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Undercover sting, rejected car inspections: How emissions testing fraud impacts Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

Investigative Summary: This summer, KXAN reported on state inspectors in Austin and Kyle, arrested for selling fraudulent vehicle inspection reports. Since then, we learned two Texas Department of Public Safety program inspectors in Dallas, were charged with "organized criminal activity" for helping facilitate fraudulent emissions tests. The Travis County Constable's Office Pct. 3, which tracks and investigates these type of felonies, called "clean scans," estimates five million vehicles were fraudulently inspected last year. Investigators worry that's putting potentially unsafe vehicles on our roads with not enough done by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to stop it. The agency has known about the problem since at least 2017. The fraud is so pervasive, the Travis County Tax Office has refused, for nearly eight months, accepting vehicle inspection reports for cars subject to emissions testing that are from outside Travis and Williamson counties, KXAN learned excl...

City council to consider creating science and research district in north Austin

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- City council will discuss creating a mixed-use science and research district in the area surrounding the Domain that could help provide resources for the emerging life sciences industry in Austin. The resolution says council will support an amendment to the North Burnet/Gateway Regulating Plan to create new rules for how the area can be developed and used. The plan was created in 2006 as a way to guide the development of the area to make sure it helped tackle the growth challenges of Austin. Over the years the area has changed from industrial and warehouse structures to more mixed use development, such as housing, office spaces, and retail stores. Now, there is a demand for more resources for life sciences. Life Science industry in Austin According to a joint report by Medtech Connect and Austin Next released this summer, the amount of venture funding into life sciences in Austin increased ten times between 2017 and 2023. The report says there are more than 260 comp...

City of Austin to host Senior Job Fair Nov. 16

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The City of Austin said Thursday it will host a Senior Job Fair on Nov. 16.  The free fair will be at the Texas Workforce Solutions Capital Area on 9001 N IH-35. It will start at 11 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.The city said the fair will give people a chance to meet potential employers from the city as well as local businesses.   According to the announcement, the potential employers will hire and assist people from all backgrounds including anyone involved in the criminal justice system, those 50 and older, veterans and people with disabilities.Anyone who wants to attend can register online, the city said.

We Are Blood, Austin FC to host blood drive

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Facing what it called record patient needs for blood transfusions at Central Texas hospitals, We Are Blood (WRB) said it and Austin FC will hold a blood drive Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Q2 Stadium. WRB wants people to register in advance but walk-ins will be accepted at the stadium, which is located at 10414 Mc Kalla Pl. Parking is available on site. All donors will receive a free Bleed VERDE t-shirt. We Are Blood cites historic patient need in donor call We Are Blood said, in addition to record patient needs, it dealt with shortages coming off a summer with extreme heat, holiday weekends, and busy back-to-school schedules. The center said it requires at least 200 donations per day to serve every hospital in its 10 county service area. Both whole blood and platelets are required to facilitate everything from emergency procedures to cancer treatments and neonatal surgeries.“We are grateful for Austin FC’s continued partnership and their annual blood drive t...

Should skiers be allowed to pay for early access to Colorado chairlifts?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

Winter Park this year became the latest Colorado ski resort to offer early lift access for skiers and riders who are willing to pay for upgrades to their lift tickets. It’s a privilege that some love and others criticize as elitist.“Early ups” allow visitors to board lifts 30 minutes or more before they open to the general public, usually for $50 to $70, in order to get a crack at undisturbed snow. Other areas that offer early ups include Copper Mountain, Steamboat, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass. Beaver Creek and Keystone offer early ups on select days.Based on reactions to the announcement on Winter Park’s Instagram page, many Winter Park skiers and riders welcome the early-ups offer, as indicated by almost 1,000 likes. But many of the 108 comments on the Instagram post have been highly critical.Here is a sampling of those reactions:“I will be throwing snowballs (at) every single person I see getting on the lift with an early ups pass.”“Any caviar ...

