The Austin Daily Drop

Travis County ranks eighth among Texas counties in COVID deaths as the statewide total reaches 70,000 . Election Day is today - polls are open until 7pm - you're voting on Props A and B, and eight state constitutional amendments. Early voting got off to a slow start, but has hit a new high for off-year November turnout. Jewish leaders rally for unity in the face of recent anti-Semitic activity - t...

Texas Children's Pediatrics is ready to go with Pfizer shots for kids 5-11, pending tomorrow's CDC meeting. A possible anti-Semitic arson attack happened last night at Congregation Beth Israel. The Texas 36th Infantry Division gets a new commander (that's why all the helicopters). UT only investigated 6% of all sexual assault complaints last year. AISD plans to ignore questions from Rep. Matt Krau...

New modifications to Austin's water filtration system seek to avoid repeats of recent boil-water notices resulting from flood-affected water in the Colorado River. AFD rescues two men in a failed scaffold from the face of a downtown building. Wind Thursday results in widespread power outages around the Austin area. Today is the last day for early voting on Prop A, and eight state constitutional am...

COVID stats are hovering in upper Stage 2 , but City health officials fear a late-year spike if precautions are relaxed too quickly - meanwhile AISD reports an 81% vaccination rate among its staff. A Circle C homeowner has died in a Wednesday SWAT standoff that resulted in the home destroyed by fire. A traveling anti-Semitic activist group that disrupted Austin over the weekend continues its publi...

COVID hospitalization count edges up slightly, back into Stage 3 range - word is expected this week on Pfizer vaccines for younger kids and the head of the American Academy of Pediatrics writes on why parents should get shots for their kids . Governor Abbott signs nine new bills into law including the final installation of new electoral maps that protect the GOP while undermining Texans of color....

Local COVID numbers drop to Stage 2 range at 14.4 , as Austin Public Health gives the green light to boosters including mix-and-match vaccine products. F1 racing over the weekend leads to what Austin Bergstrom International Airport expects to be their busiest day ever - a three-hour advance arrival is advised. Max Verstaffen was the U.S. Grand Prix winner, and Billy Joel performed in Austin for th...

COVID numbers remain in low Stage 3 range as statewide hospitalizations recede to pre-surge levels - 36 new cases have been traced back to the ACL Festival . AISD prepares to help vaccinate kids with approval for 5-12 expected early next month. Del Valle High is put on hold after a student pulls a BB gun in the cafeteria. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick wants a fourth special session of the Texas Legisla...

Local COVID hospitalizations continue dropping as news emerges on vaccines for kids under 12, expected by early November. Austin City Council Member Greg Casar and Austin State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez are both mulling a run for U.S. House District 35 , soon to be vacated by Rep. Lloyd Doggett who will run for the new District 37. Authorities suspect a double murder and suicide in the deaths of t...

Gradual decline in Austin's COVID hospitalization rate continues, now approaching Stage 2 range . The third special session of the Texas Legislature ends, having accomplished the goal of redistricting, but those new maps have already been challenged in court . U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett of District 35 announces he will run instead for the new District 37 seat. A triple homicide in southeast Austin is...

Our local COVID key indicator has leveled at about the same rate it did at the end of the first two major pandemic waves: around 20, in the lower half of Stage 3 range. Early voting begins: Prop A for Austinites, school bonds for Williamson County , civic bonds for Buda , and eight State Constitutional amendments for all Texans. Wider indications of organized theft of cell phones at the Austin Cit...

COVID hospitalizations settle into the lower end of Stage 3, as the University of Texas honors two of its researchers for their efforts in developing coronavirus vaccine technology. Several area school districts are starting two hours late today due to high water from last night's rainfall. AISD says a new Tik Tok challenge encouraging kids to assault teachers is a very bad idea. A local teen dies...

City health leaders advise caution as precaution levels are lowered to Stage 3, while strategy begins for anticipated vaccine approval for kids under 12. Mayor Steve Adler recommends that local businesses mandate COVID tests instead of vaccines to comply with new orders from Governor Greg Abbott against vaccine mandates. KVUE is set to host a debate on Prop A on Thursday night. Census data analysi...

