Legacy Austin Businesses Shine in October Celebration

byRonan Benford

AUSTIN, Texas – Preservation Austin celebrated 13 longstanding Austin businesses during its first Legacy Business Month. The businesses range from skateparks to libraries, and include local staples Peter Pan Mini-Golf and the Green & White Grocery. All the establishments met the Preservation Austin criteria of being locally owned, open at least 20 years, and having […]

Students Share Art at the Cactus Café

byLeeza Meyer

AUSTIN, Texas – The UT Creative Arts and Theater Committee hosted its student art “Gala-ry” on Oct. 11 at the university’s Cactus Café. Students displayed their work and talked about art with visitors. The gallery featured more than thirty multimedia pieces from students of a variety majors. Some guests dressed in 1920s attire. Faculty, students […]

Sustainable Vendor Showcase Teaches UT Students Healthy Habits

byEdly Termilien

AUSTIN, Texas – UT Housing and Dining hosted a sustainable vendor showcase on Oct. 12 at the Texas Union patio to educate students about sustainable food brands. Mr. Greens, Teatulia and Lonestar Farm’s Local Salad were among the 13 vendors that participated in the event. Students gained insight on eco-friendly practices by visiting the booths. […]

Lifesaving Mix at ACL: Thousands of Overdose Reversal Drug Doses, Education and Music Come Together for First Time

byAnissa Sanchez

From a booth on the east side of Zilker Park, a husband and wife from Ohio exceeded their dreams of helping to save lives by distributing 6,000 doses of overdose-reversing drugs.
“We thought we were gonna do a couple of festivals in the Midwest; that’s all we hoped for,” William Perry said of his lifesaving operation called This Must Be the Place. “This year, we went coast to coast and now we’re here in Austin.”
Their booth at Austin City Limits Music Festival the past two weekends served as a beacon of information on preventing fatal overdoses of fentanyl and other opioids with the nasal spray naloxone.
Perry said they found a receptive crowd in Austin. 
“We were prepared to talk people into taking it and talk people into why they should have it, and obviously that was not the case,” Perry said. “All you have to do is sit and listen to us explain the signs and symptoms and how to administer the medication. It takes people two and a half minutes or so and now they’re equipped to go save a life.”

Austin Joins Cities Around the World in March Against Human Trafficking

byMichelle Lavergne

More than 500 marchers called for the end of human trafficking at the Texas State Capitol during this year’s Walk for Freedom rally Saturday.

UT Surplus Store Repurposes Items While Diverting Waste From Landfills

byMelanie Faz

AUSTIN, Texas – An off-campus warehouse filled with trinkets and treasures offers the Austin community the opportunity to buy University of Texas assets. The Surplus REuse Store is nestled in north Austin at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus, and is open to the public on Thursdays from 3-7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m.- 12 […]

COVID-19 Continues to Take a Toll on Food Industry

byNicola Iannelli

AUSTIN, Texas — A chef for several sororities in West Campus encountered a challenge shortly after beginning his job a few months ago. Chef Tyler Henderson had an issue with food stocking, recipes, and menus due to the lasting effects the pandemic had on the food industry. The pandemic affected the food production process from […]

Austin’s Second Annual Coffee Festival Provides Variety of Diverse Blends

byMeg Gross

AUSTIN, Texas – Coffee lovers attended Austin’s second annual coffee festival at Fair Market on East Fifth St. on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Two dozen vendors participated, including Austin coffee shop staples Merit Coffee Co. and Medici Roasting. Local roasters source their beans from around the world, offering alternatives to corporate coffee brands. “We […]

Can’t Eclipse the Fun: How Central Texans Experienced a Rare Celestial Show

byAnissa Sanchez, Katrina L. Spencer and Michelle Lavergne

After a summer spent trying to get away from the sun, Central Texans couldn’t take their eyes off of it Saturday — safely, of course.
Through protective glasses, they watched a solar eclipse in which the moon covered 93 percent of the sun just before noon.
Reporting Texas reporters documented how some Austinites celebrated and experienced Saturday’s heavenly event.

