Parents, teachers and advocates worry online-only lesson plans could widen the digital divide and exacerbate educational equity issues in the Austin Independent School District. To try to prevent that, the district, which has roughly 81,000 students, is distributing Wi-Fi hotspots, laptops and tablets. Here’s a step-by-step guide for parents and guardians on how to get […]
Andrew Weber, KUT
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Austin says group doesn’t have signatures to put homelessness ordinances on the ballot in November
Austin’s city clerk says a group seeking to reinstate the city’s bans on sitting, camping or lying down in public doesn’t have the requisite 20,000 signatures to force a referendum on Election Day. Save Austin Now, led by Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak, submitted its petition with 24,201 signatures late last month. After a […]
Posted inCity Council
Austin will start renaming parks, streets, creeks and anything else that honors white supremacy
Austin will reexamine – and could ultimately change – the names of its streets, buildings, parks and creeks that venerate historical racism and the Confederacy. The decision Wednesday from the Austin City Council follows up on a 2018 report from the city’s Equity Office, which suggested changing the name of the city itself, as Stephen F. […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Group says it has enough signatures to put Austin’s homelessness ordinances on the November ballot
A GOP-backed group says it’s collected enough signatures to put a reversal of the city’s homeless ordinances on the ballot in November. Save Austin Now, a coalition led by longtime strategist and Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak, announced Monday it has turned in 24,087 signatures for its petition to reinstate bans on camping, panhandling […]
Posted inElections
District Attorney Margaret Moore concedes after José Garza’s commanding early lead
Incumbent District Attorney Margaret Moore has conceded after a commanding lead in early voting and mail-in votes in support of challenger José Garza. The Democratic primary runoff for the office pitted the embattled incumbent against a self-described progressive who says he hopes to revamp criminal justice at the office. With early voting numbers in, Garza […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Public Health could push for more restrictions as Covid-19 hospitalizations surge
Austin surpassed a crucial threshold for Covid-19 hospitalizations Tuesday, which could signal possible restrictions on businesses and nonessential travel. The seven-day average of new Covid-19 hospital admissions hit an all-time high of nearly 75, according to numbers out Tuesday evening. Health officials have said any average above 70 would push the area into the highest […]
Posted inAustin
Austin leaders encourage peer pressure to get folks to wear face masks and avoid crowding spaces
Austin and Travis County officials are urging people to wear face coverings and to avoid large gatherings as the city and the state reopen for business. If that refrain sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve heard the song and it bears repeating, officials say, lest Austin see a surge in hospitalizations for Covid-19 that could cripple […]
Posted inAustin
Austin sees 10-year high in the number of people experiencing homelessness
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Austin hit a 10-year high in 2020, according to a new report. Data from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s point-in-time count show that 2,506 people were homeless on the night of the annual census, Jan. 25. More than half of them – 1,574 – were on the street […]
Posted inAustin
Covid-19 is magnifying food insecurity – and the digital divide – in these Travis County ZIP codes
Children in 11 Central Texas ZIP codes are at high risk of food insecurity because of Covid-19, a new study finds. And the situation is further compounded by a lack of access to high-speed internet as they try to continue their education online. The study from the statewide nonprofit Children at Risk says the neighborhoods, […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin Recovery says it can’t afford to keep addiction treatment centers open because of Covid-19
Austin Recovery, a nonprofit that has provided substance abuse treatment in Central Texas since 1967, is closing its doors because of the coronavirus. In a letter to staff last week, Austin Recovery board members said the organization’s existing funding gaps were further widened because of the pandemic and it had made the decision to discontinue […]
Posted inPublic Health
Salvation Army’s downtown homeless shelter closes after positive tests; ARCH confirms first case
Salvation Army Austin’s downtown shelter was closed this weekend after 12 people tested positive for Covid-19. All 187 people staying at the shelter have been moved to a city-leased hotel. KUT has also confirmed the first case of Covid-19 at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless next door. Corey Leith, a spokesperson for Salvation […]
Posted inPublic Health
Doctors, first responders see need for more resources – and distancing – before COVID-19 cases rise
As Central Texas prepares for an inevitable spike in COVID-19 diagnoses, medical professionals are calling on local officials to address unmet needs and implement tighter restrictions on public gatherings. In an open letter to officials Monday, nearly 200 doctors asked authorities to “implement mandatory lockdown measures to enforce social distancing.” “Public health officials should not […]