Mike Siegel, an assistant city attorney for Austin, has a new hobby. He is one of five Democrats competing in the March 6 primary to run against incumbent U.S. Congress member Michael McCaul in District 10. The district’s pretty safely Republican, but Siegel is doing well and reports that he has gotten an endorsement from just about every Democratic group he has asked. That includes the Austin Environmental Democrats; the Stonewall Democrats of Austin; the Capital Area Progressive Democrats, the Austin Central Labor Council; and the Austin chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The district stretches from Austin to Houston, and Siegel noted that he had picked up endorsements from Area 5 Democrats, the oldest Democratic club in Texas, as well as the Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, Houston AFSCME and Unite Here Local 23, which represents airport workers. He also said he has support from Council members Greg Casar, Pio Renteria and Delia Garza. He said he will continue to work his day job and campaign at night, during lunch hours and weekends and “I take leave when I have to.” He said if he gets the Democratic nomination he will have to talk to his boss about taking more time off. Siegel has handled some high-profile cases for the city, including the lawsuit against the state over Senate Bill 4, the anti-immigrant legislation passed by the state legislature in 2017.

Last Friday, Feb. 2, Nathan Wiebe completed his final day as the chief of investigations for the Office of the City Auditor. His new role is IT security consultant for the Office of the Chief Information Security Officer. Specifically, Wiebe will work in digital forensic investigations to support citywide inquiries. With his background in computer forensics, this job appears to be a natural transition. Wiebe told the Austin Monitor that as our world migrates more and more online, being able to investigate people in conjunction with their digital footprint is a pivotal skill set. Jason Hadavi, the deputy city auditor who is looking for a replacement for Wiebe’s position, told the Monitor that it is not, however, an easy skill set to find. The city is currently reaching out to candidates across the country and encouraging them to apply when the position opens officially. “If they can get one of these folks on board, I’m very, very comfortable it will be a smooth transition,” said Wiebe.

The Austin Public Library and KAZI Book Review are hosting a free Celebration of Diverse Literary Voices of Texas, in honor of African-American History Month. Eight Texas authors and editors will be in attendance for readings and “panel discussions on cultural diversity, African American education, Mexican American literature and social justice in literature,” according to the news release. Books will be available for sale. Head to the Austin Central Library Living Room (on the sixth floor) on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 1 to 5 p.m.

It’s time for the State of the County address. Every year, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt delivers a speech covering the previous year’s accomplishments and setting out goals for the next year. This year’s State of the County will be tonight at 6 p.m. at the Travis County Administration Building, 700 Lavaca St., first floor. Everyone is welcome.

Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, who has served as the leader of Austin’s Fire Department since 2009, is returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she began her career as a firefighter 18 35 years ago. Interim City Manager Elaine Hart announced Wednesday that Kerr had accepted the position of fire chief at the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department, where she started in 1983 before becoming fire chief in Little Rock, Arkansas, and then in Austin. Her retirement is effective July 1, which will give Austin’s new City Manager Spencer Cronk time to get his feet on the ground before choosing a new chief. When Kerr came to Austin, she was the first female chief and exemplified the city’s push to hire more female firefighters. She will also be the first female chief for Fort Lauderdale. Although the local firefighters union has voted to censure her twice, it has not stopped her from rising through the ranks in the International Association of Fire Chiefs. She served as president of that organization as well as president of the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association during 2015-16. In Austin, Kerr established four-person staffing on all fire apparatus and started the first Wildfire Division. Kerr also helped to create the Austin Fire Foundation and expanded the department’s outreach to distribute free smoke alarms every year. Although the Austin department is considerably larger than Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue, the Florida city was recognized as having the busiest fire station in the nation in 2014.

Council Member Ann Kitchen has an update on Senior Policy Advisor Ken Craig and information on how to help. Craig was in a serious accident last month on the Slaughter Bridge during the ice storm. Kitchen said her office is collecting cards for Craig and has organized a blood drive for March 19 at City Hall. To donate blood in his name, visit the We Are Blood website and use the group code C874. In addition, people can spread the word about this drive using this poster, or donate blood using the group code at other We Are Blood clinics located at 4300 N. Lamar Blvd. and 3100 W. Slaughter Lane. Reservations at those clinics can be made by calling 512-206-1266.

