Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How a 2026 Austin bond could change your property tax bill

And on the Austin Patch calendar - Craft Custom Cocktail Candles - Candle Making Class by Classpop!

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Friday December 26th Patch AM
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Good day Austin! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How a 2026 Austin bond could change your property tax bill
  • How Austin artists and students made 2025 a little brighter
  • What would your Austin neighbors do with $1.8 billion?

Also on today's calendar: Craft Custom Cocktail Candles - Candle Making Class by Classpop! and 5 more events.

Find out what's happening in Austinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the clock say when it ran out of batteries? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Austinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: Partly sunny and very warm, with a high of 80 and low of 65 degrees.
  • Saturday: Partly sunny and very warm, temps: high: 80, low: 67.
  • Sunday: Partly sunny and very warm, with a high of 81 and low of 45 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. What's the difference between a bond and a tax rate election? (kxan.com) — If you pay property taxes in Austin, this explainer breaks down how a 2026 city bond package would differ from a tax rate election like 2025’s failed Proposition Q. It clarifies what bonds fund, when tax rate hikes need voter approval, and how each could affect your bill.
   

2. Texas Standard for Dec. 25, 2025: Our favorite feel-good segments of the year (texasstandard.org) — Austin readers get a feel-good roundup featuring local stories like visually impaired students forming a synth band at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and progressive art studios in East Austin centering artists with disabilities. The show also highlights UT Austin research on a newly identified “Grue Jay,” a long-running Austin Finnegans Wake book club, and uplifting cultural and environmental stories from across Texas.
   

3. As Powerball soars, Austinites reveal how they'd spend the big win (kvue.com) — With Powerball’s $1.8 billion Christmas Eve jackpot on the line, KVUE asked people around Austin how they’d use a life-changing win, from buying a quiet mountain house to funding hospitals. Others admitted they skipped tickets altogether, saying they’re content or just not into lottery fever.
   

4. ‘That's what helped.' Austin woman shares violence intervention success story (kxan.com) — An Austin woman who once struggled with poverty, legal issues and single parenthood now works for the African American Youth Harvest Foundation, helping local youth and families. After completing a restorative boxing program and resolving her legal case, she’s found stability and purpose, using her own experiences to connect with others facing similar challenges in Austin.
   

5. Austin Man Says He Has The Scarlet Fever And Its Going Around. Uh, Is That Seriously Still A Thing? (patch.com) — Austin residents are dealing with a spike in flu, RSV and some COVID cases, prompting one local TikToker’s dramatic “scarlet fever” video to go viral. Doctors and commenters say he almost certainly has the flu, while experts explain what true scarlet fever looks like, how it’s treated, and why invasive strep A remains present but limited in the community.
   

📸 Around Austin

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Austin

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

📣 Austin Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Austin PatchAM possible:

  • K&M Steam Cleaning — (512) 836-8900
    Carpet Cleaning in Austin, Texas
  • The Steam Team — (512) 451-8326
    Austin’s trusted experts in water, fire and mold restoration
  • Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
    Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Hello all of my beautiful people.
    This will be my final thank you video for all the amazing people who have donated to make this years ( No Hungry Neighbors On Christmas ) that I host… (Nextdoor Thaxton Place)
  • Mail thief caught and arrested!
    Beacon Ridge Christmas morning! I was out walking my dog this morning when I saw this person open mailboxes down Blue Valley Rd, Coldstream Dr, and… (Nextdoor Beacon Ridge)
  • TradeJobsWorkforce posted a job opening for United Airlines Ramp Service Employee in Austin. Apply here.
  • Hilton posted a job opening for Guest Service Agent (Full Time) - DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown Capitol in Austin. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Austin here.

Ok Austin! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m out of time.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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