Out-of-towners looking to cool off by the San Marcos River or go tubing this Fourth of July weekend may have to pay to park this year. Parking fees for nonresidents went into effect Tuesday at City Park, the most popular spot for river access. San Marcos residents, meanwhile, can park for free if they register […]
Maya Fawaz, KUT
Posted inEnvironment
The Austin area won’t be seeing a lot of bluebonnets this year. Here’s why.
It’s a quintessential Texas experience to get your photo taken in a field of bluebonnets. “I have lots of pictures,” said Matthew Gaston, who used to work as director of education for the Zilker Botanical Garden. “It’s this bluish hue and it has these gorgeous little leaves you can see even before it starts blooming.” […]
Posted inAustin
New areas at Enchanted Rock could open as soon as this fall after park more than doubles in size
For many Central Texans, Enchanted Rock is a special and mystical place, and now it’s more than doubled in size. Rodney Franklin, director for state parks with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said lots of people have fond memories of hiking to the top of the dome and seeing the view for the first […]
Posted inPublic Health
‘Demand has just gone up and up’: Food banks struggle to keep up post-pandemic
Drivers line up down the street to grab groceries from a small, white house in the Dunbar neighborhood of San Marcos. For some time, the renovated house worked fine for the Hays County Food Bank, but as more and more people rely on it, the food bank has outgrown the space. Executive Director Lisa Young […]
Posted inCourts
Hays County district clerk sues district attorney for ‘neglect of his duties’
The Hays County district clerk is suing District Attorney Kelly Higgins and asking that he be removed from office. Avrey Anderson claims Higgins demonstrated “intentional, corrupt failure and neglect of his duties” by refusing to prosecute cases of simple drug possession and low-level marijuana offenses, and where doctors have illegally treated transgender patients or performed abortions. “Allowing him […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Austin 911 is still strained by understaffing. Call takers brace for SXSW.
Austin’s 911 call center had about 200 calls on hold for hours on end New Year’s Eve and into the next morning. People waiting for emergency assistance were unable to get help. Those who hung up were bumped to the back of the line. “Nobody has ever seen that happen at our call center,” said […]