The Sage Hippie, which opened in late August at 105 S. Ballard Ave., Suite A, offers mindfully sourced crystals, herbs and other products for customers interested in everything from geology to spiritual practices.

But West is quick to point out that visitors don’t have to believe in the metaphysical properties of crystals to appreciate them.

Read the full story in the October 22nd edition. Stay informed — subscribe to Murphy Monitor.

From an intricate crocheted blanket and a landscape made from nearly 58,000 seed beads to handmade baskets, digital art, photography and masks, creators from communities across the area earned ribbons in this year’s Creative Arts competitions.

Entries were submitted in July and judged before the fair’s opening. The competition encompasses an extensive range of creative pursuits, with major categories including Canning, Craft Creations, Dolls, Fine Art, Glue-a-Shoe, Hobby Collections, Holiday Corner, Needlework, Photography, Scale Models, Sculpture, Sewing and Quilting and Yarn. Each is further divided into individual contests and classifications.

Wylie resident Melissa “Missie” Rick earned one of the highest honors, Best in Show in the adult Yarn category, for “Astrid’s Wood,” an interlocking crochet blanket that took approximately 225 hours to complete.

Rick’s State Fair experience began only last year, when she entered two smocked dresses and came away with second- and third-place ribbons.

While visiting the fair afterward, she saw the Yarn Best in Show entry and decided to set herself a new challenge.

“I saw the Yarn Best in Show and figured I could make something that could win,” Rick said.

She searched for patterns before settling on “Astrid’s Wood,” which uses a difficult interlocking crochet technique. Essentially, she said, two blankets are crocheted together, with the pattern determined by which color is brought to the front.

“I hadn’t seen one using that same technique so I thought it would be different and stand out,” she said. “And it was a challenge. It was a pretty difficult technique to learn.”

Learning she had won brought another surprise.

“I was pretty surprised and ecstatic when I found out that I had won,” Rick said. “My family was excited for me and we have our fair day picked out.”

She is already considering future entries, including another smocked piece or possibly designing her own interlocking crochet blanket.

“I told my friend I’m probably more fearless than talented,” Rick said. “I say ‘why not’ quite a bit.”

Another Wylie resident, Peggy Ludwig, 70, is no stranger to seeing her work displayed at the State Fair.

Ludwig earned second place in Craft Creations — Miscellaneous for a 20-by-28-inch framed East Texas landscape painstakingly constructed from 57,750 size 11/0 seed beads. Inspired by Caddo Lake, the scene features pine trees and a creek and required about 100 hours to complete.

“I was looking for something that was statewide because it is the state fair,” Ludwig said of choosing the scene.

She has entered the competition for nine years and has earned either a ribbon or honorable mention every year, including a first-place ribbon her first year.

Her technique grew from her earlier experience with cross-stitch. Ludwig had been making jewelry with a friend when she began wondering what else she could create with her supply of beads. She eventually adapted cross-stitch patterns to beadwork, using fishing line and tiny beads laid in rows. 

Ludwig has been selling her beadwork and jewelry at craft shows for about 15 years. She works on pieces regularly to maintain an inventory for the shows she attends.

“It keeps me motivated,” she said. “I do like the competition. Like when you go to the fair and you see all the different stuff and who beat you out.”

In Murphy, 13-year-old Cooper Junior High eighth grader Olive Jimenez earned third place in Craft Creations — Masks, for “Celeste,” a mask she originally created for a friend’s story character.

Jimenez has been making masks for about six months, drawing inspiration from online tutorials, Pinterest, YouTube and friends. Her creation incorporates materials including feathers, paint, hot glue and jewelry.

Her inspiration to enter came during a family trip to last year’s State Fair, when she spotted a mask displayed among the award winners and realized she was already making similar projects at home.

This year she submitted Celeste, a beaded star and several photographs. The other entries earned participation ribbons, but the mask stayed behind after judging — a clue that something special had happened.

“It was really cool because a lot of people in the state put their entries in and I got one of the places,” Jimenez said.

Her mother, Monica Jimenez, said Celeste and Olive’s third-place ribbon will be displayed together in case No. 86 in the Creative Arts Building throughout the fair.

Olive is looking forward to seeing it there.

“It will be really fun and I can’t wait,” she said. “It will be pretty awesome to see my own thing in the glass case and see my ribbon on it.”

Fellow Murphy resident Savannah Marstell is another returning competitor. She earned third place in Photography — Holiday and an honorable mention in the Cultural photography category this year.

