House Preliminarily OKs Sonogram Bill
The Texas House has preliminarily voted in favor of a bill that would require women to get sonograms before abortions. Lawmakers voted on the measure last night after hours of debate. KUT's political reporting partner, The Texas Tribunereports the bill "still needs to be read and voted upon once more to pass out of the House, though no major (or minor) changes in outcome are expected." The House version will have to be reconciled with the Senate version.
Animal Shelter Achieves "No Kill" Status
The City of Austin will announce later today that, for the first time, Town Lake Animal Center has reached its goal of saving 90 percent of the animalsthat enter the shelter. The City says 92 percent of animals at Town Lake had live outcomes in February.
Northbound I-35 @ Ben White Closing This Weekend
Weekend closures on I-35 at Ben White are something Central Texans are going to have to get used to while TXDOT works on new flyovers there. Starting at 10 p.m. the northbound lanes will be closed and traffic will be diverted to the access roads. Westbound Ben White will also be closed from Burleson Rd to Congress. For more on the closures and the project click here.
In the Mood to Fly a Kite?
The annual Zilker Park Kite Festival is on Sunday. Thousands of people will swarm the park with colorful kites of all shapes and sizes. The festival starts at 10 a.m. Festival organizers say you should get there early, bring a chair, and take a shuttle as parking will be scarce. Visit the Exchange Club of Austin's sitefor more info on kites, contests, food and more. Forecasters say the weather should be sunny with high temperatures near 67 Sunday.