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Community Corner

🌱 Phoslock Treatment At Lady Bird Lake + Austin Passes The CROWN Act

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Austin.

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Gabriela Cantu Couvillion, Neighbor
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(Patch Media)

Hello and happy Friday! I'm back in your inbox this warm morning with everything you need to know about what's happening in Austin these days. Keep reading for the latest.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and hot. High: 106 Low: 78.

Here are the top stories in Austin today:

  1. To slow down "the growth of harmful algae, the City of Austin is expanding the "Phoslock treatment of Lady Bird Lake... to include the north shore of Lady Bird Lake from I-35 to the lagoon by the Festival Beach boat ramp" area. "Phoslock is a clay material that binds to phosphorus, a key source of nutrients for algae. Once bound into a mineral form, the phosphorus becomes unavailable to the algae." Thus, it "lowers nutrient levels in the lake and essentially robs the algae of one of its primary food sources, slowing down its spread." For more details and information visit: (AustinTexas.gov)
  2. On Saturday, June 11, "Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band" will be at Austin's Moody Center, located at 2001 Robert Dedman Drive. During their visit, they will "probably be thinking about margaritas!" Why? Because "Margaritaville" actually "started in the live music capital... more than 40 years ago!" Buffett said, "he was in town playing gigs and his friend took him to a Mexican restaurant. After a couple of margaritas, she drove him to the airport for his flight back home to Key West, Florida. Before heading home, he busted out his guitar and begin running through some lyrics inspired by the drinks he just had." Thus, Margaritaville! (KXAN.com)
  3. Recently Austin became the first Texas city to "pass the CROWN Act." "The CROWN Act stands for 'Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.'" By "approving the CROWN Act," the City Code is amended "to revise the definition of 'Discriminatory Employment Practice' to include 'Protective Hairstyles.'" Civil Rights Officer Carol Johnson said, "Austin will be a much better city for the protections we will bring to those who live, work and play here. Too often minorities are judged not only by the color of their skin, but also by the texture of their hair." She added, "Across the country we continue to see the harmful effects of racial discrimination due to natural hair and many states and cities are finding ways to address this through CROWN Act legislation." To learn more about the Office of Civil Rights, please visit Office of Civil Rights | AustinTexas.gov and for more on this story see: (AustinTexas.gov)
  4. "To increase opportunity for those historically underserved by higher education, The University of Texas at Austin," along with 19 top national research universities, "will form the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities." UT Austin President Jay Hartzell said, "We're thrilled to partner with leading research universities to expand and empower the next generation of Hispanic doctoral students and professors." He added, "As UT Austin strives to increase its global impact, groundbreaking initiatives like the HSRU serve as a national model in forging pathways to bolster opportunity and excellence in higher education for years to come." For more on this story visit: (University of Texas)
  5. Austin City Council officials discussed lowering "speed limits" on Thursday, June 9, to include "almost 50 sections of road outside the urban core, including Slaughter Lane and Payton Gin Road" in Austin. If approved, the present speed limits would be decreased "by a maximum of 15 mph" in those areas. Eric Bollich, managing engineer at the Austin Transportation Department, said, "Speeding kills, speeding hurts. And just by reducing your speed by 5 to 10 miles an hour in many cases can be the difference between a major crash that somebody does not survive and one which somebody does survive." (KVUE.com)

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See important Reg A Disclosures

Today in Austin:

From my notebook:

  • "According to Del Valle ISD School Board President, Rebecca Birch, 'The answer isn't that we need to arm all of our teachers and our administrators. The answer can't be that you have one door that enters in and out of the building.'" (KUT Austin via Facebook)
  • "20.28 in the 200m sends Texas Longhorns' Track and Field/Cross Country athlete, Micaiah Harris, to his second NCAA final on Friday! Hook Em!" (Texas Longhorns Track & Field/Cross Country via Facebook)
  • The Austin Police Department seeks the community's help locating 36-year-old Jason Alex Latzko, a wanted fugitive who is considered dangerous. He is known to carry firearms and frequent bars on East Sixth Street, Lit Lounge, Friends Bar and Darwin's Pub. Latzko drives a Silver Trans Am and a 2016 Black Chevy Colorado with Texas license plate number HTN0267. He is described as 6 feet tall, 160 lbs. with brown hair, facial hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information should email atip@austintexas.gov, or contact Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 512-472-8477 or on the Crime Stoppers app. They can also submit tips by downloading APD's mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android." (Austin Police Department via Facebook)
  • "Have you signed up for 'Austin Completely Booked' yet? Join the Austin Public Library to read, create, and explore all summer long! Check out how you can engage in their summer programming, log some reading time, and win a prize! Visit Library.AustinTexas.gov/Summer to learn more!" (Austin Public Library via Facebook)
  • "Join The Library Foundation at the Central Library on Thursday, June 16 at 7 p.m. for a sneak peek event showcasing the forthcoming book, 'The One Ann Only: Wit and Wisdom' from Texas Gov. Ann Richards! A panel featuring author Sarah Bird, photographer Ave Bonar, photojournalist and philanthropist Lynne Dobson, and Margaret Justus, founder of the Ann Richards Legacy Project, will discuss the life and legacy of the former Texas governor. Learn more and get tickets at http://ow.ly/lEbv50JsLTv." (The Library Foundation ATX via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! See you tomorrow morning for another update.

— Gabriela Cantu 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 that you think may appeal to our readers!

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Austin Daily? Contact me at DowntownAustin@patch.com

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