Photo by Stephanie Lee Shelton, courtesy of TPWD.

The public has a chance tonight to witness – virtually – one of Texas’ greatest wildlife spectacles: the nightly emergence of millions of Mexican free-tailed bats from Bracken Cave, home to the largest bat colony in the world. The event, co-sponsored by Bat Conservation International and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will be streamed live on Facebook starting at 8:20 p.m. on May 9. Biologists will be on hand to answer live questions from the audience and discuss the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, bipartisan legislation that could bring $50 million to Texas to help protect wildlife and restore precious ecosystems like Bracken Cave. RAWA has the strong support of the National Wildlife Federation, the Texas Alliance for America’s Fish and Wildlife, the Wildlife Society and the American Fisheries Society. Community members are encouraged to contact their U.S. senators and representatives and urge them to vote yes on this critical legislation.

With less than 7 percent of Travis County voters casting ballots so far, plenty of people have yet to vote in the May 7 election. If you are among the 93 percent of registered voters who haven’t voted, don’t forget that election day is this Saturday. Anyone registered to vote in the county can vote at any voting location in the county. For more information on the lone proposition on the ballot and voting in general, head over to our voter guide.

A hefty pile of dough may be coming Austin’s way, courtesy of the Biden administration’s HOME-American Rescue Plan Act, which has set aside $5 billion “to assist people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, and other populations experiencing housing insecurity.” The city of Austin is eligible for $11.4 million of this funding if its allocation plan, or proposal, to use the money is accepted. The draft allocation plan is available for viewing and community members are invited to submit comments on the plan during the public comment period, which ends June 10. A Community Development Commission hearing (also open to the public) will take place on Tuesday, May 10, followed by a City Council public hearing on June 9. Delve deeper into the details of the city’s allocation plan and then click the “Share Your Thoughts” button to do just that.

Two toll highways are getting new speed limits as per a vote from the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Board of Directors. Before setting the new speeds, a speed study was conducted on State Highway 45 Southwest and the 183 Toll “to determine the 85th percentile speed, or the speed at which 85 percent of drivers will travel at or below.” According to CTRMA, “The 85th percentile speed for the 183 Toll was 72 mph northbound and 75 mph southbound, and for 45 SW, the 85th percentile speed was 70 mph northbound and 68 mph southbound.” Motorists may now drive up to 75 miles an hour on the 183 Toll, and 70 mph – the default speed limit – on SH 45 SW.

Attorney Bill Aleshire, who represents a dozen Austin voters who feel aggrieved by City Council redistricting, said Wednesday that the 3rd Court of Appeals had turned down his request to hear the case. That’s good news, Aleshire said, because it means the case, Cheatham v. Adler, can move directly to the Supreme Court after a decision from the Travis County district court. Aleshire filed his suit in Travis County as required, but simultaneously asked the court of appeals and the Texas Supreme Court to hear the case, which will test the theory that voters are unconstitutionally disenfranchised when they are moved from one district to another and therefore lose their right to vote for two years or more. The case is set for trial in Judge Lora Livingston’s court in Travis County on May 12. Livingston could grant the city’s motion for summary judgment without taking any evidence, which would send the case to the Supreme Court, or she could hear evidence and make her decision. Either way, the losing party will almost certainly file an appeal.

Two upcoming meetings, one virtual and one in person, will tackle the topic of renaming Pan American Neighborhood Park to Tony Castillo Pan American Neighborhood Park. The meetings will update community members about the renaming proposal, offer some background about the park and Tony Castillo and present an opportunity to discuss the possible name change. Register here for the virtual meeting, which will be held Thursday, May 19, at 7 p.m. The in-person meeting will be held Saturday, May 21, at 10:30 a.m., at A.B. Cantu Pan American Recreation Center, 2100 E. Third St. There’s also a community survey that is open now through June 4, which attempts to take the public’s temperature on the proposed name change. Find out more on the project web page.

