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Most Popular Stories
- Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
- A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
- City to postpone UNO vote to consult with UT
- City delays decision on license plate reader program
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Frigid temps put strain on wildlife and pets alike
As an energy crisis triggered by unusually frigid weather persists throughout the state, even our wild neighbors have struggled to adjust, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports. Mortality events have been observed in several bird species, including various species of…
Environment • By Seth Smalley • Feb 19, 2021
With energy, water recovery slow, Austin leaders look for answers
With the city’s energy and water utility systems vastly over capacity, local leaders are pushing for immediate solutions to improve residents’ safety and looking at how the state can prevent a similar statewide failure in the future. As of Wednesday…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Feb 18, 2021
Austin Water issues citywide boil-water notice, urges residents to conserve water
Austin Water has issued a citywide boil-water notice as a result of “extreme weather conditions.” In a statement Wednesday night, the utility said there had been power loss at the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, its largest water-treatment facility, and drops…
Water • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Feb 18, 2021
Animal Advisory Commission fields outcry over Gracywoods guinea fowl
In Sub-Saharan Africa, where bloodthirsty predators abound, the guinea fowl’s large numbers, fast legs, and plucky dispositions help protect them from looming peril. But over 8,000 miles away, in the charming North Austin neighborhood of Gracywoods, the birds face a…
Austin • By Seth Smalley • Feb 18, 2021
Planning Commission recommends rezoning for East Austin townhome project
The Planning Commission last week backed a request to rezone a vacant East Austin tract at 4908 Lott Ave. to allow 62 townhomes – including five income-restricted units. Michael Whellan, who was representing the applicant, said that because the current…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Feb 18, 2021
Power could get cut to circuits that include hospitals as a 'last resort,' Austin Energy warns
Austin Energy could decide to shut off electricity to circuits that include critical infrastructure – such as fire stations, hospitals and 911 operations – to prevent the state’s power grid from collapsing, the municipal utility warned Tuesday. “Only as an…
Energy • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 17, 2021
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PARD gives update on cemetery improvement plans
Last September, around 15 gravestones were vandalized with blue paint at Evergreen Cemetery in East Austin, the city’s first municipal graveyard for Black residents when it was founded in 1926. Commenting on the event, Mayor Steve Adler tweeted that the…
Parks • By Sean Saldaña • Feb 17, 2021
South First multifamily project gets Planning Commission support
A 260-unit apartment proposal at 6311 S. First St. moved one step closer to construction after the Planning Commission recommended rezoning the vacant site at its Feb. 9 meeting. The new zoning allows the developer to add more units, including…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • Feb 17, 2021
Mobility Authority moves forward with 183 North
Last week, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority unanimously endorsed a contract for construction of the 183 North Mobility Project, which proposes extra lanes to Highway 183 in addition to pedestrian lanes on the service road. The plan includes one…
Transportation • By Harrison Young • Feb 17, 2021
Storm deals heavy blow to Austin Energy, other utilities
With roughly 40 percent of its customers without power Monday, Austin Energy and other local officials worked to explain what happened when an unprecedented winter storm swept through the entire state, leaving roughly 2 million Texans without electricity. The Electric…
Energy • By Jo Clifton • Feb 16, 2021
Texas won't be getting its Covid-19 vaccine shipments until weather conditions improve, state officials say
Snowstorms across the state are expected to affect Texas’ effort to vaccinate people this week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “has put vaccine shipments on hold” due to dangerous conditions created by the storm, the Texas Department of…
Public Health • By Ashley Lopez, KUT • Feb 16, 2021
Winter weather shuts down the city
The storm that brought Austin to a standstill continues to impact city operations this week. Services are closed across the city due to extreme weather with an expectation that more winter is on the way. City officials announced Monday that…
