DTX-DEN: Impact 10/24/2025

Officials from Giving Grace held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 15 for the Love First Campus, located at 5000 E. McKinney St., Denton, according to a news release.

Giving Grace is a nonprofit organization that serves individuals and families in Denton County who are currently homeless or are in danger of becoming homeless.

The impact: The Cornerstone Phase of the Love First Campus, a $14.6 million investment, will create an emergency family shelter and Life Skills Center, the news release states. It will provide families with housing, life skills training, childcare and a wide range of supportive services all under one roof.

Quote of note: “Every family deserves dignity, safety and the chance to thrive,” said CEO Dawn Shapley. “With the support of our community, partners, and the leadership of the County Judge and Commissioners Court, we can break the cycle of homelessness in Denton County and build a stronger future for all families.”

Breakfast chain Waffle House plans to build a new restaurant in Denton, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The overview: Construction of the new restaurant could begin in November, per the filing, and wrap up in April 2026. The projected cost for the restaurant, which will total 1,840 square feet, is $300,000.

What's on the menu: Waffle House serves all-day breakfast including waffles, hashbrown bowls and omelets.

A traffic study conducted in 2023 will lead to improvements in traffic signals and pedestrian crossing at SH 114 and Championship Parkway, near the Texas Motor Speedway.

The estimated project is $5 million, with Denton County funding $3.5 million of it. The city of Fort Worth will use $1.5 million from tax increment reinvestment Zone No. 2 to pay for design and construction. Denton County will advertise, bid and award the contract for the work, according to city documents.

According to city documents, work will start Jan. 31, 2026, and will be completed no later than Jan. 1, 2028. There is a six-month option for an extension, if needed.

A closer look: According to city documents, pedestrian crossings will be added due to safety concerns for northbound and southbound traffic near the intersection across from Texas Motor Speedway. Championship Parkway leads to North Central Texas College’s Champions Circle location and to the Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Hotel & Golf Club at Champions Circle.

Two constitutional amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot would impact the operation and oversight of Texas’ judicial system if approved by voters.

The details: State Proposition 3 seeks to require judges to deny bail for certain felony offenses, keeping more defendants in jail as they await trial. Proponents of the measure, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, said in June that it would improve public safety by keeping violent offenders behind bars.

Proposition 12 would rework the 13-member State Commission on Judicial Conduct, allowing the governor to appoint a majority of the commissioners and requiring most sanctions for judges accused of misconduct to be issued publicly. The bipartisan proposition faced pushback from some House Democrats who expressed concerns that allowing the governor to appoint a majority of commissioners would politicize the nonpartisan judicial conduct commission and give Abbott more power to remove from office judges whom he does not agree with.

Zooming out: The measures are among 17 state propositions being considered by Texas voters in the Nov. 4 election.