Meeting highlights: The Grapevine City Council approved items to track foot traffic and install Christmas lights in preparation for its yearly transformation into the Christmas Capital of Texas at its Oct. 6 meeting.

In similar news: The council approved the installation of 15 animatronic dinosaurs in Meadowmere Park in the spring of 2027 for the seventh annual Prehistoric Park event.

Also on the agenda: The city council approved a $30,000 donation of funds raised by Sister City volunteers at GrapeFest and Main Street Fest to Casa Hogar Quinta Manuelita Girls School and Orphanage in Parras de la Fuente, Mexico.

A new coffee spot is now open in Southlake.

On the menu: Ascension Coffee features a full espresso bar, seasonal coffee flights and a slow bar where baristas prepare pour-over drinks. The drink menu includes lattes, cold brews and teas, according to its website.

Its menu also has a variety of food options such as pastries, granola, sandwiches, wraps and salads.

• 100 State St., Ste. C1, Southlake

Denton County voters will choose between two candidates for the Denton County Clerk seat, which will be on the ballot for the Nov. 3 election.

What you need to know: The candidates running for the position are Democrat Dale Frey and Republican incumbent Juli Luke.

Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

What else? Oct. 5 is the last day for residents to register to vote, according to the Texas Secretary of State website. Early voting will take place from Oct. 19-30.

The average annual insurance premium for a Texas homeowner rose 79% in six years, from less than $2,000 in 2020 to more than $3,500 this year, Texas Insurance Commissioner Amanda Crawford told state lawmakers Oct. 5.

The overview: The rise in home insurance costs has been caused by severe weather, high inflationary costs impacting home repairs and "the concentration of risk" in the insurance market, Crawford said.

Experts said hardening homes against severe weather could help reduce expensive losses from disasters, resulting in lower insurance premiums.

Zooming in: Proponents of home-hardening incentives have pointed to their success in other Gulf Coast states, such as Alabama. Texas consumer advocacy groups and the insurance industry backed proposals to create a similar grant program last year, according to previous Community Impact reporting, but those measures did not pass.

"Resilience helps homeowners long before it shows up in an insurance bill because a stronger home holds up better when the storm comes," said Chelsea Stallings, a regional vice president for the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.