Cities again unite for July Fourth celebration

The cities of Corinth, Lake Dallas, Shady Shores and Hickory Creek will unite again for a July Fourth celebration that will include a parade, fireworks and the Lake Cities Idol Challenge. The free celebration begins at 9 a.m. with a parade on July 4 at Lake Dallas’ City Park, 101 E. Hundley Drive.

Denton County plans diabetes program

Denton County Health Department officials are set to begin a new diabetes registry program. On Tuesday, county commissioners approved the job descriptions and rankings for three positions that are necessary to start the program and help county residents, officials said.

Town officials warn about repair scam

Copper Canyon officials are warning its residents to beware of two men inquiring about repair work.

Come again some other days

With rain projected through Wednesday, the mid-June forecast is finding some friends among farmers and ranchers alike. With an estimated half inch of rain Monday morning and more on the way, the extra moisture is replenishing crops and filling up a few stock tanks.

Jury selection begins today in murder trial

Jury selection begins today in the capital murder trial of a Lewisville man. Manuel Nelson Flores-Carrasco is accused of stabbing his girlfriend, Norma Gomez, to death Aug. 30 of last year, police said.

Les Cockrell: Libraries to offer puppet performances this week

Live performances featuring the puppets from the award-winning television show Library Larry’s Big Day will be offered this week at two Denton Public Library branches.

Four-year-old boy drowns in Lewisville apartment complex pool

A 4-year-old boy drowned Saturday night at a Lewisville apartment complex swimming pool, according to Lewisville police.

Texas faces silver tide

Denton resident C.J. Strayhorn was advised to retire by a doctor about two years ago because of a medical condition. At 70 years old and unprepared for retirement, Strayhorn and his wife watched as their $3,000-plus monthly income was slashed by more than half.

Les Cockrell: State park plans fish fest for Father’s Day

Three hikes and a Father’s Day Fish Fest are among the activities available for visitors to Ray Roberts Lake State Park this weekend.

Liberty Christian wins Henderson Cup

ARGYLE — Liberty Christian School is slated to receive the Class 5A Henderson Cup on Friday in San Antonio.

Local lawmakers see mixed results

Denton area legislators had mixed results during the 83rd regular session of the Texas Legislature. Between them, they authored more than 230 bills and filed even more resolutions. Just 90 of those bills made it to the governor’s desk — with nearly half of those coming from Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound.

Les Cockrell: Library to offer hero events

Young people who enjoy the exploits of super heroes should be interested in two programs planned at Denton’s North Branch Library this week.

Teenager drowns in lake

A 17-year-old Carrollton high school student drowned near a boat slip at the Pier 121 Marina in Lewisville early Saturday morning. Jaquis Jones, a junior at Newman Smith High School, was partying with about 15 to 20 other students at Lewisville Lake celebrating the end of school, officials said.

Flexible year boosts some

Students in Lake Dallas have an incentive that allows them to finish the school year eight to 10 days before their peers in other districts. In the Lake Dallas school district’s Optional Flexible Year Program, students have a chance to end the school year early by meeting attendance and state assessment requirements.

Two seniors selected for scholar program

Two Denton County high school seniors are no longer worried about how they’ll pay for college. Cadie Hanes, a Lake Dallas High School senior, and Cosmas Opara, a Ryan High School senior, learned a couple of months ago they were among 1,000 students across the country named 2013 Gates Millennium Scholars.

The trucks stop here

CARROLLTON — Officer Scott Burson crawled out from underneath his estimated “20th truck” on a hot and humid Wednesday afternoon.

Les Cockrell: Lewisville Lake events will have eyes on skies

The Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area will conduct a program titled “Stars on the Prairie” on Friday and a bird walk and nature walk on Saturday.

Agencies to participate in benefit softball tournament

Area police and fire departments are looking forward to butting heads this Saturday for the 11th annual Battle of the Badges, benefiting the Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton County.

Founding pastor to deliver final sermon at Faith United

The Rev. John McLarty, founding pastor at Faith United Methodist Church, believes God provides people with different jobs. “It was not about me or any individual person; it is about what God does through us and what God will continue to do through the church in the future,” McLarty said.

Food trucks to converge at downtown transit center

The Denton County Transportation Authority will have a Food Truckin’ Tuesdays lunchtime event today at the Downtown Denton Transit Center. The event, set for 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the center at 604 E. Hickory St., is the first of three monthly food truck events that DCTA has planned as part of a summer pilot program.

Data shows city of Corinth’s reach

CORINTH — After surveying the license plates of customers shopping at a local grocery store, members of a marketing consulting team hired by the city of Corinth said they have discovered the city’s shopping reach. A city’s reach is determined by the distance shoppers from other cities will regularly travel, and officials plan to use their data to develop a marketing profile of the city.

Fair forecast

May has teed up summer more like the summer of 2004, when the region saw just one day reach 100 degrees. It was the third consecutive month with below-normal temperatures for the region, giving some residents hope for relief from a third year of scorching heat.

Bartonville Police Department steps up patrols, warns of gang targeting vehicles

Bartonville Police Chief Dave Howell said last week that his department is stepping up patrols on FM407 in response to an increase in accidents and warned residents to be alert for activity by a group known as the “Felony Lane Gang” that is believed to be responsible for several area vehicle break-ins.

