Austin American-Statesman

 
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Sports

  • Wimberley ousted at state volleyball tournament

    21 Nov 2009 | 6:32 am
    SAN MARCOS — Wimberley's quest for a seventh state volleyball title in 11 years was thwarted on Friday by a Lucas Lovejoy team that wasn't ready to give its crown back.

  • Westlake stomps Judson; Hawks fall 63-56

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:34 pm
    CONVERSE — In an area playoff matchup rife with tradition, Westlake delivered a rare home loss to Converse Judson, romping to the Class 5A Division I Region IV quarterfinals with a surprisingly easy 43-17 victory Friday night.

  • Westlake stomps Judson

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:26 pm
    CONVERSE — In an area playoff matchup rife with tradition, Westlake delivered a rare home loss to Converse Judson, romping to the Class 5A Division I Region IV quarterfinals with a surprisingly easy 43-17 victory Friday night.

  • Coldspring Oakhurst 51, Rockdale 35

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:23 pm
    Held to a 21-21 halftime tie by Rockdale (8-3), Coldspring Oakhurst (10-2) erupted for 30 second half points to conquer the Tigers in a 3A Division II area playoff clash in Conroe. Coldspring will meet the winner of today's Center-Lorena game in third-round play next week.

  • Caldwell 20, Cleveland 13 (OT)

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:23 pm
    Kysan Woolverton's 1-yard touchdown plunge in overtime lifted Caldwell (9-1) over Cleveland (10-2) in a 3A Division II area playoff game in Waller. With the win, the Hornets advanced to the third round against defending Division II state champion Carthage (12-0).
 
 
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Style

  • Whitney Dodson

    18 Nov 2009 | 3:01 pm
    While roving the streets on a Saturday night, Street Cam spotted Whitney Dodson celebrating her 23rd birthday with friends on West Sixth Street. This recent University of Texas graduate stopped traffic in her tangerine cocktail dress from Forever 21 and round-toed Steve Madden black heels with a playful ankle strap that were already hurting her feet. Carrying a sparkly clutch from Victoria's Secret and adorned in Juicy Couture jewelry, she was looking party-perfect.

  • Shop the market at A Christmas Affair

    18 Nov 2009 | 2:59 pm
    Shop the market at A Christmas Affair

  • Lauren Bridges

    11 Nov 2009 | 5:59 pm
    Lauren Bridges, a 29-year-old sales executive, was spotted at a holiday-themed party at Central Market on North Lamar Boulevard, looking seasonally stylish in an emerald green flowy silk top from Strut. A fitted charcoal tweed skirt from Lerner New York and a fabulous pair of round-toe plaid heels, which she got for a steal at a boutique sale, emphasized her slim physique and enviable long legs.

  • Local designers score big at national interior event

    11 Nov 2009 | 5:58 pm
    Men's collection kicks off with feel-good angle

  • Art house: A classic Hyde Park structure adorned

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pm
    Like the devotees of the Arts and Crafts movement of yore, Austin artist Chris Dial idealizes the ordinary, finds inspiration in the unexpected and takes immense pride in the details of her personal handiwork. How perfect then that she should inhabit — and be inspired by — an Arts and Crafts-style home that architecturally mirrors her artistic aesthetic. Her Hyde Park house, built in 1914, embodies the characteristics of the Craftsman bungalow style — an American hybrid of the global Arts and Crafts movement. Enriched with untouched classic details, such as finely crafted trim and door…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Travel

  • Five great ski spots in the Northeast

    21 Nov 2009 | 10:23 am
    Little-known fact: It's not Colorado that boasts the most ski resorts, but New York, which has at least 44 ski areas. Often people are afraid to try New England skiing because they fear it's too costly or too hard or too icy. But there are plenty of wonderful places to ski not only in New York but also in Vermont and other parts of the Northeast. Here are five to check out:

  • From worms to used motor oil, green gets a lift at ski resort

    21 Nov 2009 | 10:23 am
    VAIL, Colo. — Worms that eat coffee grounds. Old motor oil that heats workshops. Patio furniture made of recycled milk jugs.

  • Bowled over by Vail

    21 Nov 2009 | 10:20 am
    This place is so big, so completely massive, that you can spend hours just going someplace — Big Sky Basin, anyone?

  • Stay hydrated, rest to avoid altitude sickness

    21 Nov 2009 | 10:19 am
    The snow is flying, your skis are waxed, the mountain beckons — and you feel rotten, like you drank too much last night.

  • Mesa Verde: Cliff notes on sustainable living

    14 Nov 2009 | 6:49 am
    MESA VERDE, Colo. — The ancient tribes who wandered into southwestern Colorado more than a thousand years ago were no dummies. They looked at the area's big, rugged mesas and decided to live inside them. They built south-facing homes, shielded from the winter's north wind. In the summer, the flat cliff overhangs kept them cool.
 
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Television

  • Public access channels go digital with $1 million studio upgrades

    13 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am
    Remember when you went digital? Do you recall how excited you were when you abandoned your cassette tapes for CDs? How thrilled you were the first time you fired up a DVD player? If you use a DVR, your DVD player — indeed, physical media itself — probably seems obsolete.

  • After initial surprising dialogue, 'Glee' taking a turn toward the serious

    6 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm
    Nearly a month ago, I wrote a column about "Glee," the Fox musical hit about a band of misfits and outcasts who find refuge in fictional McKinley High's glee club. A reader's letter prompted the column; she was outraged by the show's pilot and wondered if others had reacted the same way.

  • Twin Liquors' wine guy wins reality TV show, blends at 45 RPM

    6 Nov 2009 | 10:33 am
    The wine was made as part of the PBS reality series "The Winemakers," which starred Austinite Ross Outon as one of 12 contestants competing for the chance to start their own wine brand. It's a 2007 California red called "Winner's Wine," with a label that says "remove label only after finale."

  • Will 'V' find victory in prime time?

    2 Nov 2009 | 12:56 pm
    It's gotten to the point where an engaging, thought-provoking conference panel that really gives everyone in the room new knowledge has, sadly, become the exception and not the rule.

  • New players fill set of 'Friday Night Lights'

    30 Oct 2009 | 12:53 pm
    I walk onto the "Friday Night Lights" set on reporter day. All over the dilapidated East Dillon High football field, actors dressed as reporters wait to film scenes in which they will interview coaches and players. Meanwhile, I interview the actors portraying those coaches and players. It's a little meta, but what the heck — we all get to eat off of the same craft service cart.
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Anders Meanders (Helen Anders on Travel)

  • Thanksgiving: Going? Going? Gone?

    21 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am
    Based on the number of people who typically clog the roads Thanksgiving week, I’m guessing some of you are already off on your holiday trip. Others won’t leave until Wednesday or Thursday. Or are you staying home? Are you driving? Flying? Keep in mind that the Sunday after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days of the year both on the roads and in the skies. Give yourself extra time. Yes, I know, I sound like a mom. I am a mom. Give yourself plenty of time.

  • Good morning, fliers. Keep your eye on the sky

    20 Nov 2009 | 6:03 am
    Update 10:32 a.m. — Starting to see a smattering of delays at Dallas-Fort Worth International. One of these is the scheduled 11:45 a.m. American Airlines departure from Austin to Dallas and on to Denver. That one’s about 45 minutes late right now. A reminder: If you’re at the airport and it’s pretty obvious your flight’s going to be delayed, even if it’s not posting delayed, and you’re fairly certain you’re going to miss your connection, get on the phone with the airline before everybody else does and rebook the connecting flight. The closer we…

  • CDC weighs in on travel and swine flu

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am
    Finally, from the Centers for Disease Control comes an acknowledgment that we travelers have some concerns about swine flu, or H1N1. It has come up with these recommendations, just in case they hadn’t already occurred to you: Travel only when you’re well. (Well, that’s probably a bit broad. But certainly don’t travel if you think you might have the flu.) Get vaccinated for both the regular flu and, if you’re in the priority group, H1N1. (If you can find a dose.) Wash your hands often Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. The doc I quoted yesterday said all that…

  • FAA fixes Atlanta glitch; Atlanta's still backed up

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    The FAA is saying this morning’s computer glitch is fixed, but a lot of planes in and out of Atlanta-Hartsfield are still running late, some by more than two hours. A side effect is some backups into and out of airports in the New York area. Austin-Bergstrom, though, looks to be running fine, with the exception of a couple of delays headed east, a couple of them more than an hour. I just got an e-mail from the air traffic controllers union, saying the glitch was in both Atlanta and Salt Lake City flight plan computers, which affect not only those airports but every plane in the nation.

