GCISD passes district of innovation plan

Monday night Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board of trustees adopted a district of innovation plan that will begin with the 2017-18 school year and end with the 2021-22 school year. The district of innovation concept, or DOI, gives independent school districts most of the flexibilities available to Texas’ open-enrollment charter schools. Some of those flexibilities include being […]

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State Rep. Jason Isaac aims to close the curtains on Daylight Saving Time

State Rep. Jason Isaac, R-Dripping Springs, has proposed legislation that would put an end to the biannual practice of setting clocks forward and backward known as Daylight Saving Time. “Imagine that it’s 2017, and lawmakers have for the first time proposed arbitrarily changing our clocks twice a year. They would be publicly ridiculed,” Isaac said […]

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Parlor games and ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’: 3 things to do in Grapevine, Feb. 24-26

Friday  Parlor Sociable Visitors ages 14 and older can visit Nash Farm, 626 Ball St., Grapevine, for coffee, tea and sweets, along with parlor games and conversation with friends. The event runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and the cost is $15 per person. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” The 1961 movie starring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard and Patricia Neal tells the story of a […]

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Dallas to Houston high-speed train opposed by rural Texas lawmakers

Republican lawmakers representing rural interests have filed a slew of bills taking aim at a proposed high-speed train between Dallas and Houston. The legislators who filed 18 different bills include state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury; state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe; state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham; state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock; state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown; state […]

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TxDOT directs $8 billion for road projects over next 4 years

Texas Department of Transportation Commissioners met Wednesday afternoon to update their $70 billion funding plan for the next 10 years of construction projects. The Unified Transportation Plan allocates a large sum of money for the agency to address problems in congestion, connectivity and safety. Of the $70 billion, $50 billion is allocated already via formula […]

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Houston state senator tries to create safe zones in wake of anti-sanctuary city bill

After unsuccessfully proposing more than 3o amendments to Senate Bill 4, an anti-sanctuary city bill, state Senate Democrats are making another attempt at adjusting the proposed legislation. Following the long but rather easy passage of Senate Bill 4 out of the Texas Senate, state Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, has proposed Senate Bill 997, which attempts […]

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80 amendments to Colleyville’s comprehensive plan approved unanimously

On Tuesday night Colleyville City Council members unanimously approved 80 amendments to Destination Colleyville, the city’s comprehensive plan, which provides a vision for the city through 2035. “This is a guide; it is not the final word,” Council Member Nancy Coplen said. Destination Colleyville was adopted in December 2015. However, upon getting elected in May […]

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Revised voter ID bill in Texas gains support from coalition of Republican state senators

On Tuesday afternoon, the 20 Republicans in the state Senate banded together behind a bill to mandate voter identification. The coalition ensures a vote on the floor of the Senate, and absent any changes, passage to the House. Altogether, Senate Bill 5 follows a court decision handed down by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, […]

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Dallas to Houston high-speed train opposed by rural Texas lawmakers

Republican lawmakers representing rural interests have filed a slew of bills taking aim at a proposed high-speed train between Dallas and Houston. The legislators who filed 18 different bills include state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury; state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe; state Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham; state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock; state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown; state […]

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Texas lawmakers might reverse voter-approved $5 billion allocation to TxDOT

More than 80 percent of Texas voters approved a proposition in November 2015 to allocate $5 billion in sales tax funds to the Texas Department of Transportation starting in the 2018-19 biennium. But Texas lawmakers may now use a little-publicized backout option to help fill an estimated multi-billion state revenue shortfall. Roughly 1.2 million Texans voted […]

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DFW Veterans Summit & Procurement Fair set for Wednesday

In partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp., the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce is hosting the DFW Veterans Summit & Procurement Fair from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday at the Grapevine Convention Center, 1209 S. Main St., Grapevine. At the fair, small- to medium-size businesses have an opportunity to meet major government and commercial entities […]

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Teriyaki Madness to reopen in Colleyville on Feb. 24

Teriyaki Madness, a fresh Asian grill restaurant, will reopen Feb. 24 at 4712 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville. Teriyaki Madness will open its doors for a soft opening  Friday, Feb. 24, and then host a grand opening event Saturday, Feb. 25. The first five people to order at the grand opening event will receive free teriyaki bowls for […]

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How do you get around Texas? State transportation leaders want your feedback

A new survey from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute aims to find out how Texans get around and what resources they use to get to their destinations. TTI launched a study Thursday with the support of the Texas Department of Transportation that asks residents a series of questions about their driving habits and how they […]

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Travel guide highlights Lone Star State’s Black history

African-Americans have left their mark in Texas history all around the state, but in an effort to help history buffs and inquisitive Texans find places of interest, the Texas Historical Commission updated its “African Americans in Texas: A Lasting Legacy” travel guide for this year’s Black History Month. Commission spokesperson Leah Brown said the updates […]

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Senate State Affairs Committee advances call to amend the U.S. Constitution

