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Place 6 trustee Stephanie O’Dell resigns from McKinney ISD board

McKinney ISD place 6 board trustee Stephanie O’Dell is resigning after 12 years of service.

The MISD board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. on Aug. 17 to consider accepting O’Dell’s resignation and appoint a new board member to serve until the May 2027 election, board vice president Amy Dankel said.

The details: O’Dell was first appointed to the board in 2014 and then elected to serve in 2015. Her current term began in May 2023 and expires in May 2027, per the district’s website.

“It has been a blessing to serve on the McKinney ISD school board for the past 12 years,” O’Dell said, in an emailed statement. “During that time, I have made many friends and have had the privilege of seeing firsthand the incredible talent, dedication and hard work of our students and teachers.”

Dankel announced O’Dell’s resignation at an Aug. 10 board meeting.

“We will be following board policy to replace that person, to replace Mrs. O’Dell, for the remaining months until the next election,” Dankel said.

 
Key Information
Collin County calls $817.5M bond to address growth needs

Collin County residents will vote on a $817.5 million bond when they head to the ballots Nov. 3. 

Collin County commissioners approved the placement of four bond propositions on the November ballot during an Aug. 10 meeting. The propositions look to improve the county’s jail and courthouse, roads, parks and construct a new elections facility to maintain needs of the county’s growing population.

Quote of note: “All of these are taxpayer approved, so we put them forward to the taxpayer and if they want to approve it, we’ll move forward. If they don’t, we won’t and I’m perfectly content with that,” County Judge Chris Hill said. “They’re going to have to pay the bill, so we want their voice on this decision.”

The details: The propositions include: 
Proposition A: $296.5 million for court and detention facility projects 
Proposition B: $475 million for road improvement projects 
Proposition C: $6 million for parks and open space projects
Proposition D: $40 million for elections and records storage facility
 

How class projects with the Cowboys, Rangers prepared this UNT grad for a sportstech career

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Local Eats
King Pot now offering hot pot in McKinney

King Pot is now open in McKinney, a company representative said.

The details: The restaurant offers customizable hot pot meals, according to its website. Guests can choose between a spicy or savory broth and add in a variety of meat options like marbled wagyu, tender beef rolls, streaky pork belly and more, the website states.

  • 159 S. Central Expressway, McKinney
 

Your Weekend To-Do List

Check out these weekend events across the metro area.

Dive-in movie at Heights Family Aquatic Center

McKinney Farmers Market

Aug. 14, 8 p.m.
Richardson

Aug. 15, 8 a.m. to noon.
McKinney

More info

More info

 

Pottery workshop at Wildflower Art Studio

Blind Wine Tasting at Winestein's

Aug. 15, 6-8 p.m.
Denton

Aug. 15, 6-8 p.m.
Grapevine

More info

More info

 
To submit your own event, click here.

CI Texas
Texas senators consider how to better prepare communities for wildfires

From 2020-25, more than 45,000 wildfires burned over 2.7 million acres of Texas land, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Ahead of the 2027 state legislative session, lawmakers are looking into ways to better prevent wildfires from happening and prepare communities to respond when fires do start.

The background: In 2025, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 34, which required the Texas A&M Forest Service to create a statewide database of firefighting equipment; established a council to improve emergency communications between local, state and federal agencies; and increased funding to help rural volunteer fire departments purchase equipment from $30 million to $40 million.

Quote of note: Sen. Kevin Sparks, a Midland Republican who authored the law, said more work needs to be done to increase wildfire preparedness across the state.

"As we move forward, our focus should be on a more proactive approach that prioritizes prevention and mitigation alongside response preparedness," Sparks said during an Aug. 11 hearing of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, which he chairs.
 

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