Four more COVID deaths reported Wednesday, as four becomes our new daily average, up from one daily death one month ago, while our daily new hospital admission average continues hovering in the upper 70's, a high plateau. Travis County sets another new record for total COVID-19 hospitalizations: 653. Highland Lakes Elementary in Marble Falls shuts down for the rest of this week due to rising cases. The Austin Police Department loses its first officer to COVID. Governor Greg Abbott steps up his campaign against vaccine mandates, saying the Texas Legislature should have the call, meanwhile the House is set to debate and possibly vote on Senate Bill 1 today - this is the bill containing voting restrictions that spurred the mass walkout of House Democrats weeks ago. Save Austin Now and a group of business owners including bar owner Bob Woody have sued the City of Austin over what they call insufficient enforcement of Prop B. The body of a newborn infant is found in a shallow grave near Onion Creek. The Austin City Limits Music Festival's offer of 1,000 free single-day wristbands for new COVID-19 vaccinations is gobbled up in one day, as the ACL Fest Nights schedule is announced. The Old Settler's Music Festival announces a return in late October. The 2021 Bat Fest is cancelled after the City of Austin denies a special events permit - the event was scheduled for Saturday. Austin's real estate market is found the second most attractive in the U.S., second only to....Frisco? And chances for a major tropical storm impact on the Texas coast in coming days continue to build.
