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Austin pipes leaked enough drinking water in 2022 to fill Lady Bird Lake nearly 3 times

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – From service-line drips to main-line cascades, Austin Water’s pipes leaked more than enough treated water to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool every hour of every day last year.In total, city pipes lost over 6.9 billion gallons of drinkable water in 2022. That’s enough to fill Lady Bird Lake nearly three times, and it’s an increase of more than 400 million gallons compared to the year before, according to water loss audit data obtained from the Texas Water Development Board.While 6.9 billion gallons may seem like a staggering amount of treated water, it’s less than the city’s all-time high of 7.3 billion gallons leaked in 2020. Last year’s leaks were also within a satisfactory range, according to an industry measurement called the “infrastructure leakage index,” which takes into account a utility’s total connections, miles of pipes and water pressure, the city said.Austin Water Utility said some lost water is unavoidable in a system of Austin’s size. Each year the n...

Teen brothers working to pay off Pflugerville ISD students' school lunch debt

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE (KXAN) — As kids get geared up for the start of school next month, many students aren’t able to afford a lunch on campus within the Pflugerville Independent School District.According to Pflugerville ISD, there is currently $126,000 worth of unpaid lunch charges owed to the district. Austin church donating $24K to pay AISD students’ school lunch debt In April, PfISD put in place a policy that any students owing more than $6 in their school lunch account had their main entrée taken away and substituted with a sandwich.This sparked some outrage on social media and embarrassment for certain students.“Kids get made fun of, if they have the cheese sandwich or if they do have the alternative lunch,” John Amador, a junior at Hendrickson High School, explained.With this in mind, he and his brother Maxx decided to lend a helping hand to their fellow students."We saw students get their lunch taken away and given a humiliating alternative lunch,” Maxx said. “We knew we wanted to ...

The Scene Coffee & Cocktails opens in Guilderland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Scene Coffee & Cocktails officially opened its doors on Tuesday morning. The shop is located at 1671 Western Avenue in Guilderland. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Owner Mariana Lia, the daughter of Bill Lia of Lia Auto Group, said she wanted to create an “Instagrammable coffee shop.” The Scene does just that with spots for photos and light-up signs that say "This Must Be The Scene" and "Coffee first, Cocktails later." There's also a champagne vending machine.Lia, a Guilderland resident and recent graduate of Siena College, said she researched for two years to create a vision for the restaurant. “We wanted to design a space that you would expect to find in LA or Miami, and make it accessible to everyone here in the Capital Region,” said Lia. Fidens Brewing soft launching Albany taproom The Scene Coffee & Cocktails has opened in Guilderland (photo: Sara Rizzo)The Scene Coffee & Cockta...

'Revolution on the Hudson' to be held Tuesday night

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

HALFMOON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Calling all history buffs! "Revolution on the Hudson" will be held Tuesday night, weather permitting, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War and highlight Halfmoon's special role in America's War for Independence. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The event will be at Lighthouse Park on Hudson River Road, RT. 32 in Halfmoon. The park opens at 6 p.m., with the event itself starting at 7 p.m. The event will kick off a speakers series to offer an opportunity to learn about Saratoga's role in the revolution. The event will be hosted in collaboration with the Town of Halfmoon, Saratoga County, and America's Turning Point. The event will also offer hot dogs, hamburgers, and watermelon for attendees to enjoy.

Take an original Saratoga Springs Ghost Tour this summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Explore the haunting history of Canfield Casino by taking an original Saratoga Springs Ghost Tour this summer, hosted by the Saratoga Springs History Museum. The tours are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 11 a.m. through July and August. Tickets are available online. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! The tour will cover real-life encounters and personal stories of paranormal activity that museum-goers and workers have had. The Canfield Casino, being one of Saratoga Springs' most historic and haunted buildings, was featured on the SyFy Network's show Ghost Hunters in 2010 and was named number four in the top ten of America's Most Terrifying Places on the Travel Channel in 2019. Guests are asked to arrive five minutes before the tour begins. Parking will be available in Congress Park or in the Spring Street public lot. Celebrate Christmas in July with Great Sacandaga Brewing Comp...

