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(Carly Weaver)
Loved by some, hated by many and deeply ingrained into the city, the great-tailed grackle is as synonymous with Austin as Sixth Street.
<p>Few topics are more controversial than the grackle, a fearless, crow-like bird that tends to traverse across the city in large flocks and roost in H-E-B parking lots. </p><p>The birds evoke so much passion that they have their own <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/grackles-austin?osq=grackles+austin" target="_blank">Yelp page</a>. Nearly 150 Austinites have written poetically about their great love or disdain for the birds, dubbing them anything from "flying rats" to "the spirit of Austin." One reviewer claimed that grackles "speak truth to power" and are the "final, immovable object in defense in the noblest movement... Keep Austin Weird." </p><p>Another believes that the birds are "vaguely evocative of the end times" and a "totem of the decay of our once-great city." While one user has witnessed "daring feats of grackle bravery," another is scarred with the memory of grackles trying to invade their car. Regardless of opinion, many say grackles "feel like home."</p><p>Ironically, the one person who seems to have neutral opinions toward the birds may spend the most time on them.</p><p>Carly Weaver is an Austin-based artist who is known for paintings of landscapes, bicycles—and grackles. Weaver has <a href="http://www.carlyweaver.com/new-page-2" target="_blank">painted dozens of grackles</a> on wood surfaces, completed grackle commissions and even sells grackle face masks.</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="98ccaf73a40a6b0cdd7d2e5cd2ba4142" id="c1fe4"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>Despite her grackle collection, Weaver hasn't always liked the gregarious Austin birds.<br/></p><p>"I used to be one of the haters," Weaver said. "We used to feed our dogs outside and the grackles (would) just be eating their food, so I'm thinking 'this is ridiculous.' They were pooping everywhere too, and I tried all these tricks and nothing worked."</p><p>Eventually, Weaver decided to embrace the grackles rather than fight them. </p><p> "If you can't fight them, join them," Weaver said. "So I got on a wild hair one day and said, 'I'm going to paint these guys.' It's just a product of being influenced by your surroundings, and it became an interesting study."</p><p>Since then, Weaver has formed a sort of neutral respect for the grackle.</p><p>"I find myself really kind of in between," Weaver said. "It's kind of like, I guess I like them, but they're still a pest. However, if there was an initiative to rid Austin of all grackles, I might be upset by that."</p><p>While some may dislike the birds, Weaver said that her art is bound to start a conversation.</p><p>"It's like the greatest conversation starter," Weaver said. "It's a funny thing as an artist to have people come up and basically say that they hate your artwork. It also gives people reflection to think, 'are they really as awful as I think they are?' Then I had one guy recite a poem once because he felt compelled. It's just a funny social experiment."</p><p><br/></p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c74b2efe3597eba68be83a859dfeb0ce" id="7fff1"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p><br/></p><p>One of the more special experiences for Weaver has been making art for those who are moving away from Austin to keep a reminder of home.</p><p>"I have a lot of people that buy them for a friend that moved away, or they moved away and need a piece of Austin to take with them, which is cool that I can be a part of those memories," Weaver said. "I mean that's what the grackle is, it is Austin."</p><p>The great-tailed grackle has inspired more than just Weaver. In a Jan. 11 article with <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/in-praise-great-tailed-grackle-bird-doesnt-need-your-respect" target="_blank">Audubon</a>, a national society that protects birds, Asher Elbein wrote a thousand-word serenade of the bird, labeling them the "patron bird of anarchists and poets." Elbein wrote he admires the bird for their "clownishness" and their song, but his favorite aspect of the grackle was that "they regard humanity with absolutely no reverence whatsoever". </p><p>Although the grackle pest control business is alive and well in Austin and in 1990, <a href="https://www.kut.org/austin/2016-03-31/that-time-ut-austin-waged-a-war-on-grackles" target="_blank">shotguns were used</a> to scare the birds away from the University of Texas campus, some have done away with the eternal war on grackles. </p><p>On East Sixth Street, a bar has been named <a href="https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-grackle-austin" target="_blank">"The Grackle."</a> A park in a Central Austin neighborhood has been titled the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Grackle+Green/@30.2856591,-97.7250561,17.26z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0x5ff58b5a747e0f18!2sGrackle+Green!8m2!3d30.2849888!4d-97.7220995!3m4!1s0x0:0x5ff58b5a747e0f18!8m2!3d30.2849888!4d-97.7220995" target="_blank">"Grackle Green,"</a> and certain sports teams have been named after the iconic Austin bird.</p><p>While no consensus can be made on the grackles, they're certainly here to stay.</p>
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(Skidmore, Owings and Merrill)
A proposed 64-story, 802-foot tower is slated to become the second-tallest skyscraper in Austin.
