ATX PULSE 9/27/24 (sponsored by TX Flyover): Details on COA-APA Labor Contract Released // Council Pressures over G-File // Council Approves All Expansion Projects at ABIA // Council Approves Pet Microchip Requirement with AAC at Capacity

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TODAY’S WEATHER

H: 94° / L: 65°. Cool in the morning, hot during the day. Latest forecast from Fox 7 Austin’s Zack Shields here.

TOP NEWS

“City of Austin releases details of tentative contract agreement with Austin Police Association,” KXAN’s Sam McCarthy and Brianna Hollis — “The City of Austin has publicly released its tentative five-year agreement with the Austin Police Association (APA).

The contract includes a 28% pay raise for officers over the course of the contract, additional field training officer pay and a stipend for officers working the night shift, according to the city of Austin.

The agreement also appears to allow the public to submit anonymous complaints and extends the statute of limitations on the discipline of officers to a year.

‘G-file’ questions still remain

Austin City Council members are asking the city to clarify or confirm other elements of the agreement, specifically whether or not the department’s controversial “g-file” will be eliminated.

The “g-file” contains records of primarily unsubstantiated misconduct complaints against officers that did not result in discipline. The Austin Police Oversight Act (APOA), which voters passed in May 2023, called for those records to no longer remain sealed, and for the public to have access to them by means of filing an official public information request. This issue made its way through the courts for months, until a judge issued a temporary injunction late August saying the city was unlawfully keeping the records confidential.

Community advocates say the public has a right to this information and the decision-making process that goes into not disciplining an officer. The Austin Police Association said this complaints are typically “outlandish” and have the potential to create an untrue negative picture of a police officer.

Earlier this month, the City Manager’s Office informed the mayor and council during a private special-called meeting that the City would begin to release the records to people who requested them under the Texas Public Information Act.

Since questions remained on the nature of this, Some council members are calling for further clarification on the matter, and want to get those answers before voting the contract through.

“The language governing the anonymous complaint process and the 365-day rule appears to meet the requirements of the APOA; the language regarding the public availability of police personnel records appears to be satisfactory, but I want clarification from the City Attorney about the availability of information previously maintained in the G-file,” Council Member Jose “Chito” Vela said.

Vela wants confirmation that both new and old “g-file” information will be released and would like more information about how that information will be made available to the public.

It’s a sentiment that Council Member Zohaib “Zo” Qadri echoed.

“I read the G-file section the same way and would also like clarification before we move forward. We need access to all G-file info, past and present, and a transparent system moving forward that allows for public availability of personnel records,” he wrote on social media.

The city released a statement from City Manager T.C. Broadnax and said in part “The City of Austin no longer maintains G-files. Prop A and the current court ruling confirm and further provide assurance that there are no G-files.”

The statement goes on to say “Further, based on the recent court decision as it relates to G-files, the City is – and will – release any information requested through a public information request in the same way all other such requests are processed. These measures comply with Prop A.”

If passed, it would be the first multi-year contract passed since 2018. Since March of 2023, Austin police have been without a long-term contract.

The city council is set to vote for approval on Oct. 10. APA members will also be asked to vote.” Austin Monitor

THE BLOTTER

“Raul Meza: Suspected serial killer’s victims’ families upset about plea deal, want trial,” Fox 7 Austin’s Meredith Aldis — “A suspected serial killer is expected to spend the rest of his life in prison, according to the family of one of the victims. 

Raul Meza Jr. is scheduled to accept a plea deal in court on Monday, but the victim’s family is against it, saying they want the case to go to trial.

"It's this club that nobody wants to be a part of," Gloria Lofton’s daughter Christina Fultz said.

The club being the family of a suspected serial killer’s victim.

"It's not just our mom, it’s this person, this person, this person, this person.

Family members of Raul Meza's victims demand trial

Family members of suspected serial killer Raul Meza’s victims are demanding the Travis County District Attorney take the case to trial.

