Colleyville’s Glade Road project set to begin this summer

After five years of discussion, an election and several City Council workshops, construction on Glade Road in Colleyville will finally begin this summer. The almost $17 million project will reconstruct Glade from the western city limits to Heritage Avenue and will be broken into five phases of construction over the next 10 years or more. […]

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Abbott signs bills aimed at addressing crisis in child welfare system

Editor’s note: this story has been updated throughout Gov. Greg Abbott signed four child welfare bills into law on Wednesday, measures that aim to recalibrate how the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services works with endangered children across the state.  The bill signing comes just two days after the end of a legislative session […]

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Texas Tribune: The most memorable moments of the 85th Texas Legislature

Tears, jeers, shouts and pouts filled the Texas Capitol this legislative session. Bills died, others survived and some still remain uncertain. Here’s a rundown of the bests and worsts, the highs and lows from the 85th Texas Legislature. Biggest floor fights There were two skirmishes in the House this session that nearly came to blows. […]

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Republican lawmaker: I called immigration authorities on Capitol protesters

By Matthew Watkins, Alexa Ura and Julian Aguilar The normally ceremonial last day of the legislative session briefly descended into chaos on Monday, as proceedings in the House were disrupted by large protests and at least one Republican lawmaker called immigration authorities on the protesters. State Rep. Matt Rinaldi, R-Irving, said he called U.S Immigration […]

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What happens after the Texas Legislature concludes the 85th session?

Texas is fairly unique among peer states in that its Legislature meets once every two years for just 140 days. Monday is the last day in Texas’ 85th legislative session—unless a special session is reportedly called “later this week,” according to the Texas Tribune. This session under the pink dome has included a number of […]

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Legislature unanimously approves last-minute overhaul of school A-F ratings

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the House passing the conference committee report on House Bill 22. Texas House and Senate education leaders came to a compromise on how to tweak a plan for grading schools and districts, which the House and Senate each passed without dissent Sunday evening. The Senate voted 31-0 […]

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Honoring the fallen: 3 things to do locally this Memorial Day

For those not traveling this Memorial Weekend, here are three things to do in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Colleyville Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park, located at  5725 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, will be honoring fallen soldiers beginning at 10 a.m. Grapevine Beginning at 10 a.m., attention will be focused on veterans suffering from PTSD and their service […]

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Lawmakers vote to fund veterinary medicine at Texas Tech

Texas Tech University’s on-again, off-again plans to open a veterinary school in Amarillo might just be on again.  Buried in the 900-plus page budget approved Saturday by state lawmakers is $4.1 million allocated to Tech for “veterinary medicine.” That money appears to be start-up funding for a new vet school — even though Tech started […]

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Texas Legislature sends $217 billion budget to Gov. Abbott

By Edgar Walters Both chambers of the Texas Legislature voted Saturday evening to approve a $217 billion, two-year budget that would boost funding for the state’s beleaguered child welfare agency, increase the number of state troopers on the Texas-Mexico border and avoid serious reforms to the state’s much-criticized school finance system. The final vote in the House […]

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Legislature opts to largely maintain cuts of therapy services for disabled children

In the latest showdown between the Texas House and Senate — this time over how much money to spend on speech, physical and occupational therapy services for disabled children — the Senate scored a last-minute victory. State Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, told House colleagues on Friday he was prepared to accept the Senate’s version of a […]

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Sweeping anti-abortion bill heads to governor's desk

Texas senators voted Friday to send a bill banning the most common second-trimester abortion procedure and changing how health care facilities handle fetal remains to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.  Under Senate Bill 8, which passed 22-9, health care facilities including hospitals and abortion clinics would be required to bury or cremate any fetal remains — […]

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Mike Floyd’s first job after graduating high school? Helping run a school district

As Pearland seniors celebrate graduation this week, 18-year-old Democrat Mike Floyd is preparing for his first term in elected office. In early May, the Dawson High School senior beat two-term incumbent Rusty DeBorde for a seat on Pearland ISD’s school board. DeBorde had served as school board president for four years and earned an endorsement […]

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Lawmakers say Driver Responsibility Program repeal unlikely this session

