Prodigious Songcraft Blooms in Sarah Jarosz - The Austin Chronicle

news16 On the Campaign Trail 19 The Hightower Report 20 The Long VindicationHeadlines› Council returns today (Thursday, Jan. 14) for itsfirst regularly scheduled meeting of the year.Procedural business includes the approval of aslew of new contracts and appointment of newmunicipal court judges; additionally, the future ofUT’s controversial Brackenridge Tract andAustin Energy’s 2020 generation plan are up fordiscussion – albeit in executive session.› Mayor Lee Leffingwell called on residents tokick in some cash for earthquake relief efforts inthe tiny island nation of Haiti, where the capitalcity Port-au-Prince was practically leveled by aquake Tuesday. “In August 2005, we witnessedan unprecedented outpouring of support in Austinfor those impacted by Hurricane Katrina,”Leffingwell said. “Today, I’m calling on allAustinites to rally in support of the people andfamilies devastated by yesterday’s earthquake.”He urged Austinites to donate at www.redcross.orgor 1-800-RED-CROSS – or make a $10 donationby texting “Haiti” to 90999.› Lights, camera, council! Channel 6, the city’sdedicated TV station, moved into the news businessJan. 8 with the launch of CityView, a10-minute briefing program. City Manager MarcOtt called it “an easy, entertaining way” to keepup with council business, and discussions areunder way to extend the show and produce otheroriginal content.› Two Austin Police Department officers could befacing substance-abuse-related charges after separatearrests in Williamson County on Jan 12.Officer Leonardo Quintana, who fatally shotNathaniel Sanders II in 2009, was arrested fordrunken driving in Leander, while Sgt. CraigMartin was arrested in Cedar Park for huffingglue (details on p.13).› The Big Chill: Single-digit temperatures hit partsof Central Texas over the weekend. While Austinwas spared the worst of the weather, there weresome road closures as Austin Water Utilityworkers scrambled to fix broken pipes.› Monday, Jan. 18, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day,so the schools, as well as most government offices,will be closed. In the words of Stevie Wonder,“Happy birthday, ooh yeah.”› Gov. Rick Perry is blocking the Texas Educa tionAgency’s application for $700 million in federalRace for the Top education funds. The teachers’union Texas American Federation of Teachers hasbacked his position because the money comeswith too many strings attached, while the TexasDemocratic Party savaged Perry for sacrificingdesperately needed cash in favor of a dogmaticanti-Washington campaign stance.› Ultra-conservative Debra Medina gets her debuton the big stage as she joins Gov. Rick Perryand Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison tonight (Jan. 14)for the first debate of the Republican gubernatorialprimary, to be broadcast live in Austin by PBSaffiliate KLRU.› He may have lost a national championship, but hewon his girlfriend’s hand in marriage. UT Longhornquarterback Colt McCoy proposed this week toRachel Glandorf in the Darrell K. Royal-TexasMemorial Stadium, popping the question on thegiant scoreboard.› Conservative Democratic gubernatorial hopefulBill Dear drew sharp criticism after issuing astatement complaining about the “questionableintentions” of “foreigners” running local businessesand questioning why a Muslim was running forgovernor. The perceived subject of his comment,Dem rival Farouk Shami, blasted back at Dearand the media for concentrating on a nonissue.BY MICHAEL KINGThe cavalry arrived just in time.With the sound of a trumpet riding over the hill– more precisely, a series of last-minute e-mails andphone messages – the beleaguered Travis Countycommissioners were saved from having to make afinal decision in the battle between TexasIndustries Inc. and the residents of easternTravis County (just this side ofWebberville). It’s not at all clear whetherthe rescue will stick or if the county andresidents have just bought a little moretime to try to fend off TXI’s plans for amajor aggregate mining operation. Butit was an undeniably dramatic Tuesdaymeeting at Commissioners Court, with thepunctuation provided by Travis County JudgeSam Biscoe. “I came in here this morning,” said thejudge, “thinking we would be ready to make a decision.Now this e-mail does muddle things for us.”Even more surprisingly, the uniformed cavalryin this instance is none other than the Army Corpsof Engineers (Fort Worth District), in the person ofPermits Section Chief Jennifer Walker, who informedan inquiring resident and then the county that theCorps will certainly want to take a look at this projectand may require a full permitting review before10 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E JANUARY 15, 2010 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o mJANA BIRCHUMA homeless man at Congress and Oltorf weathers the deep chill that struck Austin last week, sending thousands of homeless men and womento shelters around town and forcing the city to turn recreational centers into temporary shelters. See p.18 for more cold weather news.The Army Saves the DayThe Corps of Engineers speaks, and Travis County and TXI hang firepointaustinthe work may proceed. The details are all very muchup in the air – taken by surprise that morning, TXIcontinues to insist that no such review or permit isrequired – and both the county and the companywill be consulting with the Corps to find out whathappens next.Barely noticed in the uproar wasthat it took an inquiry from an Austin’sColony resident, Ryan Metz, to alertthe Corps that it might have jurisdictionover the project, under the CleanWater Act. County staff had acceptedat face value TXI’s assertion that nofederal review is required. “We requirethe applicants to make that coordination,”county engineer Teresa Calkins told me later.In light of the new information, Biscoe askedCalkins for her response. Calkins said that based onher conversation with Walker, she thought the courtshould delay action until the Corps determineswhether it indeed has jurisdiction – the court unanimouslyconcurred. Asked after the meeting if he hadany reaction to the news from Fort Worth and thedecision by the court, TXI attorney Henry Gilmoresaid only, “We’re still plugging.”CONTINUED ON P.12JOHN ANDERSONQUOTEof theWEEK“I came in here thismorning thinking we weregoing to be ready to makea decision. Now this e-maildoes muddle things for us.”– Travis County JudgeSam Biscoe, after learningthat the Army Corps ofEngineers may subject theTXI aggregate mining projectat Hunters Bend to afull permitting review