<p>M2 Development Partners, the developers behind the plan, have projected an April 2022 groundbreaking with completion by 2025. <a href="https://www.statesman.com/story/business/real-estate/2021/01/27/new-austin-high-rise-proposed-64-story-tower-would-citys-second-tallest/4261370001/" target="_blank">The Austin American-Statesman reports</a> the building has a total budget of $504 million and is set to be nestled on a 1.2-acre plot against the trendy Rainey Street District overlooking Lady Bird Lake. </p><p>At 802 feet, the tower would be higher than Austin's tallest current building, the Independent, which sits at 685 feet. However, a skyscraper currently under construction at West Sixth and Guadelupe streets is projected to reach 840 feet; the tower, dubbed "6 X Guadelupe," would become the city's tallest.</p><p>The 1.1 million square-foot tower will house space for 250 hotel rooms, 170 apartments and 150 condominiums. The mixed-use building will also hold 10,000 square feet of retail space, 30,000 square feet of banquet space, a 550-space parking garage and a rooftop restaurant.</p><p>M2's managing principal Timothy Morris told the Statesman that the hotel would be operated by a world-renowned luxury brand. In a news release, the firm stated that several potential equity partners are interested in investing in the tower. </p><p>M2 stated that a name will be announced in the coming weeks.</p>
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(Pexels)
After a year full of unprecedented challenges, major states and cities are seeing somewhat of a mass exodus in favor of west and southbound areas with lower density—creating the perfect storm for an Austin migration.
<p>United Van Lines' 44th <a href="https://www.unitedvanlines.com/newsroom/movers-study-2020?utm_campaign=National-Movers-Study&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_content=press-release" target="_blank">Annual National Movers Study</a> revealed that Austin was the eighth most sought after city of 2020, drawing in crowds from major cities like Trenton, New Jersey; New York City, New York and Chicago, Illinois.</p><p>The study used the moving company's year-long migration data to formulate the study.</p><p>Though Austin didn't top the chart, it was the only Texas city that made it onto the list. The Austin-San Marcos area maintained 65% inbound moves and only 35% emigration rates.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-height="2700" data-rm-shortcode-id="579fa45288c67ea1dc061a1cc44493a4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTIzMzA2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTQ2Mzg3M30.34U8mxf2S3jjlvZ9yz0CPlalMzksPWLJLEiulWm17OU/img.jpg?width=980" data-width="4801" id="2a6ae" type="lazy-image"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(United Van Lines)</small></p><p>Austin was narrowly sandwiched between the Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay area of Florida in seventh place and Nashville, Tennessee in ninth place.<br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-height="1084" data-rm-shortcode-id="6f00ee5edb0874f5f5dfa4e488ce1aa2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTIzMjU2Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzg0OTI5M30.b1X7JOWzwpFD9ZAGWfbOj207iipgxugZHj0-F2EDTGo/img.png?width=980" data-width="1201" id="ac801" type="lazy-image"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(United Van Lines)</small></p><p>According to the study, COVID-19 was the main accelerant for those who chose to make a transition to a new state. As for those who cited the pandemic as a reason for their move, 60% said they were concerned for their personal and family's health and well being, while 59% made the change to be closer to family.<br/></p><p>Austin was named a "magnet" for jobs in the pandemic. In fact, across Texas, 52.64% of inbound moves were for jobs and only 4.69% of inbound moves were made for health and safety.</p><p>Now we wait to see how many newcomers Austin will welcome in 2021.</p>
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A sampling of emergency response reports made over the weekend
- Report of person shot. Esquire Acres Ln & Blue Bluff Rd, Saturday 12:10 p.m.
- ATM theft. Report of four men in an F-150 full of "tools and ladders" attached chains to an ATM. Fled into Zilker neighborhood. 1901 S. Lamar Blvd. at Hether Street, Saturday 2:54 a.m.
- Gunpoint robbery of woman walking to her car. Super 8 motel, 5526 N. I-35, Friday 10:41 p.m.
- Attempted gunpoint robbery at Mi Pueblito Food Mart, black handgun, suspect ran away. 8237 Research Blvd., Saturday 10:34 a.m.
- Gray Porsche crashes into light pole, knocks it down, drives away. I-35 & E. 49th Street, Saturday 8:24 a.m.
<p data-children-count="0"><u>Fights and beatings</u></p><ul data-children-count="0"><li>Report of man beating a woman with a baseball bat, across street from APD Headquarters, 717 E. 7th St., 5:57 a.m.</li><li>Man fighting EMS crew, injures EMS crew member. Rodeway Inn, 6201 E. US-290, Friday 7:22 p.m.</li><li><span></span>Large group fighting. 1438 Coronado Hills Drive, Saturday 4:01 p.m.</li><li><span></span>Group of women fighting downtown, E. 7th Street & Trinity Street, Sunday 2:21 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Group fight at Studio 6 motel. Sunday, 7:11 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Man and woman fight in hotel lobby. 900 E. Ben White Blvd., Sunday 8:44 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Two men fight downtown. 5th & Congress, Saturday 11:35 p.m.</li><li><span></span>Man and woman fight in mobile home park parking lot. 8045 Old Bee Caves Road, Sunday 8:58 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Report of fight involving a "large stick." South Congress and Ben White Blvd., Friday 2:47 p.m.</li></ul><p data-children-count="0"><u>Other</u></p><ul data-children-count="0"></ul><ul data-children-count="0"></ul><ul data-children-count="0"><li>Man "brandishing a black pistol." E. Rundberg Lane & Cameron Road, Saturday 10:12 a.m.</li><li>Man armed with gun, chasing another man. N. Lamar Blvd & Brentwood Street, Saturday 2:56 a.m.</li><li>Apartment burglary. 1007 S. Congress Ave, Saturday 12:12 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Residential break-in. 1504 W. Braker Lane, Saturday 1:05 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Stolen car. Key View Cv & Key View Drive, Saturday 7:16 a.m.</li><li><span></span>Person trapped in an elevator. Apartment complex 11001 Austin Lane, Domain, Saturday 10:24 a.m.</li></ul>
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