Nora Ankrum

After hearing arguments earlier this month, Judge Stephen Yelenosky ruled against the city on Friday in activist Brian Rodgers’ lawsuit over the Pilot Knob planned unit development, according to the Austin American-Statesman. City Council voted at a meeting last December to annex the Pilot Knob PUD, and in doing so, it granted the development $50 […]

Our usual Monday roundup of choice newsy tidbits is on hiatus this week, but never fear: Reporter’s Notebook will return next week!

The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a family-friendly Arbor Day celebration this weekend to mark Austin’s 25th anniversary as a member of Tree City USA. In honor of a quarter-century of kindness toward trees, PARD is inviting volunteers to help plant native trees and make wildflower seed balls on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 9 […]

The city’s Development Services and Economic Development departments are launching a new research tool for small-business owners looking to lease or buy property. Called Smart Start, it provides an online Q&A forum where people can “explore information about zoning, permitting, and construction regulations” by posing questions to city staff and other forum users, according to […]

The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting two upcoming community meetings to get feedback on proposed concepts for the Bull Creek District Park Master Plan. The plan, once complete, will provide guidance for future improvements to the 48-acre West Austin park. The public outreach effort for the plan has been ongoing, and city staff derived […]

The Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities is hosting the 37th annual Disability Employment Awards program next week. The event recognizes local businesses “that have demonstrated positive employment practices” as well as “employees with disabilities who serve as role models to others with disabilities,” according to an announcement from the city. The event will take […]

The Austin History Center and the Austin Public Library are hosting a discussion next week ahead of the theatrical debut of TOWER, a documentary about the 1966 mass shooting at the University of Texas. TOWER director and producer Keith Maitland will be there along with retired news anchor Neal Spelce, who witnessed the shooting while […]

A Swedish-designed “noise containment sound system” called the Jbn Sound Ceiling could help make disputes over noise pollution a thing of the past, which is presumably why the city’s Music & Entertainment Division and the Austin Police Department Sound Enforcement Unit have teamed up this week to host the system’s first U.S. demonstration. According to […]

The city is currently in the process of determining which routes through the city are safest for the transport of nonradioactive hazardous materials such as gasoline, chlorine, sulfuric acid and propane. According to a press release from the city, such materials “can currently be transported on almost any roadway in Austin, including through areas with […]

Motorists traveling at night on West 35th Street, just east of the MoPac Expressway, should expect traffic delays throughout the month. The Public Works Department has begun repaving the street, with work scheduled between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. each night. During those hours, only one lane in each direction will be available between MoPac […]

Recycling at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has more than doubled since the airport began a partnership with Texas Disposal Systems one year ago, according to TDS. Apparently weary travelers are no longer too weary to separate trash from recyclables thanks to TDS’ efforts, which have included increasing the number of recycling bins, improving signage and […]

The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will soon begin phasing in a significant change in how riders can buy MetroRail tickets. Beginning Monday, Oct. 10, the vending machines at the Downtown, Plaza Saltillo and MLK Jr. stations will no longer accept credit or debit cards. The machines will continue to accept cash as well as “Tap” […]