With three days left in the legislative session, efforts to abolish a Texas Department of Public Safety program that some say targets poor people appear to have failed. The Driver Responsibility Program, created in 2003 to help cover a budget shortfall, requires drivers convicted of certain traffic offenses, such as speeding and driving while intoxicated, to pay additional annual […]

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House, Senate strike deal on “Buy American” iron and steel bill

Members of a legislative conference committee made several changes to a “Buy American” iron and steel bill that would expand a provision already in effect for the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Water Development Board, according to a report released Thursday evening. Senate Bill 1289 by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would require […]

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Behind closed doors, Texas lawmakers strip funding for sex trafficking victims

In recent private negotiations between the Texas House and Senate about which public programs to fund and how to fund them, state lawmakers opted to kill a $3 million initiative to rehabilitate victims of sex trafficking. That ended hopes from child welfare advocates that 2017 would be the first year in recent memory in which […]

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6 things to do this Memorial Day weekend in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake, May 26-28

For those not traveling this Memorial Weekend, or for those who maybe have family members coming in and need something to do locally, here are six things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake: Friday, May 26 Friday night fireworks Back from a two-season hiatus, Grapevine’s Friday night lights return this Memorial Day weekend as part […]

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Raising minimum wage, abolishing the death penalty and 3 other Texas issues that went nowhere during the 85th legislative session

While the unofficial end—known as Sine Die—and the official end of the legislative session isn’t here yet, and there’s no concrete word on a potential special session, it is becoming increasingly clear that certain issues have fallen by the wayside this time around under the pink dome. Here are five topics that failed to advance […]

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How Does Google Look for Authoritative Search Results?

If you’ve done any SEO for a site, you may recognize some of the steps involved in working towards making a website authoritative: Conduct keyword research to find appropriate terms and phrases for your industry and audience Review the use of keywords on the pages of your site to make sure it includes those in […]

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Abbott signs crackdown on inappropriate student-teacher relationships

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday signed into law a measure that aims to crack down on inappropriate student-teacher relationships.  “Today, by signing this law, we’re saying no more are we going to allow that to happen,” Abbott said moments before signing Senate Bill 7 at the Texas Capitol. “Texas is going to impose real […]

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Uber, Lyft returning to Austin on Monday

Uber and Lyft will relaunch services in Austin on Monday, now that Texas lawmakers have passed a bill overriding local regulations on ride-hailing companies.  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign House Bill 100 into law the same day. That measure establishes a statewide framework to regulate ride-hailing companies and undoes local rules that the […]

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Bills exempting tampons from Texas sales tax went nowhere this session

Ahead of this year’s legislative session, seven lawmakers – six Democrats and one Republican – filed measures with the same goal: exempting tampons and other menstrual products from sales tax. The proposals followed similar moves by several other states.  Yet in Texas, the bills proved to be dead-on-arrival. Via Texas Tribune The post Bills exempting tampons […]

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Texas legislators pass bills aimed at maternal mortality, postpartum depression

Texas legislators from both chambers passed bills on Tuesday aimed at helping mothers before and after they give birth.  In the Senate, they passed House Bill 2466, which would give low-income mothers in the state’s Medicaid program access to postpartum depression screenings and referrals to mental health providers for counseling. About 17 percent of Texas mothers experience postpartum depression, according to a 2016 […]

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Texas House takes up emergency tactic to remedy voter ID in face of federal oversight threat

More than three months after Gov. Greg Abbott listed his top priorities of the 85th legislative session—fixes to the state’s foster care system, sanctuary city bans, ethics reform and a call for a convention of states—the state’s chief has added one more. On Sunday, Abbott declared fixing voter identification requirements a last-minute emergency item. The […]

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In lieu of school finance solution, lawmakers debate creation of commission to study the topic

As the passage of House Bill 21, chalk full of school finance adjustments and now a Senate-added provision creating a school choice program, becomes more controversial, lawmakers are exploring alternatives to fix public finance. Senate Education Committee Chairman Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, has provided the alternative lawmakers might be needing in Senate Bill 2144. Throughout […]

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Texas lawmakers vote to extend life of high school graduation appeals process

In 2015, the Texas legislature created an alternative path for students to graduate. With the passage of Senate Bill 149 by state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, students who failed to satisfy the traditional state graduation requirements could appeal for a different way forward. These students could appeal to individual graduation committees to be evaluated on […]

