One of our favorite Austin landmarks, the Paramount Theatre, started repairs on its almost 100-year-old plumbing system this morning. The Paramount says that work "is being done to repair plumbing problems that require immediate attention." Programming will continue as usual (but the downstairs men's room may be closed since a large hole has been dug in the concrete in front of it). At this point, the estimates for these improvements on the aged plumbing system range from between $10,000 to $20,000. Paramount is accepting donations towards these repairs; donations of $250 or more could get you a DVD of home-improvement classics . [Paramount Theatre] more ›

Pretty much anything that Tim and Karrie League touch turns to gold, which is why we couldn't be more excited about the progress of their newest bowling alley/restaurant/dancehall/karaoke explosion, The Highball. We've been montitoring the construction over on The Highball blog, and are incredibly excited by the promise that it will be ready for lounging come next weekend, when Fantastic Fest 2009 rips through the Alamo South Lamar. Not only will The Highball offer food and merryment, but it will also offer a place to hang out before any film that you go see, which, if you've ever waited in one of those epic-opening-night lines, you know how welcome this addition to the Drafthouse family will be. more ›

Four construction workers from the 21 Rio project were on scaffolding which partially collapsed this afternoon. Two of the men fell about eleven stories to their deaths, with a third dying later in the hospital. The fourth man sustained only minor injuries. So far the cause of the scaffolding collapse is unknown. [Statesman] more ›

Every weekday morning we'll be featuring a photo (or two) from our readers. Please feel free to submit your photos (min 600px width) by adding them to the Austinist Flickr Group. more ›

Every weekday morning we'll be featuring a photo (or two) from our readers. Please feel free to submit your photos (min 600px width) by adding them to the Austinist Flickr Group. more ›

Every weekday morning we'll be featuring a photo (or two) from our readers. Please feel free to submit your photos (min 600px width) by adding them to the Austinist Flickr Group. more ›

A crane fell this morning in Smithville, and there are reports of one death and one injury. This is the latest in a run of crane accidents this year throughout the country (there was one in Houston earlier this month as well as the NYC crane collapse in March). Our state does not require crane operators to be licensed, and crane operation in Texas isn't under local or state oversight. [KXAN via Twitter] more ›

Thirteen years after founding Salvage Vanguard Theater, Artistic Director Jason Neulander is stepping down. Neulander has grown SVT from a crazy little fringe collective to a powerhouse producer of cutting-edge works. No doubt it'll be very exciting to see what he gets into next. more ›

Image from Fix290.org. Despite TXDOT's incessant bleating about lack of funds, they apparently still have plenty of cash to build the controversial Phase II toll roads, including the particularly controversial twelve-lane highway in the sky at the Y (71 and 290 in Oak Hill). In an era of concerns about budget cuts, pollution of Barton Springs and CO2 emissions, it seems like an egregious waste of resources to build this monstrosity that helps Hummer-drivers hurtle... more ›

Photo by Northern Transplant on flickr The Trail of Lights will open this Sunday evening. Suspicious black powder sent to office at Ninth and Congress today. Looks like vice chancellor and dean of agriculture Elsa Murano will soon be A&M's first female president. The former TEA science director forced out for forwarding an email on evolution thinks she is now unemployable. Will the upcoming strip club "tax" affect the Alamo Drafthouse? The Texas Comptroller's office... more ›

The Ultimate Christmas Musical: The Musical!Through 12/22, Th/Fr/Sa at 8pmSalvage Vanguard Theater (map)[info] | [tickets]Christmas will be here sooner than you think! What nicer gift than an evening out at the theater? Here're just a few shows we think worthy of being early stocking-stuffers. You've probably already seen the XL cover or read the AusChron piece (damn, Jonathon Morgan gets around!)—Yellow Tape Construction Company's Ultimate Christmas Musical: The Musical! opened last weekend. We loved... more ›

Photo by Wylie Maercklein, courtesy YTCC The Ultimate Christmas Musical: The Musical!Through 12/22, Th/Fr/Sa at 8pmSalvage Vanguard Theater (map)[info] | [tickets]The North Pole is a pretty raunchy place. That’s what the Yellow Tape Construction Company would lead you to believe, anyway. And while we don’t remember Frosty the Snowman dealing smack in any of the Christmas fables we used to read in kindergarten, it’s not implausible. He may be a sentient amalgamation of button, coal,... more ›

Photo from AIArchitect.com We recently came across this fascinating master's architecture project by UT Arlington alumnus Jason Mellard. Drawing from Star Wars and "biomimicking" the clam shell, this archipelago of futuristic donuts would function as a self-sustaining aquatic research platform, designed to allow scientists to study marine animals and fish in their natural habitat for extended periods of time. From AIArchitect: The research spheres consist of laboratories, classrooms, computer labs, viewing platforms, holding tanks, offices,... more ›

Photo by Wylie Maercklein The good folks at Yellow Tape Construction Co. are giving away two tickets to Thursday's opening of The Ultimate Christmas Musical: The Musical! According to their website, "When one little boy loses the Spirit of Christmas, his disbelief sends the North Pole into chaos — Rudolph is a diva, the elves are disenfranchised, and Santa has suddenly started growing old! Can Frosty the Snowman and his sidekick, Soniyeve — the pluckiest... more ›

Image from Austin City Connection.According to the Statesman, our beloved mayor nearly pulled a Chuck Norris when a Monarch construction truck blocked traffic on West Fifth Street. Story is he got out of his car, walked to the construction site and ripped into the project superintendent. He later indicated that he was sorry if his vulgarity offended any construction workers. Many Statesman commenters noted that if the mayor thinks it is bad to get stuck... more ›

