Headlines: Bonus Round

There's some concern that overlapping schedules between Formula One (which drew 117,000 this year) and a home UT football game (which can draw as many as 105,000) will cause trouble in 2013. (Photo by John Anderson)

There's always something happening in Austin. We try to keep you up to date in our weekly roundup of Headlines, but here's a couple noteworthy items that we didn't want you to miss.

› Austin Water faced the cleanup of 100,000 gallons of wastewater that spilled into a Williamson Creek tributary Tuesday night. The public drinking water supply remained unaffected, but utility officials cautioned residents to keep themselves and their pets away from the creek while the offending overgrown roots are cleared from the area.

› Officials with the Circuit of the Americas are hoping to move the dates for the 2013 Formula One race. Currently, the Nov. 15-17 race schedule would be in direct conflict with a home football game between the University of Texas and Oklahoma State University, which can draw a crowd of more than 100,000 to the stadium.

› City officials and the Texas Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the flyover between MoPac and Highway 290 was finally complete. Mayor Lee Leffingwell estimates "travelers through this corridor using the new flyovers will shave off nearly eight minutes a day from their commute" as they dodge some of the persistent bottleneck issues in Sunset Valley.

› Animal welfare advocates have filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that the court should uphold the legality of Texas' anti-puppy mill law in a challenge brought by members of the Responsible Pet Owners of America, who argue that the law singles out certain breeders for enforcement. For more on the law, see "House Passes Puppy Mill Bill," April 26, 2011.

› The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to approve legislation that would remove the word “lunatic” from U.S. law. The 21st Century Language Act was introduced last spring in an effort to modernize law to reflect current knowledge of mental illness. (We can only assume that the term, and many others like it, will continue to be used generously to describe politicians on both sides of the aisle.)