Opinion: Suncor-EPA settlement is part of effort to do right thing by Commerce City, North Denver

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

EPA’s recent Clean Air Act fuels settlement with the Suncor refinery generated questions about both the settlement and EPA’s broader efforts to improve environmental conditions at the facility and in nearby communities in Commerce City and North Denver. I appreciate this opportunity to clarify and explain EPA’s commitment to these concerns.EPA’s September settlement with Suncor focused on gasoline produced and distributed by the refinery across the Front Range, not emissions from the facility itself. Some of the fuel produced by Suncor in 2021 and 2022 exceeded requirements limiting the benzene content and the volatility of the fuel. The distribution and use of this fuel led to higher emissions of pollutants in a large area that does not meet Clean Air Act standards for ozone.As part of the settlement, in addition to paying a penalty, Suncor voluntarily agreed to spend $600,000 to replace older gasoline and diesel-powered lawn equipment with less-polluting electric-powered equipment...

Things to do this weekend: Beastie Boys brunch, the history of Colorado’s 10th Mountain Division and more

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

Time to rememberAndy Cross,The Denver PostWWII Army Veteran Greg Canono, 92, left, salutes every American flag that came down the parade route during the annual Veterans Day Parade Nov. 12, 2016.Saturday. This year Veterans Day falls on a Saturday, which makes the ceremonies and events honoring our nation’s soldiers easy to get to for most nine-to-fivers. The official Denver Veterans Day Run and Denver Veterans Day Parade & Festival, hosted by Colorado Veterans Project, takes place at City Park on Nov. 11 — a charitable event whose proceeds and donations “will go directly to help build a supportive community around our veterans,” organizers wrote.This year, people have the option to participate in-person or virtually in the 5k or 10k run. The on-site parade, which runs 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and festival are free to attend and will begin after the run. The fest includes live music, activities for kids and families, military displays and vendors, and food trucks. ...

Bus rapid transit is coming to more of Denver’s arterial streets as CDOT ups its support

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

State, federal and city transportation leaders gathered in a small conference room at CDOT’s headquarters Wednesday to announce that a state-led effort to bring much more bus rapid transit service to metro Denver is in full swing.It’s a priority that gets to the heart of Senate Bill 260, the 2021 state law that tasked the Colorado Department of Transportation with focusing on projects that would seek to roll back the environmental harms car-based transportation brings to often marginalized neighborhoods in the Denver area and beyond.And Federal and Colorado boulevards — heavily traveled state highways that course through the city — are among those on the list for makeovers.But Wednesday’s event, which also brought together officials from the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Federal Transit Administration, held symbolic importance in the eyes of transportation advocates like Jill Locantore.She leads the Denver Streets Partne...

Lynn Nottage’s play “Clyde’s” heats up the Denver Center | Theater review

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

If you are jonesing for fresh episodes of “The Bear,” the Denver Center Theatre Company’s ace production of “Clyde’s” might feed that craving.If you haven’t ever watched Hulu’s series about a high-end chef and the family restaurant he returns to, all the better. Having premiered on Broadway in 2021, “Clyde’s” is very much its own wonder.After her Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Sweat” — about a group of Pennsylvania factory workers — Lynn Nottage pulls the curtain back on another complicated workplace (aren’t they all?). This time the workforce consists of sandwich maestro Montrellous (Sekou Laidlow), Letitia (Katherine George), Rafael (Sebastián Arroyo) and the tattoo-festooned newbie, Jason (Quinn M. Johnson). Each had been incarcerated prior to Clyde (Brianna Buckley) giving them a break.Before you get all misty-eyed, you should know that Clyde is not a tender soul — not even close — which makes the play simmer, crackle and occasionally threaten a consuming grease fire. ...

Denver gay couple alleges mold inspector sent homophobic texts in discrimination complaints

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:22:43 GMT

A Denver gay couple and their landlord have alleged in discrimination complaints that a Lakewood-based mold inspector sent homophobic text messages and treated them unfairly, including overcharging for his services.Evan VanGheem, right, and his partner, Jordan Carter, both Denver residents, are shown in an undated photo. (Photo provided by Iris Halpern)The complaints, filed with the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office, say the conduct of the owner of Walker Environmental LLC changed last month after he learned the two men who lived in a condo he was hired to inspect were a couple. Evan VanGheem and his partner, Jordan Carter, said they were treated in a hostile manner on later visits, and VanGheem showed screenshots of homophobic texts he said he received after posting a negative review of the business online.“It was very disheartening because we didn’t expect that here, especially in Denver,” VanGheem said. He added that it was an unsettling experience to be treated...