SUMMARY: Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” will be celebrated on March 4 in Austin with various festive events. The Hive will host a Mardi Gras Mambo with live music and crafts, while Cabana Club features a gumbo cookoff and a costume contest. A drag brunch at Volstead Lounge kicks off Sunday with performances starting at noon. Meanwhile Brewing will offer live music and New Orleans food specials throughout the event. On Fat Tuesday, Hotel Vegas and Volstead Lounge will have free music and parties. Other venues like C-Boy’s, Scholz Garten, and Parkside also have themed festivities planned.

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SUMMARY: On Thursday, the Austin city council will discuss updates to short-term rental (STR) regulations, addressing over 10,000 unlicensed STRs in the city. Proposed changes include requiring STR operators to collect Hotel Occupancy Tax and disclose city permit numbers in listings. Mayor Kirk Watson has raised concerns about the readiness for some decisions and is advocating for consistent communication with state leaders. The new rules would restrict STR licenses to individuals for properties with three or fewer units and mandate a distance of at least 1,000 feet between multiple STRs owned by one person. Existing, compliant STRs can continue operating under the updated guidelines.

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SUMMARY: K1 investigated Houston’s speeding ticket hot spots by analyzing nearly 35,000 tickets. The top locations include 10,600 Kempwood Drive with 912 tickets, 1200 South Kirkwood Drive (791 tickets), and 100 Parker Road (574 tickets). The data shows that police enforce speeding laws in areas with high accident rates and citizen complaints, dispelling myths that ticketing is revenue-driven. HBD Captain Jason Roseman emphasized that the goal is to enhance safety and reduce crashes. The investigation concludes with a promise to explore the best days and average speeds of ticketed drivers in future broadcasts.

Interactive map: KHOU 11 Investigates analyzed thousands of citations to find where police enforce speeding most.

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