Friday
October 16, 2026
Today at a glance
- Weather 70° / 50°Gusts strong enough to drop tree limbs until 7 p.m. Tie down the patio umbrella.
- Air quality 50 · GoodClear air. A great day to be outside.
- Lake Travis 94.5% fullThe lake is close to full — good for boats and for the summer water supply. Down a touch from last week.
- Allergies HighElm and ragweed and grasses are heavy today. Windows closed, meds early.
- Power grid NormalDemand peaks near 57,500 megawatts; ERCOT has 102,200 ready and room to spare.
- Sunrise 7:33 a.m.The sun is up for 11 hours and 25 minutes today, and down by 6:58 p.m.
Good morning, Austin. The front came through overnight, and it brought the wind with it. A Wind Advisory runs until 7 p.m., with north gusts of 40 to 50 mph and a high near 70. Tonight drops to about 50, and Saturday morning could feel like the upper 30s. Bring the porch plants in and dig out a real jacket.
The Briefing
Council hopefuls split on the bonds and Prop I
Early voting starts Monday, and this week KUT and Austin Current laid out where the City Council candidates in Districts 1, 8 and 9 stand. Two of those seats are open. Natasha Harper-Madison is term-limited in District 1, where six candidates want the job. In District 8, Paige Ellis fell short of the signatures she needed to seek a third term, leaving Selena Xie and Jeffery Bowen.
The $295 million parks and library bonds keep coming up. Xie supports them and said they would help fix at least four city pools. Bowen opposes them, citing the city's debt and $700 million in deferred maintenance.
District 9 splits differently. Council Member Zo Qadri said he is hopeful both bonds pass, and challenger Rich Heyman supports them. Katie Kam is undecided. She said she does not trust the projects "will be implemented efficiently in a timely manner."
The audit question cuts another way. Kam supports Proposition I, which would require outside audits of every city department every five years. Qadri and Heyman oppose it.
What's next: Early voting begins Monday, and Election Day is November 3. The Council races guide lists every candidate.
Sources: KUT (District 1), Austin Current (District 8), Austin Current (District 9), Austin Current (District 5), CBS Austin (early voting Monday)
City Desk
Money & bills
What the $295 million in bonds would buy
Voters decide November 3 on two City bonds, a year after they rejected the Proposition Q tax increase. Proposition A puts $260 million into park buildings, infrastructure, pools, and new parks and trails. Proposition B's $35 million sends about $20 million to renovate and expand the Hampton Branch library at Oak Hill and $15 million to a new Colony Park branch. KUT
Also
Mayor Kirk Watson proposed requiring that current construction trainees make up at least 20% of workers on City projects of $10 million or more, up from 15%, phased in from 2027. Community Impact
Public safety & courts
Man's body found in Lady Bird Lake
Austin police got a call shortly after midnight Friday about a body in Lady Bird Lake downtown, and the Austin Fire Department found a man's body during a boat search. He has not been identified, and police have not said what led up to his death. No arrests had been reported as of 4:15 a.m., KVUE reported. KVUE
Also
Police identified the two people killed in Wednesday night's rollover on the southbound Ed Bluestein Boulevard service road as Adan Rodriguez, 38, and Ruby Rodriguez, 39; a juvenile passenger remains in intensive care. CBS Austin
One person died after an electrocution at a downtown construction site October 9, the Austin Firefighters Association said; Austin Energy had to cut power to the line before firefighters could reach two people. CBS Austin
An Austin Police Department (APD) officer caught a bank robbery suspect less than two blocks from the Wells Fargo at 111 Congress Avenue, 1 minute 54 seconds after the call. KXAN
After a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) traffic stop near State Highway 71 Thursday, two men ran into nearby water; firefighters searched by boat and drone and found no one. KXAN
Overheard on X
A Wind Advisory has been issued for all areas of South Central Texas, including Travis County, for tomorrow, Friday October 16, from 4:00 AM until 7:00 PM. North winds 25-30 MPH with gusts 40-50 MPH are expected during this time. https://t.co/hneXosPHzl
Growth & infrastructure
City lists its surveillance technology
Under the surveillance technology law the City Council passed in April, City departments filed inventories of what they use: APD 89, Austin Fire 29, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services seven and Forensic Science one, a September memo said. Privacy impact statements are due four weeks before a January 28, 2027 reporting deadline. KXAN counted at least eight technology types, including drones and face recognition. KXAN
