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Air quality concerns as hot, dry weather takes hold today

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Hot and dry conditions courtesy of sinking air overhead will cause concerns for air quality today.An Air Quality Alert is in effect for the I-35 corridor + Bastrop and Caldwell Counties for elevated ground-level ozone. Consider limiting how much you drive and turning your thermostat up a couple of degrees to conserve energy.Afternoon highs will top 90° again this afternoon with mostly sunny and dry skies areawide. IN-DEPTH: Despite the current heat, temperatures this May are running nearly 6° cooler than May 2022, which ended up being the hottest May on record.Friday storm systemWe are tracking a low pressure system and cold front arriving Friday evening that will bring a chance of severe thunderstorms, then cooler weather over the weekend.Slight risk (2 out of 5) for severe storms late FridayStorms look most likely after 5 p.m. Friday from Austin through the Hill Country, and may persist in some areas until after midnight. Large hail and damaging winds appear most ...

Solar-powered street vacuum makes Austin debut

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- You may have recently seen a strange contraption picking up trash along the streets of Austin. It's called the Solar-Umba 4000. It turns out the sun can be used to clean our streets.Freedom Solar made a solar-powered Roomba-like contraption."Underneath the solar panel here, which is how it gets its power, there's a sort of a street sweeping vacuum element that as it moves forward, picks up the trash and puts it in a bin that get we can empty out," said Sherren Harter, Chief Marketing Officer for Freedom Solar Power.It took some development and a lot of welding to put together."It was an idea that we've kind of talked about and batted around and then to see it actually work was was a bit of an 'aha' moment for us. We were pretty pumped about it," added Bret Biggart, CEO of Freedom Solar.But once it was ready, it debuted in Austin on Earth Day… and not just to turn a few heads."One is to show that solar can do more than you think it can do. Two was to raise awareness...

It's official: Blue Bell, Dr Pepper team up, release 'Dr Pepper Float' ice cream

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

(KXAN) -- What do Texas, noted author John Green and Blue Bell have in common? An affinity for Dr Pepper, it seems. Blue Bell teamed up with Dr Pepper to release a new flavor. 'Dr Pepper Float' starts selling in stores on Thursday. Blue Bell announced the flavor on Twitter early Thursday morning, after previously tweeting several teasers to the new flavor with hints on what it could be.The ice cream company at first didn't overtly say the flavor had anything to do with the soda, but the tweets led to speculation that it would be connected to Dr Pepper. One of the hints Blue Bell tweeted included a video depicting a Dr Pepper-colored deep red can of soda being poured, with a caption reading, "The sound of 23 flavors." Dr Pepper, John Green's favorite soda company, is a Texas-based company known for having 23 flavors packed into one soda. MORE: Made in Texas: Viewers name the top Texas brands, businesses they love Blue Bell is also a Texas-based company, headquartered in Brenham, w...

How to prepare your home for Texas summer heat

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — We’ve all experienced it, the weather warming up as the summer starts.As we inch closer to the triple-digit temperatures that Texas is known for, energy experts believe now is the time to prepare your home for the heat ahead.Victor Freelund is a manager at Abacus Air Conditioning.“This spring, it's been up and down on temperatures,” he said. “When it kicks off, as everybody who's lived in Central Texas knows, it's going to get hot and it's going to stay hot.”Last year, Austin endured a historically hot summer. DEPTH: Air conditioner use in full swing this summer Freelund said his team at Abacus were at times, overwhelmed with calls for HVAC repairs.“We were not able to keep our techs running into the middle of the night and still expect them to function the next day,” he said. “So, we had to turn the phones off, we were that busy.”This year, Freelund is preaching preparation and advising folks to get their AC unit serviced before any major issues begin.“If there ar...

Canada wildfire smoke rolls into MN again, with air quality alerts outside Twin Cities

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued another air quality alert for parts of northern and central Minnesota beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday and continuing through noon Thursday due to drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires.(Courtesy of MN Pollution Control Agency.)Much of the same area was under an alert Tuesday. Southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, hasn’t been covered by the alerts, but smoke has still filtered into the atmosphere over the region.Poor air quality impacts health and sensitive groups or those with prolonged exposure experience health effects sooner than others.“The smoke will reach the Twin Cities and southeast MN by late afternoon,” the agency (MPCA) reports in its latest forecast.Air quality will be “yellow” or moderate on Thursday in the Twin Cities.Counties in the “orange” and “red” alert include Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Douglas, Grant, Hubbard, Ita...

5 things to know this Thursday, May 18

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Happy almost Friday! According to Meteorologist Jill Szwed, the frosty/freezing morning will turn into a seasonably cool afternoon with highs pushing back into the 60s. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The jury reached a verdict in the criminal trial of Nauman Hussain on Wednesday. After the fatal 2018 limousine crash that killed 20 people, officials charged Hussain with 20 counts each of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Meanwhile, former NFL pro-bowler and current Albany Empire owner Antonio Brown is looking to hit the field once again and plans to suit up for the Empire this season. These stories, and more, are covered in your five things to know this Thursday morning.1. Hussain guilty of manslaughter in Schoharie limo crash trialThe jury reached a verdict in the criminal trial of Nauman Hussain on Wednesday. After the fatal limousine crash that killed 20 people in 2018, officials ch...

PD: Man flees after being pulled over, chase ensues

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

FORT JOHNSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- According to the Amsterdam Police Department, a Fultonville man was arrested after being pulled over and fleeing, ensuing a chase. James Costanzo, 43, faces several charges. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! On Monday, May 8, around 8:07 a.m., Amsterdam police pulled a man over for using his phone while driving. Police say the man fled the traffic stop, driving west into Fort Johnson.Police say the chase continued into a residential area near Highland Road where the driver allegedly attempted to make a break for it on foot. He was quickly apprehended by patrol and a perimeter was set up. Whitehall man accused of possessing stolen excavator, trailer Police say they identified the driver as Costanzo. Through an investigation, police say they found items from a burglary out of Hamilton County and a controlled substance. Charges:Third-degree burglaryFourth-degree criminal possession of stolen pr...

Person injured in Fairview Heights house fire

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. - An overnight three-alarm fire at a Fairview Heights home sent one person to the hospital.The fire broke out on Old Bunkum Road around 2:15 a.m., not far from Highway 157, where crews are still mopping up the scene. Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns Due to the intense labor, the fire was sent to three alarms, causing five different departments to arrive. The home is up a steep driveway off the road, making it difficult for firefighters to get to the flames.One resident in the home was injured, and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of the fire has not been revealed, and the investigation is still active. FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Destroyed ATM found at local bank

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

ST. LOUIS - An ATM was found destroyed at a local bank early Thursday morning.Our Nissan Rogue Runner reporter Nic Lopez was at the scene, located at Lindell Bank on the 6900 block of Clayton Avenue, where the crews are now responding to the incident. Goat senior prank ends Missouri athlete's competition No further information has been released as this is an active investigation. FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.

Crews respond to fire at Spartan, Illinois metals factory

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:12:27 GMT

SPARTA, Ill - A fire started at spartan light metals in Sparta, Illinois.A machine that works with magnesium caught fire and flames spread to the roof. 12 fire departments responded and quickly extinguished the fire. Top Story: St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner resigns All employees were evacuated safely and there were no injuries.