  • FAA glitch causing widespread flight delays

    19 Nov 2009 | 6:45 am
    A problem with the FAA system that collects airlines’ flight plans caused widespread flight cancellations and delays nationwide Thursday. It was the second time in 15 months that a glitch in the flight plan system caused delays. FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said she doesn’t know how many flights are being affected or when the problem will be resolved. There are some minor problems that could be associated with this in Austin. Flights scheduled to arrive from and depart to Atlanta in next few hours are showing delays of up to 45 minutes on Austin-Bergstrom International…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Backspin (Kevin Robins on golf)

  • Gist: Austin Open will return in 2011

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:18 am
    Austin Open creator Chip Gist tells Doug Smith in today’s newspaper that the tournament will return next spring with a new sponsor. It was canceled this year when the sponsor withdrew six weeks before the date. Gist said next year it’s “a sure thing.” The fifth Austin Open is scheduled for the third week of April at Grey Rock Golf Club, where Gist is the general manager. In other news, Gist explains more about the Austin Golf Trail, which debuted a couple of weeks ago with a Web site and big ambitions.

  • Texas women sign pair from Canada, Arizona

    17 Nov 2009 | 3:16 pm
    The University of Texas women’s golf team has signed two players to letters of intent, head coach Martha Richards announced today. Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Scarborough, Ontario, and Samantha Postillion of Scottsdale will join the Longhorns next year. Bentham is a member of the Canadian National Women’s Developmental team. “She has won prestigious titles at the 2008 Canadian Future Links Pacific Championship and the 2007 Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship,” according to texassports.com. “In 2009, Bentham has also recorded top-five finishes at the Royale Cup…

  • The T stands for Tantrum, Tiger

    17 Nov 2009 | 3:57 am
    Another tournament, another thrown club. Ready for something actually funny, mate? Mike Walker of golf.com crafts the Official Tiger Woods Line.

  • Longhorn men sign Finnish junior

    16 Nov 2009 | 7:19 pm
    The University of Texas men’s golf team announced today that Toni Hakula of Finland has signed a letter of intent to play next fall. The junior from Espoo won the 2008 Finnish Junior Championship and placed second in the 2009 European Junior Championship. He played in the 2009 British Amateur and the 2008 World Amateur, and reached the second stage of qualifying in 2008 for the European Tour. “We were interested in signing one outstanding student-athlete this fall, and Toni fits the bill as an accomplished, highly-ranked amateur with international experience at the highest…

  • Cyr wins first Austin Mid-Am (and Backspin is back in town)

    15 Nov 2009 | 7:52 pm
    Craig Cyr of Austin won the first-ever Austin Mid-Amateur Championship, posting a 4-under-par 139 at Kizer and Clay to beat Michael Harwood by six. Cyr shot 3-under-par 68 at Roy Kizer and 1-under-par 71 at Jimmy Clay. Harwood shot 73-72. Steve Paterson, Randolph Peck and Kenneth Gadawski make up the rest of the Top Five. Cyr had the only round in the 60s. In other news, your host is back after a hastily planned story trip to Georgia. In order, I: Flew to Atlanta on Friday, tried to arrange a Saturday game at East Lake and couldn’t even get past the gate. The friendly gentlemen in the…
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Bevo Beat (Longhorns)

  • Kindle a finalist for the Butkus

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:03 pm
    Sergio Kindle is one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation’s top linebacker. The list of finalists was released late Thursday. Kindle is used mostly as a hybrid defensive end for the Longhorns’ top-ranked defense. He’s the first finalist the Longhorns have produced since Derrick Johnson won the award in 2004. It’s named for iconic Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus. The other finalists are Rolando McClain, Alabama; Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri; Brandon Spikes, Florida and Eric Norwood of South Carolina. McClain, Weatherspoon and Spikes were…

  • Raven on Naismith list

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:41 pm
    Texas senior guard Brittainey Raven was named one of 50 candidates on the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list. A preseason All-Big 12 honoree, Raven is averaging 12.5 points.

  • Anderson named Academic All-America

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:40 pm
    Emily Anderson of Texas was named to the Academic All-America Women’s Soccer first team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Anderson has a 4.00 grade-point average in the Accounting/MPA program in the McCombs School of Business.

  • Texas ex Hardee wins Thorpe Award

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:39 pm
    Former Longhorn Trey Hardee, who won the decathlon in the world championships in August, was named the winner of the Jim Thorpe All-Around Award by the United States Sports Academy. The award is given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in multiple sport and/or multiple events of the same sport. Past winners include Deion Sanders, Herschel Walker, Willie Gault, Danny Ainge, Julius Peppers and Brian Clay.

  • Volleyball team sweeps K-State

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:38 pm
    The No. 2 Texas volleyball team had 13 blocks and held Kansas State to a minus-.019 attack mark, and Destinee Hooker had 15 kills on 30 error-free swings in a 25-13, 25-10, 25-17 victory Wednesday night at Gregory Gym. Hooker added three service aces, seven digs, four solo blocks and four block assists for the Longhorns (21-1, 16-1 Big 12). Juliann Faucette had eight kills, while Jennifer Doris contributed six kills and six total blocks. K-State is 10-17, 4-13. Texas plays at Baylor on Saturday with a chance to clinch at least a share of the Big 12 title.
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    Austin American-Statesman: Kirk Bohls: Bohls Game

  • Nine observations and one crazy prediction

    15 Nov 2009 | 8:18 am
    Hate to rain on anyone’s parade, but I’d recommend cautious optimism over Texas’ new-found running game. Yes, Cody Johnson and my favorite, Tre Newton, ran strong and ran free, but it was against Baylor’s 82nd ranked rush defense, which has been stomped by Connecticut (235 yards), Iowa State (240 yards) and Northwestern State (133), yes that Northwestern State. Just temper it a bit. Refs did a poor job, in this opinion, over policing unsportsmanlike conduct in the Texas game. If Tracy Robertson and Tim Atchison are going to get flagged for taunting, Longhorn cornerback…

  • Mack defuses wrong ESPN report

    11 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm
    Mack Brown took issue with an erroneous ESPN report Tuesday that claimed the Texas football coach had said non-BCS schools such as TCU and Boise State should not compete for the BCS championship. He never said anything remotely close to that. He also chose this time to make a pitch for all 120 football programs to have the same designation to avoid any denigrating terms like non-BCS. “It was taken out of context,” Brown said of his original benign comments that ESPN mistakenly misconstrued and that drew comments from analyst Kirk Herbstreit. “I have full respect for all…

  • Nine observations and one crazy prediction

    8 Nov 2009 | 12:51 pm
    While I’ve written all year long that Tim Tebow will win his second Heisman Trophy, I do think Colt McCoy just might win it if Mr. Gator were to stumble against Florida State or Alabama. The Texas quarterback should put up huge numbers in the last month of the season and will have the added gravitas of becoming the winningest quarterback in college football history. Looks to be a three-man race with McCoy, Tebow and Alabama’s sensational running back Mark Ingram. That said, I still can’t stop thinking Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh is college football’s best player.

  • Florida should be ashamed

    2 Nov 2009 | 3:35 pm
    I’m sure by now most of you have seen the atrocious stunt by Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes, who clearly tried to gouge out the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in last Saturday’s game. Well, Spikes’ coach went him one better. Urban Meyer suspended his best defensive player for all of one half in this week’s game against Vanderbilt. Way to go, Urban. That’s some tough discipline you’re meting out over in Gainesville. But I guess boys will be boys. That’s about as blatantly a dirty play as I have ever seen in sports. Spikes ought to be…

  • Nine observations and one crazy prediction

    1 Nov 2009 | 4:05 pm
    I voted Texas No. 1 on my Associated Press ballot for the first time this season because the Longhorns (8-0) pure and simple strike me as the best team in the nation with fewer flaws than any other unbeaten team. Florida doesn’t have the passing game (ranked 90th), Alabama doesn’t have the experienced quarterback (Greg McElroy ranks 71st in completions and hasn’t thrown a TD in three games) and Iowa, well, don’t get me started (74th in offense). Not sure rampaging Oregon may not be the No. 1 team in the nation, however, or at least have a claim to it. Texas ranks first…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Homeroom (Education)

  • Principal bans senior t-shirts at high school

    18 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pm
    Hays High School senior Luke Adams thought out-of-the-box when designing senior class t-shirts. But his message has caused a stir at the school. The front of the shirt reads “HHS Seniors 2010” and the back says, “Well, that sucked.” According to a Hays Free Press article, the school has confiscated the t-shirts from students who have worn them. The school principal told Adams that the unofficial senior t-shirts are “not a good reflection” on the school. The district said today that the t-shirts violate district policy and will remain banned. Does the shirt…

  • Carstarphen to discuss "State of the District" tonight

    17 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am
    Austin Superintendent Meria Carstarphen deliver a “State of the District” address tonight. School officials have said Carstarphen will discuss the district’s success and shortcomings and explain her goals and plans for improvement. The superintendent’s address is open to the public. It will be at 7 p.m. in the LBJ High School Performing Arts Center, 7309 Lazy Creek Drive.