DCTA official plucked for post

Jared Varner is moving up in the transit world. Varner is leaving the Denton County Transportation Authority and his role as vice president of transit operations to become the new executive director of the Central Arkansas Transit Authority.

Les Cockrell: Library’s June events fuse science, literature

Denton’s North Branch Library will offer a series of programs with hands-on activities combining science and literature for young people during the month of June.

Argyle Town Council agrees to give approval at meeting

ARGYLE — The Argyle Town Council agreed to give the town manager the green light to execute an undisclosed agreement with the two women who filed discrimination cases against the town in January.

Les Cockrell: Civil Air Patrol helps assess tornado damage

Members of Denton’s Nighthawk Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol deployed to Oklahoma to help assess tornado damage.

Lightning starts fire in Lantana

Several area departments worked to extinguish a two-alarm fire in the Lantana area Wednesday night.

DCTA adjusts Friday service

Federal funds and Friday A-train service were on the agenda Thursday when Denton County Transportation Authority board members met for their regular monthly meeting. Members were briefed on money received from the government and how it is planned to be spent and continued conversation on Friday service, including nixing two late-night trains for earlier Saturday-morning trips.

Memorial Day service pays tribute

About 80 people gathered at Roselawn Memorial Park on Sunday to pay tribute to the men and women who serve in the military and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice through the years.

Les Cockrell: Dog Days of Denton planned this weekend

The annual Dog Days of Denton, an event that celebrates dogs and their people, is planned for Friday and Saturday at the north end of Quakertown Park, 321 E. McKinney St.

Schools look at safety options

As discussions of school security have become more frequent throughout Denton County, districts are considering different paths for protecting students and staff.

Simple solution

Zebra mussels are here to stay, officials say, and education is the key to controlling the growing problem. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are working with the North Texas Municipal Water District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to educate people on how to keep the invasive and destructive creatures from spreading from lake to lake throughout the state.

Officers stress holiday safety

Law enforcement agencies across Denton County are planning to keep a close watch on the roads and lakes this Memorial Day weekend.

Les Cockrell: Aubrey car show to benefit veterans group

A car show sponsored by Lucy’s Moms on Main restaurant is planned in downtown Aubrey on Saturday, and visitors can also enjoy live music and food.

Trophy Club municipal district gets state fine

Trophy Club Municipal Utility District No. 1 received one of the highest environmental fines in Denton County in recent years, after state environmental inspectors found trouble at its sewer plant.

Denton County commissioners backs DCTA action

Denton County commissioners have thrown in their support for a grant that will allow the Denton County Transportation Authority to pay for government-required rail safety equipment.

High winds damage aircraft, trees

High winds downed trees and damaged an airplane at Denton Enterprise Airport as a line of thunderstorms blew into Denton and surrounding cities at about 1 p.m. Tuesday. But power companies reported few resulting outages in Denton County.

Preliminary reports show rise in values

Preliminary reports from the Denton County Central Appraisal District show the county with a slight bump in tax value over last year. Residential property seems to be at the heart of what is a slightly more than 2 percent increase over 2012 preliminary numbers.

Les Cockrell: Copper Canyon resident awarded scholarship

Shelby Kilpatrick, daughter of Scott and Susan Kilpatrick of Copper Canyon, was recently awarded the 2013 Tom Harpool Scholarship by the Denton County Master Gardener Association.

Vehicle strikes, kills rider on FM156

A 39-year-old man was struck by a car and killed on his motorcycle south of Justin early Saturday, officials said.

More land sought for I-35E widening

The Texas Department of Transportation wants more land for the expansion of Interstate 35E.

Corinth structures not up to code can be registered

CORINTH — Homeowners affected by Corinth’s adoption of new and revised design standards have one year to voluntarily register any structures that don’t conform to the new code.

District tackles safety issues

ARGYLE — The Argyle school district is taking steps toward potentially hiring a school resource officer and amending district policy to arm district staff and officials on campuses.

Les Cockrell: State park plans plenty of family activities

Visitors to Ray Roberts Lake State Park this weekend should find plenty to keep them entertained.

Les Cockrell: Center shows support for awareness week

Staff members from the Denton County MHMR Center visited the Denton Square Thursday to display green ribbons and post a sign for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which was observed May 5-11.

Tankersley wins seat on Lake Dallas school board

Courtney Tankersley was elected to a full term in Place 7 on the Lake Dallas school board Saturday in the district’s first contested race in five years.

Amason defeats Hanson in Corinth council contest

Incumbent Bruce Hanson, 47, lost by eight votes to newcomer Mike Amason, 32, in the only contested race in Corinth. Amason defeated Hanson 329 votes to 321.

Keeping tradition alive

LEWISVILLE — Bagpipes and drums lined the walls of the Hilton Garden Inn on Thursday morning as the sixth annual Keeping Tradition Alive Honor Guard, Pipes & Drums Symposium began.

Deadline today to apply to join Oak Point committee

OAK POINT — Residents have until today to submit an application to join a committee created to identify roads, parks and other services in neighborhoods around Oak Point that need improvements.