Comprising about 122,000 square feet, the H-E-B will include a barbecue restaurant with a drive-thru window, deli, bakery, pharmacy and sushi bar. It’s expected to employ 600 partners.

Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs over 175,000 partners in Texas and Mexico and serves millions of customers from more than 455 stores. It has been in business for 120 years and has annual sales of more than $50 billion.

Groundbreaking for the Murphy store was held on Nov. 21, 2024.

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Because those values have not been finalized, spending plans, revenue projections and the eventual property tax rate remain subject to change.

The preliminary budget is being developed using the maximum allowable voter-approval tax rate of 36.39 cents per $100 of taxable value, compared with the current rate of 35.75 cents. 

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The Collin County Commissioners Court has voted 3-1 to conditionally approve a final plat for a dense 101-acre development between Parker and Murphy.

County Judge Chris Hill was the lone vote against the Restore the Grasslands project, which would have 624 single-family lots with only one way in or out. 

Commissioner Cheryl Williams made the motion to accept the plan. Commissioners Darrell Hale and Duncan Webb also voted in favor although both questioned the wisdom of putting so many people in such a small space. Commissioner Susan Fletcher was absent from the Monday, June 22, meeting.

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Serving the community for more than five years, City Missions continues to provide essentials to individuals experiencing homelessness and is working toward developing a resource center. 

City Missions currently serves Collin County and the surrounding area through its mobile outreach unit. During Saturday Outreach opportunities, volunteers distribute necessities such as socks and hygiene items directly to individuals in need and build relationships in the process. 

“Our outreach team visits general areas where we have built trusted relationships with friends experiencing homelessness, while remaining flexible as needs and locations change,” Cherie Privett, founder and executive director, said. 

Part of City Missions’ values is maintaining dignity and connecting individuals with resources to guide them toward stability. Resources include medical care, identification cards, showers through Street Side Showers, recovery programs and housing solutions. The organization also has a mobile closet open twice a month near downtown Plano. A current need is men’s clothing. 

“About 80% of the Friends we serve are men, yet most of the clothing donations we receive are for women,” Privett said.  

Individuals, local churches, faith-based organizations and businesses support City Missions’ efforts.

Recently, two Wylie schools also helped their community through donations to City Missions. Students at Harrison Intermediate collected hygiene products and other items during last semester. The Burnett Junior High PTA selected City Missions to receive a grant that was presented in May. 

“City Missions was co-founded by my husband, Kevin Privett, who also works for Wylie ISD,” Privett said. “It has been meaningful to see local schools come alongside this mission in such a tangible way.” 

New donors and existing partnerships are important to City Missions as needs change with each season. 

Privett said one of the best ways to get involved is by supporting the organization’s future resource center. 

“We are still actively working toward funding a resource center with plans for it to be located in Plano,” Privett said. “This space would allow us to expand what we’re already doing and create a consistent place where individuals can come for support, resources and community.”

For ways to donate and volunteer, visit citymissions.org. Donations of clothing for adults and travel-size toiletries may be dropped off at A1 Affordable Garage Door Services in Plano from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.

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By Allison LaBrot | [email protected]

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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Known since its start in the 1970s as general aviation airport TKI, the facility will now be known to passengers as DTX, said Ken Carley, aviation director.

“TKI is still our FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] three-letter code,” Carley said. “The IATA [International Air Transport Association] assigned DTX as the code after Avelo applied.”

Houston-based Avelo, which already serves Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), said it will begin service to McKinney with Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft flying nonstop to Las Vegas (LAS) and four cities in Florida: Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW), Orlando (MCO) and Tampa (TPA).

In announcing its schedule, budget carrier Avelo [rhymes with yellow] said certain introductory one-way tickets purchased before the end of Friday, July 31, would be priced at $99 and each passenger would be allowed one free checked bag.

The discount fare applies only to specific travel dates and fees will be charged for additional checked luggage, the airline said.

Avelo’s flights from DFW and Houston’s two airports, Hobby (HOU) and George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), connect to more than 30 other destinations through its hub in New Haven, Connecticut (HVN).

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Local thrifters now have a place to shop closer to home. The newly opened Hope’s Gate Thrift Store offers a variety of preloved items in support of a cause.

“We’re a nonprofit organization, and our proceeds go to women facing unplanned pregnancies,” manager Brennan Barbara said.

Hope’s Gate Thrift Store is located at 201 E. Butler St. in Wylie. Similar to its sister business, Hope’s Gate Boutique in downtown Wylie, the thrift store gives shoppers an opportunity to give back with each purchase.

