About the Author
Hunter is a practicing attorney and freelance reporter who relocated to Austin from his home state of Arkansas. He most enjoys covering the intersection of business, politics, environmental issues and entertainment. Prior to joining the Austin Monitor, he reported for the Sidney Herald in Montana. Send tips to huntr.simms@gmail.com or follow him on Instagram at @hunto_simmo.
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Most Popular Stories
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announces new flight service while anticipating capacity cuts
- A once-banned type of building is back in favor – and the Planning Commission approves
- City facing a $33 million deficit for 2026
- East Austin’s ‘wishbone’ bridge takes shape as concrete beams almost span Lady Bird Lake
- SOS suing state agency over failure to provide information on MoPac expansion
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Stories by Hunter Simmons
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport announces new flight service while anticipating capacity cuts
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has announced new flights starting this month while anticipating capacity cuts with the softening economy’s effect on travel demand. Jason Alexander, Austin’s deputy chief of airport affairs, gave a briefing on air service updates to the Airport…
Transportation • By Hunter Simmons • Apr 11, 2025
Two bills compete to reform firefighters retirement fund
Two competing bills in the Texas Legislature aim to tackle the issue of reforming the funding structure of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund. In a message on the City Council Message Board (posted by the mayor’s chief of staff, Colleen…
Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Apr 7, 2025
Austin Animal Services Office begins developing bond package for 2026 vote
The Austin Animal Services Office is in early stages of developing its future bond package. The complete package for all participating city departments will be presented to voters in 2026. In the meantime, the department is working through a process…
Bonds & Propositions • By Hunter Simmons • Mar 20, 2025
Austin Energy Green Building program logs 21,573 projects since its creation
In 1991, Austin Energy Green Building developed the first rating system in the country to evaluate the sustainability of buildings, creating a model for other cities and the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification system.…
Development • By Hunter Simmons • Mar 11, 2025
Parks and Recreation Department contemplates a 2026 bond, two years overdue
Austin Parks and Recreation Department is in the process of developing its 2026 integrated bond, with the last one created eight years ago for a 2018 bond election. These bonds fund capital improvement projects for parks and recreation, including building…
Bonds & Propositions • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 27, 2025
Austin ranks fifth in nation for cities most at risk for wildfires
According to a CoreLogic Wildfire Risk Report conducted in 2024, Austin ranks fifth in the nation for cities most at risk for wildfires. The top four cities are all located in California. David Bock, senior wildfire mitigation specialist at the…
Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 25, 2025
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Austin Animal Services Office releases fiscal year statistical report and waives adoption fees
Due to consistent overcrowding, the Austin Animal Center has waived adoption fees for the foreseeable future. Numbers from the Austin Animal Services Office’s statistical report for Fiscal Year 2025 show a continued need for adoptions. Austin Animal Services Office released…
Austin • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 19, 2025
Austin's Ethics Review Commission dismisses complaints against Siegel and Faddis without prejudice
Two complaints about alleged campaign finance violations were dropped at a special called meeting of the city’s Ethics Review Commission, but they could be filed again in the future. Adam Haynes, a former member of the Planning Commission, filed the…
Elections • By Hunter Simmons • Feb 12, 2025
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Documentary film highlights the history of an 1870s-era home and the story of Clarksville
Everyone involved in the making of “Haskell House and the Story of Clarksville,” a documentary short film about the oldest documented residence within the Clarksville National Register historic district, was recognized by the Austin Parks and Recreation Board at its…
Preservation • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 31, 2025
Joint Sustainability Committee looks at agricultural land acquisition and preservation
The Austin-Travis County Food Policy Board is looking for support for a plan to preserve and acquire agricultural land in the region, and it’s turned to the Joint Sustainability Committee for help and recommendations. The recommendations are a next step…
Austin • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 24, 2025
Animal Services Office releases strategic plan draft
The city’s Animal Services Office released a draft of its 2025-2030 strategic plan on Jan. 8. Enumerated in the draft is the office’s vision “to provide services and resources that allow people and animals to thrive in the city of…
City Hall • By Hunter Simmons • Jan 16, 2025
Austin Resource Recovery gets ready for the new year
Austin Resource Recovery plans to collect a total of 260,375 tons of waste from curbside and drop-off center operations during Fiscal Year 2025, with an estimated 40 percent of curbside collected materials to be diverted from landfills, according to a…