7 Austin stories that made us smile in 2020
OK, so, we re all agreed that there was a lot of bad news this year.
On behalf of the Austin360 team, we d like to thank you for sticking with us this year. It s been brutal. As we peer into 2021 with that little spot of light just poking out of this damned tunnel we wanted to remember some good things. There were good things! Promise.
Here are seven lifestyle and entertainment stories we reported in 2020 that gave us hope, made us feel closer to the community and, dare we say, could be called good news.
Maria Recio and Peter Blackstock, Austin American-Statesman
WASHINGTON It has been “hard times in the land of plenty,” as Omar and the Howlers sang, for music venues in hard-hit Austin during the pandemic.
But relief is on the way in the stimulus bill that was poised for approval in the House and Senate on Monday night that includes $15 billion in grants for entertainment venues.
“It could mean all the difference in the world,” said James Moody, owner of Mohawk, a venue on Red River Street in downtown Austin that accommodates 1,000 people.
U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Austin, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, worked to include the Save Our Stages legislation into the $900 billion relief bill.
Austin 360
Congress appears to be in the final stages of approving a $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package that will include $15 billion earmarked for cultural institutions including music venues, several sources familiar with the legislation confirmed on Monday. It s definitely too soon to pop bottles, but it looks like it s happening, said Cody Cowan, executive director of the Red River Cultural District, which works with several downtown Austin venues.
Introduced earlier this year by senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), the Save Our Stages Act began as a $10 billion proposal to help independent music venues weather coronavirus-related shutdowns. In recent months, it was expanded to include other cultural institutions such as theaters and museums, along with an increase to $15 billion.
A man carries groceries on the UT Austin campus during spring break on Tuesday.
We ll keep this post updated on how people can help and get help in the Austin area during the coronavirus pandemic. Know of something missing from this list? Email Andy@KUT.org.
Get help 24/7 through the state s free mental health hotline: 833-986-1919
Food
Get help: The Central Texas Food Bank has a map of locations where you can get hot meals and groceries in Austin. Enter your location to find what s available near you.
Credit Michael Minasi / KUT
Milan, 4, and Myden, 3, select meals from Austin ISD, which passed out curbside lunches while schools were closed in the spring.
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