30 Years Later: Yogurt Shop Murders Still Haunt Austin

byAndrew Logan

The murdered girls’ families and those who worked decades trying to find and prosecute their killers say the 30th anniversary of their murders approaches with no sense of closure. The murders remain unsolved, and experts say that crimes lacking resolution can leave a psychological impact on an entire community.

Planned Parenthood’s Place as Texas’ Anti-Abortion Law Causes Panic Among Some

byCaroline Zwillenberg

If the rally at the Texas capitol and others across the nation last month are any indication, feelings of panic and outrage have erupted from not only women, but from others who have childbearing loved ones and oppose a move away from reproductive rights. On Sept. 1, Texas Senate Bill 8 went into effect. It imposes […]

West Campus Pie in the Sky: An Apartment High-Rise Nightmare

byKatie Berger

Dust coating floors and countertops. Missing living room furniture. Rats living in utility closets. Trash rooms piled high and overflowing into the hallway. Valuable packages sitting exposed in the lobby. These were among the conditions for residents at The Standard, the latest in a series of newly constructed high-rise apartment buildings in West Campus. The […]

UT’s William Wayne Justice Center Encourages Students to Enter Public Interest Law

byHailin Zhang

Jane, one of millions of Texans living below the poverty level, needs a lawyer but cannot afford to pay for one. Fortunately, she’s part of the approximately 5.2 million who qualify for legal aid. So she has a couple of options. She could get help from an organization like Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, which serves […]

Divergent Paths of Soccer in Austin

byBrendan Long

The 2015 Memorial Day floods caused dramatic damage throughout Austin and perhaps the most lasting image of the event was House Park overrun by water from Shoal Creek. The high waters were so bad that rescue boats were deployed on Lamar Boulevard to save stranded citizens. That event was also the catalyst behind why Austin […]

Are Texas Democrats Starting to Take Rural Voters Seriously?

byJill Ament

As they begin their 2022 campaigns for state offices from governor to comptroller, Democrats know they can count on support in Texas’ fast-growing cities. They see increasing their share of votes in rural counties, which have long titled heavily Republican, as a key part of their strategy to win statewide office for the first time in three decades.

UT Makes Additions to Counseling and Mental Health Services, Addresses Student Concerns

byMegan Fee

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin’s Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC) is expanding its mental health resources through a partnership with My Student Support Program. The partnership with the third-party vendor, announced earlier this month by Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Soncia Reagins-Lilly, offers students 24/7 real […]

Zilker Vision Plan Aims to Overhaul Visitor Experience at Zilker Park

byJack Starks

AUSTIN, Texas – Austin’s green gem may be forever changing. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is developing the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan to establish direction for Zilker Park’s growth. The plan will address changes to the park’s ecology, environmental sustainability, historical preservation, inclusivity and accessibility. “We wanted to develop a vision plan to […]

Students Adjust to New UT Athletics Ticketing Procedures

byJake Herman

AUSTIN, Texas — Leave your student ID but bring a fully charged phone battery. Texas Athletics implemented a new mobile entry procedure this fall at all sporting events which made stadium gates paperless and contactless. “A lot of people like the new ticketing system more. It’s a little different, but I can’t complain,” Longhorn Hellraisers […]

UT Students Voice Concerns Over Student Emergency Services Protocol

byCassidy Ellison

AUSTIN, Texas — Students face a variety of unexpected emergencies in their personal lives every semester, with some crises taking tolls on both physical and mental health. The University of Texas at Austin offers Student Emergency Services as a resource to assist students during unprecedented times. Emergencies that fall under these services include, but are […]

Texas Remains Reluctant to Legalize Recreational Marijuana Use

byTara Phipps

Texas has had a puzzling past with marijuana. While the state refuses to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana, it has made small strides in recent years to legalize CBD, hemp and medical marijuana. As the laws become more confusing, some cities — like Austin — have chosen to decriminalize misdemeanor amounts of marijuana.

Of the 50 bills pertaining to marijuana introduced during Texas’ 87th legislation — only HB 1535 made it to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. This bill expands the number of people eligible for medical marijuana as well as the concentration amount they can have. Bills dealing with penalty reduction or recreational legalization died.

UT Police Department Opens Satellite Office in West Campus

byJaxie Pidgeon

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin Police Department (UTPD) opened a new satellite office in West Campus called UTPD West in response to an uptick in crime last year. The office is located at 405 W. 25th St. on the first floor of Walter Webb Hall at 25th Street and Guadalupe Street. […]

Austin Police Forward Non-Emergency Calls From 911 to 311

byElexa Sherry

AUSTIN, Texas — Starting this month, the Austin Police Department’s 911 line began to forward all non-emergency calls to Austin 311’s ambassador line. Non-emergency calls include incidents like stolen bikes and cars, as well as vandalism, attempted burglary of residences and verbal disturbances. University of Texas student Skyler Quait recently noticed several bikes destroyed and […]

COVID-19 Infections in Pregnancy Rise as Vaccination Rate Stays Low

byLauren Girgis

Pregnant people are at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. In recent months, health officials have been raising alarms that the group needs to urgently get vaccinated.

The highest number of coronavirus-related deaths in pregnant people in a single month of the pandemic was reported in August 2021, according to a Sept. 29 health alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC estimates only about 31% of pregnant people are fully vaccinated. This number is even lower for Black pregnant people, at 15.6%.

ACL Music Fest Marks Return of Major In-Person Events in Austin

byTara Phipps

“A lesson we’ve all learned is that change is constant. I think we all learned that during the pandemic. It felt like it was never going to end, but it did. Here we are.”

Survivors and Seeking Help: Suicide Prevention and Recovery

byAustin Cheatham

Depression inflicts a pain and numbness that engulfs people in ways that no aching of the body ever could. Like any other disease, it spreads until a person is fully consumed. Yet many in our society are reluctant to speak of the disease’s worst outcome. In 2019 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported there […]

Proposition A Faces Scrutiny for Potential Impacts on City Budget

byJack Starks

AUSTIN, Texas – With early voting in Austin beginning Oct. 18 ahead of the Nov. 2 general election, debate over Proposition A is increasing. The proposition would restore funding pulled from the Austin Police Department and reallocated last year, but critics call it an irresponsible use of the city’s budget. “Who is Prop A going […]

Texas Businesses Confused After Governor Bans Vaccine Mandates

byCassidy Ellison

AUSTIN, Texas — On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that bans Texas businesses from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for its employees or customers.  There is a $1,000 maximum fine for those who do not comply with the order. Abbott’s new order came a month after the Biden administration issued an executive order […]

Goodbye Trucks, Hello Cars: Co-Op Food Court to Become Parking Lot

byJake Herman

AUSTIN, Texas — Local food trucks are looking for a new place to park after the University Co-Op announced it is closing the food court behind its Guadalupe Street retail store. In a letter sent Sept. 23, Co-Op Chief Operating Officer Kristen Huffman informed food truck owners that they will have to vacate the lot […]

Q2 Stadium Hosts First World Cup Qualifier in Texas

byJaxie Pidgeon

AUSTIN, Texas – Q2 Stadium in Austin hosted the first World Cup Qualifying match in Texas on Oct. 7 as the U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) faced Jamaica. Thanks to Ricardo Pepi’s two goals in the second-half, the USMNT grabbed a 2-0 victory. The USMNT is hoping to bounce back by making it to the […]