Latest News
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...
A flurry of confetti announces the grand total on the big screen as the Wylie Education Foundation wrapped up this year’s annual Boots n’ Barbecue gala Saturday, March 28 at the Plano Event Center. Courtesy Chris Bigenho More than 850 supporters gathered Saturday,...
Expert grillers are sharpening their skewers and seasoning their firewood in anticipation of Murphy’s second Backyard BBQ Cook-off. The non-sanctioned competition Saturday, April 25, in Central Park replaced the spring Tunes, Tails and Ales festival that was...
More than a month after an incident at Wylie East High School sparked public outcry, roughly 20 speakers returned to the Wylie ISD Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday, March 24, as district leaders continued addressing routine business. During the public forum, speakers...
Murphy resident Monica Landeros-Jimenez, master of ceremonies for the “Leading the Way: Celebrating Women in Murphy” chamber event, poses with her daughter, Olive, for photo Thursday, March 26, at Murphy City Hall. Courtesy Bobby Tillman/Special Webs More than a dozen...
Sports
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...
Players on the Plano East softball team raise the gold trophy after the Lady Panthers defeated Hebron 6-5 in a Class 6A Division I bi-district playoff game. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] There was plenty of winning by...
Colton Shaw, a 2021 graduate of Plano East High School, was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the seventh round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft with the No. 212 overall pick. File photo By David Wolman [email protected] The Seattle Mariners dipped into...
Plano East rising junior Kennedy Borders smiles as she holds the Class 6A Division I regional final championship trophy after the Lady Panthers defated North Crowley 49-45 in the Region I-6A final. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media By David Wolman...
Plano East alumna infielder Kylie Grant, right, helped to lead the Lady Panthers’ softball team to their first regional final since 2012. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] Another year has come and gone for student-athletes at...
Education
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...
An unclear state on how school districts will be evaluated by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in its annual accountability ratings had Deputy Superintendent Kim Spicer “concerned.” Spicer presented the changes alongside Stephen Davis, executive director of secondary...
Fresh off of two state championships during the fall season, Wylie High School esports competitors are looking forward to a strong spring season and adding to the trophy cabinet. The team began its eight-week spring season Sunday, Feb. 12, in five sports after adding...
Wylie families preparing to send a student to high school will attend an event designed to inform students about curriculum choices the next four years is planned next week. The I Have a Plan night will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at Wylie High School...
A year-round competition gives two Wylie schools the opportunity to get one over on their crosstown rivals in a series of four events. The Crosstown Showdown Games pit Wylie High School and Wylie East High School against one another in four categories: athletics,...
Life & Style
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...
Simple steps to start researching your genealogy Searching for family history and digging deep to find all the roots to the branches on your family tree can be a daunting task but equally so, it can be an exciting and rewarding endeavor. Many people are lucky enough...
Spring Break lasts throughout next week, and though students may feel glad to be out of class, boredom can set in all too easily. Luckily, the area will have plenty of entertainment options available. For the full story, see the March 5 issue or subscribe...
If you worry that you or someone you love will get heart disease or even have a heart attack, it’s understandable. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)....
From Bandera to Waco with multiple stops in between, many Texas cities have found a way to host their own unique versions of Mardi Gras celebrations without visiting its neighboring state of Louisiana. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is celebrated this year on Tuesday,...
Opinion
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...
It’s time the lunchroom ladies got their due. At Burke Street Elementary in Ashdown, Arkansas, (and later Ashdown High School) the kids in my grade were respectful of all adults. But just like at home, we sometimes complained about the food. Especially the food in the...
If you look at what’s missing from this great land, it’s, a barstool on which to sit, good home cookin’, and a counter on which to eat it. The diners of yesterday need a revival. By John Moore For more on this story see the November 23, 2023 print, or...
The late comedian Norm McDonald once joked about how just a century and a half ago, our great grandfather was lucky if he had one photo of himself. With the advent of cell phones, Norm pointed out that a century and a half from now, people would proudly offer to show...
The ownership we feel for places we have lived seems absolute. Any house we’ve called home was ours. No one else’s. Even if several others lived in it before or after we did. Such was the case of the house on Beech Street where my family lived in the 60s and early 70s...
