Headlines

Taj Mihelich performs a tailwhip on the new miniramp at Patterson Park, across from Mueller. The ramp, open to skateboard and BMX riders, is part of a long-range effort to provide a citywide network of public skateboarding facilities. The Austin Public Skatepark Action Committee completed the Patterson ramp project with donated funds and volunteer construction labor. (Photo by Sandy Carson)

• While the folks in Corpus, Padre Island, and Brownsville prepped for wind and flooding from Hurricane Dolly, Central Texans were melting and praying for rain.

• Former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Georgia, and activist Rosa Clemente were nominated as the presidential and vice presidential candidates for the Green Party, making this presidential slate the first to consist completely of women of color.

• Capital Metro broke ground Wednesday on the Downtown platform at Brush Square for the new MetroRail Red Line route to Leander. The station, which will include a steel canopy and be served by connecting bus routes, should be completed in October.

• Last year, the Lege gave police departments the authority to cut both aggravation and costs by ticketing minor offenders instead of reflexively busting them – but the news hasn't quite yet filtered down to Austin. See "APD."

• The Netroots Nation came and went from the Convention Center last weekend, as prog bloggers and political heavyweights met to discuss policy, strategy, and the best methods for amplifying the influence of the first fully Web-ified generation. See "Point Austin," and "Netroots Farewell."