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Bill on certification pits doctors against hospitals

*Correction appended. A bill moving through the Legislature in the last week of the session is pitting doctors against hospitals over how much testing doctors should have to undergo to maintain their certification. Currently, Texas physicians must undergo the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program, which tests physicians on medical knowledge and practice every five to […]

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GCISD officials approve pay increases to attract, retain employees

On Monday night the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board of trustees approved pay increases to help fill vacancies for some of the lowest-paid staff positions, such as custodians and ground workers. District staff said upon review of its salaries compared to other area districts, its workers are being paid below the market median, making it difficult for […]

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These 5 bills will die at midnight Tuesday in the Texas House without action by lawmakers

The Texas House of Representatives faces an impending deadline at midnight Tuesday. With a ticking clock, House members must vote to give initial approval to a number of bills originating in the Senate. At midnight, the House will no longer be able to forward these bills along, rendering them dead for the remainder of the session. […]

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Grapevine’s Chuck E. Cheese’s helps set a Guinness World Records title

On May 19, Chuck E. Cheese’s hosted the “Biggest Birthday Ever” where more than 8,544 (the final results are still being tallied) people from 550 Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants across the U.S. and Canada came together to celebrate the business’s 40th anniversary and set the Guinness World Records title for the most people blowing party blowers […]

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Texas House passes bill extending alternative high school graduation route

The House passed a bill Monday allowing high school students who fail one or two standardized tests to take an alternative route to graduation. On a voice vote, members approved Senate Bill 463, extended an existing program letting high school students who fail required state tests and end-of-course exams graduate as long as they go through […]

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Texas Senate puts voucher-like program in school finance bill

The Texas Senate Sunday night approved a bill that would both simplify the formulas for funding public schools and allow parents of kids with disabilities to take state money to leave the public system for private schools or homeschooling. Senators voted 21-10 to approve House Bill 21, which the House originally intended to reform a […]

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Texas police officers increase efforts to ticket seatbelt violators

Police departments across the state are planning to increase the enforcement of wearing seatbelts from May 22 to June 4 in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation’s annual “Click It or Ticket” campaign. Since the campaign launched 15 years ago, about 5,000 lives have been saved and 86,000 serious injuries have been prevented, according […]

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Texas Senate will consider many bills in one for school finance vote

The Texas Senate is expected to hear a version of a House school finance bill, as soon as Sunday evening, that would put an extra $530 million into public schools — giving in a little to the House’s original proposal of an additional $1.5 billion, according to a memo circulated to Senate staffers on Saturday. […]

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Third time not the charm for House rep's school lunch legislation

Rep. Helen Giddings, D-DeSoto, has tried three times to get the House to pass her bill that would stop school districts from identifying students without money in their school lunch accounts, and giving them a grace period to resolve an insufficient balance. And on Friday evening the conservative Freedom Caucus successfully struck it down again, […]

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House OKs bills targeting sexual assault on college campuses

Editor’s note: This story was updated May 20 to reflect the final votes on the bills Legislation that takes aim at sexual assault on Texas college campuses received an endorsement Friday from the state House of Representatives. The House preliminarily approved Senate Bill 968, which would would let students and employees electronically and anonymously report sexual assaults […]

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Texas House approves new abortion restrictions

Editor’s note: This story was updated May 20 to add that SB 8 passed on third reading GOP House lawmakers took a sweeping approach to anti-abortion legislation on Friday, giving an initial OK to a measure that would ban the most common form of second-trimester procedure and change how health care providers dispose of fetal remains. […]

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Author of effort to peel back Top 10 Percent Rule says his bill is dead

Texas’ Top 10 Percent Rule for college admissions appears poised to survive another legislative session, according to the author of the leading bill to repeal or peel it back.  Senate Higher Education Chairman Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, said he doesn’t have enough Republican support to get Senate Bill 2119 to the Senate floor. That means the […]

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Educators take issue with Senate plan for school assessment

Educators on Thursday turned up to a Senate committee hearing on a bill that would change how the state assesses schools and districts with a message for legislators. “We were for the House-passed version,” said Patty Quinzi, legislative counsel for the Texas American Federation of Teachers. Senate Education Committee Chairman Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, presented a […]

