This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

🌱 Austin PD's New Artificial Intelligence Tools + Buddy Guy In Town

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

Jessica Collins's profile picture
Jessica Collins, Neighbor
|
(Patch Media)

Austin bluebonnets are here early. And that's OK!

Good morning, everybody! I'm back with your fresh edition of the Austin Patch newsletter. Let's get this Friday started off right with a quick guide to the most important things happening these days in town, including:

  • It's a busy Friday evening with tons of great events: Buddy Guy at The Moody Theater, a screening of "Minions," a silent disco and much more!
  • A new artificial intelligence platform is set to help the Austin Police Department.
  • The sudden closure of a downtown housing shelter leaves many Austinites with questions and concerns.

But first, today's weather:

Breezy in the morning; sunny. High: 75 Low: 47.

🏘️ Looking to differentiate yourself from other real estate agents in Austin? Partner with the Austin Patch and gain access to a targeted, engaged audience through our premium newsletter sponsorships. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) The Salvation Army quietly announced the closure of its downtown shelter in February and community advocates and city officials are demanding answers. The organization stated that "it can no longer offer the level of quality and care our brothers and sisters need at this facility" and promised to find housing alternatives for its current residents. Some city officials feel the shelter shutting its doors on March 15 is too soon. Councilmember Zo Qadri (District 9) tells KVUE: "I am extremely disappointed in the short notice given to the city, especially given the critical need of this service downtown." KVUE has more on this story here.

2) The City of Austin finalized a pay package for the Austin Police Department. The new plan includes 4 percent raises for all officers below the rank of assistant chief, starting April 1, and additional incentives for new cadets and current officers, as well as other provisions. Learn more about the new compensation package here at KVUE.

3) Seven people were injured on a flight to Frankfurt, Germany from Austin last night. The flight experienced severe turbulence directly tied to hefty storms along the flight path and ultimately was diverted to Dulles International Airport in Virginia. All of the reported injuries are believed to be minor. KXAN has the full story here.

4) The Austin Police Department (APD) launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered intake system for non-emergency reports, to reduce call wait times and speed up investigations. APD is partnering with Versaterm Public Safety to launch its virtual officer platform at ireportaustin.com. APD states that the AI assistant conducts a full interview with the person filing a report and provides key information to the police department. To learn more about how this new system works, head over to KXAN.

Today in Austin:

  • Field of Light Hosting Silent Disco at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (6 p.m.)
  • (Kid-Friendly) Community Cinema Presents: Minions: Rise of Gru at Community First! Village. (6:30 p.m.)
  • (Free) Public Reception for New Exhibitions at The Contemporary Austin, Jones Center. (7 p.m.)
  • Kimbra with Tei Shi at Empire Garage. (7 p.m.)
  • Buddy Guy at ACL Live at The Moody Theater. (7 p.m.)
  • Austin Shakespeare Presents: Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" at Rollins Studio Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)
  • ZACH Theatre & Deaf Austin Theatre Presents: Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella at ZACH Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Dancing With The Stars: Live! at Bass Concert Hall. (8 p.m.)
  • Imaginary Stereo Presents: FU$$Y at dadaLab. (8 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 🎨 Looking for some creative inspo? "From capturing the absence of sound through painting at the ICOSA Collective with "Silence," to being inspired by the bold colors of Old Havana architecture in Diana Greenberg's exhibit at Wally Workman... Be charmed by Sarah Bork's playful photography of drag performers grocery shopping, or take in three Texas artists examination of objects in our everyday lives in "discards vessels fragments" at Cameba Gallery." CultureMap has curated a list of 8 exciting, local exhibits to see this spring! (CultureMap)
  • 🎸 Rock legends coming to town: KISS has announced the "absolute final shows" for their last tour [ever], starting [the tour] in Austin and ending in the city where their decades-long story began." (KVUE)
  • 📺 Austin's murals are going prime time: "The city's monumental murals are now making it to airtime with a new series from Austin PBS, Muraling Austin, premiering on March 24." (Austin Chronicle)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

Featured events:

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with your next 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 Patch newsletter? Contact me at DowntownAustin@patch.com

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

More from Austin