Two Republican candidates are running for the Denton County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5 seat in the March 3 primary election.

What you need to know: Republican candidates Vince Handler and Derek Gurley will be running for a position on the November general election ballot.

The current Justice of the Peace for Precinct 5 is Mike Oglesby, who is not running for the seat.

The Democratic primary race is uncontested, with Patrece Perry as the only candidate running.

The winner of the Republican primary will face Perry in November. The winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.

Preparing for the polls: Early voting for the March 3 primary election runs from Feb. 17-27. Voters can cast ballots in either the Republican or Democratic primary, but not both.

What else? Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents.

Three sisters—Maegan Lillian Rose, Hannah Marie Rose and Mia Beverly Rose—shared favorite childhood pastimes of reading and holding tea parties with their mother.

Diving deeper: These common interests didn’t subside when the sisters became adults; they became an intentional opportunity to stay connected as life got busier.

When the quartet decided to open a tea room in downtown Denton in 2024, the mother, Irene McKey, said naming the business Three Roses Tea Room & Gifts was an easy decision.

Quote of note:“The business idea came from us hosting afternoon tea with each other,” McKey said. “We love having conversations, slowing down and catching up with each other. We wanted to share what we did with the community.”

• 221 W. Oak St., Denton

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.

Richardson ISD junior high renovations and new construction at the DFW airport some of the new projects filed recently with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Here are five of the most expensive area permits filed with TDLR in the past week.

1. Liberty Junior High School in Richardson ISD
2. Terminal F and Skylink Station
3. Apollo Junior High School in Richardson ISD
4. Denton Point buildings 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
5. Hardin at SH 121

Thousands of students who apply for Texas’ education savings accounts will likely not be accepted into the first year of the program, application data from the state comptroller’s office shows.

What's happening: Over 101,000 students had applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts as of Feb. 15. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. March 17.

Program funding is capped at $1 billion for the 2026-27 school year, meaning between 90,000 and 100,000 students will likely be accepted. With demand expected to outpace available funding, applications will be prioritized through a need- and income-based lottery system.

Zooming in: Over 70% of program applicants were from low- or middle-income households, according to data from the comptroller’s office. Under Senate Bill 2, the 2025 law that created the program:

• “Low-income” is defined as families with annual household incomes at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, or about $66,000 for a family of four.
• “Middle-income” is defined as families with incomes at or below 500% of the federal poverty line, or about $165,000 for a family of four.