Richardson officials are preparing to ramp up emergency preparedness initiatives in September as part of National Preparedness Month. Director of emergency management Alisha Gimbel presented information on the city’s initiatives and public outreach to City Council Aug. 10.

The overview: City Manager Don Magner said the month is an opportunity for the city to raise awareness about how individuals and the community can get prepared for “the next inevitable response that we’ll need to coordinate.” Gimbel highlighted the importance of residents signing up for alerts from the city for weather events and other emergencies as well as preparing an emergency kit for home and work.

Quote of note: “We want to encourage some action, some leaning forward to create resilience in our community,” Gimbel said. “That’s our goal every National Preparedness Month.”

Richardson staple Thai Soon is now closed in Richardson after 25 years in the city and nearly four decades in business.

The details: Thai Soon originally opened in Lower Greenville in 1987 before moving to Richardson in 2001, per the restaurant’s website. The restaurant’s official last day was Aug. 23.

“You guys showed up for us by letting me serve my food for the last time here in Richardson,” owner Irean Wongchingchai posted to Facebook. “Richardson is my home and I will forever be grateful for the memories each one of you made here with us.”

• 101 S. Coit Road, Ste. 401, Richardson

McKinney resident Deanna Kuykendall will serve in the Place 8 seat on the Collin College Board of Trustees until the May 2027 election, according to an Aug. 26 news release from the college.

Kuykendall was appointed to the seat and sworn in at an Aug. 25 board meeting following an application process that was conducted to fill the vacant seat.

The details: Kuykendall is an Eastern New Mexico University graduate and currently serves as the director of government affairs for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

“We were fortunate to have an outstanding group of community members interested in serving Collin College,” board chair Jay Saad said in the release. “Deanna’s experience, leadership, and commitment to Collin County will be valuable assets to the Board.”

The context: The Place 8 seat became vacant following the retirement of J. Robert “Bob” Collins, a founding member of the Collin College Board of Trustees who served for 41 years, a May news release from the college states.