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Most Popular Stories
- Former Council Member and dedicated environmentalist Jackie Goodman has died
- Despite safety concerns, Council OKs new buildings above Shoal Creek
- A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin
- Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
- As Acacia Cliffs rezoning is approved, Critics say Council has sold out on its affordability commitments
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Environment
To save a sculpture, parks department gives Chicano artist an ultimatum
For decades, Big Rock – or Chicano Rock, as it is now called – has stood on the southeast corner of Waterloo Park. Created by artist David Santos and members of LUCHA (League of United Chicano Artists) in 1989, the…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Aug 6, 2019
Austin officials advise keeping pets out of Lady Bird Lake following death of two dogs
The city of Austin is warning people to keep their pets out of Lady Bird Lake while authorities test the water for the presence of harmful algae. Two dogs died recently after swimming in the lake, though officials cannot confirm…
Environment • By Sangita Menon, KUT • Aug 6, 2019
Permit granted for annual extraction of 289 million gallons from Trinity Aquifer
The Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District granted a permit to Needmore Water LLC on Monday evening to pump up to 289,080,000 gallons of water per year from the Trinity Aquifer. According to the applicant, the water will be used for…
Water • By Ryan Thornton • Jul 31, 2019
Golf study recommends changes at Hancock, Muny
A study from the National Golf Foundation recommends that the city consider revamping the aging Hancock Golf Course at 41st and Red River streets and transforming it into a modern golf learning center. This is just one of several recommendations…
Parks • By Jo Clifton • Jul 26, 2019
One year later: The new life of the old Onion Creek flood plain
Since 1999, the city of Austin has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to buy homeowners out of the Onion Creek flood zone. Last year, when the Watershed Protection Department completed the buyout program, 813 houses had…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 22, 2019
Environmental Commission gives Walter E. Long Park plan the green light, with conditions
Following the lead of the Parks and Recreation Board, the Environmental Commission unanimously approved the new master plan for East Austin’s Walter E. Long Park. The vote, however, came with a host of conditions. The commissioners expressed concern that the…
Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 19, 2019
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Austin Energy plans to purchase more wind energy
The Electric Utility Commission unanimously recommended the approval of a new energy contract that would bring Austin Energy’s percentage of renewable energy up to 61 percent by the middle of 2021. That is only 4 percentage points below the City…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 19, 2019
The heat in Austin could outpace science’s ability to measure it by 2036
This July is on track to be Earth’s hottest month ever recorded. That spike in heat is part of a larger warming trend that could change the way governments and researchers measure extreme temperatures. When it comes to triple-digit days…
Environment • By Mose Buchele, KUT • Jul 17, 2019
Electric Utility Commission unanimously declares climate crisis must be addressed
In a unanimous show of hands, the Electric Utility Commission passed a resolution July 15 asserting that the time has come for Austin to declare support for climate change mitigation policies and to adopt its own resolution declaring a climate…
Energy • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 17, 2019
AW assures: Austin's lead pipes pose little threat
In the wake of the drinking water scandal in Flint, Michigan, the issue of lead in drinking water has come to the forefront of the nation’s – and Austin’s – attention. Until July 9, Matt Cullen of Austin Water said…
Water • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 12, 2019
Walter E. Long Park plan, all $800 million of it, gets parks board approval
With an eventual price tag expected to exceed $800 million and a timeline likely stretching more than two decades, members of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board unanimously voted to approve a new master plan for East Austin’s Walter E. Long…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 8, 2019
Zilker's botanical garden admission remains unchanged for now
City Council claimed to have residents in mind at its June 19 meeting when it denied a chance to save some money by giving the Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy a little more control over the garden’s operations and finances. In…
