Austin Signal

Voters in Georgetown will decide this weekend whether to sell off parts of their water system. The parts up for consideration lay outside the city limits, and the election comes as Georgetown is looking to manage rising costs. Construction at the Austin Surf Club near the airport has come to a stop, and now contractors […] The post Georgetown voters to decide on selling part of water system...

The inaugural KUT Festival is happening this weekend in Austin. It was scheduled to take place on the UT campus, but now a majority of the events are taking place elsewhere. More about the changes and the back-and-forth between UT and KUT leadership. Beef prices are sticking near record-high prices, an issue that’s been exacerbated […] The post Mando Rayo shares some taco hot takes app...

It’s been almost two months since a deadly shooting outside a bar on West Sixth Street, and local officials are looking at the emergency response to that tragedy, including concerns about autonomous vehicles. Here in Texas, one of the country’s largest legal cannabis markets is fighting for its life, with exceptions allowing the sale of […] The post Questions about self-driving v...

It’s day two of a special legislative hearing on the Camp Mystic tragedy. Investigators told lawmakers this week that camp operators were “complacent” when it came to safety protocols at the summer camp. Lindsey Wilson, director of the city’s Equity and Inclusion office, shares details about the Fair Housing and Economic Mobility Conference taking place […] The post L...

The Austin Independent School District is being investigated by the Texas Education Agency for celebrating its annual Pride Week. Attorney general is a powerful role; governors, senators and even vice presidents got their start as AG. Is Ken Paxton next? Have you ever wanted a handy one-stop guide to everything Austin? KUT’s Field Guide is […] The post AISD under investigation for Prid...

Accessing reliable sources of water is becoming more difficult for some Central Texans — and more expensive. In Kyle, residents facing high water bills are carefully considering any way that they can limit their costs. An Austin firefighter battling terminal endometrial cancer is eligible for workers’ compensation, but the decision this week granting her those […] The post Kyle water b...

Texas can force schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms following a ruling this week from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — but for now, the Austin school district does not have to comply because of ongoing litigation. Highland Park Elementary School has become a powerhouse in the sport of archery, and […] The post Highland Park archery club aiming for another national champ...

Steady rain in the region over the last few days led to flooding in Williamson County, with some evacuations occurring. We’ll hear from residents impacted by the floods and how it differed from last summer’s flooding. A Central Austin building that was home to a Sears store for decades has new life as a one-stop […] The post Flooding leads to evacuations in Williamson County appe...

It’s been almost two months since a deadly shooting on West Sixth Street left three people dead, including one UT Austin student. Now a new scholarship to help underprivileged students advance their education has been created in honor of Savitha Shanmugasundaram’s life. UT Austin has announced a new Dell Medical Center and research campus following […] The post UT Austin announce...

Austin’s unhoused folks say they lose everything when the city sweeps though their camps, despite a City Council resolution aiming to improve the sweeps and provide more notice ahead of time. The City of Austin overpaid hundreds of employees to the tune of more than $1 million. Most employees expected having to pay the money […] The post Belongings lost in homeless camp sweeps, despite...

Gov. Greg Abbott is threatening to cut off more than $2 million in state grants for the City of Austin because of police policies on cooperating with federal immigration authorities. This follows Attorney General Ken Paxton launching an investigation into the same policies. City of Austin leaders got their first peek at the budget forecast […] The post Gov. Abbott threatens Austin funding ov...

Water use for Tesla’s Giga Texas out far beyond East Austin jumped more than 200 million gallons in two years. That’s raising concerns about whether Austin can fulfill its long-term water conservation strategy as plans for a new semiconductor plant could push demand even higher. Sam Stark, Austin Current’s government reporter joins us to talk […] The post Camp Mystic ordere...

The parents of a girl still missing from Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp where 27 people died during last summer’s deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country, are asking a judge to prevent the camp from reopening this summer. We’ll have the latest from the Travis County court room. A private disagreement between local […] The post Parents of missing Camp Mystic girl push to pre...

Though construction of data centers in Texas has garnered plenty of opposition from residents, plans are still moving forward to bring more of these facilities to Central Texas. But just how many? And how soon? Those questions and more were part of a recent hearing held by state leaders. Austin’s parks are a favorite amenity […] The post How is Texas preparing for more data centers? ap...

It’s legal again for Texas businesses to sell smokable forms of hemp. New state rules that went into effect in March had effectively outlawed these sales, while raising fees on the businesses who carry them. We’ll delve into the state of the Texas hemp market. The state board of education gave preliminary approval to a […] The post Smokable hemp products legal again in Texas — for now...

Ahead of the coming summer heat, a federal court is considering whether air conditioning should be provided in all Texas prisons. We’ve been following the case that’s been happening in Austin over the past couple of weeks. There are new changes to SNAP, the benefits that help low-income Texans purchase food. That assistance can’t be […] The post Federal court weighs decisio...

The SAFE Alliance is preparing to make millions of dollars in cuts starting this summer. This could include closing a downtown shelter and the end of services that provide additional housing assistance for people leaving abusive situations. After public outcry over the unexpected demolition of former East Austin cafe, Cenote, the developer of the property […] The post SAFE Alliance cuts coul...

Over the last year, Texas Republicans enacted regulatory and legal changes, completely altering life for noncitizens in the state. Many of these changes were put forward in the state Legislature, where they failed. Now, these changes are being made a reality outside of the normal legislative processes. We talk with Eleanor Klibanoff, the law and […] The post From headliners to homegrown acts...

Vacancies for industrial buildings in the greater Austin region are near the highest levels of any place in the country. It could be that companies thinking of moving to Austin aren’t finding buildings big enough to accommodate them. Spring fever, oak and mold pollen, and now another strain of coronavirus — all about the latest […] The post Bigger buildings on the way for industrial pr...

Williamson County is making changes to avoid the chaotic scene that unfolded last month on primary Election Day. The new change is going back to the ways things were before the most recent election. We’ll dig into why it happened and how the county is trying to avoid a repeat. The Karst Canyon Preserve is […] The post Hitting the trails at the new Karst Canyon Preserve appeared first on KUT...

A review of the city of Austin’s $25 million contract with the Long Center to disburse arts grants has exposed gaps in billing, transparency and oversight. City auditors said they raised concerns for years about weaknesses in the monitoring of city contracts. Andrea Ball from the Austin Current has the story. A new program aims […] The post Audit of Austin’s $25 million contract...

Summer temperatures in Texas prisons can often exceed 100 degrees, and lawyers have argued those conditions constitute cruel and unusual punishment for incarcerated Texans. A federal trial underway this week in Austin could decide whether the state must provide air conditioning to all inmates. A group of scientists from the University of Texas at Austin and […] The post A federal trial under...

Hemp flower and other smokable forms of cannabis are no longer allowed to be sold in Texas. What hasn’t changed, however, is Texas law that says it’s legal to possess those kinds of products. So, can Texans procure these smokables from other states? It’s a complicated answer that we’ll delve into. UT Austin’s Mexican American […] The post Smokable hemp is now banned i...

The Hays Consolidated School District voted unanimously in favor of more than $12 million dollars in budget cuts ahead of the next school year. It’s the largest such budget slash in more than a decade, and it’s a move other school districts could be facing in coming years. There’s not much known about the tactics and […] The post UT Austin researchers help discover new dinos...

The Austin Independent School District is handing over control of three middle schools to a nonprofit in the hopes of avoiding a districtwide state takeover. Dobie, Burnet and Webb middle schools are trying to avoid a fifth accountability rating that could trigger the takeover. Acacia Coronado with the Austin Current has the story. Austin city leaders […] The post AISD hands over contro...