Denton voters will choose between four candidates for the Denton City Council, District 1 seat in a special election Nov. 3. The candidates running for the position are:

• Sunny Busby

• Kris Cox

• Ward Franz

• Michael Herron

Zooming in: The special election was called after Jordan Villarreal announced he was stepping down from the position July 30. Both Cox and Herron ran for the District 1 seat earlier this year and lost to Villarreal in the May 2 election.

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

A new Burlington department store location opened in late July in Denton’s Rayzor Ranch. The New Jersey-based retailer offers clothing, accessories and home goods.

The details: The new store is located at 2640 W. University Drive, Ste. 1276.

• According to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing, the store occupies a nearly 22,000 square-foot space.

• Estimated construction costs for the location were $2 million.

Denton has another Burlington location on Colorado Boulevard.

Cottonbelt Trail is passing another step in its construction and Texas Health Allen Hospital is replacing equipment for its nuclear medicine facility. Check out some of the latest construction filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

1. Fit-out for Terminal C renovations at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport

The Dallas Fort Worth airport’s Terminal C will receive interior fitout renovations for baggage claim, a security check point, concessions white boxes, offices, restroom, break rooms, back-of-house renovations, ready rooms and gate hold lounges per a TDLR filing. The renovations are part of a larger project estimated to be finished in 2030, per previous reporting.

• Location: 2040 North International Parkway, DFW Airport

• Estimated timeline: March 1, 2027-2030

• Estimated cost: $100 million

2. Cottonbelt Trail construction in Plano

3.16 miles of a hike-and-bike trail are planned from north of the President George Bush Turnpike to Shiloh Road, per a TDLR filing. The trail is part of a larger project to connect Plano to downtown Fort Worth, per previous reporting. Construction for a portion of the trail to connect Addison to Plano started in spring 2025.

• Location: DART Silverline Rail

• Estimated timeline: May 1, 2025-April 28, 2027

• Estimated cost: $18.4 million

Texas does not have a single system to connect first responders in emergencies, meaning local and state agencies often operate on a network of radio systems that are not always compatible with one another.

The big picture: State leaders said there are more than 50 different radio systems used by first responder agencies across Texas.

"We have situations where counties and cities are on separate ones, and they never know it until they have to [communicate with] each other," state Rep. Ken King, R-Canadian, said during a Sept. 14 legislative hearing.

Looking ahead: King has vowed to pass a bill to integrate first responder communications under a statewide system during the 2027 legislative session, with some emergency management experts calling interagency communications "the No. 1 issue" in the aftermath of disasters.

"[This] is not simply a communication issue—it's a responder safety issue and an operational effectiveness issue," said Kyle Mills, head of planning and preparedness for the Texas A&M Forest Service.