On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court extended the burn ban that has been in place since July 21 to Sept. 23. A continued lack of rain and an uncertain forecast prompted Travis County Chief Fire Marshal Tony Callaway to urge for caution regarding the burn ban in unincorporated areas of the county. “Even though we received some rain in August, it was not enough to improve the significantly dry conditions we’re experiencing,” he said. “While we could potentially receive some rainfall this week, a burn ban is still needed to ensure public safety.” Callaway noted that the burn ban could be lifted sooner if the county receives sufficient rain in the upcoming weeks to alleviate the dry conditions. The burn ban does not affect prescribed burns or prohibit outdoor grilling or barbecuing, although the Fire Marshal’s Office urges caution when partaking in these activities.

Pedestrians and motorists may have noticed a flashy new beacon on East 12th Street where Boggy Creek trail crosses the road. Courtesy of the Austin Public Works Urban Trails Program and Austin Transportation Department, the new RRFB (rectangular rapid flashing beacon) increases driver awareness of pedestrians, making it safer for people to cross the street. When a pedestrian presses the button, the beacon lights up, alerting drivers in the area. The city plans to test a new sensor later this summer “that allows people riding bikes to activate the RRFB without needing to dismount to press a button,” according to the Transportation Department.

Austin and Travis County are asking residents to exercise a little more kindness toward park rangers working to enforce social distancing guidelines put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. “Since March of this year, Austin PARD park rangers and park monitors have been assaulted both physically and verbally on at least six different occasions while working for our community. These incidents include employees being yelled and cursed at, pushed into the lake, threatened with weapons, punched, and pushed to the ground,” notes a press release from the county and city parks. “We understand it can be frustrating when Travis County Parks have to close once they reach capacity, but we have these measures in place to ensure everyone’s well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Charles Bergh, Travis County Parks director. “Please know that our hard-working staff is there to help you enjoy Travis County parks safely and whenever possible. In return, we ask that you do your part by wearing face coverings when needed and staying six feet from one another as much as possible to help flatten the Covid-19 curve.” Information about area park closures and guidelines can be found on the city’s website and the county parks website.

Off-campus remote learning begins on Sept. 8, and until then, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin ISD will continue to provide meals for kids, as well as their parents or caregivers. On Sept. 8, students who provide documentation that they are enrolled in AISD for the 2020-21 school year will be eligible to receive meals. Students who are enrolled at an AISD school that is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision program; who live in a household that receives SNAP benefits; or who have completed a free or reduced-price meal benefits application may receive free meals. The district will continue to provide fresh produce boxes at no cost to families with kids under 19, until Oct. 7. Find all meal site locations and up-to-date information on eligibility at austinisd.org/openforlearning/meals.

Ground-level ozone concentrations reached code orange in Austin last week, triggering an Ozone Action Day – which means potential breathing problems for seniors, kids, people with respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses, and those who have to work outside. The city urges all residents to be “air aware” and keep an eye on the forecast. Some things you can do to help the air – and your lungs – are to drive less, combine your errands into one trip, telecommute, refrain from mowing your lawn until after 6 p.m., and limit your use of electricity. Learn more about ozone and what Central Texas is doing to keep the air clean at aircentraltexas.org.

The program is starting with 85 bins and hopes to expand to 200 additional carts.

A new city program provides secure storage for those who have precious possessions yet lack homes of their own. With the Violet KeepSafe Storage program, people who are referred by the Homeless Outreach Street Team or the Downtown Austin Community Court are assigned a 96-gallon violet bin located in the HealthSouth parking garage in downtown Austin. Ken Snipes, the director of Austin Resource Recovery, said in a news release, “This operation is all about investing in the health and dignity of our neighbors experiencing homelessness … offering a storage bin and a lock does more than alleviate physical burden or fear of theft. This service builds trust and lines of communication between our institutions and the people who rely on them to build a better life.” Assistant City Manager Chris Shorter added, “This is important for anyone going to a job or job interview but who may not want to show up with a shopping cart or a rucksack or backpack full of their personal effects. … Our plan is to add additional sites and carts across the city. We are expanding citywide and will be able to serve hundreds more.”’

