The Week’s Biggest News in Brief: March 26 – April 1

No Kings Gets Bigger and Better: Thousands of “No Kings” protests took place throughout all 50 states and internationally on Saturday, March 28, marking the third “No Kings” demonstration since Trump took office for his second term. According to organizers, Saturday’s protests were “the largest single-day nationwide demonstrations in U.S. history,” with over 8 million individuals organizing across the country, topping the 5 million and 7 million individuals who attended the June and October protests. Here in Austin, organizers said that over 32,000 community members gathered at Saturday’s protests. The demonstration began at City Hall before making its way to Auditorium Shores, where Austinites continued to make their voices heard as local leaders and human rights advocates, including local drag performer Brigitte Bandit and lawyer Yasmine Smith, worked to energize the crowd, according to KUT. Austin wasn’t the only city in Travis County where demonstrations took place, as protests also appeared in Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, and San Marcos.

Statewide Emergency Alert Drill: Across the state today, April 2, there will be an emergency alert drill, testing local systems’ effectiveness in alerting Texans about disasters and emergencies, according to reporting from KXAN. The Texas Division of Emergency Management has requested that local authorities, school districts, higher education institutions, river agencies, law enforcement, and other emergency agencies participate in Thursday’s drill and disclose how the practice procedure went with TDEM. In preparation of the drill, the city held a Tuesday discussion where local leaders discussed the importance of the drill and what to expect.

Hill Country School Shooting: On Monday, March 30, a 15-year-old student shot a teacher at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde before taking his own life, according to Statesman reporting. The unnamed teacher was taken to a San Antonio hospital. Around 8:30am that Monday, the school went into lockdown as deputies from the Comal County Sheriff’s Office responded to gunfire reports near the high school. 

Mayor Kirk Watson Credit: Jana Birchum

Last Week at City Council: City Council members approved a flurry of urbanist proposals at the March 26 meeting. In addition to smoothing the way for the creation of more triplexes and small apartment units – something staff writer Brant Bingamon discusses in this week’s cover story – Council approved a resolution designed to encourage the creation of small, neighborhood businesses operated from residents’ homes. It also calls for amendments to the city’s Land Development Code to legalize front yard businesses and “accessory commercial units” – small structures on residential lots to help conduct said businesses. Council also approved a resolution that would limit off-street parking near the city’s planned Project Connect light rail lines. New digital kiosks will begin to be implemented at bus stations throughout the city after the dais’ approval, with supporters hopeful that it will encourage the use of public transit by displaying bus routes and schedules. The digital signage at the kiosks will also feature ads expected to generate millions of dollars. Council also approved a resolution to strengthen protections for public parkland, particularly land that is jointly owned by the city and AISD. According to the resolution, since 1960, Austinites have been allowed to use outdoor spaces at neighborhood schools during non-school hours. With the recent school closures creating a loss of at least 95 acres of public space, the resolution calls on City Manager T.C. Broadnax to develop a process to limit these losses.

APD Officers Cleared of May 2025 Shooting: On Tuesday, March 31, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office announced that four Austin Police Department officers – Joseph Duesler, Kai Finch, Martin Vela, and Vincent Nguyen – would not be charged for their actions that resulted in shooting then-18-year-old Devin Guevara in May 2025. The four officers were cleared by a Travis County grand jury in early March. The officers were following Guevara as part of a stolen vehicle pursuit when he began to fire multiple shots at the officers after he had crashed the vehicle. 

$1.4 Million Overpaid to City Employees: Last Friday, news broke that the city accidentally overpaid hundreds of employees, totaling $1.4 million in lost cash that Austin is now trying to recover. According to KVUE, 675 city workers received additional compensation on their March 13 paychecks due to an error in the city’s payroll system. During routine updates to the system, a data field on a spreadsheet used to update job descriptions was left blank. When it was uploaded to Austin’s payroll system, the conflicting information caused the software to pay up to double the employees’ normal paycheck amount. The overpaid staff have been notified, and the city is continuing to work to reclaim the lost funds.

Credit: Getty Images

Hemp Changes Take Effect: On Tuesday, March 31, new rules governing the Texas hemp industry went into effect, upending what many know about the legal market. Of all the changes, such as a 21-and-older policy and stricter testing, packaging, and labeling, those in the industry have said that two alterations will have the largest impact: large licensing fee spikes and redefining how THC is measured. Consumers and members of the industry are hopeful that a lawsuit from the Texas Hemp Business Council and a possible injunction will soon halt the changes.

