Vaccinated? Ready to party? Airbnb would like you to put off those plans until the end of summer, at least. Yesterday, the vacation rental company announced the extension of its “party ban” through the end of summer 2021 in Texas. The ban first went into effect in August 2020. You can read about the ban, which likely doesn’t apply to your house, here. In addition, the company has declared that guests who do not have a history of positive reviews on the site will not be allowed to make one-night reservations for entire homes during the July 4 weekend. The company will announce an update to the policy at the end of summer (though there is no word on whether that will take place at the end of Texas summer, in November).

On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, more people are dusting off their boats and boards and making plans to get out on the water. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is taking this opportunity to urge boaters and paddlers “to do their part to fight back against aquatic invasive species, such as giant salvinia and zebra mussels, threatening Texas lakes.” Brian Van Zee of TPWD said, “While we want everyone to have a great time, we also want them to avoid giving free rides to invasive species and helping them travel to new lakes. The best way to prevent the spread of destructive invasive species is to clean, drain and dry your boats and equipment – every time.” Giant salvinia is an invasive, free-floating aquatic fern that is one of the major threats to Texas lakes. It produces thick mats that can interfere with fishing, boating and swimming. And at least 31 Texas lakes are already infested with zebra mussels. “Once they’ve been introduced and become established in a lake, nothing can be done to control or eradicate them.” Watch this short video that shows how to properly clean, drain and dry boats and other equipment to protect lakes and waterways from invasive species.

Meals on Wheels Central Texas is looking for volunteers to help deliver meals to homebound Austinites. With food insecurity on the rise during the pandemic, there has been a dramatic increase in hunger among seniors. The organization is planning a return to daily hot meal deliveries, but in order to keep up with the demand for its services, it needs more volunteers – lots more. Before volunteering, you will need to complete an application and attend volunteer training. Training for the home meal program is currently being conducted on Zoom on Tuesdays or Wednesdays from 11-11:30 a.m. Learn more about volunteering here.

Residents of the Dove Springs neighborhood may hear a knock on their doors on Saturday, June 5, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Nope, it’s not Avon calling, just some friendly volunteers from the Austin Independent School District, here to share information about some of the district’s programs, including free prekindergarten, fine arts classes, before- and after-school enrichment, and career prep. AISD teachers, staff and community volunteers are walking the blocks as part of Operation Reconnect, a door-to-door campaign to “learn about families’ educational needs and priorities as well as welcome more learners to AISD’s family of schools.” The campaign focuses on Houston, Langford, Perez, Palm, Rodriguez, Uphaus, and Widén elementary schools and Mendez Middle School.

Low-income renters who live in multifamily buildings may have noticed a new credit on their monthly utility bill. According to a news release from the city, the credit “is designed to offset a portion of their monthly water and wastewater services. Eligible participants will automatically receive a maximum $200 a year credit, which will appear on monthly billing statements as the Austin Water Multifamily CAP Program Discount.” Christina Romero, the utility’s financial manager, explained that the new program “allows us to reach vulnerable customers who do not have a dedicated water meter, but nevertheless, pay for monthly water service. This program offers a safety net to thousands of customers who have traditionally been ineligible for Austin Water financial assistance through the Customer Assistance Program.” The program will expand later this year to include a small number of Austin Water customers who live in areas around Austin and are not customers of Austin Energy.

This Saturday, May 29, marks the return of weekend MetroRail service, which will begin about 10 a.m. and run until after midnight. For more information, including how to ride MetroRail and purchase your fare, check out Capital Metro’s MetroRail page. Austin FC game days will disrupt regular MetroRail service. Visit CapMetro.org/AustinFC for details about special event service and using Capital Metro to get to Q2 Stadium.

If you’re thinking Memorial Day weekend could be a good time to get the kids vaccinated, you’re absolutely right – but plan accordingly, because the Central Texas Counties Vaccine Collaborative’s drive-thru vaccine clinic will be open only on Saturday for the holiday weekend. Kids between 12 and 17 are eligible to get their first free dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, with a parent’s consent, no appointment necessary. Travis County Exposition Center, 7311 Decker Lane. Open this Saturday, May 29, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Friday, May 28, and Sunday, May 30.

Reilly Elementary School is celebrating the opening of its new garden and wildlife habitat. The social and emotional learning, or SEL garden, is “a sustainable, meditative space that will implement healthy self-esteem, curiosity and cooperation through gardening.” The garden, which was designed to promote mental and emotional well-being, features native plantings that provide food and shelter for wildlife and insects, a cistern for water conservation, edible landscaping, an intergenerational picnic area, and other sustainable features. The garden was funded with a $130,320 grant awarded to the Austin Ed Fund by the St. David’s Foundation. While Reilly students will be using the garden during school hours, community members are welcome to visit after 4 p.m. on weekdays or on weekends.

Austin Independent School District wants to make sure no Austin kid goes hungry this summer because school is out. The school district will be providing freshly prepared, healthy meals that include protein, grains, fruits, vegetables and milk at more than 50 of its schools over the summer. The meals are free to all kids younger than 19 – they don’t need to attend an AISD school – as well as special ed students who are older than 19 or working on getting their high school diploma. According to AISD, the summer meal program is a USDA nutrition initiative administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture, and, “Picking up these free meals provides funding to Austin ISD, which in turn allows us to expand food access to even more families.” Families may text FOOD or COMIDA to 512-229-9110 or find a list of free summer meal sites here. All meal sites will be closed July 5-9.

The Austin Transportation Department has issued a few safety reminders in light of the forecast for spring storms, which “can cause hazardous travel conditions, whether you bike, drive, take transit or walk.” You can sign up for emergency alerts in your neighborhood at WarnCentralTexas.org. Learn some flood safety tips at Weather.gov. And monitor ATXFloods for real-time road closures in case you’re driving in a downpour. And the big one: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” – because “most flood fatalities occur in vehicles, so never drive around barricades or through flooded roads.” Six inches of water can knock you off your feet, and 12 inches of water can sweep a car off the road, says Transportation, and they know what they’re talking about.

Austin ISD high school graduation ceremonies are happening IRL this year, from Friday, May 28, to Thursday, June 3, at Toney Burger Athletic Center, House Park and Nelson Field. (Rosedale School graduates are having their own ceremony on campus on May 28.) Each graduate may bring up to eight guests from the same household to the ceremonies, which include a combination of live and pre-recorded content. Covid safety protocols like face masking, temperature checks and social distancing will be observed. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on AISD.TV, cable channel 22, or Facebook Live. View the full schedule with locations.

The FCC’s Emergency Broadband Benefit program uses federal Covid-19 stimulus funds to provide a broadband service discount to low-income households for existing or new broadband service. The city of Austin is encouraging all eligible households in the region to sign up “to show that there is a need for reliable and affordable broadband for all.” The program is first-come, first-served while the funds last. Find out if your household qualifies for a monthly internet bill discount of $50 a month or a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer or tablet (you must pay a copay of more than $10 but less than $50 for the device). Find out more about the EBB program here.