Meza is accused of killing Lofton in 2019, killing Jesse Fraga in 2023 and robbing and shooting Derly Ramirez on New Year’s Eve in 1975.

Meza was convicted of the murder of 8-year-old Kendra Page who was found dead in a dumpster at a Southeast Austin Elementary School in 1982. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but was released after serving just over 11 years.

"If he served his full term, our mom would still be here to this day, Mr. Fraga would still be here to this day," Gloria Lofton’s daughter Sonia Houston said.

Meza is now behind bars after confessing to the murder of Fraga and implicating himself in the murder of Lofton. He’s charged with capital murder.

"This is someone that took multiple lives through multiple decades," Fultz said.

Lofton’s daughters said they want justice.

"He needs to face the community," Fultz said.

"We want to go to trial," Houston said.

But apparently that is not going to happen.

"When we went in to even discuss the idea of possibly accepting said plea deal, it was more of a, hey, we're doing you a courtesy by letting you know. This is what it was. It's going to be life without parole and life. You know, you kind of wrap your heads around that," Houston said.

"We were told, not asked," Fultz said.” Fox 7 Austin

“Woman killed in Northwest Austin murder-suicide: APD,” via Fox 7 Austin — “Austin police have identified the woman killed in a murder-suicide in Northwest Austin.

Police said on Sept. 24, around 12:16 p.m., 911 received a call from a family member requesting a welfare check on her niece and her niece's husband at 5705 Diehl Trail. The caller said she had not heard from either of them in the past 24 hours.

Around 1:13 p.m., the caller called again saying she was at the couple's apartment, but there was no answer at the door, even though their vehicle was parked outside.” Fox 7 Austin

“Police execute search warrant at East Austin game room after ‘joint investigation’,” CBS Austin’s Stephanie Becerra — “The Austin Police Department initiated a joint investigation into an East Austin game room following numerous complaints and a significant number of arrests at the site over the past several months.

In response to the escalating concerns, APD patrol officers collaborated with the Organized Crime Unit to conduct a thorough investigation into the establishment.

On September 25, multiple APD units executed a search warrant at the Luck 4 Ever game room located at 2514 East 7th Street.

As of now, APD detectives are in the early stages of their investigation and further details have not yet been made available. The department said more information will be released as the investigation progresses.” CBS Austin

“Authorities identify motorcyclist killed in collision with CapMetro bus,” CBS Austin’s Tara Brolley — “Authorities have identified the motorcyclist killed in a collision with a Capital Metro bus as 33-year-old Joshua Lee-Michael Babb.

The crash occurred Tuesday at approximately 7:40 a.m. near the intersection of Avenue F and East Koenig Lane, according to the Austin Police Department. Babb was pronounced dead at the scene.

A bus passenger was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident marks Austin's 65th fatal crash of 2024, resulting in 70 fatalities.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the collision. Anyone with information is urged to contact APD's Vehicular Homicide unit at 512-974-8111.” CBS Austin

“FAA, NTSB investigating after small plane crashes in Lakeway,” KVUE’s John Diaz — “An investigation is underway after a small plane crash in Lakeway.

The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when Lakeway police said the plane left the runway after landing. Austin-Travis County EMS said two people were involved in the crash that happened in the yard of a home on Triton Court, which is next to Lakeway Airpark.

According to authorities, one person was taken to St. David's South Austin with potentially serious injuries. Authorities said the second person was treated at the scene.

Police added that a tree was also damaged in the incident. It's still unknown what caused the crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the crash, with the NTSB as the lead agency. The FAA released the following statement on their preliminary investigation:

"A single-engine Cirrus SR22 crashed in Lakeway, Texas around 6:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Two people were on board. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will lead the investigation and will provide any updates."“ KVUE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Could language dispute derail tentative contract between Austin, police union?,” Austin American-Statesman’s Skye Seipp — "Just days after shaking hands on a tentative contract, the city of Austin and the police union have told the American-Statesman they have differing interpretations on how the deal would affect once-confidential police personnel information, such as that of alleged misconduct by officers.

