News: January 2009 Archives

• Super Bowl Sunday will be another one of APD's no-refusal nights.
• Lance Armstrong held a press conference yesterday to throw his support behind the statewide smoking ban.
• Tally of Austin's homeless was attempted last night.

The economic storm hit hard at three local companies on Friday. Creative agencies T3 and Springbox announced job cuts, while software maker National Instruments said it would cut employees’ salaries by 5 percent.

Starlite first opened in Hyde Park in 2000, relocating to its current space four years ago. A new bistro-style menu had just been introduced a few months ago, along with an update of the restaurant's interior to reflect its more casual style. For now, the restaurant will remain open with reduced hours. We recommend calling in advance (512-374-9012) if you're planning to drop in one last time before their excellent duck confit is gone forever.

Austin Energy has proposed a plan to create what could become the country's largest solar power facility, producing 30 megawatts annually. The facility would be constructed and owned by Gemini Solar and located along Blake Manor Road northeast of Austin on land already owned by Austin Energy.

• Money, grown on trees, for Gaza.
• On unemployment numbers: this hardly seems like news anymore.
• Ford posts loss but doesn't take the federal handout. Err, bailout.

AE is hosting a town hall meeting tonight at City Hall, which you can participate in via their live online broadcast. You can also submit questions by calling in (512-974-5597). The meeting will run from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

According to Sarah Coppola at the Statesman, lakefront condo residents came out in force last night to protest the city's plan to extend the Lady Bird Lake hike and bike trail across their portion of the lake. The gap currently reaches from the Statesman's lot to Lakeshore Park. The city has reached agreements with most of the landowners along the stretch to build the trail on land, but will need to build the trail over water on portions where geography or unaccommodating landowners make building on land impossible.

• House to vote on Obama's economic stimulus plan
• After suspension for nodding at Obama, drum major quits
• Rabbit Remembered: Pulitzer-winning author John Updike dies at 76

• Winter storm warning update
• Weather closings and postponements (will keep updating)
• On Perry's State of the State speech today. . .

The latest local business to succumb to the general economic malaise is Slate Men's Apparel, the Central Austin counterpart to next-door women's boutique Soigne. Slate today announced that it will be shuttering its doors at the end of February. All remaining merchandise has already been marked down by 50-70% — even the store fixtures, furniture, and mannequins are being sold. Soigne will remain open.

• Obama makes overtures toward Islamic world.
• Obama makes overtures toward the G.O.P.
• Now that we've got the president who cares about climate, the public has stopped caring.

Freescale will cut 90 jobs in March. Texas Instruments to cut 1,800 jobs. Austin's Capital Area Food Bank makes an appearance in WaPo article on how best to serve the hungry. Bikers visit Capitol today to protest helmet laws. wo Pflugerville students accused of hacking into the district's system Today's fog factored in to almost two dozen crashes. The misty weather is also blamed for power outages in various areas of town. Federal court grants stay of execution to Texas inmate Larry Swearingen, who had been scheduled for execution tomorrow.

Richard Garriott held a small video camera in one hand, capturing the moment as his Russian spacecraft re-entered Earth's atmosphere. His other hand then enters the frame, and points to wisps of smoke snaking out from under the ship's instrument panel, alerting his fellow crew members.

Iraq launches study abroad initiative. Hamas proposes yearlong truce. MLK, Ghandi, Mandela ... and Blago? Portland Mayor to keep on keepin' on. British man kills wife over Facebook status. Cuts at Starbucks? Google to kill PCs?

Whether someone at City of Austin shares our love for the undead or some enterprising hackers messed around with construction property, the end result is pretty hilarious. See it for yourself on the northbound side of North Lamar by MLK, before it's taken down.

Native Austinite Chris Riley is formally kicking off his campaign for the City Council Place 1 seat tonight with a fete at Threadgill's World Headquarters on Riverside. The event is free and all are invited to attend. "This is a chance to meet Chris and other fellow Austinites who are getting involved with issues like reducing our dependency on cars, growing our green economy, and promoting our music & arts scenes in town," said campaign staffer Michael Litt. The party runs from 6 to 8 p.m. [More info]

• Obama's Blackberry ushers 2002 technology into the White House.
• The First Family causes J.Crew website to crash.
• Oath do over!

State Board of Education hears testimony today on proposed changes to science curriculum. Texas Lege deals with a tight budget. Girl Scout cookies go on sale today in our area. . . Texas baseball coach Augie Garrido says he "made a mistake" after being charged with drunk driving over the weekend (he is currently suspended from UT). Pedestrians hit by SUV this afternoon outside the courthouse. Results released from Army investigation into string of recent Houston recruiter suicides. Buried treasure (of a sort) found in Galveston during Ike cleanup.

