Recycling for live Christmas trees will be available in Plano from Dec. 26-Jan. 3, according to the city’s website.

What you need to know: Live trees can be dropped off at one of the following three Plano locations:

• Old Shepard Place Park, 1301 Winding Hollow Lane
• Russell Creek Park, 3500 McDermott Road
• Schell Park, 2305 Laurel Lane

KidsUnited Frisco | Plano, a youth soccer program that uses sports to help children hit development milestones, celebrated its first year in business in November.

The location, owned by Naureen Mithani and Samira Kamrudin, is the first KidsUnited franchise in Texas.

The specifics: KidsUnited offers 45-minute classes for kids ages 18 months to nine years.

Looking ahead: Based on the success of their first year, Mithani and Kamrudin are ready to expand.

Their second KidsUnited franchise in Celina Business Park is slated to open in March, and they are working to secure space for a third franchise in McKinney.

Here are five of the most-read CI Texas stories from this year and the latest updates on these trending topics.

1. Texas Senate passes bill that would nearly double property tax exemption for seniors, people with disabilities: Elderly and disabled homeowners were set to receive a $200,000 property tax exemption this year.

2. Texas House bill would make it easier to remove students from the classroom: The law gives teachers more discretion to remove students from the classroom if they are repeatedly disruptive or threaten the safety of others.

3. What to know about the 17 state propositions on the Nov. 4 ballot: Nearly 3 million Texans voted in the November election, approving all 17 constitutional amendments.

4. Texas House bill would prohibit cellphone use in K-12 schools: Under House Bill 1481, cellphones and other personal communication devices are prohibited bell-to-bell in Texas public schools.

5. Texas families can now access 2022-23 A-F school accountability ratings after multiyear legal battle: The state later released ratings for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years in August.