  • Hays committee to hold another hearing on elementary school boundaries

    13 Nov 2009 | 8:27 am
    The Hays Consolidated School district’s growth impact committee delayed its recommendation on elementary school attendance zones, district officials said. The committee has decided hold two public hearings on the issue. Their recommendation to the school board is now tentatively scheduled for Dec. 14. The hearings will be held at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16 in the Hays High School Career and Tech Auditorium Thursday and at 6 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Science Hall Elementary School. District official said maps of the proposed attendance zones will be available at www.hayscisd.net next week.

  • McCallum orchestra to play with Neapolitan masters

    12 Nov 2009 | 9:03 am
    According to an announcement by the Austin school district: The Neapolitan Music Society and the McCallum Fine Arts Academy Orchestra will perform “The Neapolitan Revival” concert at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 14, at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, located at 606 W. 15th Street in Austin. The exciting program - a continuation of the school’s efforts in 2008 - brings the Society’s Masters (Dr. Robert Gjerdingen, Northwestern University; Maestro Gioacchino Lingobardi, Albany New York; and Maestro Alberto Vitolo, Rome, Italy) to Austin to work with the…

  • Schools honor U.S. veterans

    11 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am
    Check out what one school did this Veteran’s day. KEYE TV reports that the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School planted over 5,000 miniature flags in honor of U.S. veterans.
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Cedric Golden - Golden's Nuggets

  • Stay classy, Bud Adams

    16 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pm
    Venerable Titans owner Bud Adams got a little excited Sunday when it became apparent that Tennessee would win their third straight game. So excited that he shot the bird at Bills fans. It’s cool to see an 86-year old man showing some spunk at a football game but Bud got a little carried away. To his credit, Adams apologized for his double barreled finger attack, it didn’t keep the NFL from clipping him for $250K. Sure the old dude went overboard but maybe we should give him a little leeway after his team started 0-6. And in his defense, Adams isn’t the first high profile…

  • My weekend in Alabama

    9 Nov 2009 | 3:10 pm
    This gives you an idea of what of what I experienced during my weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala. The LSU-Alabama game was typical SEC — big hitting defenses and little offense. Besides that, check out what caught my eye. The design on the fedoras is what they call Houndstooth. This photo isn’t from the game but it is pretty much what I saw the whole time. Houndstooth hats, houndstooth mini-skirts, houndstooth ties, and houndstooth scarves. It’s all an incredible homage to the Bear. As for the game, the Crimson Tide won 24-15 over the Bayou Bengals but it wasn’t without…

  • Marcus Jordan: selfish or a good son?

    4 Nov 2009 | 9:51 pm
    Michael Jordan’s kid will never have to work a day in his life but he committed a pretty selfish act by wearing his dad’s shoes. Freshman guard Marcus Jordan decided to wear a pair of Air Jordans in a scrimmage recently, costing his University of Central Florida team a sponsorship agreement with adidas. There’s little that’s more important than honoring your father but this is taking it a bit too far. Air Jordans put this kid on easy street but that doesn’t do anything to help his university’s athletic department, which is helped by sponsorship deals. The…

  • Ginobili isn't a bat killer after all

    3 Nov 2009 | 7:26 am
    If you haven’t seen it yet, check out San Antonio Spurs forward Manu Ginobili ending what was a bat delay during Halloween. It turns out that Ginobili is taking rabies shots now after his unusual encounter. I’m sure Manu has already heard from the PETA folks but for the record, he never meant to harm the little guy. The bat is reportedly fine after flying away from a maintenance worker. I would never want to get anywhere near a a bat. Those things always gave me the creeps when I was younger. Who knows? Maybe Ginobili was trying to channel his inner Batman. Ginobili’s little…

  • Martina rips into Agassi

    30 Oct 2009 | 3:39 pm
    After tennis legend admitted he used crystal meth in 1997, one of his contemporaries had some choice words for the sport’s former matinee idol. Martina Navratilova was outraged by Double-A admitting he lied to tennis officials after he failed a drug test. Martina even went as far as to compare Agassi with MLB legend Roger Clemens, who has been dogged by rumors of steroid use, despite his assertions that he played clean. In Agassi’s upcoming book, Open, he admitted to drug use and in a recent People magazine interview, he said he used meth “for a year or so.” I…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Life Guide

  • Letters from Santa

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:09 am
    As noted in this AP article, the U.S. postal service has decided to end its popular Operation Santa program, in which volunteers in the small town of North Pole, AK, opened and responded to thousands of letters to Santa each Christmas. There is still a way for your child to receive a letter from Santa with a North Pole postmark, however. Write the response from Santa yourself, put it in a sealed envelope with a return address of “Santa, North Pole” and add postage. Put that sealed letter in a first-class or priority mail envelope with the proper postage and mail it to North Pole…

  • Information on replacing military medals

    19 Nov 2009 | 3:41 am
    Do you have a telephone number or information to contact a local fellow who helps with replacing and/or duplicating veterans’ medals? There was a fellow I spoke with about a year ago whom I learned about from your Statesman column, but I can’t locate his information. —R.B. Request a replacement medal from the branch of the service in which the veteran served. Click here for more information. You may also contact Medals of America, (800) 308-0849 or usmedals.com, to purchase any replacement medal (except the Medal of Honor).

  • More on Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities

    18 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm
    If you are looking to volunteer on Thanksgiving, consider Operation Turkey. The effort began in 2000 when Richard Bagdonas handed out extra food to one person; last year, 1,200 volunteers worked to feed 3,500, Bagdonas says. This year, Operation Turkey is hoping to feed 4,000 people. Similar efforts are taking place in 29 cities nationwide. Cooking and meal preparation will take place at both Bikinis Bar and Grill locations (6901 N. Interstate 35 and 214 E. Sixth St.) on Thanksgiving morning. Volunteers aren’t required to put in any specific amount of work, and nobody is turned away.

  • Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities

    16 Nov 2009 | 3:52 am
    If you are looking for volunteer opportunities on Thanksgiving Day, the Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot, benefiting Caritas, needs help. Contact Molly Sipe of Caritas at 646-1251 or msipe@caritasofaustin.org for details. If you know of other groups looking for volunteers, e-mail pmongillo@statesman.com.

  • Oak wilt prevention

    12 Nov 2009 | 3:25 am
    On Monday I’ll be answering a reader question on oak wilt prevention. Below are videos of Eric Beckers of the Texas Forest Service talking to KXAN’s Jim Swift about identifying and preventing oak wilt.
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    Austin American-Statesman: Mama Drama (Working Mothers)

  • Playtime and beer time at Boat House Grill

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:25 am
    If you missed it this weekend, Carolyn Lindell wrote in Raising Austin about the playscape choices while you eat out around town. Her list is very comprehensive, but I wanted to add Boat House Grill at FM 620 and RM 2222. It’s a bit of a drive depending on where you are coming from, but it’s on the way to Lake Travis. We checked it out this weekend with some friends who have a one-year-old. The girls had a blast. The playscape is rated for 2- to 12-year-olds, with multiple slides and a climbing wall. The tables are very close to the play area, which is shaded and well-lit for the…

  • Working moms more likely to lose custody?

