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ATX Pulse 7/22-24/26 (free):
Everything you NEED TO KNOW about Austin.
Matt Mackowiak
July 21, 2026
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THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2026 - TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2026
Compiled by Matt Mackowiak
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WEATHER
Wednesday: H: 84° / L: 75°. 64% chance of rain.
Thursday: H: 84° / L: 75°. 64% chance of rain.
Friday: H: 93° / L: 75°. Partly cloudy. 20% chance of rain.
Saturday: H: 94° / L: 75°. Partly cloudy. 20% chance of rain.
Sunday: H: 95° / L: 73°. Partly cloudy. 20% chance of rain.
TOP NEWS
"City audit: Contracted nonprofits often missed service goals while receiving full payment" via CIN – Nonprofits contracted by the city often failed to provide agreed upon services or results, while Austin generally paid their expenses in full regardless of whether performance targets were met, a new internal audit found.
Austin officials stressed those findings may not apply to all local organizations contracted for family and social services, on which the city spent roughly $100 million annually, and instead reflect faults with government oversight. City management agreed to process reforms that are now in the works.
“This is first and foremost about the people we’re trying to serve, but it is really an indictment of our ability to manage that service, not to paint a broad brush and say every one of our partners is doing a bad job," council member Ryan Alter said. (CIN)
"How the Texas data center boom is pushing Austin to new limits on development" via AAS – Austin could require new data centers to create water conservation plans and end some non-disclosure practices for such developments as it looks for ways to reduce the impacts of the fast-growing, resource-hungry industry.
The Austin City Council is set to discuss a resolution this week in response to a call by Mayor Kirk Watson and four council members to find ways to reduce the strain on resources caused by large industrial customers such as the centers popping up in response to demand for computing power to support the artificial intelligence boom.
With its moves, Austin is joining an increasing number of local governments that are weighing responses as Texas becomes the fastest-growing data center market in the nation. (AAS)
"Austin’s rain fades as near-100-degree heat makes a comeback" via AAS – Austin's brief break from midsummer heat is ending as sunshine returns, storms fade and temperatures steadily climb back toward 100 degrees this week.
The same weather pattern that fueled days of soaking rain and localized flooding across parts of Central Texas is losing its grip. In its place, a strengthening dome of high pressure will bring a quieter stretch of weather, allowing rivers to slowly recede while afternoon temperatures steadily climb through the week.
By the second half of the week, many communities across the Austin area will be flirting with the century mark for the first time since July 8, when Austin recorded its first 100-degree day of the year.
A broad ridge of high pressure will continue building over Texas through Monday, suppressing cloud development and keeping rain chances to a minimum across Central Texas. (AAS)
"Central Texas lakes and hill country counties recover" via FOX7 – Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged by last week's floods in the Texas Hill Country, and while recovery is underway, dangerous conditions remain across Central Texas as floodwaters continue moving downstream.
Greg Abbott said nearly 600 homes and 100 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Kerr, Kendall and Comal counties during the floods that killed two people.
State leaders said Monday they are shifting from emergency response to recovery, but warned that the threat is not over for communities downstream. Greg Abbott said nearly 600 homes and 100 businesses were damaged or destroyed across Kerr, Kendall and Comal counties during the floods that killed two people. Kerr County sustained the heaviest damage, with nearly 500 homes affected.
First responders rescued at least 530 people statewide during the flooding. Meanwhile, water continues to move through the Highland Lakes system. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) still has one floodgate open at Mansfield Dam and multiple floodgates open at Tom Miller Dam as of Monday afternoon. Nim Kidd said investigators are still examining what happened after a privately owned barge broke loose during the flooding and struck a bridge in Kerrville. (FOX7)
"LCRA opens multiple floodgates at Wirtz and Starcke dams" via KEYE – The Lower Colorado River Authority opened multiple floodgates at Wirtz Dam and Starcke Dam Thursday night, releasing water from Lake LBJ and Lake Marble Falls. (KEYE)
"Austin unveils $6.63B proposed budget, plan would add $350 to typical household annual costs" via CIN – Austin leaders are reviewing the city's proposed $6.63 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27, a nearly 5% larger spending plan that would raise the typical household's costs about $350.
Additionally, officials proposed millions of dollars in cuts to social services to offset some of those cost drivers.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax framed the budget as maintaining long-term fiscal stability while withstanding local revenue challenges. "Like the community members we serve, we must live within our means," he wrote in his budget message. "We achieved a balanced budget in part by identifying reductions and reallocations in the City’s General Fund through this thoughtful, strategic and focused process."
