🚶‍♀️Ieisha Davis founded local wellness group Here for the Miles, or HFTM, in June to share her love of walking and help others connect with nature. Six months later, she’s built a community of people looking for a low-impact way to get moving, she said.

What’s happening: The organization’s Community Wellness Walks take place every Saturday at public parks around McKinney and Plano. Each walk covers 4-5 miles, followed by 5-10 minutes of stretching.

Who it’s for: When creating the organization, Davis said she aimed to highlight walking as a valid form of exercise where people can get active without feeling pushed to the extreme.

“I realized that there was a gap,” Davis said. “We’re telling people they need to go to the gym, they need to lift weights and work out, but we’re not telling them that there’s an easy way to get into a consistent routine.”

Check out details on three road projects in McKinney underway or set to start within the next year, according to McKinney's Capital Improvement Program and city officials. This list is not comprehensive.

1. Virginia and Throckmorton infrastructure improvements
Project: Reconstruction of Virginia Street between SH 5 and Murray Street, and Throckmorton Street between Lamar and Louisiana streets will take place. The project includes waterline, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, illumination, hardscape and landscape improvements, as well as a roundabout at the intersection of Virginia and Throckmorton streets.

Update: Virginia Street has been opened to traffic and the project is substantially completed. Landscape installation is ongoing and will require short-term, localized lane closures.

• Timeline: March 2024-January 2026
• Cost: $14 million
• Funding source: city of McKinney

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

Through a new partnership with radiology software provider Civie, North Star Diagnostic Imaging has added new technology to all of the business's 15 locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

How it works: The unified Radiology Information System uses artificial intelligence to reduce the administrative burden on physicians and provide an improved patient experience. According to a North Star Diagnostic Imaging news release, benefits of the technology include:

• Lower patient costs
• Faster imaging results
• Reduced wait times for scheduling and authorizations
• More time for providers to spend with patients

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.