Texas' statewide COVID CTR or community transmission rate jumps to 74.1 as concerns mount about the Omicron variant - those same concerns drive a recent spike in vaccine demand locally. Austin Water shores up its infrastructure in preparation for winter weather. Lake Travis, Rouse and Bowie High Schools all see school shooting scares. Westlake Chaparrals QB Cade Klubnik is named Gatorade's Texas High School Player of the Year. Texas Longhorns football sees a growing number of donor-supported funds dedicated to paying players for endorsements and appearances. ACL Fest announces dates for 2022 and prepares to offer presale tickets starting Thursday. Poor access to the recent Rolling Stones concert at COTA for disabled fans leads to a push for a new city task force. H-E-B is featured in Forbes as the largest private company in Texas and fifth nationally. Eater Austin posts a list of Austin's 20 best pizzerias, and Austin 360 lists Austin's best Christmas-themed bars. And a brief cold front makes way for more weirdly warm December weather, with another cold snap coming Saturday.