    17 Nov 2009 | 10:12 am
    Once upon a time, moms almost also won primary custody in divorce disputes. There was a presumption that by their nature women were better suited to raise young children. Dads got weekends and were required to pay child support. Dads pretty much had to prove that the mother was incompetent or a danger to the child, not just that the child would be better off with him. As an article in Working Mother magazine explores this month, things have changed. According to the writer, it is not uncommon for fathers seeking primary custody to win primary custody 50 percent of the time. The article goes…

  • When Mom's also the Girl Scout leader

    17 Nov 2009 | 5:18 am
    My daughter, Ava, left our Daisy troop meeting crying uncontrollably for 30 minutes. Why? Because her mother, that’s me, who’s also the troop leader, didn’t call on her every time she raised her hand. And her mother, still me, didn’t help her every time she asked. She doesn’t like sharing her mother, me, with nine other girls. I understand that. It’s common knowledge that the year my mother led our troop was one of the worst years for our relationship. My mom never called on me. My mom would never help me. Now I get it. So what’s a mother/troop leader…

  • Parenting power struggle

    16 Nov 2009 | 7:25 am
    Parenthood is essentially a 20-year power struggle. In the beginnig, children are in complete control. They eat when they want, sleep when they want, cry whenever they are displeased and pee without regard to location. We parents spend the next two years or so trying to civilize them to correct these problems and add some order and control back to our own lives. But then somewhere around age 2, the tables turn again. Our sweet angels then take the next 18 years or so trying to take that control back, and in turn, beat us into submission. Last night was probably the most bizarre encounter…

  • Rocking with Big Bird and friends

    13 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am
    Tickets for Sesame Street Live’s Feb. 18-21 shows at the Erwin Center go on sale next Thursday at 10 a.m. “1-2-3 Imagine” is “a high-energy musical will transport audiences to far away places as Ernie captains the high seas, Elmo dances to the rhythm of the African rainforest and Bert meets an octopus who has the blues. It’s a story of adventure and fun that teaches children they can be anyone, do anything and go anywhere with the power of imagination.” You can get tickets at www.texasboxoffice.com, 477-6060. P.S. Congratulations to Sesame Street for…
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Of Sacred and Secular

  • New documentary explores abuse in polygamist sect

    19 Nov 2009 | 11:14 am
    After the convictions of Raymond Jessop and Arkansas evangelist Tony Alamo on child sex abuse charges earlier this month, it was chilling to view “Damned to Heaven,” a documentary about the long-term emotional and psychological damage faced by women forced into polygamist marriages. The film features interviews with former wives who were part of the Colorado City, Ariz.-based polygamist sect known as the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, which has about 10,000 followers in Arizona and Utah. The FLDS is a breakaway sect of the mainstream Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more…

  • Saint Austin Parish mourns Fr. Jim Wiesner

    18 Nov 2009 | 1:44 pm
    The Saint Austin Catholic Parish is mourning Paulist Fr. Jim Wiesner, who was found dead this morning. According to church staff, Wiesner died unexpectedly from natural causes. A 7:30 p.m. prayer service will be held tonight at the church. Here is what the church has put on its website: It is with great shock and sadness that we announce the untimely death of Fr. Jim Wiesner, CSP Pastor of St. Austin Church. He was found dead on Wednesday morning, November 18, at 8:30 a.m. He appears to have died peacefully in his sleep during the night. Fr. Wiesner did not show up for the 8 a.m. Mass. After…

  • Joel Osteen, positive-thinking and the prosperity gospel

    12 Nov 2009 | 1:21 pm
    The power (and in some cases, futility) of positive-thinking has made headlines this month in part because Barbara Ehrenreich, author of “Nickel and Dimed” recently published a book called “Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America.” Hanna Rosin wrote a compelling review of the book in last Sunday’s New York Times Book Review. The review caught my eye because I’ve been reading Joel Osteen’s latest book, “It’s Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams and Increase God’s…

  • From the Mosque: The Islamic Community of Greater Killeen

    10 Nov 2009 | 8:40 am
    Generally, I don’t like writing about my interactions as a reporter. It always seems like shop talk to go on about the minutiae of crime scenes and public information officers. But as I wrote about Friday prayers services at the Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, a small red brick mosque off of Highway 195 in Killeen, I wandered into unfamiliar territory. While I was doing my job, trying to be a witness and report what I saw, being a female reporter got in the way. Like at least a dozen reporters from news organizations around the world, I was there to find out more about Maj. Nidal…

  • Holocaust survivor to speak at Texas Hillel

    4 Nov 2009 | 10:19 am
    No matter how much time passes, Gerda Weissmann Klein says she cannot forget the atrocities she survived. Klein was born and raised in Bielsko, Poland. In September 1939, when she was 15, German soldiers invaded her hometown. They took her brother. She and her parents lived in the basement of their home by force. Later, they lived for three years in shabby ghetto quarters. Klein was eventually separated from her parents and sent to a series of forced-labor camps before she was liberated in May 1945. Her whole family died in the Holocaust. An American Jewish lieutenant, Kurt Klein, and another…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Public Capital (Pension and Investment Funds)

  • Investment firm ousted over SBOE gift dislosures

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pm
    The real estate investment firm entangled in a dispute with State Board of Education members Rick Agosto and Rene Nunez over gift disclosures got the heave-ho from the board on Friday. AEW Capital Management LP had qualified as one of the 68 firms that could be tapped for making future real estate investments for the $22 billion Permanent School Fund. But on Friday, the board plucked AEW from the list and approved only 67 eligible firms. “As a public fund, we needed someone who could be a little bit more accurate,” said Board Member David Bradley, chairman of the Permanent School…

  • SBOE eyes new placement agent rule

    18 Nov 2009 | 9:44 am
    The State Board of Education is considering a new disclosure rule for investment managers that use outside marketers, known as placement agents, to win Permanent School Fund business. Several high-profile scandals at public pension funds across the country have highlighted the potentially problematic role of placement agents. In those cases, the agents have been politically connected individuals that provided access to decision-makers. The proposal discussed Wednesday would require the investment managers to report if they have used placement agent and how much the placement agent is paid.

  • Gates backing charter school financing

    11 Nov 2009 | 4:09 pm
    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has stepped in to aid some high-performing Houston charter schools to finance new facilities. Last week, I wrote about an idea being kicked around at State Board of Education to invest a small portion of the Permanent School Fund in either financing or building charter school facilities. Looks like the private sector might be beating the PSF to the punch. The Gates Foundation announced today that it would provide $30 million to help Houston charter schools secure $300 million in financing for facilities. The first beneficiary is KIPP Houston, which…

  • Former TMRS chief lands at new Auto Workers' fund

    23 Oct 2009 | 8:51 am
    Eric Henry, the former head of the Texas Municipal Retirement System, will drive the investment team of the newly created trust for retired auto workers’ health benefits, Pensions & Investments reports. The $37 billion trust stems from labor agreements with the Big Three auto makers struck before General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy last spring. The United Auto Workers controls the trust, which is called the UAW voluntary employee beneficiary association. Henry will serve as the chief investment officer. In August, Henry resigned from TMRS after a two-year stint as the…

  • Three new trustees appointed to TRS board

    16 Oct 2009 | 2:55 pm
    Gov. Rick Perry on Friday named three new trustees to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas board. Perry also made official that R. David Kelly, a trustee since 2007, will take over as chairman. Last weekend, the American-Statesman reported that Kelly would replace Linus Wright as chairman less than a year after Wright, a retired superintendent, took the helm. Wright said he was given no reason for the abrupt change. Though no longer chairman, Wright will remain a trustee on the nine-member board until his term ends in 2011. The new trustees, who will each serve a six-year term, are:…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Salsa Verde (Green Living)

  • Travis County and state team up for new environmental prosecutor

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:37 pm
    Travis County and the state environmental office announced Friday the creation of an environmental crimes prosecutor. Patty Robertson, a white-collar criminal prosecutor, has been named to the position, which was created with a grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The specialized prosecutor will seek to provide consistency in charges filed and case resolutions as well as a shorter time frame in the indictment and disposition of environmental cases across the state, according to a news release. Since 1994, according to a news release, the Travis County District…

  • Federal stimulus money to improve Austin sewage facility

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:38 pm
    Texas Water Development Board announced yesterday that Austin Water Utility will get $31.8 million in federal stimulus money for green infrastructure improvements at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. Hornsby, a popular birding spot, receives and treats all biosolids produced by Austin’s wastewater treatment plants. Dillo Dirt, a soil fertilizer, is produced at the facility, by composting curbside yard trimming collections and digested biosolids. Here’s the technical explanation of the improvements from an Austin Water Utility news release: The improvements will enhance…

  • A movie about Barton Springs and Austin development gets screening tonight

    19 Nov 2009 | 11:52 am
    The Unforeseen, a 2007 movie about Barton Springs and the conflict over Hill Country development, gets a screening tonight at 7 p.m. at University of Texas’ School of Architecture. That’s at Goldsmith Hall (the northeast corner of the intersection of Guadalupe and 22nd Street), Room 3.120. Here’s an excerpt of a review I wrote a couple of years ago. I think it garnered four out of five stars: It’s not long into “The Unforeseen” that you realize that what you’re watching is less a documentary about development’s effect on Barton Springs and more…

  • Texas environmental agency denies request to repeal discharge ban on Highland Lakes

    18 Nov 2009 | 10:18 am
    The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality decided Wednesday to deny a request to repeal a ban on the discharge of treated wastewater into the Highland Lakes, the main reservoirs in Central Texas. In a petition filed in late September at the TCEQ, the cities of Leander and Granite Shoals argued that adding effluent into the Colorado River basin, rather than pushing it underground in septic tanks or spraying it on fields for irrigation, would alleviate the escalating crunch on water supplies in the Colorado River basin. The cities asked the state agency to end the no-discharge rule so areas…

