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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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.

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.”

Stay informed, and support your local community newspaper, subscribe to  The Murphy Monitor

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).

Stay informed, and support your local community newspaper, subscribe to  The Murphy Monitor

More than 300 community members gathered Thursday, June 25, to celebrate the official grand opening of Jericho Village, a milestone years in the making that city leaders and organizers say will provide not only affordable housing for the resident but also hope and long-term support.

Located at 511 W. Brown St., Jericho Village is Wylie’s first income-based urban housing village. The 38-unit development is a project of Plano-based Agape Resource & Assistance Center, founded by CEO Janet Collinsworth to help women and families transition from homelessness, domestic violence and human trafficking. The community offers studio to three-bedroom apartments, including ADA-accessible units, along with on-site education, counseling and other wraparound services that promote long-term stability.

The celebration featured food trucks, face painting, a Wylie Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks from civic and community leaders marking the project’s significance.

Serving as master of ceremonies, Hope for the Cities Executive Director Jon Bailey praised the perseverance of Agape founder and CEO Janet Collinsworth, noting that many people in attendance had watched the vision evolve from an idea into reality.

“It has been such a privilege to have walked alongside her, to have prayed with her, to encourage, to be challenged and to be inspired,” Bailey said. “So many of you today are inspired by who she is and what she has been able to accomplish.”

Wylie Mayor Matthew Porter recalled one of his first meetings after taking office, when he was introduced to the Jericho Village concept.

Porter said the name of Agape immediately resonated with him because of a family heirloom bearing the same Greek word, which represents unconditional love.

“That is exactly what we are called to do as a community,” Porter said. “To take care of everyone, not just one specific type of person, not just one group of people that vote for you. You’re supposed to care for everyone within that community.”

He said Jericho Village represents more than affordable apartments because residents will receive services designed to help them build lasting stability.

“It means it’s not a Band-Aid solution of just a roof over the head for today with no thoughts for tomorrow,” Porter said. “Instead, those services provide a new opportunity for generational uplifting.”

A congressional recognition from Keith Self was presented during the ceremony, commending Collinsworth, along with those of Agape Resources, and the many community partners who helped bring the vision to life.

“Jericho Village stands as a powerful example of what can be accomplished when compassion is spirited action,” the inscription read. “The opportunities created through this community will strengthen families, foster independence and provide hope to those who need it.”

Taking the podium, Collinsworth thanked the hundreds of volunteers, donors, churches, board members and community partners who supported the project, but first directed the crowd’s attention elsewhere.

“Without God, we would not be here,” she said. “It was a calling for each and every one of us to serve our neighbors and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Collinsworth reminded attendees that they are part of the change, referring to Ghandi’s “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

“We collectively — all of us, each one of us here — we’re in the hope business,” she said. “We do that by standing in the gap for our friends and our neighbors that struggle each and every day just to have a roof.”

Agape Chief of Staff Christin Mixon reflected on watching the property transform from “a flat piece of ground” into a community made possible by volunteers, churches, businesses and civic organizations.

“What you see around you today is the result of prayer, generosity and partnerships,” Mixon said. “But today is not the finish line. In a lot of ways, today is the starting line. The opening of Jericho Village represents the beginning of a new chapter and a larger vision.”

Collinsworth emphasized that the housing itself is only one part of the organization’s mission.

“The secret to transforming lives is not a roof,” she said …“The secret sauce is really the wraparound services. It’s the love, it’s the prayer and hope. We are in the hope business.”

The same educational, counseling and empowerment services already offered through Agape will now be available on-site to Jericho Village residents, she said.

“It’s not just a roof, and it’s not just a key that we hand you to get into your door,” Collinsworth said. “We are your family. We are your village.”

Perhaps the day’s most emotional moment came when Collinsworth invited Jericho Village’s first resident, Keoni Hudson, to speak.

Hudson’s story reflects the vision behind Jericho Village. After escaping a domestic violence situation, she moved from Agape’s transitional housing into the village with her two children. Organizers said other women will follow the same path, creating space for new families entering Agape’s program while former residents continue building independent lives.

“I love Jericho,” Hudson said. “It’s more than just the roof. It’s the community. It’s the help that you get. It’s the services that you receive. It’s everything.”

She said paying an income-based rent has allowed her to support her children, pay for childcare and return to school without relying on government assistance.

“I’m able to enroll myself back in school,” Hudson said. “This has helped my family in so many ways.”

Asked why communities need places like Jericho Village, Hudson fought back tears.

“Nobody understands how hard it is for people to just be able to afford the basic things of life,” she said. “Just to be able to have someone that looks out for you and leaves you something left over so you can provide clothes and shoes for your kids — every community needs this. This is such a blessing.”

After the program, guests toured the apartments, playground, community center and garden, getting a firsthand look at what organizers hope will serve as a model for supportive housing across North Texas.

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The state’s natural beauty and its history are a treasure waiting to be discovered in any of the 52 parks and museums in the Arkansas State Parks system, with seven National Park Service sites and three national forests covering more than 2.9 million acres of Arkansas, plus more than 200 campsites and recreational areas.

