DTX-PLS: Impact 10/16/2025

Plano drivers can expect to see new school zones added along Preston Meadow Drive and Hedgcoxe Road.

What happened: At their Oct. 13 meeting, Plano City Council members approved an ordinance establishing the new school zones.

The details: BASIS Texas Charter School recently opened a Plano campus in August with nearly 1,300 students, according to city documents. Following the start of the school year, parents have contacted city staff with safety concerns and requested school zones on the streets, according to city documents.

Cliff Coffee, a Southwestern-themed coffee shop, is now open in east Plano.

What you need to know: The new coffee shop is a part of the Assembly Park mixed-use development, featuring creative office space, multifamily apartments and restaurant and retail space. Cliff Coffee serves hand-crafted coffees and teas along with tacos, breads and pastries. The business also features ice cream options and cafe-inspired cocktails. Blender Brands co-owner Jacob Cox said he emphasizes a community-focused approach, with locally sourced ingredients, such as coffee from Lemma Roasters in Lewisville and desserts from Tongue In Cheek Ice Cream in Richardson.

Zooming in: Blender Brands, a North Texas based hospitality group, will own and operate three new businesses in Assembly Park, including Cliff Coffee, Tacoro and Assembly Icehouse. Cox said Tacoro will be a taqueria with a full-bar, and Assembly Icehouse will be a casual bar and grill, featuring live music and sports viewing.

What’s next?: Cox said Assembly Icehouse is set to open in late October, followed by Tacoro in early November.

Collin College will soon be rolling out two new degree programs.

The two programs—associate of applied science in law enforcement, public administration and supervision and associate of applied science in cosmetology—were approved by the board of trustees. 

About the programs: Both programs include 15 semester credit hours of general education requirements as well as 45 semester credit hours of workforce education coursework. Students on each associate track are required by Texas law to complete 60 semester credit hours, college officials said.

The Texas House and Senate are launching new legislative committees to “get to the bottom of exactly what occurred” during this summer’s deadly Central Texas floods, state leaders announced Oct. 13.

The details: The bipartisan panels, known as the House and Senate General Investigating Committees on the July 2025 Flooding Events, will meet jointly to conduct “a comprehensive and thorough review” of the floods, House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said.

Lawmakers will be tasked with:

• Identifying strategies to strengthen Texas’ disaster preparedness
• Helping communities respond to future floods
• Examining actions taken at summer camps in the flood zone