Newsletter Signup
The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Most Popular Stories
- Parks Board recommends vendor for Zilker Café, while voicing concerns about lack of local presence
- Office slowdown sparks new downtown housing ambitions
- City leaders evaluate surprising ideas for water conservation
- Audit: Economic official granted arts, music funding against city code
- Downtown Historic Resource Survey eyes seven new districts eligible for designation
-
-
Discover News By District
-
Popular Whispers
Sorry. No data so far.
Public Safety
Public Health Commission looks at curbing heat illnesses, promoting drug counselor training
The Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission is fine-tuning recommendations on two initiatives aimed at expanding harm reduction services and protecting outdoor workers from heat-related illnesses. During the latest meeting, commissioners reviewed draft recommendations on both issues but took no votes,…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 8, 2025
Council gets early look at public health cuts caused by federal funding losses
Austin Public Health leaders are working to manage an ongoing budget crisis caused by federal funding cuts that have destabilized programs across the city. City Council’s Public Health Committee heard last week that APH has already lost approximately $15 million…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 7, 2025
Austin’s redemption arc: The embarrassing recent failures and hard-fought reforms in our city’s response to sexual assault
April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. The city of Austin has garnered national attention for its prior failures to investigate cases and support survivors in their healing and, more recently, for its survivor-led reforms. The Austin Monitor took…
Public Safety • By Mina Shekarchi • Apr 7, 2025
Two bills compete to reform firefighters retirement fund
Two competing bills in the Texas Legislature aim to tackle the issue of reforming the funding structure of the Austin Firefighters Retirement Fund. In a message on the City Council Message Board (posted by the mayor’s chief of staff, Colleen…
Fire • By Hunter Simmons • Apr 7, 2025
Staffing isn't the only thing to blame for Austin's slow 911 response times
When someone calls 911 for help in Austin, about 93 percent of those calls are answered within 15 seconds. But once those calls are answered, police, fire or EMS must then respond. And those public safety agencies are not responding…
Public Safety • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Apr 4, 2025
Audit throws shade at city's efforts to mitigate extreme heat
A new report from the Office of the City Auditor concludes that, while the city has made notable progress in preparing for extreme heat, challenges in coordination, funding and measurable planning continue to undermine long-term resilience. The audit, released this…
Public Health • By Chad Swiatecki • Apr 1, 2025
Subscribe to our newsletter
City intensifies efforts to encourage vaccination amid state’s worst measles outbreak in decades
Last Thursday, Austin city leaders marked the 30th anniversary of a program that provides free vaccines to children as Texas faces its worst measles outbreak in over three decades. Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can spread through…
Public Health • By Madeline de Figueiredo • Mar 31, 2025
APD gets temporary extension of license plate reader program
The Austin Police Department’s use of automated license plate readers as an investigative tool will continue through June, City Council decided last week. Later this year, Council will determine whether to make the pilot program a permanent feature, depending on…
Police • By Amy Smith • Mar 31, 2025
APD publishes first annual sexual assault case review
The Austin Police Department has released its first annual review of cases investigated by the Sex Crimes Unit. The annual case review is one of several commitments APD has made as part of an ongoing, survivor-led effort to reform Austin’s…
Police • By Mina Shekarchi • Mar 21, 2025
Central Health opens long-awaited Del Valle Health Center
Last week, Central Health announced at a Travis County Commissioners Court meeting that it has finally opened its Del Valle Health Center, the long-awaited collaboration with CommUnityCare that will expand access to health care for low-income Eastern Travis County residents.…
Public Health • By Lina Fisher • Mar 20, 2025
Austin has had 5 high-risk wildfire days this month alone. Why are there so many red flag warnings?
As Texas becomes hotter and drier, and urban sprawl grows, the state could see more days with an elevated risk for wildfires. So far this year, Austin has had five of these days, also known as red flag warning days,…
Fire • By Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT • Mar 20, 2025
City IDs progress, funding needs to carry out area food plan
A pair of recent city memos shows progress and the need for additional funding sources to implement the first comprehensive food plan for the Austin area. The two memos were released last week, outlining nine goals and 61 strategies aimed…
