Headlines

• After several weeks of debating the merits of the city's sponsorship of Formula One, City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday to sign on to the racing event. Newly elected Council Member Kathie Tovo (who campaigned against taxpayer dollars going to F1) joined Laura Morrison in voting against the proposition. "I still don't believe it's the right priority for our public money," Tovo said before the vote. See "City Hall Hustle."

• On a 5-2 City Council vote Wednesday, White Lodging Services Inc. secured a requested $4.3 million in fee waivers from the city to build a Marriott Marquis convention hotel on Congress Avenue; Council Members Laura Morrison and Kathie Tovo cast the dissenting votes. See "Tovo Takes Up (White) Lodging."

• Glass panels at the W Hotel shattered again Tuesday – the third time this month – prompting the temporary closure of the new hotel/condo high-rise as contractors worked to replace all the windows on the building directly north of City Hall. Street closures around the hotel (also home to Austin City Limits) caused traffic tangles from all angles Tuesday evening and Wednesday. Meanwhile, two people who were injured in a June 10 glass-breaking incident have filed suit against the hotel.

• The legislative special session came to an end June 29 with Republican infighting over who was to blame for the session's chaotic close. Now the eyes of Texas turn to Gov. Rick Perry's presidential aspirations and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's expected announcement that he will run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

• A promotion for Sen. Kirk Watson: The Travis County Democrat and former Austin mayor was voted chair of the Senate Democratic Cauc­us on June 28. He replaces longtime caucus leader Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, who will become Senate president pro tem next session.

• Capital Metro is looking for public feedback on its famously cranky Gold Line automated telephone bus timetable so it can upgrade its interactive voice response system. Visit www.capmetro.org to participate in a survey for applicants for focus group sessions on July 7. Hopefully riders will never hear the dreaded electronic response of "Sorry, I didn't recognize what you said" again.

• Travis County commissioners voted Tuesday to pay $127,000 to a Virginia-based consulting firm to review the quality of service provided by the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services outside the city limits. Austin-Travis County EMS Employee Association President Steve Stewart says he's wary of the study's outcome.

• The Travis County Attorney's Office says it will pursue civil legal action against the Lower Colorado River Authority for violating the Texas Public Information Act, In Fact Daily reported Wednesday. The pending action follows a complaint from the city of West Lake Hills claiming that the LCRA failed to respond to requests for information regarding the agency's sale of nearly three dozen municipal water/wastewater facilities.