Travis County Clerk Rebecca Guerrero has issued a statement in response to accusations that Konnech Inc.’s CEO mishandled personal information about Los Angeles County poll workers. On Tuesday, L.A. County officials announced that CEO Eugene Yu had been arrested “in connection with an investigation into the possible theft of personal information about poll workers,” according to The New York Times. Konnech Inc. makes the PollChief Election Worker Management System software that Travis County uses to manage and schedule poll workers. In her statement,  Guerrero was clear that the software is not used in the voting process, and will not be used moving forward. “Travis County takes these accusations seriously and we are looking into the impact, if any, on data related to poll workers. At this point, the county has no reason to believe its poll worker data is involved. There is no evidence, allegation or indication that Travis County poll worker information has been compromised,” Guerrero said. “As the county continues to examine the possibility of any inappropriate handling of data, the Travis County Clerk’s Election Division remains focused on the upcoming general election on Nov. 8.  If more details are confirmed, we will promptly share information about the security of its poll worker data. However, the County Clerk’s Office will not be commenting on this matter until we have additional information to share.” Konnech has faced scrutiny by election deniers and conspiracy theorists in the past and has repeatedly denied storing data outside the country. The company stands by Yu and says he has been wrongfully accused.

This whisper has been corrected.

You know you can’t drive to the ACL Fest, but you’re not sure how exactly you’re going to get there? Capital Metro has several options to get you to Zilker Park in time for the festival. The transit agency’s bus and bike options will get you to Republic Square where you can pick up a free ACL shuttle. You can also get close enough to the park itself (the corner of South Lamar & Barton Springs) to simply walk the rest of the way. Some other options:

• Rapid routes run every 15 minutes on weekdays.
• Night Owl routes have you covered until about 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.
• Route 30 is on detour, avoiding Zilker Park both weekends. Route 4 will service Stop ID 1977 on Veterans Drive after 7 p.m.
• Rail will only extend service hours for the Austin FC game at Q2 Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 16.

The Economic Development Department is launching a new arts grant intended to offer “focused investment to sustain and grow local arts organizations that are deeply rooted in and reflective of Austin’s diverse cultures.” Thrive grants ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 will be going to 30+/- organizations that are registered 501(c) and “have a five-year history of cultural/arts programming” in the Austin area. The funding “is for general operating support, project support, and institutional improvements.” As EDD Director Sylnovia Holt-Rabb explained, “These new grants are the product of 36 months of hard conversations, listening and learning, incorporating valuable feedback, and willingness to embrace the change that will allow Austin expand its future as a world-class creative capital for all.” Find out more at austintexas.gov/thrive. Nov. 21 is the deadline to submit an app.

If you’ve been contemplating adopting a furry family member but haven’t found the right match yet, there’s an event this weekend that might speed up your decision process. The Austin Animal Center is having its second annual Adoptober Fest, a huge, holiday-themed adoptathon that spills out to the front lawn of the facility. Adoptable dogs – arrayed in Halloween costumes, of course! – will be strutting their stuff on a runway escorted by their favorite volunteer or staff member. Meet-and-greets will follow, and if everyone is amenable, you can take your new four-footed pal home the same day. The event also features over 20 vendors plus an emcee and a DJ to top it off. Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (runway event starts at noon). 7201 Levander Loop.

OK, parents and students: Get ready to leave the car keys at home because today is National Walk & Roll to School Day. The purpose of this event – now in its 26th year! – is to encourage people to use human-powered methods of getting to school. That means using your own legs to walk or bicycle your way to class. This year alone, the city’s transportation and public works departments have built more than 100 new pedestrian crossings “to support safer routes to schools, parks, churches and other destinations.” According to the announcement from the Transportation Department, 41 Austin schools have Walk & Roll events planned for today. We probably don’t have to tell you why walking and cycling are so much better for you and the planet than driving, but we will: “Walking and bicycling to school supports daily physical activity, helps students show up to school ready to learn and reduces congestion and air pollution.” So do a few stretches, pump up your bicycle tires or put on your sneakers, and get going.

Last week, the Austin city clerk’s office received paperwork establishing a political action committee supporting the mayoral candidacy of Celia Israel. It’s a development Israel supporters have been looking for over the past several months. The campaign treasurer, based in Washington, D.C., is Turcan Hockaday, described online as a veteran of political campaigns. The person appointing Hockaday is listed as Austinite Elizabeth Bray. Bray was quoted in an Austin American-Statesman story last month saying that putting together a PAC is no simple task. Although candidates are not allowed to accept donations greater than $450 from individual donors, political action committees have no such restrictions. The candidate and her campaign must maintain a hands-off approach toward such PACs. As of their most recent reporting, Kirk Watson had raised close to $1 million, four times as much as Israel.  (New campaign finance reports are due in the city clerk’s office today.) So, although Watson has had a PAC, called Stand Together Austin, since June, he has not needed it. None of the other mayoral candidates have PACs at this point.

