Jimmy Maas | KUT

The City of Austin will begin reopening libraries, pools and other services that have been shuttered during stay-at-home orders due to the pandemic. Starting next week, the city said, it will try to strike a balance between offering services as the state reopens and lingering health concerns due to the coronavirus. 

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Miles de máscaras están en camino para los trabajadores de la construcción en Austin.

Las 100,000 máscaras fueron donadas este lunes por la Fundación de Suministros de Emergencia de Austin, una nueva organización sin fines de lucro formada por líderes empresariales con experiencia específica en suministros médicos y de logística.

Thousands of masks are on their way to construction workers in the Austin area.

The 100,000 masks were donated Monday by the Austin Emergency Supply Foundation, a new nonprofit made up of business leaders with specific medical supply and logistics expertise.

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Dos clientes se arreglaban el cabello  el viernes en el Path Salon en el sur de Austin. Las citas previas son la manera en que su dueño, Ryan Driggers, prueba los nuevos protocolos de seguridad en el salón de belleza.

Driggers dijo que la reapertura llega con muchas emociones.
 

Two clients are getting their hair done at Path Salon in South Austin today. The appointments are owner Ryan Driggers' way of testing new protocols at the salon.

Driggers said the reopening comes with a lot of emotions.

Barton Creek Mall opened for the first time in weeks Friday, as phase one of Gov. Greg Abbott’s plan to reopen the Texas economy went into effect.

Click here to read this story in English. 

Click here to read this story in English. 

Terry Shockley recuerda a su madre, Patsy Hopper, como una persona fuerte. 

"Ella tenía que serlo," dijo Shockley. "Eventualmente tuvo cuatro hijos. Éramos una familia militar, así que nos mudamos bastante. Ella tuvo que empacar muchas veces, tener mucha organización, mucha disciplina. Mi papá estaba ocupado con su carrera. Ella era fuerte."

Rodeo Austin and Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion will not be held this spring.   

Organizers received word from Travis County officials Thursday that the public health risk was too great.

There will also be no fans at Austin sporting events for the near term amid concerns over the coronavirus. As of Thursday evening, there were no confirmed cases in Travis County, but officials are playing it safe and planning as if there were.

One of Austin’s biggest months for visitors has begun, just as concerns grow around the new coronavirus COVID-19. While most events are proceeding as planned, the scenario in which a large event would be shut down over the virus is a little murky.

Travis County and the City of Austin say they’re monitoring the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, and collaborating daily with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials.

If you're from Austin, voting in a grocery store probably feels like a normal thing. But to those who are newer to town, it's unusual.

The Austin City Council voted to move ahead with a plan to get the Zilker mini-train up and running sooner rather than later. Instead of going through its typical procurement process — which would mean a new train operator would be more than a year away — the Parks and Recreation Department is turning to Austin Parks Foundation.

Eleven of the 12 Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate in Texas debated Tuesday night – the first day of early voting in the March 3 primary.  

A recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows MJ Hegar is outpacing the crowded field, but the real polling begins today with voters.

The Travis County Appraisal District's decision to not issue new property value appraisals this year could have long-term consequences for schools and other tax-funded services.   

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is donating $100 million to UT Austin to support students from lower-income families.

The money, which will be granted over 10 years, is the largest donation the university has ever received that will go directly to students.

Atari plans to open a video game-themed hotel in Austin.  

The company announced Monday it had partnered with Napoleon Smith III, the producer of the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies, and GSD Group, a branding and strategy firm, to open theme hotels in eight cities.

Today is Hi, How Are You Day in Austin. The day was inspired by the late artist and musician Daniel Johnston to raise awareness of mental health issues. Johnston painted the iconic "Hi, How Are You" mural on 21st Street and Guadalupe. Today would have been his 59th birthday.

The Texas economy kept humming along in 2019, though at a slightly slower tempo than in the last few years. And while Austin will continue to grow in 2020, that growth will slow to what one economist calls a "more normal" rate of growth. 

Big changes are ahead for H-E-B stores in South Austin next year. The company says it's investing $200 million to open three new stores. Meanwhile, three other locations are closing – two of them permanently.

The new basketball and events arena at the University of Texas will be named the Moody Center, after a $130 million gift to the school from the Moody Foundation. It will replace the 42-year-old Frank Erwin Center.

Austinites went to the polls Tuesday to vote on 10 amendments to the state constitution, as well as a Travis County proposition and two city measures.

Voters struck down Austin’s Proposition A, a petition-led ordinance that would have forced public votes on most future uses of city-owned land and made the organizations that lease those lands – frequently nonprofits – pay property taxes.