Her third-place photograph captured the chandelier at the Winspear Opera House transformed into a Christmas tree and illuminated in red and green for a Leslie Odom Jr. holiday performance.

Her honorable mention came from another memorable outing — a photograph of country flags displayed on the field during a FIFA World Cup match in Dallas.

Marstell and her sisters, Sierra and Kendra, have been interested in photography since high school and have entered State Fair photography contests since 2023. Between them, they have collected several ribbons.

“I was thrilled!” Marstell said of this year’s results. “When I go to drop off the entries and then pick-up the non-winning entries, I see stacks and stacks of photos, so to have not only one, but two of my photos make it is incredible knowing how much competition is out there.”

The sisters have come to view each other’s successes as shared victories.

“My sisters and I joke that any photograph State Fair ribbon is a ‘family ribbon’ even though we all entered in separate photos,” Marstell said.

For the winners, the payoff comes when the State Fair gates open and months — or, in some cases, hundreds of hours — of work are displayed for thousands of fairgoers to see.

Ludwig hopes others might be inspired to try the competition themselves, noting that entering doesn’t require a major investment.

“In reality, it costs 5 bucks to do an entry in the fair,” she said. “It’s dirt cheap…So even if you lose, you had fun.”

Editor’s note: Other residents from the communities we cover also earned ribbons and honorable mentions in the State Fair of Texas Creative Arts competitions. This story highlights local winners who responded to requests for information about their entries.

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Donors can search for participating nonprofits and make donations at NorthTexasGivingDay.org through Sept. 17.

Murphy-area nonprofits are preparing for one of their biggest fundraising days of the year as North Texas Giving Day returns Thursday, Sept. 17.

From rescuing dogs in danger of euthanasia and helping young adults transition out of foster care to fighting hunger, rehabilitating native wildlife and bringing clean water to communities in developing countries, local and nearby organizations are among thousands across the region asking North Texans to support causes that matter to them.

Now in its 18th year, North Texas Giving Day has grown into one of the region’s largest charitable giving efforts. In 2025, more than 100,000 North Texans donated $78 million to more than 3,500 nonprofits supporting causes ranging from education, health and social services to the arts, environment and animal welfare.

Since its inception, the event has generated $712 million for North Texas nonprofits.

Donors do not have to wait until Sept. 17 to participate. Early giving began Aug. 27, and donations made through NorthTexasGivingDay.org count toward this year’s campaign. Communities Foundation of Texas, which presents North Texas Giving Day, is covering transaction and technology fees this year, allowing 100% of online donations made through the platform to go directly to participating organizations.

For Murphy residents, the event provides an opportunity to support organizations based in their own community as well as others serving residents throughout the surrounding area.

CAMO Dog Rescue has set a $25,000 goal to support its work rescuing dogs, particularly those other organizations may be unable or unwilling to accept because of medical needs or fearful behavior.  The organization primarily rescues animals on euthanasia lists that are in immediate danger.

Donations help provide vaccinations, spay or neuter surgery, microchips, foster homes, food and medical treatment while dogs await permanent homes. CAMO also works to socialize dogs when needed to prepare them for adoption and promotes responsible pet ownership in the community.

The Harvest House is seeking $50,000 to support youth aging out of foster care. The nonprofit provides transitional housing, life skills education, mentorship, workforce development and other resources intended to help young adults achieve long-term stability.

Current needs include housing and transportation assistance, workforce development funding, food and essential care items, educational and trade certification assistance, life skills resources and property and facility funding. The organization also is seeking volunteers, mentors and partnerships with businesses and churches.

Vera Aqua Vera Vita has set a $65,000 goal. The Murphy nonprofit works with people and communities in developing countries to create clean water and sanitation solutions designed to improve health and quality of life.

Nearby organizations also are participating in this year’s Giving Day.

Amazing Grace Food Pantry has a $10,000 goal to help meet growing demand for food assistance across North Texas. Donations help provide pantry staples such as cereal and soup as well as support the Food 4 Kids program, which provides child-friendly foods including cereal cups, protein bars, ravioli cups, fruit cups, juice and milk.

North Texas Wildlife Center in Plano has set a $50,000 goal. The nonprofit rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured and orphaned native wildlife. This year’s campaign will help fund expansion of its wildlife intake center, including a quarantine facility and additional outdoor pre-release enclosures, along with veterinary care and other expenses associated with preparing wildlife to return to the wild.

