Monday was the first day of early voting for the May 1 election. According to the Travis County Clerk’s report, 8,183 voters cast ballots. Of those, 7,425 were cast at 19 early voting locations, and 758 were mail ballots. The Ben Hur Shrine Center recorded the most votes, with 1,048. There were also four locations that recorded more than 600 votes. Those included the Eanes ISD Administration Building, the Shops at Arbor Walk, the Austin Recreation Center, and the Austin Oaks Church. Early voting continues through April 27. For more information about the propositions before Austin voters, see the Austin Monitor‘s Voter Resource. Find a list of early voting locations here. Questions? Call Travis County’s 24-hour voter hotline at 512-238-8683.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has scheduled a public meeting at 7 p.m. tonight to take comments about a planned sewage facility between Oak Hill and Dripping Springs. Environmentalists oppose the permit because it could dump up to 45,000 gallons a day of treated wastewater into one of Barton Creek’s contributing streams. According to a study by the city, pollutants in the treated sewage are likely to cause algae growth for several miles along the Long Branch tributary of Barton Creek. Nearby neighbors, Save Barton Creek Association, Save Our Springs Alliance, the city of Austin and other groups are protesting the discharge permit, which has been requested by Houston developer Stephen Cleveland.  After the hearing, agency staff will issue their opinion about whether the permit should be granted, which could take 60 days or more. The Watershed Protection Department has already indicated that the city would request a contested case hearing before an administrative law judge if TCEQ signals its intent to recommend issuance of the permit. Brian Zabcik of Save Barton Creek says that anyone interested in commenting should sign up early (ID 189-821-291) rather than waiting for the hearing to start. Zabcik said environmentalists were disappointed Monday when a Texas House committee voted against the passage of House Bill 4146, which would have prevented private developers from dumping into many pristine Texas creeks and streams, including Barton Creek. While they are still hopeful that a companion bill, Senate Bill 1747, might win approval, a hearing has not been scheduled, making its future doubtful.

As high school seniors prepare for graduation, many are already thinking about the next step, which could include going to college, launching a career or entering the military. Austin ISD is helping seniors plan for the future by holding a week of virtual events and informational sessions devoted to colleges and careers. Seniors can get help with college or trade school applications, info about applying for federal student aid, and career advice. Students also have the opportunities to enter scholarship drawings, $1,000 from AISD and $2,500 from the Austin Chamber of Commerce. AISD urges all Class of 2021 seniors and their families to register for at least one of the virtual help sessions. Zoom sessions will run from 4:30-6 p.m., April 26-29.

With spring comes baby animal season, a time when birds and wildlife of all kinds are busily making nests and dens and raising their young. Texas Parks and Wildlife wants to remind the public that, while baby animals are cute, don’t ever touch or pick one up unless you are absolutely certain that the animal is orphaned or injured. Many baby birds that fall out of the nest can be fed by their parents on the ground and fledglings that appear to have fallen are actually just learning how to fly. Says TPWD, “If the bird’s eyes are open, it has a coat of feathers and is hopping around, it is probably fine.” Deer fawning season begins in early to mid-May. A mother deer leaves her fawn carefully hidden in tall grass or brush for hours at a time while she forages for food. If you find a fawn all alone, most likely it’s not abandoned but is waiting for its mother to return. Wild babies are always better off being raised by their parents. As TPWD says, “Leave all young animals alone unless it is obviously injured or orphaned. To be sure, spend time observing the wild animal from a distance to make that determination. Staying too close may deter the mother from returning. Interfering too soon may do more harm than good.” Learn more about orphaned or injured wildlife here. Find a list of wildlife rehabilitation groups by county here.

Austin Transportation crews are working on the shared-use paths along South Pleasant Valley Road over the Longhorn Dam bridge. While the east side of the bridge is closed for construction, a detour will reroute people on the east side of South Pleasant Valley Road between Krieg Field and Canterbury Street to accessible crossings at Cesar Chavez Street or Lakeshore Boulevard. Trail users will see signage posted at the closure points.

