Plano City Council approved a special election for voters to consider taxes to be implemented into the Dallas Stars arena planned at The Shops at Willow Bend at a meeting Aug. 10.

The gist: Voters in Plano will consider venue-related taxes that would help fund the proposed Stars arena during elections Nov. 3.

The background: Here are some of the tax options under consideration, per city documents.

• Short-term motor vehicle rental tax not to exceed 5%
• Short-term hotel occupancy tax not to exceed 2% of the room price
• Event parking tax not to exceed $3 per vehicle
• Admissions tax not to exceed 10% of each ticket price
• Venue facility use tax not to exceed $5,000 per game on each member of a major league team that plays a professional sports game at the venue

A new Corner Bakery Cafe location is opening along Dallas Parkway in Plano.

The details: A 2,949 square-foot space is under renovation at Polo Towne Crossing in Plano, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Check out five upcoming and ongoing transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Upcoming projects

1. East Hudgins Street utility work

Project: Work crews will install 1,500 feet of 8-inch water main and 1,500 feet of 8-inch sewer main along the roadway between South Dooley Street and South Main Street in Grapevine. Following completion of the installation, crews will reconstruct Hudgins.

Update: Grapevine City Council approved a contract worth up to $660,000 with Fort Worth-based RUTS Construction during a July 21 meeting.

• Timeline: mid-August-November
• Cost: $660,000
• Funding source: city of Grapevine

• Timeline: late 2024-fall 2026
• Cost: $31.1 million
• Funding sources: city of Frisco, external funding

Almost 50% of Texas Woman’s University’s spring 2026 class earned an undergraduate degree without student loan debt, TWU officials said.

Two-minute impact: Out of the 888 undergraduates who earned a four-year degree at TWU, 442, or 49.77% had zero student loan debt, said Matt Flores, TWU’s assistant vice president of communications.

A further 115 students graduated with less than $10,000 of student loan debt. There were 111 students who graduated with more than $31,000 in student loans.

Monica Mendez-Grant, TWU’s vice president for student life, said that financial security while seeking higher education directly supports students by driving degree completion, improving mental health and providing long-term economic mobility.

“TWU recognizes that financial health is tied directly to physical well-being,” she said. “Rather than treating financial aid and student welfare as separate departments, TWU integrates them through the many campus offices.”