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Community Corner

🌱 Governor Volunteer Awards Nominations Open + UT Selects Oracle SFP

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Gabriela Cantu Couvillion, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Hey, neighbors! Gabriela Couvillion here with the Thursday Austin Daily.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and very warm. High: 90 Low: 69.

Here are the top stories in Austin today:

  1. Jill Ramirez, former Austin advisory commission chairwoman, and Frank Rodriguez, former city council senior policy advisor, are being charged "of conspiracy to misapply funds and falsify records." From 2015-2016, they both entered into a 'consulting agreement' where they used funds from the nonprofit that Ramirez worked for to pay Rodriguez, who, while employed by the city, "provided confidential information to the nonprofit... recommending that the nonprofit continue receiving City funding and undermining the nonprofit's competitors for City funding." When an audit was conducted in 2017, "Rodriguez made false statements about the basis of 'consulting fees' paid to" him. A court date has not been set yet for Ramirez, but if convicted, she "faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy and false statement charges" and "up to 20 years in prison on the charge of falsifying records." Rodriguez, who is "scheduled for sentencing in June," faces "a maximum of five years in prison." For more details on the case visit: (KVUE.com)
  2. Nominations for the "39th Annual Governor's Volunteer Awards administered by OneStar Foundation" are now being accepted. The awards offer "an opportunity for the State of Texas to honor the exemplary service and volunteerism of individuals and organizations making a significant impact in communities across Texas." Chris Bugbee, OneStar president and CEO, said, "We are honored to partner with the governor and first lady of Texas to recognize those that took action in their communities when they were needed most, despite the challenges of the pandemic." He added, "They set an example for others to give back in their own communities and show us what's possible when we work together. Through the Governor's Volunteer Awards, we hope to inspire all Texans to consider how they can make a difference through service." For more details visit: (Office of the Texas Governor)
  3. The University of Texas at Austin (UT) has "selected Oracle Student Financial Planning (SFP), which is part of Oracle Student Cloud... to automate financial aid activities and make it easier for students to apply for and receive financial aid." According to UT officials, they expect that the new "software will 'free' up administrators from manual tasks and give them more time for individualized student support." Vivian Wong, group VP of higher education development for Oracle, said, "Financial aid is integral to attracting and retaining students and equipping them with the resources necessary to realize their personal, professional, and academic goals." Brian Dixon, vice provost of enrollment management at UT, said, "the university is deeply committed to making higher education accessible to all students who are academically qualified, regardless of their financial means to support social mobility. Working alongside Oracle, we are committed to delivering an exceptional financial aid experience to our students and prospects throughout their academic journey." For more information visit: (Datamation)

Today in Austin:

From my notebook:

  • "Plans to turn Austin's first indoor mall into a community college campus began more than a decade ago! The campus has been opening in phases, and a grand opening for phase two takes place on Saturday, April 23." (Facebook)
  • "Austinites can once again celebrate the life of the late musician and artist Daniel Johnston at the third "'Hi, How Are You' benefit concert on May 4 at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. " (Facebook)
  • "Calling all educators! Join us on Wednesday, May 4 from 5-7:30 p.m. at the LBJ Library for an evening of history, refreshments, and some much-needed time away from the classroom! Explore the exhibits that will be open to educators only, have a much-needed drink and hors d'oeuvres, and learn about what the library has in store for educators this summer. RSVP at https://bit.ly/EducationatLBJ." (Facebook)
  • Literacy First is looking to hire an administrative associate! For details on this and other available roles visit their website at https://www.literacyfirst.org/careers." (Facebook)

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That's it for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Gabriela 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 you think may appeal to our readers!

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