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Community Corner

🌱 Abandoned Guinea Pigs + FAA Outage Delays Flights + Free Yoga

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Austin.

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Jessica Collins, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Good morning, everyone! It's Thursday in Austin and I'm back in your inbox bright and early to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in town.

Settle in while we cover:

  • At Austin Bergstrom, a system outage delayed over 235 flights.
  • The JCB Gallery is looking for emerging and established Austin artists — we've got the scoop below.
  • Keep scrolling to learn more about a free, virtual yoga session this evening!
  • Abandoned guinea pigs were discovered all over the Austin metropolitan area.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler; breezy in the morning. High: 65 Low: 40.

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Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Airline passengers just cannot seem to catch a break! Yesterday was another stressful day at Austin-Bergstrom as more than 235 flights were delayed and 38 were canceled, while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted all air traffic across the United States. KUT reports that the FAA hasn't yet provided a root cause of the system outage, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said there was "no evidence of a cyberattack at this point," and that the U.S. Department of Transportation would "conduct a full investigation into the causes." KUT has more on this story here.

2) An audit by the University of Texas Center for Water and the Environment identified over 50 potential improvements for Austin Water. After Austin Water customers were put on a three-day boil notice back in February 2022, Austin City Council called for an external audit to examine water quality, service interruptions and appropriate solutions. The Statesman reports: "The external review makes 53 recommendations for improving operations and resiliency at the Ullrich plant, and Austin Water agrees or partially agrees with 49 of those recommendations, city officials said. They said work on 19 of the recommendations has already begun." Learn more about the audit, personnel changes at Austin Water and next steps here at The Statesman.

3) Just when you thought you'd seen and read it all: A breeder is accused of dumping guinea pigs along I-35 and Mopac! The Austin Guinea Pig rescue said it received an influx of calls reporting stray guinea pigs discovered in city park bathrooms and under highway bridges, in desperate need of care. CBS Austin reports the guinea pigs have been found as far north as Round Rock and as far south as Buda. Head over to CBS Austin to learn more about this heartbreaking story.

4) Tesla is gearing up to spend more than $800 million on interior finishes and new construction at its campus in Southeast Austin. Filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) show that the electronic vehicle titan is planning to add roughly 1.7 million square feet of additional space to its existing 10 million square feet campus – WOW! Learn more about Tesla's expansion plans here at KVUE.

Today in Austin:

  • "Birds in the Landscape" Class at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (8 a.m.)
  • Cardio and Strength hosted by Stronger Austin at virtual. (8:30 a.m.)
  • (Kid-Friendly) Lego Lab at Austin Public Library, Pleasant Hill Branch. (4 p.m.)
  • Lounge Sessions with Nick Garza's Get Along at Hotel San José. (5:30 p.m.)
  • Jeff Dunham "Still Not Canceled" Tour at Moody Center. (7 p.m.)
  • (Free) Yoga hosted by Stronger Austin at virtual. (7 p.m.)
  • Ley Line, Buffalo Hunt at Antone's. (7 p.m.)
  • Alter Ego Comedy Game Show at The Studio. (8 p.m.)
  • The Agents of Chaos Comedy Show at The Ballroom at Spiderhouse. (8 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 🎾 Let's support our Longhorn Tennis Team: "Spring schedule 🤘 Let's do this. #HookEm" (Texas Women's Tennis via Facebook)
  • 🎨 Call for artists! The Julia C. Butridge Gallery at the Dougherty Arts Center extended the deadline to submit exhibit proposals for the 2024 Gallery Season to March 5. (City of Austin)
  • 🎞️ The Texas Film Awards: Austin Film Society's annual gala to celebrate and raise funds for Texas film—returns March 3, taking place at Willie Nelson's Luck, TX. (CultureMap Austin)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Jessica Collins

About me: Jessica is happy to call Austin her home for the past 10+ years. She loves the outdoors, arts & cinema, dining, and all of the natural beauty that Central Texas has to offer.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Austin Daily? Contact me at DowntownAustin@patch.com

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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