County gets creative to counter 'staggering' number of fentanyl deaths

In the first half of this year, from January to June, 118 people in Travis County died from an overdose of fentanyl. This equaled the number of fentanyl-related overdoses from the entirety of last year. The outsized opioid-overdose figures spurred…

Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Nov 29, 2022

November delivered more rain than usual to Austin, but not enough to shake the drought

It’s been a wet November in Central Texas, with cold, rainy days through the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. That weather might have affected your plans, but was a welcome break from continuing drought. It was also another unusual twist…

Austin • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Nov 29, 2022

Environmental Commission recommends Concordia sports complex variance

Earlier this month, the Environmental Commission recommended a variance for Concordia University’s sports complex project in North Austin. Concordia is working on a number of improvements to upgrade its sports facilities in compliance with NCAA rules, including an artificial turf…

Environment • By Nina Hernandez • Nov 29, 2022

It's been a pivotal year

One year ago we removed our paywall and set a new course for our organization. For a small nonprofit news organization, this was a big change.  We knew our in-depth and independent reporting would be the throughline and engine for…

Mission Note • By Joel Gross • Nov 29, 2022

Austin's program to sell homes to people affected by gentrification off to slow start

The city of Austin has not yet sold one of the two dozen homes it began marketing six months ago to low-income families affected by displacement and the influx of wealth into neighborhoods. This is the city’s first attempt at using…

Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Nov 28, 2022

Chamber economic forecast sees Austin strong despite inflation, recession worries

Looking at the Austin-area economy for the next 12 months, local experts see that a series of “once-in-a-lifetime” events both good and bad are about to run into the realities of rising interest rates and the increasing likelihood of at…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 28, 2022

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Council eyes planning around future light rail stations

City Council is set to adopt a plan next month that will guide how areas around Project Connect transit stations develop.  The equitable transit-oriented development policy plan, launched last summer following a $1.65 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration, aims…

Planning • By Jonathan Lee • Nov 28, 2022

ECHO offers lease incentives to real estate agents for placing homeless tenants

Real estate agents in Austin have an incentive to find market-rate homes for those experiencing homelessness, and help one of the city’s main homeless services nonprofits lower the number of people facing housing instability. Austin’s Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, known…

Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 23, 2022

Amid drought conditions, Austin Water proposes ways to slash water use in new homes

The average water use per year in new Austin homes is 28,000 gallons. But that could soon decrease with initiatives aimed at conserving water through landscape transformations and other efforts.  Kevin Kluge, environmental conservation division manager of Austin Water, presented…

Development • By Andrea Guzman • Nov 23, 2022

Environmental Commission denies fuel line variance for Lake Austin marina project

An applicant seeking two code variances for the marina construction project at 1703 N. River Hills Road got mixed results at the Environmental Commission last week. On Nov. 16, the commission voted to recommend easing dredging restrictions for the Lake…

Environment • By Nina Hernandez • Nov 23, 2022

Planning Commission says Council’s compatibility reforms don’t go far enough

The Planning Commission last Tuesday recommended broader changes to compatibility standards than what City Council proposed earlier this year, setting the stage for a Council discussion on Dec. 1 over how much to relax the rule. Compatibility, a rule limiting…

Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Nov 22, 2022

Lawsuit challenging city decision on Fair Campaign money fails

A Travis County judge has denied a temporary restraining order request from two City Council candidates who claim they were wrongly disqualified from receiving public campaign funds. District 3 candidate José Velásquez and District 5 candidate Ryan Alter filed the…

Elections • By Nina Hernandez • Nov 22, 2022

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