  • LCRA withdraws request for mandatory watering restrictions

    18 Nov 2009 | 9:19 am
    Grappling with how to address a drought that has eased over the last two months, the board of the Lower Colorado River Authority took a series of actions on Wednesday to manage water supplies into the next year. In the clearest signal of how much things have changed since the peak of the drought just a few months ago, the river authority board decided to allow customers to lift their mandatory watering restrictions. In August, the board had asked its municipal and industrial customers to implement mandatory watering restrictions. The board also stepped away from a staff recommendation that it…
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: The Blotter (Public Safety)

  • 1 dead in overnight Taylor shooting

    21 Nov 2009 | 9:23 am
    Police say a 40-year-old Taylor woman was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds this morning in the 400 block of Old Thorndale Road. A dispatcher with the Taylor Police Department said officers responded to a suspicious persons call around 1:21 a.m. Saturday and found the woman “apparently deceased, the victim of a shooting.” View Larger Map The woman’s name has not been released pending notification of her family members, police said. Police arrested a 44-year-old man suspected of shooting the woman at the scene. Officers said the man had injuries from being in a fight…

  • Woman suspected of debit card abuse may be victim's estranged wife, police say

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:12 pm
    UPDATE: Police on Friday said that the woman seen on ATM bank surveillance video using the debit card of a man who had been in a coma may be the man’s estranged wife. Police learned of the possible link and questioned the man again Friday. The man told police that the person in the photographs was his estranged wife and that he had lied to protect her. Officials say the woman has no connection to Seton Medical Center and that the case remains under investigation. EARLIER: Surveillance photos courtesy of APD A man who spent two months in a coma at Seton Medical Center awoke to discover…

  • Police investigating Southeast Austin bank robbery

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:55 pm
    Austin police detectives are investigating a bank robbery that happened this afternoon in Southeast Austin. A man entered a Wells Fargo Bank branch at 2028 E. Ben White Blvd. about 2:45 p.m. and demanded cash. He escaped with an unknown amount of money, police say. Police describe the suspect as a 30- to 40-year old Spanish-speaking male, who was last seen wearing a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat. Police say a second man may have been involved, who is described as a 30- to 40-year-old Hispanic male with short hair and sunglasses. No injuries were reported in the robbery, police say. This was…

  • Two men charged in sexual assault case

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:13 pm
    Two men have been charged with sexually assaulting a woman in separate incidents during a night of drinking, police say. Scott Taylor, 21, and Jeffrey Schlitte, 21, have not been arrested in connection with the May 3 incident, court records show. The female victim drove to Austin from Waco to go to a party with Taylor and his girlfriend, according to an arrest affidavit. Police say the group rented a room at a motel at 7619 N. Interstate 35 before going to a club in downtown Austin. At the club, the woman saw Schlitte, whom she knows from school, the report says. The woman became sick from…

  • Police investigating possible sexual assault at middle school

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:53 pm
    Austin school district police are investigating a possible sex crime that happened Thursday in a South Austin middle school classroom while students were watching a video lesson, officials said. Several Covington Middle School students may have been involved in the incident, according to a letter sent to parents from Principal Candace Hughs. “Parents and guardians whose children were involved in the incident have already been contacted,” the letter said. Officials declined to release other details about the incident, but said counseling was available to students. View Larger Map
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    Austin American-Statesman: The Goods (Shopping)

  • Beauty Notes: More holiday treatments at Austin spas

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:16 am
    After your long Thanksgiving weekend, why not give yourself a real holiday break? You might need it after all of the shopping and the visiting with friends and family. If you’re pooped, then get thyself to the spa … Consider the Lakeway Resort & Spa (101 Lakeway Drive 512-261-6600). The Dolce-run resort and its San Saba Spa offer spa services such as the Autumn Spa Pedicure, $90, through the end of November. The service, which includes a fall-themed beverage, is a classic pedicure with a leg and foot scrub using a blend of oatmeal, pumpkin and walnut. A warm pumpkin foot…

  • Beauty Notes: New holiday spa treatments at Spa Reveil

    19 Nov 2009 | 2:17 pm
    Gold, chocolate and pumpkin … Sounds like the recipe for a holiday season. But they are part of a growing number of new spa treatments available at Austin spas. And speaking of spas, make sure you get your relax on despite your nagging family or your holiday shopping crunch. Make some time to celebrate you this season. That’s why we’ll tell you about new spa treatments at various spas for a quick Austin yuletide staycation, especially if you can’t squeeze in a trip to New York or Los Angeles or a beach resort somewhere in the coming weeks. Don’t forget about Spa…

  • Will new Domain offerings fly with fashionistas? American Eagle, Forever 21, Payless shoes think so.

    18 Nov 2009 | 3:18 pm
    Here we are floundering in a rocky economy, but if you recall, there was a time when life was good, the money was rolling in, and we had fleeting thoughts about Escalades, Hermes scarves, Gucci bags and second and third homes. Back in 2007, when I first came to town, Austin appeared to be hooked on items such as Prada handbags, Stuart Weizman and Jimmy Choo shoes, Lilly Pulitzer dresses, and luxury apartments. That’s when the original Domain opened. The lifestyle center in North Austin was developed by Simon Property Group, the largest public U.S. real estate company. As any fashionista…

  • UPDATE: Vote for your favorite 2010 SXSW T-shirt design

    17 Nov 2009 | 10:16 am
    With our generally mild temperatures, we love wearing our T-shirts in Austin almost as much as we love music. Now speaking of music, it will be South by Southwest time before we know it. And speaking of T-shirts, vote for your favorite tee design in the SXSW 2010 T-Shirt Design Project from San Francisco-based 99designs. According to a media release, the project garnered more 650 unique T-shirt designs in about week. Then a SXSW committee selected the top 5 designs. Voting is open now to select a winning design. Voting will end 5 p.m. PST on Nov. 20. The winning design will be printed and…

  • UPDATE: Win tickets to the Runway to Heaven Charity Fashion Show and Shop787 event

    6 Nov 2009 | 8:30 am
    This weekend will include plenty of fashion moments in Austin such as the Runway to Heaven Charity Fashion Show and Shop787, a new shopping event at the Mueller Development. So we have a quick and simple contest for you to win tickets. Send me an e-mail, including your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Include the words “Fashion contest” in the subject line. (If you’re having trouble clicking the link above, my e-mail address is mharper@statesman.com.) We’ll give away two pairs of general admission tickets to the Runway to Heaven at the Austonian on…
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    Austin American-Statesman: The Ticker

  • Austin job losses continue

    20 Nov 2009 | 7:26 am
    The Austin area continued to lose jobs last month, but is in better shape than other large Texas cities. Central Texas had 0.4 percent fewer jobs in October than a year earlier,or 3,200 overall. Steep losses continued in manufacturing and construction, offset by hiring by school districts and state and local governments. The picture was worse in Dallas, with a 2.5 percent annual job loss; Houston, down 3 percent, and Fort Worth and San Antonio, both down 0.7 percent. The Austin area unemployment rate was 7.2 percent, unchanged from October but up from 4.6 percent a year earlier. Statewide,…

  • Dell's quarterly results fall short

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:14 pm
    Investors clobbered Dell Inc. shares late Thursday after the computer maker reported third quarter results that fell short of analysts’ estimates. The computer maker reported a profit of $337 million, or 17 cents a share, on revenue of $12.9 billion for the quarter ended Oct. 30, compared with income of $727 million or 37 cents a share, on revenue of $15.2 billion for the same quarter last year. Analysts had expected earnings of 28 cents per share on revenue of 13.2 billion, according to Thompson Reuters. The company noted that most investors would look at its adjusted earnings, which…

  • Stanford receiver seeks millions from financier's former employees

    18 Nov 2009 | 8:17 am
    More than 300 former employees of R. Allen Stanford — including some who worked in Austin — benefited substantially from their relationship with the disgraced financier, according to the court-appointed receiver in charge of recovering money for investors who were victims of Stanford’s alleged $7 billion Ponzi scheme. Now the receiver is seeking the return of bonuses those employees made selling certificates of deposits for Stanford. The former employees were incentivized “with big commissions and other compensation relating to the sale of CDs,” receiver Ralph…

