In observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, city administrative offices and facilities will be closed Monday, Jan. 16. The closures include libraries, the animal shelter, the Downtown Austin Community Court, and city utility customer service offices. Trash and recycling collections will not be impacted. Find more information about the city holiday here.

The MLK Community March and Festival will take place Monday, with things kicking off at 9 a.m. at the MLK statue on the UT Austin campus, and concluding at Huston-Tillotson University. Find information about the free march and event here.

The Austin Monitor will also close in observance of the holiday, resuming regular publishing on Tuesday.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is hosting an open house for Southeast Austin neighbors, travelers and any other community members who are interested in learning more “about current and upcoming projects through the airport’s improvement program and multi-year capital development program, Journey With AUS.” Airport CEO Jacqueline Yaft said in a news release that it is “very exciting” to start the new year with a community event “where we can connect with neighbors and travelers to talk about what is on the horizon for our record-breaking busy airport.”AUS staff will be on hand at different stations with display boards to explain the various projects underway, “such as the west-side terminal expansion, the new airplane fuel facility, the midfield concourse along with others.” Dave Madden, who regularly performs at the airport, will provide live music and there will be food and desserts from Salvation Pizza and Shop Savor Groove. Thursday, Jan. 19, 5:30-8 p.m., Southeast Branch Library, 5803 Nuckols Crossing.

Starting Sunday, Jan. 22, Yellow Bike Project is offering a variety of bicycle mechanic classes intended to“demystify the workings of your bicycle.” The three-hour weekly classes, taught by bicycle guru Scott Menzies, will offer a “deeper dive into mechanical knowledge to provide a focused learning experience for everyone from beginners to experts who want to learn more about how bicycles work.” Visit Yellow Bike Project to learn more about this offering as well as other upcoming classes at the Austin nonprofit.

Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca, who has worked for the city since May 2019, is going back to Boston to become transportation secretary for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Fiandaca held several jobs in Boston’s transportation department before taking the position in Austin. In a memo, City Manager Spencer Cronk praised her contributions to the community, including championing more than $20 billion in infrastructure investments related to local mobility improvements. She will be leaving Austin on Jan. 27 for her new job. Cronk also announced that Robert Goode, who was serving as interim director of Austin Water until Shay Ralls Roalson took over as director on Jan. 1, will become an interim assistant city manager, not a new role for him. Goode worked for the city in that position from 2008 to 2018. He then worked for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority as deputy executive director for nearly three years before taking a private-sector job and then returning to the city.

In an update to the city’s tenant relocation program, Housing and Planning Department Director Rosie Truelove said a solicitation for tenant relocation services has been released and a solicitation for a nexus study is in the works. This year’s budget includes $700,000 to fund the program, but implementation is still underway. Though the ordinance creating the program was approved in 2016, it stipulated funding through development fees, which is not allowed under state law. In 2022, City Council amended the ordinance to explicitly include interior renovation notice requirements.

The deadline to submit exhibit proposals for the 2024 season of the Dougherty Arts Center’s Julia C. Butridge Gallery has been extended to March 5, 2023. As a parks department news release describes, the JCB Gallery “celebrates a wide array of artists with diverse practices and strives to promote the livelihood of Austin’s vital art culture by offering as many opportunities as possible to both emerging and established artists.” Artists must include an artist statement, exhibit proposal and images of their work in their submission. Find guidelines, selection info and a submission link here.

The city’s free storage service for people experiencing homelessness is moving. The Violet KeepSafe Storage Program will be relocated to 700 E. Seventh St. as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18. (To accommodate the move, storage will be closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 18th, after opening from 7 to 9 a.m. at the old HealthSouth location.) After relocation, the VKS program will continue its normal 7 a.m.-7 p.m. hours of operation. “The program is currently operating in an outdoor setting, which can be challenging in inclement weather, hot summer months and cold winter months for program participants and staff,” Pete Valdez, administrator for the Downtown Austin Community Court, explained in a statement to the press. “The new location will allow for an indoor, climate-controlled environment, which will also improve conditions for storing belongings and has restrooms and running water accessible for staff and program participants.”

The Watershed Protection Department has launched its first annual flood safety video contest open to 6th-12th graders in Austin. Students should create a 30-second public service announcement aimed at teaching motorists not to drive on roads covered with water and conveying the critical message, “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.” According to Watershed, “driving through flooded roads is the leading cause of deaths during a flash flood. It not only puts drivers’ lives at risk, but also the lives of passengers and emergency responders.” Contest winners will receive a $100 gift card and their PSA may be aired on local news stations. The contest deadline is March 31. Find more details and contest rules here.

What better reason than a marathon to close roads in Austin? Motorists, cyclists and anyone else trying to get across town on Sunday, Jan. 22, should try hard to avoid going near the 13.1-mile course of the 3M Half Marathon, expected to attract upward of 6,000 participants. The race starts in Northwest Austin on Stonelake Boulevard and traverses through Austin, ending at the finish line at 14th Street and San Jacinto Boulevard. Roads close 90 minutes before the race start time of 7:30 a.m. and reopen around 11:30 a.m. Check out the interactive course map to find the best place to watch the race or use Capital Metro’s trip planner if you have someplace you need to go. Find a full list of street closures here.

Austin’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march, festival and food drive will honor Dr. King’s legacy while giving Austinites an opportunity to celebrate civil rights victories with a joyous musical event. The march will start Monday, Jan. 16, at 9 a.m. at the statue of King on the UT campus, will pause at the south steps of the Texas Capitol for a rally, then continue to Huston-Tillotson University for a festival. The festival, from 11:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., features food vendors and local musical artists. Marchers are asked to bring canned goods or non-perishable food items to donate to the Central Texas Food Bank. There will be donation receptacles at several locations along the march route. Check out the march route on the MLK Celebration website, as well as more information on the food drive and parking locations. The city’s website has a full list of all MLK Day street closures. Participants are encouraged to walk, bike or take public transit to the event.

According to the latest monthly figures from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, “passenger traffic growth for November 2022 was up 16.01 percent compared to November 2021 with 1,845,593 passengers flying during the month.” That prodigious number helps explain why airport officials continue to urge travelers to get to the airport as early as possible for their flights and to plan ahead for everything, including parking, packing and rental cars.

For the first time in five months, Travis County’s Covid community level has risen to medium. The change, which comes with advice to mask if you’re not up t0 date on vaccines, is the result of a new subvariant known as XBB.1. “This new subvariant is making its way into our community right as many people were indoors gathering with others during the cold and over the holidays. When mixed with a flu infection, the combination can cause serious illness for those at-risk such as children and seniors,” Dr. Desmar Walkes, Austin-Travis County health authority, said in a statement to the press. “It’s important that we do what we know works to minimize spread. Got symptoms? Get tested. Stay home if you don’t feel well. Wear a mask if you can’t keep your distance to protect those who are at high risk. Most importantly, get up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines.” Find information on testing, vaccines and locating masks on the city website.