North Texas Giving Day is only part of the local nonprofit community. Not every organization participates in the annual event, and participation does not constitute an endorsement of an organization’s mission by Communities Foundation of Texas or its Giving Day partners.

Donors can search for participating nonprofits and make donations at NorthTexasGivingDay.org through Sept. 17.

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The club will host its inaugural Rotary Peace Summit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the Collin College Wylie Campus Conference Center, 391 Country Club Road.

Designed as a conflict resolution conference, the summit will focus on building unity, encouraging dialogue and helping participants engage respectfully with people whose perspectives may differ from their own.

Wylie Rotary Past President Ofilia Barrera said the idea grew from Rotary’s broader commitment to promoting peace, but with an emphasis on challenges much closer to home.

“As Rotarians, we are committed to peace building,” Barrera said. “For many people, this brings to mind war torn countries. For us, it hits a little closer to home.”

Rotary President Bryan Brokaw proposed the summit as a way to address increasing polarization within the community, added Barrera.

“A lot of what we hear on the news and social media is negative, but when we look to our friends and neighbors, the positives abound,” she said. “We wanted to build on that. We want people to walk away knowing they can disagree and still work together to build a stronger community.”

The summit is open to anyone interested in strengthening the community, Barrera said, including leaders, business owners, educators, volunteers and engaged citizens from Wylie and surrounding areas.

Three featured speakers will guide participants through the day.

Wylie High School graduate Roza Patterson will open the summit. Patterson, an attorney and UCLA School of Law professor, is also a former Rotary Youth Leadership Awards participant. In 2013, she received a Rotary International Global Grant Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree focused on peace and conflict prevention and resolution.

Patterson has worked in employment law and was selected in 2021 for Orrick’s Racial, Social and Economic Justice Fellowship. She currently works as a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice.

The Rev. Celestin Musekura, president and CEO of African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries, will bring decades of experience in reconciliation and peacebuilding to the summit. The global nonprofit works toward an Africa without violent racial, tribal and religious conflicts.

Musekura lost family members during the Rwandan genocide, an experience that inspired his work helping leaders and communities move from conflict toward reconciliation. For three decades, he has trained leaders in strategies intended to promote healing and sustainable social change.

Organizational psychologist Heather Hodges will lead participants through a research-based framework examining how people approach challenges and how understanding those differences can help foster innovation and cooperation.

Hodges, who has 25 years of leadership experience, will also explore how culture shapes behavior, perceptions and an individual’s sense of safety.

Rotary organizers say the full-day program is intended to give participants opportunities not only to hear from the speakers but also to practice listening, gain perspective and develop skills that can be used in workplaces, organizations and everyday community interactions.

Doors open at 8 a.m. for check-in and a continental breakfast. Lunch will be served at noon. Following the summit, participants may attend an optional happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Landon Winery in downtown Wylie.

Registration is $115 per person. A table for eight is $805. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Parking at Collin College is free.

For registration, sponsorship information or additional details, visit wylierotary.org/page/peace-summit or email to [email protected].

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Family stories, Revolutionary-era fashion and Wylie history came together Saturday, Aug. 29, as the Wylie Historical Society celebrated the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary with its America 250 BBQ Luncheon.

Wylie Historical Society Treasurer Alexis Tapp welcomed guests to the event, which included the posting of the colors by Boy Scout Troop 442, the national anthem, a costume contest, raffle and silent auction. Col. W.D. Wylie, portrayed by Eugene Hauptmann, led the pledge and later offered a prayer.

The luncheon’s keynote speaker, author Tracy Lawson, explored how family lore, letters and journals can become the foundation for books, while Jen Thompson and Beth Klimek of the DFW Costumers Guild brought another piece of the past to life with a demonstration of late-18th-century women’s fashion.

Read the full story in the September 3rd edition. Stay informed — subscribe to Murphy Monitor.

Wylie ISD’s newest career and technical education facility will carry the name of a longtime community leader whose ties to the district and its agricultural programs span more than three decades.

Trustees announced Monday, Aug. 17, that the new facility at the F.O. Birmingham Agriculture Center will be named the Marvin Fuller Career & Technical Education Center in honor of Albert Marvin Fuller Jr.

The name was recommended by the district’s Board Naming Committee in recognition of Fuller’s decades of service to Wylie in education, agriculture, business and economic development.

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Nearly 150,000 Collin County residents were estimated to lack consistent access to adequate food in 2024, according to a newly released Feeding America report, while the number of children experiencing food insecurity increased by more than 9,000 in one year.

