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All Chronicle blogs, all the time
The scene turned inside art
Getting in bed with books
Come on in the kitchen
Sizing up screens big and small
Get the wax out
Your base on balls
Elements of style
Steer here, queers
Welcome to the new Chronicle blogs! Stay tuned all this week as we roll out exciting new blog features.
Kimley-Horn Wins Job
Katherine Gregor
Fri Nov 6, 5:22pm
Tags: Transportation
City council followed the staff recommendation and selected the Kimley-Horn team for Austin's new Strategic Mobility Plan. For insight into team member Scott Polikov's perspective, read what he's been saying this week at CNU's Transportation Summit in Portland.
Obama Picks Environmentalist for EPA Region 6
Katherine Gregor
Fri Nov 6, 2:20pm
Tags: Environment
Sierra Club organizers Ian Davis and Eva Hernandez were celebrating this morning that President Barack Obama has selected Dr. Alfredo "Al" Armendariz as Regional Administrator for EPA Region 6, which includes Texas. “It’s great news!” said Davis. “Industry doesn’t like him. They’re having an ‘oh shit’ moment right now!”
Hopson Hops the Fence
Richard Whittaker
Fri Nov 6, 11:54am
Surprise news this morning: Rep. Chuck Hopson, D-Jacksonville, is switching sides next election and run as a Republican. Even for a conservative Democrat, it's going to be interesting to see whether he'll be conservative enough for the new GOP orthodoxy.
Det. Dunn Suspended
Richard Whittaker
Thu Nov 5, 3:22pm
What's that old saying about the cover-up being punished worse than the action? The City of Austin has confirmed that APD Internal Affairs Det. Chris Dunn has been placed on indefinite suspension over emails he sent during the investigation into the May 11 fatal shooting of Nathaniel Smith II and serious wounding of Sir Smith by Officer Leonardo Quintana.
Sanders Shooting Decision
Richard Whittaker, Jordan Smith
Wed Nov 4, 5:23pm
New developments in the May 11 police shooting that resulted in the death of Nathaniel Sanders II and the severe injury of Sir Smith: This from Chronicle reporter Jordan Smith downtown:
(APD Chief Art) Acevedo gives (Officer Leonardo) Quintana 15 days suspension for not turning on camera. Exonerated on all other policy issues, including use of force.
Cap Metro to Raise Fares in January
Lee Nichols
Wed Nov 4, 4:05pm
Tags: Transportation
The Capital Metro Board of Directors voted to raise fares beginning January 18. The fare hike had already been approved to begin in August 2010, but decided to move the change up to January so as to keep federal stimulus money directed to rail improvements rather than daily operations.
Who's Gonna Listen to All These Totally Awesome AusChron Newscasts?
Wells Dunbar
Wed Nov 4, 3:33pm
The Newscast mulls the breaking APD decision regarding officer Leonardo Quintana, who shot and killed Nathaniel Sanders. Plus, we rap about the pro-condo campaign undertaken by Will Wynn, and the new contract with the city’s fire department. Keep listening for our killer condo remix, or cop it as a separate download below!
The Eight Percenters
Richard Whittaker
Wed Nov 4, 1:46pm
So what did we learn from last night's constitutional amendment election? That, no matter how much conservatives try to convince the world that the number one burning issue on everyone's mind is eminent domain, it won't get them to the polls.
Early Voting, First Results
Richard Whittaker
Tue Nov 3, 8:57pm
All those sessions of legislative debate, all those days of early voting, all those hours of voting today, and where did it get us? The first results from today's constitutional amendment election.
No California Love, No I Heart NY
Richard Whittaker
Tue Nov 3, 1:56pm
Democrats protecting Republicans from smear jobs by small-c conservatives! Republicans endorsing big-C Conservatives! The governator learning what acrostics are! Interior versus the coasts! Yup, the orthodoxy war in the GOP continues.
Kerlikowske Just Says "No"
Jordan Smith
Tue Nov 3, 9:18am
Tags: war on drugs
The National Drug Control Strategy needs to be a "balanced one" – but not one that contemplates legalization, says White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske.