The parks department team leading the Montopolis Pool renovation project is kicking off its community engagement phase. The team has launched a survey to gather feedback and find out what the community’s priorities are for the pool, which first opened in 1979 and is now in need of an upgrade. The survey aims to find out, among other things, which amenities residents would like to see incorporated into the new pool design. The project team also has some pop-ups in the works that will be held at the pool and the Montopolis Recreation and Community Center. Stay tuned for more info on those events. Find out more about the Montopolis Pool renovation project here or take the survey.

A total of 58,293 Travis County voters cast ballots early for the May 7 election. The Travis County Clerk’s website showed fewer than 7 percent of registered voters had cast ballots as of the end of the day Tuesday. Austin residents are deciding whether to instruct police not to arrest people with small amounts of marijuana and to ban so-called no-knock warrants that have proved deadly for people caught in the crossfire. Statewide, voters are deciding on two propositions. Prop 1 would lower the tax rate on school district taxes for people 65 and older or with disabilities, while Prop 2 would increase the homestead exemption for school property taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. That in turn will reduce the taxable value of a home, but would also cut into the amount school districts will collect from taxpayers.

Austin’s airport expansion plan just got an influx of $400 million, thanks to the sale of an Airport System Revenue Bond to investors. According to a press release from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, the funds will support “near-term Airport Expansion and Development Program (AEDP) projects,” an extended $4 billion program to accommodate more flights and passengers that is underway. The bond funding will help finance increased gate capacity, a new baggage handling system, security enhancements and other infrastructure. “We are grateful for the strong interest from investors,” said Jacqueline Yaft, AUS chief executive officer, in a statement to the press. “Through our pandemic recovery efforts, we prioritized financial stability and through those efforts, our financial outlook is not only stable but strong. This bond sale allows us to leverage our strong financial health into delivering an improved airport experience for all.” Earlier in the year, the airport’s credit rating was upgraded from A to A+, which helped attract interest from investors, allowing the airport “to lower its borrowing yields up to nine basis points, which in return creates approximately $5 million of debt service savings for AUS over the lifetime of the bonds.”

At a recent meeting, Project Connect staff presented two design options for the Blue Line bridge that will cross Lady Bird Lake near Riverside Drive, taking light-rail passengers from South Austin to downtown. Community members wanted to know whether the bridge will carry buses in addition to light rail, pedestrians and cyclists. According to a newsletter from Austin Transportation Department, the April 26 meeting showed what each option could look like and described its potential benefits and drawbacks. (Watch the video of that meeting.) The next Project Connect virtual meeting will cover the Combined Maintenance Facility, where the electric trains for the Blue and Orange lines will be serviced. “While the location of the facility is still to be determined, this meeting will focus on the facility’s function.” Tuesday, May 10, 5:30 p.m. Register here.

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Asian American Resource Center are throwing a festival celebrating all things Asian and Pacific. The family-friendly CelebrASIA event features a diverse lineup of musical and dance performances, delectable food, hands-on cultural activities, and a chance to learn more about the next phase of the AARC expansion project. Asian Family Support Services of Austin, Austin Asian Community Health Initiative, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Dougherty Arts Center, George Washington Carver Museum, and Oakwood Cemetery will also be on hand to celebrate and inform the community about their various community initiatives. This is a mostly outdoor festival with a few indoor activities, and AARC asks community members “not to attend if you or your family have been exposed to Covid, have a recent positive Covid diagnosis, or have been ill.” RSVP on Facebook or Eventbrite. Saturday, May 14, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Asian American Resource Center, 8401 Cameron Rd.

Viviana Ricardez, courtesy of Texas Turtles.

Of all the fascinating creatures who call the state of Texas home, turtles have got to be near the top of the list. Texas turtles are a diverse and abundant group; there are 36 species in the state and four of them are endemic to Central Texas. Viviana Ricardez, who is vice president of the nonprofit conservation and advocacy group Texas Turtles, will be heading up the next installment of the Wild Neighbors Speaker Series with a talk about the amazing diversity of our state’s turtles. Ricardez has studied the ecology and natural history of Texas turtles for years. If there’s anything she doesn’t know about turtles, it’s probably not worth knowing. Friday, May 20, noon to 1 p.m. Register for the webinar here.