It was no April Fool's joke when the TEXpress Lanes opened April 1 on the DFW Connector. I hope you read our story about the TEXpress lanes by Marice Richter on impactnews.com. The lanes are free this month, but beginning in May tolling will begin. Our front-page story and graphics help you understand this new managed-lane system.

We continue our By the Numbers series on the cities we serve by featuring Grapevine (Page 27) and how tourism and hotels play such a vibrant role in that city's success and growth. Reporter Renee Hansen brought this idea to the table a few months ago, and she has done a great job of reporting on the present and future of each city this paper covers. I would love to hear from you and get your feedback on this series. Feel free to contact me at[email protected].

Our Entertainment feature on Page 21 about Southlake's Art in the Square, April 25–27 and Grapevine Art Dealers Association Gallery Night on May 3 should entice you to attend both events and to enjoy the art and community time with your friends and neighbors.

Parents should read the Education Update on Page 13. We provide a look at the restructured high school graduation requirements and what that means for GCISD and CISD students.

Our 2014 election coverage continues as area cities and school districts prepare for the May 10 elections. We spoke to our local candidates; hear what they had to say in our Election Guide on pages 8, 9 and 11 and, most importantly, get to the polls and vote.

Toni Barron, PUBLISHER-DFW METRO, [email protected]