DESIGN VOICE, a new community action group sponsored by the Austin chapter of the American Institute for Architects, HousingWorks Austin and Real Community Austin, is hosting a kickoff event on Thursday, January 29, 2008 from 6:00-7:30pm at the Center for Architecture, 801 West 12th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. According to the sponsors, DESIGN VOICE "aims to provide a forum for the architectural community to connect and collaborate with the community interested and engaged in housing advocacy, development and community building and to offer an additional creative resource to the community."

• Obama faces busy first day: economy and Gitmo top the list
• Senator Kennedy OK after seizure at Obama's luncheon
• Bush returns to Texas with 'a sense of accomplishment'

• In case you hadn't heard, there's this thing happening today in Washington, D.C.
• Intelligence guys are busy bees today.
• Well, this is patriotic.

A fragile cease fire in Gaza. Circuit city liquidated. Cindy McCain will not join "Dancing With The Stars." Gay rights supporters protest Saddleback Church. State board to vote on evolution. Tom Cruise: "I've always wanted to kill Hitler."

Lee Leffingwell joins the Austin mayor's race. City of Austin under a hiring freeze as of today. The Austin woman accused of hitting a police horse with her shoe has been sentenced to 5 years probation. Austin-based B-Side Entertainment lands millions in new financing and will soon enter the feature distribution business. Environmentalists want more regulation of coal ash disposal in Texas. No Special Session this year on KLRU. San Antonio Toyota plant still on single shift as part of the automaker's national slowdown on vehicle production.

MyFoxAustin generated the nifty Google Maps mashup above, which uses data from Austin Police Department to show the top bars responsible for serving DWI drivers.

• Former Austin police officer charged in bank robbery
• Fugitive -- wanted for kidnapping, sex assault and arson -- arrested in Pflugerville
• Texas Youth Commission to fire 100 employees, eliminate 330 vacant positions

Israel hit the UN refugee agency in Gaza earlier today, then said that was a "grave mistake." Roland Burris officially takes Obama's Senate seat today. Bishop Gene Robinson talked to Rachel Maddow last night about Rick Warren and the Inauguration (video). I think the argument that this is a failed presidency is just dead wrong": Dick Cheney, we will miss you not a bit. Apple's Steve Jobs taking medical leave of absence. Oakland transit shooting leads to former cop being charged with murder. Ricardo Montalban has died.

Texas' Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives includes an Austinite. State Senate still arguing this afternoon about that two-thirds majority thing. Civil rights advocates suing DPS over new driver's license requirements for immigrants. City Council will vote on Barton Springs Pool Master Plan tomorrow. Local activist and Executive Director of Austin Free Net Ana Sisnett died yesterday. Man steals 350 medical records from St. David's Hospital on Monday instead of taking them to the archiving company. New study says that Ike damaged about half the homes in Harris County and left over 18,000 houses uninhabitable.

This time around, the organization formally dropped its subpoena of Austin internet service provider (ISP) Apogee Telecom, which had provided service to a number of "John Doe" students in Rhode Island. The RIAA, hoping to sniff out the true identities of these music traders, had petitioned the ISP for those names. Apogee, calling their bluff, refused, and in a rousing display of bravado, formally filed objections to the subpoena instead.

• Obama will end 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, spokesman says
• Tax problems may plague Treasury Department designate
• Pentagon official confirms interrogators tortured a Guantanamo detainee

Sponsored by Council Member Mike Martinez with support from Council Members Laura Morrison and Randi Shade, the ordinance states that "confusion regarding the operational requirements, permitting procedures, and enforcement mechanisms applicable to outdoor music venues has caused problems for neighborhood residents, venue operators, and city staff," and while a resolution is worked out, "imposes a temporary 'time out' on the issuance or renewal of outdoor music permits." If approved, new permits and renewals wouldn't be issued until February 27, the day after the City Council is expected to reach a resolution on the matter.

State Senate starts off the session with a tense closed-door discussion on the two-thirds rule. It's official: Straus is now Speaker of the Texas House after a unanimous vote. Because of confusion re: the permitting process, City Council mulling over a temporary hold on outdoor music permits. The helicopter crash yesterday on the A&M campus killed a Lufkin soldier. Meals on Wheels and More accepting converter box coupons to pass on to their homebound clients. T. Boone Pickens hopes that some stimulus funds will go towards converting commercial trucks to natural gas. 1978 Dallas rape/homicide case overturned by an appeals court, meaning a man who's been on death row for 30 years could soon be freed.

In one of the more hilarious news stories of late, creators of the American Idol brand are suing Palazio Mens Club on Ben White for trademark infringement for their similarly named "Stripper Idol" contest. It seems the owners of the Idol trademark, Fremantle Media, are concerned about their image being tarnished by the amateur strip contest despite being completely oblivious to damage already ensued because the show makes celebrities out of no-talent hacks like Sanjaya. The lawsuit seeks to end the contest and seize Palazio's profits from the sexy strip-off. Managers of the club say that other than an M.C. that introduces the amateur dancers, there is no similarity to the television show.

