Good morning DFW,

Before we dive into the stories below, here’s some food news I thought you should know.

🍓 Last week, H-E-B announced the winning small business for their Quest for Texas Best competition: A Haltom City paleta shop won the big prize—$50k and a place on H-E-B shelves. See our interview with the owner here.

❤️‍🩹 An acclaimed Arlington restaurant lost its patriarch last week. Smoke N’ Ash, a family business serving Ethiopian barbecue, announced on Instagram the passing of husband, father, and co-owner Patrick Hicks. Hicks had been battling cancer and died of a stroke last Tuesday. If you’ve wanted to try the Michelin Guide-approved restaurant, this is a great time to show support.

🍕 We’re headed into the last days of the State Fair of Texas. While there are plenty of new foods I can rave about, I need to add to the hype around Tommy G’s viral pizzas. Yeah, a slice alone is worth the fair’s parking nightmare. Fairgoers have been raving about the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos pizza, but my personal favorite is the pickle pizza. It’s eight coupons for a slice (a steal), and don’t let the long-looking line scare you—it moves pretty fast. As someone who historically dislikes anything pickle-flavored, I was stunned. I don’t know if it was the perfect pickles, the cheese blend, or the soft, toasted crust, but I’m officially a believer. If you make it to the fair this week and try a slice, let me know what you think.

Joi Louviere

Managing Newsletter Editor, Courier DFW

New collaborative aims to open more employment doors for people with disabilities

My Possibilities and the North Texas Disability Chamber have teamed up to create an inclusive workplace collaborative. (Getty Images/Unsplash+)

By Sam Cohen

Two North Texas groups understand the importance of creating and maintaining inclusive workforces, which is why they’ve partnered together to help more people with disabilities find jobs.

My Possibilities—a Plano-based job placement program for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities—and the North Texas Disability Chamber recently announced their joint venture: The North Texas Inclusive Employment Collaborative.

The Collaborative will help provide local employers with the opportunities, education, and resources needed to hire more disabled individuals into their respective workforces. It’s a positive step in the right direction for businesses and residents alike, and Shelley Crowder, My Possibilities’ chief program officer, agrees.

How the unemployment rate has worsened

🥅 Plano to pay with Prop A: Some Plano residents are pushing back on a proposed $1 billion Dallas Stars arena at the site of the Shops at Willow Bend. That’s because the Plano City Council wants residents to pay for part of the project—about $900 million from taxes that would be collected if a measure on the Nov. 3 ballot, Proposition A passes. Here’s what a PAC against the taxes said on Monday. (Fox 4)

👨‍💻 Free college apps: If you or someone you know is considering applying to a Texas college, make sure to take advantage of Texas’ Free College Application Week, happening right now. Here’s all you need to know. (NBC 5)

🦺 Safe to say we failed: Texas has ranked 48 out of 50 in a list of safest states. The ranking was a result of a lack of emergency preparedness and road safety, but also a high number of mass shootings and uninsured residents, amongst other factors.

🎃 Halloweentown preserved: Denton was dubbed the Halloween Capital of Texas last year, and this year a Denton County judge’s office tried to get the city’s giant jack-o’-lantern removed from the courthouse lawn. Here’s a download of all the drama and how it got squashed.