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The Frisco Police Department will launch new autonomous drones as first responders in May. The new drone technology is expected to see faster response times as the drones arrive on scene within minutes. 

The overview: Frisco City Council approved $427,500 for the program to be reimbursed through a grant from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority. The group has provided grants for other municipalities to implement the new technology, including Prosper, which was the first in Texas to use drones as a first responder. Frisco is providing a matching amount of $39,660.

A closer look: The Frisco Police Department currently has 18 Federal Aviation Administration-certified pilots to operate the drones. Drones must be flown with a horizon-fixed camera view and only record video relevant to the call response. The drone can respond within a 3.5-mile radius of its docking site. In Frisco, those docking sites are not yet finalized, but the preliminary locations have been outlined as shown in the map.

M&M African Cuisine is now open in Frisco, owner and manager Ola Oladoyin said.

On the menu: In addition to Nigerian classics like jollof rice, suya and amala, the restaurant also offers fusion dishes like Naija egg rolls and oxtail with rice and peas.

Construction for the 2026 FIFA World Cup's International Broadcasting Center has started and is among other projects recently filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Here are five of the most expensive permits filed with TDLR in the past week.

1. Harmon Road Apartments: A 3,143-square-foot leasing office in north Fort Worth is scheduled to begin construction in March of this year, according to a TDLR filing. The apartments will be located off US 287 near the Chisholm Ridge.

• Location: 1701 E. Harmon Road, Fort Worth
• Estimated timeline: March 1, 2026-Aug. 1, 2027
• Estimated cost: $41 million

The North Texas region continues to prepare for the FIFA World Cup.

Nine games are scheduled from June 14 to July 14 at Dallas Stadium, which will be the temporary name of AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

Mitch Whitten, Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau COO, spoke at the Fort Worth Chamber Economic Impact Forum on Jan. 15 at the Kimball Art Museum on the impact of FIFA holding games in the area. 

The details: He talked about the impact of the games throughout the metroplex. Numbers from the North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee expect 100,000 visitors per day, with an estimated economic impact in the region between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion.

Zooming in: TCU has applied to be a base camp for a team in the region, Whitten said, but FIFA has yet to announce, as national teams have until March to decide where they will train during the event.

FIFA has listed 64 possible base camps, but there are only 48 teams that will qualify for the World Cup.

Two Republican candidates are running for a four-year term as Collin County judge in the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Rick Grady and Chris Hill are looking to earn the Republican nomination for the county judge seat. The winning Republican candidate will face Democrat John R. Buster Brown in November. Brown is running uncontested in the Democratic primary.

Preparing for the polls: Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March 3 primary races across Texas, including 18 statewide races and various local races. Registered voters may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both. Third-party candidates will appear on the ballot in November.

Three Democratic candidates are running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate during the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The overview: Jasmine Crockett, Ahmad R. Hassan and James Talarico are competing for the Democratic nomination for a six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

The details: Each state has two U.S. senators, with Ted Cruz and John Cornyn currently representing Texas. Cornyn, whose seat is up for election, is running for reelection in an eight-way Republican primary.

The winning Democratic candidate will face the winner of the Republican nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2027.

Eight Republican candidates are running to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate during the upcoming March 3 primary election.

The big picture: Republican incumbent John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term as Texas' senior senator. Each state has two U.S. senators—Cornyn currently serves alongside Republican Ted Cruz.

Seven Republican candidates are challenging Cornyn for the Republican nomination: John O. Adefope, Anna Bender, Virgil John Bierschwale, Sara Canady, Wesley Hunt, Gulrez “Gus” Khan and Ken Paxton.

If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the Republican primary, a runoff election will be held between the two top vote-getters on May 26.

Looking ahead: The winning Republican candidate will face the winner of the Democratic nomination in November; the winner of that election will be sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2027.