The Community Police Review Commission is inviting all community members to a public town hall to discuss use-of-force policies, public safety and the 8 Can’t Wait campaign, a national movement to reduce police brutality. Austin’s Office of Police Oversight recently launched the Reimagining Community Safety Policies, an effort to rewrite of APD policies grounded in 8 Can’t Wait recommendations and feedback from the community. The town hall will feature representatives from the Office of Police Oversight and Campaign Zero (the founders of 8 Can’t Wait). Wednesday, April 21, 6-8 p.m. RSVP here.

More than one-third of new Austin residents in 2020 moved to the city from out of state, according to data from a national storage unit search company. The mobility report from Storage Cafe looked at roughly 1.7 million rental applications from across the nation to analyze relocation patterns, with 40 percent of new arrivals in Austin coming from other states. New York City was the most popular city of origin, with Columbus, Ohio; Chicago; Los Angeles and San Francisco rounding out the top of the list. East Riverside and Northwest Austin were the two most popular regions for new Austin renters, a group demographically made up mostly of millennials, who constituted 54 percent of the applicants.

Child care providers in the Austin area can receive free cleaning supplies and personal protection equipment to prevent Covid-19 transmission at two curbside pickup days at First Workers Day Labor Center on North I-35. The distribution was organized by Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Bank of America, which has provided face masks for the effort. Child care providers who contract with Workforce Solutions to serve families receiving child care subsidies can receive bath tissues, hand soap and sanitizer, gloves, disinfectant wipes and more. Supplies are available from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on April 23 and 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on April 24, with reservations available online, which must be made by April 16.

Did you know that it’s illegal to text while driving in Texas? Of course you do! That’s why you do it so furtively, thinking you’re being all sneaky. With cell phone use responsible for so many crashes – one in five, according to the latest figures – the Texas Department of Transportation has dubbed April Distracted Driving Prevention Month in the hopes of raising awareness about this deadly menace. The campaign has a simple message: Put your phone down and give your full attention to the road in front of you. Any activity that distracts you while you’re behind the wheel is considered dangerous: That includes using voice-to-text programs, rifling through your briefcase looking for that Snickers bar, checking your makeup in the visor mirror, and making kissy faces at the labradoodle in the car behind you. To drive home the point (see what I did there?), TxDOT has launched a web-based game called Dart Those Distractions. All you do is scan the code on the web page and then play the game on your smartphone – at home!

Registration for Austin Parks and Recreation 2021 summer camps starts on April 19. This year, PARD offers two main options: 1) a free virtual program called Stay Creative which starts June 7; and 2) in-person summer camps at participating rec centers, nature sites and cultural centers, which start June 21. PARD has adopted modified guidelines for Covid-19 health and safety and requires all participants and staff to wear a face mask and complete a daily wellness screening. Attendance will be limited to one group or “pod” of no more than 10 people in each room: eight young people and one or two staff members. Find more details and register here.

Travis County constables are partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration to help community members safely dispose of unwanted prescription drugs for National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday, April 24. Residents may bring their expired, unused or unwanted medications to Constable Precinct Two, 10409 Burnet Road, Ste. 150, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The drop-off is a drive-thru and no questions will be asked. As Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea said, “Improperly disposed pharmaceuticals cause great harm to people, animals and our environment. This is a perfect opportunity to drop off unwanted medications appropriately and make a lasting difference.” Find year-round drug take-back information here.

Susana Almanza, executive director of PODER, or People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources, has been named to the new federal Environmental Justice Advisory Council. Vice President Kamala Harris said in a press release announcing the appointments, “We know that we cannot achieve health justice, economic justice, racial justice, or educational justice without environmental justice. That is why President Biden and I are committed to addressing environmental injustice. This historic White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council will ensure that our administration’s work is informed by the insights, expertise and lived experience of environmental justice leaders from across the nation.” Almanza, who has worked for environmental justice and against racism in East Austin throughout her lifetime, is also president of the Montopolis Neighborhood Association.