Headlines

North Austin's Wooten Park is home to a brand-new, "kid-inspired" playground – designed by the neighborhood kids this fall. More than 200 volunteers from the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, PARD, and Austin Parks Foundation united with KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit creating spaces for kids growing up in poverty to play safely, to build a playscape with swings, slides, and climbers. (Photo by John Anderson)

Garza Declines Reelect: District 2 Council member and Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza will not seek reelection to City Council in 2020, further igniting rumors that she will run for Travis County Attorney instead. In a statement, Garza said she wanted to give other candidates time to build a campaign for her seat, and told us she would decide on running for the C.A. office by the end of the year, but the filing deadline is Dec. 9.

Race for County Bench: Defense attorney Margaret Chen Kercher has filed to run for Travis County Court at Law No. 4 judge in the March primaries, where she'll again face Dimple Malhotra, the former chief prosecutor of the Travis County District Attorney's Family Violence Unit, who Travis County commissioners appointed to the vacant CCL4 seat in October over Chen Kercher and two other candidates. Malhotra held her campaign kickoff for the primaries Wednesday night.

LDC Advances: The Planning Commission voted 9-3 to advance the Land Development Code rewrite to City Council, bringing the code refresh one step closer to completion. Commissioners agreed proposed density increases in areas vulnerable to gentrification should be limited, while parts of West Austin identified as "high opportunity" should generally receive more upzoning. Council will conduct a series of LDC work sessions in coming weeks, before taking its first vote on Dec. 9.

More Northside Soccer: Austin FC's ownership group announced plans to build a $45 million, 23-acre training complex for the future team's players, to be constructed on a lot east of Parmer Lane and I-35. The facility, located at the Parmer Innovation Center, will include four full-sized soccer fields, a pond, and a 30,000-square-foot building to house staff and equipment.

The End of DREAMers: The conservative- controlled U.S. Supreme Court seems poised to put an end to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Put in place by the Obama administration in 2012, DACA allows kids brought illegally to the U.S. to work and attend school if they meet specific requirements and pass a background check. SCOTUS heard arguments Tuesday in the Trump administration's attempt to end the program.

Get Your Flu Shot: In response to an increase in flu activity across Austin/Travis County, Austin Public Health is offering free flu shots to all uninsured residents and Medicaid recipients. Call 512/972-5520 for an appointment.