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

Community Corner

🌱 Dumpster Diving Disaster + Campus Closures + No Water Outages

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)

Good morning, and Happy Friday, everybody! What a week it's been in Austin. I sincerely hope you all are continuing to stay safe and warm as the city slowly thaws out. It's Jessica here with your new copy of the Austin Daily– hot off the press! As usual, we're bringing you the most important local news and community updates.

Grab your morning java while we cover:

  • Dumpster diving gone wrong at a local HEB — keep scrolling for the scoop!
  • Why does the tech capital of Texas struggle to manage digital communication during weather emergencies?
  • Austin Water puts a stop to the water outage rumors.
  • Need to let loose on the dance floor after a week cooped up in the cold? We've got the scoop on which dance floor to hit tonight.

But first, today's weather:

Sunny and warmer. High: 55 Low: 34.

🏘️ 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 weather is finally improving, as the winter storm pulls out of the state, but over 156,000 Austinites are still without power. Local residents, business owners and officials expressed frustration over the lack of proactive communication from Austin Energy regarding the outages this week. Austin Energy General Manager Jackie Sargent responded: "We had hoped to make more progress today on restorations and that simply has not happened. We understand that this makes an already challenging situation even more difficult. We have more than 100 crews and additional resources headed to our area to assist with restoration efforts." Learn more about power restoration efforts here at The Texas Tribune.

2) Lots of rumors are swirling about potential water outages and a boil-water notice — Austin Water assures community members these rumors are false. During a Thursday press conference, Austin Water Director Shay Ralls Roalson said water operations have been in "24/7 operations since the [storm] event began." Roalson confirmed that Austin's water treatment plants and pump stations are operating at normal levels. Community Impact has more on this story here.

3) This week left many pondering: in Texas' tech capital, why does the city continue to mismanage digital communication during crises? Concern grew this week over poor use of the city's text alert system, sparse updates to its website and social media, and a delayed press conference as the weather worsened across Austin. Newly inaugurated Mayor Kirk Watson admitted that the city needs to overhaul its emergency communication processes. But many local residents were low on grace due to the many emergency communication missteps that took place over the last two years. In fact, a city audit conducted in November 2021 outlined a number of red flags about Austin's disaster preparedness and emergency response systems, but few changes were implemented. The Texas Tribune has more on this story here.

4) Magen Fieramusca pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in a Travis County courtroom yesterday. Fieramusca is sentenced to 55 years in prison for murdering her close friend, Heidi Broussard, and kidnapping her infant daughter back in 2019. Fieramusca's capital murder charge was reduced to first-degree murder as part of a plea deal. Learn more about this story here at KVUE.

Today in Austin:

  • (Kid-Friendly) Lego Lab at Austin Public Library, Howson Branch. (3:30 p.m.)
  • The Deck Investigates with Ashley Flowers at Bass Concert Hall. (7 p.m.)
  • Get Ripped Comedy Show at Vulcan Gas Company. (7:30 p.m.)
  • ZACH Theatre & Deaf Austin Theatre Presents: Rodgers + Hammerstein's "Cinderella" at ZACH Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Filigree Theatre Presents: "Fire in Dreamland" at Factory On 5th. (8 p.m.)
  • Velvet Smooth: Stand Up Comedy at The Ballroom at Spiderhouse. (8 p.m.)
  • Broadway Rave: The Music Theatre Dance Party at Empire Garage. (9 p.m.)
  • Punchline with Lauren Compton at Vulcan Gas Company. (10 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • ⚠️ Dumpster diving warning: "DON'T EAT IT – People who took food from dumpsters at the H-E-B at I-35 and East William Cannon are being warned not to eat it." (CBS Austin)
  • ⛔️ Austin ISD Closed: "All @AustinISD schools & offices will remain closed Friday, Feb. 3. We continue to assess damage to campuses, and know that many families & employees are still without power." (Austin ISD via Facebook)
  • 📍 University of Texas at Austin reopening today: "All UT Austin facilities, except the LBJ Wildflower Center, will resume normal operations Fri, Feb 3, 2023, at 6:00 a.m. with great flexibility to allow for storm recovery. Where possible, employees will work remotely barring storm-related circumstances. Essential staff report to campus as scheduled." (University of Texas at Austin via Facebook)
  • ⛔️ Huston-Tillotson University closed today: "The campus of Huston-Tillotson University will remain closed on Friday, February 3, 2023. Classes will remain online and begin at their regularly scheduled times. All faculty and staff will continue to work remotely for the day." (Huston-Tillotson University via Facebook)
  • ⛔️ St. Edward's University closed today: "St. Edward's University will remain closed Thursday, Feb. 2 through Friday, Feb. 3. All classes and activities are canceled, including virtual classes/remote work, with essential staff reporting to campus." (St. Edward's University via Facebook)
  • 📍 Austin Community College will reopen today: "ACC will reopen on Friday, February 3. All classes, work, and college activities & events will resume on their normal schedules at that time." (Austin Community College District via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

Events:

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! See you tomorrow morning for 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 Daily? 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