Local news and fun, every day 6am.
Featured
austonia newsletter
Most viewed

Distribution of the new COVID-19 vaccines began nearly two weeks ago and the effort continues—the Austin Fire Department, Police Department and long-term care facilities started receiving the vaccines as of today.
According to Austin-Travis County Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott, Austin is still moving steadily through Phase 1A of distribution and reaching those who are at most risk first.
AFD vaccinated more than 300 employees today, using the Moderna vaccine, a start to the 1,300 doses that have been scheduled for this week.
Today, 300+ AFD personnel are receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, with many others slated to get it this week a… https://t.co/wQKiHoh81d— Austin Fire Dept (@Austin Fire Dept) 1609188531.0
CVS and Walgreens pharmacies partnered with the federal government earlier this year, opting to administer the vaccines to long-term care facilities, which are at the bottom of the list for Phase 1A.
Distribution officially started Monday and CVS plans to vaccinate 275,000 staff and residents at 2,000 facilities over the next 12 weeks in Texas. See the full list of facilities here.
Once all the Phase 1A groups have received a sufficient amount of doses, distribution will move to Phase 1B, which will extend the groups in 1A and prioritize people 65 years or older, and those under 16 who are at extreme risk.
However, Phase 1B might be a ways out. Distribution to long-term care facilities is slated to take up the next three months. So far, Travis County has administered 6,940 total vaccines.
On the bright side, the ball is rolling. In a press conference today, Escott said he expects to see more widespread public distribution begin around March or April.
"As we start to increase the percentage of individuals over the age of 65 and those who have underlying health conditions, the threat of COVID-19 in the spring starts to diminish very quickly," Escott said.
- Texas Gov. receives COVID-19 vaccine, joining Austin officials ... ›
- Texas picked for new Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine - austonia ›
- COVID-19 vaccine trial conducted in Austin reports success - austonia ›
Popular
(Tesla)
Giga Texas, the massive Tesla factory in southeast Travis County is getting even bigger.
The company filed with the city of Austin this week to expand its headquarters with a new 500,000-square-foot building. The permit application notes “GA 2 and 3 expansion,” which indicates the company will make two general assembly lines in the building.
More details about the plans for the building are unclear. The gigafactory has been focused on Model Y production since it opened in April, but the company is also aiming for Cybertruck production to kick off in mid-2023.
While there is room for expansion on the 3.3 square miles of land Tesla has, this move comes after CEO Elon Musk’s recent comments about the state of the economy and its impact on Tesla.
In a May interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley, Musk said the gigafactories in Berlin and Austin are “gigantic money furnaces” and said Giga Texas had manufactured only a small number of cars.
And in June, Musk sent a company wide email saying Tesla will be reducing salaried headcount by 10%, then later tweeted salaried headcount should be fairly flat.
- Grand opening of Giga Texas faces push back from the community ... ›
- Giga Texas may start production of Model Y's this week - austonia ›
- Tesla hosts Cyber Rodeo grand opening party for Giga Texas ... ›
- Musk: Recently opened Giga Texas is a gigantic money furnace ... ›
- Elon Musk is spotted driving a Cybertruck through Giga Texas ... ›
- PHOTOS: Peek inside the Tesla Gigafactory producing Model Ys in ... ›
- Cyber Rodeo: what we know about the Giga Texas opening party ... ›
- Excitement over Giga Texas grand opening continues at Tesla Con ›
- Tesla's mileage range on new Model Y lowers - austonia ›
(Dullnig Ranch Sales)
You’ll have to leave city limits if you’re looking for a proper ranch property like 417 Acres Shipp Lake Ranch, aptly named for its acreage. The property comes built out with three farmhouses, one of which has bedrooms and two bathrooms and two of which have two bedrooms and one bathroom. The nearly untouched property, which surrounds the 100-plus-acre Shipp Lake, has remained in the same family since the early 1900s and gives you picturesque views for the making of a dream home. In fact, the previous owners ran a water ski camp on the property.
Sitting waterside on Lake Austin, this home gives you the unique opportunity to own a piece of the lush Hill Country with views of Mount Bonnell. The 2,750-square foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom house allows you to integrate indoor and outdoor life with large windows opening to an outdoor living area. The crown jewel is the .76-acre parcel of land that tapers off to your own lakeside resort, featuring an covered outdoor kitchen, fire pit, stone boat house to store your water sports supplies and veranda sitting at the mouth of the water, perfect for an entertainer.
Got dreams of becoming a real Texas rancher? 7814 Brown Cemetery Rd. is the perfect place to start with 40 rolling acres of land and its very own swimming hole. Just east of Austin in Manor, the modest-on-the-outside home clocks at 4,412 square feet with five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms, but there are an additional two living structures on the property. The horseshoe-shaped pond sits in the heart of the property and comes equipped with a water slide, diving board and a fishing dock.