Today is the opening day of the Texas legislative session. And after last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, security is a much bigger concern than it has been in recent memory. Lawmakers are having to consider what was unimaginable a week ago – that demonstrations outside the state Capitol could turn into something much […]
COVID-19
Posted inMusic & Entertainment
Music Commission eyes funding apart from hotel tax among 2021 priorities
The Music Commission wants to decrease the role that Hotel Occupancy Tax will play in funding arts and music programs in the coming years, possibly relying more on the city’s General Fund or other revenue sources while the local hospitality industry recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic. Restructuring the funding for the Live Music Fund and […]
Posted inCity Hall
Postponement shows ZAP issues around receiving timely public comment
The Zoning and Platting Commission voted to postpone the only zoning discussion case of their first meeting of the year. The request was to grant Townhouse & Condominium Residence (SF-6) district zoning on 24.3 acres at 8201 Thaxton Road. But the discussion turned out to be a demonstration of how cases can be affected by […]
Posted inParks
Covid impacted Austin parks concessions
Like many other enterprises, concessions operating in Zilker Park and along Lady Bird Lake suffered various financial impacts last year due to Covid-19, according to a report from the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Gross sales generated by Town Lake Park concessions fell about $1.7 million in Fiscal Year 2020, to about $6.7 million compared to about $8.4 […]
Posted inAustin
2020: Highlights (and lowlights) of an unforgettable year
It’s not likely that anyone who lived through it will soon forget the year 2020. It’s possible, however, that one might forget the details of local news stories from the year. For that, we offer this review of the year that was, and we wish everyone a safe, healthy and much happier new year. The […]
Posted inAustin
Austin’s ailing live music venues could get much-needed money under the new coronavirus relief bill
Live music venues in Austin could see some relief from the new federal coronavirus relief package. The bill, which was passed Monday night, includes $15 billion in relief specifically dedicated to independent venues, theaters and other arts organizations. The bipartisan agreement folded in that relief from the Save Our Stages Act, a separate relief bill […]
Posted inPublic Health
‘Stay home and don’t travel,’ public health officials advise Austinites
Lee esta historia en español. People should take the rising number of Covid-19 cases into consideration as they weigh their holiday plans this week, the interim health authority for Austin-Travis County said. “Our best advice is stay home and don’t travel,” Dr. Mark Escott told reporters during a news conference Monday. Escott said the city […]
Posted inPublic Health
Thousands of Central Texans are facing hunger because of the pandemic. The need isn’t going away any time soon.
Hundreds of cars trailed out of Navarro Early College High School’s parking lot on Monday morning, as families lined up to receive boxes of food – gallons of milk, bags of potatoes, packs of meat. Like many organizations that operate food pantries, the nonprofit Austin Voices for Education and Youth switched to a drive-thru model […]
Posted inPublic Health
Health officials say vaccinations could begin in Austin next week once FDA gives approval
Austin Public Health’s interim authority said he’s “extremely impressed with the efficacy and safety” of the Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine’s overall efficacy is 94.6 percent, Dr. Mark Escott said during a news conference Wednesday, and for people between the ages of 16 and 55 the rate is 95 percent. He said the […]
Posted inHousing
Austin created a program to pay struggling tenants’ rent. Some say it added to stress.
Petra Antonio and her husband, Domingo Quiroz, got Covid-19 in September. Antonio said she felt OK, but Quiroz had a fever and a cough that kept him awake at night. He wanted to avoid going to the hospital, because he believed from news reports that if you’re sick enough with the coronavirus to need hospitalization, […]
Posted inAustin
City Council takes steps toward relief for live music venues and ‘legacy’ businesses
Austin’s struggling live music venues, restaurants, bars and longtime businesses are a step closer to getting some Covid-19-related relief from the city, but some are still holding out hope for quicker relief. City Council approved Thursday the guidelines for two grant programs that total $10 million set aside for ailing businesses under the Save Austin’s […]
Posted inCity Council
Adler backtracks after initially saying he did ‘not do anything wrong’ by flying to Mexico during the pandemic
After initially saying he didn’t do anything wrong, Austin Mayor Steve Adler now says he realizes he “set a bad example” by traveling to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, for vacation last month. An Austin American-Statesman story revealed Wednesday that Adler attended an in-person wedding for his daughter in early November and then flew with others […]