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Southlake City Council learns the 6 agreements proposed between neighbors and the developer of proposed 58-acre residential project called Crescent Heights

At Tuesday’s Southlake City Council meeting, developer Kosse Maykus stood in front of council for the first reading of a zoning change and development plan for Crescent Heights. After receiving several questions from City Council members and comments from citizens, Crescent Heights passed the first reading with a 5-1 vote. Shahid Shafi cast the dissenting vote. Crescent […]

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Ground breaks Thursday on Memorial Flag Plaza in Grapevine

On Thursday, city dignitaries and community leaders broke ground on Memorial Flag Plaza, which will serve as a symbol for the 25th anniversary of Leadership Grapevine and the leaders who have graduated from the program. The flag plaza will be built in a highly visible location on the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce grounds, which is located at 200 […]

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Time to drink, Main Street Fest is here: 3 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend

From festivals to a fire department open house, here are 3 things to do locally this weekend, May 19-21: Friday-Sunday Main Street Fest The weekend-long festival features live music on multiple stages, food, carnival rides, games, activities and the Craft Brew Experience—where guests can sample eight, 3-ounce craft brew pours produced by national, Texas and […]

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Ask the editor: Can city council and school board elections be held in November?

As voters headed to the polls May 6 to vote on local city council and school board races, some may have wondered why those races aren’t held in November and if that was even an option. For years city council and school board elections were held in May separate from the November county, state and […]

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UT Chancellor McRaven faces unfamiliar scrutiny in last year of his contract

Retired Navy Admiral Bill McRaven had a grand vision when he took over as chancellor of the University of Texas System in 2015.  The 14 universities and medical schools that he oversaw would improve “the human condition in every town, every city, for every man, woman and child” in Texas, he said. And the system […]

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Time to drink, Main Street Fest is here: 4 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend

From festivals to a fire department open house, here are 4 things to do locally this weekend, May 19-21: Friday-Sunday Main Street Fest The weekend-long festival features live music on multiple stages, food, carnival rides, games, activities and the Craft Brew Experience where guests can sample 8, 3-ounce craft brew pours produced by national, Texas […]

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INTERACTIVE: Explore how much money a school choice bill could divert from Dallas-area school districts

Early in the 85th legislative session, Texas House of Representatives leaders declared that school choice initiatives would be dead upon arrival in the lower chamber, even after Senate leaders declared the private school-friendly bill a priority. The House instead stressed fixes to the state’s public school finance system, and as the session nears a close, […]

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Senate backs measure creating statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies

After a debate among lawmakers over the best way to regulate services like Uber and Lyft, the Texas Senate on Wednesday backed a proposal that would override local regulations concerning ride-hailing companies. House Bill 100 would establish a statewide framework to regulate ride-hailing companies and undo local rules that the two companies have argued are overly […]

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Texas Senate gives tentative approval to eliminate one-punch voting in Texas

As one of only nine states with the option to vote a straight-party ticket, Texas is taking steps to eliminate the option and become more like the rest of the nation. House Bill 25, which would eliminate the option tentatively passed the Senate Wednesday afternoon in a 20-10 party-line vote, gathering critiques from Democrats that […]

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ROUNDUP: 7 bills Gov. Greg Abbott has signed with less than 2 weeks left in legislative session

On Jan. 31, just under four months ago, Gov. Greg Abbott addressed the Senate and House to declare his agenda of emergency items. These items, his most important priorities, had the expedited permission to surpass any legislative blockades that stood in the way of the 6,631 House and Senate bills filed and be passed as […]

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Council Member Gary Fawks resigns from Southlake City Council

Southlake City Council Member Gary Fawks, who was recently re-elected to the Place 6 seat, was suppose to be sworn in for another term at Tuesday night’s council meeting. However, he announced he is resigning from City Council because of a job promotion. Fawks stated in a letter to Council that it has been a […]

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Texas Legislature attempts to regulate toll roads through omnibus TxDOT bill

