Board member Lori Tays is stepping down from the Denton ISD school board citing health concerns. Tays has served on the school board since 2023 and most recently served as secretary of the board. 

Looking back: During her tenure on the board, Tays was an active participant in supporting district efforts focused on student success, staff support and community engagement. Tays will continue to be an advocate for the district, the release states.

Quote of note: "On behalf of the entire board of trustees, I want to thank Ms. Tays for her service to Denton ISD," board President Barbara Burns said in the release. "Her commitment to our students and community has been evident throughout her time on the Board. We appreciate the time and energy she has devoted to this important work and wish her well in her future endeavors."

Staff at Patchouli Joe’s Books and Indulgences launched a crowdfunding campaign Jan. 13 in an effort to raise money to assist with operating costs and a possible store relocation, co-owner Diane Mayes said.

What you need to know: An early January announcement from the store stated the business plans to permanently close in late March due to difficult economic conditions.

On Jan. 12, Mayes said the staff was approached by a representative from the city of Denton Economic Development with the idea to relocate to more affordable space in a community market. The crowdfunding campaign was launched the next day.

“The community has really come out to support us,” Mayes said. “We didn’t want to ask the community for money without a plan.”

Looking ahead: If the company raises enough money to relocate the store, the business will close in March for several months while staff set up in the new location and construction crews build out the new space. Forester said the new location requires an interior modification to an existing space.

The Dallas-Fort Worth retail market’s occupancy rate climbed again in 2025, according to Texas-based real estate firm Weitzman’s latest annual forecast.

The full story: Dallas-Fort Worth finished 2025 with a retail occupancy of 95.3%, an increase to the record occupancy first reported in 2023. Executive Managing Director Bob Young called it a “retail three-peat.”

“For the first time in our [survey’s 36-year history], three years in a row, occupancy has been at record levels,” he said. “Right now, we’re celebrating the market’s highest-ever occupancy of 95.3%.”

More information: Occupancy wasn’t the only measurement that increased since last year’s report. Total inventory increased to 202 million square feet and new construction increased to 2.4 million square feet delivered, according to the retail market report. Vacant space fell to 9.5 million square feet from 9.7 million square feet in 2024.

Grocery store anchors such as H-E-B, Kroger and Target accounted for more than 1.9 million square feet of all new space delivered, Young said. That trend is expected to continue in 2026.