Collin County Animal Shelter suspends dog adoptions amid distemper cases
The Collin County Animal Shelter has temporarily suspended dog adoptions after multiple cases of canine distemper were confirmed at the shelter.
The gist: Canine distemper is a contagious viral disease that affects dogs’ respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems, according to a Sept. 18 county news release. The virus poses no risk to humans or cats but can spread among unvaccinated dogs through coughing, sneezing or shared food and water bowls.
Shelter staff first confirmed a distemper case on Sept. 13 and halted dog adoptions, quarantined exposed animals, notified recent adopters and rescue partners and tested animals currently at the shelter.
Staff veterinarians cleared the shelter to resume operations after the protocols but additional distemper cases have been confirmed since then. The shelter is suspending dog adoptions until further notice. Operations for cat adoptions remain open, according to the news release.
Learn more: Collin County residents are encouraged to ensure their dogs are up to date on vaccinations and monitor pets recently adopted from the shelter.
Opening date set for Velocity Badminton in McKinney
🏸 Velocity Badminton is scheduled to open Sept. 22, a company representative said.
What they will offer: The facility will feature 14 courts as well as observation areas for parents, the company's website states. Badminton skills training sessions will be offered for members, and non-members can reserve courts.
McKinney Parks and Recreation department recognized with national accreditation
McKinney’s Parks and Recreation department was nationally recognized in September for work completed to protect green space and offer recreational opportunities that support active lifestyles.
In a nutshell: The department was awarded national accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies program run by the National Recreation and Park Association, according to a city news release. The accreditation is a measure of a parks department’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community, according to NRPA’s website.
McKinney is now one of 231 accredited departments located across the country. Parks departments in Frisco, Prosper, Plano and Lewisville have also been accredited by the National Recreation and Park Association.
Quote of note: “Parks and open spaces are at the heart of McKinney’s unique by nature character,” Parks and Recreation Director Amy Kinkade said in a statement. “Accreditation means that McKinney residents can have confidence in the city’s continued investment in quality of life.”
Frisco ISD generates nearly $2.45M in revenue with transfer students
While seeing less enrollment than school leaders desired, Frisco ISD’s Access Frisco—a program allowing out-of-district transfer students—is expected to bring in nearly $1.5 million in revenue during the 2025-26 school year.
The gist: Access Frisco allows kindergarten through seventh grade students from surrounding areas to attend FISD schools beginning this school year. FISD will generate about $1.5 million from the 183 Access Frisco students enrolled this year, said Kimberly Smith, FISD’s chief finance and strategy officer, in an email. The district will also keep an additional $950,000 of revenue for the students it kept with its new transfer options, she said.
In total, the district's open enrollment and new transfer options generated about $2.45 million in revenue for the district's operating budget.
Eligible K-12 students receive free school meals after legislature approves funding
This school year, students who are eligible for reduced-price meals can receive free breakfast and lunch at public schools across Texas.
The overview: During the recent legislative session, state lawmakers approved $19.8 million to cover the cost of reduced-price meals for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.
What parents should know: Eligibility for free school meals is determined based on a family’s income through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.
Families can contact their school district to fill out an application for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year. Students who are deemed eligible for reduced-price meals will receive them at no cost through the 2026-27 school year.
What they're saying: “Kids who would have paid a small fee for meals will now receive them at no cost,” said Stacie Sanchez Hare, director of No Kid Hungry Texas. “[School] is where we know so many kids get their meals—it is a guaranteed place for kids to have access to free and nutritional meals.”
