With tens of thousands of workers needed over the next decade to complete a plethora of multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects, local leaders are also looking for a large pool of contractors and consultants who will help with supplementary services. That search is already underway, with a forum held earlier this week allowing small minority-owned businesses the […]
Austin
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After 79 more arrests, Travis County attorney says continuing to charge protesters is ‘unsustainable’
Seventy-nine people were arrested on UT Austin’s campus during demonstrations Monday against Israel’s war in Gaza, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said. The most recent arrests began a second week of protests, with pro-Palestinian demonstrators again descending on the university’s south lawn. State police responded, arresting scores of protesters. Crowds attempting to block vans carrying arrested protesters […]
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Downtown Commission seeks funding for new anti-graffiti department
Sick of seeing your neighborhood sidewalks, street signs and parks defaced but unsure where to turn? Austin’s Downtown Commission is here to help, with plans to create a new Department of Nuisance Abatement to tackle the city’s graffiti problem. Laid out in a recommendation to City Council, the new department would reorganize the city’s disparate […]
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Workforce leaders talk how to grow skilled trades pipeline to 10,000+ workers annually
In February 2021, when a deep winter freeze caused burst pipes in homes and businesses all over Austin, a city staffer looking for available plumbers called Tamara Atkinson, CEO of Workforce Solutions Capital Area and one of the local experts in training for skilled trades jobs. The news she had for them wasn’t good. “They […]
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Arts commissioners signal support for city funds for The Contemporary art museum
Members of the Arts Commission appear ready to advocate for The Contemporary Austin fine art museum and sculpture park to receive consistent city funding beyond Hotel Occupancy Tax dollars. This week’s commission meeting featured a presentation from Sharon Maidenberg, executive director and CEO of The Contemporary, detailing the organization’s plans for the next five years […]
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Women entrepreneurs seek greater support and opportunities throughout Austin
A group of Austin’s leading women entrepreneurs wants the city and business stakeholders to help increase access to capital for women business owners and founders, while creating broader professional networks and providing more business tools and services. Those three areas of need were the most common threads among the 12 recommendations included in a recent […]
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Downtown Commission revisits funding bid for anti-graffiti policy
Downtown Commissioners are once again asking City Council to address Austin’s ongoing battle against vandalism, with the hope of seeing funding for a dedicated anti-graffiti task force on the budget this August. The proposal dates back to March of last year, when commissioners unanimously recommended that the city allocate $2 million toward the creation of […]
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New report quantifies the state of Black life in Austin
On March 11, the community organization Austin Justice Coalition and data activism nonprofit Measure jointly released a report titled “The State of Black Lives in Austin.” Drawing on Austin Justice Coalition’s deep community ties and Measure’s statistical expertise, the dossier’s 64 pages condemn the city of Austin for its failure to invest in and address […]
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For the first time in 20 years, more people are leaving Travis County than moving in
Lee esta historia en español Between July 2022 and July 2023, roughly 2,500 more people moved out of Travis County than moved in. This figure, which comes out of population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week, marks a reversal in population trends over the last two decades. “I haven’t seen negative net […]
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Black arts collective wants progress on city’s African American cultural district
An East Austin arts nonprofit is looking to organize musicians, artists and other creatives for job opportunities and to put pressure on the city to move forward with building out plans for the African American Culture and Heritage District that were approved by City Council in 2021. The East Austin Creative Coalition is seeking members […]
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Visit Austin offers look at strategy to support hotels during convention center closure
Staff from Visit Austin plan to aggressively market the city to new and recurring visitors in the coming years as part of a three-part strategy to support the local hotel and convention industry during the four-year closure of the Austin Convention Center. Last week, the Tourism Commission received a presentation from the tourism organization, which […]
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SXSW is accused of cozying up to ‘war profiteers.’ Musicians are boycotting.
Austin percussionist Thor Harris has been playing South by Southwest since the ramshackle days, when the festival was a platform for up-and-coming musicians hoping to be discovered by music industry insiders. This year, it’s different. “I’ve played hundreds of other music festivals and never heard of any of the other ones having war profiteers as […]