Even after one year open in Keller, Monster Mini Golf franchisees Holly and Brian Hernandez still hear the surprise in guests' voices and see it on their faces as they walk through the doors.

Along with mini golf, there is duckpin bowling, an array of arcade games and a laser tag room. Manager Paul Pendergraf said there have been guests in the laser tag room from 3 to 80 years old.

The details: The Keller location is the second for the Hernandez family. Originally from California, they moved to Texas in 2012 and opened a Monster Mini Golf in Frisco in June 2020, according to previous reporting.

Both say that there were a lot of similarities between the two towns, which made the transition to Keller easier. Holly Hernandez said they wanted another location on the Fort Worth side of the metroplex and were drawn by Keller’s family-friendly persona.

What else? Each Thursday in October, there will be trick-or-treating within the golf course.

• 1580 Keller Parkway, Unit 50C, Keller

Tarrant County’s proposed fiscal year 2026-27 budget is projected to increase by nearly $10.6 million.

Commissioners discussed the FY2026-27 budget, which totals close to $834.1 million, during an Aug. 13 meeting.

The details: The overall proposed county budget is balanced, meaning revenues and expenditures are the same.

Within the budget, non-law enforcement county employees are set to receive a 3% raise. Law enforcement officers will get a 4% raise, while detention officers are set to receive a 2.5% raise, said Matthew Jones, deputy director of budget and risk management for Tarrant County.

The cost of raises is projected at around $13.98 million, Jones said. Overall, Tarrant County is slated to pay $494.33 million in salaries for FY 2026-27, a nearly $30 million increase from the $465.33 million appropriated for FY 2025-26, per county documents.

Breaking it down: The proposed tax rate for FY 2026-27 is $0.186 per $100 valuation, which is a decrease from $0.1862 per $100 valuation in FY 2025-26. 

What's next: Commissioners will consider adoption of the budget and tax rate Sept. 15.

As drought conditions increase the risk of wildfires, Denton and Collin County residents will see restrictions on outdoor burning.

In a nutshell: Both counties are under a mandatory burn ban as of Aug. 25, according to local officials.

What you need to know: The mandatory burn ban prohibits all outdoor burning, and hot work like welding is subject to restrictions, per the release.

The conditions: Aug. 30 marks the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s 46th day with only trace amounts of rain, based on readings from the official climate site at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The streak is tied for the area’s tenth longest stretch of consecutive days without measurable precipitation on record, per the National Weather Service.

In similar news: The Denton and Collin County burn bans come as the Ross fire continues to rage through Palo Pinto county, roughly two hours west of Dallas-Fort Worth.

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

1. Coleman Street Widening
Project: Coleman Street in Prosper is being widened to four lanes. One project will widen the roadway from two to four lanes between Gorgeous Road and Prosper Trail, and a second project will construct the remaining two southbound lanes of Coleman Street between Prosper Trail and Prosper High School.
Update: Both projects are nearing completion of the design phase. The town has acquired necessary right of way for both sections, and utility relocation is underway.

• Timeline: winter 2026-winter 2027

• Cost: $6.65 million (Gorgeous Road to Prosper Trail), $3.77 million (Prosper Trail to Prosper High School)

• Funding source: town of Prosper

2. Carroll Boulevard utility installation
Project: This Atmos Energy project will see new gas lines installed along Carroll Boulevard in Denton from West Prairie Street to Pearl Street.
Update: Lanes will be closed along Carroll Boulevard as crews install the gas lines.

• Timeline: late July-early September

• Cost: not available

• Funding source: Atmos Energy