Kitchen also relayed a message from Craig, which reads:

Thanks for the prayerful support of all of you. I have been able to complete the first stage of my recovery and am now engaged in inpatient rehabilitative care. Due to the virulent nature of this particular strain of flu in the area, this being cold season, and my compromised respiratory system, my ability to receive visitors will be extremely limited.

I will always be grateful for each of you. Thank you.

The city of Austin has been working on improvements to Anderson Mill Road between Spicewood Parkway and U.S. Highway 183. Last year, staff gathered community input and combined it with technical assessments to create a draft of “recommendations to improve mobility, safety and connectivity for all roadway users.” Now, the city would like some feedback on these recommendations. The feedback will be used to inform the preliminary engineering report, which is planned to be released in March 2018; the design phase should begin shortly after. To offer feedback, attend the open house this Saturday, Feb. 10, from 10 a.m. to noon at Hope Presbyterian Church’s Activities and Education Center (11559 Spicewood Parkway). District 6 City Council Member Jimmy Flannigan would love to see you there!

Noticed quicker travel times on Cesar Chavez Street recently? It’s not just a seasonal phenomenon. According to the Austin Transportation Department, the traffic signals on Cesar Chavez were retimed after the opening of the MoPac Express Lanes, and this appears to have resulted in reduced rush hour delays in the area. The news release mentions that the department has noticed reductions in both the morning and evening rush hours. Travel time reductions range from 25 to 30 percent, which means travelers are arriving at their destinations about 2 to 5 minutes faster than they were before the signal retiming. The department plans to continue monitoring travel times in the area to keep improving the experience for commuters.

If you’ve been meaning to get a library card but you are unable or can’t find the time to visit a branch, the Austin Public Library now has an option for you. Austinites aged 18 and older can now register for a library “eCard” completely online by submitting an application and uploading a copy of a valid (not expired) acceptable photo ID and proof of current residence address. Applications take two to three business days to process, and you can find the form here. Once approved, you will receive an email with your eCard number, which will provide you with access to all the electronic resources that are in the Virtual Library, such as streaming entertainment and e-books. If you decide one day that you’d like to check out physical books or movies, you can convert your eCard account to a full-access account by bringing your ID and residence documentation to any library branch. Note: You already have access to the full Virtual Library if you already have a library card.

Kathie Tovo, who represents District 9 on the Council and also serves as mayor pro tem, will officially launch her re-election campaign at El Mercado on Thursday. Volunteers have already been collecting signatures in the various neighborhoods of District 9, but Tovo is hoping to get more signatures and more volunteers at Thursday’s party. Tovo is gathering signatures because she has served two terms, one under the at-large system and one under the current system, and it’s foggy how term limits work in this case. She was not certain whether she needed the signatures because of a difference of opinion about the matter, but she decided last fall to collect the signatures as soon as she could do so, and eliminate any doubt as to her eligibility. She needs to collect signatures of 5 percent of voters in her district. She told the Austin Monitor that she needs “somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,700, but I’m aiming for 5,000” signatures, adding, “We’re hoping to get it done quickly.” Longtime campaign consultant David Butts and media specialist Dean Rindy are assisting with the campaign, Tovo said. So far, no one has announced intentions to run against Tovo, who is popular with the neighborhood activists and environmentalists. She defeated incumbent Randi Shade for her at-large seat in 2011, and then ran against and defeated a fellow Council member, Chris Riley who withdrew from the runoff, in the first district race in 2014.

This whisper has been edited to clarify that Riley withdrew from the Council election.

Sad that City Council isn’t meeting this week? Don’t worry, they are. Council will convene at City Hall today at 1:30 p.m. in order to discuss the upcoming paid sick leave ordinance (a draft of which is posted here.) The meeting was scheduled for 1 p.m., but Council Member Greg Casar allowed that the meeting would likely start later than planned due to various commitments on the dais. City Council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance on Feb. 15, and discuss it again at the work session prior to that meeting, on Feb. 13. If it passes, the new city law would mandate Austin employers offer paid sick leave to employees.

Construction of the Loyola Lane bridge over the future 183 South Expressway has begun. As a result, for about a year, the Loyola Lane crossing over U.S. Highway 183 will be closed. The crossing will be closed to bicycles and pedestrians as well. Loyola Lane west of 183 will also close for about two months to allow crews to construct the new general-purpose lanes and connect them to Loyola. Expect travel delays near these areas. Eventually, the 183 South Expressway will pass underneath Loyola Lane. View the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority website here for maps of the affected areas, planned traffic impacts of this project and suggested detours for drivers.