  • AMD takes steps to reduce debt

    18 Nov 2009 | 7:42 am
    Advanced Micro Devices Inc. is using its $1.25 billion lawsuit settlement with Intel Corp. to reduce its debt. The news sent its shares up almost 6 percent in early trading, to $6.95. The chipmaker announced two tender offers designed to reduce its debt that matures in 2012. Last week, AMD announced the settlement of its four-year antitrust lawsuit against rival Intel Corp., which included Intel paying AMD $1.25 billion and change some of its business practices. AMD will use cash to redeem and retire about $390 million in 7.75 percent high-yield debt due in 2012. It also will use cash and a…

  • Ranger stays in top 10 supercomputer list

    17 Nov 2009 | 9:05 am
    The Ranger supercomputer at the University of Texas remains one of the 10 fastest in the world, according to the latest ranking of the world’s most powerful computers. Ranger debuted on the list a year ago at No. 4 in June, 2008. It’s now No. 9. The fastest computer is Jaguar, at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In supercomputer speed terms, it can handle 1,759 teraflops per second — or 1,759 trillion operations per second. A Chinese computer is new to the list, coming in at No. 5. The Tianhe-1 at that country’s supercomputing center in Tianjin can handle 563.1…
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Varsity News

  • Prep football halftime chat

    20 Nov 2009 | 6:26 pm
    Check back at 9 p.m., when we’ll catch up on tonight’s playoff scores and talk about the high school football postseason. Prep FB chat

  • High School Football Chat: Area Round

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:37 am
    Thursday afternoon is fast approaching so that means it is time for another high school football chat. Join the American-Statesman’s Rick Cantu and Danny Davis as they break down the area round of the playoffs. Things will get started at 1 p.m. Area HS Football Chat

  • Karasek sisters and McCrocklin on All-UIL team

    17 Nov 2009 | 1:47 pm
    Three Central Texas alums have landed on the UIL’s all-time volleyball team. The UIL announced today that Jane Anne and Beth Karasek of Caldwell and Wimberley’s Courtney McCrocklin were on the first team. The Karasek sisters led Caldwell to a state championship in 1998 and Beth Karasek was the MVP of the 2000 state tournament, which Caldwell also won. Jane Ann Karasek, a 1999 graduate, played college volleyball at the University of Houston. Beth Karasek, a 2001 graduate, went on to star at SMU and is currently an assistant coach at Texas Tech. McCrocklin was part of a Wimberley…

  • Panthers honored as top Class 5A team

    17 Nov 2009 | 8:37 am
    Texasfootball.com has named Pflugerville as the Class 5A Army Strong Team of the Week. The Panthers upset San Antonio Reagan 10-3 in the bidistrict playoffs last weekend. Pflugerville becomes the third Central Texas school to be honored with this award this season. Fredericksburg Heritage was recognized after the second week of the season while Cedar Park was awarded after upsetting Stony Point on Oct. 23. Pflugerville, which was a Class 5A, Division II stat finalist in 2007, plays San Antonio Brandeis on Saturday in an area playoff game. Kickoff at the Alamodome is scheduled for 4 p.m.

  • Westlake, Amarillo on opposite sides of bracket

    15 Nov 2009 | 10:14 am
    The Class 5A championship match may have a very familiar look this year. Westlake and Amarillo are on opposing sides of the tournament bracket, meaning semifinal wins will pit the two against each other in the state championship match for a third straight year. Amarillo swept Westlake in the 2007 title match and beat the Chaparrals in five games in 2008. But in order to get the the championship match, Amarillo will first have to get by Georgetown in a semifinal match set for 5 p.m. on Friday. Westlake will play Katy Cinco Ranch at 7 p.m.
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    Austin American-Statesman: Weather Watch

  • Heavy rain expected to taper off this afternoon

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:48 am
    Widespread showers continue to pour throughout Travis County and have produced between a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service. A cold front is pushing through as the winds whirl at 25 mph. National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Fanning said the rain should continue through the evening, but the heaviest rain will diminish by early afternoon. Light rain is expected to continue throughout the day. Temperatures for this afternoon are expected to be about 64 degrees and will drop to the low 50s overnight. The high temperature Thursday…

  • Rain today, may be heavy

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:52 am
    Reacting sharply to critics of his rainfall stimulus plan enacted just yesterday, Lower Colorado River Authority president Torrence DeLuge this morning asked for patience from the people of Central Texas. After the first of a mandatory two days of rainfall, critics on both sides of the controversial Hill Country Drought Recovery and Lake Basin Reinvestment Act, are calling the measure a failure. Some critics say Thursday night’s rain was too little too late to stamp out a drought that has reached its bony hand in to pluck out the very heart of the Hill Country. Hard liners on the other…

  • Rain tonight, tomorrow

    19 Nov 2009 | 5:13 am
    In a final push to end the drought in Central Texas, the Lower Colorado River Authority today issued an order for rain to fall Thursday and Friday throughout the region. Realizing that it had lifted mandatory watering restrictions prematurely, the River Authority called for a mandatory two day “opening of the skies” to wipe out widespread lake basin water deficits. After careful calculation, the Authority asked for the rain to begin on Thursday night and end on Friday at whatever time is necessary for lakes, rivers, streams, rivulets, gullies, marshes, lowlands, brackish ponds and…

  • Warming today, rain expected by Thursday night

    18 Nov 2009 | 4:59 am
    Stricken denizens of Central Texas this morning continue to dig out after the longest and bitterest cold front in more than eight months mercifully moved out of the area. The front, dragged here by a muskoxen team from Iqalut, a tiny town in the Canadian Arctic province of Nunavut, brought with it frigid temperatures in the mid-20s in some godforsaken places and left a blanket of frozen snow at least zero inches deep in most of the Hill Country. Commuters are being warned by the National Weather Service this morning to dress in their longest shorts and their thickest long sleeve tee shirts.

  • Freeze warning issued for tonight

    17 Nov 2009 | 2:36 pm
    The National Weather Service has issued the first freeze warning for fall for most of Southcentral Texas for Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning. Pat McDonald, a meteorologist with the service, said temperatures could dip down into the upper 20s in some parts of the hill country from about midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday. “People should try to remember the four p’s: pipes, people, pets and plants,” McDonald said. Pets should be brought in, pipes covered, and plants should either be covered or brought inside, he said. And people should remember to wear warmer clothing…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Jean Clair van Ryzin - Austin Arts

  • Is EAST the SXSW of art?

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:07 am
    Chatter surrounding this year’s East Austin Studio Tour — now extended over two weekends and sandwiching a week happenings and programs — has some calling it the SXSW of visual art. Is it? Not really. After all, EAST is a neighborhood-specific local-only event. SXSW is a major international affair. But EAST does this year have that sense of occasion and community that can emerge from a festival experience. And there’s that frenzy of so many things to do and see that creates a certain kind of shared excitement. One more weekend of EAST. And while it’s hard to…

  • Tapestry Dance Company looks back

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:27 am
    Twenty years ago, Acia Gray and Deidre Strand, both accomplished tap dancers, dreamed of merging other dance genres with the rhythm-oriented tap style. The outcome of that dream is Tapestry Dance Company, an Austin professional nonprofit dance company that has delighted audiences with its signature blend of modern, ballet and world dance all woven together by explosive tap dance. The company also maintains a busy dance academy in South Austin and has garnered a slew of local awards. In 2002, Gray was inducted into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame. Most recently, Tapestry took its show on the…

  • Artist Jeanne-Claude is dead at 74

    19 Nov 2009 | 9:55 am
    With her orange-dyed hair, artist Jeanne-Claude was an ever-present companion to her husband Christo, collaborating on his ambitious and grand site-specific installations. Now, the New York Times, among other news sources, is reporting that Jeanne-Claude is dead at age 74. She died Wednesday night at a New York hospital from complications of a brain aneurysm. Most recently, the couple grabbed international headlines when they altered New York’s Central Park with more than 7,500 metal gates draped with orange fabric. An estimated 4 million people saw “The Gates.” In 2006, the…

  • DJ Spooky's 'Sinfonia Antarctica'

    18 Nov 2009 | 11:11 am
    Inspired by a trip to Antarctica, DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid (aka Paul Miller)’s ‘Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica” is a multimedia travelogue by the avant garde turntable master and intrepid re-mixer. The 70-minute piece — which plays Hogg Auditorium Friday night — is a visual and acoustic portrait of the ever-mysterious yet rapidly changing Antarctic continent. Read a feature story on the show here. DJ Spooky will participate in an online chat 1 p.m. Thursday. For the Austin gig, Miller has tapped Austin musicians Graham Reynolds on piano, violinists Alexis…

  • 'The Method Gun' heads to Humana Festival

    18 Nov 2009 | 9:42 am
    The Rude Mechanicals are getting ready to hit the road to the prestigious Humana Festival of New American Plays at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. For 34 years, the best of new American theater has been showcased at the Humana Festival. And the Rudes will take their wonderous ‘The Method Gun’ to ATL’s Victor Jory Theatre for a run March 16-28, 2010. A valentine to the process of art-making, ‘The Method Gun’ impressed when it opened the Long Center’s Rollins Studio Theatre in 2008. Then last season, the Rudes’ offered a slightly re-tweaked version at…
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Austin Movie Blog

  • SXSW conference update

    17 Nov 2009 | 2:30 pm
    The 2010 SXSW Film Conference is gearing up and has announced the panelists for a series of discussions of visual fundamentals. Here’s the latest SXSW release on what’s coming up in March. First Impressions: The Art of Main Title Design Moderator: Karin Fong, Imaginary Forces A strong title sequence can yield some of a film’s most memorable images, allowing its themes to linger long after the lights go up. This presentation will explore the process of creating such sequences, using case studies from experiences with both studio and independent projects. Floating Heads are…

  • Linklater project on hold?