Using data from 2018, the Austin Health Department has determined that Covid-19 is currently the fourth-leading cause of death in Travis County. As of Aug. 20, there have been 346 Covid-19 deaths in the region, compared to 337 total deaths from stroke in 2018. “We present these numbers to remind our community of the vast spread of misinformation around Covid-19,” said Dr. Mark Escott, Austin-Travis County interim health authority, in a statement to the press. “If we do not take this virus seriously in our community, we have the real possibility that every family will know someone who was hospitalized or who has died from Covid-19.” The city of Austin and Travis County continue to track the number of Covid cases on their dashboards, and information about rules and regulations designed to slow the spread of the virus can also be found on the city’s website.

The Austin Police Department’s Highway Enforcement Unit is teaming up with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to participate in an initiative to make sure big rigs and other commercial vehicles have safely functioning brakes. APD enforcement units will be trolling major highways all week conducting inspections and evaluating brake systems. “Commercial vehicles found to have critical brake or other safety violations will either be repaired on site or towed to a repair facility. Those commercial vehicles that pass inspection will receive a CVSA decal,” said a press release about the initiative. Brake Safety Week runs nationwide through Saturday, Aug. 29.

Austin community testing data from Austin Public Health, hospitals, state facilities, physicians and clinics have surpassed goals set for May, June and July. Data show 39,609 tests were completed in May; 50,910 tests were completed in June; and 69,243 tests were completed in July. A full press release about the testing goals, including more information about testing locations and lab processing times, can be found here.

Meanwhile, Austin Public Health continues to receive and process backlogged lab reports from the Texas Department of State Health Services. A news release from the city estimates that the backlog has swelled to 7,000 reports, up from the approximately 2,200 reports initially received on Aug. 13. Some of the reports are from as far back as April and are duplicates of already counted cases in the region. The release added, “It is important for the public to understand that APH does not lean heavily on the DSHS data in order to understand the burden of Covid-19 on Austin and Travis County. We receive data directly from hospitals, labs, and partners, and we have teams dedicated to data entry, case investigation and evaluating the Covid-19 response in Austin-Travis County. Because providers are required to directly report suspected or confirmed cases to the local health department, APH begins case investigations with those reports to keep the community safe.”

The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation has partnered with Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In Theater to stage a downtown drive-in theater on the roof of the state parking garage at Third and San Antonio streets. The theater will operate from Aug. 27 through at least the end of October, with regular showings on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as special select dates. The Downtown Alliance will provide additional programming for the events, with artists, musicians, storytellers and other performing arts organizations on tap. Downtown restaurants and nearby businesses will help promote deliveries of meals and other purchases to theater patrons. Blue Starlite has developed an entirely contact-free experience because of the health concerns from Covid-19, with guests required to stay in their vehicles at all times other than for restroom visits while wearing a face mask. Information on showings is available at bluestarlitedrivein.com.

Oakwood Chapel is hosting a dialogue about voting rights featuring four venerable and accomplished women: NAACP historian Cecilia Gutierrez Venable, Texas A&M professor Jessica Brannon-Wranosky, Texas Standard reporter Joy Diaz, and moderator Jennifer Chenoweth. The conversation takes place amid the backdrop of the chapel’s online exhibit “To Vote,” which “recognizes Austin’s suffragists during the 100th, the 55th and the 45th anniversaries of all women gaining the right to vote in America. Many people who worked hard for that right are buried in Austin’s municipal cemeteries. In Texas, generations of women rallied across the state for voting rights that helped them manage households, businesses and properties. Texas was the first southern state to ratify the 19th Amendment because of the activism of these people.” The dialogue is on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2-3:30 p.m., and takes place online. Register for the free event on Eventbrite. Attend the virtual exhibit “To Vote.”

Texas Performing Arts and Fusebox Festival are teaming up to launch a new residency program for performing artists. According to the announcement, “This partnership comes at a time both organizations believe there is vital work to do to ensure the performing arts industry has not only a future, but a sustainable one …. the residency program is geared towards adventurous Austin-based artists who are pushing the boundaries of performance and on the cusp of new projects, as well as furthering the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the local performing arts community.” The residency will award up to $20,000 to four artists or ensembles. Texas Performing Arts Executive Director Bob Bursey said, “Without a typical schedule of performances, it’s the perfect moment for us to repurpose our stages as laboratories for Austin artists who have been so hard hit by the pandemic. When we are able to gather together again, we want to ensure there will be compelling new performances to see.” Ron Berry and Anna Gallagher-Ross, Fusebox artistic directors, added, “We want to provide time and space for diverse artists to create and invent on their own terms, rather than focusing on an immediate product or outcome, and we believe the financial burden of this creation process should not fall entirely on the artists.”