Austin officially drops from Stage 4 to Stage 3 precaution range - a big step as vaccinated people can now safely forego masks in any situation where social distancing is possible. Governor Greg Abbott adds a general vaccine mandate ban to the agenda of the third special session of the Texas Legislature. Southwest Airlines appears to be recovering from the service crisis it suffered over the weeke...

COVID numbers continue a welcome decline . As a school shooting in Arlington results in 4 injuries but no deaths, a Hays High School student is arrested for bringing an airsoft replica firearm to school. An Austin-based Federal judge temporarily blocks the controversial new Texas law banning most abortions. Austin Police Department: two officers are suspended for failing to stop another officer fr...

Great news in our key COVID numbers, which are dropping like a rock - now closing in on Stage 2 range, as City officials continue mulling a reduction from our current Stage 4 precautions to Stage 3. ACL Fest news: a new batch of Weekend 2 tickets are released, Austin Public Health pushes for more masking enforcement for the second weekend, and a pair of brothers are busted for stealing cell phones...

After a week at Stage 4 COVID precaution level, local health leaders remain mum on a drop to Stage 3, showing caution as numbers continue dropping . A third human West Nile virus infection in Travis County is confirmed. The new district map for the Texas Senate is confirmed by that body and draws fire for failing to increase representation for non-white voters. Crazy Austin traffic: a driver is in...

Local COVID measurements dip into Stage 3 range - but as was the case last week, the City wants to see consistent decline before reducing officially to that level, which would mean vaccinated people could go largely unmasked. Texas schools have now reported more COVID cases than from all of last school year, in just the first two months . ACL Fest Weekend One dodges rain, but doubts are cast on th...

The first day of the ACL Festival is here, along with near-certain rain - more details on what to expect in the podcast. The band Bleachers has pulled out of the first ACL weekend due to a COVID exposure. Studies show rural Texans are dying of COVID at a higher rate than urban Texans, generally correlating with vaccination rates. A group of Lago Vista parents have joined in a lawsuit against sever...

The return of ACL Fest arrives tomorrow, along with of a possible deluge of rain - while the City of Austin finally issues ACL's special events permit . The Travis County Democratic Party 's downtown headquarters is targeted by an attempted firebombing - the suspect is now sought on arson charges, while another Austin man is sought for a murder in Northeast Austin two weeks ago. Austin State Rep....

Austin officially drops to Stage 4 precautions as indicators continue dropping towards Stage 3 range. Hospitals are still stressed however, in part due to a worsening shortage of nurses . Weather forces evacuations at Stubb's and the Moody Amphitheater , as elevated rain chances threaten to soak the first weekend of the ACL Festival - keep in mind that umbrellas are a no-go. The Austin NAACP and t...

Austin's COVID stats have not only dropped below Stage 5 range, they've plummeted through Stage 4 and are now approaching Stage 3 - however, City officials remain reluctant to officially reduce local precaution levels due to a continuing lack of hospital capacity . Austin's rising homicide stats are in line with a severe spike in murders across the country - the FBI reports that nationally, murder...

Local COVID hospitalization average continues dropping below Stage 5 range , but City health officials hold off of reducing official precaution levels to Stage 4 for now - they're worried about a flu comeback resulting in a "twin-demic". A group of Austin parents have sued AISD over masking requirements , just as Austin public schools are sporting the lowest COVID infection rates in the area . The...

Key indicators for COVID staging continue falling below Stage 5 for a second day. APD Interim Chief Joe Chacon is offered the job permanently. State Rep Celia Israel will forego re-election to her District 50 seat for a potential run for Austin Mayor. The Texas Senate - in its fourth try this year - passes a transgender athletics bill , which now heads to the House. Round Rock ISD board members he...

Positive COVID news in two pieces: our local daily hospitalization average has dropped below Stage 5 range for the first time since the end of July, and Travis County has officially hit 70% of all eligible vaccinated. Meanwhile half of the people still showing up at Austin hospitals are not locals, but rather residents of neighboring counties with lower vaccination rates - with Travis being stuck...

Local COVID hospitalization stats edge ever closer to Stage 4 - while our hospital mortality rate continues to rise and ICU's remain basically full. AISD sees a much lower rate of confirmed new cases among its student body than those found in neighboring districts over the first month of classes. Of 200 use of force complaints against Austin police officers during last summer's demonstrations, onl...