rejoice as beautiful weather sets stage for weekend activities

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - Sunny skies and 70s are ahead for St. Louis, and it's shaping up to be a nice weekend weatherwise. Some clouds and small rain chances Friday afternoon set the stage for more comfortable weather ahead. Outdoor spaces were full of people getting a jumpstart on the weekend.Gorgeous weather at lunchtime meant a packed driving range at Landings at Spirit Golf Club in Chesterfield. FOX 2 photographer run over after community threatens to tow cars “The weather has been super great for the golf courses this year. Today is a beautiful day. Nice and cool out. It's sunny and shiny, and our tee sheet is full,” said Paul Gerson, the Director of Golf Operations at Landings at Spirit Golf Club.  Also full are the bellies of many of Gerson's co-workers following an afternoon feast at Faust Park.“We actually planned this event maybe a month or so ago. We were saying it's going to be a little bit cooler in September. We hope that it will be, and it worked perfectly,” said parkgo...

Colorado to receive $70 million from Kroger’s $1.4 billion opioid settlement

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

One of the nation’s largest grocery chains is the latest company to agree to settle lawsuits over the U.S. opioid crisis.In a deal announced Friday, the Kroger Co. — the parent company of King Soopers and City Market — would pay up to $1.4 billion over 11 years. The amount includes up to $1.2 billion for state and local governments where it operates, $36 million to Native American tribes and about $177 million to cover lawyers’ fees and costs.Kroger currently has stores in 35 states — virtually everywhere save the Northeast, the northern plains and Hawaii. Thirty-three states would be eligible for money in the deal. The company previously announced settlements with New Mexico and West Virginia.Colorado is expected to receive approximately $70 million from the settlement.“The number of overdose deaths from opioids is a clarion call for action. By holding accountable those who contributed to this crisis, we are continuing to take action and we are bringing back funds...

Denver housing market: Strategic pricing drives success in August

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:11:43 GMT

As interest rates remain high and more homes become available, pricing in the Denver metro housing market remains a science.“If a home is priced correctly, or even under market, it may still receive multiple offers,” said Libby Levinson-Katz, chair of the Denver Metro Association of Realtors Market Trends Committee in the September report.“However, if the price is slightly high, then days on the market climb until you find the right buyer or the right price.”According to the report, active listings in Denver increased 9% in August from July and 19% over August 2022. The average number of active listings for August is 15,900, so with 6,858 active listings last month, the metro area’s inventory remains historically low.The number of new listings increased about 2%. At the same time, pending sales dropped nearly 1%, and closed sales declined 2%. The median closed price dropped to $582,000 while the median days on the market increased to 11 days.“Buye...