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1 month ago | 
texasstandard.org | Becky Fogel |Patricia Lim
From KUT News:A map of the U.S. painted on the basketball court at the former Pease Elementary School in downtown Austin has seen better days. The vibrant colors have faded. Even Texas is a muddled mix of yellow and gray. But Austin ISD has a plan to breathe new life into the historic campus that’s been closed for nearly five years. The school board voted unanimously last month to lease Pease to United Way for Greater Austin.
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2 months ago | 
texasstandard.org | Lauren McGaughy |Patricia Lim
[Land associated with Elon Musk and his companies in Bastrop County, Texas. Source: Bastrop County Appraisal District. Created by Andrew Weber for KUT News]Driving east out of Austin, the strip malls and housing developments of the city quickly drop away. Once you reach the Bastrop County line, the land seems to flatten out and open up. It’s mostly farms and ranches out here. When Austin came knocking to annex part of the county in the mid-1980s, Bastropians fought it off.
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2 months ago | 
texasstandard.org | Sean Saldaña |Patricia Lim
On any given day, Public Auto Auctions has between 140 to 200 vehicles on its lot. Each vehicle that comes in receives a condition report, which notes imperfections and status of the vehicle. Because the staff processes so many cars, each auction listing comes with a disclaimer. “Vehicle condition and drivability are not guaranteed,” its website reads.
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Jan 24, 2025 | 
texasstandard.org | Becky Fogel |Patricia Lim
Ava, 10, said spending time with friends is also a big reason she wanted to join. “I decided it would be a great opportunity to spend some time and have fun with a lot of people who feel like family,” she said. Being a part of a team helps students develop as individuals, too, Rutherford said.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
texasstandard.org | Luz Moreno-Lozano |Patricia Lim
“Every day we sanitize the pillows, bring in fresh pillow cases or T-shirts, whichever we use for the night,” she said. “Then we get them all set up. We generally put them back in their bags covered and ready to go for the night.”For a few hours, the volunteers organize and greet people coming in with donations. People seeking shelter don’t register until 7 p.m. but they can wait in a lounge at the front of the center, where they can stay warm and drink coffee and water.
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Jan 15, 2025 | 
texasstandard.org | Lauren McGaughy |Patricia Lim
From The Texas Newsroom:Got a tip? Email the investigative team at [email protected]. BASTROP COUNTY – From the outside, nothing appears to be special about the house at the end of Earhardt Road. It looks like many of the other ranches that dot this rural stretch of highway less than half an hour outside Austin’s city limits. Simple, white facade. Black iron gate. A lone star adorning the cut-glass door. Cars and trucks whizz down the farm-to-market road out front, taking no notice of it.
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Jan 14, 2025 | 
texasstandard.org | Becky Fogel |Patricia Lim
Parent Nishant Bhargava said while he understands the district has to do what it has to do to reduce its budget deficit, things are moving too quickly. While Valley View families have known for about a year and a half that their school could close, Barton Creek families found out about the possible consolidation last fall. “We were pretty disappointed in the heads up and the planning and the preparation,” he said.
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Aug 19, 2024 | 
texasstandard.org | Becky Fogel |Patricia Lim
Suzanne said she thinks the smart device ban will help kids feel more comfortable because they don’t have to worry about being recorded or photographed just going about their day. She said there was an instance last school year when two middle school students were recorded falling off a platform during theater class. “It was then passed around,” she said.
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Jul 19, 2024 | 
texasstandard.org | Becky Fogel |Patricia Lim
Smithville ISD is also one of seven organizations and districts that received a grant from No Kid Hungry Texas this year to support efforts to get healthy meals to kids in rural areas. The group gave Smithville ISD $20,000 to support its summer nutrition program. “We often call summer the hungriest time of the year for students, because so many students rely on school meals during the school year,” said Mia Medina, a senior program manager for No Kid Hungry Texas.
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Jul 11, 2024 | 
texasstandard.org | Becky Fogel |Patricia Lim
From KUT News:As the first familiar notes of “Pomp and Circumstance” started playing, about 70 women donning navy caps and gowns beamed as they filed into the gym at the Coleman Unit, a women’s prison in Lockhart. This was the eighth class of inmates to graduate with high school diplomas from an adult education program run by the Goodwill Excel Center. “Today marks a significant milestone in their journey,” Excel Center Superintendent Theresa Rappaport said at the June 21 ceremony.
