Austin, TX

Austin advocates urge more support for harm reduction amid high overdose, fentanyl deaths

Published

7 months ago

May 29, 2024

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Austin advocates urge more support for harm reduction amid high overdose, fentanyl deaths

Felix Gonzalez first used drugs at 9 years old.

Decades later, he continues to cycle in and out of drug use as a way to cope with the trauma from his life, he said. But in the past two years, as someone experiencing homelessness, he has seen more family and friends die on the streets of Austin than at any other time of his life. Most of those deaths are due to fentanyl.

“So much death around fentanyl,” Gonzalez said, as he began tearing up. “I really don’t know what a solution to this is. … But we need help.”

Gonzalez was one of dozens of advocates, local officials, and former and current drug users who stood outside of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance’s drop-in center in East Austin on Wednesday to call for more resources to be put into harm reduction as both the city of Austin and Travis County look to begin their budget processes. The alliance offers services to people at risk of opioid overdoses in the Austin area.

Wednesday’s news conference comes nearly a week after the Travis County medical examiner, J. Keith Pinckard, presented the office’s annual report, which found that overdoses were the county’s leading cause of accidental deaths — a trend driven by an increase in the deadly drug fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin that has been found laced in other drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

Overdose deaths and fentanyl-related overdoses increased last year, the report found, with 486 people dying of an overdose.

So far, this year doesn’t seem to be bringing much of an improvement, as the county recently saw an overdose surge that resulted in 79 overdoses and nine deaths in less than a week. Fentanyl was present in each of the nine deaths, county spokesperson Hector Nieto has said. No arrests have been made in connection to this surge.

“We’ve been raising the alarm for so long, and we do not have the support we need,” said Alexandra White, director of services for the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. “We are so tired. We are working so hard to keep our people alive that we don’t even have time to mourn our dead.”

During the previous state legislative session, harm reduction efforts such as legalizing fentanyl testing strips in Texas stalled in the Senate despite a measure passing in the House.

Many of the people who spoke at Wednesday’s news conference urged state lawmakers to make fentanyl testing strips legal during next year’s legislative session.

Travis County has the highest rate of fentanyl-related deaths in the state compared with other major metropolitan counties. Experts have partially attributed the rate to the area’s lack of treatment options and local policies that have made implementing a successful harm reduction strategy more difficult.

What is harm reduction?

Harm reduction includes making things available to drug users that can help limit some of the adverse effects that are typically associated with illicit drug use. Some of those items include clean needles, wound care and Narcan, a nasal spray that, if administered soon enough, can reverse an opioid overdose.

However, Maggie Luna, executive director of the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, said harm reduction is a lot more than just providing Narcan to people. She said it’s providing support to drug users, and oftentimes people who are homeless, with dignity and without judgment. This can include offering people a meal, a place to shower or safe sex supplies, all things that the organization provides.

The alliance offers harm reduction in two forms: through its drop-in center in East Austin and through its outreach teams, which go to various places throughout the city where campsites or large numbers of people experiencing homelessness are typically found.

Currently, the alliance employs 11 people, including four on the outreach team and another four in the drop-in center. That’s not enough for Travis County, Luna said, and it’s why the group is asking Austin Public Health to increase its current yearly budget of $684,000 to $1 million.

White said that, in six months, the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance has handed out supplies to more than 1,800 people.

What are county leaders saying?

Leaders such as County Judge Andy Brown and Commissioner Ann Howard both spoke at Wednesday’s news conference and said they would be asking the Travis County Commissioners Court for more funding.

“We have pledged at Travis County to listen and to learn and to invest where it matters,” Howard said. “We need to do more, and we are in agreement about that. It is a struggle. There’s lots of needs in Travis County, we’re growing fast, but I think nothing compares to this one.”

Brown said increasing funding for harm reduction is a short-term solution and that, long term, the county is looking to increase permanent supportive housing for people who are homeless. Additionally, he said the upcoming mental health diversion center is another option to help treat people who are arrested on a low-level crime in a way other than sending them to jail.

While the building is likely years away from being completed, Brown said a pilot program between the county, the city of Austin and Central Health, the Travis County hospital district, has been given the green light. The pilot can handle up to 25 people and will begin taking people soon, if it hasn’t already, Brown said.