The issue has now cast uncertainty as to whether the Austin City Council will approve the tentative contract, since members have expressed concern that it isn't clear if it complies with the voter-approved Austin Police Oversight Act, formerly known as Proposition A.

A key tenet of contract negotiations this year between the city and Austin Police Association has been about factors relating to compliance with that act. While multiple aspects of the oversight act needed to be worked out through the city's meet-and-confer process with the association, almost none took center stage more than that of the "G-file."

The G-file is a confidential personnel file kept by the Police Department that, among other things, holds accusations of misconduct lodged against officers that were found not to be substantial or to rise to the level of any discipline. When voters overwhelmingly approved the oversight act, they elected to eliminate the use of the file.

The city previously said it couldn't get rid of the G-file because it would violate state law unless a deal was worked out with the association to end its use. Activists disagreed, and the G-file became part of a lawsuit against the city for not implementing aspects of the oversight act.

But now that the city and union have a tentative deal, which will cost nearly $218 million over five years while giving officers a 28% raise over those years, both sides appear to have a differing opinion of the contract's language about what happens to G-file materials.

The issue is whether there's a grandfather clause in the contract for the release of G-file materials. That grandfathering comes from a previous deal during the bargaining process between the city and the union that said the city would not release any G-file materials that existed from before the start of the contract.

In the tentative agreement, the police association says there is a grandfather clause, while the city maintains there is not.

Additionally, activists who got the oversight act on the ballot believe the contract, which was made public Wednesday, allows for the grandfathering of materials.

City Council Members José “Chito” Vela, José Velásquez and Zohaib "Zo" Qadri have publicly stated on the city's message board that they want clarity on the issue. Vela and Qadri both said they believe there isn't a grandfather clause, but they said that they still need the city to clarify its stance before they take a vote to ratify the contract.

Vela has called on the city to release a memo clarifying its stance on the G-file by Oct. 2. The council is expected to vote to ratify the contract at its Oct. 10 meeting.

"We have a duty to ensure that the public understands how the agreement impacts transparency and oversight," Vela wrote. "Our police officers also need to understand what they are voting on."

City Manager T.C. Broadnax released a statement on Thursday saying there are "no G-files" in the tentative contract with the police association. He added the city " is — and will — release any information requested through a public information request in the same way all other such requests are processed. These measures comply with Prop A.”

“The City of Austin no longer maintains G-files," Broadnax said in the statement. "Prop A and the current court ruling confirm and further provide assurance that there are no G-files."“ AAS ($)

“Council approves all major expansion projects at Austin’s airport,” KVUE’s Brittny Eubank — "Major expansion projects are coming to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

At their meeting on Thursday, Austin City Council members approved contracts that will pave the way for the design and construction of new facilities at the airport.

The projects are part of "Journey With AUS," an expansion plan aimed at enhancing the airport's capacity and infrastructure. Key efforts of the program include: 

• Concourse B: A 20-gate midfield concourse that will connect directly to the Barbara Jordan Terminal and feature "modern boarding areas" and concession spaces. Expected to be completed in 2030

• The Arrivals and Departures Hall: A multistory building, located north of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, that will add expanded ticketing and check-in areas, consolidated security checkpoints and an expanded baggage claim area. Roughly estimated to be completed in 2030

• Replacing the Red Garage with a new parking garage, surface lots and an improved roadway, plus a larger curbside for passenger drop-off to the new Arrivals and Departures Hall

• Enhancing the airfield with new parallel midfield taxiways 

• Upgrading utilities like a new Central Utility Plant to heat and cool the expanded airport

According to the city, Journey With AUS projects represent an estimated $4 billion investment in expanding and modernizing the airport. The program is funded in part by Federal Aviation Administration grants, as well as current and future airport revenues, airport revenue bonds and cash reserves.