    17 Nov 2009 | 2:19 pm
    Looks like the new project by Richard Linklater, “Liars (A-E),” has been put on indefinite hold. Linklater’s new movie “Me and Orson Welles” comes out this December, and “Liars” was scheduled to be his next project. But studio difficulties have apparently arisen. A report about the project’s demise can be found here.

  • Looking for a teen star

    17 Nov 2009 | 2:04 pm
    Ever dreamed of a starring role in a Coen Brothers movie? Here’s your chance, but only if you’re a a girl of 12 to 16. The quirky, Academy Award-winning team has decided to remake “True Grit,” which starred John Wayne and Kim Darby. As you may remember, Darby played Mattie Young, a tough 14-year-old who accompanies two marshals to track down the killer of her father. Rachel Tenner, the casting director for the new movie, is trying to find the perfect Mattie and has held auditions in other cities already. The stop in Austin will be the last of the Texas open calls. Here…

  • Noteworthy DVDs released 11/17/09

    17 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am
    PICK OF THE WEEK "Gone with the Wind" (Warner Bros.): How many film buffs realize that this classic melodrama and "Wizard of Oz," which celebrate their 70th birthdays this fall with Blu-ray reissues, were both directed by the same man, Victor Fleming? Here's hoping Fleming found a nice bonus in his stocking in 1939. OTHER TOP PICKS "Star Trek" (2009) (Paramount): Not quite the galaxy-shifter so many people claimed, this JJ Abrams relaunch was still the best Trek film in many, many years. "Sex, Lies & Videotape" (Sony): Steven Soderbergh's never-boring career turns 20 this year with the…

  • Traveling indie fest comes to Dobie

    13 Nov 2009 | 12:45 pm
    Range Life Entertainment is bringing seven films to Austin over the next week to give viewers an early chance to see the best of independent films. The special program begins Saturday at the Alamo South. All other screenings are at the Dobie. Here's the lineup: Saturday: 'White on Rice,' 2 p.m., Alamo South Monday: 'Visioneers,' 9:30 p.m., Dobie Tuesday: 'On the Road With Judas,' 9:30 p.m. Wednesday: 'Box Elder,' 9:30 p.m. Thursday: 'Last Cup,' 9:30 p.m. Nov. 20: 'Assassination of a High School President,' 9:30 p.m. Nov. 21: 'Harmony & Me,' 9 p.m. and 'Impolex,' 11 p.m. Image from "White on…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Austin Music Source

  • Soulhat's 'Live at the Black Cat' to get national rerelease

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:09 am
    Soulhat owned 1991 in Austin, especially at the Black Cat on Sixth Street, where their four-hour sets gave many young Austinites their first taste of live club music. Every Friday at 5 p.m. KLBJ’s Johnny Walker played “Bonecrusher” to signal the start of the weekend. The Black Cat’s just a burned-out shell, and Soulhat rarely plays anymore, but the glory days can be revisited starting Dec. 8 when Nashville’s Dualtone label puts out what was once just a cassette with a run of 5,000.

  • Blue October set list 11/20 Stubb's

    21 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am
    1. 'HRSA' 2. 'Clumsy Card House' 3. 'Say It' 4. 'Been Down' 5. 'My Never' 6. 'Balance Beam' 7. 'Picking Up Pieces' 8. 'Should Be Loved' 9. 'Congratulations' 10. 'Into the Ocean' 11. 'Jump Rope' 12. 'She's My Ride Home' 13. 'Razorblade' 14. 'Somebody' 15. 'Blue Sunshine' 16. 'Calling You' 17. 'X Amount of Words' ENCORE 18.'It's Just Me' 19. 'Come In Closer' 20. 'Hate Me' Justin Furstenfeld sings 'It's Just Me' last night at Stubb's The rain killed the scalpers, as the first show since Justin Furstenfeld's breakdown and hospitalization didn't sell out. But the show was packed with powerful…

  • Fans already lining up for tonight's Blue October show

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:29 am
    Photo by Rodolfo Gonzalez/Austin American-Statesman Tonight and Saturday’s show are the only two the band has scheduled right now. The Austin/San Marcos band canceled its “Pick Up the Phone” Tour late last month because singer Justin Furstenfeld had been hospitalized after suffering a massive anxiety attack. (Read our interview with him here.) Blue October fans, which include “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer, are a passionate and dedicated bunch, and have already started lining up outside Stubb’s for tonight’s sold-out show. Mike Oshel, 37, and…

  • Spike on Jody

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:31 pm
    I really like this piece by Spike Gillespie on Jody Denberg’s impending departure from KGSR.

  • KGSR moving to 93.3; 107.1 becoming Spanish language station

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:38 am
    The promised explanation of what’s happening at 93.3 just arrived (the staff at the former hip-hop station was let go earlier this week). Starting this Friday at 5 p.m., KGSR will be broadcast on the frequency that used to be home for Hot 93. Then, Nov. 30, the current 107.1 FM spot on the dial will air regional Mexican music. Station manager Scott Gillmore said the move from the current 49,000- watt station to 100,000 watts will make KGSR available to about 100,000 more prospective listeners, especially in Williamson County, where the current signal has been weak. From the news…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Omar L. Gallaga - Digital Savant

  • Final thoughts on the Motorola Droid

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:04 am
    This morning, I mailed back the Motorola Droid phone that Verizon Wireless had lent us to try out for a few weeks. I always know it’s past time to mail something back when it’s been a few days where the device sits around, unused, nearly all curiosity about how it works and what it does satisfied. As it stood, the Droid’s battery was depleted from sitting idle, unused for most of this week. But for the first two weeks after the phone’s splashy roll-out, it was in my hands constantly. Curious co-workers and Twitter buddies had lots of questions, the inevitable one…

  • The Linkdown for Thursday, Nov. 19

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:08 pm
    The Linkdown had an early Thanksgiving potluck feast and is barely keeping bleary eyes open. We’re no trypto-fan of sleep-inducing meals. What you should be checking out in the Internet right this second: Get in on the meme early: trade your unwanted gold for warm, soft cats at CatsForGold.com! Like Lincoln? Check out the new Lincoln Memorial Interactive. On Twitter, it’s no longer, “What are you doing?” but “What’s happening?” Konami has lowered the price on many of its Apple App Store games to 99 cents including “Frogger” and…

  • Status updates and Tweets: how much is too much?