AUS Closes South Terminal: On March 31, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport closed its South Terminal, as part of the Journey With AUS expansion program, which is a strategic program to renovate and expand the airport as traffic continues to increase. Going forward, all Allegiant and Frontier flights will operate out of the Barbara Jordan Terminal, putting all commercial airline operations under a centralized roof at AUS. The closure of the terminal will open development opportunities for the New Midfield Taxiways project, which is aimed to “improve aircraft movement across the airfield, reduce congestion, and enhance overall operational efficiency.” 

SoCo Hotel Layoffs and Closure: South Congress Hotel is letting go of all its staff and closing shop for a year for renovations and rebranding. According to the Statesman, more than 120 employees received a letter stating that they would be let go around the end of May, with the hotel expected to reopen in early 2027. This comes after the 83-room hotel was sold to Hyatt Hotels Corp. in December of last year. 

SNAP sign Credit: Getty Images

SNAP Changes Take Effect: The more than 3.2 million Texans who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will no longer be able to purchase certain grocery items after changes went into effect on Wednesday, April 1. The changes come after Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking the agency to stop covering certain items through the program. Texans will now be unable to use SNAP benefits for candy bars, gum, taffy, sweetened drinks containing five or more grams of sugar or any amount of artificial sweetener, and nuts, raisins, or fruits that have been candied, glazed, or coated with chocolate, yogurt, or caramel, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. 

Copper Wire Thief Arrested: Austin Energy is reminding Austinites to remain vigilant after an individual was arrested for stealing copper wire in February. The city department has been working to replace stolen copper wire and vandalized street lighting infrastructure of about a dozen different streetlights at the 2300 block of Ridgepoint Dr. in North Austin. The press release also states that thieves sometimes target transformers and other electrical equipment, outside of streetlights, to cut wires and steal copper, draining equipment and city resources, ultimately causing critical energy delays. 

Deep Eddy Pool Closed: The city announced that Deep Eddy Pool will be closed through Friday, April 10, for annual spring cleaning and regular maintenance. The good news for Austinites is that Barton Springs Pool reopened last week. Big Stacy, Bartholomew, Springwoods, and Colony Park are all also open to the public.

Mike Lavigne and Courtney Goforth Credit: Caroline Drew

Hole in the Wall Changes Hands: A changing of the guard is happening at beloved dive bar-meets-music venue Hole in the Wall. Founded by Doug Cugini, who died at 75 earlier this year, the 50-year-old venue was sold by longtime owner Will Tanner to Mike Lavigne and Courtney Goforth. Lavigne is a partner in Lala’s Little Nugget and public affairs firm Texas Access Partners, previously owned Violet Crown Clubhouse, has served on the city’s Downtown Commission, and worked for the Texas Democratic Party. Goforth has worked in band bookings and show promotions at Hotel Vegas, Chess Club, and other Austin venues. Tanner will remain on board in a “smaller capacity,” the new owners told the Chronicle, and the Cugini family as well as “musicians you’ve heard of” will hold stake in the business through a new shareholding structure, the new owners said. 

Austin Recognized for Flood Safety: In honor of the city’s efforts to reduce flood risks, Austin was named the 2026 winner of the John Patton Community Project Award by the Texas Floodplain Management Association last week. The award celebrates communities around the state that have demonstrated ongoing efforts to curb risks of flooding and protect lives. The city was selected to receive the award and a $500 grant for “its comprehensive approach to flood safety, combining education, public awareness, and technology to engage residents and build citywide resilience.”

Mobility Committee Bike Ride: Austin Transportation and Public Works has invited the public to a bike ride around town today, April 2, showcasing some of the city’s ongoing and recently completed mobility projects. Starting at City Hall at 3pm, cyclists will have a chance to receive updates on the Barton Springs Road Safety Project, the Zilker Shared-Use Paths, the Shoal Creek Trail at Third Street, Fourth and Red River streets, and the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will also be held during the ride to celebrate the completion of the Zliker Shared-Use Paths.

Trump’s Continued Attempts to Control Elections: On Tuesday, March 31, President Trump signed an executive order that aims to create a list of eligible U.S. citizen voters in each state. The order also instructs the U.S. Postal Service to only send mail ballots to verified voters. This comes after he has promoted the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act, that would change how voters’ identity is verified in order for them to vote in upcoming elections. Those in opposition of the act have said that it would create chaotic confusion among voters and election workers ahead of November’s midterm elections. Trump has said that he will not pass any more bills into law until the SAVE Act is passed. The bill is currently stalled at the Senate floor as Congress has taken a two-week spring break recess, while the partial government shutdown remains ongoing.

City of Austin website homepage Credit: austintexas.gov QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Public information is not a popularity contest. The city’s website isn’t there to get clicks. Its purpose is to provide information that residents need to ensure their government is functioning efficiently, effectively and in the public interest.”

The Austin American-Statesman Editorial Board regarding the city’s new minimalist website

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