Denton City Council approved several changes to the city’s Chapter 380 Economic Development Policy, which details when, how and for what the city approves grants and incentives.

During the Oct. 27 meeting, City Council heard a presentation seeking the approval of proposed changes and passed them, 6-0.

What’s changed: The strategic growth areas in the initial policy, which provided the council with categories of projects to consider approving, were replaced with specific industries.

Eight targeted industry sectors were identified with Council Member Joe Holland taking particular note of the inclusion of burgeoning aerospace industries:

• Advanced manufacturing

• Advanced mobility

• Aviation and aerospace

• Creative industries and cultural venues

• Information technology

• Life sciences

• Renewable energy

• Research and development

Projects that were specifically targeted were items within the Design Downtown Plan, the Southeast Denton Master Plan or the Denton Municipal Airport Master Plan.

A new indoor adventure park opened at Golden Triangle Mall along I-35 in Denton.

Launch Family Entertainment opened its doors at the beginning of November and will hold a grand opening Dec. 5, according to the franchise's website.

What they offer: An air basketball arena, dodgeball courts, a soft play area, trampoline courts and a bouldering wall area are some of the attractions at the center of the location.

The location includes the brand’s Krave restaurant and bar, which serves food and beverages such as pizzas, nachos and wings, per Launch Family Entertainment's website.

The Denton location has soft launch specials running through November, according to its website.

• 2201 S. I-35, Denton

Five Dallas-Fort Worth-area orthopedic practices have merged and now operate as OrthoTexas Sports Medicine & Spine, according to a social media post.

All-Star Orthopaedics, AOA Orthopedic Specialists, North Texas Orthopedics & Spine Center, Orthopedic Associates and OrthoTexas Orthopedic & Sports Medicine were the practices in the merger. News of the transition was announced in June, according to previous reporting.

The merger, which combines 70 physicians across 22 locations, became official on Nov. 2.

The details: Physician specialties will include orthopedics, spine, sports medicine, joint replacement, hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. OrthoTexas will also offer on-site physical therapy, X-ray and MRI at many of its locations, according to previous reporting.

Zooming in: The merger created OrthoTexas offices throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area: Grapevine, Fort Worth, Southlake, Frisco, Plano, Denton, Carrollton, Flower Mound, Northlake, DeSoto, Mansfield, Midlothian, Irving and Arlington, according to the website.

• 3200 Colorado Blvd., Ste. 101, Denton

Check out five upcoming and ongoing transportation projects around Dallas-Fort Worth.

Upcoming projects

1. Park Boulevard arterial concrete repair

Project: The city of Plano is removing and reconstructing a concrete arterial street and sidewalk along Park Boulevard from US 75 to east city limits.

Update: Bids for the project opened in mid-October and construction is estimated to start in late November or early December, city officials said.

• Timeline: November 2026-June 2028

• Cost: $4.7 million

• Funding: city of Plano

2. East Bethany Drive Asphalt Overlay Project

Project: The scope of the project includes constructing a protective layer of asphalt over the existing pavement to extend the life of the roadway, city of Allen documents state.

Update: The construction contract has been awarded to Overland Corporation, city officials said.

• Timeline: Construction expected to begin no later than April 15, 2027

• Cost: $1.6 million

• Funding source: city of Allen

State Rep. Senfronia Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black legislator in Texas history, said she has the votes to become Texas House speaker when the legislature convenes in January.

What to know: Thompson released a list Nov. 6 of 90 House members whom she said pledged to support her speaker candidacy.

The 87-year-old was first elected to the legislature in 1972 and took office the following year. She would become the first woman and the first Black lawmaker to serve as Texas House speaker.

The context: Thompson's candidacy comes after Democrats swept Texas' statewide seats in the Nov. 3 election, ending 24 years of Republican dominance. Rep. Eddie Morales, D-Eagle Pass, threw his hat in the ring for speaker on Nov. 5 before endorsing Thompson less than a day later.

Quote of note: "I know that with the colleagues that are being sent to the legislature, both Democrats and Republicans working together, we can make a difference in the state of Texas and the lives of the people that we represent," Thompson said.