The Texas Department of Transportation is on track to make some changes, following the House’s initial vote to approve the TxDOT sunset bill Tuesday afternoon. The sunset process involves a review of a state agency by the Texas Sunset Commission, which yields a bill with recommendations and changes to improve the effectiveness and operations of the agency. For […]

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House education panel gets heated debating alternative graduation route

The temperature rose during a Tuesday House committee debate on a bill to circumvent high-stakes testing, when the chairman lost his temper with the sole witness testifying in opposition. Drew Scheberle, senior vice president of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, told the House Public Education Committee that he did not support allowing students who fail […]

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Full closure of the Dallas North Tollway takes place this weekend, May 19-22

A full closure of the Dallas North Tollway is expected to take place May 19-22 in order for the construction of a new southbound-to-northbound U-turn lane at Legacy Drive. The North Texas Tollway Authority said in a release that it has coordinated the closures—which are subject to weather conditions—with the cities of Plano and Frisco. Officials […]

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Jenkins brothers of ABC Home & Commercial Services hope cross-country bike ride will help raise $250,000 for researching unexpected childhood deaths

After losing a 15-month-old grandson to a mysterious medical condition, a Texas family will undertake a 3,500-mile bike ride to help prevent the same thing from happening to other children. In 2014, Moss Pieratt went down for his morning nap and never woke up. He was rushed to Dell Children’s Hospital and died the next […]

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Newly elected council members in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake to be sworn in Tuesday

In the cities of Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake, there will be swearing-in ceremonies held Tuesday for City Council members elected in the May 6 elections. Grapevine The Grapevine City Council meeting will be called to order at 6:15 p.m. in City Hall, 200 S. Main St., Grapevine. Once the meeting starts, the election results will be canvassed […]

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Colleyville’s Glade Road project set to begin this summer

After five years of discussion, an election and several City Council workshops, construction on Glade Road in Colleyville will finally begin this summer. The almost $17 million project will reconstruct Glade from the western city limits to Heritage Avenue and will be broken into five phases of construction over the next 10 years or more. […]

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Students in Carroll and Grapevine-Colleyville ISDs adapt to rising college tuition

Rising tuition costs at public universities across the state are causing some high school seniors to rethink their college plans. For students in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Carroll ISD, these rising costs are making an impact on how students are planning to attain a higher education, according to district officials. “There has not been a single […]

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Transportation updates for Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake projects

SH 26 Phase 2 In the SH 26 project area in Colleyville, motorists can expect to see increased construction activity along the entire limits of the project. South of Glade Road crews continue to place concrete traffic barriers and perform bridge work on the Little Bear Creek bridge, including the drilling and pouring of shafts. […]

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State employee health care fix could hurt Texas medical schools, critics say

Senate budget writers believe they have found a creative way to cut down on growing health care costs for state employees. But the potential source of those savings — state-run medical schools — say the idea would essentially amount to a big budget cut. Inserted in the nearly 900 page Senate budget bill are three […]

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Senate revives House version of ride-hailing bill, keeping “sex” amendment alive

After being stripped from a ride-hailing bill, a controversial amendment that would have defined “sex” as “the physical condition of being male or female” was back Thursday after a Senate committee revived the original version of the bill. The bill’s Senate sponsor, state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, had introduced a committee substitute that stripped the “sex” amendment and mandated […]

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A lawmaker might have just lost his fight to address West Dallas gentrification

DALLAS — A lot has changed in West Dallas since Pete Hernandez’s dad built his family a tiny house — one room at a time — on Guam Street almost 80 years ago. The neighborhood’s mostly one-story, wood-frame homes now have running water. The streets are now paved.  The nearby plot of land that used […]

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AG Paxton drops Brownsville lawsuit over plastic bag fee

Attorney General Ken Paxton has dropped a lawsuit against the city of Brownsville over a 2010 ordinance that imposed a $1 per-transaction fee on plastic bags offered at grocery stores and other retailers. The dismissal, announced Thursday, came as part of a settlement in which the city agreed to repeal the ordinance, which it had enacted […]

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Colleyville names Jerry Ducay lone finalist for city manager position

The Colleyville City Council has named a lone finalist for the city manager position. Jerry Ducay is a former village administrator from the Village of Frankfort, Illinois, a community of 22,000 people in Chicago’s southwestern municipal area, according to a city news release. He is expected to be formally approved at the May 16 council […]

