From left to right, Cortney Smith, Dean Dzurilla, Matt Klepac, and Rhett Hartsfield all worked to create a service that would help create good in the Austin community. | Photo courtesy OutdoorJack
OutdoorJack doesn’t wait for the holiday season to give back.
Created by a group of Austinites,OutdoorJack is an outdoor company for homeowners that offers a wide spectrum of bundled services. The company’s business model allows them to provide free services to single mothers and older adults.
Dean Dzurilla had the idea to create OutdoorJack during the “icepocalypse” of February 2023, which hit his neighborhood “really hard.”
The February 2023 ice storm weighted down tree branches, causing breakages that toppled power lines.
Photo by ATXtoday
Around a dozen men in the neighborhood, including Dzurilla, took the clean-up effort into their own hands. The group rented a wood chipper and went door-to-door, offering to help their neighbors manage the damage for 10 days.
OutdoorJack was born when Dzurilla met three other men, who had done similar clean-ups in their own neighborhoods, and decided to make their efforts professional to continue helping Austinites.
That’s where the Bundle Good, Give Good program comes in. Folks in the community can nominate someone who needs help maintaining their space for free service.
Luminations | Now-Sunday, Jan. 5 | 5:45-9 p.m. | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | $18+ | Walk through thousands of lights, plus luminarias and installations in the garden.
Mariah Careyoke | 7-10 p.m. | Soundspace at Captain Quack’s | $5 | All I want for Christmas is to hear you belt out some holiday tunes.
Big Freedia | 9 p.m. | Mohawk | $28 | The queen of bounce music will share the stage with Jelly Joseph.
Saturday, Dec. 21
“Holiday Heroes” | 11 a.m. | The Topfer at ZACH | $22+ | Sing along during this festive production that incorporates traditions of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
“God is a Woman: The Musical!” | 9:30 p.m. | Coldtowne Theater | $15+ | A comedian from London puts on this one-woman show about Mary Magdalene with sing-alongs.
Austin is a city that thrives on innovation and creativity. It’s what moves us forward. And now, there’s a new product in town that perfectly captures that spirit.
Meet IQOS, a groundbreaking alternative to conventional cigarettes that provides real tobacco taste and satisfaction. It’s a revolutionary product that’s changing the way we think about tobacco. And — get this — Austinites will be the first in the US to get the chance to try it.
IQOS (pronounced EYE-kohs) is an innovative device that, instead of burning tobacco or vaporizing e-liquid, heats real tobacco. It’s part of a new category called “heat not burn.”
Let’s get into the science
At the heart of IQOS is a cutting-edge technology.
Unlike traditional cigarettes that burn tobacco, IQOS heats specially designed tobacco sticks called HEETS. The HEETS stick is inserted into the IQOS device, which has a blade that uses patented HEATCONTROL TECHNOLOGY to heat the tobacco from the inside of the HEETS stick. The device warms the tobacco to around 660°F, much lower than the 1470°F reached by burning cigarettes.
IQOS heats tobacco and does not burn it. Heating tobacco significantly reduces the production of harmful and potentially harmful chemicals compared with cigarettes. Scientific studies have shown that switching completely from conventional cigarettes to IQOS significantly reduces your body’s exposure to harmful or potentially harmful chemicals.
That means you can enjoy real tobacco taste and satisfaction without fire or ash and less lingering smell than cigarettes.
How is IQOS different?
IQOS is the first and only heated tobacco system authorized by the U.S. FDA as a modified risk tobacco product. This does not mean that use of IQOS is risk-free or that the FDA has approved or endorsed IQOS.
With its patented technology and specially crafted tobacco sticks, IQOS is designed for adults who want a better way to enjoy tobacco.
Canada-based coffee + donut chain Tim Horton’s will open its first Austin-area location on Saturday, Dec. 21. Located in Round Rock, just north of Jollyville, Tim Horton’s will kickoff the grand opening at 5 a.m. by offering free coffee for a year to the first 50 cars in line.
Closing
Entertainment venue Dreamland Dripping Springs, which opened in March 2021, will close down at the end of this year despite “tremendous success and growth.” Dreamland will celebrate its final days with an “End of an Era” bash on Tuesday, Dec. 31, and 50% off at the pro shop until its closure.
Real Estate
Austin’s apartment rental scene was the least competitive across Texas’ major metro areas in 2024, according to a recent report from RentCafe. Local apartments tend to remain vacant for ~38 days — around a week longer than in 2023.
Number
100. That’s how many new 3D-printed homes ICON is building for Community First! Village, which serves folks exiting homelessness. ICON previously delivered 17 homes + facilities to the community in 2020 — the new homes will range in size from 380 sqft to 1,040 sqft.
Ranked
Austin is officially smaller in population than Fort Worth. According to the Texas Demographic Center, Austin is now the fifth-largest city in Texas, with ~2,950 fewer residents than FTW (hey, FTWtoday). Despite the drop, Austin’s population has grown 2.6% since the 2020 Census. (KXAN)
Austinite
Who is that man riding a horse around Downtown dressed as Santa Claus? Why, that’s Sam Grey Horse — a lifelong Austinite, musician, and local bringer of joy. You can see him riding his horses or mule named Mula any time of year — read our interview with him.
Sports
Get out your verde and black — Austin FC’s 2025 schedule is here. Next year’s season will include 28 matches, beginning with a game against Sporting KC on Saturday, Feb. 22. The regular season runs through mid-October — get tickets.
Listen
The Texans are about to embark on three games in 11 days, starting with a match against the Kansas City Chiefs. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts of the Houston Texans with Locked On’s daily podcasts.
Fun Fact
ATXtoday does not have paywalls because we believe access to essential local news is priceless. You can support our free, daily newsletter with a donation. Think of it like buying us coffee — or tea, if that’s more your style. Thank you for your support.
Finance
The holidays are here — and with them come extra expenses. Regain control of seasonal credit card debt with a 0% intro APR credit card. Experts scoped out this top option that offers a long interest-free period and earns up to 20,000 miles after spending $500 in the first three months.*
Tech
If new phones are on your family’s Christmas list, you can switch to the Total 5G+ Unlimited plan and receive up to four free Samsung Galaxy A35 5G phones. Enjoy unlimited talk, text, data, and hotspot with 12x faster speeds, all backed by “America’s Favorite Network."Make the switch.*
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🎁 Don’t miss these last-minute gift picks
Including a cute necklace and a Kindle remote page turner. | Graphic by 6AM City
Need a last-minute holiday gift that will ship quickly? Shop five great gifts available with Prime two-day shipping.
Layering initial necklace | $15.99 | Ship it fast, but make it feel personal with this 14K gold necklace displaying their first name initial.
Magnetic portable power bank charger | $37.99 | Perfect for the friend whose phone is always dying, this portable charger offers on-the-go power.
Candle warmer lamp + Thymes Fraiser Fir Candle | $39.99 + $36.00 | Make a candle extra special by pairing it with a warmer lamp that will make it last longer with flame-free heat.
My family’s “Lord of the Rings"-themed Thanksgiving was such a hit, we’ve decided to theme all of our holidays. Christmas will be Hyrule-themed and the Fourth of July will be “Margaritaville"-themed.
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