Whispers

Austin is ready for its first-ever poet laureate, and applications are now open through Nov. 30. The selected poet will serve a two-year term starting April 2025. Applicants for the position must be published, at least 21 years old and must have worked or lived in the city for at least three years, with plans […]

Now through Oct. 31, organizations based in the Hill Country can apply for financial assistance for efforts related to keeping the night skies dark – keeping starry views visible by preventing light pollution. This is the first such funding opportunity for night sky protection in the region. The Hill Country Alliance Night Sky Preservation Fund […]

Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management will host its last emergency preparedness training of the year on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Hampton Branch at Oak Hill Austin Public Library. The session, which will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., is free and open to the community, with a required RSVP available here. […]

As part of an effort to raise awareness about transportation challenges, a Week Without Driving is now underway. The week, which runs from Sept. 30 until Oct. 6, asks Austinites to experience what getting around the city is like for those without access to cars due to age, disability or cost. The city’s Transportation Department […]

Confused about how the new police contract will deal with the information maintained in the “G-file”? You are not alone. To bring some clarity to the issue, Council Member Chito Vela has asked for a memo by Oct. 2 that explains whether the new contract makes both old and new G-file information available to the […]

The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s annual Point in Time Count will take place on the night of Jan. 25, 2025, and the effort to find at least 1,200 volunteers is already underway. Volunteers count the area’s homeless population and distribute care kits as part of an effort to better understand the community. Anyone interested in […]

Art From the Streets’ 32nd annual art show will take place at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar on Oct. 12 and 13 this year. The show and sale is composed of art from unhoused artists, with 95 percent of each purchase going directly back to the artist. “For 31 years, Art From the Streets has […]

The tentative agreement struck between the city and the Austin Police Association has been made available to the public. The contract, which will have to be approved by Council and ratified by the police union to become official, can be read in its entirety here. Perhaps in response to groups like Equity Action, which have […]

Mayor Kirk Watson and City Council said farewell Thursday to Roosevelt Weeks, who has served as the city’s director of libraries for the past seven years. He thanked Council for passing ordinances that cut down on barriers “so people can have access at all levels of our system.” Watson wished him “best of luck in […]

People have been receiving scam phone calls in which the caller claims to be with the Travis County attorney’s office and demands money to remove a warrant or criminal charge they claim has been filed against the person they’re calling. The Travis County Attorney’s Office is warning the public that this is a scam. Its […]

Thanks to Austin Animal Center and Good Fix, a program of Greater Good Charities, Travis County and Austin residents will have the chance to get their pets spayed and neutered, free of cost, today and Saturday at the Travis County Expo Center. Registration and drop-off will take place from 7:30 a.m. until 10 a.m. on […]

As reported by Ken Martin of The Austin Bulldog, a dozen candidates for City Council failed to file two different kinds of personal financial statements that are required by state law and the city code. After learning that his opponent had failed to file either the Statement of Financial Information or the Personal Financial Statement, […]