The Senate State Affairs Committee honored Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency item call for a Convention of States to amend the U.S. Constitution in its hearing Thursday morning. Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, who is known for sometimes siding with his Republican counterparts, voted to pass the bill onto the floor of the Senate. The lone dissenter […]

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Two-story Park Place Porsche dealership coming to Grapevine in 2018

Park Place Dealerships announced Thursday plans to build a two-story, 70,000-square-foot Porsche dealership in Grapevine. The five-acre site is located off of Texan Trail and SH 114 near Park Place Motorcars and Park Place Lexus. The project, which is expected to start construction within the next 30 days, will be completed by spring 2018 and will create […]

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8 charts that show how flu cases are increasing in the DFW area, nationwide

Flu cases have been on the rise since the beginning of the year throughout North Texas, the state and the United States. The Texas Department of State Health Services is categorizing current statewide flu activity as “widespread,” and data indicates that flu levels are the highest yet this season as of the last reporting period, […]

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4 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, Feb. 17-19

From art exhibits to consignment sales, here are four events happening in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, Feb. 17-19. Friday, Feb. 17 Annual Great Backyard Bird Count The post 4 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, Feb. 17-19 appeared first on Community Impact Newspaper.

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What is a state auditor, and why doesn’t Texas have one?

What is a state auditor? The state auditor oversees the State Auditor’s Office, an independent auditing firm of the Texas government that performs audits, reviews and investigations of any organization or entity that takes money from the Texas government. The office explores an agency’s finances, efficiency and effectiveness, among other qualities within each audit. This […]

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Colleyville seeks citizen input to help shape future plans and actions

Until Feb. 28, Colleyville residents can voice their opinion on what they would like to see in their city by completing the city’s citizen survey. The city of Colleyville releases a survey every two years to provide a way for residents’ opinions and perspectives to shape the city’s plans and actions. The citizen survey is […]

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Texas talks plans to clear 4,200 untested rape kits going back to 2011

As it stands, roughly 4,200 untested rape kits going back five years are without funding and a clear plan in place to be tested. The Senate Finance Committee is working on a remedy to this problem, with Chairwoman Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, saying she plans to fully fund the backlog tests in her draft […]

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Ranking Local Businesses Based Upon Quality Measures including Travel Time

Can the amount of travel time someone might take to get to a place be a good indication of the quality of that place? That is the assumption behind a recently granted patent from Google. Travel time in the patent is referred to as a “time investment a person may be willing to make to […]

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5 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this week, Feb. 13-17

Tuesday, Feb. 14 Vetro Glassblowing Studio’s hot date night The unique Valentine’s Day experience features flaming cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and hot molten glass. Guests can create their own Valentine heart or flower with the assistance of professional glassblowers. Participants must be age 21 or older. Reservations are required. 1-9 p.m. (lasts about an hour). $195 […]

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Austin-based My Fit Foods closes eight North Texas locations

My Fit Foods, a healthy meal to-go company, announced it is closing eight North Texas locations. This weekend, the Austin-based company said it is closing all of its locations with a message on its website. The company had more than 50 locations. Here are the company’s North Texas locations that have closed in light of […]

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A-F system ignites controversy

The preliminary results for the Texas Education Agency’s new A-F accountability rating system that were published Jan. 6 have school districts across the state up in arms, especially the portion of the ratings that measure postsecondary readiness. About 60 percent of the nearly 1,000 school districts in the state received a C, D or F […]

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Ask the editor

What is a district of innovation? The district of innovation, or DOI, concept, passed by the 84th Texas Legislature, gives independent school districts most of the flexibilities available to Texas’ open-enrollment charter schools. Some of those flexibilities include being able to choose the first day of class, minutes of instruction per day, class-size ratio, and […]

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Grapevine’s economy benefits from international travelers

International travelers are big business for the city of Grapevine. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which offers 57 nonstop international flights, saw a 50 percent increase—from 5.59 million to 8.39 million— from 2011-15 in its number of international passengers. That includes a large number of connecting flights, which airlines often schedule at DFW. Brady Closson, […]

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Google May Check to See if People Go to Geographic Locations Google May Recommend

Google was granted a patent this week to enable them to check whether people are following recommendations in search results to visit geographical locations – to see how many people actually visited those places. And it’s probably good for many businesses to have Google recommending that people visit them. For example, people living near a […]

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H-E-B sells Grapevine and McKinney properties to Safeway

H-E-B/Central Market announced Feb. 8 that it sold its properties in Grapevine and McKinney to Safeway, which owns Tom Thumb, Randalls and Albertsons. Safeway spokesperson Connie Yates said both locations will be reverted back to Tom Thumb stores, which they previously were before they were sold in December 2014 to Minyard Sun Fresh Market. “We are […]

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Dallas-area legislators named to House committees

House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, announced committee assignments Wednesday. Here are the Dallas-area legislator assignments for this session. To show changes in assignments, we have included assignments from the last legislative session as well. Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall 2017 Legislature assignments: Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee, Investments and Financial Services Committee 2015 Legislature assignments: No […]

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Texas Speaker Joe Straus announces House committee assignments

