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(Pixabay/Pexels)
Austin ISD is considering what it calls a "blended learning approach"—or a kind of hybrid schooling model—when classes resume in August, according to a newsletter sent out by the district.
AISD hasn't made a final decision, and hasn't released specifics, but did provide a list of precautions for in-person instruction:
- health and safety training on COVID-19 for staff
- screenings for symptoms
- measures to keep people at least six feet apart
- facial covering requirements for kids age 6 & older
- frequent cleanings and disinfecting common areas
- increased handwashing practices
- having campuses operate in smaller groups and at lower capacities
- requiring students and staff to stay home if they or family tests positive
Nearly 300 parents and families joined a Zoom call earlier this week to weigh in on how the district should proceed. AISD closed all schools in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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(Laura Figi)
At the tail end of a tough year for retailers, Black Friday deals appeared to draw fewer shoppers into big box stores around Austin.
<p>Early morning openings at Bed Bath & Beyond on Brodie Lane, Best Buy and Walmart on Hwy. 290, Target on West Ben White Boulevard, and Marshalls on West William Cannon Drive saw anemic turnout—perhaps driven down by the rising number of COVID-19 cases reported locally or the cold, rainy weather.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9c7b6cb53cfaafa4cd87c253ef471b9c" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQ4i6RUvf78?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Black Friday line-spotting in Austin, TX</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://youtu.be/dQ4i6RUvf78" target="_blank">youtu.be</a>
</small>
</p><p>Shoppers may also have turned to online retailers, where similar deals could be found with less risk. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="050c881f8bc187580f4b16835c6090ed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="14cf2" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzM5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0Mzg1OTk4MH0.Ctg5EU_ptcOkuzan6oYYaivdM6d8pmhw11VUgCYoAh0/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Laura Figi)</small></p><p>Black Friday, as a shopping concept, began gaining steam in the late 1980s, when retailers operating at a loss—or in the red—reported a sharp uptick in sales—moving into the black—after Thanksgiving. <br/></p><p>It may also have derived its name from police officers in Philadelphia, who used the term to refer to the chaos that resulted when suburban shoppers came into the city for their holiday shopping in the early 1960s, according to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/story/how-do-you-get-a-nobel-prize" target="_blank">Encyclopaedia Britannica</a>.</p><p>The allure of Black Friday has been waning in recent years, however, and it may be further diminished <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-thanksgiving-covid" target="_blank">by the pandemic</a>. </p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f4bd205a32c62197660ecdb30dba6945" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="20d5b" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzM5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NjM3MzczMX0.LamITsKjSvPXqgEjWODjl80YyI1hcrGydBdSvNgd6Ek/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Laura Figi)</small></p><p>A <a href="https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/most-us-shoppers-want-retailers-to-close-on-thanksgiving-day-accenture-survey-reveals.htm" target="_blank">recent survey from Accenture</a> found that 64% of more than 1,500 respondents are less inclined to shop on Black Friday than they were a few years ago. U.S. consumers also began their holiday shopping earlier this year and plan to spend less, according to the survey.<br/></p><p>Still, many <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-black-friday/record-store-crawl" target="_blank">local businesses are open</a>, from The Austin Winery and Half Price Books to Kendra Scott and Waterloo Records.</p>
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(Tito's Handmade Vodka)
Ingredients:
- 750 mL Tito's Handmade Vodka
- 1 1/2 cup toasted pecans
Directions: Toast pecans in a 350°F oven until they become aromatic (about 5 minutes). Let pecans cool, drop them into a resealable jar, and fill with Tito's Handmade Vodka. Store in a cool, dark place for 1 month, if you can wait that long.
(Nan Palmero/CC)
Thanksgiving is over and the most wonderful time of year has officially begun. Christmas light shows have been a Texas tradition for years—so beloved that not even a pandemic could stop them from shining this year.
