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Community Corner

🌱 City Loses $$ To Rentals + Downtown Shooting + Free Tacos 🌮

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, and happy Sunday, neighbors! I hope you all are having fabulous weekends. I'm here in your inbox with the most important news and local community updates.

Settle in while we cover:

  • Austin continues to lose millions due to illegal short-term rentals.
  • A shooting in downtown leaves one woman injured.
  • Lady Bird Lake has been noticeably filled with junk – KUT explains why.
  • Kid-friendly events, ballet show, free tacos, and more ➡️

But first, today's weather:

🌧️ A shower and thunderstorm. High: 91 Low: 64.

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Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Austin continues to lose millions due to illegal short-term rentals. Do you know someone in town for ACL, Formula One, or the Austin FC Match? It's possible they're one of the thousands of visitors staying in a short-term rental (STR) that doesn't have the required license from the City of Austin.

KXAN reports that: "City staff estimate there are between 9,000-11,000 STRs in the City of Austin, but Code Department Director José Roig said those numbers go up when Austin has special events." Roig estimates that less than 2,000 short-term rental properties are properly licensed through the city. Head to KXAN to learn more about how the city and Airbnb are trying to combat this issue.

2) A shooting in downtown early on Saturday morning left one woman injured. APD reports that around 1:51 a.m. they responded to the scene at the 600 block of Trinity Street in Downtown Austin. CBS Austin reports: "They said the suspect was trying to shoot another man from his car, but he missed and shot a woman instead. Austin-Travis County EMS medics took her to Dell Seton Medical Center." The suspect fled the scene and has not been found. Head to CBS Austin to learn more about this developing story.

3) Have you been to Lady Bird Lake lately? It's unfortunately filled with litter. Check out KUT's deep dive on why the weather is to blame for the build-up.

4) The Longhorns managed to beat Iowa State for the first time since 2018 to move to 5-2 on the season. It was a close match, but Texas managed to rally in the fourth quarter to beat Iowa State 24-21 on Saturday. Go, Longhorns, go! Head to Texas Sports to review the full game recap.

Today in Austin:

  • (Kid-Friendly) Fall Festival & Pumpkin Patch at Barton Hill Farms. (10 a.m.)
  • (Kid-Friendly) "Rosita y Conchita": a Día de los Muertos Play in English and Spanish at the Austin Scottish Rite Theater. (11 a.m.)
  • ACL Music Festival, Weekend Two (Day Three) at Zilker Park. (12 p.m.)
  • (Kid-Friendly) Skins & Skulls - Exploration Station at McKinney Falls State Park. (2 p.m.)
  • "Maria and the Mouse Deer" at Ballet Austin. (2 p.m.)
  • Gwar with Light The Torch, Crobot, Nekrogoblikon at Empire Garage. (5 p.m.)
  • Other People: A Dating Comedy Show at The Creek and The Cave. (6 p.m.)
  • Taylor Ashton at Mohawk. (6:30 p.m.)
  • Freddie Gibbs Presents: CoKane Comedy at Vulcan Gas Company. (7:30 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 👀 Trendy convenience store "Foxtrot" is coming to Austin. The Chicago-based company plans to open four locations across town by early 2023. (Eater Austin)
  • 🌮 Free tacos? Yes, please. Free tacos for a good cause? Say no more! The Long Center, H-E-B, and more have announced "Show Up for Austin," an event Tuesday at the Long Center benefitting the Central Texas Food Bank. One thousand free tacos will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. Luck also will sell 500 Luck Reunion early-bird tickets at the event, which is from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. (Austin American-Statesman)
  • 🎞️ The Austin Jewish Film Festival announces its 20th-anniversary lineup. The event will be taking place Nov. 3-13 at the Dell Jewish Community Campus and Nov. 14-20 online. (CultureMap Austin)

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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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