Nora Ankrum

A newly renovated pit stop for travelers going to and from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport now has a convenience store, a fueling station and an apt new name: ABIA Retail, Food and Fuel. According to a press release from the city of Austin, the retail center – which doubles as a cell phone lot for people […]

Forklift Danceworks is at it again, bringing the inner workings of the city to life, through dance. If these folks can choreograph trash trucks, then it’s no surprise they can leverage the talents of the city’s Aquatics Division staff into “a dance for a city pool and its people.” Directed by choreographer Allison Orr and […]

The Austin Animal Center has issued a reminder that the noise and lights from fireworks on the Fourth of July can startle pets and prompt attempts at escape. The center is encouraging pet owners to minimize animals’ stress on the holiday by ensuring that pets get exercise during the day, bringing pets indoors at night, […]

Guest speaker Karen Chapple will discuss affordable housing at the upcoming installment of the Imagine Austin Speaker Series, according to an announcement from the city. Chapple is a city and regional planning professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she co-founded the Urban Displacement Project. She is also author of the book Planning Sustainable […]

Thanks to the Fourth of July, city swimming facilities that would otherwise close for maintenance this week will remain open, with the exception of Barton Springs Pool, which will be closed Thursday, July 5. For all other pool facilities, regularly scheduled maintenance will be postponed for the week. Holiday hours do go into effect on […]

The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking input on the redevelopment of the Dougherty Arts Center, which, according to a press release from the city, “increasingly faces challenges such as lack of space, lack of technology resources, and missed opportunities to accommodate various activities.” DAC is one of the city’s oldest community arts centers and, […]

The Lower Colorado River Authority and several of its wholesale customers are awarding $594,386 in grant money to community projects throughout the LCRA service territory, according to an announcement the authority released yesterday. The grants are part of the LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Program, which awards funds twice each year. The newly awarded projects range […]

Outdoor learning centers, rain gardens, bike programs and a honey bee apiary are just some of the 29 projects soon to materialize at Austin elementary, middle and high schools thanks to grant money from the city. The funds have been awarded through the Bright Green Future grant program, which is sponsored by the Office of […]

With the 85th legislative session getting into gear, the season of educational “capitol days” begins. Next week’s calendar includes Texas Muslim Capitol Day. Hosted by CAIR Austin (the local Council on American-Islamic Relations), the event welcomes folks who want to learn more about civic advocacy. Participants will get the opportunity to speak directly with elected […]

Austin Monitor staffers were biting their nails last week in anticipation of former Monitor reporter and occasional pinch editor Josh Rosenblatt surely getting his face smashed in, or at least his typing fingers out of joint, at the hands of one Jon Potts – but now we’re just feeling bad for Potts. The two faced off […]

Election day is back! The Nov. 8 election left us with three runoffs still to contend with today: the race for the hotly contested City Council District 10 seat (Sheri Gallo versus Alison Alter) and two contests for Austin Community College trustee (Michael J. Lewis versus Sean Hassan for Place 4, and Guadalupe “Lupe” Sosa […]

City officials, financiers, foreign dignitaries, beer aficionados and possibly a princess will be rubbing elbows this weekend at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Mort Subite, a new downtown pub – and recipient of help from the city’s Family Business Loan Program – that promises to be Austin’s “only Belgium beer pub with imported and hard-to-find Belgium […]