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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…

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…

IndyAustin PAC will not be involved in stadium battle

Linda Curtis, the Bastrop-based activist best known for gathering signatures for various citizen initiatives in Austin, has disbanded a political action committee linked to her advocacy group, IndyAustin. The group will continue to engage in advocacy, Curtis said in an…

Workforce housing group eyes four apartment complex purchases in 2019

An investment group focused on preserving workforce housing units around Austin has announced plans to add 1,200 more apartment units to its portfolio in 2019. The Austin Housing Conservancy Fund expects to purchase four apartment complexes around the city this…

Oak Hill Parkway project approved for construction

The Oak Hill Parkway project was added to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Program by unanimous vote at the Transportation Policy Board meeting Monday evening. The decision places the 12-lane elevated highway at the congested intersection…

Scientists discover three new species of salamander in Central Texas

A team of biologists announced this week they’d found three new species of rare salamanders in Central Texas. The discovery of any new species is big news in science, but in Texas – where the fate of salamanders and people…

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Board of Adjustment rules: A private boat dock may not block public waters

Houses along Lake Austin are coveted pieces of property whose main focal point is the water. Some homes are even lucky enough to have inlet coves creep into their properties for their near-private use. However, when a home has a…

Conley to resign as CAMPO chairman

Before adjourning Monday’s meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, chair Will Conley, who has held the chairmanship since first being elected in January 2012, announced his intention to resign from the Transportation Policy Board in the coming weeks.…

Disability committee wants study to bring attention, dollars to issues

The Mayor’s Committee for People With Disabilities has asked city staff to begin gathering information on how to commission a comprehensive report on the quality of life of and prominent issues facing the city’s disabled community. The committee voted unanimously…

Legal questions swirl around soccer stadium petition

The organizers of an initiative aimed at stopping the construction of a Major League Soccer stadium in North Central Austin say that the city must hold an election on the matter in May, despite contrary claims from city attorneys. Last…

As shutdown drags on, low-income housing providers in Austin worry funding for rent could run out

Prak Property Management Inc. has been digging into savings to keep some of its low-income properties in Austin running. “It’s like a savings account that every month we are required to put a certain amount of dollars into for things…

'Valid' ethics complaint dismissed for being unconstitutional

Last October, Mayor Steve Adler’s campaign manager, James Wick, filed an ethics complaint against Megaphone GPAC, a general purpose political action committee opposing the mayor’s re-election. At the time, several attorneys opined that the complaint would be dismissed due to…