United Way Capital Area announced yesterday the launch of a new initiative designed to invite Central Texans to "Live United" and work together to advance the common good. A "Live United" kick-off event will take place this weekend to help promote the message of the campaign: Give. Advocate. Volunteer. Live United. ...

Photo of Caritas by Beard Papa on flickr APD successfully halted a home burglary in-progress this morning. Plane crash this afternoon in Fort Worth. Yesterday the United Way Capital Area announced that it is cutting funding to 21 area non-profits; Brewster McCracken says that the city may step in with an emergency appropriation to help. Town Lake Animal Shelter seeks donations of blankets, toys and money. 237 dogs found at the home of a 70-year-old......

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day, taking place this year on Saturday, January 13th, was created to honor the memory of the civil rights hero and encourage the public to carry on his legacy of volunteerism through community service projects. Locally, what began as a grassroots effort by State Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) to clean up East MLK Jr. Boulevard in 2000 has blossomed into the citywide MLK Day of Service. The 2007 clean......

According to the United Way Capital Area's group, Success by Six, Travis County isn't doing so hot in serving area children. The county received a C for "healthy", and Ds for "Happy" and "Smart" on the group's report card (.pdf). Some results:Only 13.35% of area child care facilities meet national/state accreditation standards. 79.7% of Austin parents knew the name of their young child's favorite book. 17.8% of Austin-area parents and families are living below......