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Community Corner

🌱 O’Rourke Inches Closer To Abbott + Lab-Grown Brisket ​🥩 + Events

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 Thursday in Austin and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening locally.

Let's dive into:

  • The latest poll shows Beto O'Rourke inching closer to Gov. Greg Abbott.
  • The city has officially opened a new section of the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail!
  • Fires destroyed centuries' worth of data at a University of Texas field lab.
  • Line dancing class, lab-grown brisket being developed, comedy shows, and much more ➡️

First, today's weather and allergy report:

☀️ High: 94 Low: 73. Mostly sunny.
🍃 Grass Pollen: high (⬆️). Ragweed: low. Mold: medium. Dust & Dander: extremely high.

Here are the top stories in Austin today:

1) Gov. Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke has shrunk to 5 points in a new poll. The latest poll from the Texas Politics project at the University of Texas showed that Abbott received 45 percent of support among registered voters, while 40 percent supported O'Rourke and 4 percent supported third-party candidates. Three percent of respondents named "someone else" as their choice, and 8 percent said they have not thought about the race enough to have an opinion.

The Texas Tribune reports that this poll is close to the margin from when the pollsters last surveyed the race in June, finding Abbott ahead of O'Rourke 45 percent to 39 percent. Head to The Texas Tribune to learn more about the Texas 2022 Elections.

2) Good news: The City of Austin has officially opened a new section of the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail! KUT reports that before yesterday, the trail alongside the lake's northeast shore (just south of Cesar Chavez and west of Pleasant Valley Road) turned away from the water and sent joggers and bikers through the park and neighborhood. From there, trail-goers had to cross Holly Street and rejoin the trail on the other side of the old Holly Power Plant.

Heidi Anderson, executive director of the Austin Trail Foundation, said the opening of the new shoreline section realizes the dream of a complete waterside loop envisioned by the trail's early proponents. Can't wait to get my trainers on and check out the new section out for myself! Head to KUT to get the full scoop.

3) The Pine Pond Fires destroyed centuries' worth of data at a University of Texas field lab. Last month, the fires swept through the Bastrop area and burned approximately 800 acres, 350 of which include UT's The Stengl Lost Pines Biological Field Station. The fire burned from Aug. 11 to 14, obliterating 100-year-old trees and decades worth of data. Steven Gibson, site manager at the Stengl Field Station, said the fire has caused what is essentially a "hard reset" on their research. Learn more about this devastating update over at KXAN.

4) Make your voice heard: The City of Austin seeks community input on I-35 Cap and Stitch program. City leaders are requesting feedback from Austin residents for the Our Future 35 Cap and Stitch program that will implement bridges and green spaces over I-35.

KXAN reports that "Our Future 35" is a new, rebranded program led by Austin's Corridor Program Office that aims to create new community spaces and enhance east-west connectivity along the I-35 corridor. The central tenant of the program is its "cap and stitch proposal": caps are deck plazas that can support buildings, green space, or other amenities, while stitches act as widened bridges that would stretch over the lowered I-35 highway and include widened sidewalks, bike lanes, seating, and green space. Head over to KXAN to learn more about the program and how to access the survey.

Today in Austin:

  • Cultivating Community through Art: Sam Coronado's Serie Project and its Continuing Legacy at The Art Galleries (TAG) at Austin Community College, Highland Campus. (6 p.m.)
  • Noche de Trova at The VORTEX (6 p.m.)
  • CAM — The Otherside Tour at Historic Scoot Inn. (6 p.m.)
  • Line Dancing Class at McKinney Falls State Park (6:30 p.m.)
  • Rufus Wainwright at The Paramount Theatre. (7 p.m.)
  • Two Weird Dudes Entertainment Extravaganza at Parish (7:30 p.m.)
  • Vinyl Groove with The12InchKid and Jonny Whutnot at Golden Goose. (8 p.m.)
  • Bomb & Get Bombed: A Stand-Up Comedy Show at Pour Choices. (8:30 p.m.)
  • Fallout Theater Presents: GOOD FIGHT at Fallout Theater. (9:30 p.m.)

Community Chatter 💬 :

  • 🥘 Bon Appétit names East Austin's "Canje" as one of the 10 best new restaurants in the country! Seriously, if you haven't made a reservation at Canje yet, I suggest you get to it! Best Caribbean food, and new restaurant in town. (Austin 360 via Facebook)
  • 🥩 An Austin start-up is developing lab-grown brisket! Just when you thought you'd seen it all! BioBQ is working on technology to bring its lab-created, cell-cultured brisket to the market in 2023. (Austin CultureMap via Facebook)
  • 🚨 New job alert: Have experience planning, organizing, and implementing aquatics programs + services for diverse populations? The city needs you! Apply to manage Austin's pools + aquatic facilities. (Austin Parks & Rec)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. 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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