Plano student Kamran Vora was one of 16 students to receive the Lighthouse Guild Graduate Scholarship last week.  Based in New York, the Lighthouse Guild is an eyecare center which aims at providing services to visually impaired people, aiding them in attaining their goals. The Lighthouse Guild Scholarship has awarded over $2.8 million in scholarships to legally blind students. With the aim of assisting legally blind students transitioning into college and graduate school, the Lighthouse Guild scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and accomplishment. “Students who are visually ..read more

The North Texas Disability Chamber, a nonprofit based in Plano, has named Dylan Rafaty as its first president and CEO. Rafaty has served as chairman of the North Texas Disability Chamber (NTXDC) since its founding in 2020, where he has introduced new programs, brought over $100,000 to the chamber and created community events and programs across the 28 county North Texas region. “The Board is honored to welcome Dylan as the organization’s first president and CEO,” Board Vice Chair Kellie Best said. “Dylan’s ability to be accessible, easy to communicate with and has a clear vision and commitment ..read more

Urban Crust Wood-Fired Pizzas and 32° Rooftop Bar is celebrating 15 years in Downtown Plano with a “15 on 15th Celebration” on Monday, July 1 from 5 to 8 p.m. at McCall Plaza. The free event, hosted by owners Bonnie and Nathan Shea and executive chef/partner Salvatore Gisellu and wife Jeanne-Marie, will feature wood-fired pizza, signature drinks, raffles and a DJ. There will also be photographers available for photo opps and a “step and repeat” at the entrance with a red carpet. Fifteen percent of sales from the restaurant on the day of the event will benefit Hope’s Door New Beginnings, an are ..read more

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will be shutting down part of U.S. Highway 75 (Central Expressway) this week to convert the existing HOV lanes into “Technology Lanes” as part of a three-year project, NBC DFW reported. The northbound HOV lane will be closed through the fall of 2025. Many have noticed that the pylons between the HOV lane and main lanes have already been removed. The change from HOV lanes to technology lanes aims to reduce congestion on daily travel for both sides of Central Expressway depending on the time of day. During rush hours, southbound in the mor ..read more

Rice Middle School student Faizan Zaki represented Plano in the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee last week, bringing home second place against 244 spellers from all around the United States and its territories, Canada, the Bahamas, Ghana and Germany. After the first phase of the competition, 140 spellers were eliminated. By Wednesday, eight students moved on to the finals. Then, finally, it came down to Zaki and Bruhat Soma, a student from St. Petersburg, Florida. The two students went to a spell-off, an occurrence that has only happened one other time in the history of the Scripps competiti ..read more

Dear fellow Plano residents: It happens every time severe weather strikes leaving a trail of damage. We pull together as a community. We have seen so many examples of this in the last few days since a powerful storm roared through Plano. Neighbors helping neighbors. It’s a common site on every street in every neighborhood. That’s a big part of what makes Plano the City of Excellence. In that same light, your City is responding and helping our community recover as quickly as humanly possible. When so many trees have fallen or had their limbs ripped off in our 72-square miles, it is a daunting a ..read more

From preschool to professional, Plano Public Library (PPL) has something for everyone. Check out some of their upcoming events – in-person and virtual – for all your educating and entertaining needs: Photo courtesy of Plano Public Library. Play Dungeons & Dragons (grades 6-12) The Adventure Gaming Club meets weekly on Fridays in June, from 2-4pm at Davis Library. Teens will  learn the while playing as a warrior or mage in a fantasy world. Attend weekly for achievement-based bonuses. Space is limited, so get your free ticket 30 minutes before the program begins each session. Photo co ..read more

The Storehouse Community Center, formerly known as The Storehouse of Collin County, celebrated a graduation this weekend for 11 individuals who completed all six levels of ESL courses that the nonprofit’s educational program, The Academy, offers. Another 137 students received certificates for completing a level of ESL, advancing them to the next level. “Today is a historic day for The Academy as we recognize 11 students who have completed their ESL journeys, graduating from all six levels of the program,” said Ligia Urrego, director of The Academy. “Many began their studies with The Academy wh ..read more

Plano Symphony Orchestra announced a new assistant conductor today after Shira Samuels-Shragg accepted a similar position with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Simón Gollo will begin the position in the 2024-2025 season. “The PSO continues its legacy of musical excellence in naming Simón Gollo as our new Tammy and Charles Miller Assistant Conductor. Mr. Gollo is the recently appointed professor of violin and chamber music at the prestigious University of North Texas,” PSO Music Director and Maestro Héctor Guzmán said. “Simón brings to the PSO, not only a vast experience as a performer, educ ..read more

Though exact damage and injury counts from yesterday’s storm have not been tallied yet, many are speculating that the storm is the worst they’d seen in years — especially coupled with the deadly tornado this weekend in Cooke County that killed 7 people. As we try to recover and recuperate as a community, we’re checking in with City staff and Oncor for next steps: What is currently being done As of this morning, the City’s latest news release indicates that the priority is still clearing debris from roadways and restoring traffic signals. Crews are currently working on residential streets so th ..read more