The city and organizers of the South by Southwest festival have asked attendees of credentialed and free events to have proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid-19 test if they plan on participating in this year’s event. Local leaders and SXSW officials spoke at a press conference Monday, explaining that Travis County’s vaccination rate, […]
Austin
Posted inAustin
City had data, but not follow-through, to ‘fix’ Sixth Street in 2014
City leaders had a pair of reports nearly a decade ago that prescribed changes to make the downtown Sixth Street entertainment district safer, yet many of those actions were never implemented despite a 2014 City Council resolution that included several of them. Last week during discussion on a resolution that advanced some of the steps […]
Posted inAustin
Recycled Reads seeks to branch out from books to tools
The Austin Public Library system is the go-to for most Austinites who want to rent books free of charge. But APL also has a lesser-known service for those who want to buy books at affordable prices: Recycled Reads, the public library’s used bookstore, sells, recycles and repurposes donations and weeded-out materials from the library for a couple […]
Posted inAustin
Amid push to ban books, library commissioners brush up on the basics
With efforts to take books off library shelves ramping up in some parts of Texas, Austin’s Library Commission took the timely step of reviewing the city’s policies to see how our public collections are protected. The commission and the Austin Public Library executive team have come together to staunchly support the freedom to read, a […]
Posted inAustin
HEAL Initiative for the unhoused turns one year old
About a year has passed since Austin City Council adopted the HEAL Initiative, which is designed to connect houseless people living in encampments to housing or shelter and supportive services. The Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link, or HEAL as it is known, is now well underway and the city has begun to collect preliminary data on the program. […]
Posted inAustin
Convention center’s closure for expansion could trigger bond default
The city may not move forward with the next steps in the Austin Convention Center expansion until an agreement is reached with current holders to rework some terms of roughly $163 million in hotel bonds. A memo discussed at Monday’s meeting of the Tourism Commission outlines why the request for qualifications for vendors on the […]
Posted inAustin
Animal Advisory Commission debates citywide microchip mandate
Members of Austin’s Animal Advisory Commission butted heads this past Monday over a proposal that would mandate the use of microchips for all pet owners in the city. Following a study by volunteer researchers at UT Austin, the commission’s microchip working group encouraged recommending the mandate to City Council. The ensuing debate suggested that the […]
Posted inAustin
Austin’s legal bill to oust operator of airport’s South Terminal approaches $1 million
The cost of Austin’s legal fight to reclaim and demolish the airport’s South Terminal — where people catch Allegiant and Frontier flights — just grew to $847,000. The Austin City Council today approved paying corporate law firm Winstead PC another $600,000 on top of $247,000 it already committed. Lonestar Airport Holdings signed a lease in 2016 to run the South Terminal […]
Posted inAustin
Park renamed to honor civil rights legend Volma Overton Sr.
The 65 acres of northern waterfront at Town Lake Metro Park has a new name following a resolution honoring civil rights activist Volma Overton Sr. The park, formerly known as Lamar Beach, will now go by Volma Overton Sr. Shores. “Growing up in the Black community, Overton was a household name,” City Council Member Natasha […]
Posted inAustin
Library Commission pushes for fine-free books
Austin librarygoers may be in luck: The Library Commission unanimously voted Monday to do away with late fees for overdue library books. While City Council still has to approve the resolution in order for fine-free libraries to become the new norm, the commission’s vote is a major step in a policy that has been a long […]
Posted inAustin
Alligators in Del Valle aren’t as rare as you might think
While some people think states like Louisiana and Florida have cornered the market on alligator territory, Texas has what Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Jonathan Warner called a “healthy” population of about half a million gators. While most live in the state’s southeast region, Warner, who serves as TPWD’s alligator coordinator, says some gators, both […]
Posted inAustin
Former Mayor Bruce Todd leaves a lasting legacy
Bruce Todd, who served his community as mayor of Austin as well as Travis County commissioner, died Christmas Day at the age of 72. He suffered from Lewy body dementia for several years before his death. Todd, who was Precinct 2 commissioner from 1987-1991 and mayor from 1991-1997, is remembered as a champion of the […]