On Friday, the airport will celebrate the start of construction on new taxiways that will help with the development of Concourse B.” KVUE

“Austin City Council approves fund search to keep Marshalling Yard homeless shelter open,” CBS Austin’s Andrew Freeman — "Austin City Council has approved a resolution directing the city to find funding to keep the Marshalling Yard emergency homeless shelter open beyond its slated March 2025 closure date.

The Austin Convention Center's Marshalling Yard provides 300 temporary beds and has served more than 1000 individuals experiencing homelessness since opening last August. Even with its operation though, a recent report found the city is still 600 beds short of meeting needs in Austin.

Now the challenge will be finding that money until a more permanent solution is in place, despite already costing the city more than $9 million. Without more federal funding from the COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act, the city of Austin is facing new challenges when it comes to addressing homelessness.

"Our system in Austin is short in all the areas," The city of Austin's Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said. "We don't have enough street outreach workers, we don't have enough shelter beds, and we don't have enough permanent housing beds."

Gray says the current real estate market only makes finding those permanent solutions even more difficult.

"We've been looking at property hotels, vacant land, other warehouses," Gray said. "We've been doing that all year."

That's why Austin Mayor Kirk Watson put forward a resolution to extend the use of the temporary shelter at the convention center's Marshalling Yard. It was originally scheduled to close next March, but working to reach that deadline has put an additional strain on the system.

"We have a commitment to our clients that we are not going to exit them back into the street," Gray said. "So we've had to stop intake at all of our shelters in order to reserve beds at other shelters in the system."

The city council took the first step towards that extension Thursday, directing the city manager to find money to keep the emergency shelter open.

In a statement to CBS Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson said the following:

I’m very pleased that the Austin City Council approved the item I sponsored because those who are experiencing homelessness can’t tolerate for inaction. The Marshalling Yard is a critical piece of our homelessness response system and allows us to continue to compassionately and humanely relocate people who are living unsheltered in unsafe environments through our encampment clean-up initiative known as HEAL.“ CBS Austin

“With Austin Animal Center chronically at capacity, council approves requiring pet microchips,” Austin American-Statesman’s Emeliano Tahui Gomez and Ella McCarthy — "The Austin City Council approved an ordinance Thursday that will soon require residents to microchip their pets.

The action comes at a time when the Austin Animal Center, the city's centralized animal shelter, has struggled with overcapacity issues over most of the past decade. This year, the shelter has averaged more than 500 animals at any given point, about 50 more than its capacity, according to Austin Animal Services Director Don Bland.

"Houston, Dallas, San Antonio — everyone except for Austin has done this," Bland told the American-Statesman in an interview prior to Thursday's vote. "We are behind the curve."

District 4 City Council Member José “Chito” Vela, who led the charge on the dais to promote microchipping pets last year, told the Statesman prior to the vote on the ordinance would serve as a "firm suggestion."

The hope is that veterinarians can now tell people the city requires microchipping, and thus more individuals will opt to get their new pets chipped at the vet, Vela said. Having more animals microchipped is meant to reduce the capacity burden on the animal shelter and make it easier for a lost pet to get home.

"Hopefully, that change in and of itself will boost the number of pets in the Austin area that are microchipped," Vela told the Statesman.

Using a syringe, the microchips – which are about the size of a large grain of rice – are placed under an animal’s skin, usually at the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades. Each chip contains unique information – a bit like a car’s vehicle identification number – and can be accessed with an electronic scanner. If the chip is registered, the owner can be contacted that their pet has been found.

The ordinance will go into effect in 10 days, according to a spokesperson from Vela's office.

The ordinance will apply to all pets older than four months — excluding wildlife or livestock. It will not have an enforcement measure. Those found not in compliance will be provided "with educational materials on microchipping," according to the draft proposal.