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Report: Texas fraud investigator resigns over work for Iraqi government

Texas’ top health care fraud investigator resigned Wednesday night, the result of a news report that revealed he was “moonlighting as a federal contractor to provide consulting services and counsel to the government of Iraq.” The Austin American-Statesman reported Thursday it had obtained an unsigned contract showing that Stuart Bowen, inspector general for the Texas […]

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Senator strips “sex” amendment from bill backed by Uber and Lyft

The Senate sponsor of a bill meant to create statewide regulations for ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft said Thursday he has stripped a controversial amendment from it that would define “sex” as “the physical condition of being male or female.” The move comes after representatives from Uber and Lyft called the surprise addition […]

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Senate education leader takes up school finance, adds tuition subsidies

Top Senate education leader Larry Taylor took up the House’s major school finance reform bill in committee, but tacked on a controversial provision subsidizing private school tuition for special needs students — a move unlikely to go over well in the House. The Senate Education Committee on Thursday morning held a public hearing on the […]

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New Finding Events Feature at Google Search

This week Google rolled out an event finder on its mobile search app. You can read about it on: Google Search will now help you find nearby events The techcrunch article tells us that Google is working on suggestions for developers to have their events listed in search results – so we should be keeping […]

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Texas House votes to largely prohibit mandatory vaccines for children put in temporary Child Protective Services care

In what was expected to be a discussion of a largely bipartisan-supported bill that proposes improvements for the state’s Child Protective Services agency, the merits of vaccines were hotly debated Wednesday afternoon. One of the solutions proposed in the bill, authored by state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, would require the Department of Family and Protective […]

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Texas lawmakers propose Constitutional amendment to shield cities from unfunded mandates

In a legislative session riddled with calls of preemption and attacks on local control, lawmakers are sticking up for cities against the reach of state power. Rep. DeWayne Burns, R-Cleburne, has drafted an amendment to the Texas Constitution that would prohibit Texas laws passed after Jan. 1, 2018, from taking effect if they were implemented […]

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House OKs bill allowing adoption agencies to reject parents on religious grounds

Editor’s note: This story was updated on May 10 to reflect that the House gave the measure final approval. Faith-based adoption agencies in Texas would be able to reject prospective parents on religious grounds under a bill the state House preliminarily approved Tuesday over strong objections from Democratic lawmakers who said it would ultimately harm children and deny […]

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House Ways and Means Committee makes major changes to Senate Bill 2, property tax bill

The House hearing on Senate Bill 2, property tax legislation by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, opened with a warning Wednesday morning. House Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, cautioned the many people packed into the hearing room to not broach the topic of a five percent rollback tax rate freeze, which was discussed in […]

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4 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, May 12-14

There are several family-friendly events this Mother’s Day weekend in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake. Friday, May 12-14 AKS Gem Show The post 4 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, May 12-14 appeared first on Community Impact Newspaper.

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House Freedom Caucus delays passage of school lunch shaming and maternal mortality bills

Time and time again, Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, used the back microphone in the House chamber to bat away bills deemed to already have the majority consent of the Legislature. A House rule, which can be used when the House is debating bills on the local and consent calendar, allows a representative to give an […]

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Texas may require students to pass a citizenship test. How did you do?

Last week, House lawmakers advanced a bill requiring high school students to pass the civics test that immigrants take when applying for citizenship. We created a 10-question quiz based on a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services practice test, and within a week we had received almost 26,000 responses. Here’s how you did. Anyone who takes the […]

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New in Trib+Health: Health care bill passes U.S. House

Public health advocates want a state task force focused on Texas’ rising maternal mortality rates to study how race, bias, prejudice and socioeconomics affect care for pregnant black women — who are disproportionately affected.  Full Story  Via Texas Tribune The post New in Trib+Health: Health care bill passes U.S. House appeared first on Community Impact Newspaper.

