Latest Headlines for Friday, January 18
Friday, January 18, 2019 by Jack Craver
Austin
City hopes 10-foot fence will deter crime on Red River
The city of Austin is inching toward a “short-term” solution to a downtown alleyway that police and business owners say has become a magnet for criminal activity.Drug dealing, prostitution and human waste are frequent issues in the alley between Beerland…
Friday, January 18, 2019 by Jessi Devenyns
Environment
Environmental Commission debates 30 years of history to approve project
At the Environmental Commission, the third time was not the charm to recommend a change to the land plan of the Senna Hills Municipal Utility District. The proposed change would repurpose 11.73 acres of irrigation land with two developable acres…
Friday, January 18, 2019 by Jack Craver
Energy
Austin Energy tries to encourage Austinites to buy electric cars
Last week, the city of Austin was awarded a coveted $2.5 million grant from a foundation funded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to pursue a number of environmental initiatives focused on energy efficiency and green transportation.While the Transportation…
Friday, January 18, 2019 by Ryan Thornton
Travis County
County to issue non-voter approved debt for courthouse
The Travis County Commissioners Court approved the use of Certificates of Obligation to fund its new civil and family courthouse Tuesday morning.“This is not something that we just want,” said Commissioner Jeff Travillion. “This is a statutory responsibility that is…
Thursday, January 17, 2019 by Audrey McGlinchy
Police
Austin Police Department orders outside audit after state finds it misclassified cleared rape cases
The Austin Police Department has ordered a third-party audit of rape investigations after state auditors found it misclassified certain rape cases.“This review will look from the beginning to the end,” Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said. “From the moment we…
Thursday, January 17, 2019 by Jo Clifton
Texas State Legislature
Better session ahead, legislators say
Senator Kirk Watson told those gathered at the Real Estate Council of Austin luncheon on Wednesday that he is “more optimistic than I have been in the past by quite a bit” about the possibility of resolving numerous problems related…
