Whispers

Members of Plein Air Austin, local artists dedicated to painting on location, have been making paintings of Austin Fire Department stations in 2022, and this holiday seasons some of them are donating their station paintings to the department. The paintings will be presented at Austin City Hall at 10 a.m. Dec. 6, with remarks from […]

The underwhelming totals are in for the first day of early voting in the Dec. 14 runoff election. They are, as expected, underwhelming, with 0.4 percent of registered Travis County voters. A total of 2,256 early and mail-in votes have been cast in the election so far, which will determine the City Council representative for […]

A year of water quality testing has determined that Austin’s water supply has “little to no detectable traces” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a press release put out by Austin Water. Exposure to PFAS, called “forever chemicals,” is currently being evaluated by the Environmental Protection Agency in order to provide guidance about […]

Travis County, the city of Austin and Greater Good Charities are combining forces this week to host free spay and neuter clinics for dogs and cats Dec. 5-7. Though the clinics are free of charge, pet owners must show proof that they are residents of Austin or Travis County. “This is an excellent opportunity for […]

The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center is expanding its facilities, and community members are invited to share their input to “help shape welcoming, inclusive spaces that reflect our community’s diverse cultural heritage and vision,” according to the city. Updates are listed in the Facility Expansion Plan, which City Council approved in 2021. […]

Voters in City Council District 7 and those living within the boundaries of the Austin Independent School District will have the opportunity to vote early beginning today. The runoff election for the Council race and AISD at-large position 8 will be held on Dec. 14, but those who wish to cast their ballots early will […]

City Manager T.C. Broadnax has appointed Jesús Aguirre as the city’s new parks head. Aguirre was formerly the CEO of Waterloo Greenway and serves as chair of the National Recreation and Park Association and the Children and Nature Network. Aguirre previously worked for the parks and recreation departments of Seattle and the District of Columbia, […]

The city has entered the design phase for the second phase of the Asian American Resource Center (AARC) improvements, focusing on a new pavilion in the great lawn area. The project, led by Capital Delivery Services and the Parks and Recreation Department, is intended to enhance the center’s role as a cultural and community hub. […]

City business will slow this week while Austin administrative offices and other municipal facilities close Thursday and Friday, Nov. 28 and 29, in observance of Thanksgiving. For full details, click here. For questions about city services or information, call 3-1-1. You can also submit service requests from the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app. Austin Resource Recovery […]

The uniquely spiraled 3,309 lights on the Zilker Holiday Tree will start glowing for the season at the 2024 Tree Lighting Ceremony, planned for Sunday, Dec. 1, at Zilker Park, 2100 Barton Springs Road, on the south side of the park. At 5:15 p.m., music by the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble will welcome folks, and the […]

The Red River Cultural District (RRCD) and Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) are seeking proposals from qualified consultants for their Cultural Currents campaign, designed to showcase RRCD’s history and its role as a hub for music and artistic traditions. The project will focus on the contributions of early Black Texans, German immigrants and generations of artists […]

Austin Public Health is seeking volunteers to join the core coordinating committee for the next Community Health Improvement Plan, which is formulated in partnership with Travis County. The most recent CHIP was completed in 2018 and provided a three-year road map to address health challenges and improve well-being across the community. Its four priority areas […]