Proceeds from the thrift store support Hope’s Bridge Pregnancy Resource Center in Wylie.

Currently, the store carries clothes and accessories, home decor, books, games, toys and furniture. The nonprofit relies on donations to keep the store stocked and ready for customers.

“We really take anything and everything,” Barbara said. “What we are wanting to do is not turn down donations so that we can help the community around us.”

Hope’s Gate Thrift Store’s donation requirements at this time are for items to be gently used or new. Questions about the donation process can be answered by phone at 945-385-0702 or by email at [email protected]. The store is open solely for donations Tuesday and Wednesday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Donations are also accepted during storefront hours, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Volunteers from Youth With A Mission (YWAM) have been working to open the store for approximately a year.

Between finding a location, hosting yard sales for fundraising and completing renovations, the team has given many hours leading up to the grand opening Saturday, May 9.

In addition to donating to a pregnancy resource center, Barbara said the thrift store exists to provide community connection and a place for individuals to bring items they no longer need.

“We have been working hard to get ready for everybody to come in and come shop,” Barbara said. “We really are doing this as a ministry.”

Volunteer opportunities will be open to the community soon. Visit thrift.hopesgate.org for updates.

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In-Sync Exotics Wildlife Rescue and Educational Center will host The Great Catsby: ROARing ’20s Casino Night Saturday, June 27, at the Cotton Mill in McKinney. The fundraiser will transform the historic venue into a 1920s-inspired speakeasy featuring casino-style gaming, live entertainment, auctions and other interactive experiences.

Guests can enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres served throughout the evening, a premium open bar and opportunities to win prizes while supporting the sanctuary’s mission. The event will also feature curated silent and live auction items, along with surprises designed to capture the spirit of the Roaring Twenties.

Based in Wylie, In-Sync Exotics is a nationally recognized sanctuary that provides a permanent home for rescued lions, tigers, cougars, bobcats, servals and other exotic felines. Many of the animals arrive from situations involving neglect, abandonment or unsafe living conditions.

Through rehabilitation, specialized care and educational programs, the organization works to provide a safe environment where the animals can live out their lives with dignity.

The fundraiser plays an important role in helping the nonprofit meet its annual operating budget of nearly $2 million. In-Sync Exotics relies on donations, grants, corporate sponsorships and fundraising events to support the care, feeding and medical needs of its residents.

Organizers say every ticket purchased, auction bid placed and donation made directly supports the sanctuary and the animals in its care.

For tickets and additional information, visit In-Sync Exotics’ event page. To learn more about the sanctuary, or make a donation, visit www.insyncexotics.org.

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Photo Courtesy Collin County Commissioners Court

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Museums throughout Collin County are offering a unique way to celebrate America 250. The Collin County Museum Patch Quest features activities at nine participating locations through August or while supplies last. Each museum has a different limited-edition patch showcasing its identity and the America 250 theme. 

Participating museums include the Welcome Center at Brown House in Wylie. Brown House visitors can tour the home and complete at least one activity to earn a patch embroidered with the home’s iconic turret and an American flag. Trying a handicraft, using the interactive Declaration of Independence and watching a Schoolhouse Rock video are among the activity choices.  

“Our tour guides will be happy to show the young and the young-at-heart how to earn a patch,” Tracy Lawson, Brown House curator, said.

Patch-seekers at the Farmersville Heritage Museum will make their way through a Farmersville history scavenger hunt. All answers will be found in the museum. Successful visitors will leave with a patch and knowledge of the people, places and stories that made Farmersville the community it is today. 

The patch features the museum and its outdoor Blackland Prairie Landscape exhibit. 

“For the Farmersville Heritage Museum, participating in the America 250 Museum Patch Quest is about more than collecting keepsakes,” Misty Wiebold, museum chair, said. “It is an opportunity to connect people of all ages with the local stories that help tell America’s story.”

The Interurban Railway Museum, operated by the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, will also participate in the countywide quest. The exhibits and interactive elements convey the history of the Texas Electric Railway. 

“To earn a limited-edition sticker at our location, participants only need to ask one of our friendly tour guides,” Executive Director Kim Hils said. “We also offer a scavenger hunt within the Interurban Railway Museum for a chance to receive another free takeaway.”

Additionally, the Allen Heritage Museum, the Military Heritage Collection of North Texas in Nevada and four locations in McKinney are participating in the America 250 Museum Patch Quest. For a full list, visit the Welcome Center at Brown House Facebook page. 

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