Much ado about scooting… As best as we can tell, the Scooter Wars hyped up on social media have largely been playing out as a sitzkrieg. Absent thus far is the oppressive sidewalk clutter – dubbed “mobility spam” by one writer – wrought by dockless bike-sharing companies on our neighbors to the north in Dallas. […]
Austin Monitor
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Collective concerns
No need to bug out… Word hit the street recently that the city was considering a rule that would require all homes to install insect screens. “Proposal would require homeowners to install insect screens,” said a KXAN headline. Buried near the bottom of the story is an important caveat: The proposed rule would only apply […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Ornithology edition
Bird brains… After the Uber and Lyft fiasco of 2016 and the city’s crackdown against rogue bike-sharing companies in 2017, we have no idea why rent-a-scooter firm Bird figured it’d be a swell idea to try to elbow its way into town last week without the blessings of the Austin Transportation Department. Nonetheless, the day […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Let’s talk talk
Talking to themselves… Do the members of the Commissioners Court and their staff need to take some time to discuss how they discuss things? Well, last Tuesday, the court discussed that very question! Concerning an upcoming retreat, Commissioner Brigid Shea remarked on the single-focused agenda by declaring, “I don’t think we need to spend an […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Meet me at the cemetery gates (tough guy)
More like Smashbel… A downtown Austin implosion occurs almost as infrequently as a freelance writer wakes up before Helios puts the sun in Sunday. But yesterday saw the stars align and gifted us with the rare spectacle of early morning crowds watching Sunday morning coming down. Despite a few surly construction yobs trying to muscle […]
Posted inWhispers
Information wanted
$100,000 reward offered from @Austin_Police , @ATFHou , @FBISanAntonio for information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for the Austin, Texas bombings. Contact: 512-472-TIPS (8477). pic.twitter.com/SV9xNQr4xp — Austin Texas (@austintexasgov) March 19, 2018
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Grin and bear it
Putting himself out there… Randy Clarke spent his second full day as the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s CEO personally apologizing to riders. Clarke and top agency brass posted up at the downtown rail station just before rush hour on Thursday to greet commuters before they boarded Red Line trains. The service has recently hit some […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Humanist mockery and moonlight towers
Thoughts and prayers… Following the most recent mass shooting, a familiar debate has emerged that pits those who argue in favor of gun control against those who emphasize mental health treatment and (in some cases) more guns. In a Facebook message posted shortly after the Parkland massacre, former Council Member Don Zimmerman seemed to suggest that […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Margaret Gómez
This week, Precinct 4 Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gómez sits down with Austin Monitor freelancer Caleb Pritchard and editor Elizabeth Pagano in a special live broadcast to talk about why she is seeking a seventh (!) term on the Commissioners Court. It’s all embedded below. The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Reasons for beauty
Where the sidewalk bends… Austin badly needs to fill in the large gap of missing sidewalks across the city, but simply making each stretch of sidewalk longer than it has to be probably isn’t the most efficient solution. On Saturday, a loyal Austin Monitor reader surfaced on Twitter a photograph of a new zigzagging sidewalk […]
Posted inRadio
Austin Monitor Radio: Pct. 4 challenger Susanna Woody
This week, Travis County Commissioners Court challenger Susanna Woody joins Austin Monitor freelance reporter Caleb Pritchard and Monitor editor Elizabeth Pagano to talk about why she is vying for the Precinct 4 seat. Listen to the whole interview with the Del Valle Independent School District trustee below: The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Which side?
More news from the Amazon (bid)… Austin has landed on the bad side of an LGBT rights group’s effort to influence online retail giant Amazon’s decision on where to build its next headquarters. The “No Gay? No Way!” campaign issued a statement last week that singled out nine of the 20 finalist sites for being located […]