The city offers free microchipping at the Austin Animal Center seven days a week. The center, at 7201 Levander Loop in East Austin, is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Bland said it costs the city less than $3 to microchip an animal. In contrast, it costs the city about $54 a day to provide basic services to a shelter animal.” AAS ($)

“Travis County sets millions aside for justice system in next budget,” KVUE’s Melia Masumoto — "This week, Travis County Commissioners set aside millions of dollars in their nearly $2 billion budget for the county's justice system.

Close to $70 million would go toward mental health diversion resources, while an additional $15.5 million would go toward a Counsel at First Appearance program, also known as “CAFA.”

A CAFA program helps make sure defendants have access to attorneys before they go in front of a judge. It’s something the county hasn’t been able to provide for a long time.

“It’s high time that Travis County afford that,” said Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard of Precinct 3.

For years, the county has had trouble finding a place for those parties to meet, and hiring all the staff necessary to provide the service 24/7.

In April, the ACLU of Texas and other advocacy groups sued the county for not providing CAFA, saying it’s constitutionally required. The suit claimed without access to attorneys before going in front of a judge, it can result in people sitting in jail longer than they should, people receiving higher bond amounts they are not able to pay and can sometimes cause defendants to reveal information that can incriminate them in their case later on.

Since being sued, the county has been testing out trial runs of the CAFA program.

“We worked together to make sure that we ran a pilot to identify all of the things that were needed, the number of positions we needed,” said Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion of Precinct 1.

Last month, commissioners approved the creation of 39 new positions for CAFA. At the beginning of September, they held a job fair to recruit staff for CAFA, and commissioners said about 500 people attended.

The county says they don’t have an exact timeline of when they will fill all of these roles, but their priority is doing it correctly.” KVUE

BUSINESS NEWS

“Another big development appears to be on tap for booming Williamson County,” Austin Business Journal’s Cody Baird — “Hundreds of acres between Hutto and Taylor are newly primed for development.

That's because Williamson County commissioners approved a development agreement for a 343-acre municipal utility district at their Sept. 24 meeting. Little is known about development plans for the district — known as North Fork MUD — but it could bring with it a huge influx of homes.

For example, a similarly sized development, Trinity Ranch in Elgin, will have more than 1,700 homes.

Plano-based GRBK Edgewood LLC is the project developer for the North Fork MUD, and its listed address in the development agreement matches that of Plano-based Green Brick Partners Inc. (NYSE: GRBK). Green Brick didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. 

The development agreement includes few details of the project besides its location. The 343-acre site is midway between Hutto and Taylor at the meeting point of county roads 368 and 369.” ABJ ($)

2024

“In an unusual hearing, Ethics Commission advances complaints against Greco and Watson to next phase,” Austin Monitor’s Amy Smith — “Ethics complaints filed against mayoral candidate Doug Greco and incumbent Mayor Kirk Watson will move to a final hearing next month, but an anticipated court ruling could circumvent the proceedings.

In a preliminary hearing Wednesday, the Ethics Review Commission determined there were reasonable grounds to believe that both Greco and Watson violated the city’s campaign finance ordinance based on separate complaints that accused both candidates of exceeding the $46,000 contribution threshold from donors who live outside of postal ZIP codes within Austin city limits.

The commission voted 8-0 in favor of the complainant, former Ethics Commission member Betsy Greenberg. Her complaint also alleged Watson violated the ZIP code contributions limits in his 2022 campaign. Greenberg has said she supports Carmen Llanes Pulido in the mayoral race.

Wednesday’s preliminary hearing was unusual for two reasons.

First, Greco has a lawsuit pending in federal court claiming the city’s limitations on contributions from outside the city of Austin violate donors’ constitutional rights. Given the approaching election, the lawsuit is on an accelerated timeline, and Greco is seeking an expedited hearing and ruling by Oct. 4.

Second, in a surprising move, Ethics Commission Chair Michael Lovins denied Watson’s representative, veteran campaign finance lawyer Jim Cousar, an opportunity to present documents to the commission to support his argument that Watson’s campaign complied with the ordinance.

