Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
-
-
Most Popular Stories
- U.S. accuses six landlords of rent price fixing. See which apartments they own in Austin.
- Objections arise over Project Connect’s plan to use parkland
- Advocates urge immigrants in Austin to plan – but not panic – over new Trump orders
- New areas at Enchanted Rock could open as soon as this fall after park more than doubles in size
- Documentary film highlights the history of an 1870s-era home and the story of Clarksville
-
-
-
Discover News By District
-
-
-
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Travis County
Shea continues search for creative solutions to climate crisis
As an environmentalist, Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea spends a lot of time thinking about worst-case scenarios. Still, the commissioner’s approach to leadership is far from doom and gloom. In fact, as the climate crisis worsens across the globe, Shea…
Travis County • By Kali Bramble • Dec 21, 2023
Renewed cooperation eliminates backlog of sexual assault evidence kits
After years of discord, the team created to improve Travis County’s response to sexual assault is back to collaborating, team members told the Commissioners Court Tuesday, and a backlog of untested evidence kits has been processed. Spurred by state law…
Police • By Ken Chambers • Dec 15, 2023
Program supporting underutilized businesses shows progress
Travis County’s Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program made remarkable progress in the last few years despite a few setbacks and political challenges, county officials say. The annual report for the program, which promotes equal procurement opportunities for minority- and women-owned…
Travis County • By Ken Chambers • Dec 11, 2023
County emphasizes winter safety awareness
As Travis County officials detailed plans and preparations for the next big winter storm, some said that the public might not be taking the threat seriously enough. On Tuesday, leaders from the Office of Emergency Management, Transportation and Natural Resources,…
Public Safety • By Ken Chambers • Dec 8, 2023
Total eclipse could bring massive crowds in 2024
Parts of Travis County could double or even triple in population in April 2024 as visitors come here to see the total eclipse of the sun, county officials said Tuesday. Travis County sits on the eastern edge of the 115-mile-wide…
Travis County • By Ken Chambers • Dec 7, 2023
At the county, mentoring and advocacy service comes back to life
After a rocky start, two local nonprofits reunited this year to create a program that supports Black and Latina girls. Nonprofit groups Measure and Hearts2Heal first met with the Travis County Commissioners Court in July 2021. They proposed using American…
Travis County • By Ken Chambers • Nov 14, 2023
Subscribe to our newsletter
County public defender office takes shape
The long process of unifying Travis County’s three separate public defender offices took another step forward last week. The Commissioners Court reviewed draft bylaws for the oversight board the first time Nov. 2 and agreed to another voting session to…
Travis County • By Ken Chambers • Nov 9, 2023
Commissioners voice support for Tesla factory, community investment plan
The Travis County Commissioners Court defended tax breaks for Tesla’s factory in East Austin and approved the company’s plan to donate $750,000 as part of the tax incentive deal. This is more than double the amount – $298,000 – the…
Travis County • By Ken Chambers • Oct 30, 2023
Travis County shows starkest child welfare inequities among large Texas counties
Black children in Travis County disproportionately are the subject of reports of abuse and neglect, investigated by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and removed from their homes, compared to white children. This is according to an…
Travis County • By Emma Freer • Oct 6, 2023
Courthouse dining elevated: Veracruz All Natural contracts with county courts facility
Veracruz All Natural, which makes some of Austin’s most acclaimed tacos, will open an outpost downtown to serve the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility. The facility opened earlier this year, with about 2,247 square feet of real estate…
Courts • By Seth Smalley • Aug 17, 2023
Travis County commissioners approve preservation plan funding for Sweatt courthouse
The Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse on Guadalupe Street could undergo historic restoration in the coming years with state funding assistance. Earlier this week, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to allocate $100,000 toward hiring a historic preservation…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Aug 11, 2023
Travis County to set pay raises for elected officials in line with all county workers
Travis County is in the preliminary stages of raising pay for its elected officials by 5 percent. The news came during the Tuesday session of the Travis County Commissioners Court. Todd Osburn, the assistant director of total rewards with the…
