Austin, TX
Hotel room fees, noise ordinance, Texas’s housing needs
New citywide tourism district, funded through hotel room fees, nears industry approval “The aim of the new district would be to better market Austin as a destination for business travel and tourism, particularly during the period when the city is without a convention center. The Austin Convention Center is set to be demolished early next year, but its replacement won’t open until 2029.” (Sean Hemmersmeier, Austin Business Journal)
A change to Austin’s rules could lead to better soundproofing for homes near music venues “The Austin City Council on Thursday approved a change that requires developers to conduct a sound assessment before they build. The move is part of a 2018 resolution that aims to help entertainment venues, housing and businesses exist side-by-side.” (Luz Moreno-Lozano, KUT 90.5)
City provides updates on financial, anti-displacement efforts related to HOME initiatives “The city has started to make a series of moves intended to make it easier for middle- and low-income residents to build accessory dwelling units and generate new income from properties that are now able to host more housing.” (Chad Swiatecki, Austin Monitor)
Texas needs 306,000 more homes to meet demand, experts say “Texas’ population growth has outpaced homebuilding since 2020, according to the state comptroller’s office, resulting in a widespread housing shortage. Up For Growth, a national housing policy organization, reported that Texas needs about 306,000 more homes to meet demand.” (Hannah Norton, Community Impact)
South Korean EV supplier Futronic USA aims to tap industry hotbed with Buda location “The company picked Buda as the location for the project following a search centered on Texas, because it needed to be near both Michigan and Mexico to deliver parts to clients, one of which is Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing Inc.” (Justin Sayers, Austin Business Journal)
Leander near completion on water tower, now restarting San Gabriel Parkway project “The City of Leander is planning to have the new water tower completed this year, paving the way to restart the San Gabriel Parkway project. When a city is growing over three times faster than expected, keeping up is not easy. ‘We didn’t go through a boom, we went through an explosion,’ said Tony Bettis, the Program Manager for Capital Improvements Program.” (Daranesha Herron, KVUE)
Budget analysts: Ending Texas property taxes would cost over $81B annually “State senators met at the Texas Capitol on Sept. 4 to consider further reducing Texas’ local property taxes. Lawmakers approved $18 billion in property tax cuts last summer.” (Hannah Norton, Community Impact)
Austin, TX
More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says – WTOP News
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in…
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — More dangerous Texas floods expected after at least 2 killed and hundreds of people rescued in high water, governor says.
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
Austin, TX
Live updates: Flash Flood emergency in Kerr County as rain continues to pound Texas
KERRVILLE, Texas (KXAN) — The City of Kerrville issued a shelter-in-place Thursday morning, with heavy rain causing reported evacuations early Thursday morning. A Flash Flood Warning is currently in place for Kerr County as the Guadalupe River continues to rise.
Around 5:30 a.m., the National Weather Service said a “large and deadly flood wave is moving down” the Guadalupe River.
KXAN First Warning Weather Meteorologist Kristen Currie said approximately 11 inches of rain have fallen northwest of Kerr County since 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The Guadalupe River is expected to reach major flood stage in multiple areas.
Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter said “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.” Officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.
Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:
- Goat Creek
- Arcadia Loop
- Lowery/Guadalupe area
- Junction Highway low-water crossings
- Other low-lying neighborhoods
Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.
Here are the latest headlines:
Live updates
7:03 a.m.: KXAN’s Kevin Baskar is in Gillespie County providing updates on the latest flood conditions in the area. Watch his update below.
6:37 a.m.: Kerr County officials emphasized not to drive through flooded streets and to turn around if water covers the roadway.
Evacuations were underway in multiple areas, according to the county, including:
- Goat Creek
- Arcadia Loop
- Lowery/Guadalupe area
- Junction Highway low-water crossings
- Other low-lying neighborhoods
Emergency shelters are open at Impact Church (Goat Creek evacuation point), Calvary Temple Church and City West Church for people in West Kerr County, the county said.
6:27 a.m.: Video shows emergency crews hauling boats and rescue equipment through Kerrville.
6:15 a.m. NewsNation correspondent Xavier Walton and his photographer captured a structure being swept up in river water and crashing into a Kerrville bridge. The structure appears to be some sort of shipping container, pushing against the bridge.
Watch the video below:
6:08 a.m.: Kerr County PIO Lisa Walter confirms “there have been multiple swift water rescues and evacuations.”
6:02 a.m.: The Guadalupe River at Center Point is expected to crest at 35 feet, which is the same crest as July 4, 2025.
5:57 a.m.: The National Weather Service said “a large deadly flood wave” is moving down the Guadalupe River.
5:49 a.m.: The Comfort Volunteer Fire Department said it has units in Kerrville and Centerpoint alerting people along the Guadalupe River. They’re helping Kerr County with evacuations along Highway 27 between Comfort and Centerpoint. They said all VFD personnel are OK.
5:30 a.m.: The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it’s received reports of “street flooding in Ingram, and it’s likely many roads and city streets are flooded as well.”
Austin, TX
Austin Pets Alive! activates emergency response to assist shelters affected by flooding
AUSTIN (KXAN) — As flood threats continue across parts of South Central Texas, Austin Pets Alive! has activated emergency response efforts to support animal shelters affected by the inclement weather.
In a social media post, APA! wrote, “We began offering aid last night, working to secure fosters for 10 dogs in the Castroville shelter, an open-air shelter that sits at the bottom of a valley.”
APA! said the situation escalated overnight with additional shelters reporting flooding. One shelter confirmed that floodwaters reached its facility, APA! added.
Communities overwhelmed due to weather include Uvalde, Castroville and Sabinal.
The nonprofit is asking the Austin community to foster, adopt or donate to free up capacity for animals displaced by the disaster. APA! needs to clear out its facilities to assist the animals in need of shelter.
Here are ways you can help:
- Adopt: APA! is offering a “Name Your Own Adoption Fee” on all animals.
- Foster: The shelter is seeking foster homes for a minimum of three weeks.
- Donate: Proceeds will fund vans and response teams setting up a staging and triage center at the heart of the disaster zone, along with an expanded stockpile of preventatives, PPE and additional supplies.
If you would like to donate, click here.
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