SFOT RH 2026

Latest News

Collin WSM Summer/Fall 2026 Registration #2
Save during sales tax holiday

Save during sales tax holiday

Texans can save money on tax-free purchases of most clothing, footwear, school supplies and backpacks — selling for less than $100 — during the Tax-Free weekend, a yearly event begun in 1999, the state comptroller’s office says.  Qualifying items can be purchased...

read more
Saving lives one mile at a time

Saving lives one mile at a time

Day in, day out for nearly a decade, volunteer drivers with Families to Freedom have shown up at hospitals, police stations and carefully arranged meeting spots to transport people escaping abuse. Sometimes the passenger is a woman carrying little more than a purse...

read more
A fair time to go back to school

A fair time to go back to school

With two weeks before the start of classes, the Plano ISD held a crowded back-to-school fair in the Plano Center on Wednesday, July 29. Bob Wieland/Murphy Monitor Thousands of Plano ISD students and their families swarmed the Plano Center for the district’s annual...

read more
Flock cameras capture less than many think

Flock cameras capture less than many think

Lowes operates five Flock Safety automated license plate readers in the parking lot of Murphy Marketplace on the northeast corner of FM 544 and North Murphy Road. Murphy PD has access to vehicle data uploaded to Flock from the cameras. Bob Wieland/Murphy Monitor...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe

Sports

Public Notice - Subscribe
SFOT RH 2026

Education

Collin WSM Summer/Fall 2026 Registration #2
Texas lawmakers vote to end STAAR

Texas lawmakers vote to end STAAR

The Texas Legislature has voted to eliminate the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, known as STAAR, and replace it with a new testing and accountability system designed to reduce pressure on students, give parents and teachers faster results and provide...

read more
Plano ISD responds to antisemitism allegations

Plano ISD responds to antisemitism allegations

The Plano Independent School District (PISD) said it has launched an independent investigation into possible antisemitic behavior alleged by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, two Republican members of Congress and a former PISD trustee. “Plano ISD is prepared to...

read more
Wylie ISD prepares for leadership transition

Wylie ISD prepares for leadership transition

Conroe ISD announced Wednesday, Aug. 27, that Wylie ISD Superintendent David Vinson has been named its lone finalist for the superintendent position. Courtesy photo Conroe ISD announced Wednesday, Aug. 27, that Wylie ISD Superintendent David Vinson has been named its...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe

Life & Style

Public Notice - Subscribe
State Fair of Texas prepares for 24-day run

State Fair of Texas prepares for 24-day run

The State Fair of Texas Midway beckons with all of its sights, smells, sounds and thrills. Photo courtesy Kevin Brown/State Fair of Texas® The State Fair of Texas will return to Dallas’ Fair Park this fall with 24 days of entertainment, agriculture, and community...

read more
Equestrian drill team celebrates 20 years

Equestrian drill team celebrates 20 years

The Wranglers Equestrian Drill team performs 10-12 times per year, including some rodeos, along with competitions, the Fort Work Stock Show and more. The team is coached by April Evans, left, of Lucas. Courtesy photo When the lights come up and the announcer’s voice...

read more
Canadian Rockies by rail

Canadian Rockies by rail

Scenic views abound as you travel through the Canadian Rockies by rail. Traveling used to be such a formal event. In the golden age of rail, gentlemen wore fresh-pressed suits and ladies tied silk scarves neatly under their chins as they bought tickets to faraway...

read more
Wylie Community Band keeps the beat

Wylie Community Band keeps the beat

Each March, the Wylie Community Band takes the stage at Meyerson Symphony Center to perform their own concert, continuing a local tradition alongside separate performances by Wylie ISD school bands at the same venue. Now in its ninth year, the Wylie Community Band...

read more
SFOT RH 2026

Opinion

Out to eat

Out to eat

Columnist John Moore rarely went out to eat when he was young. But when he did, he had a pretty good idea where his family was going to dine. Photo: Moore Family Photos By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com “Are we going out to eat?” was not a phrase my...

read more
Collin WSM Summer/Fall 2026 Registration #2
What’s cooking

What’s cooking

Columnist John Moore collects cookbooks. Especially ones with a family touch. Courtesy John Moore The transition to digital is understandable in some areas. Watching old movies is easier online. But when it comes to reading, I still prefer a hard copy. A book....

read more
Sears habits DieHard

Sears habits DieHard

Columnist John Moore grew up with just about everything coming from the Sears catalog. You can buy reprints of the old catalogs, such as the one pictured, which is available on Amazon. Courtesy John Moore For much of the twentieth century, the Sears Roebuck catalog...

read more
What’s in a number?

What’s in a number?

Columnist John Moore's mother turned off her landline and the phone number he grew up with is now gone. He's taking it harder than he expected. Courtesy John Moore My mom turned off her landline. For 50 years, my parents had the same number. 898-2446. Now, it’s gone....

read more
Child’s play

Child’s play

Columnist John Moore's mother sent him one place often when he was a child. Outside. Courtesy John Moore Red Rover. Sandlot baseball. Hide-and-seek. Cowboys and Indians.  The latter today is likely lacking political correctness, but it shares with the others a...

read more
Public Notice - Subscribe