Cole Ranch, a 3,100-acre master-planned community in Denton, broke ground in early June, according to a news release.

What’s happening? A private ceremonial groundbreaking was held June 3, and initial work to lay out utilities already is being planned, according to previous reporting.

Cole Ranch will be located south of the Denton airport and east of I-35W.

The master-planned community will have 4,365 single-family homes, 26 miles of trails that will weave throughout the community, two large lakes and 1,200 acres of green space, according to the release.

The backstory: Cole Ranch has been a fixture in Denton County for nearly 100 years and was purchased by Miner Thomas “MT” Cole in the 1930s, per previous reporting. The 3,100-acre property was annexed to the city in 2006 and was rezoned to be a master-planned community in 2008, according to city documents.

Looking ahead: The first phase of construction is expected to begin soon, and those homes are scheduled to be for sale in late 2027.

ShippingShop, a Mexican shipping company that acts as a one-stop shop for logistics and packaging, is opening its first Denton location.

The details: Franchise owner Julio Rico said he expects the business to open the week of July 6 in the Mayhill Plaza off Mayhill Road.

ShippingShop is a multi-carrier shipping business offering services through DHL, FedEx, UPS and USPS, and also has shipment services and mailboxes for rent.

Rico said Denton’s growth, along with its proximity to local universities like the University of North Texas and Texas Woman’s University, made the spot in the southeastern portion of the city ideal.

“Shipping volume growth in Denton is expected to be at least 2% higher than the previously mentioned annual forecast,” Rico said.

• 3305 S. Mayhill Road, Ste. 119, Denton

Area libraries throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area provided space for children and teenagers during the summer. Many offer summer reading programs and other scheduled activities for children and adults.

Allen Public Library
The library is running a summer program for all ages through July 31. The program is broken down by the following age groups: 0 to sixth grade, seventh to 12th grade and adults age 18 and up. Prizes and free books are awarded for preschoolers (ages 0 to 5), elementary school-age kids (kindergarten-sixth grade) and teens (seventh to 12th grade). Adults will be entered into a drawing for one of five prize bags.

• 300 N. Allen Drive, Allen
• Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m, Friday-Saturday; 2-6 p.m., Sunday

A senior community in McKinney will get a new pool and fitness center, and a new car wash is coming to Denton. Check out these five permits filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation around the metroplex. This list is not comprehensive.

1. Texas Health Resources expansion
Hospital chain Texas Health will expand its Frisco campus with a four-story medical office building, according to a TDLR filing. The building will cover 116,412 square feet and go up adjacent to the existing hospital. Texas Health operates 24 hospitals in North Texas, according to the company’s website.

• Location: 12500 Dallas Parkway, Frisco
• Estimated timeline: Sept. 1, 2027-Feb 1, 2029
• Estimated cost: $50 million

Texas' Republican-led State Board of Education approved a sweeping rewrite of the state's social studies curriculum standards and a list of dozens of books that students will be required to read each school year, both of which are infused with biblical references. The new requirements will begin rolling out to public school classrooms in the 2030-31 school year.

The details: As many as 25 texts will be read each year in early elementary school grades, with about 10 books required in later grades. The reading list was created under a 2023 state law requiring “at least one literary work” per grade.

The new social studies curriculum standards will expand lessons about Texas and American history, deemphasizing some teachings about world cultures and people of color. The standards also expand the amount of content students will be expected to learn each year.

The debate: Proponents of the new standards and reading list said they will teach students to love their state and country, while critics said the policies do not include diverse perspectives.