Hailstorm Leaves Significant Damage in Williamson and Travis Counties

byMatthew Collier

ROUND ROCK, Texas – A large hailstorm damaged many homes and vehicles in Georgetown, Round Rock and Austin on Sept. 24. The hailstorm began in northwestern Williamson County and increased in severity as it moved southeast through Georgetown and into Round Rock, where homeowners dealt with extensive property damage. Round Rock homeowner Onur, who asked […]

Peter Pan Aims for Historic Landmark Status Amid Property Ownership Change

byJanelle Tanguma

AUSTIN, Texas – The owners of a 75-year-old miniature golf course hope a historic landmark status designation will save them from closure. Margaret Dismukes Massad’s family has owned Peter Pan Mini-Golf since it opened in 1948. Her father, Glenn Dismukes, was one of the original founders along with his brothers and was the artist of […]

Students Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an Orisha Dance Workshop

byMiranda Cazares

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin hosted an Afro-Cuban Orisha dance workshop at the Recreational Sports Center, on Sept. 29. The event was one of several activities associated with Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 that recognizes the significant contributions of Hispanic/Latinx Americans. The Orisha workshop represented […]

Small Businesses Face Challenges of Rising Costs of Rent

byLauren Feldott

WESTLAKE, Texas – Austin continues to grow with the addition of large companies like Google and Tesla, and as a result, new residents create more competition for existing small businesses. For some older, local businesses, this means trouble with rising rent. Some successful ones, however, have something in common: community. Perriberri, a clothing boutique, has been […]

UT Students Practice Mindfulness at Poetry on the Pond

byLane Rice

AUSTIN, Texas – Hundreds of students listened to poets read their work outside near the University of Texas at Austin’s turtle pond. Poetry on the Pond is a collaboration between the Wellness Ambassadors Program and Humanitas Student Well-Being Collective at the university, to provide students a break from their studies and time to be present with their […]

The Orange Bike Project Seeks Funding for Continued Growth

byMariela Villela

AUSTIN, Texas – Biking on campus just got easier through a program to help students rent and learn to work on their bikes. The Orange Bike Project is a nonprofit organization based in the ground floor of UT’s 27th Street Garage. The group provides bike rental and maintenance services to students. UT’s Green Fund – […]

Cricket-Infested Homes Keep Pest Control Companies Busy

byRobert Gonsoulin

AUSTIN, Texas – Crickets are a nuisance across Travis County as they infest thousands of homes and buildings. The large amount of rainfall in the spring created ideal conditions for the insects to lay their eggs. Their presence increases around late September and early October when they hatch. Pest control companies have been busy, sending […]

Black UT Austin Students Create Wellness Week for Mental Health Awareness

byEdly Termilien

AUSTIN, Texas – Dozens of women came together at Pease Park Conservancy on Oct. 1 to celebrate self-love. The students are part of the Black Women’s Wellness Organization (BWWO), which strives to create a positive environment to support Black women’s wellness and academic and professional success. BWWO hosts a week of events once a year […]

Public Ed Advocates Want to Give Abbott’s School Choice Proposal the Boot(s)

byAbby L. Johnson

Thousands of people rallied with signs of protest and boots in hand at the Texas State Capitol on Saturday to protest a proposed voucher-like program they fear will take away significant funding from public schools.
The rally took place just days before the third special session of the 88th Legislature was to begin Monday. Gov. Greg Abbott called for the special session after House Bill 100 failed to pass in this year’s regular session. 

At Barton Springs, a Celebration of Life and a Final Goodbye to a Tree Named Flo

byIsabella McGovern

As the sun went down over Barton Springs Pool, dozens of people said goodbye to “Flo,” a 120-year-old pecan tree set to be cut down the next day.
“I think of Flo as a symbol of our love for trees and our love for nature and Mother Earth,” Austin arborist Don Gardner told the crowd. “We used to always be a lot more connected to trees than we are now, and I’m so happy to see those who still have some sense of that.”
Flo has leaned over Austin’s spring-fed pool since 1925, but the city’s parks department and tree experts determined it must go because of Kretzschmaria deusta, a root and trunk fungus known as brittle cinder that weakens trees and has no treatment. 

Slideshow: Mermaids Float Through Downtown San Marcos

Mermaids and other seafaring people and creatures descended upon San Marcos to celebrate the annual Mermaid Capital of Texas Festival on Sept. 23.
The festival celebrates the history of the Aquarena Springs Aquamaids, women who dressed as mermaids and performed underwater acts when the Aquarena Springs amusement park operated in San Marcos more than two decades ago.
The festival also celebrates the San Marcos River, which runs through the city, and promotes the conservation of the river.