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Texas grid conditions expected to be 'extremely tight' Thursday, ERCOT CEO says

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — During a Public Utility Commission of Texas open meeting Thursday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) CEO Pablo Vegas said they expect to be in emergency operations Thursday evening due to the extreme heat."We are expecting as we move through the peak this evening... to have extremely tight conditions," Vegas said. Understanding ERCOT’s emergency alert levels Earlier Thursday, ERCOT issued a Conservation Appeal from 3 – 10 p.m. due to extreme temperatures, continued near-record demand, and forecasted low wind-power generation."What we're seeing is conditions that are more tight than what we have seen any other day this summer," Vegas said. "At this time, it's a high likelihood that we expect to be in emergency operations this evening."Going into emergency operations means the demand is expected to be at near-record levels, he said."We have very, very high heat again across the state of Texas," he said.Vegas said this high demand is from a combination...

Hot and humid with isolated rain

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- While the hottest summer on record continues in Central Texas, daily rain chances have made a welcome return for the next five days.Hot, humid weather rules the forecast this week into the weekend with a Heat Advisory and Excessive Heat Warning in effect. Exercise caution when outdoors for extended periods of time, and make sure to keep pets cool and hydrated.The heat dome positioned north of us is moving farther away for the next five days, allowing daily heat and humidity to bubble up into a few isolated showers and thunderstorms during the afternoons and evenings. While it will not rain at your house every day, we are more optimistic that some areas should pick up 0.01"-0.50" of rainfall over the next week.A cool front is expected to move our way early next week, focusing shower and thunderstorm development along it and dropping temperatures and humidity behind it. Scattered storms appear most likely Monday and Tuesday, when rain chances rise to 40%.Tracking the ...

Austin mayor touts opening of new emergency homeless shelter near airport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

Part of the mission of KXAN News is to foster a more informed and engaged community. We deliver in-depth coverage on topics like affordability, safety and mobility that affect the daily lives of Central Texans. And we explore sustainable solutions to economic, systemic and social problems. One way to achieve those goals is providing direct and consistent access to leaders who make decisions that shape local policy — seeking to understand their stances, holding them accountable for promises and asking tough questions when needed. This series of interviews with City of Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is designed with that in mind.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the near $81 million dollars earmarked for homeless services in the city budget is already being spent on vital shelter services. PREVIOUS: Mayor Watson talks $65M to fight Austin homelessness, ‘Death Star’ litigation The budget allocated $80.9 million toward homelessness response resources and efforts.Earlier this we...

DPS reports vehicle inspection system outage

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN New Today's top headlines for Aug. 24, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Thursday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said it was experiencing a vehicle inspection system outage, preventing proper inspections in "safety-only" counties.DPS said the issues with the system began Wednesday and remained ongoing. Texas removed mandatory vehicle safety inspections. Do I still need an emissions test? “This issue does not allow stations in safety-only counties to conduct proper inspections. At this time, emission inspections are not impacted by this outage. Station license renewal applications are also unavailable,” DPS said in a statement.The department said it was working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.Safety inspections in TexasGov. Greg Abbott signed a bill this summer eliminating safety inspections for most vehicles in the state. The law goes into effect in 2025.Under current state law, most vehicles statewide are required to undergo ann...

White Bear Lake man gets 19 years for shooting at police serving warrant, hitting one three times

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

Ryan Sheak returned to his job as a White Bear Lake police officer this month after taking bullets to the stomach, pelvis and leg fired by Daniel Loren Holmgren Jr. on Jan. 24.On Wednesday, seven months to the day later, Holmgren was in a Ramsey County courtroom in downtown St. Paul to receive his 19-year prison term for shooting Sheak and firing at Sgt. Eric Gadbois and Officers Phonvelai Sorenson and Connor Dillon in his White Bear Lake apartment, where they were trying to serve him with an arrest warrant.Sorenson was the only officer of the four at Holmgren’s sentencing, but chose not to speak. Sorenson, who was two months on the job at the time of the shooting, asked Police Chief Julie Swanson to read her victim impact statement, saying her decision not to speak was not because she feared Holmgren, “but because he isn’t worth my time anymore.”“He has already consumed so much of my life these past seven months, and it is finally time for me to take control of my life again,...

Kirk Cousins doesn’t expect to play in Vikings’ preseason finale

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

If quarterback Kirk Cousins had it his way, he would be suited up every time the Vikings stepped onto the field, no matter the time or place. Even in a preseason game that doesn’t count.Maybe it’s a good thing then that head coach Kevin O’Connell has the final say. Since taking over in Minnesota before the 2022 season, O’Connell hasn’t allowed Cousins to suit up in a preseason game, and that’s unlikely to change against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.The rationale is simple: Why risk injury with the Sept. 10 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming into focus?  As much as Cousins understands that thought process, he also believes there are certain things about a game that practice can’t simulate.“There’s an argument to be made on both sides,” Cousins said. “You’ve got to be ready Week 1 regardless.”That’s why the Vikings hosted a couple of joint practice...

Mayor Madden calls on public to save birth center

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Troy Mayor Patrick Madden issued a call to action after steps were taken to close the city’s only birthing center. He wants the public to participate in a survey that will be reviewed by the New York State Department of Health, the agency that will make the final decision on the closure.“It’s very important to participate and to demonstrate to the state that we are taking this opportunity for input very seriously so we’d love to see a good response rate from a broad base of individuals throughout the community,” said Madden.  Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! He said the implications of a closure would reach far beyond Troy’s city limits, impacting towns near Massachusetts and Vermont, and wants the public to show support for keeping it open. “As a country we have a rather embarrassing record when it comes to maternal healthcare and the rate of maternal mortality in this country is abysmal,” said M...

Discovering Saratoga: Military Appreciation Day 2023

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The New York Racing Association paid tribute to the nation's service members and veterans for its annual Military Appreciation Day. On Thursday, all veterans and service members received free admission with proper identification.

South End Grocery at risk over defaulted loans

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Foreclosure may be in the forecast for the South End Grocery—a charitable project to provide fresh, healthy food to what had been a food desert in Albany. District 10 Legislator Gary Domalewicz chairs the Albany County Capital Resource Corporation, which is one of three lenders who provided around $200,000 to the African-American Cultural Center of the Capital Region in order to buy the former McDonald’s on South Pearl Street. He says letters went out Tuesday advising that the loan was in default."We were lenient on this. We waited seven months. I don’t know how many people that are in arrears of your own mortgage that the banks would wait seven months to start the procedure," says Domalewicz."It is a food desert down there and desperately needed and that’s the sad part of it. We were excited to help this project and make this project work," he goes on to say.The CRC's loans and mortgages are handled by the Advance Albany County Alliance. The loan to the Afri...

This St. Louis suburb among hottest markets for US homebuyers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:48:50 GMT

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - One St. Louis suburb in west county was recently named among the top markets for US homebuyers. Realtor.com recently released its "Hottest ZIP Codes" report, which ranks cities and big suburbs based on convenience, affordability and value. Coming in at No. 10 on the list was Ballwin, Missouri. BTK killer named ‘prime suspect’ in unsolved cases in Missouri, Oklahoma According to Realtor.com's research, Ballwin had a median home asking price of around $381,000 in June 2023. Recent homes surveyed in the area sold quickly, spending only around 23 days on the market. Ballwin's homes are also viewed around three times as much as the national average. Gahanna, Ohio, located near Columbus, was named the hottest US market for homebuyers. Realtor.com says cities that finished higher in the list are primarily ones a short distance away from major US metros and ones that could offer larger house sizes, even if a little more expensive.