Latest News
Historic downtown Wylie will take on a Bavarian flavor in early October, with Oktoberfest celebrations offering everything from German music and steinholding contests to a village stroll and racing dachshunds. The festivities will center around downtown Friday through...
Collin County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to authorize up to $817.5 million in bonds for county facilities, roads and bridges, parks and open space, and a new elections and records storage facility. The Collin County Commissioners Court called the bond election...
Plano Independent School District earned a grade of B, 85 out of 100 points, in the latest 2025-2026 school accountability rankings released by the Texas Education Agency. The district’s overall ranking improved 3 points from last year. “This measures how much...
The Wylie Historical Society will celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary with history, fashion and a look at how family stories can become historical works during its Celebrate America 250 BBQ Luncheon Saturday, Aug. 29. The luncheon begins at 11 a.m. at St....
Smith Public Library hosted local food programs throughout the summer, as they distributed nearly 9,000 meals to 600 students. Courtesy photo Nearly 150,000 Collin County residents were estimated to lack consistent access to adequate food in 2024, according to a newly...
Sports
Plano East junior Cason Marsh chases down a Lake Highlands ball carrier Friday at Tom Kimbrough Stadium. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media By Seth Dowdle [email protected] (Click on the link for a photo gallery from this game:...
Plano East incoming sophomore Emerson Bailey was named the District 6-6A Utility Player of the Year after she hit .342 with 15 RBIs. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] Plano East recently completed its spring sports season...
Plano East’s Luca Cortesano helped lead the Panthers’ boys soccer team to its first playoff appearance since 2018. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] Plano East enjoyed a breakthrough in multiple sports during the 2025-26...
Plano East incoming senior Bilal Habib, right, earned fifth place at 106 pounds in the Class 6A state wrestling tournament. Photo courtesy Niall Morga By David Wolman [email protected] It was a banner year for Plano East. The Panthers enjoyed success across the...
Junior outfielder Dasan Harris, a 2023 graduate of Plano East High School, and the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team will open play in the NCAA Division I World Series at 2p.m. Saturday against No. 7 seeded Alabama from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. The game...
Education
By Andrew Norsworthy Wylie ISD trustees approved the district’s 2026-27 budget during their June 16 meeting, adopting a spending plan that projects a nearly $15 million deficit while providing pay increases for teachers and staff and maintaining the current tax rate....
Plano East Senior High School graduated 1,325 students at a May 28 commencement exercise at The Star in Frisco. Wylie High School graduated 755 Class of 2025 seniors in a May 24 ceremony at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center in Allen while Plano East Senior High...
Construction has begun on the Plano ISD’s new $72.2 million Career and Technical Education Center, shown in a concept rendering. Courtesy photo Plano Independent School District (PISD) officials, community members and business partners have marked the start of...
Wylie ISD trustees are considering several new measures to save money in the upcoming school year. The Board of Trustees convened for its final meeting of the year during a special called meeting Monday, Dec. 8. Trustees unanimously approved three items: the 2024-25...
Wylie P&Z unanimously approved the site plan for a major new career and technical education facility at Collin College Wylie campus. The continued expansion of Collin College’s Wylie campus — a significant educational resource for Murphy and surrounding...
Life & Style
How misinformation may be undermining cancer prevention Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Despite its wide recognition as an effective tool for skin cancer prevention, many Americans still say they aren’t sure how sunscreen works. In fact, confusion about its use and...
Side dishes abound on Thanksgiving dinner tables, but turkey still takes center stage. This recipe for “Holiday Turkey,” courtesy Andrew Schloss’ “Cooking Slow” (Chronicle Books), calls for slow cooking the bird. Such an approach should result in a delicious and...
Take an excursion aboard one of the many holiday trains with the kids or grandkids this season. Whether you’re young, old or somewhere in between and craving a memorable Christmas experience that doesn’t involve hours in the car searching for lights, gather your loved...
Delicious soup perfect for the season Cooler weather arrives just as prime entertaining season heats up. Those who will be hosting gatherings soon can expand their recipe repertoire to feed guests and keep them satisfied. Borrowing some flavors from the season can...
Excelsior House Hotel in Jefferson, Texas, Courtesy Excelsior Hotel Do you have a penchant for the peculiar and perhaps haunted happenings? If so, plan a special trip this fall and visit some spooky hotels in Texas towns to get you in the Halloween spirit. Let’s...
Opinion
Columnist John Moore (right) and his sister, Renee', are pictured on a 1966 trip to Carlsbad Caverns. Photo: Mary Moore By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com Leaving Ashdown, Arkansas, was an event unto itself. When your family has one car, going anywhere was a treat....
More than 30K school voucher applications were submitted last week on the first day of the state’s new program to give families taxpayer-funded accounts for private school tuition and homeschooling expenses, the Houston Chronicle reported. The applications will be...
As a boy, columnist John Moore was fascinated by NASA and the Space Program. He still is. Photo: John Moore I was six when Neal Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. I was 10 when Gene Cernan became the last. Between July 20, 1969, and December 14, 1972,...
My grandfather was a blacksmith. To supply his shop with the metal, wood, and other materials he needed to operate, he attended auctions. Auctions that sold all types of items. Since his shop was located in Ashdown, Arkansas, that gave him close proximity to the...
Columnist John Moore knows how to make Southern Sweet Tea, and he's offering the recipe. Courtesy John Moore The thing you discover about beverages when you travel beyond the Mason Dixon is that most folks outside of Southern civilization do not know how to properly...