Cousar is no stranger to the city’s Ethics Commission and Austin’s strict campaign finance ordinance. He has served as the commission’s special counsel numerous times over the years, has represented respondents before the commission and has advised Watson on campaign finance matters since the 1990s. As such, Cousar was confounded by Lovins’ ruling.

Lovins, after conferring with special counsel Chris Feldman and referring to the commission’s rules for preliminary hearings, said he would only allow Cousar’s verbal testimony and that written materials would be presented if the commission determined the case should go to a final hearing.

Cousar later told the Austin Monitor he was left speechless by the ruling.

“I’ve never been in a proceeding where the respondent was not given the right to provide a written statement and supporting evidence before a decision was made,” he said.

The Watson documentation, which Cousar provided to the Monitor, included a statement from the campaign with a detailed summary of each of the four accompanying spreadsheets.” Austin Monitor

SPORTS

~ TEXAS FOOTBALL: “Ewers still in flux for SEC opener, Sarkisian said decision to come Friday,” KXAN’s Billy Gates — “Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday the decision on whether quarterback Quinn Ewers plays in the Longhorns’ Southeastern Conference opener will come Friday.

Ewers is recovering from an abdominal strain that kept him out of the 51-3 home win over Louisiana-Monroe, allowing redshirt freshman Arch Manning to make his first career start. Ewers is officially listed as questionable on the SEC injury report released Wednesday.

“We want to give Quinn every opportunity to see if he’s ready to play,” Sarkisian said. “We’re not trying to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. He’s improved every day and Arch has had a very good week.”

Sarkisian added that true freshman quarterback Trey Owens “probably had his best practice as a Longhorn” on Thursday and said that was “very encouraging.”

Texas’ first SEC opponent will certainly be without its starting quarterback. Mississippi State’s Blake Shapen had season-ending shoulder surgery after suffering an injury in last week’s 45-28 loss to the Florida Gators. Freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. is now the starter for the Bulldogs, and Sarkisian said he’ll be tough to gameplan against because there’s not a lot of tape on him. Van Buren came in after Shapen’s injury and completed 7 of 13 pass attempts for 100 yards.” KXAN

~ AUSTIN FC: “It’s Time for Austin FC to Leave Its Past, and Its Coach, Behind,” Austin Chronicle’s Eric Goodman — “Wolff out.

There, I said it. Happy now?

After Austin FC’s latest showing, a 1-0 loss at home to the Houston Dynamo Saturday that – barring an act of God – essentially eliminated the Verde and Black from the MLS Cup Playoffs, I’ve seen enough.

Wolff out. Ugh. I need to take a shower.

It’s never a good feeling to advocate for someone’s firing (provided they haven’t crossed any moral/behavioral lines), but there comes a point when it must be acknowledged that things simply aren’t working. We’ve reached that point between Austin FC and head coach Josh Wolff. It’s time for a new set of eyes, a new vision, and a new voice to lead the Austin FC locker room into the 2025 season and beyond.

Look, the record is what it is: a mediocre 44 wins, 59 losses, and 29 ties across Austin FC’s 3.9 regular seasons under Wolff. No deep runs in the U.S. Open Cup or Leagues Cup. Yes, Wolff did shepherd Austin FC to the Western Conference Final in 2022, but that already seems like a distant dream.

To be fair and realistic, Wolff has certainly faced more than his share of challenges and roadblocks during his tenure – too many to get into here. Anyone who thinks he alone is the sole reason why Austin FC has missed the playoffs three out of four years is kidding themselves, and the question of whether Wolff has truly been given a fair shake in his four seasons in Austin is legitimately debatable and likely a column for another day.

Even in recent matches against Toronto, LAFC, and Houston, Austin played well enough to conceivably win all three games. But, due mainly to poor finishing and bad luck, the Verde and Black managed just one draw and two losses that did their coach zero favors. After Saturday’s match, the frustration was obvious.

