‘We can’t wait': ACM Awards show sets 2024 return date to Frisco
Frisco will once again host the Academy of Country Music Awards this May.
The academy’s 59th awards show will be held at the Ford Center inside Frisco’s The Star development on May 16, according to an Academy of Country Music news release.
The return marks the second consecutive year Frisco has hosted the awards.
When minutes matter: New Celina fire station to cut emergency response times; more expansion planned
Fire Station No. 3 is the newest addition to the fire fleet with the next 11 additional fire station sites already bookmarked to plan for the department’s growth, Fire Chief Mark Metdker said.
“[Buying land now] ensures station sites will be ready for construction when development occurs,” City Manager Robert Ranc said in an email.
Metdker said additional fire stations are needed to account for distance and population density.
McKinney officials to make city center for filmmakers
When Phil McGraw, known for his long-running talk show “Dr. Phil,” filmed a commercial in Historic Downtown McKinney in late 2023, the production team worked with city officials to minimize impacts to the community, Cultural District Director Andrew Jones said. The two-day production also raked in over $6,000 for the city in permit and licensing fees.
The project is one of many commercial and film productions that have taken place locally since the city received its Film Friendly Texas designation five years ago.
The city has gotten 56 requests for filming permits since receiving the designation, Jones said, including projects for television as well as live broadcasts.
McKinney resident and producer Molly Brewer-Hahn said over 15 commercials have been filmed in the city for brands such as Subaru, AT&T and Coca-Cola in the past 15 years.
Flower Mound officials hope changes, new concepts bolster River Walk’s appeal
Greg Retz moved from Florida to Flower Mound in 2022 to be a restaurant operator at local business district The River Walk, now managed by River Walk Food & Beverage, of which Retz is the CEO.
The business district, renamed River Walk Social in fall 2022, has undergone some growing pains since it opened three years ago, Retz said. New restaurants—Whiskey & Smoke, Pie Hole, and Underdogs Burgers & Brews—have opened since River Walk Food & Beverage took the reins. Three new restaurants are set to open this year, and other businesses could open in the future.
Argyle ISD hosts beam signing as construction of Jane Ruestmann Elementary continues
The sun was out, and it was warm and windy when soon-to-be Principal Lauren Tullos arrived at Jane Ruestmann Elementary on Valentine’s Day.
Tullos was full of excitement, she said, which only grew when she saw crowds of people had showed up to the beam-signing ceremony even earlier than herself. Among them was Jane Ruestmann, a former Argyle ISD teacher of more than 40 years and the school's namesake.
Tullos, Ruestmann, community members, board trustees, parents, and students and staff transitioning to the new campus came to show their support and mark a district milestone in an almost 200-person turnout. Attendees signed their names on the historic beams, which will have a future home inside the campus, according to the district.
