Austin, TX

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

Published

2 years ago

May 29, 2024

Press Room

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.

No. 3 Softball preview: NCAA Austin Regional – University of Texas Athletics

Published

9 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

No. 3 Softball preview: NCAA Austin Regional – University of Texas Athletics

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Softball, the nation’s No. 2 seed at the 2026 NCAA Tournament, opens the Austin Regional vs. NEC Tournament Champion Wagner at 3 p.m. CT Friday, May 15, at McCombs Field. The game will stream on ESPN+ with Cat Osterman (analyst) and Alex Loeb (play-by-play) on the call. Fans can also tune into Andrew Haynes on Texas’ radio broadcast on https://texas.leanplayer.com/ or the iHeart Radio app.

Notes

Wagner, Baylor and Wisconsin are joining Texas at the Austin Regional. Prior to Texas’ game vs. Wagner on Friday, Baylor (28-26) and Wisconsin (32-19) will clash at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+. The winner of the Austin Regional will advance to play the winner of the College Station Regional.

Texas is making its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance, including its 21st-consecutive tournament. The Longhorns are 57-30 all-time during NCAA regionals.

Texas has made the NCAA Tournament in every year under head coach Mike White. Under White, Texas has clinched six top-13 national seeds at the tournament.

It marks the fourth-straight year in which Texas has earned a national seed (1 through 16). Texas’ four-consecutive national seeds ties for the longest streak in program history. It last happened from 2010 to 2013. Additionally, Texas has collected three-consecutive top-six national seeds.

Texas’ No. 2 national seed is the second-highest national seed in program history, behind the 2024 team’s No. 1 overall seed. Last season, Texas was selected as the No. 6 overall seed and went on to win the program’s first Women’s College World Series with a 10-2 postseason run.

Texas won the program’s first SEC Tournament title and fifth overall conference tournament crown on May 9.

Junior first baseman Katie Stewart became the program’s first SEC Player of the Year after earning the award on May 8. Stewart is the fourth Longhorn to garner conference player of the year, joining Reese Atwood (2024), Taylor Thom (2014) and Amy Hooks (2011).

Freshman RHP/DP Hannah Wells tied the program’s freshman home run record of 13, which was set by Katie Stewart in 2024.

Against Oklahoma on April 10, junior RHP Teagan Kavan became the sixth player in program history to eclipse 500 career strikeouts. Kavan, who currently has 572 career strikeouts, joins Cat Osterman (2,265), Blaire Luna (1,428), Meagan Denny (988), Christa Williams (678) and Tiarra Davis (508) as the only players in program history to reach 500 career Ks. Kavan’s 572 career strikeouts rank fifth in program history.

All Eyes on the Longhorns

Texas’ SEC Tournament Championship game vs. Alabama on May 9 was the most-watched college softball game this season, bringing in 847,000 viewers.

Texas also had the top two most-watched regular season game this season vs. Georgia on April 19 with 725,000 viewers watching. The second-most watched college softball game this year was between the Longhorns and Oklahoma on April 11 when 700,000 tuned in.

Three of Texas’ games were in the top 5 of college softball’s most viewed games during the regular season.

Texas vs. Oklahoma on April 12 brought in 581,000 viewers, making it the third-most watched college softball game of the regular season.

Series History

Texas and Wagner will be playing each other for the first time in history on Friday.

Both Texas and Wagner received automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament after winning their conference tournament titles.

Former Big 12 conference foes, Texas and Baylor have played 70 times with Texas leading the all-time series, 44-26.

The Longhorns have won seven-straight games vs. the Bears.

Texas and Wisconsin have played each other 11 times with Texas leading the all-time series, 8-3. The Horns and Badgers last played each other in 2023 with Texas winning two games, 7-4 and 5-1, in Austin.

SEC Tournament Champs!

Texas won the program’s first SEC Tournament Championship on May 9 with a 7-1 victory over second-seed Alabama.

Teagan Kavan was named the tournament’s MVP. Kavan, Viviana Martinez, Leighann Goode and Jaycie Nichols were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

It was Texas’ fifth overall conference tournament title and the first conference tournament crown since 2005.

The Longhorns have won five conference tournament championships (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2026) in seven of their championship game appearances (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2023, 2024 and 2026). Texas earns its first conference tournament title under head coach Mike White. Under White, Texas has played in a conference tournament championship in three of the last four seasons. The Big 12 Conference did not host a conference tournament from 2011-2016.

