Fort Worth City Council passed a contract for mental health services for the police department and a new collective bargaining agreement with the fire department for raises at the Sept. 29 meeting.

The details: American Warrior Association will provide mental health services for the city's police department for an initial one-year term with the addition of four one-year renewals at $161,125 each. 

According to city documents, American Warrior Association gives counseling services to Fort Worth sworn personnel, authorized civilian personnel and their families through a network of contracted counselors with flexible scheduling. The clinicians will utilize evidence-based practices such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or other evidence-based solutions to address trauma.

What else? A new collective bargaining agreement between the Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association [International Association of Fire Fighters Local 440] and the city was approved for four years, running until Sept. 30, 2030.

The new agreement sets wages and working conditions and replaces the fire salary schedule for all ranks below the fire chief.

McAlister’s Deli will open its doors off Keller Parkway later this fall.

What’s happening? A news release from TSG Restaurants, the franchisee that will operate the new McAlister’s Deli in The Shops at Keller Marketplace shopping center, states the restaurant will have an 1,800-square-foot dining room that can hold up to 48 guests as well as a drive-thru window.

McAlister’s is known for its handcrafted sandwiches, salads, loaded baked potatoes, soups, nachos and sweet tea.

"We can't wait to bring McAlister's Deli to Keller," said Stephen Lee, president of TSG Restaurants. "Keller is exactly the kind of close-knit, growing community where our genuine hospitality feels right at home."

What else? Keller City Council approved the development of The Shops at Keller Marketplace during its April 15, 2025, meeting.

• 1241 Keller Parkway, Ste. 100, Keller

Voters will choose among Ambika Sharma, Cary Cheshire, Paul Stockard and Marshall Hobbs for the Tarrant Appraisal District board of directors Place 2 seat in the Nov. 3 election.

The winner will replace Callie Rigney, who is not seeking reelection.

The overview: The TAD board is made up of nine directors, with three of them elected by voters. This is the second time voters will be able to elect representatives to the board.

The elected board members serve four-year terms staggered by two years. The terms of the positions established in 2024 will vary in 2024 and 2026 to establish the staggering, according to the state.

Directors elected in 2024 will serve until Dec. 31, 2026. The three directors elected in November will draw lots to determine which one will serve a two-year term, according to the secretary of state’s website.

What else: The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5. Early voting for the election will take place Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport introduced a new program from the Transportation Security Administration and new parkway speed limits, while KFC debuted a “next-generation” Open House restaurant in McKinney. Check out six trending stories from Community Impact’s Dallas-Fort Worth coverage areas.

1. New TSA program, speed limit change, parking rates: DFW Airport roundup

2. KFC debuts new Open House restaurant concept in McKinney

3. Celina officials plan for future development as DNT expands

4. San Martin Bakery opens new Plano location

5. Frisco ISD approves elementary class-size state exemption

6. TxDOT plans $38M construction on FM 1385 in Prosper

Texas school districts using the state-developed Bluebonnet Learning curriculum saw slightly better year-over-year achievement last school year than other districts, according to Texas Education Agency data released Sept. 30.

What's happening: During the 2025-26 school year, 619 of Texas' 1,200 public school districts opted in to implement at least one of the three Bluebonnet curriculum programs—elementary math, secondary math and elementary language arts.

On this spring's State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exam, districts using the state-developed math materials saw student improvement that was 0.6 percentage points higher than students in other districts, while districts that implemented the reading materials performed 0.2 percentage points higher on the STAAR than other schools.

What they're saying: The TEA said the gains in student achievement are an "encouraging sign of early progress."

Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, a statewide educator union, disagreed, calling the results "rather paltry."

"It may take a few more years to determine if this is a valid trend or simply an anomaly," Capo said in a statement.