Feeding America released its 2026 Map the Meal Gap report July 28. The study uses data through 2024 to estimate food insecurity at the state, county and congressional district levels.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Feeding America notes that food insecurity can result from limited or unstable income as well as the high cost of food, housing, health care, utilities and other necessities.

Read the full story in the August 20th edition. Stay informed — subscribe to Murphy Monitor.

The luncheon begins at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church’s Pondant Hall, 404 N. Ballard Ave.

Local author and historian Tracy Lawson will deliver the keynote address, “Using Family Lore, Letters, and Journals as the Basis for Historical Novels.”

Lawson, curator of the Brown House Welcome Center and public relations liaison for the Wylie Historical Society, is the author of 15 books, including four inspired by stories from her own family history.

Rather than focusing on a single book, Lawson said her presentation will feature three case studies showing how different family stories evolved into books. She will also offer tips for preserving family lore and using letters, journals and other personal records to share those stories with a wider audience.

Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of one of Lawson’s “Ladies of the Revolution” novels, courtesy of Frost Bank, the event’s literacy sponsor.

The program will also take attendees back to the 18th century through a presentation and demonstration of period fashions by Jen Thompson and Beth Klimek of the DFW Costumers Guild.

Guests are encouraged to participate in a patriotic outfit and hat contest. The luncheon will also include door prizes and a silent auction featuring items from local merchants.

Tickets are $50 for adults and $15 for children attending with a parent. Although children are welcome, organizers note the program is not designed for young children. Space is limited.

Proceeds benefit the Wylie Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The historical celebration will continue at 2 p.m. with a reception marking the placement of Wylie’s newest Texas Registered Historic Landmark plaque at 405 N. Ballard Ave.

The 1901 Queen Anne-style house is owned by Lawson and her family, who purchased it in October 2020. They are the 21st owners of the home since it was built.

“As soon as we moved in, we started talking about getting a historical marker for the house,” Lawson said. “We read that another family had tried in the past, so we assumed it would be difficult.”

Lawson said researching the house required considerable work, including several trips to the courthouse to establish its history.

“It did take a lot of work and several trips to the courthouse before we could document the house’s exact age and had a complete list of all the house’s owners and their importance to the community,” she said.

The public is invited to the 2 p.m. reception, which will include light refreshments and tours of the historic home.

The luncheon is part of the Wylie Historical Society’s observance of America’s 250th anniversary, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Tickets and additional information are available at wyliehistoricalsociety.org.

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Sometimes the passenger is a woman carrying little more than a purse and a few belongings. Other times, it’s a father traveling with children. Some rides last only a few miles; others stretch across state lines.

The circumstances are always different, but the mission never changes.

Discreetly and often urgently, Families to Freedom staff and volunteers help survivors put distance between themselves and the people hurting them — one ride, one flight, one bus ticket and one tank of gas at a time.

For founder and CEO Sarah Nejdl, the organization grew from understanding a difficult truth: leaving abuse is rarely as simple as walking out the door — and no single charity offered flights for domestic violence victims.

“We started as an all-volunteer organization focused on helping sheltered survivors get to family by road trip or by private flight,” said Nejdl, a private pilot.

Within a year, Families to Freedom expanded beyond private flights, adding transportation to rural shelters, bus and commercial travel, and fuel assistance. During the pandemic, the organization broadened its mission again, helping survivors reach any available shelter regardless of distance.

Today, the nonprofit operates offices in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston and is expanding into East Texas, helping connect rural victims with resources in larger cities while also guiding metro-area survivors to available shelters in smaller communities.

Funding support has also transformed the nonprofit’s reach.

“Those funds help us afford frontline personnel so donations go directly toward victim travel,” Nejdl said.

Since 2015, Families to Freedom has coordinated more than 1.7 million transportation miles through local and regional rides, cross-state travel, bus transportation, fuel assistance and commercial flights.

For Nejdl, a few stories still stand out.

“There are many survival stories that remind us that sometimes our services are literally saving lives,” she said.

One involved a mother and her children fleeing an ex-partner who pursued them from state to state.

“She got a ride from us to a secure facility in another state where she could completely change her identity to disappear from him,” Nejdl said.

Another call came through a sheriff’s office requesting transportation to an emergency shelter in another county. One of Families to Freedom’s volunteer drivers transported the woman to safety only minutes before her abuser returned.

“The sheriff later shared that the abuser came home within 10 minutes of our driver leaving with her, and he had shotguns in the truck,” Nejdl said.

Roberta “Robbie” Chandler has seen the mission from behind the wheel.