The draft FY 2026-27 budget is about $301 million larger than the current $6.32 billion spending plan. It includes a $1.54 billion general fund largely backed by tax collections that supports community services, from parks and libraries to public safety and social programs. General fund costs would rise a combined $53 million or nearly 3.6%, led by spending on public safety. Austin Police's budget would jump by $24.22 million, followed by an $18.86 million increase for Austin Fire and a more than $6 million increase for Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services. Much of those cost increases are due to employee raises included in current labor agreements, and to address staffing and overtime needs. (CIN)
"A rising Lake Travis inches closer to homes at flood-prone Graveyard Point" via KEYE — People living along Lake Travis are keeping a close eye on the forecast after Tropical Depression Two formed in the Gulf. It is still too early to know whether Central Texas will see any rain from the system, but after last week's devastating flooding, even the possibility has homeowners on edge in one of the lake's most flood-prone neighborhoods.
A view of a full Lake Travis is what Larry Van Den Heuvel dreamed of when he bought his house just 30 days ago. “Pretty nice. Pretty nice,” said Van Den Heuvel as he looked at the lake from his deck. But now Van Den Heuvel is watching that same water inch closer to his new home in Graveyard Point. “The patio is all buried in water,” said Van Den Heuvel.
The floodwaters have yet to seep into his house, but they are close. Sunday brought some relief when the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) decided not to open another floodgate at Lake Buchanan, helping keep lake levels from rising even higher.
“If the water comes up any higher, then we are going to have a problem with the house. It will go underneath and we will probably have to do the floors,” said Van Den Heuvel. The Lake Travis water level now sits at almost 685 feet, which puts it nearly four feet above its full pool mark of 681 feet. (KEYE)
"New home battery program launches for Austin Energy customers." via AAS – Austin Energy customers can now sign up for home battery systems from an Austin startup that provide backup power during outages and support the city’s electric grid during periods of high demand.
Battery-maker Base Power Inc. has launched its service in Austin Energy’s territory, allowing eligible homeowners to have one of the company’s batteries installed outside their homes. The 40-kilowatt-hour battery automatically powers the home during an outage and can keep it running for up to 36 hours, the company said.
Under the agreement, Austin Energy can also draw power from participating batteries during periods of peak demand, easing strain on the grid, while Base Power will be responsible for installing the systems and maintaining them over time.
The rollout follows the Austin City Council’s April approval of up to $4.08 million in incentives for the partnership between the city-owned utility and Base Power. The project could give Austin Energy access to as much as 40 megawatts of distributed battery capacity as the utility works to expand local energy resources. (AAS)
"Jurors in high-profile Travis County case to receive $27K each after hearing 3 days of evidence" via KVUE — Travis County jurors in a high-profile criminal case are set to receive about $27,000 in payments after hearing three days of evidence in what officials and experts say is a highly unusual decision.
The fees will be paid to 12 jurors and two alternates in the evidence tampering case against former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and assistant county attorney Jason Nassour, after prosecutors dismissed charges against them last week.
The decision by state District Judge Karen Sage to pay the jurors a daily rate of $58 for nearly two years, minus weekends and holidays, comes after they remained sworn-in and on-call to return to court after prosecutors appealed a ruling against them that they said gutted their case. (KVUE)
"Dozens of dogs were stranded by Texas floods. Austin rescuers answered the call" via AAS – Austin Pets Alive! crews rescued dogs from flooded homes in the Texas Hill Country and South Texas after rising floodwaters cut off an evacuated neighborhood, leaving some families unable to take their pets with them.
Over four days, the Austin nonprofit deployed shelter staff and volunteers to Kerr County, Uvalde, Batesville and other flood-stricken communities, where teams found shelters that were “underwater or facing euthanasia due to overcrowding,” spokesperson Suzie Chase said.
One rescue mission took crews to a neighborhood near Crystal City that had been isolated by floodwaters. Staff and volunteers spent about an hour searching for a way in before the local fire department cleared them to enter, Chase said. (AAS)
THE BLOTTER
"Man charged with murder after deadly shooting at southeast Austin apartment complex" via KVUE – A man has been charged with murder in connection with a deadly shooting at a southeast Austin apartment complex on Saturday, July 18, police said.
Officers responded just after midnight to the 3200 block of Montopolis Drive after a caller reported hearing gunshots, according to the Austin Police Department (APD). When officers arrived, they found a 23-year-old man, later identified as Tyris Rivers, unresponsive with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives said the suspect, identified as Jaquan Easley, shot Tyris Rivers following a physical altercation at the residence. Jaquan Easley remained at the scene and was taken into custody on a murder charge.
Anyone with information related to this incident is urged to contact APD at 512-974-TIPS. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. (KVUE)