PEAK6 to Relocate Global Headquarters to Austin, Texas

Published

7 hours ago

December 27, 2024

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PEAK6 to Relocate Global Headquarters to Austin, Texas

CHICAGO, Dec. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PEAK6 Investments LLC (“PEAK6”) today announced that, effective January 1, 2025, it will move its global headquarters from its current location in Chicago, Illinois to the company’s existing office in Austin, Texas, which it established in 2021. PEAK6 affiliates PEAK6 Group LLC, PEAK6 Strategic Capital LLC, PEAK6 APX Holdings LLC and PEAK6 LLC will also relocate their global headquarters to Austin. PEAK6 will maintain its office in Chicago.

PEAK6 Logo (PRNewsfoto/PEAK6)

“Texas has been a cornerstone of PEAK6’s growth for over a decade,” said PEAK6 Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Matt Hulsizer, who continued, “With the majority of our talented workforce now based in Texas and Austin emerging as our largest office, moving our headquarters was an important decision to be closer to our team. We’re excited for the next chapter of PEAK6 that will be written from our new headquarters.”

Austin’s unique blend of creativity, technology and culture provides the ideal environment for PEAK6. The city’s highly educated workforce, business climate, and strong entrepreneurial spirit have enabled us to attract top talent and drive innovation.

About PEAK6

PEAK6 uses technology to find a better way of doing things. The company’s first tech-based solution was developed in 1997 to optimize options trading, and over the past two decades, the same formula has been used across a range of industries, asset classes, and business stages to consistently deliver superior results. Today, PEAK6 seeks transformational opportunities to provide capital and strategic support to entrepreneurs and forward-thinking businesses.

PEAK6’s core brands include PEAK6 Capital Management, PEAK6 Strategic Capital, Apex Fintech Solutions, We Insure, FOCUS, Zogo, Evil Geniuses and Poker Power.

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/peak6-to-relocate-global-headquarters-to-austin-texas-302339437.html

SOURCE PEAK6 Investments

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Austin, TX

Texas vs Arizona State: Teams prepare for Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

Published

15 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Texas vs Arizona State: Teams prepare for Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

article

AUSTIN, TEXAS – DECEMBER 21: A view of fireworks and the scoreboard following the game between the Clemson Tigers and Texas Longhorns in the Playoff First Round Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on December 21, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Tex

AUSTIN, Texas – On Wednesday, the Texas Longhorns and the Arizona State Sun Devils will square off in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The New Year’s Day match-up will be the first football game of 2025.

The last time the Horns and Sun Devils played on the field was in 2007 when Texas beat Arizona 52-to-34 in the Holiday Bowl.

“This is the first time that we’ll host Texas true blue blood in college football into the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, and if they win, Texas would be the first team in the history of college football to win all six New Year’s Six Bowl games,” said Gary Stokan, President and CEO of Peach Bowl, Inc.

Texas has never played in the Peach Bowl, and Arizona has never played in the CFP. It will be a game of firsts for both teams. The Sun Devils have only played in the Peach Bowl once before, in 1970, when they beat North Carolina.

8-year-old Longhorns fan wins tickets to CFP game

8-year-old Texas Longhorns fan Liam Ransom and his father will be at DKR on Saturday after winning a contest to get tickets.

“They created the Fiesta Bowl out of that experience of the 1970 Peach Bowl,” said Stokan. “So interesting history there, and interesting history can be made with both teams moving along to the semifinal, the first CFP playoff.”

It will be the 57th Peach Bowl, and tickets to the annual game have sold out yearly since sometime in the 1990s.

“We were founded back in 1968, and it is the ninth-oldest bowl game in college football history, but only the first bowl game founded for charity,” said Stokan.

Stokan said the Peach Bowl and Chick-fil-A teamed up this year to give out scholarships to both universities, each receiving $100,000. The endowed scholarship will help fund tuition for students attending UT or ASU from Atlanta.

“We’ve given $64 million to charity since 2002, which makes us the most charitable organization in the country,” said Stokan.

The Longhorns will return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the second time this season, and fans are upset that the beloved mascot has been banned from the sidelines.

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“Unfortunately, we hate it, but, you know, we’re not able to house Bevo similar to what the SEC championship did, so we apologize to all the Texas fans,” said Stokan.

The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl President said he had answered more interview questions about Bevo than football.

“I’m not sure whether Texas fans are more interested in Bevo or the game,” said Stokan.

The stadium staff said they cannot accommodate the nearly one-ton steer.

While the Peach Bowl is already sold out, some people feel this same restriction could affect Bevo’s game attendance for a possible national title game.

If Texas wins the Peach Bowl and their semifinal game, the Longhorns would return to Atlanta on January 20 for the national championship.

