Since the filing period opened Jan. 14, three candidates have filed to run for Allen City Council seats in the May election, City Secretary Shelley George said.

The specifics: Allen Mayor Baine Brooks is completing his final term in the seat and cannot run for reelection based on the city's ordinances for term limits. Two candidates have filed for the mayoral race so far, as well as one candidate who has filed for the Place 2 seat.

The context: Allen City Council members are elected citywide rather than by a district, and serve three-year terms.

Italian restaurant Tutto Gustoso opened in early December in Allen, Manager Emilio Cardenas said.

A closer look: The menu includes dishes like rosemary focaccia bread, tagliatelle bolognese, gnocchi in barca and Roman-style flatbreads, per its website.

• 842 Watters Creek Blvd., Allen

Advanced drone and aerial imaging provider EagleNXT is relocating its headquarters from Wichita, Kansas, to Allen, according to a news release from the Allen Economic Development Corporation.

What you need to know: The facility, located at 505 Century Parkway, will manufacture MicaSense multispectral sensors and EagleNXT’s first first-ever U.S. production line for the Company’s eBee Vision drone, the release states. In addition, the site will house other departments, such as engineering, customer support, and marketing and communications. Production startup at the new facility will take place in several phases, and the facility is expected to open this May, 

Quote of note: "EagleNXT’s decision to establish its headquarters in Allen is a testament to the strength and appeal of our community”, Allen EDC President and CEO Dan Bowman said in the release. “This is exactly the type of company that brings high-quality jobs, drives innovation and contributes to the vibrant fabric of Allen. We are thrilled to welcome EagleNXT to our city and look forward to seeing them thrive here."

The Allen Public Library reopened to the public Dec. 8 following more than a year of renovation and expansion work that brought upgrades to the roughly 20-year-old facility.

The $19.9 million project added 18,000 square feet of new space while also upgrading amenities and expanding the library’s collections, a city news release states.

The specifics: The library closed Aug. 1, 2024, to allow for construction to begin. Facility improvements added to the library include expanded areas for book and materials, which created space for the roughly 10,000 new items added to the library’s collection in 2025. Other new and improved amenities include:

• A preschool playroom
• Six study rooms
• Rentable meeting rooms
• Dedicate teen spaces

The Foundation for Allen Schools’ grant program for Allen ISD teachers and staff members is accepting applications until Feb. 10.

In a nutshell: The grant program, which opens every December, awards funds to teachers and classrooms across the district, foundation Director Regina Taylor said. The Foundation for Allen Schools is a nonprofit education foundation separate from Allen ISD with its own board of directors.

The impact: Since it was established in 1997, the foundation has invested more than $4.2 million in Allen ISD. Some of that investment comes through the foundation’s educational grant opportunities for Allen ISD staff.

“To date, we’ve funded $2.2 million in grants,” Taylor said. “Those have gone from pre-K classrooms all the way up to high school.”

The details: In a typical year, the foundation will award between 75-90 grants, Taylor said. Grants can be awarded to individual teachers, or a group of teachers, a department, an individual campus or several campuses working together.

The foundation has received grant applications from classroom teachers, PE teachers, music teachers and others, Taylor said.

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