The city of Denton is having some fun riding the coattails of Taylor Swift on Friday. With a ton of buildup and anticipation, the superstar singer-songwriter dropped her latest album overnight, The Tortured Poets Department. She then shocked fans by releasing another 15 tracks and proclaimed the album was a double album anthology. City leaders in Denton quickly got in on the fun, sharing well-crafted photos of what they call The Denton Poets Department. The city’s posts included a series of photos shot in a similar style as Swift’s marketing photos for the new album. In the days leading up to ..read more

Over the weekend in Denton, the North Texas Fair and Rodeo hosted a groundbreaking event—a gay rodeo show that drew crowds from all over the state. The Texas Gay Rodeo Association (TGRA) held its 41st Texas Tradition Rodeo. For many spectators, the show was not only a thrilling display of horsemanship and rodeo skills but also an important step towards greater inclusivity and acceptance in the traditionally conservative world of rodeo. NBC 5’s photojournalist Kennedy DeRaedt spoke with cowboys, cowgirls, and rodeo enthusiasts who have been involved with the show for years. Wade Earp has been a ..read more

Looking for an event to take your family to this Easter weekend? We’ve compiled a list of a few free events happening around Dallas-Fort Worth this weekend DALLAS EASTER EVENTS Dallas Parks and Recreation Eggs’travaganzas FREE Saturday, March 30 Times vary by location Recreation centers across Dallas Eggs’travaganzas are being hosted at various recreation centers across Dallas. Featuring Easter egg hunts, arts and crafts, and more all put on by Dallas Parks & Recreation. Check the Dallas Parks & Rec calendar for details. Very Oak Cliff Easter FREE Saturday, March 30 12 p.m. – 4 pm. Cen ..read more

For the first time in seven years, customers of Denton Municipal Electric will see higher rates in their electric bills. On Tuesday, the Denton City Council authorized a mid-year rate increase for DME clients that will take effect on April 1. The increase will lead to an estimated average increase of $24 on residential bills. Businesses will take a larger hit, with small businesses seeing an average increase of $26 per month and medium businesses seeing an average increase of $330 per month. Larger businesses could see increases up to $8,000 per month. Residential Customers: Estimated to incr ..read more

A Denton County mother fighting to get her two-year-old son back from Texas Child Protective Services since before Christmas appeared once again in court Wednesday morning. Several hours later, Joslyn Sanders left the courtroom without her son, separated for 75 days. “It’s disheartening,” said Sanders after the hearing. The case has garnered national attention over parental rights in medical emergencies and whether objecting to advice from doctors amounts to potentially lethal medical neglect.  On Dec. 21, 2023, CPS removed Josiah Sanders from his home after his mother left a pediatric ho ..read more

Denton Police Chief Doug Shoemaker resigned Tuesday after being appointed a little more than a year ago, the city confirms. “Early Tuesday, Doug Shoemaker resigned from his position as Chief of Police. He is using personal leave until his last day of employment on March 2, 2024,” the city said in a statement. “We appreciate his service the past 16 months and wish him all the best during this transition.” Shoemaker is no longer listed as the Chief of Police on Denton Police’s staff directory, and Deputy Chief Bryan Cose is listed as the Interim Chief of Police. The Denton Record-Chronicle repor ..read more

The search is on for the gunman who killed a 16-year-old in Denton. Ely Mendez was a student at Denton High School. “He was not the sweetest, but he had the biggest heart, the biggest heart in the family,” said Ely’s brother Jharrison Mendez, 20. Jharrison Mendez says he last saw Ely on Saturday and never imagined it would be his last. “He came up to me and he asked me for my car keys and I asked him where he was going and he said he was first going to go hang out with this girl,” explained Mendez. Then, Ely said he was going to meet friends, according to his brother. But the night ended in tr ..read more

A homicide investigation is underway after a man who was found shot in a parked car in Denton late Saturday night died from his injuries. The Denton Police Department said its officers went to Denia Park near Roselawn Drive and Bernard Street around 11:30 p.m. after a report of an unconscious person. There, police said the 911 caller told them the man was unresponsive in a car and there was a bullet hole in a window. When officers found the victim in the vehicle, they saw he was suffering from a gunshot wound. The police department said the man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounce ..read more

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing five Texas cities saying they’ve violated state law by “adopting amnesty and non-prosecution policies” for marijuana possession and distribution. In a series of lawsuits, the attorney general’s office is targeting the cities of Denton, Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, and Elgin claiming they illegally adopted ordinances or policies instructing police to not enforce state laws concerning the possession of marijuana. In November 2022, voters in Denton approved a proposition to decriminalize some marijuana offenses, ending citations and arrests for misdemean ..read more

The city of Denton is working to improve its popular downtown area. On Monday, the City of Denton, in partnership with Block by Block, is launching a two-year pilot program designed to build and maintain a clean, safe, and thriving downtown for residents, businesses, and visitors.  Denton’s Downtown Ambassador Program is kicking things off with a community walk as they interact with businesses and residents. Block by Block is an out-of-state company that works in security and event management. In the ambassador programs, they set up a team of ambassadors who can perform a number of servic ..read more