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Uber letting teens take rides on their own

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

(The Hill) -- Uber announced on Wednesday the launch of a new feature that will let teenagers under the age of 18 open accounts and take rides on their own. In a news release, the ride-hailing company said that its “Teen accounts” will allow teens from 13- to 17-year-olds to set up their own personal accounts through their families' profiles. The company said that only experienced and highly-rated drivers are eligible to take on rides from teens, and drivers can also opt out of driving a teen. Teens riding alone in Ubers is not new, but the new policies mark a change in how the company deals with them. Parents have long used Uber as a carpool alternative, and teenagers have set up their own accounts despite users technically being required to be 18. The decision on whether to check IDs to verify the age of riders has largely been left to drivers.The new policy also comes as the number of teen drivers has fallen drastically in recent decades, with only 25 percent of 16-year...

Postal police, who used to combat mail theft, have had limited power for years

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The United States Postal Service has upped security measures as mail theft continues to spike across the country.Such measures include fortifying blue collection boxes, new locks, more secure verification for address changes and new authority to intercept packages with counterfeit postage.Frank Albergo, the head of the Postal Police Officers Association, thinks a better fix the rise in both mail theft and attacks against mail carriers - is restoring patrolling power to postal police officers."We used intelligence-led policing targeting specific zip codes where mail theft was most prevalent, and it was working," he said.According to a 2020 Postal Inspection Service memo, postal police were ordered to stop patrolling and focus their attention solely on protecting post office property. "You'd think when postal police officers are needed most, that's when we'd be utilized," said Albergo.According to USPS, there were 38,500 mail theft incidents in FY22. In the first half...

Downtown Austin Alliance makes official recommendation for light rail in Austin

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Next week we will learn which light rail plan the Austin Transit Partnership thinks is best for the future of Austin light rail. Throughout six weeks of a community engagement process, ATP heard from more than 8,000 people through 90 in-person and virtual events. This week, the Downtown Austin Alliance shared its first choice for Austin Light Rail options of the five ATP presented to the public. Project Connect debuts 5 scaled down light rail options DAA says after the release of the updated light rail options in March, they assembled a committee to study the impact each light rail would have on downtown traffic, garage access, street vibrancy, safety and connections to downtown amenities. The DAA ultimately chose the 38th Street to Yellow Jacket option, shown below, with a few new recommendations for ATP. 38th Street to Yellow Jacket light rail option. (Courtesy: Austin Transit Partnership) One of the new recommendations is an additional stop between 15th & ...

Austin seeking $25M to fund bike, pedestrian improvements

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The City of Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department will submit a grant to seek $25 million in funding from the Texas Department of Transportation to support mobility upgrades, including those near schools. The funds are available through TxDOT's 2023 Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program and support projects "to fill in small- to medium-sized sidewalk, bikeway, and shared-use path gaps, remove Americans with Disability Act barriers, and make Safe Routes to School improvements on and near TxDOT right-of-way," per city documents.Projects will be selected based on high-priority areas within the city's Sidewalk, Bike and ADA Transition Plan, as well as the Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Report, per documents. Should the city be awarded the funding, Austin would be required to contribute $5 million -- or 20% -- in matching funds, available through the 2018 Mobility Bond and the 2020 Safety and Active Transportation Bond.

Austin City Council shows support for increasing community mental health training

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Amid the growing prevalence of mental health conditions, exacerbated by the pandemic, the Austin City Council approved Thursday its support of an initiative to increase the number of community members able to respond to mental health incidents.Mental health issues have been increasing worldwide, per the World Health Organization. Further, around one in five adolescents have a mental health condition, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds. MORE: City of Austin to consider its role in creating mental health diversion center One resource available in Central Texas to help community members help people showing signs of mental illness or a substance use disorder is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, an eight-hour training, similar to CPR, that thousands of Austinites have already undergone. “Mental Health First Aid training is an invaluable resource that gives people the tools needed to identify, to understand and to respond to sig...

