Prior to the start of the 90th Legislative Session, which begins in January 2027, the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD board of trustees set its legislative priorities and approved them at the Sept. 28 meeting.

The details: GCISD convened a legislative advisory committee composed of district staff, community members and three trustees. The committee met four times in August and September before finalizing its recommendations of priorities to the board.

According to district documents, the four priorities include:

• Ensuring strategic, stable and predictable funding for public education

• Reform to the state’s recapture

• Education Savings Accounts accountability and transparency

• Education recruitment, retention and support

What they're saying: “One of the other things we were looking for in the legislative committee and our meetings was what items can we actually get traction with with regards to our legislators,” trustee Lindsey Sheguit said.

The Southlake City Council approved zoning changes and renovation plans for St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church at its Sept. 15 meeting, allowing the church to build an addition which will expand the lobby and add seating.

The details: The current building seats around 175, but the renovations will expand its capacity to 250.

One of the main new additions is a welcome center on the side of the property that faces Pearson Ln, which will include an area to get coffee, accessible restrooms and a meeting room.

The outside of the church will receive aesthetic improvements like a bell tower and covered walkway that are intended to make the building look more traditionally like a church.

The renovations are expected to cost around $4 million.

• 223 S. Pearson Lane, Southlake

Tarrant County election officials plan to finish working through more than 70,000 voter registration files stemming from a Texas Department of Public Safety data error.

Officials expect to finish the review of all pending records by Oct. 2.

What happened: Tarrant County officials learned of a voter data issue from the Department of Public Safety in mid-September and received 74,000 individual files from the department Sept. 23. Tarrant County Elections Administrator Clinton Ludwig said the number of files does not represent a number of new voters as some of the files may be an update to an existing voter registration.

Ludwig said some of the files appear to go back as far as October 2025.

What else: The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5. Ludwig said voter registrations submitted before the deadline will be processed normally.

Voters can check the status of their registration online.

Tarrant County voters will choose between two candidates for the Tarrant County judge position on the Nov. 3 ballot.

What to know: Republican Tim O'Hare, who is the current county judge, will face Democrat Alisa Simmons, who is the Precinct 2 county commissioner. O'Hare won the Republican primary in March while Simmons won the Democratic primary, which secured their places on the November ballot.

Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. Candidates are listed in ballot order.

What else? The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5. Early voting will run from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.