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Community Corner

🌱 Abbott Reviewing APD Budget + Drought Impacting Farmers + NW Fire

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

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Jessica Collins, Neighbor
(Patch Media)

Good morning, neighbors. It's Monday in Austin and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening in our community today.

Grab your coffee while we dive into:

  • Abbott says he will 'look into' Austin's police budget.
  • Ongoing drought conditions hurting Central Texas farms.
  • 4 residents were displaced and 2 pets killed in northwest Austin fire.
  • And more ➡️

First, today's weather and allergy report:

☀️ High: 112 Low: 79. Mostly sunny and hot, hot, HOT.

🍃 Grass Pollen: Low. Ragweed: Moderate. Mold: Low. Dust & Dander: High.

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Here are the Top 4 stories today in Austin:

1) Abbott says he will 'look into' Austin's police budget. Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted a tweet Saturday evening stating that he will "look into" the funding of Austin Police Department to see if it violates a 2021 law, which penalizes Texas cities if they are found to have reduced their law enforcement budget. Check out the full story here at KXAN.

2) Ongoing drought conditions hurting Central Texas farms. The current drought conditions are drying up some bodies of water and also killing crops. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas currently has the worst corn conditions in the country. Central Texas farmers have concerns over reduced crop yields and reduced crop quality. KVUE has more on this story here.

3) 4 residents were displaced and 2 pets killed in northwest Austin fire. An accidental fire at a northwest Austin home has displaced four residents and killed two pets, the Austin Fire Department confirmed Sunday morning. The fire amounted to $100,000 in structural damage and $100,000's worth of damage to the home's contents. Fox 7 Austin has more on this story here.

4) Long waitlists cause families to scramble to find child care. Success By 6, a coalition of early childhood advocates and part of the United Way for Greater Austin surveyed child care providers in Travis County during the spring and found 89 percent had difficulty hiring in the previous six months.

Cathy McHorse, vice president of Success By 6 at United Way for Greater Austin, says: "Much of the challenge with the lack of access to affordable child care is right now, like in many other industries, our child care sector is experiencing a staffing crisis of… hate to say it, but unprecedented proportions. It's even more exacerbated with programs that accept childcare subsidies. And that's the state subsidy that supports families with low income in accessing affordable childcare." Staffing shortages, low wages, and pandemic closures have all contributed to this child care shortage. Check out the full story here at KXAN.

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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— 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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