$1M+ in safety upgrades coming to 2 Austin intersections

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 18, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nearly $1 million in safety improvements are slated to come to an intersection along FM 969, following action by the Austin City Council Thursday.Council approved a nearly $942,000 contractual agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for safety and mobility upgrades planned at FM 969 (Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard) and Regency Drive.The planned improvements include a new traffic signal, a raised concrete median, American with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps, pedestrian crossings as well as a new sidewalk. The project, currently under design, is set to begin construction next year.7th and Comal, FM 969 and Regency Improvements DownloadElsewhere on council Thursday, city leaders approved nearly $168,000 in enhancements at the intersection of East Seventh Street and Comal Street. That project features signal upgrades, a "curb bulb-out to allow dedicated bicycle tra...

Report of ‘poop rain’ falling on cars in Burnsville prompts U.S. Rep. Angie Craig to request FAA investigation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig is asking the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate a report of what her office called “poop rain” falling on several vehicles in Burnsville.In a May 18 letter to the FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, Craig “expressed concerns about the incident and requested additional information on what the FAA is doing to prevent aircraft leaks,” according to a statement from her office which included a line reading “Craig: Cut the crap — my constituents need to know that their environment is safe.”“On the morning of May 15th, a constituent from Burnsville, MN reported brown excrement falling onto their car from a significant height. Considering the flight paths in the area, we have reason to suspect that it could have come from an aircraft mid-flight,” Craig wrote in her letter.“We know that waste contains potential enteric pathogens and can present risks to the environment and human health if not handled properly. There have...

Nonprofit Freshwater names Michelle Stockness as new executive director

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

The nonprofit Freshwater has named Michelle Stockness as its next executive director.Michelle Stockness has been named executive director of Freshwater, it was announced May 17, 2023. Freshwater is a Minnesota-based nonprofit that advocates for valuing and preserving water. (Courtesy of Freshwater)Freshwater, a Minnesota-based organization since 1968, describes itself as having “worked to inspire and empower people to value and preserve water by engaging communities through science and education.”Stockness was recently vice president at Barr Engineering, where she help guide clients through regulatory and environmental water issues including those involving drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. She also handled issues related to groundwater contamination by PFAS, water supply and resue as well as sustainable design.“Michelle has earned respect as a trusted leader in the water community and will be an exceptional executive director for our organization, acceler...

"Justice is incomplete:" Families of limo crash victims want Mavis held accountable

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

SCHOHARIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A verdict for Nauman Hussain brought some peace of mind for the families of some of the 20 victims in the 2018 Schoharie Limo Crash. But, some families say the fight for their loved ones is not over. Guilty verdict reached in Schoharie Limo Trial They’re calling for Mavis Discount Tire, the company that serviced the limo, to be held accountable. “They definitely hold accountability," Jill Richardson-Perez, Matthew Coons’ mother, said. "There’s a part of this that’s theirs also.” “Justice is incomplete," Mary Ashton, Michael Ukaj’s mother, said. "They should have been brought to the table right from the get-go just as Hussain was. Any entity involved that was part of the cause of the crash should be brought to the table.” The former manager of the location where the limo was serviced, Virgil Park, and two mechanics, admitted under oath they did not complete the brake work needed to make the limo safe to drive and they gave the vehicle a passing inspecti...

Web app shows homeowners their impact on Lake George

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:00:00 GMT

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The Lake George Association, a conservation and protection group focused on water quality around Lake George, has released a new tool for those who live on or visit the lake to help out with protection. The Lake Protector Profile App is designed to help property owners around Lake George evaluate their home or business' impact on the Queen of American Lakes. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “Our LGA Lake Protector Profiles provide need-to-know information that helps guide participation in protection for all who love Lake George,” said Lake George Association (LGA) President Eric Siy. “And the LGA team is here to help to ensure we succeed.”The web app, accessible by computer or phone, uses the physical aspects of a property to determine lake impact. "Lake Protector Profiles" have been generated for over 9,300 developed properties across the Lake George watershed, using public information and geosp...