<p>Here are some of the best light shows to check out this holiday season.</p>
<p class="">So get out there and make some holiday memories!</p>
Domain Northside Holiday Walk-thru Photo Experience
<div id="32db7" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d2c689db7e9eb18dfa04b6e85d71f5ca"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHiY2Xulfzl/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>While not a light show, <a href="https://do512.com/events/2020/11/18/holiday-walk-thru-photo-experience-tickets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Domain</a> is working to make your Instagram as festive as the rest of your holidays. From Nov. 13 until Dec. 26, the shopping center will be decked out with all kinds of festive decorations, perfect for a holiday 'gram. Plus, when you tag the Domain and use its hashtags, you'll be entered to win some free Starbucks.</p>Marble Falls Walkway of Lights
<div id="a7bf5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="636abaa7646d39afd09f25f9889c1ee0"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6mqoalosy/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>If you're looking for something reminiscent of Christmases past, the <a href="https://www.101highlandlakes.com/marble-falls-walkway-of-lights" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marble Falls Walkway of Lights</a> is still hosting its annual trail event this year. On weekends and holidays, children can even visit with Santa and his elves. With a three-block extension to allow for social distancing, the trail runs from 6 to 10 p.m. from Nov. 20 through Jan. 2. Tickets are $10 for kids and $12 for adults. And be careful to watch for inclement weather, as this event is weather permitting.</p>Mozart's COVID Cautious Christmas Light Show
<div id="95ef5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29361124ec9ba91247e2740712a47d85"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CH-yinyhRNF/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>Mozart's is taking a different perspective on safe festivities this year, holding an outdoor light show with tables instead of a drive-thru. During the show, guests can enjoy bottomless hot chocolate, coffee and an assortment of holiday treats. The show has been running since Nov. 11 and will continue until Jan. 6, open from 6-11 p.m. nightly. <a href="https://mozartscoffee.com/pages/christmas-light-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Table reservations</a> start at $10.</p>Peppermint Parkway
<div id="b290c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f35ce695731532d9c03fc82176703700"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CICAvHUFp-k/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>The Circuit of the Americas is turning its <a href="https://austonia.com/peppermint-parkway" target="_self">racetrack into a festive light show</a>, also drive-thru, with millions of lights, a 60-foot Christmas tree and drive-up concessions. This will be the debut of <a href="https://peppermintparkway.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peppermint Parkway</a>, running from 6-10:30 p.m., from Nov. 27 through Jan.3. <a href="https://offer.fevo.com/2020-peppermint-parkway-3fb88ab?fevoUri=2020-peppermint-parkway-3fb88ab%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tickets</a> start at $35 per car.</p>Trail of Lights
<div id="a2221" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3fcb15267f04f046fd6bb58014210e4d"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"> <div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> </div></div><p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIDyGHSFkmQ/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top"></a></p> </div></blockquote></div><p>This year, the 56th annual <a href="https://austintrailoflights.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trail of Lights</a> is making the event as safe as possible for everyone by hosting <a href="https://austonia.com/trail-of-lights-austin" target="_self">a drive-thru only</a> show. With lights as far as the eye can see and miniatures of our fair city, the Trail of Lights is something every Austinite must see. The show is running from Nov. 28 through Jan. 3, and <a href="https://austintrailoflights.org/calendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tickets</a> start at $25 per car.</p>From Your Site Articles
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(Texas Longhorns/Instagram)
Game Preview: Longhorns face off against #13 Cyclones
The Texas Longhorns take the field for the first time in two weeks after postponements and bye weeks, making them one of the most well rested teams in the conference.
