Murphy police stopped male drivers more often than female drivers last year, according to an analysis of 6,343 traffic stops in 2023. Murphy’s population is split nearly evenly between male and female – with men holding just a one percentage point edge. But 65% of...
Exchange club calls it quits after 14 years of service
A group steeped in patriotism and community has disbanded after 14 years of service to the community. The Exchange Club of Murphy (ECM), established in 2006, was one of more than 630 clubs throughout the U.S. affiliated with the National Exchange Club. The local...
TEA outlines school start guidelines
Texas Education Agency last week released a list of comprehensive guidelines for opening public schools for fall semester classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the TEA guidance deals with protecting the health of students and staff as schools open, such as...
How can we police our communities better?
The killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis was a brutal, senseless and avoidable tragedy, and one our country has witnessed countless times before. In many ways, his death was the match that ignited nationwide conversations about the racial injustices that...
Make miles of memories this summer
Summertime is sipping an ice-cold strawberry margarita. It’s wearing a brand-new swimsuit and a perfectly floppy straw hat. It’s relaxing in cold water while the hot Texas sun beats down on you. It’s making memories that will last all year! But this year,...
Who’s behind center in 2020?
As high schools around the country gear up for the start of the 2020 season, there’s only one thing on their minds: have a better season than the last. For some, that means winning more games than the team did the previous year. For others, that means a deep playoff...
Mayor hits the open road for annual trip
This summer, Scott Bradley, mayor of Murphy and IT professional, answered the call of the open road just as he has done for over 10 years. The Harley riding enthusiast experienced the thrill of going the distance when he took his first road trip in 2002 with his...
New director named for Smith Library
With 13 years of experience at Smith Public Library on her resume, Ofilia Barrera took over June 15 as Library Director, replacing longtime librarian Rachel Orozco who retired. “This is incredible. Never in a million years did I think I would be a library director,”...
Early voting continues for July 14 runoffs
Early voting continues through Friday for the political party primary runoff election that was postponed from an original May 26 date because of the COVID-19 health crisis. While the early voting window of opportunity is almost closed, Murphy voters can cast early...