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Who doesn’t love diamonds and digging in the dirt? This park is an exercise in fun, being in the outdoors, and a good way to bond as a couple or as a family. At the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, visitors can dig for diamonds in a 37.5-acre plowed field, which in reality is the eroded surface of an ancient volcanic crater. The park is the eighth largest, diamond-bearing deposit in surface area in the world.

When you enter through the park’s Diamond Discovery Center on your way to the diamond search area, you’ll want to take a while to listen and read about the area. The interpretive center is engaging and serves as the gateway to the search area by offering an in-depth introduction to the unique adventure of searching for diamonds. Tour the exhibits and visit with the park staff. In the Center you will learn to recognize diamonds in the rough and the three different search methods used at the Crater of Diamonds. You will also have the opportunity to view the diamond hunters’ Hall of Fame, featuring photographs of the faces of successful diamond prospectors at the Crater of Diamonds.

After you’re finished digging, the kids will love the park’s mining-themed aquatic playground. Relax in the cool waters of the 4,166-square-foot wading pool featuring spray geysers, sprayers, water jets, animated waterspouts, cascades, two water slides, and waterfall hideaways. There’s plenty of room to relax on the deck that surrounds the pool.

The Crater of Diamonds State Park includes a tree-shaded campground featuring 47 Class AAA campsites (with water/electric/sewer hookups) The site states that most of the sites have tent pads. There are also five walk-in tent sites. The campground includes two modern bathhouses with hot showers; one bathhouse includes a laundry.

To learn more, visit craterofdiamondsstatepark.com

Queen Wilhelmina State Park 

With panoramic vistas, this beautiful park located in the Ouachita Mountains is a must-see destination in Eastern Arkansas. While the park offers all types of activities, it is well-known for its beautiful lodge known as Queen Wilhelmina State Park Lodge. The original lodge was known as the “Castle in the Sky” resort over 100 years ago. The new lodge today is a 40-room establishment with a restaurant and a gift shop, known for its treasure trove of trinkets.

If you don’t want to stay in the lodge, relaxing in a campsite on Arkansas’s second highest mountain is truly unique. The campground at Queen Wilhelmina State Park offers home-away-from-home amenities where you’ll find peace and quiet, fresh mountain air, and unforgettable natural beauty on the 2,681-foot Rich Mountain. In the summer, cool mountain breezes keep the heat at bay. In autumn, it is ablaze with fall colors and in the winter the snowfall transforms the mountain to a winter wonderland. Visitors can go swimming, picnicking, canoeing, hiking, fishing, bicycling, museums, and art galleries all within a two-hour drive from the park. There are no rivers or streams in the park, but a short distance away there are opportunities at Cossatot River State Park.

A few upcoming activities include the Queen Wilhelmina Rod Run held at the Queen Wilhelmina State Park. It is an antique car show held the third weekend of August. An event called Hamfest is held the weekend following Labor Day Weekend and the Polk County Fair is the last week of August. For a full list of activities, information is available at visitmena.com or queenwilhelmina.com.

Cossatot River State Park Natural Area

Not far away from Queen Wilhelmina State Park is the Cossatot River State Park Natural Area. This scenic State Park and river is located in Wickes, AR. The park-natural area stretches for 12 miles along the Cossatot River. The river is a great place to experience Arkansas’s premier whitewater and it is renowned as the best whitewater float stream in mid-America. Located in southwest Arkansas south of Mena, the Cossatot River forms Cossatot Falls, a rugged and rocky canyon that challenges the most experienced canoeists and kayakers with its Class IV and V rapids. The river is a watershed basin with flow levels dependent on rainfall. When the water is high, it is a premium place for paddlers, however, much of the river’s whitewater is not recommended for casual canoeists.

The park’s information site states that the Brushy Creek Recreation Area at the Highway 246 bridge offers day-use facilities including picnic sites, a nature trail, restrooms, and river access. A walkway high above the river provides barrier-free access on the west side.

For those who want to camp, there are tent sites at the Cossatot Falls area, the Sandbar Area, and the Ed Banks Area (one site). All of the sites are self-pay and first come, first serve. Undeveloped camping space is available at the U.S. 278 Area. Primitive group camping (tents only) is available at the park’s River Ridge Group Camp. Call ahead to make a reservation. 

For hiking enthusiasts, the park features the 14-mile River Corridor Trail and the 3.5-mile Harris Creek Trail.

The park includes a 15,000-square-foot $2.7 million facility visitor information/education center on U.S. 278 east of Wickes where the highway crosses the Cossatot. There is a large exhibit gallery, two classroom/lab rooms, a wildlife viewing area, gift shop, and park administrative offices. Make sure you take the opportunity to explore the interpretive exhibits of the story of “The Cossatot: A River for All Seasons.” Want more information about the area? There are three information kiosks that provide information about the Cossatot River, the park-natural area, and other parks and museums in Arkansas’s state park system.
Interpretive programs and workshops are offered in the park, teaching visitors about geology, flora, and fauna in the remote and protected river corridor. Special interpretive programs include guided kayak tours and snorkeling tours. 