The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Katie Pratt

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Austin, TX

Where in Austin to see free live music that doesn’t suck

Published

23 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Where in Austin to see free live music that doesn’t suck

Austinites, new and old, often hear that the city is no longer the live music capital of the world, but that claim should be taken with a grain of salt. There are plenty of spots in ATX to hear free live music that’s good — as long as you know where to look.

The Capital City was first dubbed the “Live Music Capital of the World” in August 1991. According to Visit Austin, the title was justified by the number of music venues per capita in the city. ATXToday reports there are over 250 venues in Austin where live music is played, proving there’s no shortage of spots offering live entertainment.

However, not every venue allows residents and visitors to Austin to enjoy quality live music without some sort of cover charge. This is when it pays to know the Capital City like the back of your hand.

9 places in Austin to see free live music

While there are countless bars, coffee shops, restaurants and music venues in Austin offering free live music, not all of it passes as “good.”

What’s the point of hitting up a cover-free spot if the live entertainment is soul-crushingly bad?

Below are nine spots to see quality live music in Austin for free.

Reminder: If you’re enjoying free live music somewhere, show the artists some support! Most have tip jars and/or signs with their Venmo username near the stage.

Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden

Pros: Spacious beer garden with indoor and outdoor seating, covered outdoor stage for live entertainment, a stellar sound system that funnels live music inside (even in the bathrooms) quality local acts that get guests on their feet during Sunday brunch and beyond, attentive service and an expansive food and drink menu.

Address: 79 Rainey St., Austin, Texas.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

View Banger’s live music calendar here.

Mama Dearest

Pros: Backwoods-themed bar with eclectic and borderline eerie decor, decent sound system for listening to live music, indoor-outdoor seating, food truck, all of the vibes. Misting fans on outdoor patio in the summer, heaters in winter.

Address: 515 Pedernales St., Austin, Texas.

Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Friday; noon to 2 a.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Mama Dearest often will share its live music offerings on Instagram. Check the bar’s IG here.

Austin Beer Garden and Brewing Co.

Pros: Free live music on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, delicious pizza and sandwiches, various drink options (beer, wine, seltzer and more!), dog-friendly, children welcome.

Address: 1305 W. Oltorf St., Austin, Texas.

Hours: Closed Monday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; noon to midnight Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

View ABGB’s live music calendar here.

The Elephant Room

Pros: Centrally located venue offering live jazz music nightly, no cover charge on Sunday, Monday or before 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, intimate setting, attentive service.

Address: 315 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas.

Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Friday; 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday.

View the live music calendar here.

Armadillo Den

Pros: Spacious, casual friendly service, free live music, good sound system, numerous food trucks on-site. Kids are welcome until 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Otherwise, the Armadillo Den is for those ages 21 and older.

Address: 10106 Menchaca Road, Austin, Texas.

Hours: 4 p.m. to midnight Monday-Wednesday; noon to 12:30 a.m. Thursday; noon to 2 a.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; noon to midnight Sunday.

View Armadillo Den’s live entertainment calendar here.

Jester King Brewery

Pros: Live music on weekends at a brewery that doubles as a ranch where goats not only live but also thrive alongside their trusted canine companion. Jester King also has delicious bites and funky beers to choose from, forts for kids to climb on and ample space.

Address: 13187 Fitzhugh Road, Austin, Texas.

Hours: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Browse Jester King’s live music calendar here.

Blind Pig Pub

Pros: Live music every day of the week in the heart of Dirty Sixth, indoor and outdoor stages, open-air rooftop patio. For a chiller experience on weekends, visit the Blind Pig before 9 p.m.

Address: 317 E. Sixth St., Austin, Texas.

Hours: 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Tuesday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday-Friday; 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.

Austin Garden & Studio at Inn Cahoots

Pros: The Garden at Austin Garden & Studio often hosts live music on the outdoor stage. Musical genres vary, but the sound quality is superb. There also is a food truck on-site and yard games to play.

Address: 1209 E. Sixth St., Austin, Texas.

Hours: Doors open at 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Browse the December 2024 schedule here, and view the 2025 schedule here.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Icehouse

Pros: Located in the heart of West Sixth where bars and restaurants are plentiful, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot offers stellar sound quality, a covered bar and stage for chilly or rainy nights, strong drinks, fast service and more.

Address: 701 W. Sixth St., Austin, Texas.

Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Friday; 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, noon to 2 a.m. Sunday.

Check Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’s Facebook and Instagram pages for up-to-date information on live music offerings.

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