Latest News
The Murphy City Council has voted to adopt a Fiscal Year 2027 budget of $67.2 million and a property tax rate of $0.361832 per $100 of taxable appraised value, an increase of four-tenths of a penny per $100. Both items passed 5-2, with “aye” votes coming from Mayor...
Murphy Public Works Superintendent Daniel Paredez has updated the City Council on the city’s Stormwater Management Program, outlining state requirements and the steps the city takes to prevent pollutants from entering area waterways. Council also voted at the Tuesday,...
Collin County commissioners adopted a $633.8 million budget and a higher property tax rate for fiscal year 2027, marking the first increase in the county’s overall tax rate in more than three decades. Commissioners approved a combined property tax rate of $0.151414...
When the State Fair of Texas opens Friday, Sept. 25, visitors will find plenty of local talent among the award-winning entries inside the Creative Arts Building. From an intricate crocheted blanket and a landscape made from nearly 58,000 seed beads to handmade...
Former WCC members Andrew Jolay, Hannah Tang, and Zach Hewitt sing at the Wylie ISD convocation prior to the start of the 2026-27 school year. Courtesy photo The Wylie Children’s Chorus is making history as the first elementary ensemble in the district invited to...
Sports
Jeff Savage, Class of 1990 Plano East graduate, has been inducted into the Plano East Hall of Honor. Photo courtesy Roy Woods By David Wolman [email protected] Jeff Savage was always destined to be a Plano East Panther. He grew up down the street from the...
Plano East senior Leyna Anderson (15) attempts to hit the ball around the block of Plano senior Bailey Ramirez (3) on Tuesday. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] One trait that Plano East's volleyball team has gotten better...
Plano East junior Cason Marsh chases down a Lake Highlands ball carrier Friday at Tom Kimbrough Stadium. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media By Seth Dowdle [email protected] Plano East came up just short Friday night, falling 21-14 to Lake Highlands at Tom...
Plano East’s Brooke Tierney finished in 31st at the McKinney Boyd Bronco Stampede on Saturday morning. Photo by David Wolman / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] (Click on the link to view the photo gallery from the McKinney Boyd Bronco...
George Dousharm is presented with a plaque from Roy Woods for being inducted into the Plano East Hall of Honor on Sept. 4. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media By David Wolman [email protected] A close friendship between George Dousharm and Jody Morse started...
Education
Former WCC members Andrew Jolay, Hannah Tang, and Zach Hewitt sing at the Wylie ISD convocation prior to the start of the 2026-27 school year. Courtesy photo The Wylie Children’s Chorus is making history as the first elementary ensemble in the district invited to...
Plano ISD Trustees have confirmed the Fiscal Year 2026-27 property tax rate will decrease less than one cent, or $0.0068, per $100 of appraised valuation. Meeting Tuesday, Sept. 8, the school board formally adopted the voter-approved rate of $1.03275 per $100...
Marvin Fuller, center, is joined by family following the announcement that Wylie ISD’s new Career & Technical Education Center will bear his name in recognition of his decades of service. From left, wife Melisa Fuller, son Dailey Fuller, grandson Diesel Adams,...
Workers continue construction on Building D adjacent to Rusty Franklin Field at Plano East Senior High School. Photo Bob Wieland/Murphy Monitor Renovation work at Plano East Senior High School begun in February of 2025 is scheduled for completion in the first half of...
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...
Life & Style
Photo courtesy of Unsplash It’s a tale as old as treadmills: You buy a new exercise machine with the best of intentions, only for it to become an expensive laundry rack that makes you feel guilty every time you glance over at it. When it comes to making lifestyle...
Cool coastal escapes for one final getaway By Carrie Dunlea By August, many Texans have had enough. Triple-digit temperatures, baked sidewalks and endless afternoons indoors have us dreaming of somewhere cooler. Fortunately, late summer can be one of the best times to...
The countdown to a new school year has begun, and for many families, the final days of summer are filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension. While children may be eager to reunite with friends, join a sports team or move up to a new grade, they also may feel...
By Carrie Dunlea Retirement often brings more freedom, but it can also mean fewer daily opportunities to connect with others. Whether you're newly retired or simply looking to expand your circle, building new friendships can improve both physical and mental well-being...
Few things are as delicious and refreshing as watermelon on a warm day. Watermelon grows quite readily in summer and is often ready to pick after three months of growing time. Harvesters look for a pale buttery yellow spot on the bottom of watermelon (the ground...
Opinion
Columnist John Moore (top left) poses with his band Freedom in 1976. The posters on his bedroom wall at the time were of his musical inspirations. By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com My dad hated holes in the walls. So, when mom wanted something hung up, he...
Columnist John Moore's mom always made the same dessert in the same bowl. The proof was in the pudding. Photo Mary Moore By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com Early in life, I learned that adults had their own language. They spoke English, but it was interspersed with...
Columnist John Moore still has a couple of things from his days in the Cub Scouts. A Scouting knife and many memories. Photo John Moore By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com Scouting was once as common for kids as Cap’n Crunch and Post Toasties. Learning how to tie...
By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com Moms used to be more versatile. If you were in the back seat of the Buick, they could discipline you from the driver's seat and never swerve or knock the ashes off their Marlboro Red. My mom never smoked, so it’s possible...
The first man cave columnist John Moore experienced was his grandfather's blacksmith shop. Today, John has his own man cave. Photo: John Moore By John Moore | TheCountryWriter.com In the North, dads have basements. In the South, they have shops. Both...
