• Hermine has left a trail of epic dampness thru Austin.
• You might not be swimming in Barton Springs Pool for a bit.
• Dang…is this joint in Blessing, Texas now gonna sell out of food quicker than tiny Snow’s BBQ (in Lexington) does?

At tomorrow's meeting (sometime between 4:00 and 5:30), city council will conduct a public hearing to receive public comment on the proposed rate and fee changes for the Austin Water Utility. The proposal would increase most rates and fees by about 4-5%, except that single family rates for usage under 15,000 gallons a month increase by about 6% and single family rates for usage over 15,000 gallons a month increase by about 10%. On the other end, both tiers of single family wastewater rates increase by about 5% and rates for other users increase 2.5%-3.5%. more ›

For every UT fan there comes a day when we look up at the sky, shake our fists and say, “I wear burnt orange, I bleed burnt orange, but why, oh, why can’t I drink burnt orange?” Well, don’t despair, Longhorn, your days of frustration are over. The University of Texas at Austin announced yesterday a new partnership with GSD&M Idea City to launch H2Orange: purified water sold in a plastic bottle shaped like UT’s iconic clock tower. more ›

• South Korea says North Korea will 'pay' for ship sinking.
• U.S. deplores violence in Thailand as 10 more bodies found in Bangkok shopping centre ruins.
• BP denies coverup, spilled oil keeps coming.

• Don't drink the water.
• Bengals wide receiver dies after car accident.
• Blue Shield of California backtracks on their new shady cancellation policy after media scrutiny.

• Negotiators strike deal to replace controversial government-run insurance plan
• Treasury extends bank bailout through October
• Leaked "Danish text" leads to tension at Copenhagen climate conference

• West demands access to Iran's secret underground nuclear site.
• Pittsburgh businesses cleaning up after yesterday's G20 protest.
• Japan launches probe of secret pacts with US.

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 ›

On Thursday, Aces Lounge will be the site of the local Twestival, one of more than 175 taking place that day. Festivities get under way at 8 pm. The event is designed to bring together Twitter communities and raise money and awareness for charity: water, a nonprofit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations by funding sustainable clean water solutions in areas of greatest need. 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 ›

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 ›

International bicycling phenomenon Lance Armstrong was named the top water user in Austin, according to a list published by the Statesman. He paid $1,630 for 222,900 gallons of water. Astounding ingenuity and persistence enabled local attorney Carolyn Beckett to take the number two spot by using 174,400 gallons of water, even though her 1/3 acre lot doesn't have a swimming pool or a sprinkler system. Austinites overall use about 180 million gallons of water a day during the summer. more ›

According to the Statesman, the City of Austin is generally failing to enforce the Water Use Management Ordinance, despite having received over a thousand complaints about violations. Only three citations have been issued so far, all to commercial users. Under the ordinance, commercial and multifamily users can only water on Tuesday and/or Friday year round, residential users with odd-numbered addresses can only water on Wednesday and/or Saturday from May 1 - September 30 and residential users with even-numbered addresses can only water on Thursday and/or Sunday from May 1 - September 30. No one can water between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., except with hand-held hose. more ›