“I can sit here and tell [the players] to be more ruthless, be more shrewd in front of goal, be more clinical, but those are just words,” Wolff said. “In order to win games, we’ve got to score goals. And it gets old. It gets old for you guys. It certainly gets old for me as well.”

At the end of the day, though, “getting old” is the issue. In this business, four years is a sizable chunk of time. Only four – that’s right, four – active MLS head coaches have held their posts longer than Wolff. If the record doesn’t add up, then there must be some other undeniable reason for Austin to maintain the status quo.

There isn’t.” Austin Chronicle

~ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: “Texas high school football scores for Thursday, Sept. 26,” KXAN’s Billy Gates — “Dripping Springs easily put Akins away 63-0 and Liberty Hill thumped Navarro 64-0 in high school football action around Central Texas on Thursday

Pflugerville Connally beat Crockett 63-7 and Travis won 55-8 over Eastside. Westwood used a strong second half to top Manor 28-16 in the KBVO Game of the Week.

Waco University beat Lampasas 28-21.

Dripping Springs 63, Akins 0

Liberty Hill 64, Navarro 0

Pflugerville Connally 63, Crockett 7

Travis 55, Eastside 8

Waco University 28, Lampasas 21

Westwood 28, Manor 16” KXAN

QUICK LINKS

~ Eanes ISD implements new communication, community engagement tools - Community Impact

~ John Paul DeJoria's purchase of Austin gin company to fuel rapid growth - ABJ

~ Numbers still down for many mortgage lenders - ABJ

~ Sushi, smoothies and saunas: 12 business updates for far Northwest Austin - Community Impact

~ Delayed CapMetro Rapid routes to launch next year with slower service and diesel buses - Austin Monitor

~ City taps Rally Austin for funds to buy historic cultural spaces - Austin Monitor

~ COTA aims to raise $65M toward its long-awaited amusement park - KXAN

~ Council tells staff to find funds for continued use of Marshalling Yard - Austin Monitor

~ UT Austin student and his wife missing in Mexico for more than two months - KVUE

~ Hays CISD rolls out “threat regret” campaign following student-made campus threats - Community Impact

~ First Google Fiber customers in Round Rock receive service - Community Impact

~ Superheroes save the day at Dell Children's Medical Center - Austin American-Statesman

~ Kohl's, Chipotle, and more headed to Bastrop - Community Impact

~ STAAR scores, a task force and summer bond projects: 5 Pflugerville ISD updates to know - Community Impact

~ Juiced Up, YTX Yoga relocating in downtown Austin this fall - Community Impact

~Austin, San Antonio economic leaders working closely together - ABJ

~ Prime downtown space left vacant by Estelle's already has a taker - ABJ

~ Austin OKs close to $2B for ABIA expansion - ABJ

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ TACOS: ”This Austin food truck is the 'best taco spot' in Texas, Yelp says” AAS ($)

~ DINING: ”The Best South First Restaurants and Bars in Austin” Eater Austin

~ DOWNTOWN NIGHTLIFE: Space that once held Truluck’s and Estelle’s to become a private event space, Tiger Lilly. ABJ

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND

~ “Things to do in Austin this weekend” KVUE

Fri

~ LIVE MUSIC: Weezer (with the Flaming Lips and Dinosaur, Jr.). Moody Center. Doors 6pm, show 7pm. Tix $39.50 and up here.

Sat

~ UT FOOTBALL: #1 Texas hosts Mississippi State at 3:15pm at DKR Memorial Stadium. Re-sale tix $40 and up here. Game also airs on SEC Network.

~ AUSTIN FC: Austin FC hosts Real Salt Lake at 7:30pm. Re-sale tix $16 and up here.

Sun

~ LIVE MUSIC: Johnny Marr (with James). Stubb’s (801 Red River). Doors 6:30pm. Tix $56 and up here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Senior Associate Vice President for Legal Affairs: UT Dell Medical School. Salary: $250k+ commensurate with experience. Info / apply here.