Treatment or Jail
Jordan Smith
Tue Nov 3, 7:55am
Tags: Marijuana
More than half of all people admitted to rehab for marijuana use have been sent there by the criminal justice system, reports the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Bolton Get a Challenger
Richard Whittaker
Mon Nov 2, 4:40pm
Getting called the "RECA candidate" can be tough in Austin elections, but Paul Workman is probably hoping that his connection to the Real Estate Council of Austin will be a plus. The former building firm CEO announced Friday that he plans to run for the Republican nomination for House District 47 Democrat – Valinda Bolton's seat.
Kimley-Horn Is Staff Pick
Katherine Gregor
Mon Nov 2, 12:04pm
Tags: Transportation
City staff recommended Kimley-Horn for the city's $1 million strategic mobility plan (For details, see council agenda backup on Item 17). While a dynamic and sophisticated team on many counts, K-H lacks the California experience of finalist Fehr & Peers using transportation planning to reduce GHG emissions.
CAMPO Committee Nominates Three for Cap Met Board
Lee Nichols
Fri Oct 30, 2:04pm
Tags: Transportation
The CAMPO nominations committee today recommended that community activist Frank Fernandez, transportation and land use consultant John H. Langmore, and Austin Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez fill the three slots that organization gets on the Capital Metro Board of Directors.
Perry Goes Big-C Conservative
Richard Whittaker
Fri Oct 30, 1:42pm
It's been little secret that the seams of the Republican Party's "big tent" have been getting a little threadbare. Now the endorsement fight between Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is tearing the fabric in New York.
Don't Get Sick with the Totally Awesome AusChron Newscast!
Wells Dunbar
Thu Oct 29, 1:01pm
After a bout with the Swine Flu last week (eek!), the Newscast is back with mad agenda items: the collapse of the yogurt shop prosecutions, fallout from the Water Treatment Plant No. 4 decision last week, and more on council's prohibition on police-performed blood draws.
Dick for Kay
Richard Whittaker
Thu Oct 29, 10:45am
One Tweet says it all: "VP Dick Cheney to campaign with #KBH next month" Yes, according to her campaign, former Vice President Dick "Dick" Cheney is going to start stumping with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in her pursuit of the Texas governorship.
Judge Dismisses Yogurt Shop Charges
Richard Whittaker, Jordan Smith
Wed Oct 28, 4:44pm
Major news in the trial of Robert Springsteen and Michael Scott for the 1991 Yogurt Shop Murders. State District Judge Mike Lynch has dismissed all charges against the pair.
UPDATE: Response from Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lemberg after the jump.
Go Rebels!
Richard Whittaker
Wed Oct 28, 4:04pm
Big day for the staff and students at Travis High School: The Texas Education Agency has granted the Austin independent School District's appeal and classified the school as Academically Acceptable.
Tier One Tantrums
Richard Whittaker
Wed Oct 28, 11:04am
Considering the Nov. 3 constitutional amendment election is dominated by eminent domain, the big controversy is about Prop. 4's measures to increase the number of Tier One research universities. At odds with the majority of State House Republicans, the Young Conservatives of Texas oppose it, and tout a study equating Tier One with terrible teaching.
Twitter Me This
Richard Whittaker
Tue Oct 27, 3:38pm
Back in the last lege session, Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, caused mild uproar in the Twitterverse when he suggested that the 140-character-or-less messaging service may not be the best place to express a complex political idea. Turns out, he was kinda right.
Help Shape the New Downtown Library
Katherine Gregor
Tue Oct 27, 9:38am
Tags: Austin Public Library
Tonight, Wednesday, and tomorrow, Thursday from 6-9pm, we're all invited to public input meetings on the design of the new central library for Downtown. Lake | Flato Architects and Shepley Bulfinch Richardson and Abbott want to capture "the vision, values, and ideas of the community." If you read, you should come! Meeting details below.
White's OK for Cash
Richard Whittaker
Mon Oct 26, 4:22pm
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison may not act like she's leaving DC, but the Senate campaign goes on without her. The Sept. 30 campaign finance reports are in, and beyond the headline news that Democratic hopeful Mayor Bill White of Houston hammered everyone in every category, there are some interesting details.
Spillar Responds on Carbon Footprint
Katherine Gregor
Fri Oct 23, 7:25pm
Tags: Transportation
In response to my last blog post, noting that council members failed to ask about the climate protection qualifications of finalist consultant teams for the city's new Strategic Mobility Plan, Austin Department of Transportation Director Robert Spillar e-mailed to clarify the importance of climate protection and sustainability.
