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Community Corner

🌱 Austin Vigil In Honor Of Uvalde Victims + Memorial Day In Austin

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

Gabriela Cantu Couvillion's profile picture
Gabriela Cantu Couvillion, Neighbor
(Patch Media)

Good morning, everyone! Today is Monday, Memorial Day and as many of you, I will be off for the holiday. For that reason, I will not be writing today, so there will be no newsletter in your inbox on Tuesday. However, I will be back bright and early with your Wednesday daily! While we celebrate today with family and friends, please take a moment to honor all the wonderful heroes who gave their lives for this great country of ours. Happy Memorial Day! — Gabriela Cantu Couvillion

First, today's weather:

Hot and humid. High: 101 Low: 76.

Here are the top stories today in Austin:

  1. "As the nation mourns" for the 21 victims of the recent deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, many vigils are being held in honor of them. One such vigil was held on Saturday, May 28, at the Pan American Recreation Center at 2100 E. 3rd St. in East Austin. During the vigil, "multiple faith leaders" and "members of the community" mourned and prayed together. For more on this story, please visit: (KXAN.com)
  2. This past weekend, "Lake Austin was packed with plenty of people out on the water." It will probably be the same today, Memorial Day, but "despite the fun in the sun, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department" officials ask people to watch out for "aquatic invasive species," including giant salvinia and zebra mussels. Giant salvinia is "a free-floating aquatic fern that can double its coverage area in a week, producing "thick surface mats that make water recreation nearly impossible." Zebra mussels are "non-native shellfish that attach to hard surfaces, and can damage boats, alter lake ecosystems and cause harm to native species." Besides harming water, the "aquatic invasive species" cause legal problems as "transporting them "is illegal and punishable with a fine of up to $500 per violation." (KXAN Austin)
  3. "According to a report by FilterBuy," in the past year, the Austin metro area was one of the top cities that had the "most employment growth," ranking it No. 3 on the list. "The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employment in the Austin metro has grown by more than 8% over the past year from March 2021 to March 2022," and "the area's total new jobs amounted to more than 90,000 since 2021." For "a breakdown of the employment data for the Austin-Round Rock metro" area, and for more on this report, please visit: (KVUE.com)
  4. After being defeated by Oklahoma State on Saturday morning by 8-1, the Texas Longhorns Baseball team won "the second meeting of the day" against the Cowboys by 9-2, earning "a spot in the Big 12 tournament championship game!" Longhorns Head Coach David Pierce said, "I just thought our bullpen just stepped up." He added, "We needed them. And we had so many guys go in for about two innings apiece and just really do their job." (KXAN.com)
  5. This past March, the city of Austin was officially designated a "Bee City USA" affiliate. As a result of this designation, "city staff will work to improve bee pollinator habitats and educate the community about bees." According to a city memo, "the new policy will be about beekeeping on city parkland and the observation hive at the Austin Nature & Science Center" and "current policies and plans will also be reviewed to make sure they align with becoming a 'Bee City.'" For more information visit: (KXAN Austin)

Today in Austin:

From my notebook:

  • "Texas Longhorns are headed to the Big 12 Championship Game! Hook Em!" (Facebook)
  • "From June 6-29, families can select Austin ISD campuses for support and resources to get their child registered for the 2022-23 school year. Families can come to any one of the campus enrollment days to get help in enrolling their child for any campus or any grade level. Spread the word to other families, and let's get our students ready for 2022-2023 school year! Learn more at https://www.austinisd.org." (Facebook)
  • "A neighbor from Tecoma Circle lost a dog. The dog's name is Maya and she escaped from the Santal complex. If you see her, please call 512-743-1439 or 737-802-5170." (Nextdoor)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Gabriela Cantu Couvillion

About me: I'm an active mom of two grown sons and lifelong San Antonio resident. I received a BA in Spanish from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and in my free time I immerse myself in creative writing. Thanks for reading Patch, and feel free to reach out if you have any news and happenings that you think may appeal to our readers!

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

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