ATX PULSE 3/17/25 (free) (sponsored by No Scrubs): Crabapple Fire in Fredericksburg Burns ~10,000 Acres // SXSW Announces Shorter Festival Next Year // 4,000 Seat Music Venue Coming to SE ATX // UT Women’s Bball Earns 1 Seed // UT Men’s Bball Barely Makes NCAA Tourney, Opens vs. Xavier in Dayton Wed Night // UT Baseball Sweeps Miss State

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MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2025

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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TODAY’S WEATHER

H: 86° / L: 62°. Hot and windy day ahead, per Fox 7 Austin. Extreme fire danger once again forecasted for Monday, per KVUE.

TOP NEWS

“Crabapple Fire: Gillespie County wildfire burns nearly 10,000 acres this weekend” Fox 7 Austin

“SXSW 2026 will be ‘reimagined,’ cutting days from music fest; Presale badges already available” KXAN

“SXSW shrinks as indie venues contemplate competitiveness” Austin Monitor

“Planned 4,000-capacity music venue in Southeast Austin gets development partner” ABJ ($)

THE BLOTTER

“Austin crash investigation on I-35 turns to homicide investigation” Fox 7 Austin

“Man arrested, charged for attempted abduction of teen girl in Round Rock” Fox 7 Austin

“Downtown Austin road closes after glass fell from building under construction” CBS Austin

“32 people displaced after E Austin duplex fire” CBS Austin

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

“Can Austin clean up 'Dirty Sixth' Street? How the city hopes to reinvent the iconic strip” AAS ($)

“Williamson, Burnet County shoot to become next hub for space industry” Fox 7 Austin

LOCAL SPORTS

TEXAS MEN’S BASKETBALL: “Texas men's basketball qualifies for NCAA Tournament” KVUE

TEXAS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: “Texas women's basketball earns No. 1 seed in NCAA Tournament, Moody Center to host 2 rounds” KVUE

TEXAS BASEBALL: “Texas baseball sweeps Mississippi State, makes early SEC statement” AAS ($)

AUSTIN FC: “LAFC shut out by Austin FC for 3rd straight loss” LA Daily News

QUICK LINKS

~ Peter Pan Mini-Golf lease extension on the way - ABJ

~ Austin accounting firms grow CPA headcounts despite national shortage - ABJ

~ Arizona-based Prisma expands to Austin after acquiring Capital Printing - ABJ

~ Tesla fined nearly $50k over death of worker at Travis County factory - ABJ

~ As wildfire anxiety grows, Austin plans to designate half the city as at risk of fire damage - Austin Monitor

~ GSD&M, Austin's top ad agency, has a new CEO - ABJ

~ Amid convention center revamp, what happens to beloved SXSW Expo? - ABJ

~ ‘Get Hired Austin’ campaign looks to fill city job vacancies - Austin Monitor

~ City attempts to engage property owner to help manage D2 encampment - Austin Monitor

~ Austin’s water reuse program is moving forward, but slowly - Austin Monitor

~ RRPD: Suspect detained after possible attempted abduction reported - KXAN

~ SXSW panelists examine causes, effects of the city’s lack of Black homeowners - Austin Monitor

~ As Travis County DA José Garza cites statewide ‘challenge,’ missed indictment deadlines not routine - KVUE

~ Bitcoin logo shines over Austin, Texas as Gemini sets new world record - Cointelegraph

~ Goodyear Blimp flies over Austin for the first time in 10 years - ATXtoday

~ San Marcos River Foundation celebrates 40 years of protecting aquifer-fed springs - Community Impact | News

~ 9 East, South Asian restaurant updates in the far Northwest Austin area - Community Impact | News

AUSTIN CULTURE

~ BAR SCENE: “Popular downtown Austin bar returning to Rainey Street after 3 years” Culture Map Austin

~ DINING: The Best Breakfast in Austin” Eater Austin

~ BBQ: “Franklin Barbecue in Austin named best in Texas by Southern Living” KXAN

~ DINING: “Owner of Iron Cactus to open high-end Italian restaurant on West Sixth Street” ABJ ($)

~ DINING: “Small Plates: 6 restaurant openings in Austin to know about” ABJ ($)

~ BLUEBONNET SEASON: “The Austin area won't be seeing a lot of bluebonnets this year” Austin Monitor

WHAT TO DO TONIGHT

~ LIVE MUSIC: Gary Allan. Rodeo Austin (Travis County Expo Center). 7pm. Tix $30-175 here.

COOL JOB ALERT

~ Assistant General Counsel (General Counsel II). Office of the Governor. Salary: $8,333.34 - $9,166.67 / annually. Info / apple here.