Austin style? You can't get much more iconic than Marcia Ball, Alejandro Escovedo, and Doyle Bramhall (indulge me – Willie is not playing Jazz Fest). The three artists are representing the ATX with their signature Lone Star stylies. Doyle played last week, and Marcia and Al play this Saturday at the New Orleans festival. Marcia is a Jazz Fest 30-year veteran; this is Doyle's first time as a headliner; and Al a virgin. Both took the time to answer a few questions about the experience. (Look for reports this weekend, after their shows.) For now, click below to read the interviews.

Outgoing Williamson County Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, spent last night in the jail after failing a field sobriety text. He was reportedly pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety officer on Anderson after driving erratically. Already, the pile-on has started, since Krusee also happens to be the chair of the House Transportation Committee. Back in 2003, he became the darling of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Texas when he was the original author of House Bill 3588, that year's omnibus transportation bill that included stiffer penalties for drunk drivers (although that section was introduced in committee and was not in Krusee's original draft, so ease up on the schadenfreude).

Big news landing in our inbox: Assistant city manager, loyal lieutenant to former CM Toby Futrell, and Kirk Watson's running buddy Laura Huffman is leaving the city to become director of The Nature Conservancy of Texas. Hers is the second high-profile departure from the city in nearly as many weeks, with chief of staff and fellow member of the Tobyocracy, Kristen Vassallo, recently announcing her resignation. Read our profile of Huffman from last year here. The Conservancy press release is after the jump.

Debuting last weekend, Laura Morrison's campaign commercial has drawn criticism for stating city leadership is "rushing to sell the last five acres of prime city land on Lady Bird Lake to build more high rises" – accompanied by a computer-generated picture of three dark, ominous condo towers cluttering the waterfront. "That's not right," Morrison says. Reached for comment, Morrison confirmed the five acres in question were the Thomas C. Green Water Treatment Plant, to be shuttered and redeveloped into a mixed-use project, ultimately including Austin's new central library. With the request for proposals (RFP) being issued March 4, Newsdesk wondered how Morrison could predict this dire scenario with no development plan. "That's part of the issue," Morrison says. "Those buildings are really a symbol for the fact its a critical project, and there's been a lack of outreach to the public, to really have a public process envisioning what that land should be used for. I think that kind of strong outreach is really a responsibility for the council."

I guess carpet munchers will have to do …

The Austin Aztex play the first game in franchise history this Saturday, May 3. The new franchise has big ambitions, and a lot of good players on their Under-23 roster; this opener, on the road against a very good El Paso Patriots team that was in the playoffs last year, is a stern first reality check on how far they may be able to go in this inaugural season. A group of Aztex supporters is planning to meet at Mother Egan's, 715 W. Sixth, to root on the team via live webcast (elpaso-patriots.com). 8:30pm kickoff. First pitcher's on me. Twelve hours later, in a midsized industrial town in England's West Midlands, the Aztex sister team, the Stoke City Potters, hosts its season finale, and as it happens, it's the team's biggest game in more than 20 years. With a win or even a draw against 21st-place Leicester, the Potters clinch second place in the English second division, and automatic promotion to the English Premier League. (Stoke has never been in the EPL since it formed in 1992, though they have a storied past, dating back to 1863 and the earliest beginnings of the game.)

So, where does that leave Phil Rawlins? He's the Aztex owner and general manager, but he also owns part of Stoke City, and he grew up as a Potters fan. Where's he going to be that night/morning? "I leave tomorrow for England! Only one place I could be this weekend : )"

I'm certain he'll be back for the Aztex home opener, next Saturday, May 10.

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who doesn't normally weigh in on appointments, just called the Newsdesk to talk about Gov. Rick Perry's announcement earlier today about putting his former chief of staff Deirdre Delisi and North Texas toll road policy maker William Meadows on the Texas Transportation Commission. "I knew they were coming, and my hope is that what we see with these two appointments is a change in direction," said Watson. He hopes this could indicate a shift from the "us versus them mentality at TXDoT," and place more emphasis on local control over decisions about road infrastructure. With the failure of the lege to pass a meaningful state-wide toll road moratorium last session (mainly because many Dallas-area and North Texas planning stakeholders fought so bitterly against it), if Watson's right this could mean a partial end to the 'one size fits all' approach to road planning in Texas.

Before we get to last weekend's series with the K-State Wildcats, it must be noted that UT right-hander Kenn Kasparek pitched a no-hitter last night in the Longhorns' 11-0 win over the Texas State Bobcats. Kasparek was one hit-batter away from a perfect game and faced the minimum of 27 batters as that lonely base-runner was the victim of a ground-ball double play in the Bobcats' next at-bat. Congrats Kenn!

And now, from the Bobcats to the Wildcats … UT won their weekend series with the Kansas State Wildcats by winning games one and three with timely hitting and some luck. Kyle Russell and Jordan Danks each homered in game one to bring their season totals to 12 and five, respectively. But, playing “Garilla Ball” isn’t how UT won the series. Manufacturing runs, timely hitting, and the hand of a higher power put Texas in a great position to win this past weekend. The Horns had several sacrifice bunts, sacrifice flies, and ground outs to move runners over and walks to put men on base. But, that doesn’t paint the whole picture.

With the Texas Department of Transportation in a deepening financial and political hole, Gov. Rick Perry has appointed two familiar faces to its oversight committee, the Texas Transportation Commission. The new commission chair is long-time Perry apparatchik Dierdre Delisi. If the name rings bells, she was his chief of staff, recipient of Texans for Rick Perry PAC money, and is daughter-in-law to Perry loyalist Rep. Diane White Delisi, R-Temple, and wife of political consultant to Perry Ted Delisi. Plus, Carol Keaton Strayhorn is no fan. The press release talks about her great track record of 12 years under Perry. How good is that record? At the start of last session Delisi, with her impeccable political radar, told the Statesman that “We expect the veto rate to be low because we do such a good job of working with legislators in session.” More worrying to others is the appointment of William Meadows to replace the deceased Ric Williamson: the former mayor pro tem of Fort Worth is chair of Hub International Rigg and vice chairman of the North Texas Tollway Authority. But don't pop the champagne yet: both nominations have to be confirmed by a Senate still wincing from having its toll road moratorium plan gutted last session.