COMMUNITY

Protein ice cream and free pre-k: Here’s what you missed this week in Dallas- Fort Worth
by Joi Louviere
animals | DALLAS | DFW | DFW Lead Story | DFW-hardgate | EDUCATION | food and drink | FORT WORTH | Local news | TEXAS POLITICS | THINGS TO DO

Fort Worth city council greenlights $189K for new public art installations
by Sam Cohen
Art | artists | arts | Community | CULTURE | DFW | DFW-hardgate | LIFESTYLE | Local news | public art

Inside Texas’s controversial social studies overhaul
| April 3, 2026
DFW TEXED EXCLUSIVE | EDUCATION | educators | K-12 education | public education | school voucher | school voucher program | state board of education | TEXAS | texas education agency | Texas Lead Story
The politicization of Texas classrooms continues as the State Board of Education (SBOE) will deliberate rushed social studies teaching standards next week that put a greater emphasis on Western and Texas history at the expense of other cultures.

Protein ice cream and free pre-k: Here’s what you missed this week in Dallas- Fort Worth
by Joi Louviere
| April 3, 2026
animals | DALLAS | DFW | DFW Lead Story | DFW-hardgate | EDUCATION | food and drink | FORT WORTH | Local news | TEXAS POLITICS | THINGS TO DO
Here's the news you missed from March 30-April 3, 2026.

Fort Worth city council greenlights $189K for new public art installations
by Sam Cohen
| April 2, 2026
Art | artists | arts | Community | CULTURE | DFW | DFW-hardgate | LIFESTYLE | Local news | public art
The Fort Worth city council approved $189k in commission contracts to go toward two new public artworks. Here’s what you need to know. On March 31,the Fort Worth city council approved $189,141 in commission contracts to put toward the installation of two new public artworks—one will be developed outside the Eugene McCray Community Center and the […]

Texas’ HUB program on the brink as expanded lawsuit hits state agencies
| April 1, 2026
Black-owned businesses | dei | ECONOMY | EXCO-Player | local politics | old texas | TEXAS | women-owned businesses
More impacted businesses are joining the landmark lawsuit and the harm is growing: 15,000+ decertified businesses, canceled contracts, and erased opportunities.

Why Arlington ‘No Kings’ protestors keep showing up
| April 1, 2026
Daily headlines keep these North Texans ready to rally.

North Dallas gets a taste of the Windy City as Portillo’s opens new location
by Sam Cohen
| April 1, 2026
Chicago-style hot dogs | CULTURE | DALLAS | DFW | DFW airport | DFW-hardgate | food & drink | food and drink | hot dogs | Italian beef sandwiches | LIFESTYLE | Local news | north dallas | Portillo’s
Portillo’s opened a new location in North Dallas. Here’s everything you need to know about the hot dog chain’s latest restaurant.

DFW chefs Maggie Huff and Scott Girling named 2026 James Beard Award finalists
by Sam Cohen
| April 1, 2026
2026 James Beard Awards | CULTURE | DALLAS | DFW | DFW Lead Story | DFW-hardgate | food & drink | food and drink | James Beard Awards | LIFESTYLE | Maggie Huff | NATIONAL NEWS | Scott Girling
Dallas chefs Maggie Huff and Scott Girling are officially finalists for the 2026 James Beard Awards. Here’s everything you need to know.

Book lovers rejoice! Barnes & Noble is opening a new store in Fort Worth
by Sam Cohen
| April 1, 2026
Barnes & Noble | book store | books | bookstores | booktok | Community | DFW | DFW-hardgate | FORT WORTH | holiday shopping | HOLIDAYS | LIFESTYLE | SHOPPING
Barnes & Noble will open a new store in Fort Worth ahead of the 2026 holiday season. Here’s everything you need to know.

Texas private school voucher applications are closed. Now what?
| April 1, 2026
DFW TEXED EXCLUSIVE | EDUCATION | K-12 education | public education | school voucher | school voucher program | TEXAS | Texas Education Freedom Accounts | Texas Lead Story
The application period for Texas’ $1 billion private school voucher program ended last night. Here’s what happens next.

Dallas ISD will offer free pre-K to all students starting next school year
| March 30, 2026
DALLAS | dallas isd | DFW | DFW Lead Story | DFW TEXED EXCLUSIVE | EDUCATION | North Texas | pre-K | pre-kindergarten | public education | school | students
Any preschool-aged student—no matter their economic status or background—will have the option to enroll in free pre-K classes in Dallas ISD starting next school year.

UNT to shutter 70 plus programs
| March 26, 2026
Several ethnic and gender studies programs are on the chopping block at the University of North Texas as the institution plans to cut over 70 programs to combat a $45 million budget deficit driven by declining international student enrollment.

What to know if you encounter ICE at an airport
| March 26, 2026
airport | Community | EXCO-Player | ICE | IMMIGRATION | old texas | partial government shutdown | TEXAS | TSA
This week, the Trump administration deployed ICE officers to airports in a move he claims will help assist TSA agents with security during the partial government shutdown. Here’s what you need to know.



