Headlines / Quote of the Week
Fri., Dec. 15, 2023
Garza on the Chopping Block?: Using the "rogue prosecutor" law passed this year, a former Travis County man – Jason Salazar – has petitioned to remove District Attorney José Garza, though Garza's office says the petition is "meritless," primarily because the man has a pending criminal case. He also was a former Republican candidate for district attorney, the Statesman reported.
State Amendments Certified: Since the passing of 13 amendments to the Texas Constitution last month, several lawsuits have attempted to challenge the validity of the November results, claiming that "Texas' voting machines are connected to the internet." While the lawsuits caused a delay in certification, Gov. Greg Abbott has now confirmed that implementation of the voter-approved amendments will move forward, KUT reported.
The Future of East Sixth: After purchasing more than 30 pieces of property along Austin's historic East Sixth Street, Stream Realty Partners LP is ready to show Austinites what they say the street will look like by 2024. Architect Clayton Korte shared a rendering last week that reflects how Stream Realty plans to "elevate the three-block area," which they say "has a reputation for late-night drunken revelry." Stream Realty will begin reviewing probable tenants in the coming months, Austin Business Journal reported.
Climate Crisis Examined: The annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), held this year in the United Arab Emirates, concluded on December 12. Austin Chronicle partner Texas Impact was on the ground in Dubai and filing video dispatches back home, including conversations with Travis County Commissioner Brigid Shea and UT energy and engineering professor Michael Webber. Catch up with all the videos at austinchronicle.com/cop28.
Supply & Demand Issues ... Still: Despite Austin's buzzy real estate market, experts say further expansion in the metro area will be seriously threatened by a lack of labor and affordability. Currently, there are significant vacancies in office towers Downtown, and developers say that increasing interest rates are making it hard to develop new projects at an affordable price point, the Austin Monitor reported.
Bald Eagles Be Eaglin': There has been a series of bald eagle sightings recently, KUT's Mose Buchele reported this week. They're not common around here but birders say their numbers appear to be rising.
It's Cold Out!: This Monday we hit a record low temperature (24 degrees, tying for coldest temperature ever recorded on Dec. 11, the Statesman reported). That was chilly enough for the city of Austin to open an overnight cold weather shelter for at-risk Austinites. The shelter is located on 505 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin Mourns Shooting Victims: Four Austinites died Dec. 5 during a shooting spree. Two were a mother and daughter. One was a young mom pushing her baby's stroller out of harm's way, and another was a man on his lunch break. KUT spoke to their families this week. Read about them here: t.ly/F9aPM.
Drought Shmought: Remember our record-hot, mega-drought summer? 39 days into our longest triple-digit heat wave ever recorded, Austin declared Stage 2 drought restrictions to decrease the amount of water the city used and conserve water in the depleted Highland Lake reservoirs. Turns out, people didn't follow the rules, KUT reported this week. Austin Water conservation manager Kevin Kluge said Nov. 30, "People continued to try to water their lawns ... Our best efforts did not push water use down."
Quote of the Week
“I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane.”
– DPS trooper Nicholas Wingate on July 3, describing troopers’ practices at the border
Editor's note Jan. 4, 10:27am: A previous version of this story misidentified the man who filed a petition to remove José Garza from office. While Martin Harry told the Statesman he wrote the petition, Jason Salazar filed the petition, and is the man facing a pending case. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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