About three weeks after the Texas Senate made a similar announcement, Speaker Joe Straus announced Wednesday where House members would be devoting their time this session. In the past, Straus, R-San Antonio, has announced committee membership at roughly the same time, taking on average 29.5 days to make the announcement. This did not keep some legislators from […]

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3 things to know about the Texas state bill to lower speed limits

Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, held a press conference Thursday to explain why she is introducing a bill to lower speed limits on Texas city roads. Here is what you need to know about the bill that Israel hopes will lower traffic fatalities throughout the state: 1. Israel filed the bill because of the high amount […]

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Meet Barbara Jordan: Key influencer in Texas, national politics

Just two weeks before what would have been Barbara Jordan’s 80th birthday, the Texas Capitol is remembering the notable politician’s legacy with a special exhibit for Black History Month. The exhibit is curated by the Barbara Jordan Freedom Foundation and highlights Jordan’s background, rise to elected office and lasting legacy. Max Sherman, a former state […]

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Southlake City Council approves Tesla gallery, charging stations

On Tuesday night, Southlake City Council approved specific use permits to allow for a Tesla showroom and charging stations in Southlake Town Square. The Tesla store will move into the space currently occupied by Buckle on Grand Avenue. Buckle is in the process of moving into the space currently occupied by Justice. The Southlake gallery will […]

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Here’s the latest on 4 emergency items that Texas legislators can approve right now

Updated at 5:11 p.m. on Feb. 7 On Jan. 31, Gov. Greg Abbott announced his four emergency items that will be taken up immediately by the Senate and eventually the House. These four items—reforming Child Protective Services, eliminating sanctuary cities, ethics reform and calling a convention of states—can exclusively get passed into law before March […]

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Craft & Crab in Colleyville to reopen as Dallas Craft Co. Kitchen & Community Tap Room

The owners of Craft & Crab Seafood House, which opened in August 2016, announced Feb. 6 that they were no longer able to sustain the Craft and Crab concept and would be closing down temporarily. The restaurant is expected to reopen later this month as Dallas Craft Co. Kitchen & Community Tap Room. Although the name […]

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Texas Central reaches agreement on land option program for the high-speed railway

Texas Central Partners, developers of the state’s high-speed train, announced today that it had reached land option agreements on about 30 percent of the parcels of land estimates to be needed for the bullet train’s route in the 10-county stretch between North Texas and Houston. The railway is expected to cross portions of Harris, Waller, […]

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Carroll ISD board of trustees call for a $208 million bond election

Carroll ISD board of trustees voted Monday night to call for a May 6 bond election. The $208 million bond package, if approved, would be the largest bond in the district’s history. The bond proposition includes classroom additions to all elementary schools, which are near or at capacity, as well as new roofs, new flooring and […]

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Here’s the latest on 4 emergency items that Texas legislators can approve right now

On Jan. 31, Gov. Greg Abbott announced his four emergency items that will be taken up immediately by the Senate and eventually the House. These four items—reforming Child Protective Services, eliminating sanctuary cities, ethics reform and calling a convention of states—can exclusively get passed into law before March 10, or the 60-day mark into this […]

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Google Introduces a Social Where Next Suggestion Patent

Google was granted a patent this week on offering recommendations or suggestions for places to go for members of social groups. A social group, such as a meetup group that may get together for social events, may use the internet to communicate and interact, and look to for recommendations on where to go next. The […]

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Father-daughter dances and silent films: 8 things to do in North Texas, Feb. 3-5

Friday On the first Friday of every month, the Sci-Tech Discovery Center invites veterans to the Makerspace studio to learn, create, build and make. This event is free, but a military ID is required. Children over 10 years old are also welcome, and each guest will be able to work on their own projects. There will be […]

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Sunset Advisory Committee offers recommendations to improve TxDOT

Every 12 years, each state agency must go before the Sunset Advisory Committee for evaluation and critical review. The result is a series of Sunset bills, filed in the House and Senate, that translate the committee’s recommendations into proposed agency changes. If those recommendations are approved, the agency will alter its processes and protocol. After […]

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Senate committee unanimously fast-tracks ethics legislation

After hearing the first of Gov. Greg Abbott’s emergency items Wednesday, the Senate State Affairs Committee sent ethics reform legislation sponsored by Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano, back to the Senate floor for a full vote. In a unanimous decision, the nine members of the committee approved seven separate bills authored by Taylor. The bills will […]

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4 things you need to know about Texas’ proposed sanctuary city bill

A proposed sanctuary city bill had its first committee hearing early Thursday morning. The bill, spearhead by state Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, would penalize local government entities whose law enforcement officials do not cooperate with federal immigration investigations. The sanctuary city debate recently received publicity when Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez made good on her […]

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Colleyville named 11th-safest city in the nation

NeighborhoodScout, a web-based patented neighborhood search engine, named Colleyville the 11th-safest city in the nation. The list, which only includes cities in the U.S. with 25,000 or more residents, is based on the total number of property and violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, murder, rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault. Click […]

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