Want more recreation camping opportunities in the “Natural State?” Visit arkansasstateparks.com.

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Hosted by the Juneteenth Organization of Wylie, the annual pageant is set for Friday, May 29, and Saturday, May 30, at Trinity Friendship Baptist Church, 840 E. Brown St. in Wylie.

Now in its sixth year, the program is open to girls from fourth grade through high school senior year and focuses on mentorship and personal growth in addition to competition.

“Our mission is to inspire, motivate, and uplift young women as they grow into independent, capable leaders who believe deeply in their ability to succeed,” said Courtney Manning, pageant director. “This pageant is more than a competition. It is a space to develop new skills, form lasting friendships, and gain experiences that extend far beyond pageant day.”

Manning said contestants participate in mentorship activities that include interview preparation, etiquette courses and peer engagement training.

Competition categories include interview, Afro-centric attire, talent, evening wear, photogenic and Miss Congeniality.

Friday evening’s activities will introduce contestants and the pageant’s Royal Court to the community, while participants will also compete in the Afro-centric attire category. Saturday’s events will feature talent and evening wear competitions, followed by the crowning ceremony.

Winners will serve as ambassadors for the city of Wylie throughout the year, participating in community events including Boo on Ballard, the Wylie Christmas Parade, library reading events and volunteer opportunities.

Manning said Trinity Friendship Baptist Church was selected as the venue because of its continued support of both the pageant and the Juneteenth Organization of Wylie.

The pageant also ties directly into the city’s Juneteenth celebration efforts, with winners speaking publicly about the holiday and helping represent the organization throughout the community.

Admission is $10 Friday and $15 Saturday at the door. Applications for this year’s pageant are closed, but sponsorship opportunities remain available. Organizers said all sponsorship proceeds go directly toward scholarship funding for participants.

Additional information, including donation opportunities, is available at the Miss Wylie Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant website or event.wyliejuneteenth.org.

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As communities across the country celebrate Small Business Week, local entrepreneurs are being recognized not just for opening their doors, but for the grit, risk and vision it takes to keep them open.

In Murphy, one such story is still fresh — and already gaining momentum.

Victory Paint, an independent Benjamin Moore retailer, is marking its first year in business with steady growth, deep community ties and plans for a second location in southeast Collin County.

Co-owner Carolyn Potter said the journey began with an unexpected opportunity — and a willingness to pivot.

Read the full story, stay informed, and support your local community newspaper, subscribe to The Murphy Monitor.

That recurring theme of isolation — both in others and in his own life — became the foundation for his debut book, “Unknown.”

Spurgin, a communicator, leadership coach and founder of New Hope Church in Wylie, said he wrote the book for people who have tried to find community but never quite get there.

“One of the things I hear from them over and over again is how isolated they feel,” Spurgin said. “They have people but very little connection.”

The message also reflected his own experience.

Spurgin shares in the book a pivotal moment in his own life when his wife told him she felt as though he had “a mistress” — not in a literal sense, but in how his work and responsibilities had taken priority over their relationship.

“It rocked my world,” he said. “She didn’t mean it literally, but she did feel like my work, my people, my reputation and my calling had become more important than she was.”

The experience, he said, forced him to reevaluate and ultimately rebuild that connection.

“It took us several years to rediscover our footing, but I’m happy to report that we’ve been married 38 years and we are happier than ever,” Spurgin said. “It’s not perfect, but it is really good.”

The book, his first completed manuscript after starting several others, reflects what he calls the “heartbeat” of his life’s work — helping people build authentic relationships and healthy cultures.

Released earlier this year, “Unknown” quickly gained traction and landed on the USA Today Bestseller list in February.

Spurgin said he wrote the book for three primary audiences: individuals struggling to find genuine community, those who feel there is more but are still searching, and leaders seeking to build healthy teams and culture but struggling to get there.

“They start a relationship and feel like it is going well, but soon discover the other person isn’t as interested as they thought,” Spurgin said. “Broken relationships are painful because God designed us for something better.”

Balancing the writing process with leading both a church and a leadership organization proved challenging.

“Leading two organizations while writing a book is not something I would suggest to anyone,” Spurgin said.

Even so, revisiting difficult personal experiences — including strained relationships and friendships that ended without clear resolution — made the process especially emotional.

Reader response, he said, has been overwhelming.

Many have reached out to say the book reflects their own stories, while others have described it as life changing. In one instance, a radio host who interviewed Spurgin later confided in him about struggles in her marriage. After discussing principles from the book, he said she told him, “this is going to change my life.”

Looking ahead, Spurgin said he is considering future writing projects, potentially focused on leadership topics such as founder transitions — an area he notes often presents challenges for organizations. He is also planning to launch a podcast.

“Unknown” is published by Morgan James and is available through major retailers and online platforms. Spurgin is also offering a free digital copy through his website keithspurgin.net.

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