Travis County Emergency Services District No. 2, student aid organization Backpack Friends and Pflugerville ISD are teaming up to collect backpacks and school supplies for Pflugerville students who need them. Drop off your donations of backpacks, markers, crayons, construction paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers or other school supplies through Monday at one of these fire stations: 203 E. Pecan St., 15300 Bratton Lane, 2301 Kelly Lane, 911 Pflugerville Parkway or 1541 Pflugerville Loop. The supplies will be handed out on Aug. 1 at the 2023 Back to School Pfair, according to a news release.

City Council on Thursday will consider changing regulations to take decisions about water and wastewater service extension requests for the Barton Springs and Lake Austin watersheds out of its hands and give responsibility to city staff. If Council approves the resolution, staff will be directed to come back at the end of September with a code change. The possibility has upset some Edwards Aquifer conservation advocates, who say they will lose their chance to argue against such extensions or perhaps know such decisions are being made. The Save Our Springs Alliance and the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance have urged supporters to oppose the proposed changes. In addition to the change in oversight, Council members Leslie Pool, Ryan Alter, Mackenzie Kelly and Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis are proposing to allow cost participation for oversizing wastewater infrastructure in the drinking water protection zone. Their resolution states that the current cost participation prohibition “impairs the city’s ability to properly plan system improvements, including minimizing disturbances from repeated line construction and mitigating the risk of sanitary sewer overflows.” Annalisa Peace, executive director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, expressed concern about the city granting water and wastewater service to several developments in northern Hays County, including the controversial Hays Commons. The SOS Alliance warned against allowing staff to make decisions currently made by Council. The resolution’s sponsors are expected to argue that the city already has stringent environmental regulations to protect the Drinking Water Protection Zone from overdevelopment.

Unincorporated areas of Travis County are now under a burn ban. The Travis County Commissioners Court voted to issue the immediate ban on Tuesday. It will expire on Aug. 16, barring action by county officials to the contrary. Travis County Fire Marshal Tony Callaway said in a news release that the burn ban comes due to a lack of rain, low humidity and extremely hot temperatures, all of which increase fire risk. “More than half of Travis County is experiencing moderate drought while the rest of the county is in the extreme drought category,” Callaway said in a statement. “I strongly recommend against any reckless activity that could spark a fire like using fireworks.” Contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 512-854-4621 with questions.

A name like KittyPalooza begs explanation. So, here it is: The Austin Animal Center on Tuesday announced its 14th annual musical festival-themed adoption event for foster kittens. “You may see old favorites like Simon & Purr-funkle, Meowrah Carey and The Notorious C.A.T., and some of the hottest artists like Kitty Minaj, Mike Pawsner and Purrell Williams,” reads a news release that we couldn’t resist quoting. All kittens at the event will be spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated, and adoption fees will be waived. KittyPalooza will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Austin Animal Center (7201 Levander Loop). Get more info at the city’s website.

In addition to the audit currently underway at the Austin Animal Center, interim City Manager Jesús Garza has asked Deven Desai, former chief labor relations officer, to evaluate and implement a number of recommendations concerning the shelter’s operation. The response comes in advance of the audit results, but according to a July 14 memo from Garza, Desai’s temporary assignment will extend to responding to those recommendations, which are expected this fall. “Over the last few years, (the center) has seen a record number of animals enter its facility which has presented a less than ideal situation in housing and caring for more animals than the shelter was originally constructed to house,” wrote Garza. “I recognize this has been a difficult situation for the staff, volunteers, and the animals in our care. You have shared your concerns with me and have received communications from constituents on this issue. I take the concerns very seriously.” Desai recently left his post with the city to serve as the director of employee and labor relations at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Did you know that Navarro Early College High School has an award-winning barbecue team? It’s true, according to a Monday news release from Austin ISD. The student chefs will serve lunch to district staff from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Austin ISD Central Office, with proceeds going toward funding future barbecue competitions. The Navarro barbecue team placed fourth at the state championship this spring, according to the district. “We are proud to feature and support these talented high school students in a way that leads to scholarship opportunities and cultivates lifelong skills. This event is sure to ignite the school spirit at Central Office!” Dinita Caldwell, executive director of the district’s Historically Underutilized Business Program, said in a statement. Find out more here.

