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Community Corner

🌱 The Bluebonnets Arrived ... Early? + Crowding At Lady Bird Lake

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, friends and neighbors! It's a beautiful Sunday morning in Austin and I'm back in your inbox bright and early to get you caught up on the most important local news and community updates.

Grab your morning coffee while we dive into:

  • South Austin business owners grow concerned over the uptick in crime.
  • The bluebonnets are here ... early?! Keep scrolling for the scoop on our beloved state flower.
  • The Wildflower Center is hosting a sound bath event this evening. We've got the deets below.

But first, today's weather:

Sunshine and patchy clouds. High: 80 Low: 58.

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Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Austin PD is searching for a suspect who stole from a Girl Scout troop in south Austin. The incident took place earlier this week outside Randall's on Ben White Boulevard and Menchaca Road. Police officials report it was a "grab-and-go" theft and no one was injured. Many business owners in the area have growing concerns about the uptick in crime. KXAN has more here.

2) Highland Lakes water won't be available for some of LCRA's (Lower Colorado River Authority) agricultural customers through spring 2024. With the ongoing drought across Central Texas, LCRA elected to interrupt service for its "interruptible customers" (mostly water-intensive rice farms in this case), to conserve water. Learn more about LCRA's decision here at KXAN.

3) Some Austinites are concerned about crowding on our beloved Lady Bird Lake. On a sunny day in Austin, you're likely to see paddleboards, kayaks, water bikes and more strewn about Lady Bird Lake, but a study conducted by researchers at Huston-Tillotson University shows that the lake consistently exceeds its carrying capacity. Amanda Masino, associate professor of biology at Huston-Tillotson tells Community Impact: "We are indeed exceeding the carrying capacity of the lake on our sampled peak day, the weekends, whether it's a holiday or not. On those days, the average whole lake density was about half of what it should be."

4) Psst — the bluebonnets are here. Bluebonnets, Texas' beloved state flower, have already sprung up on roadsides across Central Texas — much earlier than usual, but experts say it's okay. Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture at the Wildflower Center, tells KUT: "Different species of flowers can blossom based on several factors like rainfall, day length, nitrogen content in the soil and even warmer temperatures. An unknown combination of these factors could be the reason bluebonnets are sprouting a bit earlier this year." That said, DeLong-Amaya assured readers that bluebonnets are weather-resilient and not to fret. KUT has more on this story here.

Today in Austin:

  • Dr. Seuss's "The Cat in The Hat" at The Kleberg at ZACH Theatre. (2 p.m.)
  • ZACH Theatre & Deaf Austin Theatre Presents: Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella at The Topfer at ZACH Theatre. (2:30 p.m.)
  • (Sculpting Class) Sculpt Your Pet at Feats of Clay Pottery. (5:30 p.m.)
  • Field of Light Presents: An Immersive Sound Bath Experience at The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. (6 p.m.)
  • Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night at Black Star Co-Op Pub and Brewery. (7 p.m.)
  • Austin Shakespeare Presents: Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" at Rollins Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Pure Fun Comedy Show at Vulcan Gas Company. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Stick Men (featuring members of King Crimson) with DODO at Parish. (7:30 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 📸 Best spots for bluebonnets: The Austinot has a list of the best trails, fields and parks to snap your annual bluebonnet shots. Check it out! (The Austinot)
  • 🌳 Community cleaning: "Over 3,000 volunteers came together Saturday morning to participate in the Austin Parks Foundation's bi-annual event, 'It's My Park Day.'" See photos from the event at CBS Austin.
  • 🍣 Culinary news: "One of Austin's most exciting sushi spots is getting an upgrade in a bigger space." (Eater Austin via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Sunday! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new 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?

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