ATX-PFH: Impact 10/13/2025

Pflugerville’s annual Deutschen Pfest returns Oct. 17-18 at Pfluger Park, marking its 49th year with a weekend full of community spirit, live music, and fun for the whole family.

The specifics: The festival runs Friday, Oct. 17, from 5-11:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 18, from 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Tickets are available online, and attendees wearing a 2025 Deutschen Pfest or Pfun Run T-shirt receive free two-day admission.

Activities to do: The Biergarten will showcase Pflugerville’s local nonprofits, serving beer and snacks to support community causes. Visitors can take part in stein-holding contests, catch live German music or watch college football on a 16-by-10-foot big screen.

Meanwhile, the Wunderpark will be filled with kid-friendly attractions, including carnival rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting and the “Touch-A-Truck” exhibit. Children under age 6 receive free admission.

Hutto officials received an update on capital improvement projects in various stages of design, construction and completion at an October council meeting. 

What happened: City staff provided an update on several major road projects funded through the city's capital improvement program Oct. 2

Updates on CIP projects included:
FM 1660 South at Hwy. 79

• Scope: construction of turn lanes and signal improvements
• Status: design complete, pending approval from Union Pacific Railroad. The project is expected to go out for bid in 2026.

Odyssey, a New York-based tech company, has been selected to manage Texas’ $1 billion education savings account program, the state comptroller’s office announced Oct. 6.

The overview: Odyssey will work with the comptroller to launch the program, deemed “Texas Education Freedom Accounts,” ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Families can begin applying for the program early next year, and those accepted will receive thousands of dollars in state funds to send their children to private school or homeschool them.

Zooming in: Odyssey will develop and manage an online platform to administer Texas’ education savings account program. State law also tasks the company with:

• Collecting applications and determining which families are accepted to the program
• Approving vendors for education-related materials and services, such as textbooks, transportation and tutoring
• Reviewing inquiries and complaints about the program
• Advertising the program and communicating with interested families 

Texas’ power grid is unlikely to have issues this December, according to an Oct. 3 report by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

The details: During the winter, demand for electricity spikes when people get up in the morning and return home in the evening. This December, the tightest period is expected to be from 7-8 a.m. each day, when little to no solar power is being produced. ERCOT found that there will be a 1.81% chance of a grid emergency during that time.

“Under typical grid conditions, the deterministic scenario indicates that there should be sufficient generating capacity available," the report reads.

The background: Texas' grid withstood three cold snaps early this year. ERCOT last asked residents to voluntarily reduce their energy use in January 2024.

Legislative approach: State lawmakers approved legislation this spring that is designed to make the grid more reliable by tightening regulations on large electric consumers, such as data centers. In extreme grid conditions, those customers will be required to switch to backup power to reduce strain on the grid.

Check out the top trending Community Impact stories in the Austin metro from Oct. 6-10.

1. Hwy. 290 extension could improve travel between Travis and Bastrop counties

2. Bridge placed over Lake Creek to connect Round Rock West with downtown area

3. Austin ISD unveils plans to close 13 schools in 2026-27 school year

4. Cedar Park’s Firefly launches $855 million bid for defense tech company

5. Bastrop Automotive to be built on FM 969

6. Samsung employees to move into office building on Taylor campus this November