All Quiet on the 40 Acres: This week marked the end of in-person learning for the rest of the fall semester at the University of Texas at Austin, where students will complete their courses and take final exams remotely. University officials have said next semester will be structured in much the same way as the fall, with the majority of classes being offered online with some in-person and hybrid courses. Last week the university also announced that beginning in January undergrads will be allowed to request that up to three classes be graded on a “COVID-19 Pass/Fail Exception” without penalty. Credit: Photo by John Anderson

It Ain’t Over Until the Run-Offs: In-person early voting for the December 15 run-offs begins today (Dec. 3) and runs through Fri., Dec. 11. See this week’s feature on the run-offs for City Council District 6 and District 10, as well as our coverage of the run-offs for AISD Board of Trustees District 5 and At-Large Place 8.

High-Risk Holidays: If you traveled or participated in higher-risk activities during Thanksgiving, Austin Public Health recommends you get tested for COVID-19 at least three to five days after gathering or traveling and you stay home for seven days. Even if you test negative, APH advises that you stay home for the full seven days. Sign up for a test at www.austintexas.gov/covid19.

APD Officers Disciplined: Austin police Chief Brian Manley has disciplined 11 officers for misconduct that took place during the May 30 and 31 protests against police brutality, a city spokesperson confirmed this week. Read more.

All HAAM on Deck: The city’s Economic Development Department has partnered with the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians to expand funding for HAAM “to provide access to affordable health care for Austin’s low-income, underinsured working musicians.” HAAM is currently taking virtual enrollment appointments for Affordable Care Act coverage (www.myhaam.org/become-a-member) until Dec. 15. See more online.

School’s Out for COVID: The Austin Independent School District temporarily moved all classes online for this week (Nov. 30-Dec. 4) following the district’s Thanksgiving break. On-campus instruction is set to resume Mon., Dec. 7.

COVID & Food Security Researchers from UT-Austin‘s Dell Medical School, working with CommUnity Care Health Centers, have found that food insecurity in Travis County has worsened over the course of the pandemic, with a new study revealing a link between food insecurity and local COVID-19 rates.

Hill Country Conservancy announced Dan Eck as its new chief executive director on Monday, succeeding founder and former CEO George Cofer, who’s retiring after leading HCC for 20 years. Eck most recently served as the executive director for the Museum of the Southwest in Midland.

Future of Austin State Hospital: Construction crews have completed demolition of vacant buildings on the Austin State Hospital campus to make way for the 240-bed stand-alone replacement hospital, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. HHSC is partnering with Dell Medical School to redesign and construct the new 380,000-square-foot hospital, which is scheduled to open in June 2023.

Quote of the Week

Credit: Photo by John Anderson

“Someone could look at me and say, ‘He traveled.’ But what they could not say is that I traveled at a time when I was telling other people not to travel.”

– Mayor Steve Adler in a Dec. 2 Austin American-Statesman article defending his early November vacation to Cabo San Lucas

This article appears in The 2020 Gift Guide Issue.

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