After volunteering for 12 years with a McKinney nonprofit, Chandler attended a meeting where Nejdl spoke about Families to Freedom’s need for volunteers.

“I just automatically put my hand up,” Chandler said. “It just seemed like there was a desperate need.”

Four years later, Chandler dedicates 20 to 25 hours each week to the organization, handling North Dallas outreach and public speaking while reminding audiences that abuse can affect anyone.

When people ask why victims don’t simply leave, Chandler said those questions usually come from people who have never experienced abuse firsthand.

“Before they come to us, they have probably exhausted what friends and family they have,” she said.

Families to Freedom staff handle intake calls, develop individualized safety plans and assign one staff member to remain with each client throughout the process, coordinating transportation and working directly with volunteers.

Volunteers never pick people up at front doors and are never placed in unnecessary danger. Drivers are tracked from pickup through drop-off, receive descriptions of suspected abusers and remain in constant contact with staff.

“We know at all times, if we’re driving, that we’re being watched,” Chandler said.

Volunteers also provide small comforts. Survivors receive purses stocked with essentials, gift cards and toiletries, while children receive backpacks, books, toys and snacks.

“Anything that would make them feel like they have something to call their own,” Chandler said.

Staff continue checking on survivors for up to a month after they reach safety and will arrange additional transportation if another shelter becomes necessary.

The work, Chandler admitted, can be emotionally draining.

“You never cry in front of the client when you hear their story,” she said. “You wait until you get them safely delivered.”

Afterward, volunteers check in with office staff to talk through the trip.

“They’ve got nothing but our best interest at heart,” Chandler said.

The past decade has brought tremendous growth for Families to Freedom, though Nejdl said she wishes there were no need for the organization at all.

“Sadly, we won’t run out of work to do,” she said.

Still, she remains hopeful.

“I dream of a future when all Texas victims have access to arrive to safety … no matter how far away,” she said. “With more volunteers, grant funding and donations, we’ll see that become a reality soon enough.”

To volunteer, donate or learn more about Families to Freedom, visit familiestofreedom.org or call 833-903-SAFE (7233).

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A Wylie woman whose leadership helped bring “The Wall That Heals” to the community last year has received one of the Texas American Legion’s highest individual honors.

Mary Lange, a U.S. Air Force veteran and commander of Hale-Combest American Legion Post 315, received the honor during the 107th Annual Convention of the American Legion Department of Texas, held July 10 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. Department Commander Richard Huntley presented the award.

The Legionnaire of the Year Award recognizes members whose service extends beyond their local post through involvement at the district, department and national levels, as well as meaningful contributions to their communities.

For Lange, the recognition came as a surprise.

“When they started talking about the Legionnaire of the Year, it never dawned on me it was going to be me until they started talking about the Wall and community service,” she said, adding “It is an honor.”

Lange, commander of Hale-Combest Post 315, is perhaps best known locally for spearheading the effort to bring The Wall That Heals to Wylie in 2025. The three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., drew hundreds of visitors during its four-day stay, giving veterans, families and residents an opportunity to honor those who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War.

Lange’s commitment to veterans and community service has earned numerous honors in recent years. In 2024, she received the Congressional Veteran Commendation from U.S. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, and was named the Wylie Area Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year. The City of Wylie also proclaimed Nov. 18, 2025, as “Mary Lange Day” in recognition of her service to the community.

Beyond that project, Lange devotes countless volunteer hours to mentoring young people through American Legion programs.

She chairs the American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program, known as “A Constitutional Speech Contest,” and Texas Boys State for Post 315. She also serves as chair of the oratorical program for the American Legion Department of 

Texas Fourth District and First Division.

In addition, Lange is a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 315 and serves as chair of Texas Bluebonnet Girls State.

“We have over 200 programs in the American Legion,” Lange said. “My hot button is Girls State, Boys State and Oratorical. That’s what I focus on. The kids learn so much from those programs.”

Founded in 1919 and chartered by Congress, the American Legion is the nation’s largest veterans service organization, with nearly 2 million members in more than 12,000 posts in the United States and abroad.

Guided by its motto, “Veterans Strengthening America,” the organization focuses on mentoring youth, promoting patriotism and honor, advocating for a strong national defense and supporting veterans, military members and their families.

Lange said she is honored by the recognition but remains focused on continuing the work that has defined her years of service.

“It’s really about the programs,” she said. “Helping young people through Boys State, Girls State and Oratorical is what I enjoy most.”

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