Also
The U.S. Conference of Mayors toured Austin's housing work this week; in its survey of 113 mayors, 96% said residents are very or extremely concerned about affordability. KXAN
KVUE reported that the former Texas Gas site in North Central Austin has been redeveloped into apartments and a new public park. KVUE
Overheard on Reddit
You know what would help our traffic problems? clogging our roads with empty taxis during rush hour. /s
Slaughter Lane is becoming a six-lane divided road between MoPac (Loop 1) and Brodie Lane, a $23 million City project running through 2027; crews began installing traffic signal arms in August. Community Impact
City Hall & county
Six candidates are running for the open District 1 seat: Alexandria Anderson, Steven Brown, Amber Goodwin, Michael Nahas, Misael Ramos and Portia Riggins. KUT
In District 8, Xie and Bowen both named wildfire and flood risk among the district's top issues, and both said the City should look harder at its spending before raising taxes. Austin Current
Qadri voted in May for the Dog's Head annexation and development agreements, then against a financing plan in July after hearing from constituents; Heyman called it "a terrible, terrible agreement." Austin Current
The City Council approved a five-year agreement with Travis County on October 8 to share historical research and explore a downtown historic district around the 1931 Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse. Community Impact
Schools
Burnet and Webb petitions came due at midnight
Parent petitions asking the state to close Burnet and Webb middle schools, instead of taking over Austin Independent School District (AISD), were due at midnight. Some parents said most information came in English, though many families at both schools speak Spanish. Trustee Candace Hunter said the state could still replace the board. Superintendent Matias Segura said the district would not collect signatures. CBS Austin CBS Austin
Also
Del Valle Independent School District Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez is leaving for a Houston education job after two years; his last day is November 6. KXAN
The National Deaf Center at the University of Texas at Austin received $24 million in federal funding through 2031, including $2.1 million for a career program for deaf high school students. KXAN
Business & street life
Saturn, the cocktail lounge at 906 Congress Avenue, closed for good October 8 after three years; owner Steven Smith cited persistent financial strain. Community Impact
Night Owl Therapy and the Red River Cultural District will cover six free therapy sessions for workers hit by the district's venue closures, founder Ana Arellano said. KXAN
Overheard on Bluesky
Hey #ATX! Do y’all ALWAYS sit through concerts? Way, way, way too many of you sitting during #Gorillaz tonight. This ain’t the symphony, this is a get up and dance kinda show!
Terrible Love Wine opened in September in the old band building of the Baker Center at 3908 Avenue B in Hyde Park, next to Terrible Love Coffee. Community Impact
Cinque Terre West, a Ligurian Italian restaurant, moved from California to the Rosedale neighborhood in July. Community Impact
Ensenada ATX, an East Austin food truck run by three generations of women, has served Baja-style seafood tacos since June 2022. KUT
Overheard on Reddit
I can see it. The cold front. It's coming. Fall is not a myth.
A woman sued Torchy's Tacos in Travis County District Court, saying a June 9 taco from its South Congress Avenue location held a cow tooth; Torchy's said it takes the concern seriously. KXAN
Weather
A Wind Advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday, with north winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 40 to 50 mph. The National Weather Service said tree limbs could come down and a few power outages may result. National Weather Service alerts
Friday brings a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 a.m., then a high near 70. Friday night is mostly clear with a low around 50, Saturday is sunny with a high near 69, and Sunday reaches about 73. National Weather Service forecast
Lingering gusts Saturday morning could push wind chills into the upper 30s to low 40s, KXAN said. KXAN
Sources: National Weather Service forecast, Travis County active-alert snapshot, KXAN
The Back Page
Early voting begins October 19; Election Day is November 3. Check official registration and election links.
One Good Thing: The Roots & Wings Festival starts Saturday with more than 100 free events about trees, pollinators and urban nature across the city, running through November 1. City of Austin