ATX PULSE 3/23-25/26 (free): Law Enforcement Orgs Keep Heat on DA Garza for Hiding Evidence // Mistrial Declared in Daniel Perry Case // Austin Rents Down 7% Last Year // ABIA Unveils Rendering for Concourse M // Student Found with Loaded Gun at Anderson H.S. // #11 UT MBB vs. #2 Purdue Thurs 6:10pm

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MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2026 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 2026

Compiled by Matt Mackowiak

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WEATHER

Today: H: 89° / L: 66°.

Thursday: H: 90° / L: 64°.

Friday: H: 86° / L: 56°.

Saturday: H: 73° / L: 53°.

TOP NEWS

"Law enforcement orgs call for change in DA's office after allegations of hidden evidence" via KEYE – Calls for change at the Travis County District Attorney's Office are mounting as fallout continues over allegations that the office hid evidence in a felony case against an Austin police officer.

Austin Police Officer Chance Bretches is set to stand trial this summer for charges of aggravated assault by a public servant. The charges stem from 2020 protests in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. Bretches is accused of injuring protestors.

Last week, Bretches’ attorney, Doug O’Connell, told CBS Austin he believes District Attorney Jose Garza hid evidence, alleging prosecutors held "secret meetings" with the city. He filed multiple motions to dismiss the case.

Governor Greg Abbott took to social media over the weekend to comment on the allegations. "This DA's failure to prosecute murderers & repeatedly letting dangerous criminals go free, while prioritizing prosecuting police, will have consequences," Abbott wrote on X.

Garza's office plans to proceed with a June trial.

(KEYE)

"Mistrial declared in Daniel Perry's deadly conduct case" via FOX 7 Austin – A mistrial has been declared in the deadly conduct case involving Daniel Perry. The case, which had garnered significant public attention, ended without a verdict after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision.

The judge declared the mistrial after several days of deliberation. It is unclear at this time whether prosecutors will seek to retry Perry on the same charges.

The incident at the center of the case involved allegations of deadly conduct, but further details about the events leading up to the trial were not immediately available.

Representatives for Perry and the prosecution have not yet commented on the outcome of the trial. (FOX 7 Austin)

"Austin rents dropped over 7% since last year, but families on tighter budgets are still struggling" KUT's None – Austin’s monthly rent continues to decrease as the city leads the way in rent relief since costs peaked in 2022, according to a new report.

Newly released data from realtor.com shows monthly rent dropped more than 7% year-over year. As of Feb. 2026, the median asking rent was $1,357 for an apartment of any size. That is about $100 less than last year and $300 less than the peak of $1,659 in Sept. 2022.

Experts attribute the falling rents to an uptick in new apartments and a decrease in the number of people moving to Austin.

Joel Berner, an Austin-based senior economist with realtor.com, said rents in the Austin area surged in 2021 and 2022 as more people with flexible, remote work situations moved here. To accommodate the demand, developers started building.

“What happened was there was a lot more supply added to the market in the last couple of years and demand slowed down considerably,” Berner said. “We’ve seen a little bit of a slower migration into Austin in the last couple of years than we did during the post-pandemic moving frenzy of 2021 and 2022.”

(KUT)

"Crews work to contain 40-acre wildfire in Bastrop State Park" Austin American-Statesman's Dante Motley – Firefighters worked in the forest at the site of the Spring Pine Fire near Bastrop State Park on Monday, March 23, 2026, in Bastrop, Texas. The fire started late on Sunday, March 22, 2026. As of 11:21 a.m. Monday, the fire has burned approximately 46 acres and is 55% contained, Texas A&M Forest Service PIO Reilly Ruggiero said. The Pines at Bastrop RV park and several cabins in the state park were evacuated. No structures were damaged and no injuries were reported.

Crews worked overnight Sunday to contain a wildfire in Bastrop State Park, cutting fire lines and patrolling nearby neighborhoods for spot fires.

Containment of the Spring Pine Fire grew from 5% late Sunday to 55% by Monday morning, according to the Bastrop County Office of Emergency Management. The fire has burned about 46 acres and remains within Bastrop State Park, officials said.

Firefighters used bulldozers overnight to cut containment lines and monitored surrounding areas for embers. No new spot fires were reported.

Engine crews are expected to spend the day “mopping up,” securing containment lines to keep the fire from spreading further.

(Austin American-Statesman)

"18-wheeler lodges under 11th Street bridge on I-35 in Downtown Austin, causing delays" via KEYE – Crews continued working Tuesday night to remove an 18-wheeler that became stuck under a bridge along Interstate 35 in central Austin, causing major traffic delays.

According to the Austin Police Department, the incident happened around 7 p.m. in the northbound lanes of I-35 near the 11th Street bridge. Officials said the truck was carrying a load that was too tall and became lodged under the overpass.

Authorities confirmed the vehicle is not a typical tractor-trailer and requires additional coordination to remove it. Austin police, fire crews, and the Texas Department of Transportation are working together to free the truck, a process that could take several hours.

As of 9:02 p.m., officials said the truck remained stuck, and a heavy tow truck had been called to assist. By 10:25 p.m., the heavy tow truck was on scene working to remove it.

The crash reduced northbound I-35 traffic to one lane in the area, causing significant delays.

(KEYE)

"Austin airport unveils new details, renderings of Concourse M" via FOX 7 Austin – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is providing new details and a new look at one of its projects.

Ghizlane Badawi, AUS Chief Executive Officer, said: "Concourse M is a critical project that allows us to deliver more airline gates quickly, especially as we ramp up construction across the airfield." Badawi adds, "As we continue design and pre-construction work on the new 26-gate Concourse B, we know our airline partners and passengers need more space as soon as possible, and this project will do just that, all while offering AUS travelers convenient amenities."

The new renderings released by the airport show the 37,357 square-foot pre-engineered structure's interior and exterior. Concourse M will be on the west side of the airfield and separate from Barbara Jordan Terminal. It will add six gates allowing for six narrow-body aircraft as well as four contact gates and two walk-out gates.

Passengers will access the facility by a shuttle bus that will pick them up from Gate 13, the airport’s only ground-level gate.

(FOX 7 Austin)

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