Numbers tracking the coronavirus pandemic in the Austin area have stopped improving and could worsen, new projections show. The projections, released Friday by UT’s Covid-19 Modeling Consortium, show lines flattening in the weeks ahead and possibly rising. The consortium reports a 32 percent probability that the pandemic will worsen here and a reproduction number of […]
Trey Shaar
Posted inPublic Health
Austin health officials plead with residents to stay home for Thanksgiving
Local health officials are hoping people will heed the warnings about gatherings outside the household this week to avoid a repeat of what happened after other holidays this year. Most coronavirus numbers are still moving in the wrong direction in Austin and Travis County. There appears to be some improvement in recent days in the […]
Posted inWhispers
Technology will slow e-scooters that enter Austin parks
Starting Friday, geofencing will reduce the speed of rented e-scooters when they enter restricted areas in Austin. Riders will be alerted before they enter an area where scooters are not allowed, such as the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. The city of Austin has been working with scooter companies to limit their use on parkland. […]
Posted inPublic Safety
New Texas law has Travis County dismissing marijuana cases
Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said Wednesday her office is dismissing 32 felony cases involving possession or delivery of marijuana or THC, pending further investigation, as the result of a new Texas law legalizing hemp. The law, which took effect June 10, defines hemp as having a concentration of THC, the psychoactive compound in […]
Posted inWhispers
Austin’s Citizen Review Panel is suspended
The city of Austin is suspending its Citizen Review Panel, leaving police with less public oversight – at least for now. The move ends 17 years of volunteer panel members weighing in on complaints from the public about Austin police officers. Under the city’s last labor contract with Austin police officers, members of the review […]