<p>Their opponent Friday will make or break the Longhorns' hopes to take home a Big 12 title this season as #13 Iowa State comes to town. It will also mark the last home game of the season and the final home game for a group of seniors who have stuck with Texas through thick and thin. </p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d2ac37e4be54c6759f88e2be26392271" id="e9d6a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331417815933399041"><div style="margin:1em 0">Thankful - 11 - Senior Day
@sehlinger3 https://t.co/TSWPxQU9Tt</div> — Texas Football (@Texas Football)<a href="https://twitter.com/TexasFootball/statuses/1331417815933399041">1606269718.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>After the Kansas game was <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/texas-vs-kansas-game-postponed-due-to-covid-19-issues-within-jayhawks-football-program/" target="_blank">pushed to the end of the season</a> due to COVID-19 concerns, Coach Tom Herman and the Longhorns got an extra week to prepare for a showdown against the Iowa State Cyclones.<br/></p><p>The new College Football Playoff rankings, which were released Tuesday, put 6-2 Iowa State four spots ahead of #17 Texas. Neither team has a real shot at making the playoffs this season, with 100-to-1 odds of the Big 12 Champion even making the playoffs, <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/futures/" target="_blank">according to most gambling websites</a>.</p><p>The new College Football Playoff rankings, which were released Tuesday, put 6-2 Iowa State four spots ahead of #17 Texas. Neither team has a real shot at making the playoffs this season, with 100-to-1 odds, <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/futures/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to most gambling websites</a>.</p><p>the Big 12 Champion evening <a href="https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/futures/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">getting a chance to make the playoffs 100 to 1</a> according to most gambling websites. However, Friday's match up still will decide a lot, including the possible future of Herman at Texas.</p><p>The Texas defense under Defensive Coordinator Chris Ash has been underrated to say the least. The Longhorns, led by junior linebacker <a href="https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4362094/joseph-ossai" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joseph Ossai</a>, have the 16th ranked defense in yards allowed per rush.</p><p>The defense will have their work cut out for them with one of the conference's best running backs, Iowa State sophomore Breece Hall, coming to Austin. Hall is averaging 6.5 yards per attempt.</p><p>The Longhorns defense was able to bottle up Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard (72 yards, no TDs) and West Virginia's Leddie Brown (47 yards, 1 TD), two of the conference's other top backs.</p><p>On offense, this will be the last time Sam Ehlinger take the field at home as a Longhorn. The senior quarterback has a lot on his plate.</p><p>The Cyclones have a solid defense, allowing only 23.4 points per game and the second fewest rushing yards per game in the Big 12. That might change the way that Ehlinger gets used Friday. The quarterback is known more for what he can do in the play action and run-pass option than what he can do in the pocket.</p><p>The Cyclones pass defense will have to be prepared for whatever the Longhorns throw their way, but fans can almost count on a great performance for Ehlinger.</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ee9437fd0d4c20967ae1e243b203c7f" id="f364d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1331291988759601154"><div style="margin:1em 0">Sam Ehlinger ahead of his final home game at Texas:
"I hope to be remembered as a quarterback and leader that led… https://t.co/SGKMOKJo9n</div> — Jeff Barker (@Jeff Barker)<a href="https://twitter.com/JeffBarker_/statuses/1331291988759601154">1606239718.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>All week, Ehlinger has been focused on the task at hand: beating #13 Iowa State and having the Longhorns fight their way back into Big 12 title contention.</p><p>With Oklahoma State's loss to Oklahoma last week, the Cyclones are currently in sole possession of first place in the conference, with Oklahoma coming in second. If the Longhorns can win out, beating Iowa State, Kansa State and Kansas, then Texas will have a shot at the trophy to end the year.</p><p>Friday will also see the unveiling of the newest addition to the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium monument collection.</p><p>Julius Whittier was the first AfricanAmerican football letterman and played from 1970-1972 for legendary head coach Darrell K. Royal. Whittier was part of the 1970 National Championship team that is also being honored Friday on the 50th anniversary of the title.</p><p>Whittier made history in 1970 in the season opener against Cal as the first Black football player to start for the Longhorns. He was on the roster for three Southwest Conference titles and a national championship.</p><p>The San Antonio native died in 2018 from Alzheimer at 68.</p>
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(MangoNic/Shutterstock)
Before the pandemic started, Adult Care of Austin on Menchaca Road didn't offer telemedicine appointments.
Now, the private practice conducts almost all of its visits virtually, either over the phone or on HIPAA-compliant video platforms.
Dr. Steven Dobberfuhl, an internal medicine physician, said telemedicine saved his practice—and has been a boon to his patients, around 75% of whom are 65 years or older and at high risk of contracting COVID-19.
"I didn't believe it would work as well as it has," he said.
