Latest from Rachel Rice
When Robert Olivier looks at a handful of squirming, fat fly larvae, or grubs, he sees the solution to two of Austin’s problems. The problem for restaurant and grocery store operators is a steady stream of food waste, and a looming deadline. The city of Austin will require all food-related businesses to have organic diversion programs...

Lakeway Regional Medical Center may not exist anymore, the hospital having changed hands to Baylor Scott & White, but LRMC’s legal battle with Dr. Robert Van Boven continues as the doctor claims LRMC and Baylor Scott & White Lakeway retaliated against him for his complaints of medical errors against the hospital. Van Boven recently...

Birdwatcher enthusiasts Laura Hopkins and Gary Cobb have been operating Wild Bird Center in Lakeway for six months now, and it’s a dream come true for them, Hopkins said. They now get to share their bird expertise with their customer base, many of whom share their love of west Travis County’s flighted wildlife. “The community...

Lake Travis school district parents were notified on Feb. 28. that district officials are investigating an alleged “student incident” at Lake Travis High School. “Parents of students allegedly involved in the incident have been notified, and the appropriate authorities have been contacted,” the notice sent to parents...

The Islamic Center of Lake Travis is on schedule to open the doors of its mosque in Hudson Bend just in time to hold services for Ramadan, ICLT leadership said. The ICLT was in the midst of constructing a two-story mosque on Doss Road in Hudson Bend when the facility burned to the ground in the middle of the night Jan. 7, 2017. Investigators...

The West Lake Hills City Council made four code changes during their Feb. 28 council meeting, making allowances for pre-made sheds on properties and disallowing the blasting of dynamite in the city. All of the modifications were unanimously approved. City Manager Robert Wood said that decades ago, the popular method for cutting into the land...

Why is the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District election expected to cost so much? The groundwater conservation district is designed to monitor and protect the area’s supply of groundwater. The entity is brand new, with no budget and no paid staff, and according to legislation passed this previous session, its...

Ten residents have thrown their hat in the ring for candidacy in the May 5 Lake Travis school board election — six for full terms and four for the unfinished term of recently resigning board member Alex Alexander. Running for Place 1 are incumbent candidate Guy Clayton and resident David Lovelace. “If there is one thing I&rsquo...

During a very brief Bee Cave City Council meeting on Feb. 27, the council approved site plan amendments to two subdivisions that will create a dog park, landscaping improvements and an amenity park. Proposed changes for the plan for Paseo at Bee Cave apartments on Texas 71 include modifying the existing clubhouse, pool and fitness center...

Jeff Kent, developer of the Hill Country Indoor sports facility and a former major league baseball player, has dropped out of the race for Bee Cave City Council, city officials confirmed today. Kent declined to comment on his reason for dropping out of the race. Incumbent council members Bill Goodwin and Tom Matzen, along with resident Jon...

On Sunday, many Catholics in Austin and across the U.S. were handed a call to action with their usual church bulletin. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is pressing Catholics to take part in a “Congressional call-in campaign” on Monday to urge members of Congress to find a “common sense and humane solution&rdquo...
Within a five-hour span along a single stretch of Interstate 35, a pedestrian was killed by a car, a Round Rock police officer was seriously injured by another car, and three investigators were treated after a lightning strike. The unusual chain of events began about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, when Round Rock officers responded to a call about a pedestrian...

Within a five-hour span along a single stretch of Interstate 35, a pedestrian was killed by a car, a Round Rock police officer was seriously injured by another car, and three investigators were treated after a lightning strike. The unusual chain of events began about 5:30 a.m. Sunday, when Round Rock officers responded to a call about a pedestrian...

Update: 8:30 p.m.: A light fog may be descending upon the Austin metropolitan region early Monday morning, a National Weather Service meteorologist said. With Sunday’s thunderstorms having moved eastward, the fog is expected to last between 3 a.m. and an hour or two after sunrise. Partly cloudy skies are expected throughout Monday with...

An ethics complaint filed by Lakeway Councilwoman Jean Hennagin aginst Mayor Joe Bain on Feb. 1 was closed by the Board of Ethics on Feb. 14, after discussion by a board subcommittee concluded the allegations were “frivolous” and didn’t rise to the level of an ethics violation. The subcommittee was comprised of Jessica Putonti...

The local election fields for both Lakeway and Bee Cave are crowded, but two people are noticeably absent from the list of candidates: both sitting mayors. Lakeway Mayor Joe Bain and Bee Cave Mayor Caroline Murphy will not be running for re-election in May. “After spending nearly two decades serving the City of Lakeway in various commissions...

Ten individuals have thrown their hat in the ring for candidacy in the May 5 Lake Travis school board election - six for full terms and four for the unfinished term of recently resigned board member Alex Alexander. Running for Place 1 are incumbent candidate Guy Clayton and resident David Lovelace. Running for Place 2, the seat being vacated...
The West Lake Hills City Council added crossbows and compound bows to a list of weapons prohibited from firing within the confines of the city during the Feb. 14 council meeting. Current city ordinance prohibits the intentional discharge of firearms, with exceptions for law enforcement in the line of duty or weapons discharged in the defense...
4 p.m. update: A man was killed and a woman and two children were injured after a 3 p.m. crash on Texas 71 at Pedernales Summit Parkway, Austin-Travis County EMS officials said. One lane is closed in each direction on Texas 71 and likely will be for the next two or three hours, said Kristen Dark, Travis County sheriff’s spokeswoman...
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