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GCISD’s Rick Westfall named lone finalist for Keller ISD superintendent

At a special Keller ISD board meeting on Monday, trustees named Rick Westfall the lone finalist for the district’s superintendent position. Westfall, who has been deputy superintendent of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD since 2011, will now undergo a state-mandated 21-day waiting period before he can officially be hired for the position. Current KISD Superintendent Randy Reid announced in […]

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Proposed higher education funding overhaul could come with collateral damage

Since 2014, Texas has paid nonprofits across the state to help nearly 800 poor, older students navigate their way through community college. Next year, that kind of help could end, though not because lawmakers are unhappy with the program. If the Senate gets its way in ongoing state budget negotiations, the Legislature would overhaul the […]

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George Dodson and Kathy Wheat win Colleyville City Council races

All precincts are reporting for the Colleyville City Council elections. Kathy Wheat, who was running against Jon Bullock, won the race for Place 3 with 54.01 percent or 1,750 votes. Bullock gathered 45.99 percent or 1,490 votes. Mayor Pro Tem Chris Putnam previously held Place 3 and did not seek re-election. The post George Dodson and […]

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City of Grapevine incumbents re-elected for another term

In the May 6 election, both incumbents for Grapevine City Council—Chris Coy and Duff O’Dell—won their races. Coy ran against Debi Meek for Place 5. Coy received 59.83 percent or 1,461 votes, and Meek gathered 40.17 percent or 981 votes. O’Dell ran against Cory Huddleston for Place 6. O’Dell received 70.45 percent or 1,724 votes and Huddleston gathered 29.55 percent or 723 votes. The post […]

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Unofficial final results: Incumbent Jesse Rodriguez wins Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Place 5 trustee seat

UPDATED 10:20 p.m., May 6 Incumbent Jesse Rodriguez won the May 6 election, which means he is re-elected to the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Place 5 seat. Rodriguez received 52.23 percent or 2,590 votes and his opposer, Julie Lawrence, received 47.77 percent or 2,369 votes. “This is really about the voters and the district,” Rodriguez said. “Every vote in support of me […]

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The results are in: Carroll ISD’s $208 million bond passes

UPDATED 9:24 p.m., May 6 With all precincts reporting, Carroll ISD’s $208 million bond proposition has passed. Here are the totals: The post The results are in: Carroll ISD’s $208 million bond passes appeared first on Community Impact Newspaper.

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Early voting results are in: Voters in favor of Carroll ISD bond

Editor’s note: This story will be updated when final results are available. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates throughout the night. Early voting results $208 million bond proposition The post Early voting results are in: Voters in favor of Carroll ISD bond appeared first on Community Impact Newspaper.

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Early voting totals are in: See Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake May 6 election early results

Editor’s note: This story will be updated when final results are available. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates throughout the night. Early voting results Grapevine Place 5, Grapevine City Council The post Early voting totals are in: See Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake May 6 election early results appeared first on Community Impact […]

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Incumbent Jesse Rodriguez takes the lead in early voting for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Place 5 trustee seat

Editor’s note: This story will be updated when final results are available. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more updates throughout the night. Early voting results Place 5, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Jesse Rodriguez 53 percent, 1,811 votes The post Incumbent Jesse Rodriguez takes the lead in early voting for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Place 5 trustee seat appeared first […]

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House defeats bill that would’ve allowed the expansion of toll road projects

Several planned toll road projects across the state may see their demise following a vote Friday that would’ve authorized the construction, renovation or widening of nearly 20 highways. The Texas House shot down House Bill 2861 in a 79-52 vote Friday, a measure that would’ve allowed the Texas Department of Transportation to use tolls to […]

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Opponents of proposed Dallas-Houston bullet train push lawmakers to kill it

Texas landowners opposed to a high-speed train line between Dallas and Houston took to the Capitol Thursday and early Friday to warn lawmakers that the project would ruin rural lifestyles and prevent growth in the counties between the two cities. “The spectre of high-speed rail is like a dark cloud over us,” Becky Scasta, who has an Ellis […]

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Hot or not, bill would simplify sales tax on baked goods (video)

A measure advancing in the Texas Legislature would make baked goods, regardless of their temperature when served, exempt from sales tax. State Rep. Jim Murphy, R-Houston, said he authored House Bill 4054 after bakers in his district told him how confusing and difficult the current tax code can be to navigate. Via Texas Tribune The […]

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Texas works to market health program without Planned Parenthood