• Netanyahu calls for complete "crippling" of Hamas.
• Hillary plans to bring "smart power" approach to Middle East problem. (As opposed to all the previous attempts at solution, which were based on the "dumb power" theory.)
• Will the Congress go after Bushies for waterboarding?

Helicopter crash this afternoon on Texas A&M campus. As expected, Strayhorn made her official mayoral campaign announcement today. Texas comptroller says that state revenue will be down $9.1 billion in the next two years. Texas AG announces new online charity service. The Texas Lege starts up tomorrow at noon; here are some of the issues they'll be taking on. Soon-to-be Speaker of the House names a Dem as his chief of staff. American Idol suing an Austin strip club for their 'Stripper Idol' contest.

It's unclear whether the 69-year-old Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent, who last vied for the governor's seat in 2006, will again attempt to rally support around her "One Tough Grandma" slogan. Strayhorn previously served as the first (and only) female mayor of Austin for three consecutive terms, from 1977 to 1983.

Dick Cheney: It doesn't matter that we haven't captured bin Laden. Senator Burris or not? Maybe more info today. Strayhorn to run for mayor. Mideast situation escalates Toyota to sell tiny battery-powered car in 2012. Perfect for the impending apocalypse. Tony Blair on EU leadership list. Patrick Swayze hospitalized. Winners at last night's Golden Globes

“Public acknowledgments of God at official functions have been customary since the nation’s founding," argued Abbott. "President George Washington began an unbroken, 200-year tradition when he inserted the phrase 'so help me God' at the end of his oath of office in 1789.... Today, it is common for prayers and oaths invoking God to be incorporated into swearing-in ceremonies across the country."

As promised, here's the architectural rendering of the new P. Terry's that's opening in Central Austin this March. Click the image for a larger version.

Despite controversy, the new wind farm at the Kenedy Ranch in South Texas has started operating. Texas State student dies after being shot in the abdomen last night; authorities believe the shooting was accidental. One person dead, one injured after a shooting off Dessau Rd. this afternoon. One of the Austinites accused of planning an attack at the RNC convention pleads guilty. Limited space at Austin cemeteries. The city loves surveys. There's currently one available through Jan. 22 on the form and character of the Downtown Austin districts. Cityism: new board game tests your Austin trivia skillz.

The Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas has become the first hospital in the world to be rated LEED Platinum (the highest possible rating) by the U.S. Green Building Council.

• UN humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip halted after attacks target U.N. staff and facilities.
• Obama warns of dire economic consequences if the stimulus package doesn't get approved.
• More Dell layoffs.

Midland will host welcome home celebration for Bush on January 20th. City of Austin's lobbyists gearing up for the upcoming Texas Legislative session. Ok, so Straus isn't officially Speaker yet. Council to vote on historical marker status for Lions Municipal Golf Course next week. Austin's first bank robbery of the year took place today at the Chase bank on N. Lamar. House near 183 and Duval caught fire this afternoon; authorities are investigating the possible cause. Despite rumors to the contrary, Major Applewhite is staying at UT.

• Obama eyes CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta for surgeon general
• Israel pauses Gaza strikes to allow humanitarian aid
• Mississippi passes Texas to claim nation's highest teen pregnancy rate

Austin office vacancy rate rose to 19% in 2008. as the same woman robbed two Central Texas banks in the past few days? Woman faces two years in jail after shoplifting soap and sausages from an Austin grocery store (she had two prior convictions). Hope you've got your DTV converter voucher already. . . Today is DTV Answers Day in Central Texas. The interns at KBH's exploratory committee need better editing skills. Straus in, Craddick out as Texas Speaker.

The Statesman is reporting that earlier rumors of the death of the Trans-Texas Corridor (Rick Perry's proposed 1,200 foot wide superhighway running parallel to I-35) have been confirmed. More accurately, the term "Trans-Texas Corridor" has been discarded as politically disadvantageous, the portions of the plan that were not a toll highway have been indefinitely postponed and the segment that connected to Mexico has been scrapped.

The second location of the popular South Austin burger stand will open "sometime in March," promised Terry, with "a drive-thru, indoor and outdoor seating, and our signature sandbox." Local architect Michael Hsu is overseeing the design.

As though cops having carte blanche to perform blood tests on suspected drunk drivers wasn't enough, reader Andy Marcum shares this stunning example of what might go wrong after you've (allegedly) imbibed one too many.

Israel sends tanks, troops into Gaza. Harry Reid: Bush "worst president we've ever had." Richardson no longer Commerce nominee. Obama: $300 billion tax cut. Whatever happened to Lynndie England? Conde Nast mags lose nearly half their advertising. Autopsy planned for Jett Travolta.