hot headlines
Drake's new Texas ranch tops this week's 5 most-read Austin stories
Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.
1. Drake confirmed as new owner of $15 million Dos Brisas ranch in Texas. Drake is the latest rap icon that can proudly say he's a Texan after purchasing Dos Brisas, a phenomenal 313-acre ranch in Washington located less than 85 miles outside Houston.
2. Rent hikes of 300-500 percent have South Congress shops packing up. One store owner said after the pandemic, bigger corporations began to offer more money to fill spaces and renovate them, driving up prices for everyone else.
3. World's largest Buc-ee's to open outside Austin in June. As CultureMap reported in 2022, this new Buc-ee's is replacing Luling's current store, which was built in 2003 as Buc-ee's first family travel center.
4. West Texas town celebrates spiky succulents during annual agave festival. The packed, agave-honoring program features talks from preeminent historians, botanists, artists, anthropologists, and archaeologists, alongside food, film, and more.
5. Austin co-op grocery checking out of iconic spot after more than 40 years. Wheatsville Co-op said it's been facing many challenges at its Guadalupe location, and it would not be re-signing the lease, which ends on December 31, 2026.