COMMUNITY
Time to spruce things up: Where to choose your own Christmas tree in Texas
christmas | Community | CULTURE | HARDGATE | holiday | holiday season | HOLIDAYS | TEXAS | THINGS TO DO
‘More stressed, more unsure’: Texas educators start school year under new DEI ban
| September 9, 2025
DALLAS | dei | DFW | DFW Lead Story | DFW TEXED EXCLUSIVE | diversity | EDUCATION | educators | equity | inclusion | SATX | state legislature | TEXAS
Educators speak out on new laws they face in classrooms, including a ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion and a “Parental Bill of Rights” that makes it easier for conservatives to interfere in public schools.
Why books shouldn’t be controversial: Welcome to your Texas banned reading list
| September 9, 2025
bannedbooks | book ban | bookbans | books | censorship | Community | CULTURE | EDUCATION | HARDGATE | TEXAS
Banned books have been hugely controversial when it comes to Texas education. Literature is fundamental to learning—and when the government is trying to dictate what students can and can’t read, important, diverse voices can be lost.
Texas Sees Rise in Flea-Borne Typhus Cases
| September 9, 2025
animals | austin | DFW | dogs | HARDGATE | HEALTH | HEALTHCARE | heat | HTX | LIFESTYLE | Local news | outdoors | pets | public health | SATX | summer | TEXAS | typhus
Flea-borne typhus, otherwise known as murine or endemic typhus, is on the rise in Texas. Here’s what you need to know.
From lowriders to live music, here’s where to celebrate Hispanic heritage in Fort Worth
| September 9, 2025
2025 | Community | CULTURE | DFW | ENTERTAINMENT | FAMILY | FORT WORTH | hispanic heritage month | hispanic pride | latin americans | LIFESTYLE | recreation | Tarrant County | THINGS TO DO
Looking for ways to show your pride during Hispanic Heritage Month? Several celebrations honoring Latino Americans and their cultures will soon take place across Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
Houston hotel workers strike for living wage
| September 5, 2025
Workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston went on strike on Monday to demand higher wages and better working conditions.
The hospitality workers, represented by Unite Here Local 23, are negotiating a new contract with the hotel giant to replace one that expired on June 30. The workers want to increase wages to at least $23 per hour, and improve their schedules and workloads.
Houston City Council wants public feedback. They got an earful.
| September 5, 2025
The Houston City Council is experimenting with evening sessions to make it easier for people to speak out at their meetings—and they did.
Get a glimpse of the 2025-26 Dallas Cowboys roster
| September 5, 2025
2025-26 dallas cowboys roster | Community | cowboys roster | CULTURE | dallas cowboys | dallas cowboys roster | DFW | DFW Lead Story | football | HARDGATE | LIFESTYLE | NFL | NFL season | SPORTS | TEXAS | THINGS TO DO
The NFL season is upon us. Here’s how the Dallas Cowboys roster stacks up, plus the key games Cowboys fans should circle on their calendar.
I Scream, You Scream, DFW Screams For Free Blue Bell Ice Cream
| September 5, 2025
blue bell creameries | blue bell ice cream | CULTURE | DFW | food and drink | free | HARDGATE | LIFESTYLE | pecan pie | state pie of texas | TEXAS
Blue Bell is partnering with Wing to offer an exciting ice cream giveaway for DFW residents. Here’s how you can get a free pint of the new Classic Pecan Pie flavor.
See how popular pumpkin spice is in Texas
| September 4, 2025
While we’re still in the thick of summer, many are already looking forward to what they consider the best time of year: pumpkin spice season. This iconic fall flavor often makes its debut while it’s still technically summer, which inspired Instacart to explore how popular pumpkin spice products are in Texas and when they’re showing […]
Good news, Texas! Free College Application Week is coming
| September 3, 2025
college | COLLEGE STUDENTS | Community | CULTURE | EDUCATION | EQUALITY | equity | FAMILY | get involved | HARDGATE | HIGHER EDUCATION | LIFESTYLE | local | Local news | public education | public school | public schools | schools | teachers | texans | TEXAS
Texas residents can apply to college for free from October 13-19, 2025. Here’s everything you need to know about Free College Application Week.
Here’s how Fort Worth residents can weigh in on the future downtown library
| September 3, 2025
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT | Community | CULTURE | DFW | DFW Lead Story | downtown library | Fort Worth Public Library | LIFESTYLE | listening sessions | TEXAS
The listening sessions come about two years after Fort Worth sold its decades-old downtown central library building, and one year after it purchased a nearby, 100-year-old building as a new location.
A long drive: Dallas-area Hurricane Katrina survivor recounts narrow escape 20 years later
| August 28, 2025
A Forney woman looks back on evacuating New Orleans and finding a new life in Texas.