County Judge Sarah Eckhardt formally resigned Tuesday to run for the Texas Senate. On Wednesday night, her colleague, County Commissioner Jeff Travillion, declared his intent to run for Travis County Judge. Travillion, who was first elected to serve Precinct 1 in 2016, announced his candidacy in a statement that can be read in full below, touting endorsements from an impressive array of elected officials.

City Council may hold a special called meeting on Tuesday, March 17, in order to address a possible vacancy on Council. The vacancy would occur if Council Member Greg Casar opts to run for the Texas Senate to fill Kirk Watson’s seat. That would leave Casar’s District 4 seat open until January, as Council cannot appoint someone to serve out the rest of his term, which ends this year. To remedy that, the city will have to hold a special election, likely in May. In an email to Council offices, City Clerk Jannette Goodall notes a complicating factor, saying, “As a reminder, the governor has not set the date for the Special Election to fill Senator Watson’s vacancy; therefore while we are posted for 3 p.m., we may have to recess and reconvene if the governor has not set the date. Positive thoughts that this will be a non-issue.”

The Save Our Springs Alliance wants to remind you that Barton Springs Pool, the crown jewel of Austin, is opening for the season this Saturday, March 14, at 5 a.m. Admission is free until 8 a.m., when the regular gate fee kicks in. Regular swimmers should consider buying a family season pass, which is good for two adults and two kids, whether you’re a family or a group of friends and neighbors. The pool is closed Thursdays for cleaning but the greenbelt is open daily for hiking. Parks and Recreation wants everyone to get outside for spring break, with a common-sense reminder to use best practices to stay safe and healthy.

With the Travis County Attorney race headed to a runoff, former candidate Dominic Selvera has thrown his support behind Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza. Selvera won 7.53 percent of the vote on March 3. Garza, who won 38.91 percent, will face off against Laurie Eiserloh, who won 42.2 percent of the vote and the endorsement of the fourth person in the race, Mike Denton. Selvera explained his support in a Twitter thread:

1/7 When we began our campaign for Travis County Attorney in early 2019, our goal was to bring true criminal justice reform to our community by ending the cash bail system, ending the war on drugs, and decriminalizing homelessness. pic.twitter.com/QEkqmUZrBu

— Dominic Selvera 🌹 (@nicselvera) March 10, 2020

Today is the deadline for local artists wishing to apply for the Corridor Construction Program Artist Pool. Artists in the pool have the opportunity to be considered for Art in Public Places projects, such as the upcoming Anderson Mill Road Regional Mobility Project, slated to start construction this summer. Visit the website for full details, eligibility and submission requirements.

Sure, it’s barely spring, but the Aquatic Division of Parks and Recreation is thinking ahead to summer. In order to fully staff Austin’s dozens of community and neighborhood swimming pools and splash pads, the division needs 518 more lifeguards (there’s supposed to be 750 in place by May). The Aquatic Division will be hosting training classes over spring break and those who qualify may receive training scholarships. Lifeguards make $15/hour, get free bus passes, enjoy flexible schedules and get to work outdoors. No prior experience necessary. Apply in person at the Aquatic Division office, 2818 San Gabriel St., from 8 a.m.-6 p.m., or online. Find more information on PARD Aquatic jobs here.

The city contractor has begun making street improvements to a section of Southwest Parkway to provide enhanced safety and pavement quality for motorists. The project is expected to take six to eight weeks, weather permitting, and will take place weekdays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and weekends from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. According to the news release, “Work will consist of surface milling, asphalt overlay, striping and installation of traffic signal loop indicators. The limits of the project are both eastbound and westbound lanes on Southwest Parkway from S Mopac Service Road to Mission Oaks Boulevard. Some lane closures may be in effect during working hours. Vehicles will always have access on SW Parkway in both directions.”

After a brief postponement, the protest-rights lawsuit against the city of Austin will be heard today at 2 p.m. at the Travis County Courthouse. The group of Austin homeowners that filed suit against the city argues that property owners have the right to formally protest the rezoning of their land under the Land Development Code rewrite currently underway. The city, of course, disagrees with this interpretation of the law. If the lawsuit is successful, it could change the shape of the rewrite and how the citywide rezoning is implemented.

Multiple blood drives have been canceled this week due to fears of coronavirus infection, leaving Central Texas hospitals and medical centers facing the possibility of critical shortages of blood in the near future. We Are Blood, which is the exclusive provider of blood and platelets to a 10-county area of Central Texas, has issued an “urgent, community-wide plea” for healthy people to donate blood. “(We) are seeing a downturn in blood donations as concern grows in our community,” said WAB’s Nick Canedo. “We want Central Texans to know it is safe to donate blood at our donor centers and mobile drives, and that blood and platelet donations made now will help us meet local patient needs while preparing our community for further impacts from the coronavirus in coming weeks.” Prospective donors may visit any of We Are Blood’s three Austin-area donor centers, and mobile blood drives are scheduled weekly. Not sure if you’re eligible to donate? Read this FAQ. “Making a blood or platelet donation now, or scheduling a donation for this week, will help mitigate lost blood donations due to mobile drive cancellations and prepare us for any further decreases in blood donations in our community,” Canedo said.

UT’s Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis and the UT Opportunity Forum are hosting a panel discussion about an issue that’s been top of mind for many Austinites: school closures. Austin ISD is one of many school districts that is in the process of closing or consolidating schools, which is “raising issues of equity and access, and questions about the impact on black and brown communities.” Lunch is provided at this free event, but seating is limited. Find a complete list of panelists and RSVP here. Friday, March 27, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m., University of Texas School of Law, Francis Auditorium in Townes Hall, 727 E. Dean Keeton St.

Thanks to a new pilot launched by the city and Capital Metro, 200 more B-cycles are hitting the streets of Austin. B-cycle is phasing out its current standard bikes in favor of electric models. According to the Transportation Department, “The first e-bikes will roll out this spring along with new docking stations that are more flexible, allowing for the shape and number of docks to be arranged in a way best suited to each location.” So get ready for a better, smoother, faster commute.

Former Judge Mike Denton, who came in third in the race for the Democratic nomination for Travis County Attorney on March 3, endorsed Assistant County Attorney Laurie Eiserloh on Monday, declaring that she is the best candidate to enact criminal justice reform. Precinct 4 Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gómez, who supported Denton in the primary, former Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos and Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder stood under a canopy across from the county courthouse in spotty showers to tell the public to vote for Eiserloh in the runoff against Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza. Garza was the first Latina elected to City Council, but Gómez was the first Latina elected commissioner. All those endorsing Eiserloh emphasized her experience, which includes 27 years practicing law, including her current position as the head of the labor law division in the County Attorney’s Office. Barrientos said during his years of public service, “I’ve come to appreciate deeply the qualifications of the individuals who were elected. It’s so, so important. … In some of the positions like this one, you don’t have that much time to get on-the-job training, and Eiserloh has vast experience, a record of compassion and innovative programs that she intends to push.” Eiserloh led into the runoff with 42 percent of the vote to Garza’s 39 percent. The runoff is scheduled for May 26. Since there is no Republican candidate in the race, the winner will become county attorney when the current occupant of the office, David Escamilla, retires at the end of this year.