    18 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    I recently was on a podcast for “Age of Lasers,” an epic 1.5-hour chat about social-media pet peeves and one of the more interesting topics that came up was how often people post on Twitter and Facebook and what’s appropriate. The person who wrote in to the podcast about the issue said that more than three Facebook status updates a day is too much, which alarmed me because I probably post at least 10 to 20 times a day. My Twitter account is linked to Facebook, so all my Tweets go there automatically, but even if that mechanism didn’t exist, I imagine I’d still be…

  • Sprint brings 4Gs to the ATX

    17 Nov 2009 | 9:20 am
    Yesterday, Sprint Nextel Corp. launched 4G wireless service in Austin, boasting speeds (theoretically) of 10 times what we see on 3G, The bad news: there’s not a phone that currently can surf at those speeds, though Sprint says we’ll see that next year as well as a netbook that’s embedded with a 3G/4G chip for surfing this faster network. I met up with John Taylor, a manager of public affairs for Sprint corporate, and he showed me some wares currently available from the company that are able to access 4G (shown in the photo above). Among them is a USB modem, available for…

  • Dell phones are coming (but not here)

    13 Nov 2009 | 1:39 pm
    As is being reported today, Dell is entering the smartphone market with an Android operating system-powered handset to debut in China and Brazil. No word on when (or if) the U.S. will see the phone, called the “Mini 3i” but rumors have been swirling all year that Dell would enter the market with its own phone this year. There’s reason for skepticism: Dell’s entrance into the music player market fizzled and the company is only recently becoming known for its industrial design of products like laptops. Smartphones are increasingly becoming defined by their hardware…
 
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    Austin American-Statesman: Michael Barnes - Out & About

  • Margaret Wright & Joyce DiBona at Eponymous Garden

    21 Nov 2009 | 11:42 am
    I first heard Margaret Wright sing at an Austin hotel lounge in 1984 … Sister and brother Collen Ryan and David Ryan Back then, I requested “Tenderly.” Twenty-five years later, at the Eponymous Garden, I requested “Tenderly” again … Joyce DiBona and Diane Perella Wright’s voice remains eloquently supple, radiating jazzy warmth, just like her hug-happy personality … Sterling Price-McKinney and Margaret Wright Wright sang at the baby grand with Sterling Price-McKinney during a party at Price-McKinney and Lorne Loganbill’s Eponymous Garden…

  • Q Avenue Party at Sister's Edge 2

    21 Nov 2009 | 9:26 am
    Q Avenue is not “Avenue Q.” I figured that out on my own. (Not bad, huh?) Still, I was curious about the rest of the story. So I attended the Q Avenue fifth anniversary party at Sister’s Edge 2. This also gave us a third chance to check out Our Town’s newest — and only — lesbian bar. Although this time, early on a Friday evening, it was 90-percent populated with men. Dominic Miller and Alan McLaughlin (pictured) are the men behind Austin’s Q Avenue Productions. It’s a Web site development and design company. The business also deals in marketing,…

  • Larissa Ness Video Release Party at the Phoenix

    20 Nov 2009 | 3:39 pm
    Larissa Ness is made for pop … Larissa Ness and Neil Diaz She’s extravagantly pretty. Her middle range hooks words and tunes together ably. And she’s attracted a platoon of producers, managers and other collaborators … Sara Deeds and Ryan Tietz Thursday at the Phoenix, a suitably various crowd, assembled by Neil Diaz, greeted her live set with alacrity … Marion Kellough and Coi Burress Truth be told, Ness’ studio-friendly sound was not well served by the mix … Joy Scott, Angel Diaz and Monica Piñon She sounded profoundly better on the video of…

  • Big Reds and Bubbles at the Driskill Hotel

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm
    Of the larger food-and-wine samplings in Austin, Big Reds and Bubbles demands higher standards of quality … Roy and Karen Spezia The local following for the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas consists, after all, of the hardcore foodies … Sharon Boggus (BRB chairwoman) and Tracy Schell Yes, smaller tastings narrow the field even further, but if a newcomer wanted to taste the best that Austin chefs have to offer, matched with robust red wine or dizzy sparklings, this the Driskill Hotel affair is the one to choose … Bethlyn and Tom Thornton (Austinist) This year, I generally…

  • Austin Celebrity Roundup 11/20/09

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:33 am
    Out & About roundup of Austin celebrity news. Sightings: On the Hike & Bike Trail: Ben Stiller. Why is he in town? … During EAST tour: John Krasinski. Obviously, taking time out from the premiere of “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.” Wonder if he purchased any art. … Keep an eye out in the next week or so: Zac Efron, Elton John and John Legend, in town for the premiere of Richard Linklater’s “Me and Orson Welles” or, on the same night, the Andy Roddick fundraiser Nov. 30, which will also feature Brooklyn Decker and Mack Brown, having just…
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    Austin American-Statesman: Diane Holloway's TV Blog

  • 'Lost' to return Feb. 2

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm
    Mark your calendars, “Lost” fans: The ABC drama returns Feb. 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And there’s already a twist to the new season: The longtime Wednesday night mainstay for ABC is moving to Tuesdays at 8 p.m.

  • G4's 'Campus PD' will feature San Marcos

    19 Nov 2009 | 12:15 pm
    San Marcos will be one of the college towns in the spotlight on the new G4 series “Campus PD.” The series, which debuts next month, is about the police officers who do everything from “checking in on late night parties and keeping the streets free of drunk drivers, to patrolling campuses at night to make sure students are safe after late-night study sessions,” according to a news release from G4. San Marcos is home to Texas State University. The other cities featured in “Campus PD” are Tallahassee, Fla.; Cincinnati; Chico, Calif.; and Greenville, N.C. The…

  • Austin's Stephanie Hunt featured in L.A. Times

    19 Nov 2009 | 10:51 am
    The Los Angeles Times has a nice feature on Austinite Stephanie Hunt, who plays Devin on “Friday Night Lights” and has a role in the upcoming series “Parenthood.” A sampling: In its three-plus years on the air, “Friday Night Lights” has tackled race, class and domestic issues, and now Devin has given the show a clear entryway into gay and gender concerns. What’s more, a relatively small part on “Friday Night Lights” may rocket the 20-year-old straight of Austin, as she’s been cast in NBC’s “Parenthood,” the…

  • "Glee: " "Ballad"

    19 Nov 2009 | 8:46 am
    First, a word about last week’s episode called “Wheels,” which first aired Nov. 11. Unlike my distinguished colleague Dale Roe, I quite liked it. I am also biased: I have a brother with Down Syndrome. So not only was I pretty happy to see two actresses with D.S. getting work, the woman who played Sue Sylvester’s older sister is the oldest person with D.S. I’ve ever seen on TV. My other younger brother, the one without D.S., and I both freely admit we got a little verklempt at the final scene. But I also didn’t mind what it did to Sue Sylvester. A pal of…

  • "Sons of Anarchy": "Service"

    18 Nov 2009 | 9:47 am
    Review and spoilers after the jump
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    Austin American-Statesman: Matthew Odam - The M.O.

  • The movie theater wants to kill you

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:52 am
    We all have our guilty pleasures, whether it’s “The Real Housewives,” Adam Lambert’s new album, the “Twilight” series of novels/movies. But none of those can kill you (at least not quickly). As it turns out, mine can. Maybe not immediately, but it doesn’t look like it would take long. I love movie popcorn and sodas. I can’t stay away no matter how hard I try (granted, I don’t try very hard). Even if I’m at an 11 a.m. press screening, I still need my fix. Usually, I end up in massive pain later in the evening and promise never to do…

  • Movie review: 'The Messenger' (Grade: A)

    20 Nov 2009 | 9:22 am
    You don’t need to witness battles on the screen to understand the horrors and complexities of war, as evidenced by screenwriter Oren Moverman’s incredible directorial debut, “The Messenger.” Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) has returned from the war in Iraq a decorated hero, but, with multiple injuries, he must serve out the final three months of his tour stateside. Relegated to the bleak and thankless work of casualty notification, Montgomery is charged with visiting the homes of those who have lost a family member. His stern commanding officer and companion on the…

  • Movie review: 'The Blind Side' (Grade: C)

    19 Nov 2009 | 1:31 pm
    As “The Blind Side” opens, video of one of the most gruesome hits in NFL history rolls. For anyone with a passing interest in football, the scene of the maniacal Lawrence Taylor snapping quarterback Joe Theismann’s leg like a twig is hauntingly familiar. One that will make you cover your eyes in the theater. But the most jarring thing about the opening of the movie is not the visuals, but the audio. Narrating the play-by-play and the backstory of the injury’s impact on the way football would be played in the future is the syrupy Southern female voice of Sandra…

  • Live review: The Avett Brothers at "Austin City Limits" taping

    17 Nov 2009 | 5:17 pm
    Yes, I am late to the party, yet again. Although I have heard The Avett Brothers 2009 release “I and Love and You” a few times, amazingly I’m not very well versed in the North Carolina trio (and sometimes quartet). Amazing in the sense that they seem like a band perfectly suited for my taste - lyrically rich with mostly acoustic instrumentation and a rootsy vibe. Though the band has made stops in our town as both a supporting act and buzzed-about festival attendee (SXSW & ACL), I had yet to see what is regarded as one of the most energetic live acts on the road. I remedied…

  • Ken Ober dies

    16 Nov 2009 | 2:01 pm
    A news bit that makes me feel rather old, former MTV Veejay Ken Ober has died at the age of 52, according to the NYTIMES.com. In 1987, the sharp-witted comedian became the host of MTV’s “Remote Control,” the “network’s first original series to focus on non-musical content.” From the Arts Beat blog: Lee Kernis, a manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners who represented Mr. Ober for more than 20 years, said that Mr. Ober was found dead on Sunday. He said that Mr. Ober was last heard from on Saturday night, when he spoke to a friend and complained of a…
 
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