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This spring, the city of Keller will unveil an addition to the Mt. Gilead Road hike-and-bike trail.

Meanwhile, the city of Roanoke staff is in the process of improving the trail system with concrete repairs at Community Park, and Fort Worth officials are working on a bond package that would include more than $185 million for renovating city parks.

What's happening? The nine-month construction project on Mt. Gilead Road's trail started in August. The city has 31.5 miles of trails, said Rachel Reynolds, Keller's communication and public engagement manager. During the past five years, council has approved adding 4.5 miles of trails.

“Council is very aware that parks and trails are always No. 1 on citizen surveys,” Director of Community Services Cody Maberry said.

Current situation: Roanoke staff started the modifications on Community Park the week of Jan. 5. Cannon Park and Fair Play Park repairs will follow with work planned through the fall, Public Engagement Manager Sandra Pettigrew said.

Alliance Park in Fort Worth could see $10 million in renovations, as well.

Construction work has started for a Crunch Fitness location in north Fort Worth.

The details: Located in the Park Vista & Golden Triangle development owned by AllianceTexas, the gym will be constructed on a 4.46-acre tract behind CVS and McDonald’s.

Rich Merrill, senior vice president of marketing for CR Fitness Holdings, said the location is expected to open by the end of the year. The 36,000-square-foot facility is a $12 million project with state-of-the art strength and cardio equipment, according to a news release.

The backstory: CR Fitness is the fastest-growing Crunch franchisee with 93 clubs in five states and plans to add in Arizona. The company currently has 11 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is on track to have 17, according to the news release.

The initial expansion plan for the north Fort Worth project was a 25,600-square-foot facility, according to previous reporting.

• Opening late 2026
• 10948 Park Vista Blvd., Fort Worth

Stay informed on five road projects happening in Collin County and Tarrant County. 

Collin County

1. Allen road safety projects 

The project: The city of Allen is using Texas Department of Transportation grant funds to improve 16 intersections. 

The update: Only three intersections have not been completed, but work on all three will begin in February. The three remaining intersections to be improved will be Century Parkway and Bethany Drive, Greenville Avenue and Bethany Drive, and Greenville Avenue and Main Street. 

• Timeline: Work on the remaining three projects is expected to finish up in the fall. 
• Cost: $4.6 million for all 16 projects
• Funding source: TxDOT

• Timeline: spring 2026-fall 2027
• Cost: $27.79 million
• Funding source: town of Prosper

Four Republicans are running for the Denton County Commissioners Court, Precinct 4, seat for the March 3 primary election.

What’s happening? After being in office since 2018, incumbent Dianne Edmondson is seeking her third term as the Precinct 4 representative for Denton County.

She will be running against current Denton Mayor Gerard Hudspeth, Valerie Roehrs and David Wylie.

The Democratic primary race is uncontested, with Stephanie Draper as the only candidate running.

Preparing for the polls: Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March 3 primary races across Texas, including 18 statewide races and various local races. Registered voters may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both.

The gist: Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.

Following over four hours of public testimony and debate Jan. 28, the Texas State Board of Education is poised to postpone a plan to create a mandatory reading list for K-12 students.

What's happening: Board members said Jan. 28 that they wanted to get more feedback from Texans before moving forward with the policy, which would take effect at the beginning of the 2030-31 school year. The SBOE is required to create the reading list under a 2023 state law, and members said they would likely revisit the proposal during an April meeting.

The Texas Education Agency compiled a list of nearly 300 literary works for the board to consider.

What they're saying: Some speakers expressed concerns Jan. 28 that the TEA’s list was too long and focused too heavily on classical literature that “does not represent the students of Texas," while others said they wanted students to focus on classical literature and historical texts.

Two Republican candidates are running to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Nate Sheets is challenging incumbent Sid Miller, who is seeking a fourth term as Texas agriculture commissioner. The winning Republican candidate will face Democrat Clayton Tucker in November, and the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

Tucker is running uncontested in the Democratic primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.

About the agency: The Texas Department of Agriculture's duties include administering federal nutrition programs and grants; facilitating trade of agricultural products; protecting crops from pests and diseases; providing financial assistance to farmers and rural communities; and conducting consumer protection programs, according to the agency's website.