<p>Dobberfuhl is not alone. </p><p>With policy changes enacted at the state and federal level earlier this year, including requirements that insurance companies <a href="https://austonia.com/telemedicine-offers-health-care-at-a-social-distance" target="_self">reimburse doctors</a> for telemedicine appointments, the technology finally made financial sense for many local physicians.</p><p>"Sadly, if it's not getting paid for, it's not getting done," Dobberfuhl said.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-health-care-settings/%20-and-telehealth" target="_blank">Telemedicine</a>—which includes live videoconferencing, recorded videos, remote patient monitoring and mobile health, such as texts—offers convenience and limits doctors and patients' exposure to the coronavirus. </p><p>But there were kinks to work out.</p><p>"Everything was sort of bottlenecked through telemedicine," said Dr. Terry Rascoe, medical director of telemedicine virtual urgent care for Baylor Scott & White Health, which expanded its telemedicine services <a href="https://austonia.com/telemedicine-offers-health-care-at-a-social-distance" target="_blank">early on in the pandemic</a>. </p><p>Over the last eight months, however, physicians and patients alike have discovered the benefits of telemedicine—and been able to return to in-person visits where they make sense now that the state has allowed elective procedures to resume. </p><p>"It was a crisis period (in March and April)," said Dr. Ashis Barad, medical director of virtual specialty care services for BSW Health. "We were replicating in-person care back then out of necessity. Really the hope now is to enhance care."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<a href="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkxMDE2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzgwNjUzMX0.8ik0qBqJZBPaJtnL_2RcENC7KxniTAGcfCJJERBEHU8/img.jpg?width=980" target="_blank"><img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4fc65ae2446d4f9e44adfb1edffe29ed" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="15c35" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkxMDE2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzgwNjUzMX0.8ik0qBqJZBPaJtnL_2RcENC7KxniTAGcfCJJERBEHU8/img.jpg?width=980"/></a>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
(Steven Dobberfuhl)</small>
</p><p><strong>The telemedicine revolution</strong><br/></p><p>For Barad, who is also a pediatric gastroenterologist, this means using telemedicine for follow-up visits and for those families who may live far from his Temple clinic, which serves dozens of counties in Central Texas. </p><p>"Patients are going to drive this," he said of telemedicine's continued use. "And I think in general, our patients love telemedicine." </p><p>Other physicians echoed this assessment.</p><p>Although no longer a necessity, telemedicine continues to save patients time. Instead of spending hours commuting to a doctor's office and possibly losing out on pay, they can instead pop into a video or phone call for 30 minutes. </p><p>"The patients are really seeing the benefit of not having to take a half day off of work," Dobberfuhl said.</p><p>There are also benefits to the doctors themselves. </p><p>Dobberfuhl likes getting a glimpse into his patients' homes—a kind of 2020 house call. </p><p>"For better or for worse, I kind of like having a little bit of that insight," he said. (Although there are some occupational hazards that crop up: "I've had patients not put on shirts.")</p><p>Overall the change has been a positive one.</p><p>"It's a good revolution," Dobberfuhl said. "We all really hope that parts of it stay (beyond the pandemic)." </p><p><strong>A tool in the toolbox</strong> </p><p>But telemedicine is not a panacea.</p><p>Many physicians and private practices are still reporting depressed patient volume as a result of the pandemic and haggling with insurance companies over reimbursement rates. </p><p>"They're still struggling," said Tom Banning, CEO of the Austin-based Texas Academy of Family Physicians. "There's no question about that."</p><p>Although telemedicine is useful in many instances, it doesn't address every problem caused by the pandemic. Banning estimates that patient volume has rebounded to about 85% of pre-pandemic levels, but that still leaves a 15% gap, which he attributed in part to patients losing their jobs—and with them their health insurance.</p><p>"I think telemedicine is just going to be one bullet in the gun," he said of the challenges facing doctors today. </p><p>Another reason for the drop in patient volume may be the success of COVID prevention measures.</p><p>"This time of year we're typically slammed," said Dr. Brian Temple, a co-owner and partner at Beansprout Pediatrics, which has locations in Bee Cave, Dripping Springs and Spicewood.</p><p>With kids wearing masks and social distancing, however, the common flu and cold cases are much less common. </p><p>Still, telemedicine is a useful tool for Temple's practice, especially for screening patients with COVID symptoms without having to bring them into the office, where they might infect staff. </p><p>With cases surging, this is a critical safeguard. </p><p>"If we didn't have that, I don't know what we would do," he said. </p>
