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PragerU among educational lesson plans allowed in Texas schools under new law

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Monday, PragerU announced it is now an educational vendor in Texas, according to a video posted to its website. That means teachers have the options to use its lessons in classrooms.Texas is the second state, after Florida, to approve material from the conservative nonprofit to be used in schools, according to its release. The Hill reported in Florida, the videos aren't required content but "aligns to Florida's revised civics and government standards and can be used as supplemental materials." In Texas, the use of PragerU content is similar. The "State Board of Education has authority under new statute to review and approve commercially available instructional material, such as those sold by PragerU. We welcome all publishers to participate in the SBOE's review and approval process," the Texas Education Association said.Resources for teachersSchool districts throughout the state are still working to fill teacher vacancies. Lawmakers filed multiple bills in an atte...

Oncor customers in Pflugerville affected by Monday power outage

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- Around 630 Oncor customers were affected by a power outage in Pflugerville that started Monday evening, according to Oncor officials.At approximately 7:40 p.m. Monday, crews responded to hundreds of outages in the area. Power was estimated to be restored by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.However, officials said the cause for the outage was underground facilities that needed repair, so the repairs took longer to find and fix.As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, approximately 194 customers remained with power, according to the Oncor outage map.The City of Pflugerville also posted on Twitter and said multiple cooling centers were available for those impacted by the outages. Pflugerville cooling centers:Pflugerville Library - 1008 W. Pfluger St.Travis County Community Center at Pflugerville - 15822 Foothill Farms Loop, Suite D

Former Miss Texas announces campaign for Texas House

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

DALLAS (KXAN) — The first Asian American woman to win the Miss Texas crown is now hoping to add another title to her name: state lawmaker. Averie Bishop, who won the statewide pageant in 2022, made it official Tuesday afternoon that she's running to unseat a longtime Republican state representative in a competitive district located outside of Dallas. She posted a video on her social media accounts announcing her campaign for Texas House District 112, which includes the communities of Addison, Richardson and Sunnyvale in Dallas County. "We are tired of being left behind. We are through with waiting for Austin to protect our public schools, to take action in the face of climate change or give us access to basic human rights like health care," Bishop said in her video. "It's time for a change. It's time for the next generation of Texans to lead. It's time to remember every time we say y'all, it has to mean all."Bishop, 26, is running as a Democrat in the race. She said she would be the...

Tropical Depression Harold weakening south of Central Texas

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

Editor's Note: This story is no longer being updated. Check the KXAN First Warning Weather forecast for the latest.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Tropical Storm Harold made landfall on Padre Island, Texas at 10 a.m. Tuesday with winds of 50 mph. Harold has since been downgraded to a tropical depression as it weakens over land. KXAN: First Warning Weather Flooding rainfall amounts of up to 7 inches are possible along the South Texas coast inland toward the Rio Grande Valley. So far, the reporting station at Corpus Christi has measured more than three inches of rain.Tropical Storm Harold's projected rainfall RainfallTD Harold sent welcome rain bands into Central Texas Tuesday evening, bringing parts of Austin our first measurable rainfall in a month -- and breaking Austin's 100-degree streak after 45 days of hot sunshine.The last measurable rain in Austin at Camp Mabry was back on July 22. On that day we picked up 0.01" which was just enough to end our previous dry ...

Texas women's basketball set for marquee Moody showdown

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Texas women's basketball is one of the premier programs in the country, especially with some of the success they've had as of late. But without much question, one of - if not the - biggest name program in the nation is the University of Connecticut.While the Huskies haven't won a national championship since 2016, they're still perennially one of the top teams in the nation. And now in 2023, UConn will make the trip to Central Texas."Obviously that name is very recognizable in the realm of women's basketball," Texas Head Coach Vic Schaefer said. "Playing a team of that caliber early in the year certainly generates interest."Connecticut will play at Moody Center against Texas at 2 p.m. on Dec. 3. The game will be part of the Jimmy V Women's Classic.Schaefer referenced his goal of having 5,000 season ticket holders for Texas women's basketball and how they are yet to reach that goal. He hopes games like this will help attract fans for good."If you come see us play once,...

