Stories by Audrey McGlinchy, KUT
Travis County evictions put on hold, Austin Energy won't shut off utilities amid COVID-19 outbreak
Eviction hearings in the Austin area will be put on pause until at least April 1, after Travis County justices of the peace issued an order Friday. “It’s not in the public’s interest to have people out in public trying…
Austin • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 16, 2020
The city's rewrite of its land use code heads to court (again)
Lawyers representing a group of Austin homeowners will argue in court this week that landowners have the right to formally protest the rezoning of their property under a citywide land code rewrite. If the court sides with them, it could…
Courts • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 9, 2020
District Attorney race heads to runoff election
José Garza celebrated his early lead against incumbent Margaret Moore at a campaign watch party at Mi Madre’s Restaurant in East Austin. With his early voting numbers showing a slight lead over Moore, he said he anticipated the race going…
Elections • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 4, 2020
Austin landlords repeatedly cited for health and safety violations could get right to rent revoked
José Pérez and his family were afraid of their stove. It caught on fire when they tried to cook, so the family bought prepared food. They had other problems in their apartment, too: The air conditioning went out for a…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 13, 2020
Take a look at what could be built under Austin's proposed new land code
On Wednesday, the city of Austin revealed some models of what could be built under the proposed new Land Development Code, the rules that dictate what can be built in the city and where. It’s important to note that in…
Land Development Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 6, 2020
Austin releases reworked land code ahead of second of three votes to finalize
The Austin City Council released the second draft of its Land Development Code Friday, the latest step in the city’s more than half-decade-long attempt to update the rules determining what can be built in the city and where. “The code…
Land Development Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Feb 3, 2020
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Black and Hispanic drivers are increasingly more likely to be stopped by Austin police
While the black population in Austin hovers around 8 percent, black people made up roughly 15 percent of drivers pulled over by police and 25 percent of people subsequently arrested in 2018 – a disparity that has worsened since 2015.…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jan 31, 2020
Austin will not pay to test for marijuana, effectively decriminalizing small amounts of pot
As law enforcement agencies in Texas figure out how to test suspected marijuana following the legalization of hemp in the state, the Austin City Council responded Thursday with its fix: a measure that effectively decriminalizes small amounts of pot. “It’s…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jan 24, 2020
Activists say officers allege retaliation for speaking to investigators in racism probe of APD
Activists and a City Council member say they’ve heard claims of possible obstruction in the investigation into alleged racism and homophobia among the highest ranks of the Austin Police Department. “It seems that people are not able to wholeheartedly and…
Police • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jan 15, 2020
Traffic deaths went up in Austin last year. Safety advocates ask: Where's the moral outrage?
Billy Brewster loved lawnmowers. The 15-year-old, who was autistic and nonverbal, would just admire them from afar. “Billy sometimes wouldn’t even want to use the lawnmower,” his mother, Mia Brown, said. “He just wanted to stand there and look at…
Roads • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jan 8, 2020
White homeowners dominate input over Austin's land code rewrite. One group is trying to change that.
More than 100 people sat in Austin City Hall chambers just past 10 a.m. on Saturday, gearing up to share their thoughts about the city’s rewrite of its Land Development Code. Council Member Alison Alter, who represents part of Northwest…
Land Development Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Dec 9, 2019
Austin orders sweeping probe of alleged racism, bigotry among police, including social media audit
The city of Austin will conduct a department-wide investigation of discrimination in the Austin Police Department, following accusations of racism and homophobia among the highest ranks. “There comes a time in everybody’s existence to have to do something really hard…