NCAA Austin Regional Schedule (all game times listed in Central)

*More information about broadcast designations will be communicated throughout the week

Friday, May 15

12:30 p.m. – Game 1: Baylor vs. Wisconsin (ESPN+)

3 p.m. – Game 2: Texas vs. Wagner (ESPN+)

Saturday, May 16

12 p.m. – Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

2:30 p.m. – Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2

5 p.m. – Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3

Sunday, May 17

12 p.m. – Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5

Game 7: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 (if necessary)

Please note that game times are subject to change due to game length and a mandatory 35-minute break between each game.

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Austin, TX

Jane Austin Improv celebrates third anniversary with Texas shows & a national NYC stage

Published

21 hours ago

May 14, 2026

Press Room

AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin-based improv troupe is celebrating a major milestone with performances in Texas and on a national stage.

Jane Austin Improv celebrates third anniversary with Texas shows & a national NYC stage

Jane Austin Improv is marking its third anniversary with a series of shows, including a headlining performance at the Long Center’s Rollins Studio Theatre on June 6.

The award-winning group is known for blending Regency-era storytelling with improv comedy, bringing Jane Austen-inspired characters, costumes and courtship drama to life with quick wit and audience-driven humor.

MORE | #TBT: ‘Jane Austin Improv’ brings 18th-century romance and modern humor to world stages

Following their Austin shows, the troupe will perform in New York City at the Del Close Marathon, one of the country’s premier improv comedy festivals.

Jane Austin Improv celebrates third anniversary with Texas shows & a national NYC stage

Jane Austin Improv has grown from local stages to performances across the U.S. and internationally, earning multiple nominations from the B. Iden Payne Awards, winning the 2023 Ethel Hinkley Award for Outstanding New Improv Troupe, and being named a “Best of Austin” finalist by the Austin Chronicle in 2025.

Organizers say the anniversary performances celebrate both the group’s growth and its mission to connect audiences through creative, accessible comedy.

Tickets for the June 6 performance at the Long Center can be found here: https://thelongcenter.org/events/janeaustinimprov/

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Austin, TX

Austin excels as one of America’s top 3 cities to start a career

Published

1 day ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Austin excels as one of America’s top 3 cities to start a career

After ranking as the third-best large U.S. city for starting a business last year, Austin took a surprising tumble into the 24th spot nationally for 2026.

WalletHub’s annual report, “Best Large Cities to Start a Business (2026)” compared 100 U.S. cities based on 19 relevant metrics across three key dimensions: business environment, access to resources, and costs. Factors that were analyzed include five-year business survival rates, job growth comparisons from 2020 and 2024, population growth of working-age individuals aged 16-64, office space affordability, and more.

Florida cities locked other states out of the top five best places in America for starting a new business: Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Hialeah, and St. Petersburg.

Austin’s business environment ranked 11th best in the country, and the city ranked ninth in the “access to resources” category. The city also tied with Boise, Idaho, and Fresno, California, for the highest average growth in the number of small businesses nationally.

Austin lagged behind in the “business costs” ranking, coming in at No. 80 overall. This category examined metrics such as the city’s working-age population growth, the share of college-educated individuals, financing accessibility, the prevalence of investors, venture investment amounts per capita, and more.

Earlier this year, WalletHub declared Texas the third-best state for starting a business in 2026, and several Houston-area cities have seen robust growth after being recognized among the best career hotspots in the U.S. WalletHub also ranked Austin on its top-10 list of the best U.S. cities to find a job. Entrepreneurial praise has also been extended to 15 Austin-based innovators that made Inc Magazine’s 2026 Female Founders 500 list.

Texas cities with strong environments for new businesses
Multiple cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex can claim bragging rights as the best Texas locales for starting a new business. Dallas ranked highest overall — appearing 11th nationally — and Irving landed a few spots behind in the 16th spot. Arlington (No. 23), Fort Worth (No. 30), Plano, (No. 35), and Garland (No. 65) followed behind.

Only six other Texas cities earned spots in the report: Houston (No. 26), Lubbock (No. 36), Corpus Christi (No. 39), San Antonio (No. 64), El Paso (No. 67), and Laredo (No. 76). Corpus Christi and Laredo also topped WalletHub’s list of the U.S. cities with the most accessible financing.

“From the Gold Rush and the Industrial Revolution to the Internet Age, periods of innovation have shaped our economy and driven major societal progress,” the report’s author wrote. “However, the past few years have been particularly challenging for business owners in the U.S., due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Resignation and high inflation.”

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