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Community Corner

🌱 Nonprofit Lands Bezos Grant + North Austin Murder + Twitter in ATX?

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)

Hey, friends and neighbors! It's Wednesday in Austin and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important local news and community updates.

In today's issue, we'll be covering:

  • A local nonprofit receives a grant from Jeff Bezos' fund.
  • Texas lawmakers are targeting Austin.
  • Austin literary staple announces its closing by year-end.

But first, today's weather:

A morning shower; cloudy. High: 57 Low: 53.

Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Ahead of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, some Texas lawmakers have their eyes set on Austin. The Statesman reports: "Two anti-Austin bills are in the pipeline, the most fractious coming in a long-shot proposal from state Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, to abolish the capital city and fold it into a planned district under the lieutenant governor's and House speaker's authority." The second bill seeks to eliminate guaranteed income programs across the state (including Austin's current pilot program). Head to The Statesman for more on this story.

2) The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund gave $2.5 million to Austin's Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO). ECHO officials said, "they will use the dollars to help create non-congregate shelter options, as well as incentive structures to help grow out the organization's system of private-market rental partners." Congrats to ECHO! KXAN has more on this story here.

3) Thanksgiving Alert: Neighbors, if you're in charge of frying the turkey this year, make sure you know what you're doing! Austin fire officials are here to show you how NOT to fry your turkey: check it out!

4) APD is searching for a suspect involved in a homicide near a North Austin brewery. KXAN reports: "The Austin Police Department was called to a brewery at 10420 Metric Blvd. around 2:58 p.m. on Nov. 6 after calls about an injured man. When they arrived, police found Daniel Vaquero on the ground with head injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he died on Nov. 15." Anyone with information or video should call APD Homicide at (512) 974-TIPS or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (512) 472-8477. KXAN has more on this story here.

5) Malvern Books announced its closing by the end of the year. Malvern has been a long-standing pillar of Austin's literary community, choosing to highlight indie publishers and alternative literature selections. December 31 will be its last day in business. Head to The Austin Chronicle to learn more.

Today in Austin:

  • Toddler Storytime at Austin Public Library, Cepeda Branch. (10 a.m.)
  • All Ages Storytime at Austin Public Library, Little Walnut Creek Branch. (10:30 a.m.)
  • 14th Annual The Last Waltz Revisited at The Far Out Lounge. (7 p.m.)
  • Los Tigres Del Norte at ACL Live At The Moody Theater. (7 p.m.)
  • Austin Shakespeare Presents: Sense & Sensibility at Rollins Studio Theatre. (7:30 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 👪 'Tis the season for community: "The Central Texas Food Bank will feed nearly 300 families this holiday season." (FOX 7 Austin)
  • 💰 Local lottery winner: "The winning $1 million ticket was sold at a QuikTrip in Cedar Park." (KVUE via Facebook)
  • 🐦 Twitter in Austin? "Could a Twitter headquarters he headed to Austin? Elon Musk reportedly told staff it could make sense to "dual headquarter" the company in California and Texas." (Austin American-Statesman via Facebook)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning 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 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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