Look up right now and you might see one of the 36 pink billboards dotting Texas cities urging women to go to the state for their reproductive health needs. But marketing the Healthy Texas Women Program isn’t the average public health outreach campaign — it’s a test for Texas legislators. The program marks the state’s […]

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Texas government calls to amend the U.S. constitution for first time in more than 20 years

The Texas House of Representatives joined with Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Senate on Thursday in the call to amend the United States Constitution. The House approved Senate Joint Resolution 2 in a 94-51 vote. The resolution asks the federal government to call a convention of states under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. The […]

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INTERACTIVE: See how Texas’ 5th and 8th graders did on first round of STAAR tests

The first bout of STAAR test results have been taken, graded, processed and released in the 2016-17 year—and while some results show increases, others show a dip in proficiency. Eighty-one percent of fifth graders and 74 percent of eighth graders passed the mathematics exam on first attempt, which reveals an increase in scores for both […]

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Aiming to stop suicides, Texas Senate supports crackdown on cyberbullying

The state Senate cleared legislation Wednesday aiming to curb teen suicides by cracking down on cyberbullying — relentless online attacks that have pushed some Texas teens to take their own lives.  Senate Bill 179, dubbed “David’s Law,” unanimously cleared the chamber, after the bill’s Democratic author, Sen. José Menéndez, supported amendments from Republicans who were initially […]

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5 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, May 5-7

Whether you are looking to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend or indulge in a good book or an art gallery this weekend, there are several things to do locally. Saturday, May 6 Bargain Book Sale The post 5 things to do in Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake this weekend, May 5-7 appeared first on Community […]

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Texas House engages in local control debate over linkage fee bill

Texas lawmakers are once again pitted against each other over local control—this time, through a bill that prevents something called linkage fees. The author of the bill, Rep. Ron Simmons, R-Carrollton, said his proposed legislation would bar local municipalities from implementing fees, on new housing projects to offset the cost or rent of residential housing. […]

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Texas may require students to pass a citizenship test. How would you do?

Texas may soon require high school students take a version of the test all immigrants looking for U.S. citizenship must pass. On Wednesday, the Texas House is scheduled to take up a bill that would eliminate the required U.S. history end-of-course for public high schoolers and replace that with a version of the civics test that […]

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Bill would spur study of why more black mothers die after childbirth

After she delivered her infant son in 2006, Darline Turner relished those early hours in her Austin hospital room, changing diapers and playing with her son’s fingers and toes. Everything was going smoothly until a social worker walked in, carrying a binder on subsidized social services like Medicaid and the state’s Women, Infant and Children program. Turner, a black woman who […]

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Southlake City Council OKs tourism master plan recommending free W-Fi in Town Square

At Tuesday’s Southlake City Council meeting, members voted unanimously to approve the Southlake Tourism Master Plan. The city adopted its first Economic Development & Tourism Master Plan in 2011. City officials said it was time to update the plan as the city’s second hotel opened in December 2016 and there are two other hotels that […]

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Salt Lick BBQ is the latest to join Grapevine’s 185-acre tract near Grapevine Mills

The city of Grapevine announced Tuesday Salt Lick BBQ is making its way to the city’s 185-acre tract next year. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall.  Once completed in late 2018, the 10-acre property will offer 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining as well as a specialty wine and beer bar. […]

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Senate passes bill extending alternate graduation route to 2019

The Senate passed a bill Monday extending a Texas rule that lets students who fail required exams graduate, if a special appointed committee considers them ready. The upper chamber voted 28-3 to pass Senate Bill 463, which would allow students to go before individual graduation committees as an alternate route to graduation, extending current law […]

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Tree protection ordinances targeted by Republicans, defended by city officials

An ongoing power struggle between state and local officials has made its way into Texans’ yards.  State lawmakers on Monday took public input on one of several bills filed this year that would restrict the ability of cities to ban residents from cutting down trees on their properties.  About 50 Texas cities have enacted such […]

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UT police search for motive in student's stabbing spree

University of Texas at Austin police are searching for a motive for a student’s on-campus stabbing spree Monday that left one other student dead and three more wounded.    Police said they have detained junior biology major Kendrex White after they found him wielding a “large, Bowie-style hunting knife” and calmly walking around the busy […]

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