Denton ISD will launch a new program that will allow DISD residents and student family members who are 60 and older to attend school events for free.

The details: The Gold Card Program is a way to say "thank you" to Denton residents and DISD family members who have "invested in Denton ISD students and schools for years," according to a July 21 news release.

The program will allow eligible community members to get receive free general admission to DISD home events like athletic games, competitions and fine arts performances.

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Live within DISD boundaries
• Have a family member enrolled in DISD, regardless of where you live
• Be 60 or older

A new themed mini-golf venue just opened in Denton, and a hot dog food truck relocated to its permanent location off Sherman Drive. Take a look at 15 business updates in Denton. This list is not comprehensive.

Now open
Monster Mini Golf
The glow-in-the-dark, monster-themed miniature golf course also offers an arcade, four lanes of mini bowling and spaces for live entertainment and events.

• Opened July 4
• 2223 Colorado Blvd., Denton

• Opened May 29
• 3400 N. I-35, Denton

• Opening in November
• 2201 S. I-35, P-12, Denton

Construction will start on a new apartment complex in McKinney, and a new indoor playground is set to open in Plano. Check out six major North Texas construction permits filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

1. Franklin Branch Apartments: A nine-building apartment complex called Franklin Branch Apartments will break ground in early March 2027, according to TDLR documents. Previous Community Impact reporting states that the apartment complex will offer 288 units. Developer The NRP Group partnered with the McKinney Housing Finance Corp. to build the complex to offer income-restricted rental units.

• Location: 3565 FM 1461, McKinney
• Estimated timeline: March 3 2027-Nov. 4 2028
• Estimated cost: $27.05 million

• Location: 3374 SH 114, Fort Worth
• Estimated timeline: Sept.1- May 7 2027
• Estimated cost: $2 million

Sandy Creek resident Georgia Bishop was out of town when 22 inches of rain fell on parts of northwest Travis County over the July 4, 2025, weekend. When Bishop returned home days later, her community was significantly changed.

What happened: Residents of the hard-hit Sandy Creek neighborhood described a “wall of water” that tore through their community last July, washing away homes, cars and roads. Nine people died in the flooding, including Bishop’s best friend, 16-year-old Felicity Jarmon.

The context: One year later, residents of the unincorporated Travis County community are still working to rebuild from last July’s catastrophic flooding. Central Texas has seen two straight years of intense, deadly flooding in July, leaving some residents on edge as they recover from last year’s disaster and mourn lost loved ones.

Community Impact spoke with Bishop and Kylie Nidever, whose neighborhood in Hunt flooded last year, on July 13, days before heavy rainfall hit large swaths of the state once again. Officials confirmed two deaths due to this year's floods, while 137 people died last July.