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Community Corner

🌱 UT Fires Basketball Coach + First Homicide Of 2023 + Free Concerts

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, and Happy Friday, friends! It's Jessica, your host of the Austin Daily — back in your inbox bright and early with all the most important things happening in town.

Today we'll cover:

  • Austin's mayor was hit with an ethics complaint on his way out of office.
  • More than 10 free concerts are taking place this evening. We've got the scoop on Day 2 of Free Week 2023 below.
  • Austin Police report the city's first homicide of 2023.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and warm. High: 72 Low: 62.

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Here are the top stories today in Austin:

1) The University of Texas confirmed it fired former men's head basketball coach Chris Beard. Beard is currently facing a felony domestic family violence charge stemming from a Dec. 12 incident involving his fiancée. UT also confirms Beard was fired for cause, which means the university will not have to pay out the remainder of his contract. The Texas Tribune reports that Beard was one of the University of Texas' highest-paid employees, with a seven-year, $5 million/year contract. Learn more about this developing story here at The Texas Tribune.

2) Days before Mayor Adler was set to leave office, complaints of improper political advertising were filed against him. Last month, Mayor Adler endorsed two candidates for City Council during the runoff election. The city live-streamed the endorsement on its "ATXN" video platform and later uploaded it. Austin City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly and former District 9 candidate Linda Guerrero claim he unethically used city resources for these endorsements. KUT has more on this developing story here.

3) Law enforcement officials identified the man killed in the city's first reported homicide of 2023. On Jan. 5, Austin Police received a call that a crash took place at an apartment complex in North Austin. Upon arrival, APD discovered a man inside of a crashed vehicle. Austin-Travis County EMS tried to perform life-saving measures on the victim, but he ultimately died on the scene. APD has now identified the victim and confirmed that he had been shot. Learn more about this story here at KVUE.

4) City Council members, the Austin Police Department, the Parks and Recreation Department, and community advocates are pushing to curb crime at East Austin's Givens Park. Senior Police Officer Rafael Kianes says they're using the "SARA" (Scan, Analyze, Respond, Asses) model to assess the best path forward for a safer park. Kianes tells KXAN: "We're currently in the 'scanning' phase. Identifying key problems, utilizing not just crime data — but also information from the community. So we're working on surveying the community so we can find where there could be causes for concern." Head to KXAN to learn more.

Today in Austin:

  • (Kid-Friendly) Music & Movement at Austin Public Library, Old Quarry Branch. (11 a.m.)
  • (Free Concerts) Red River Cultural District Presents: Free Week 2023 at various locations. (6 p.m.)
  • Sara Weinshenk + Kim Congdon: Live In Austin at Vulcan Gas Company. (7 p.m.)
  • SHEN YUN 2023 at The Long Center. (7:30 p.m.)
  • Teachers Gone Bad Comedy at Cooper's BBQ, Downtown. (8 p.m.)
  • Parish Presents: The Robyn Party at Parish. (9 p.m.)
  • This B*tch Live Podcast Taping at Vulcan Gas Company. (9:30 p.m.)

Community Chatter:

  • 💄 Guess who's headed to Mueller? "Make-up and skincare retailer Sephora will open a new location in the Mueller neighborhood. The location will replace Rue 21 at 1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd., Ste. 420, Austin. Rue 21 closed that store on Dec. 28." (Community Impact)
  • 🎞️ Opportunity alert: "The Austin Film Society focuses its lens on diverse 'emerging professionals' for its 2023 career program." The grant-funded project is accepting applications through January 20, 2023. (CultureMap Austin)
  • 🍺 Austin staple still going strong: "A cool twist on the michelada, a well-monitored parking lot, and the occasional soccer game has been enough for five memorable decades of drinking at La Perla Cantina! The bar remains a fixture among East Austin's real estate chaos." Check out the Austin Monthly's profile on one of my favorite watering holes. (Austin Monthly)

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You're officially in the loop for today! See you on Sunday 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?

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