Bastrop County Emergency Services District No. 3 is continuing its year-long transition away from using Acadian Ambulance as a vendor.

“We’re about halfway through that, and we’re well ahead of schedule,” said Allen Johnson, executive director of ESD 3. “In fact, we’ll start receiving delivery of our new ambulances in June.”

What we know: There are 15 ambulances on order, according to ESD 3 officials.

“It is our intent to have eight ambulances, 24 hours a day, with three additional peak trucks,” Johnson said during a March 24 Bastrop City Council meeting. “So we will have gone, over about a 16-month period, from four ambulances a day to a max of 11, with two supervisors.”

A longtime local automotive shop’s closure is making way for a new beginning in Bastrop.

In a nutshell: Mason Stratton is preparing to open Hartwell Performance Automotive in the former A Plus Automotive building, bringing more than 15 years of hands-on routine maintenance and mechanical repair experience to the community.

What we know: Hartwell Performance Automotive will offer a variety of services for domestic and imported vehicles, such as air conditioning repair and steering system repair.

“I do a bit of everything,” said Stratton, who added that his main expertise is Ford products and Ford performance.

Notable quote: “Our goal is simple—provide honest work, dependable service and quality repairs you can trust,” Stratton said in a social media post. “Whether you need routine maintenance or mechanical repair, we’re here to help you on the road."

• Opening April 1
• 301 Industrial Blvd., Bastrop

Check out some of the most read stories in the Austin area March 23-26.

1. 5 new and coming soon businesses in downtown Georgetown

2. Beginning March 31, most smokable cannabis products will be illegal in Texas

3. New Willie’s Grill & Icehouse location opening in Leander in late March

4. 44,000-square-foot indoor sports club headed to Leander, Cedar Park

5. Elon Musk announces ‘largest chip manufacturing facility’ Terafab coming to Austin

6. Pflugerville water update: Repairs planned, conservation critical as lake levels recover

Kites, wiener dogs, bluegrass and more—the spring festival season is here, and it stretches well beyond Austin city limits. 

ABC Kite Fest
Nearly a century old, this Zilker Park tradition will pull more than 10,000 kites into the Austin sky. Handmade and commercial kites will compete side-by-side while live music, children’s activities, a pet zone and a mini market populate the park.

• April 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Free (admission)

• 2100 Barton Springs Road, Austin

Red Poppy Festival
Georgetown's downtown square will transform over three days with a mix of artisan markets, live music, food vendors and parades celebrating the event's namesake flower.

• April 24-26, times vary

• Free (admission)

• 710 S. Main St., Georgetown

Buda Wiener Dog Races
Buda, the self-proclaimed Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, will host dachshund races across multiple heats with awards for speed and costumes. The two-day event aims to bring families together for food, vendors and community celebration.

• April 25-26, 8 a.m.

• $10

• 204 San Antonio St., Buda