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Austin will see "big weather changes" this weekend, with likely thunderstorms Friday morning and early Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="df79bfb6b39294212ec1ec4c9f46362d" id="62a06"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1332281817567784961"><div style="margin:1em 0">Big weather changes in store for today. Showers will become numerous over the area with a few strong storms possibl… https://t.co/jLsxEN1lpV</div> — NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWS Austin/San Antonio)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/statuses/1332281817567784961">1606475712.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>There is also a hazardous weather outlook for the Austin and San Antonio areas, with the most impact expected on Friday. <br/></p><p>"The primary hazards will be marginally severe hail and a few damaging thunderstorms with wind gusts," according to the NWS. "In addition a few pockets of locally heavy rainfall are possible today along and east of Interstate 35. These could produce ponding on road ways and other minor flooding impacts."</p>
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0090ff42d86278f40a40b90b88f6f451" id="48d66"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1332323691930259463"><div style="margin:1em 0">Travelers over the holiday weekend should be aware of the threats of water ponding and hydroplaning, especially in… https://t.co/6QcRmgqSD6</div> — NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWS Austin/San Antonio)<a href="https://twitter.com/NWSSanAntonio/statuses/1332323691930259463">1606485696.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>A cold front is also expected Friday, with daytime highs forecasted to range between the mid-50s and low 60s over the next week. </p>
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(Pexels)
From pandemic-inspired poetry to a graphic novel based on a Mayan legend, this holiday season offers titles for every taste. Below is a list of books from local authors to add to your Black Friday shopping cart or wintertime to-read list.
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline ($28.99, 394 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzI1NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDA5NjYyM30.tt5wqQ5fU1ZouvPz4P0N0tsPXueapaSLZolYqGd63pI/img.jpg?width=980" id="b7d2a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f28c58aa15e4f61ee9d01033cb89c0e0" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Penguin Random House)
<p>When Austin writer Ernest Cline's <em>Ready Player One</em> emerged in 2011, its Willy Wonka-meets-Tron adventure story was an exhilarating apology for all things escapist. </p><p>Cline's sequel to his wildly popular novel (made into a similarly kitsch-crowded film by Steven Spielberg), can be seen as a kind corrective reset regarding the reality-bashing tendencies of gamers as well as the addictive dangers of hiding in a retro world. </p><p>Still sticky with '80s in-jokes and Easter eggs, Cline deftly manages to address the antisocial issues that are inherent in living a <em>virtual</em> life while playing up the viable kinks of a consumer-based total recall.</p>The Ancestry of Objects by Tatiana Ryckman ($15.95, 144 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzI1MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDc5ODk3NX0.HeNuxTvRHAlOgEQqWQXGbL7a9Hc7KZp6lfLK6B5kKUE/img.jpg?width=980" id="43f82" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="533edc96a082b1426efc43dc919b9279" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Deep Vellum)
<p>In <em>The Ancestry of Objects</em>, a suicidal young woman enters into some educational masochism by having an affair with a married man, and in doing so harnesses a world of almost Emersonian awareness of the bric-a-brac of her inherited surroundings.</p><p>Ryckman's arresting yet detached style recalls <em>The Story of O</em> by way of an IKEA catalogue.</p><p>The matter-of-fact investigation of purpose will remind some readers of Sartre's <em>Nausea</em>, while the spectral prose recalls Susan Sontag's <em>Death Kit.</em> </p><p>Ryckman is the editor of the Austin-based publisher Awst Press. </p>A Bed for the King's Daughter by Shahla Ujayli, translated by Sawad Hussain ($16, 60 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzI1My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjM3Njk3NX0.1cPNekhMGoBa9uHHctJ-ONPTzzrs4Rw5knLC61dtkbU/img.jpg?width=980" id="aa1d0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d8bd26a685be0f02e1fa3164676273bb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(University of Texas Press)