This whisper has been corrected. A previous version stated Watson had donated $15,000 from his mayoral campaign. In fact, the donation came from state senate campaign funds that remain from a previous election.

The Travis County Fire Marshal’s Office and the National Fire Protection Association have partnered up to observe the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 9-15. This year’s motto, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape,” is an effort to educate community members about the ” simple but necessary actions to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.” Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway explains, “Time is the biggest enemy in a fire, and every second counts. In less than 30 seconds, a small fire can grow significantly due to the materials used in today’s furnishings. With only minutes and sometimes seconds to respond, creating a home fire escape plan can mean the difference between you and your loved ones escaping without harm or suffering serious injuries.” View a collection of safety tip sheets here and find information about neighborhood fire drills here.

In an effort to give a boost to community groups that grow and sell healthy food, the city’s Office of Sustainability has awarded $3,000 Food Justice Mini Grants to 25 organizations in Austin. The organizations (listed below) will report back this summer on the impact of their projects. A list of the previous grant recipients and their impacts can be found here.

• Aleph Cookery
• Austin Chinese-American Network
• Austin Mutual Aid
• Austin Youth River Watch
• Black Trans Leadership of Austin
• Carol’s Kindness
• Community Coalition for Health
• Community Garage Sale
• Del Valle Community Coalition
• El Buen Samaritano
• Equidad ATX
• Good Work Austin
• Govalle Elementary School, Austin ISD
• Hill Country Community Ministries
• HopeAustin
• Ojeda Middle School, Del Valle ISD
• Kalpulli Texas Quetzalcoatl
• Multicultural Refugee Coalition
• Out Youth
• Partners for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability (PEAS)
• Progressive I.M.P.a.C.C.C.T
• Rural Mutual Aid
• Socially Immersed
• Walking by Faith Prison Ministry
• WorkingGroup512

As the city’s water utility moves forward with the aquifer storage and recovery project, it is turning to the public for help with a series of in-person and virtual workshops. The meetings are designed to answer questions and gather input on how the project will incorporate equity and affordability concerns. Aquifer storage and recovery, or ASR, is a way to store and retrieve water in aquifers for use when needed. The project is in its first phase of implementation, with a team working on identifying suitable storage sites. The public feedback sessions, which all contain the same information, are open to Travis, Bastrop and Lee county residents.

In-Person Workshops

Workshop 1 

• When: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Where: Giddings Public Library and Cultural Center, 276 N. Orange St., Giddings, TX 78942
• Register

Workshop 2 

• When: Wed., Oct. 19, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Where: Bastrop Public Library, 1100 Church St., Bastrop, TX 78602
• Register

Workshop 3 

• When: Thursday, Oct. 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Where: City of Austin Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr.
• Register

Virtual Workshops via Zoom  

Workshop 4 

• When: Tuesday, Oct. 25, 5-6 p.m.
• Register

Workshop 5 

• When: Thursday, Oct. 27, 6-7 p.m.
• Register

In addition to a number of exciting local races in November – including one for mayor and an affordable housing bond – Texas voters will get to choose a governor and attorney general. It’s imperative that Austinites make sure they are registered to vote by Oct. 11 in order to vote in the election. Luckily, the Voter Registration Division of the Travis County Tax Office has 112 locations where one can register, and a handy map to show you where they are and when they are open. All Travis County residents – even those who are registered to vote – should also ensure that their information is current and accurate. Would-be voters may check their registration online, and change their address (if they have moved within the state). Early voting will run from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Capital Metro wants to be your date to Austin City Limits. Check out the transit agency’s ACL page if you want a car-free way of getting to Zilker Park in time for the festival. Here are a few more things to know:

• Bus and bike options will get you to Republic Square for the free ACL shuttles or close to the park itself (the corner of South Lamar & Barton Springs for a quick walk to Zilker).
• Rapid routes run every 15 minutes on weekdays.
• Night Owl routes run until about 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights.
• Route 30 is on detour, avoiding Zilker Park both weekends. Route 4 will service Stop ID 1977 on Veterans Drive after 7 p.m.
• Take MetroRail’s special event service on Sunday, Oct. 9, to get the Austin FC game at Q2 Stadium. Trains will service Kramer Station till about 8 p.m.
• MetroRail does not run on Sunday, Oct. 16.

If you’ve never ridden an electric bicycle before (and really, what are you waiting for?), you’ll get your chance this weekend at the E-Bike Rodeo at the state Capitol. Along with a variety of e-bikes available for test rides, experts will be on hand to explain everything you need to know about electricity-powered bikes. You’ll also hear about Austin Energy’s rebate program for e-bike buyers. As Luke Metzger, the executive director of Environment Texas, put it, “E-bikes open up the world of two-wheeled transportation to more of us. They extend ride ranges, make it easier to conquer hilly terrain and increase the cargo load that someone can carry. In sum, an e-bike makes it vastly easier to get around without a car. Replacing car trips with zero-carbon options such as e-bikes is one of the best ways to fight climate change.” Saturday, Oct. 8, 9-11 a.m., 1100 Congress Ave.