Over the weekend, Austin Pets Alive! made the decision to close its lobby and bar its clinic from any public visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the city-run Austin Animal Center shuttered its doors last week, Austin Pets Alive! remained open during its normal business hours until Saturday, when APA Director Ellen Jefferson informed […]
Nina Hernandez
Posted inAustin
Updated: Coronavirus shutters Austin Animal Center, but shelter still desperately needs fosters
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect daily life in Travis County with the closure of the Austin Animal Center. AAC announced on its Facebook page Monday that it would close to the public, effective immediately, and not reopen until March 30 at least. The closure includes volunteers who walk dogs and perform other duties around […]
Posted inAustin
Coalition demands swift city, county COVID-19 response
A coalition of area advocacy organizations hosted a press conference Monday stressing the importance of providing effective solutions to the most vulnerable populations in our communities. The organizations, which include Grassroots Leadership, Workers Defense Project, Austin EMS Association, Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, Youth Rise Texas, Community of Color United for Racial Justice, and Texas […]
Posted inDevelopment
Airport Advisory Commission wants another look at landfill expansion proposal
The Airport Advisory Commission created a subcommittee Tuesday night to look into the potential expansion of the landfill near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and how it might affect the safety of aircraft flying in and out of the airport. Commissioners heard testimony from the Texas Campaign for the Environment, received additional photographic evidence and agreed to […]
Posted inWhispers
Central Library grand opening scheduled
The city’s long-awaited Central Library finally has a grand opening on the schedule. That’s right: More than a decade after voters initially approved funds, the project is complete. There will be an entire day of fun at the new downtown library to celebrate including live music, video games, temporary tattoos and a talk by artist […]
Posted inWhispers
APD housekeeping note
In early October, Interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley sent out a brief press release to clear up some housekeeping items. In addition to addressing the department’s preparedness for the Austin City Limits Festival, the chief also noted that there was recently a false alarm that made it seem as though a Ford Police Interceptor […]
Posted inWhispers
Colony Park gets new health resource center
East Austin’s Colony Park area is due for a new health resource center in the neighborhood. It’ll be housed in an Overton Elementary School (7201 Colony Loop Drive) portable, near the Turner-Roberts Recreation Center that hosts a monthly Community Care mobile clinic. Austin Public Health is set to offer health screenings, diabetes classes in English […]
Posted inWhispers
Lunch for 5,000
Later this week, the city will host a lunch for 5,000 of its closest friends. It’s part of a worldwide campaign called Feeding the 5,000, which aims to eliminate food waste by promoting ways communities can connect unused food to those who can use it. Austin Resource Recovery is heading up the effort in conjunction […]
Posted inWhispers
Deck the halls
It’s time to start preparing for this year’s Zilker Holiday Tree Art Contest. The Parks and Recreation Department welcomes the city’s finest kid artists to submit their artwork for consideration. Using crayons, watercolors, ink, colored paper, pastels or paint, applicants are asked to “show us their version of Austin’s traditional holiday symbol,” according to the […]
Posted inWhispers
Park needs feedback on temporary concessions
Help out the Parks and Recreation Department in its quest to streamline the temporary concessions process. Last week, the department launched a survey where the community can give feedback on the process that will remain open until midnight on Oct. 29. That information will set the groundwork for the overhaul going forward. Find the survey […]
Posted inWhispers
AISD wins $3.5 million innovation grant
The Austin Independent School District has won a $3.5 million Education Innovation and Research Early-Phase grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the district announced yesterday morning. The funds are going to help the district move away from disciplinary practices like suspension and expulsion. It’s called the “restorative model,” and will be put in place […]
Posted inWhispers
City announces affordable housing fee-in-lieu rate change
Late last month, the interim director of the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department, Rosie Truelove, told City Council that the fee-in-lieu rates for the University Neighborhood Overlay, East Riverside Corridor and Downtown Density Bonus would increase. The change, which went into effect on Oct. 1, means an extra $1 per net rentable square foot […]