Nora Ankrum

The city of Austin’s CityWorks Academy kicks off its eighth year this week. As the name suggests, the program is designed to teach participants how the city works. Through 12 weeks of evening instruction, students get a close look at every major city department – “the A to Z of City operations, from aviation to […]

The Austin Public Library’s My Library Keeps Me Healthy Initiative will continue for a second year thanks to $74,995 in renewed grant funding from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The initiative brings health screenings and other wellness programming to various branch locations. As part of the program’s second year, social work students will […]

Some disappointing news for residents of Northwest Hills: Thanks to “excessive rain and unforeseen issues underground,” Austin Water has fallen behind on a project to replace and upgrade parts of the water distribution system in the area, according to a press release from the utility. The delay pushes back the completion date to Nov. 1. […]

Austin will soon be home to the country’s “first dedicated pre-K through 12th grade comprehensive health professions public charter school,” according to an announcement from IDEA Austin, the local branch of a Texas network of charter schools. Anticipated to open in 2018, the school will be located on a yet-to-be-determined site “in or near downtown […]

Austin’s own U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett has been awarded AARP’s “Champion of the 50+ Award” for his sponsorship of the Notice of Observation, Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility (NOTICE) Act, which passed into law during the 114th congressional session. According to AARP, the law “requires hospitals to provide meaningful written and oral notification to […]

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission is now accepting applications for this year’s Letters About Literature contest. Open to students in grades 4-12, the competition is a project of the Texas Center for the Book and the Library of Congress. Students are asked “write to an author (living or deceased) about how his or […]

Visitors to City Hall know that part of its charm is the People’s Gallery, an annually changing showcase of regional artists’ work in a variety of media. Well, it’s that time of year when artists – as well as galleries, museums and arts organizations – are invited to apply to be part of the exhibit’s […]

The Austin Code Department and private company Civic Insight have partnered to develop an online search tool that can be used to retrieve information about code violations and building permits. Called the Austin Code & Permit Tracker, the tool – which is actually an updated version of the city’s Code Case Tracker – is available […]

Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services is hosting a forum this evening on community health. Participants will learn about area initiatives – including the Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan – for assessing and improving the quality of life of Austin residents. The event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at El […]

As we reported Tuesday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has unveiled an extensive draft plan – called Connections 2025 – for overhauling its entire transit network. Now it’s the public’s turn to provide feedback. Capital Metro is hosting a series of open houses Sept. 6-16, but those who can’t make it can still participate by […]

It’s event season here at the Austin Monitor, where we are hosting four upcoming occasions we hope you will find worthy of your calendar. First up is our Open Mic Debate for District 2 City Council candidates, which we are co-hosting with KUT and Glasshouse Policy as part of a series of in-district debates ahead […]

The Parks and Recreation Department is asking for public input as it develops a strategic plan for 2017 through 2021. The plan is focused on “honing and articulating the Department’s vision, mission, values and goals,” according to an announcement from the city. The community is invited to participate in the process by joining the online […]