New restaurant downtown offers more than the regular experience

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

Dining at The Regular, a modern fine-dining restaurant that opened last week downtown, is like taking a seat at owners Sydney Younggreen and Brian De Souza’s own dinner table.Every detail throughout the 44-seat restaurant, located at 1432 Market St., has been carefully thought out: from the old school rock-n-roll music playing on the speakers to the quirky yet cozy furniture in the lounge; from the central fireplace that’s a nod to the one in their own home to the green touches in honor of Younggreen’s favorite color. They even built the bar with no name-brand spirits in order to push you outside of your comfort zone.Owners Sydney Younggreen and Brian De Souza met while working at a restaurant in New York City and have worked at Michelin-starred spots like Le Bernardin and Blue Hill. (Photo by Bird Tree Productions)“Every little thing that you see around – every fork, knife, every plate has been hand selected,” De Souza said. “It’s music that we listen to, not just what’s on t...

Taylor Swift Eras Tour Denver surprise song predictions from a local Swiftie

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performs onstage on the first night of her “Eras Tour” at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 31, 2023. (Photo by Suzanne Cordeiro, AFP via Getty Images)The countdown to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Denver is on.The two nights the star will play at Empower Field at Mile High come just one week after she released “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and added six new songs to her already massive discography.If you’ve avoided spoilers of The Eras Tour, Swift announced on opening night that she would be playing two acoustic songs at every show, saying she had enough to make it through the tour without repeating any. The six new songs from the “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” vault only add to the options for Denver.Like many a Swiftie, I’ve been tracking the “surprise” songs throughout the tour, so these are my Denver predictions:Denver Night 1, Friday, July 14“Back to D...

Loss of Trinidad’s art-car parade and museum robs city of signature cultural event

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

In spite of desperate attempts to save Trinidad’s Artocade parade and Art Cartopia museum over the last week, the nationally renowned attractions are set to close permanently, dealing a staggering blow to the New Mexico border town’s years-long efforts to maintain a signature cultural event.“There’s no rescue available, the board voted to do this and that’s just the reality,” said Rodney Wood, an artist and former director of the nonprofit parade and museum. “A lot of the reasons floating around for it on (social media) are fiction. I’m actually getting a T-shirt made about it that says ‘Don’t believe everything you think.’ ”Artocade rocketed to national prominence shortly after it debuted a decade ago, becoming the nation’s second-largest art-car event after marquee gatherings in Houston and Seattle. Like the Artocade parade, the Art Cartopia museum featured hand-designed and repurposed cars made by individual ...

Family-run Federal Heating closes after 84 years of business in west Denver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

Federal Heating, a fixture on Denver’s South Federal Boulevard, has closed for good after more than 80 years in business as the third generation to own it contend with a changing industry and marketplace.Bo and Sherry Ramsour, who ran the business started by their great-uncle Bert Ramsour, believe it was the oldest HVAC business in Colorado.“I’ve always told Bo the two of us go out together, we have to go together. We kind of came in together,” said Sherry, who is 58.Bo, whose full name is Robert, graduated from college in 1982 and returned to work with his father, Robert “Bob” Ramsour.“I came back and never left,” said Bo, 63. “It’s been good. I have no regrets.”Federal Heating’s last day of business was the last day of June. Employees Janet Cordes and Mark Monheiser were there until the end and Monheiser said people asked, “What am I going to do now?”“I don’t even know what I’m going to...

Denver scrubbed its $40 million migrant crisis plan. Now what?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:32:36 GMT

The defeat of a $40 million proposal for private security corporation GardaWorld to take over migrant sheltering operations for Denver means the new mayor and City Council can pivot to an entirely different plan.Mayor-elect Mike Johnston has not publicly announced what he plans to do next, and it’s unclear what his advisers will advocate. A representative from his team said he was unavailable for an interview last week. But Johnston has told The Denver Post that the issue is critical and complicated, and one in which he hopes to work “collaboratively to identify an equitable and fair solution to this crisis.”Like his predecessor outgoing Mayor Michael Hancock, Johnston recognizes that the increasing number of migrants making their way to non-border towns like Denver is forcing local governments across the country to come up with strategies to help asylum-seekers without negatively impacting their residents. Hancock has said repeatedly that officials have to balance the desire ...