Austin

A collection of mayors old and new congregated at City Hall today to show their support for the passage of Proposition 1. With early voting concluding at day’s end and the general election a mere four days away, the group hoped to leave a lasting impression on voters that will lead to the Proposition's passage.

Proposition 1 is a bond proposal that if passed would allocate $90 million to 45 mobility projects across the city.

Austin City Council granted a rare privilege today to an 82-year-old Austin woman: a lifetime pass to Barton Springs Pool.

Patty Curtis started swimming at the pool in 1975 when she was 46-years-old.

We already knew that former Texas Longhorns hero and current Tennesse Titans quarterback Vince Young had planned to open a steakhouse at 3rd and San Jacinto.   Now we know when. The Statesman reports:

Capital Metro announced it will close four of its Congress Avenue bus stops starting on November 6th as part of a pilot program. These are the stops affected:

Northbound, Congress at 6th
Northbound, Congress at 7th
Southbound, Congress at 8th
Southbound, Congress at 7th

Austin Police Officer Leonardo Quintana was fired for a second time today, less than a week after an arbitrator reinstated him to the force.

The "indefinite suspension" - a bureaucratic formality that amounts to being fired - stems from an alleged domestic dispute at Quintana's home in Leander. Quintana didn't inform his supervisors that he was involved in an incident that required a police response.

Update 4:52 pm: Quintana was dismissed again. Details here.

Earlier: Austin Police officer Leonard Quintana finds himself on the hot seat once again today. He's facing a disciplinary hearing that started at 1 p.m. and could result in him being fired from the force for a second time.

While there is nothing new to college kids swilling cheap alcohol to excess, a new malt drink has been raising eyebrows nationwide as it combines the sugary taste and energy kick of a Red Bull with the alcohol content of many fortified wines.

The drink, Four Loko, has gained notoriety because it was banned from Central Washington University after it sent nine of the school’s students to the hospital with alcohol poisoning. As KTRE-9 in East Texas reports:

Jury Selection Begins Today in Delay Trial

Jury selection begins in an Austin courtroom today for the conspiracy trial of former House Leader Tom Delay.

Delay is charged with conspiring to launder $190,000 in corporate donations through campaign accounts in the midst of the 2002 elections.

His lawyers have argued that he won’t be able to get a fair trial in Austin, because of his role in the 2003 redistricting that cost some longtime Democratic state lawmakers their seats.

Only two years after it was founded, the Austin Aztex soccer team is leaving Central Texas for the Sunshine State. Aztex president Phil Rawlins confirmed the move in a news released posted today on the team's website.

A proposed Wal-Mart that was fiercely opposed by neighborhood groups in North Austin will open on Wednesday.  But the store has been sharply scaled down from the original 225,000 square foot plan.

The original plans also called for the construction of a 300,000 square foot parking garage, and would have seen the store operate 24/7.

Historical Club Burns Down

Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi was in Austin yesterday for a human rights event. She was the reporter imprisoned in Iran on charges of espionage. KUT’s Erika Aguilar managed to score an interview with Saberi. You can hear it here.

The Central Texas unemployment rate dipped a little in September, falling to 6.8%.  

The Texas Workforce Commission says the government, education and health services sector added the most jobs in the Austin area last month.  But unemployment is still a subject of deep concern for the Austin metro area.

PMC-Sierra Inc., a California-based semi-conductor company, has agreed to buy Austin-based Wintegra, Inc. for $213 million the companies announced Thursday.

PM-Sierra will pay the initial $213 million in cash, but has promised to pay an additional $60 million if Winetegra can match certain financial goals by the end of 2011.

Early Voting Turnout High

Update 10:58 am: KUT has confirmed that Austin Police Officer Leonardo Quintana will return to work.

An independent arbitrator decided Quintana should not have been fired for a DWI arrest.

A spokeswoman with the City of Austin says Quintana’s firing has been reduced to a 15 day suspension.

Update 12:30 pm: The Austin Police Department just issued this statement expressing dismay at Quintana's reinstatement.

A roundup of some of the stories worth checking out this morning.

Fort Hood Testimony Continues

Homeless advocates are reeling this morning after comments made by an APD police officer to KVUE TV.  TV cameras followed APD officers as they shut down a homeless camp near Ben White and South Congress.  Police told KVUE that they were acting on complaints from local businesses.

A Pentagon spokesperson is telling media that military recruiters can now accept openly gay and lesbian applicants. The order follows a ruling by a federal judge that struck down the military's "don't ask don't tell" rule. CNN talked to the spokesperson:

University of Texas’ associate athletic director for football operations Cleve Bryant has taken a leave of absence while UT officials investigate what only being described as “an accusation” made against him.

UT Athletics confirms Bryant took an administrative leave of absence, but won’t say why.

Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services wants input on its plan for a healthy county at a Town Hall Meeting on October 19th.

In Austin and Travis County, 1 in 5 adults is overweight. And the HHS department is trying to lower that statistic. Using funds from a state grant, the department is working up a 3-year plan with input from doctors, non-profits, schools and parents.