Whispers

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center has launched its annual spring native plant sale, which stretches from March 28-April 27, Fridays-Sundays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (The first weekend of the sale is reserved for members only.) Native plants have evolved to thrive in our hot climate and they tend to be tough, beautiful, resilient and […]

Longtime Austinite Ed Crowell, a former Austin American-Statesman editor and the author of the book Barton Creek, will be leading a guided hike to the upper waterfalls of the Lost Creek Greenbelt. Bring your swimsuit for an optional swim or snorkel – snorkel and masks provided. Few people know more about the ecology, the history […]

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and in recognition of survivors, the Alamo Drafthouse will host two screenings of “An Army of Women.” This disturbing yet surprisingly uplifting documentary follows several Austin-area women who lodged a class-action lawsuit after their cases were mishandled by the Austin Police Department. The commitments made in the lawsuit […]

Last month, Travis County confirmed its first reported case of measles since 2019, in an unvaccinated baby “who was exposed to the virus during a vacation overseas.” Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County Health Authority, announced that “measles has arrived in our community” and urged residents to “make sure they’re protected against this vaccine-preventable disease.” The […]

​Movability, Central Texas’ transportation management association, will host its inaugural Central Texas Commuter Awards Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 10. The event, held at HNTB’s office on the 24th floor of the Indeed Tower at 200 W. Sixth St., aims to honor individuals and organizations leading mobility initiatives that enhance commuting experiences […]

Fans of Big Stacy Pool at 700 E. Live Oak St. will have to find an alternative next month when the pool closes for its annual spring cleaning and maintenance. During the closure – Saturday, April 26, through Sunday, May 11 – swimmers can get their pool fix at Bartholomew, Deep Eddy, Garrison, Springwoods, Walnut […]

Several high-profile Austin initiatives – including creek restoration, violence prevention, early childhood education and trail expansion – are now in limbo after Congressional Community Funding requests for Fiscal Year 2025 were shelved due to ongoing disarray in Washington. The city confirmed Friday that roughly $9.7 million in proposed funding for local projects will not proceed […]

City Council work sessions have been considerably shorter since the new Council took office in January. On Tuesday, work session attendees are scheduled to hear what will likely be a brief presentation on extending the automated license plate reader pilot program. The program was implemented last March and is slated to end on March 28 […]

The South River City Citizens neighborhood group is officially opposing changing the city’s future land use map to exclude a part of their neighborhood in order to expedite placement of a new transit center station for Project Connect. The group expressed its concerns in a resolution unanimously adopted by those attending last week’s neighborhood meeting. […]

Travis County has agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a man who died by suicide in the county jail in early 2022. Dallas attorney Dean Malone filed suit on behalf of the man’s family. According to a news release announcing the settlement, Jared “J.J.” Bell was arrested […]

The Zero Waste Advisory Commission held a special called meeting on March 20 with a single action item – to approve the commission’s recommendations for Fiscal Year 2026 and 2027 budget goals. The commission unanimously passed a resolution containing the following recommendations: Initiate adequate reserve funding for the support of daily waste, recycling, heavy brush […]

A new report from Construction Coverage finds that, while Austin’s minority homeownership gap remains significant, it is smaller than the nationwide average. The study, which examines disparities in homeownership across the country, found that 51.3 percent of minority households in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area own their homes, compared to 64 percent of white […]