CDC Predicts Severe Flu Season
In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that early data suggested the current 2014-15 flu season could be severe. The CDC urges immediate vaccination for anyone still unvaccinated this season and recommends prompt treatment with...
Texas Casa Receives Texas Bar Foundation Grant
Texas CASA announced in November that it has received a $15,000 grant from the Texas Bar Foundation. The award will be used to develop an expanded curriculum and online courses for new executive directors focused on the laws and policies that govern child advocacy and...
March of Dimes Notes Improvement Trend in Texas Preterm Births
In November, the March of Dimes lauded a seven-year improving trend in Texas’ preterm birth rate, which contributed to an improvement in the national rate. Texas’ preterm birth rate was 12.3 percent in 2013, down from 13.7 in 2006, the year the national rate peaked....
City of Austin Announces Flood Safety Poster Contest
The City of Austin is kicking off its annual Flood Safety Poster Contest with the theme “Turn Around – Don’t Drown.” Kids age 6 to 13 are welcome to enter and have a chance to win prizes including: Gift cards worth $25 to $100. A ride on Lady Bird Lake in a swift...
St. David’s North Austin Adds Children’s Hospital
St. David’s HealthCare announced the opening of St. David’s Children’s Hospital, located at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. St. David’s Children’s Hospital will provide emergency, inpatient and intensive care services for children ages 17 and under. “St....
New Ordinance Requires Hands-Free Driving
The new year will bring a new hands-free law to Austin and City of Austin officials recently unveiled urged drivers and bicyclists to practice safety on the road. The new ordinance prohibits the use of electronic hand-held devices while operating a vehicle or bicycle....
Texas Urges Hantavirus Precautions Following Coastal Case
The Texas Department of State Health Services is reminding people to protect themselves from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a rare but sometimes fatal illness, after a resident along the Texas coast was diagnosed with HPS. Hantavirus is carried by certain...
Mother’s Lounge Opens at Round Rock Premium Outlets
Seton Healthcare Family and Round Rock Premium Outlets celebrated the opening of a private mother's lounge at the outlet mall on December 16. The lounge offers mothers a convenient, quiet space to breastfeed during shopping visits, officials said. Located near the...
Adopt-a-Beach Art Contest Opens
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is calling for entries in the 19th annual Adopt-A-Beach “Treasures of the Texas Coast” children’s art contest. The deadline to submit artwork is Tuesday, March 3. “Many little Texans never get to go to the beach, but this...
Keep Austin Beautiful Plans Holiday Cleanup
The holidays are a time of family gathering, celebration and tradition. One tradition that many Austin residents are fond of is decorating the ashe juniper (mountain cedar) trees along Loop 360. Unfortunately, the practice of decorating those trees means many...
Childhood Sports Participation Influences Adult Creativity
The kind of sports participation you engage in during childhood influences your level of creativity later in life, according to research findings from The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education. In a study published last month in Creativity Research...
Junior League Presents Coats for Kids
On Saturday, December 13, thousands of families will have the opportunity to find just the right warm winter coat for their eligible children. Coats for Kids, in its 28th year, plans to distribute more than 35,000 coats to children in need in Central Texas. This...