Event in Stillwater to celebrate Swiss heritage will include Appenzeller cheese and a 100-year-old beer keg

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

An event to celebrate the state’s Swiss heritage will be held this weekend at the Washington County Heritage Center in Stillwater.The event, which will be from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, will include a screening of “In Adventura Americana,” a documentary that explores the journey of Swiss Romansh immigration to Minnesota. The documentary follows the adventures of two Swiss men who started in Stillwater, ventured to other parts of the Twin Cities, and, eventually, settled in Badus, S.D.Several of the filmmakers will be joining the event via Zoom from Switzerland for an interactive question-and-answer session.The event is hosted by the Washington County Historical Society, and Pat and Kathy Wolf, owners of Stillwater-based Joseph Wolf Brewing Co. The sisters are the great-granddaughters of Joseph Wolf. Wolf, along with his brother, Martin, came to Stillwater in 1855 from Trun, Switzerland, and started the brewery in downtown Stillwater in 1868.Swiss delicacies such as Appenzeller cheese, ...

Here’s our 53-man roster projection for the Vikings. Who stays? Who goes?

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

There is less than a week until cut-down day across the NFL. Though some of the older players  leaguewide can’t wait for training camp to be over, some of the young players are still trying to make an impression. And there are only a few more days to do that for anyone on the bubble.As for the Vikings, they close out training camp this week by hosting a couple of joint practices with the Arizona Cardinals. Those workouts will be held at TCO Performance Center on Wednesday and Thursday, and should give the coaching staff more data points ahead of final cuts.Here’s our 53-man roster projection for the Vikings:Quarterback (2)Staying: Kirk Cousins, Nick MullensGoing: Jaren Hall, Jordan Ta’amuAnalysis: There’s no doubt that Cousins will be the starter this season and Mullens will be the backup. The main reason Hall gets cut is because he still has so much to learnt to play the position at the highest level. His inexperience has been on display in both preseason games so...

3M sets leadership team for health care spinoff

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

Maplewood-based 3M on Tuesday named the executive leadership for the planned spinoff of its health care division.Bryan HansonBryan Hanson was named CEO of 3M’s Health Care Business Group, effective Sept. 1, according to a 3M news release. He comes to 3M from Zimmer Biomet, a medical technology company, where he has has served as president and CEO since 2017 and chairman since 2021. He also was an executive at Medtronic.“I am honored and excited to join 3M’s Health Care Business Group at such an important time in its evolution,” Hanson said in the release. “I have a deep respect and admiration for what 3M has built in health care — strong brands, quality products, commercial excellence, and customer-driven innovation. I look forward to working with the team to more deeply understand and realize the potential of our business as we accelerate our path forward, and build on a legacy of trusted leadership and medical innovation.”Carrie Cox was na...

Minnesota, Wisconsin to seek $1B from infrastructure law to replace Twin Ports bridge

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

The governors of Minnesota and Wisconsin announced Monday that their respective departments of transportation have requested federal funding to help rebuild the Blatnik Bridge between Duluth and Superior.More than $1 billion is available through the federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program, which is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law spearheaded by President Joe Biden.The Blatnik Bridge serves as a link between Superior and Duluth. Jointly owned and managed by WisDOT and MnDOT, the bridge provides a freight and commercial link to the Twin Ports and serves more than 33,000 vehicles per day.“The Blatnik Bridge connects the Twin Ports communities and economies of Duluth and Superior — it provides a vital route for regional commerce, tourism and emergency services,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in the announcement. “I’m proud to partner with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and out colleagues at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to rebuild and modernize this criti...

Walz announces director of state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave program

Published Thu, 06 Feb 2025 11:48:51 GMT

Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday that Greg Norfleet, a Massachusetts state official, will join the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development next month as the director of the state’s new Paid Family and Medical Leave program.“Greg Norfleet brings a wealth of leadership and direct experience in establishing a successful state Paid Family and Medical Leave program,” Walz said in a statement. “I look forward to working with him as we build out a program that will support Minnesota’s workers and businesses, improve economic security for families, and make Minnesota an even better place to live and work.”Norfleet served as the deputy director for operations for Massachusett’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which was put into practice in 2021. Currently, Norfleet is the chief operating officer at the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.“Minnesota is a national leader for innovative legislation, and Paid Family and Medi...