Latest News
Campus-wide safety measures added over the summer were discussed by Plano ISD trustees during last week’s school board meeting. Deputy Superintendent for Leadership and Operations Selenda Anderson presented the district’s back-to-school plan during the Tuesday, Aug. 2...
Murphy City Council approved several charter amendments to go to voters and gave direction for the city’s property tax rate at the Tuesday, Aug. 2 meeting. Residents who vote in the upcoming Nov. 8 election will likely have 15 amendments to the city charter to...
A Wylie man was sentenced Monday, Aug. 1 for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Guy Reffitt was sentenced to 87 months — just over 7 years — in prison by a federal judge after being convicted of bringing a handgun to the Capitol, among other charges, in the attack....
Plano East has a lot of veteran experience returning to its defense, but one of its biggest questions is at linebacker. The Panthers lost starting middle linebacker and team leader Jaxon Atchley. He led the team with 60 tackles last season and was one of the best...
The first day of school can be a trying time for students and parents and Wylie ISD officials have some advice to make the transition as easy as possible. Counseling Coordinator Amy Andrews said there are five tips the district offers parents to help with first-day...
Sports
With late changes in the program, Plano East’s volleyball team is quickly preparing to start the regular season. Nikki Pugh, last season’s first-year head coach, takes on a new role as head coach at Berkner High School in Richardson. Taking over the team is Sarah...
With several returning players on the Plano East defensive line, the coaching staff views it as one of the strengths of the defensive unit. Returning three starters, Plano East head coach Tony Benedetto is excited for the prospects this upcoming season. The group will...
Plano East may be undersized on the offensive line, but it isn’t stopping them from being aggressive on offense in 2022. The Panthers return two starters and have several depth options for the upcoming season. The two returning starters, Gavin Speight and Ralee...
Competing in one of the toughest districts in the state, Plano East saw improvement and two players with all-district nods. While still finishing eighth in District 6-6A, the Lady Panthers (3-11, 8-16) improved by three wins in the district. That led to two players...
The Plano East Panthers may have missed out on a postseason berth, but are still earned a few nods to the all-district team. Leading the way for Plano East (3-11, 7-18-2) this season was Caleb Bergman. The senior Baylor baseball signee ended his final season on a...
Education
The top ranked graduates at Wylie High School said hard work and a little bit of luck helped them earn the number one and two spots.Wylie High School rankings place Alina Nguyen as valedictorian and Reiki Hingorani as salutatorian of the class of 2022. Alina posted a...
Plano ISD recently announced some personnel moves in its administrative apparatus, an assistant superintendent for Student Engagement and District Services and an executive director of Safety and Security, district officials said in a news release. Selenda Anderson,...
Camryn Shupe considered herself lacking a certain characteristic before her involvement with SkillsUSA. That trait — confidence — has grown since she started with the national organization that seeks to help secondary school and college students build personal and...
Wylie ISD will receive millions of dollars from the last stimulus package, with some of that money targeted to help increase school district math testing scores. Drops in WISD math scores on the STAAR from 2019 to 2021 could be seen especially in grades five through...
When longtime teachers leave the profession, many if not all leave with lasting memories. For Wylie High School retiree Teri Harrington, who retired at the end of the 2020-21 school year, those 23 years of memories came inside and outside the classroom. Harrington...
Life & Style
Home gardener Catherine “Cathi” Banks has learned by trial and error how to get the most from the raised bed gardens that have lined her backyard in Murphy for the last six years. In fact, Banks’ has not only had good luck with her gardening adventure, she...
Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re fortunate enough to still have your mom or grandmother in your life why not plan a special trip to honor them this year? We all know flowers and lunch are nice but how about escaping town to visit a place where...
Pictures of trash on beaches, a whale found with a belly full of garbage and turtles with plastic straws up their nose are no laughing matter. They are all just a tiny snapshot of reality today. The impact of the world’s overuse of plastic is causing havoc on the...
Imagine being part of a group where only women are allowed. No kids, no husband, no pets. Your only responsibility is for yourself – and making sure you have fun! Sure, there’s a caveat. You must be willing to commune with nature as you fraternize with a group of...
Traditional family activities like trick-or-treating create fun moments and memories, but the effects of COVID-19 on this Halloween will bring about change for the spooky excitement. You can still ensure a special night for your little ones and all the ghouls,...
Opinion
By John Moore I used to pay little attention to the world’s little idiosyncrasies, but now they seem ever present. And it’s more than slightly annoying. I can’t be the only one. When I was getting change back from the fast-food drive-thru recently, it all became...
By Jeremy B. MazurThe trials of drought weave throughout the story of Texas in tales of devastation that had lasting effects on the families, businesses, and communities that survived them. These withering dry times prompted Texans to make big changes to shore up...
By Todd Baughman This weekend I had the opportunity to celebrate two men in my life turning 90 years old. One was my grandfather Bob Houser and the other, my friend and founding pastor Gene Getz. These milestones gave me the opportunity to celebrate the...
No matter how hard we try, we really can’t avoid one another. We live in a world where what takes place somewhere else on the globe has a very good chance of affecting us, along with many others. The pandemic, of course, is a useful – if sobering – example. A virus...
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced too many tragedies to tally, but here is one that does not get talked about enough: It has worsened conditions that leave children and youth especially vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation, a human trafficking crime. Human...
