Northwest ISD officials recognized new leadership for the soon-to-be completed Romer Elementary School and named three new principals for existing schools at a regular board meeting Feb. 9.

The gist: Kim Blackburn will be the first principal for Romer Elementary, which is scheduled to open for the 2026-27 school year.

Blackburn, who has served as a Seven Hills Elementary school teacher since 2015, was first named at a meeting Dec. 4, according to the district.

The board also named new principals for the following three schools for the 2026-27 school year:

• Shari Jones for Seven Hills Elementary School in Newark
• Hannah Garcia for Cox Elementary School in Roanoke
• Ashley Kahler for Medlin Middle School in Trophy Club

Three candidates are on the Democratic ballot for US House District 24 for the March 3 primary election.

The details: Jon Buchwald, Kevin Burge and TJ Ware are running in the Democratic primary election for US House District 24. The winner will appear again on the November ballot against Republican incumbent Beth Van Duyne. She has served as the district's representative since January 2021.

The district represents Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, North Richland Hills, Watauga, Westlake, Coppell, parts of Carrollton, Farmers Branch and Dallas.

What you need to know: Early voting for the March 3 primary runs from Feb. 17-27. Registered voters may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both. Third-party candidates will appear on the November ballot.
For more coverage of state and local races, visit communityimpact.com/election.

The overview: Candidates were asked to keep their responses to 50 words, answer the provided questions and avoid attacking opponents. Responses may be edited for length, clarity and style.

Emergency road work is being completed on the US 377 bridge in Roanoke by the Texas Department of Transportation, said Tila Grant, a public information officer for TxDOT.

What you need to know: Road work on the bridge is occurring between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Bobcat Boulevard to FM 1171, according to a post from the city of Roanoke.

There will be only one lane being open during construction. Delays should be expected during the work hours, the post states.

TxDOT crews are managing traffic with their guide truck, Grant said. The work is anticipated to be completed by Friday, Feb. 20.

After months of negotiations, Plano and other member cities that called for withdrawal elections from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Agency may move to rescind them following a series of regional meetings this week.

What happened: In the latest step, the Regional Transportation Council, a 45-member group of area transportation leaders, approved at a Feb. 12 meeting dedicating $180 million towards regional transit agencies, including about $75 million to help fund DART’s new proposed funding model. Additionally, Dallas City Council voted Feb. 11 to reduce the city’s voting share on the DART board to 45% and give up its majority control.

What you need to know: Plano Mayor John Muns said Feb. 13 that while several steps still require approval from the state legislature in its next session, these recent decisions represent a “good compromise” for DART member cities. Muns said Plano City Council could consider approving a new interlocal agreement, at its Feb. 23 meeting, but that timeline may shift depending on final details.