Copper theft from electrical equipment is causing headaches for Austin Energy: exposing the public to danger, draining equipment and staff resources, delaying energizing of new buildings and exacerbating national supply chain issues, according to a news release from the utility. There have been more than 20 major thefts from customer-owned energy service equipment in the first six months of this year, per the release. “It appears that the perpetrators have some knowledge of how to de-energize or isolate portions of electrical equipment before removing the copper,” according to Austin Energy. The thefts have left hazardous conditions, with fuses removed, cables cut, safety guards damaged or stolen, and some lines left energized. “Our focus on customer service is hampered by having to divert staff resources and critical supplies to repair equipment damaged by copper theft,” Elton Richards, Austin Energy’s vice president for field operations, said in a statement. Report suspicious activity around electrical equipment to 311; the utility urges residents to call 911 if they observe a theft in progress. Go here for more info.

With $15,000 in help from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Texas Water Trade is creating an online Net Zero Water toolkit that will help developers integrate water reuse technology into their projects. The toolkit, according to a news release from LCRA, “will provide developers step-by-step instructions on incorporating innovative water conservation efforts into developments and information about the existing financial incentives available to assist in those efforts.” The information will be available to developers statewide, with a focus on Hays, Burnet and Travis counties. “Texas Water Trade believes that growth can be a source of water if we design buildings to capture, treat and reuse their water on-site,” said Sharlene Leurig, Texas Water Trade CEO, in a statement. “Buildings have lots of untapped sources of water available to them, from air conditioning condensate to rainwater, stormwater, foundation drainage and even treated wastewater. Buildings can generate more water than they demand, becoming net zero or even net positive.” Though the toolkit is not yet available online, LCRA does offer up to $600 in rebates for residents looking to offset the cost of upgraded irrigation, landscapes, pools and soil testing.

Austin Public Health will provide free vaccines and boosters at a series of clinics focused on reaching the immigrant community. The events will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on July 13 and 28 and Aug. 10 and 25, all days at Gustavo “Gus” L. García Recreation Center (1201 E. Rundberg Lane). Vaccines will be available for Covid-19, Mpox, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HPV, pneumococcal (PCV20) and Tdap for anyone 19 and older. “Anyone can attend and receive their vaccinations regardless of immigration status. No ID, citizenship or medical insurance is needed,” according to a news release.

From one former theater arts kid to the world, maybe you should go support Austin students as they take the stage this summer. The Austin school district has announced this year’s Summer Theatre Series, where students will produce the Broadway musical “Mary Poppins” and a black-box production of “Treasure Island.” The performances run July 13-22 at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center (1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.). Tickets cost $5 to $15, but free parking will be available. This is the program’s eighth year, and it’s open annually to students who just completed fifth through 12th grades. Make a young thespian’s dreams come true and grab tickets here.

Are the outdoors currently encased in a cage of heat? Yes. Will it one day sound good to spend time in nature? Yes, probably. With that in mind: A celebration has been set to mark the completion of the Violet Crown Trail – North extension project. “The new urban trail extension connects to the 34-acre mixed-use Garza Ranch development on Ben Garza Lane in southwest Austin,” according to an announcement from Hill Country Conservancy. The ribbon-cutting party will happen from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on July 29 at the trailhead at 1200 Home Depot Blvd. Expect Popsicles, a nature walk, a family-friendly bike ride led by Ghisallo Cycling Initiative and music from the Crockett High School band. (Go Coogs.) Find more info here.

Remember when Austin was encased in ice? That distant memory will not be revisited by City Council as planned, with word that the after-action report on Winter Storm Mara is not yet completed by risk-management company Riskonnect and has not yet been reviewed by the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. The timeline identified in a memo to Council now anticipates, tentatively, that the report will come in late August.