Check out some of the top stories out of Community Impact's Collin College coverage during 2025.

Collin College awarded $1.3M to provide skills development training for North Texas companies

Collin College announces certification for Toyota and Lexus training programs

Targeted training: Collin College, workforce leaders hone in on employee skills initiatives in McKinney

Collin College board maintains tax rate for FY 2025-26

Collin College makes headway on new Frisco health science center

KidsUnited Frisco | Plano, a youth soccer program that uses sports to help children hit development milestones, celebrated its first year in business in November.

The location, owned by Naureen Mithani and Samira Kamrudin, is the first KidsUnited franchise in Texas.

The specifics: KidsUnited offers 45-minute classes for kids ages 18 months to nine years.

Looking ahead: Based on the success of their first year, Mithani and Kamrudin are ready to expand.

Their second KidsUnited franchise in Celina Business Park is slated to open in March, and they are working to secure space for a third franchise in McKinney.

As the year comes to an end, some trending stories are taking a look back at features shared throughout the year highlighting North Texas restaurants.

Other developments highlighted include a planned gas station and a Texas Department of Transportation road project in McKinney.

See details from these stories and more in this list of the top six most-read stories from Community Impact's DFW coverage areas from Dec. 22-26.

TxDOT’s $1B investment to extend Spur 399 around McKinney, connect to US 380

Check out 9 McKinney eateries featured in 2025

New Texas state park to offer sneak peak with exclusive Jan. 1 guided hikes

Pizza, sushi and more: Check out 6 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurant updates

Check out 11 Frisco dining features from 2025

QuikTrip off US 380 to open in early 2027

Palo Pinto Mountains State Park is not slated to open until late 2026, but guests are invited for a sneak peak of what the park has to offer with specialty day passes on New Year's Day.

In a nutshell: Rangers at the park will offer guided hikes only on Jan. 1 to explore the park before it officially opens and provide a unique way to celebrate the new year, according to a news release.

"Because we are still under construction, access is limited, and all visitors are required to have a day pass reservation," a Palo Pinto Mountains State Park representative said to Community Impact.

Zooming in: The 4,871-acre park will have a large network of trails for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders, according to the park's website. Trails will lead to remote areas of the park with vista views, lakeside experiences and a variety of campsites, including RV sites.

2026 is a big election year in Texas. Voters will see 18 statewide races, all congressional seats, most state legislative seats and a variety of local positions on the ballot.

The overview: The Republican and Democratic primary elections will be held March 3, and the midterm election is set for Nov. 3.

Texas holds primaries for all partisan elected positions, such as state officials; state and federal lawmakers; and county judges, commissioners and justices of the peace. Third-party candidates, including independents, Libertarian Party candidates and Green Party candidates, have separate election processes will not be listed on the primary ballots in March. Eligible candidates representing various parties will appear on the November ballot.

Looking back: All statewide offices on the ballot are currently held by Republicans, although some are not running for reelection. No Democrat or third-party candidate has won a statewide office in Texas since 1994, election records show.

Check out the full article for more details on election processes and an overview of state-level races.