Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: APD adds 38 new officers—so why is Austin still short-handed?

Coming up on the Austin Patch calendar: The New Triangle Food and Artisan Market

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Friday September 18th Patch AM
Friday September 18th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Coffee in hand, Austin? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • APD adds 38 new officers—so why is Austin still short-handed?
  • Why Austin firefighters are uneasy about Tesla's new Cybercabs
  • How will Project Cosmos reshape northwest Austin's water, power, and neighborhood life?

Also on today's calendar: The New Triangle Food and Artisan Market and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What day of the year is trucker's day? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Friday: Hot with plenty of sunshine, with a high of 98 and low of 73 degrees. 🌶 Hot!
  • Saturday: Near-record heat, temps: high: 99, low: 73.
  • Sunday: Partly sunny and hot, with a high of 96 and low of 76 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. APD will graduate new cadets, but still faces staffing shortages (cbsaustin.com) — Austin Police will swear in 38 new cadets tomorrow, but the department still remains nearly 300 officers below its authorized strength and is relying heavily on overtime. APD leaders say improved recruiting and mentoring are helping, while union representatives argue that City Council decisions and the broader political climate are making long-term staffing recovery difficult.
   

2. Cybercabs roll out in Austin, draws concern from Austin Fire Department (thedailytexan.com) — Tesla's new steering-wheel-free Cybercabs are now operating in Austin, and local fire officials are working through how to safely move them during emergencies using only touchscreens. With just 49 Cybercabs citywide, riders report long waits, while experts and advocates in Austin weigh safety, environmental benefits, and impacts on traditional drivers as autonomous fleets expand.
   

3. New Project Cosmos details emerge as northwest Austin neighbors press for answers (kvue.com) — Northwest Austin neighbors are pressing SB Energy and city utilities for clarity on Project Cosmos at the former 3M campus, worried about water, power use, and transparency. Austin Water and Austin Energy say the project must meet existing rules, while officials debate how to regulate high-computing facilities that aren't labeled traditional data centers.
   

4. Austin police distribute Narcan kits to Sixth Street bars following overdoses (kvue.com) — Austin police and Austin-Travis County EMS are handing out 200 Narcan kits to bars along Sixth Street after five people overdosed early Wednesday near East Sixth and Trinity. Officers, businesses, and bystanders used Narcan on scene, and all five adults survived, prompting a broader push to get overdose-reversal medication into more downtown venues.
   

5. Paramount Explores Austin Relocation Amid California Antitrust Lawsuit (time.news) — Paramount's CEO is seriously weighing Austin particularly the Bluebonnet Business Center on Old Manor Road, as a new headquarters and studio hub amid a high-stakes antitrust fight in California. With an October 1 financial deadline looming, Texas leaders are courting the company, and any move could bring significant entertainment-industry jobs and investment to the Austin area.
   

📸 Around Austin

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Austin

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Austin Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to these businesses for making Austin PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • OMG, I just saw a huge, I guess spacecraft, in East Austin..
    it filled the sky moving silently East was V in shape and seemed cloaked with subdued lights what was that? (Nextdoor MLK Blvd-Route 183)
  • My 19-year-old cat, Oscar Wildecat, passed a way just under 2 weeks ago, and I got this in the mail from his vet, Firehouse Animal Health Center in Kyle (also included here are pics of Oscar in this house a couple years ago with his first bow tie
    and of Oscar the day I got him from Craigslist in 2007). This was so meaningful to me and a great example of why I kept going down to Kyle even… (Nextdoor Rancho Alto)
  • Venterra Realty Management posted a job opening for Porter in Austin. Apply here.
  • Aimbridge Hospitality posted a job opening for Residence Inn Austin South - Night Auditor in Austin. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Austin here.

Ok Austin! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: 10-4, good buddy! (Thank you Jean H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what's happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Austin