Zilker Botanical Garden will temporarily close from Oct. 1-15 for facility abatement, renovations and maintenance, according to a news release from the city of Austin.

The context: The garden will be closed to the public during both weekends of Austin City Limits, which takes place Oct. 2-4 and 9-11. Other planned closures through the end of the year include Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Stay tuned: The garden will reopen on Oct. 16, though the main building could remain closed for longer. Upon reopening, the garden will be open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with the last entry at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free for members and children 2 and under, while other admission costs range from $3-$8 depending on age and residence.

Tumble 22 will open a new location on South Lamar Boulevard in 2027, bringing hot chicken, cold drinks and homemade pies.

On the menu: The chicken restaurant offers hand-helds, tenders, bites and bone-in chicken with varying heat levels. House-made sides include mac-n-cheese, broccoli salad, collard greens, ranch beans, coleslaw and fries.

The drink menu: Tumble 22 has a full bar with specialty drinks including a paloma, margarita, bloody mary, moscow mule and adult lemonade.

The background: The brand started a decade ago with an Austin-based food trailer that opened in 2016. The brand now has nine locations across Texas, including Pflugerville, Houston, San Marcos, Round Rock and Cedar Park.

Other projects: Tumble 22 is planning another Austin expansion at the Arboretum, which will open on Nov. 7.

The Esperanza Community, a transitional shelter complex in East Austin operated by The Other Ones Foundation, celebrated its ongoing expansion this fall. The site, which began as a sanctioned encampment on state-owned land, has developed into a community with hundreds of permanent shelter units, shared spaces, job training and supportive services.

The impact: About 750 people have been rehoused after staying at the community, including about 200 in the past year.

What else: The latest shelter spaces were supported by a $1 million city allocation from 2024, and a future expansion with more than 300 additional units will be backed by nearly $50 million in state housing funds and more than $15 million from Austin.

City officials voted to allow 1,000 housing units on undeveloped land off MoPac near Circle C. The decision came despite opposition from many local residents who raised concerns about traffic and safety.

Key changes approved for "Tract 110" off MoPac include:

• Permitting 1,000 apartments, including 100 affordable units and 10,000 square feet of commercial space instead of a previously limited office project

• Striking a requirement to build a new segment of South Bay Lane

Zooming in: A traffic impact analysis will be required when formal site plans are submitted to the city. If the analysis suggests improvements, like a new traffic signal or a shared-use path along Dahlgreen Avenue, the property's developer will have to support those features.

Council member Paige Ellis, who represents the area and engaged with stakeholders on the case, called it the most complex she's seen in her district and supported what she called a "workable plan" for the tract's future.

The Texas Education Agency is asking state lawmakers to spend $97.3 billion on K-12 education initiatives and staffing in the next two years, up from about $91 billion in the current state budget.

The details: During a Sept. 29 hearing on the agency's legislative appropriations request, Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath noted that the TEA is "largely a pass-through vehicle to fund schools around the state of Texas." This means that while funding would be allocated to the agency under Article III of the state budget, the majority of that money would be sent to school districts, outside of funds used to pay TEA staff and cover operations for associated entities, such as the State Board of Education.

The TEA is asking for about $49.6 billion for fiscal year 2027-28 and $47.7 billion for fiscal year 2028-29, totaling $97.3 billion for the 2028-29 biennium. Morath said those amounts would "preserve 100% of all funding for public schools" through the Foundation School Program, which is the state's main funding source for K-12 schools, and other initiatives.