<p>Shahla Ujayli's latest collection, <em>A Bed For the King's Daughter,</em> implodes the codes of fairy tales to crack into the underlying apartheid that motivates even the most innocent and innocuous treacle and manages to put Socrates in the same world with Cinderella and Honda Civics.</p><p>An unsettling (yet psyche-soothing) feat of fictive displacement, the twenty-two stories in this collection of instructive surrealism will delight while they indict.</p><p>The University of Texas Press published the book.</p>Rise of the Halfling King by David Bowles, illustrated by Charlene Bowles ($12.95, 64 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzI0Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjkxNjEyMn0.te9uzhGedBOoa_z4CUmpW8h5sTTmG4vFfYgOsl2U2zQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="46ce8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c115f7324b36a2fd61d980066eb4700a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Cinco Puntos Press)
<p>Hatched from an egg, Sayam, the hero of David Bowles's latest graphic novel, is raised by a witch and possesses a humanitarian itch to help those in need. The boy who would be king marshals his magic to meet every test and even gets to best a netherworld serpent along the way.</p><p>David Bowles, an expert on Mesoamerican literature, has partnered with Charlene Bowles, a comics artist/illustrator, to offer middle school-aged readers an exciting and engaging take on some ancient Mayan lore that features the antics of a brave Elfin-boy, the schemes of a sneaky sorcerer and the loyalty of a spider monkey.</p><p>Both the author and illustrator are based in Texas, with David in South Texas and <a href="https://twitter.com/charlenecbowles" target="_blank">Charlene in Austin</a>.</p>Pandemia & Other Poems by Edward Vidaurre ($16, 88 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzI0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzg1Njc4OX0.EgQ6biOj_C2K9mPYeS1fmmBLaUcrVfjXoDoL9_WyaPg/img.jpg?width=980" id="605d8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3d1bca3952752f147bf92cf8ffa8b6a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Aztlan Libre Press)
<p>Edward Vidaurre, a border poet currently living in McAllen, Texas, tackles grief and the cosmos with a kind of casual theological bravery, assessing that: "God is an open wound. A kung-fu movie and a celestial sicario."</p><p>The work in<em> Pandemia & Other Poems</em> moves from toilet tissue and water bill worries of sheltering-in-place to classroom epiphanies of the 1986 Challenger explosion.</p><p>Vidaurre's poignant asides on the juvenile joys of cloud-gazing take on an ominous caution in a book where John Coltrane and Covid-19 share a nervous juxtaposition.</p><p>The collection was published by Aztlan Libre Press, which is based in San Antonio.</p>The Nightgown & Other Poems by Taisia Kitaiskaia ($15.95, 75 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzI1MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjQ2NTkzNn0.Q7HDaTvjtz8zUBEDtZ6UyZEbZjsuc21IIVbH4n2kE3A/img.jpg?width=980" id="aef96" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bf0e08e4ad7d69be45a8130372e9b5e5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Deep Vellum)
<p>Austin poet Taisia Kitaiskaia's<em> Nightgown & Other Poems </em>is a nightcap of dream-dowsing assurance, a chthonic tonic that stills the reader into contemplating the agendas of monks, the tenacity of Thumbelina and the dark comforts of an evil twin.</p><p>"Saints are those who do not live amongst the people," the poet notes with the authority of a Brothers Grimm-savvy Simone Weil. </p><p>Earthy yet ethereal, Kitaiskaia's art argues that "shame and rebellion are integral to the angels."</p>American Utopia by David Byrne and Maira Kalman ($24, 160 pages)
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDg0MzIzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDI0MTE5N30.VoA6WcyXqjkeM_IL3iqqLOvVFTIFnKGY5tf8KMod4Sg/img.jpg?width=980" id="2478e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="92359e02e666f75d5327249590032bb7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Bloomsbury)
<p><em>American Utopia,</em> conceived as a standalone companion to David Byrne's 2019 Broadway show of the same name, is a kind of <em>Goodnight Moon</em> for adults who want to calmly put the social stress and political duress of 2020 to bed.</p><p>Slogans of acceptance and simple understanding such as "we're only tourists in this life" are warmly rendered by Maira Kalman's wry watercolor work.</p><p>The authentic inclusiveness of this picture book project is made obvious with its nods to places like Bullfrog, Utah; Goofy Ridge, Illinois; and Lubbock, Texas.</p><p>Byrne, who has often evoked both the principles and panache of a Dadaist, quotes Hugo Ball's assertion that Dada exists "to remind the world that there are people of independent minds — beyond war and nationalism — who live for different ideals."</p><p><em>American Utopia</em> is the kind of poetic picture book of authentic optimism that we need today.</p><p>It is based on Byrne's stage show of the same name, which he performed in Austin in 2018.</p>From Your Site Articles
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