Photo from Soundcheck Magazine Austin's 2nd Annual Green Holiday Festival, "The Sustainable Shopper's Ball!", returns to the Sunset Valley Farmers Market with over 60 local vendors and educators offering everything from bamboo homewares to luxury organic linens SXSW Film Festival Producer Matt Dentler shares some insider tips on what the film programming team is looking for - "Should you spend money on a fancy press kit? Should you check your DVD screener 4 different times... more ›

Image from Killercorn on flickr.ZOM Inc. has again changed its mind about whether units in the currently-under-construction Monarch should be rented or sold. You may recall that The Monarch was initially announced as rental apartments, but switched to for-sale condos two months ago. The timing on that decision wasn't great - Austin's housing inventory has been piling up in the last few months. About twenty percent of The Monarch's units were sold between then and... more ›

BookWoman has relocated and been in dire financial straits in the past, but soon when they take their sign down, it might stay down. Photo by tpacific on stock.xchngBookWoman, Texas's only femenist bookstore, is in trouble and in it fifty-large deep. If the store is unable to raise $50,000 by mid-December, they will likely close their doors for good. Austin will lose another independent business to that nebulous mantra of "progress and growth." The road... more ›

Chinese petroleum company PetroGas set to become world's largest company by market value, surpassing ExxonMobil. Interesting gender-bender story from the Middle East... Mac users now entering the cross-hairs of the computer virus world...at least, the naughty Mac users (for shame!). Canadian study: P2P-file sharing actually INCREASES music purchasing? But how can this be?? Most Earthlings are ready to make sacrifices for the planet's environment, BBC study says. Is the next American economic recession on... more ›

Now that the summer rains are finally over, progress on the new Mueller Redevelopment is proceeding at a swift pace. With the credit crunch from the sub-prime market slowing new home construction in many parts of the country and foreclosures rising rapidly, it remains to be seen whether Austin really is as immune as some analysts predict, or is merely a bubble looking for a pin. If you can't view the Flash slideshow above,... more ›

House Speaker Pelosi was in town this morning to talk about energy issues. Have you voted early already? Did you even know election time was upon us? A construction worker was trapped underground for an hour yesterday as he worked on a tunnel for a downtown condo project. Travis County-area man died when the bus he was unloading from his tow truck crushed him. Local car thieves are seemingly in accord over their preferred... more ›

Proposition 12 on the November 6 ballot would authorize the Texas Transportation Commission to issue up to $5 billion in general obligation bonds for highway improvement projects. That means TTC could borrow $5 billion dollars, spend it building new highways and require that the $5 billion be repaid by general revenue (taxes). This is being widely touted as a "stopgap" measure allowing the state to put off making a decision on how it will pay... more ›

Travis County has requested an injunction against the developers of the Ranches at Hamilton Pool to force them to stop construction unless they start doing more to keep runoff from their site out of Hamilton Pool. Although they presumably have an interest in keeping their namesake pool clean enough for residents to enjoy, an independent consultant hired by Travis County has determined that the development is responsible for a majority, if not all, of the... more ›

Pflugerville band students participate in contest with loaned instruments after bus carrying students and instruments was hit by drunk driver over the weekend. Construction slowing down at some downtown condo projects? We admit to driving a little fast on Chestnut; neighborhood residents ask drivers to take it slow. City leaders are hoping that local retailers will phase out plastic bags in a year. Will this lead to an official city ban on plastic bags?... more ›

Three UT students make national news for getting stuck in local cave. "Well, that's the last time I throw my son a birthday party," said Father. "I'm getting too old for this crap." Radiohead stands to make approximately $9.6 million from sales of their latest record, "In Rainbows." Ex-General who served in Iraq speaks out on the war: "There is no question that America is living a nightmare with no end in sight." Study:... more ›

This press release from Yellow Tape Construction Company crossed our desk today, and it not only sounds like too much fun, it also helps the environment! Good...and good for you. Who hates that? Have a box of gaudy Christmas decorations your spouse won't let you display? Stop letting it gather dust in the attic, and give it to Yellow Tape! We'll take your singing Santa dolls, blinking, animatronic reindeer—even that dollar-store garland from your first... more ›

An industrial crane toppled this morning in the 900 block of Red River Street. No one was hurt when the crane fell, police said. Red River Street between 9th and 10th was shut for about two hours but reopened shortly after 11 a.m. The site under construction is near the Sheraton Hotel and is a four-story apartment building. Update: (10:40am) The Austin American Statesman has reported that the crane is not one of the giant... more ›

The construction worker who fell 30 feet yesterday at a downtown condo construction site died today. The City of Austin is being sued by various groups over the plans to move the animal shelter. Federal officials arrested 22 immigrants in Austin today. Texas Youth Commission failed to adequately oversee lockup run by private contractor; teen criminals were suffering unhealthy conditions at the Coke County Juvenile Justice Center, closed only yesterday. Louisiana company will build... more ›

Construction worker fell over 25 feet (and may have landed on some upended rebar) from condo construction at 17th and Lavaca this morning. New background check requirements lead some volunteer dogwalkers to quit their work at Town Lake Animal Shelter. Al Gore is in town tonight; we'll keep an eye out for the YCT protesters. Numerous people named in Dallas corruption investigation, including city officials and a State Rep. A&M is having difficulties attracting... more ›

Spank Dance Company and Refraction Arts are hosting a festival this month celebrating modern dance. Because most of you were probably out at that little music festival last weekend, you might have missed some seriously rockin’ dance performances during opening weekend. Don’t be sad, though, because there are two more weekends in September for you to get your contemporary dance on. Hot September Flurries is a massive collaborative event with involvement from Salvage Vanguard Theatre,... more ›