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Proclamations honor Juneteenth, Parks & Rec Month

Proclamations honor Juneteenth, Parks & Rec Month

July is officially Parks & Recreation Month in Murphy, according to a proclamation by Mayor Scott Bradley. Flanked by Parks & Rec staff, Deputy Mayor pro tem Ken Oltmann read the proclamation at the Tuesday, June 16, meeting of the Murphy City Council. “In the...

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New school teaches students to rock n’ roll

New school teaches students to rock n’ roll

School of Rock students ranging in age from 12 to 18 perform Friday, June 12, before the Sounds at Sundown Concert in Murphy Central Park. Photo Bob Wieland School of Rock officially celebrated its arrival in Murphy with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony...

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Signing the Sounds at Sundown concert series

Signing the Sounds at Sundown concert series

There’s a special section in the front row of the Murphy Central Park amphitheater for residents who are deaf or hard of hearing. Signs identify the area “to provide unrestricted visual access to the ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter on stage.” Starting with...

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Bluegrass

Education

Collin WSM Summer/Fall 2026 Registration #2
Seniors add curb appeal to parking spots

Seniors add curb appeal to parking spots

A Plano East parking lot is full of seniors personalizing their parking spaces Saturday, Aug. 9. WHS had about 600 spots for students to purchase at $35 each and painting began Friday, Aug. 8. Students were given guidelines to follow but the district does not require...

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School districts implementing phone ban

School districts implementing phone ban

House Bill 1481 bans the use of personal cellphones at all grade levels. As students gather supplies for returning to class, there’s one item they won’t need in school: a cell phone. A new Texas law bans the use of personal telecommunication devices at all grade...

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A bash before going back to school

A bash before going back to school

Yuli and his mom read a book at the Murphy Back 2 School Bash Thursday, July 24, at the Murphy Community Center. It was the hottest day of the year so far as the temperature flirted with triple digits. But that didn’t stop hundreds of students and parents from...

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TEA to release 2024 school accountability ratings

TEA to release 2024 school accountability ratings

The 15th Texas Court of Appeals (COA) has thrown out injunctions that had blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing school accountability ratings for the 2023-24 school year. The TEA is expected to release the ratings Aug. 15. “It is time for local courts to...

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Life & Style

Spring sweet spots

Spring sweet spots

Where to travel before Summer crowds hit By Carrie Dunlea May sits in a sweet spot on the travel calendar — that fleeting window when spring is still in full bloom, temperatures are comfortable across much of the country and summer crowds haven’t yet arrived in force....

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What’s the buzz about pollinators?

What’s the buzz about pollinators?

It’s easy to overlook them as we go about our busy lives, but pollinators are some of the most essential—and unsung—workers in our ecosystems. The next time you stop to smell the roses, take a closer look. You might spot a bee, butterfly, or even a beetle helping that...

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Gussie Nell Davis: A legacy set in stone and step

Gussie Nell Davis: A legacy set in stone and step

Rangerettes, past and present, along with member of the Greenville High School Flaming Flashes, attended the May dedication ceremony honoring Gussie Nell Davis with a historical marker on the square in Farmersville. Courtesy photo On a warm spring afternoon in May,...

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Bluegrass

Opinion

Raising the steaks

Raising the steaks

Columnist John Moore's great grandfather, Thornton Parmer Moore, is pictured circa 1935 in his blacksmith shop. Like most of the era, he made just about everything he needed. Photo John Moore By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com As a kid, I often heard the...

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Collin WSM Summer/Fall 2026 Registration #2
Local newspapers keep communities strong

Local newspapers keep communities strong

Strong communities don’t just happen. They rely on connection—residents knowing what’s going on, businesses reaching the customers who keep them open, and citizens having the facts to make good decisions. Local newspapers provide that connection in ways no other...

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The Naturals

The Naturals

Columnist John Moore has never attempted to rough it in the mountains like Jeremiah Johnson did, but John has taken a picture of the mountains from inside the comfort of a tour bus. Courtesy John Moore Robert Redford was a movie star. At a time when movie stars...

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Disconnecting

Disconnecting

The 70s were a different era. Kids did things other than look at a cellphone all day. Columnist John Moore (top left) was in a rock band in 1976. Courtesy John Moore Before cable television, the Internet, and social media reshaped how we spend our free time,...

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Labor pains

Labor pains

Columnist John Moore cuts and bales hay on the homestead he shares with his wife. A remnant of the hard work he was taught growing up. Courtesy John Moore Hard work has a way of shaping a person that no shortcut or modern convenience can replicate. In an era when many...

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