ATX-SWA: Impact 10/16/2025

Good Morning, Southwest Austin & Dripping Springs!

top story

Lone Star Gourd Festival to host 30th annual event in Dripping Springs

The Lone Star Gourd Festival will celebrate its 30th festival on Oct. 17-18 with a diverse array of gourd art, wood art, baskets and leather goods.

The details: The annual event is hosted by the Texas Gourd Society and showcases art vendors, gourd art classes and a gourd art competition. This year’s competition theme is “cactus” and community members of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate. Categories are separated by age and skill level and ribbons will be awarded for best of show, peoples’ choice and more.

Children will have the opportunity to learn how to create their own gourd art and take their creations home at the festival’s imagination station.

Gourd art can range from simple paintings to luminaries, lamps, beaded designs and more. Community outreach coordinator Rona Thornton said the Austin patch of the society is hoping to expand by introducing first timers to the art via local programs and monthly patch meetings where members complete a project.

See more details.

Latest Education News

Austin ISD offers naming rights at district facilities to generate additional revenue

Austin ISD is seeking to generate more funding through offering naming rights opportunities at its shared facilities.

What you need to know: Businesses and organizations may provide sponsorships to earn naming rights at six major district buildings and athletic spaces. The new initiative—launched in partnership with the Austin Ed Fund—is expected to generate AISD tens of millions of dollars as it faces a projected $19.7 million budget shortfall and plans to close 13 schools.

The details: AISD is offering naming rights at the following facilities:

AISD Performing Arts Center
House Park Field
Nelson Field
Burger Center
Delco Center
Noack Sports Complex

Multiple levels of naming rights opportunities are available, from individual spaces like press boxes to marquee facilities, according to Austin Ed Fund information. The AISD education foundation will oversee the program, including all naming agreements and fund management.

Interested participants may visit the Austin Ed Fund’s website to learn more about eligibility and express interest in available opportunities.

Dive deeper

In Your Area

Hays County terminates automatic license plate reader contract

In a 3-2 vote, Hays County Commissioners Court officials terminated a contract with Flock Safety, a company that creates automatic license plate readers and manages vehicle data. This decision comes after several months of discussion and deliberation by the court over public concerns surrounding the company’s data privacy practices.

What happened: Two items regarding Flock Safety were on the agenda, with one proposing to purchase more equipment from the company and the other proposing to terminate the contract.

Flock was scheduled to give a presentation to the Commissioners Court at the Oct. 14 meeting, but the paperwork was not submitted on time. According to House Bill 1522, which became law Sept. 1, local government agencies must post agendas at least three business days before a public meeting.

According to Hays County Sheriff Anthony Hipolito, the Flock Safety contract requires a 30-day notice for termination. At that time, Flock representatives are expected to deactivate and remove the equipment.

Read the full story.

CI Texas

Texas lawmakers to investigate deadly Central Texas floods with new committees

The Texas House and Senate are launching new legislative committees to “get to the bottom of exactly what occurred” during this summer’s deadly Central Texas floods, state leaders announced Oct. 13.

The details: The bipartisan panels, known as the House and Senate General Investigating Committees on the July 2025 Flooding Events, will meet jointly to conduct “a comprehensive and thorough review” of the floods, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said.

Lawmakers will be tasked with:

Identifying strategies to strengthen Texas’ disaster preparedness
Helping communities respond to future floods
Examining actions taken at summer camps in the flood zone

The background: During special legislative sessions this summer, lawmakers passed bills aimed at hardening summer camps against future disasters and improving local flood warning systems.

"While progress was made during the second special session to bolster Texans’ safety, the magnitude of this tragedy demands a comprehensive and thorough review," Burrows said in an Oct. 13 statement.

Read here.