Whispers

People who frequent the Austin Recreation Center on Shoal Creek close to downtown often attend classes like Jazzercise, Zumba, tai chi and karate. Or they may play basketball or volleyball or lift weights. Point being, visitors often get sweaty and want to take a shower before returning to work or going out for another activity, […]

The Urban Transportation Commission voted unanimously to recommend a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS, prepared by the Austin Transit Partnership for the light-rail portion of Project Connect. The Austin Monitor has previously reported on the DEIS, which remains open for public comment until March 11, as well as the ongoing litigation over the light-rail […]

Spring festival season is underway, and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is bracing for more than 30,000 departing passengers on some days. Though the season will last through the end of the month, the busiest days are expected to be Sunday, March 9; Monday, March 10; Sunday, March 30; and Monday, March 31. To cope with […]

At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission meeting, Pedro Carvalho, a commission member and co-owner of the Far Out Lounge music venue, floated the idea of using the Rally Austin nonprofit to create a cooperative insurance program to help local music venues manage rapidly increasing insurance costs. Carvalho suggested a model in which venues collectively […]

The Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce will host the 2025 Asia x Austin International Market Summit on March 11 at the Austin Public Library’s Central Branch. The summit will highlight business opportunities between Central Texas and key Asian markets, featuring discussions on artificial intelligence, startup pitches and workforce development. Key sessions include a “Welcome […]

Drought conditions are triggering two significant actions by the Lower Colorado River Authority that affect all LCRA water customers. Moving from Stage 1 to Stage 2 of LCRA;s drought response means that all LCRA firm water customers – including cities, industries and retail water suppliers – are required to increase water-saving measures and limit outdoor […]

Casey Dobson, a partner at Scott Douglass & McConnico, has been announced as the chair of Opportunity Austin, the regional economic development initiative under the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Dobson officially took over the role on Jan. 1, succeeding longtime chair and Opportunity Austin founder Gary Farmer, who led the organization for 16 years […]

Foundation Communities, a nonprofit providing health and wellness services to Austinites, is seeking to raise $125,000 during Amplify Austin Day to sustain its health programs following the expiration of federal funding. The loss of American Rescue Plan Act funds in 2024 has forced the organization to scale back or eliminate key initiatives, including Healthy Food […]

​The Umlauf Sculpture Garden + Museum is set to host a free public event 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, to celebrate its partnership with Bloomberg Connects, a global digital platform that enhances accessibility and engagement for arts and cultural institutions. The event will include a presentation on utilizing the new digital guide, opportunities […]

Developers, conservationists and local officials are calling for expanded use of water-saving strategies in Hill Country developments following a recent gathering in Wimberley. Attendees of the gathering organized by Hill Country Alliance, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance and Comal Conservation emphasized the need for rainwater harvesting, graywater recycling and sustainable site design to address growing […]

Do you have opinions on scooters and e-bikes? Sure you do! And now, the city of Austin is actively looking to hear residents’ opinions on safety, parking and how they use shared micromobility devices. According to a news brief from the city’s Transportation and Public Works Department, the online survey currently underway aims “to find […]

The Austin Community College District is partnering with the Hayes Innovation Center for Advanced Manufacturing (HICAM) to expand workforce training in Central Texas’ growing semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors. The collaboration will see ACC offer its Core Automation and Semiconductor program at HICAM’s newly completed 52,000-square-foot facility in East Austin, near Tesla’s Giga Texas plant. […]