Increased costs are turning a green light to red as Denton school district officials consider dropping driver’s education. Denton school board members tonight will consider discontinuing the driver’s education course the district offers to high school students.

A portion of Loop 288 is set to close as the Denton County Transportation Authority begins construction on an overpass for its passenger rail project, the A-train. Starting Wednesday, DCTA officials plan to close about 750 feet of the two center lanes of Loop 288, between Colorado Boulevard and Brinker Road, so bridge piers can be built in the median. The closure is expected to last through mid-May.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Signs containing anti-annexation messages are pictured on Bonnie Brae Street near Loop 288 on Thursday.

Drivers on North Bonnie Brae Street recently saw a sign illustrating the way many rural landowners feel about Denton’s plan to annex their land. Someone wrote “CITY STEALS LAND” in large black letters on a roadside sign the city had posted to advertise a public hearing. Area landowners say they don’t know who did it but can relate to the sentiment. “This is very typical of how the entire neighborhood feels out there about the City Council,” said Ray Roberts, an annexation opponent.

DRC file photo

AJ Wilkinson casually floats down the Winding River attraction at Water Works Park in August. The Denton parks board has endorsed a plan to base Water Works admission prices on height.

Most adults and teenagers could pay a dollar more to get into Water Works Park this year if city leaders follow through with a plan to switch to height-based entrance fees. On the bright side, some children could pay a dollar less.

Ken Jannereth

A judge sentenced Precinct 5 Constable Ken Jannereth to the maximum six months in county jail for a Class B misdemeanor Thursday but suspended that sentence for two years. That means if the 69-year-old, two-term constable breaks the terms of his probation at any point within the two years, he could go to jail for any length of time up to 180 days at a judge’s discretion.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Ducks swim, wade and waddle around the University of North Texas duck pond on Tuesday. The water level has been lowered to ease the construction of a spillway that will regulate and direct runoff, which could prevent flooding of structures near the pond.

Jennifer Wilcox points at the oversaturated ground in her backyard and the once-green St. Augustine grass that is now brown from being waterlogged. She said she’s had the problem since the University of North Texas started building an athletic complex on turf once designated as the university’s golf course.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Della Davis, historian for the Krum Society of Historic Preservation, checks out a Depression-era charge ticket cabinet from Lamm Grocery and Market, at the Krum Heritage Museum.

KRUM — The door to the building at 150 W. McCart St. once opened into a bank lobby, but today it’s a portal to the past. The building originally served as Farmers & Merchants State Bank and most recently housed First United Bank & Trust, but it is now home to the Krum Heritage Museum, a project that is just beginning to take shape.

Proud of the work he has done as justice of the peace, Joe Holland hopes voters will let him take a step toward retaining his Precinct 1 seat in the March 2 Republican primary election. Opposing Holland on the ballot is first-time political candidate and former police officer Jim Bryan, who says he has the experience to succeed on the bench. The winner of the primary election will move on to face unopposed Democrat candidate William K. Barnett in the November general election.

DRC/Al Key

Katheryn Shi and Peter Hu, both students at the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas, are two of 40 U.S. finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2010.

Two Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science students are finalists in a national science competition with a $100,000 scholarship at stake. In March, Peter Hu, 18, of Denton and Katheryn Shi, 16, of Sugar Land will be two of 40 finalists from across the nation traveling to Washington, D.C., for the Intel Science Talent Search 2010.

It’s official. The Guyer Wildcats will be competing in Class 5A beginning with the 2010 football season. The University Interscholastic League announced its realignment for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons Monday morning and Guyer was pushed into the Class 5A division.

DRC/David Minton

University of North Texas students Robert Mitchell Burke, James Pascoe and Daniel Hooper will compete in the Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest in Harbin, China, this week.

As Robert Mitchell Burke looked over one of the practice problems, trying to figure out a pattern, he stroked his chin. “You could divide it by tails of length of 100 and then divide it by tails of smaller lengths,” he suggested. His two teammates — James Pascoe and Daniel Hooper — thought about it for a moment and laughed. Apparently, computer science problems can be hilarious.

Kimberly Carver

A high school teacher from Denton is advancing to American Idol’s Hollywood auditions, after winning judges’ approval during North Texas auditions that aired this week on Fox. Guyer High School English teacher Kimberly Carver performed an original song she wrote, and three judges gave her the “yes” response she needed to earn the “golden ticket” to Hollywood.

DRC/David Minrton

Roger Mathis, who lives in unincorporated Denton County near Argyle, shows Joan Wells of Argyle an aerial photograph of where a proposed disposal well site is in relation to his home, which is near another gas well, before a town hall meeting Thursday on the proposed disposal well.

LANTANA — More than 200 area residents packed a middle school gymnasium here Thursday night for a wide-ranging meeting on gas drilling operations. The gathering was called in light of public anger over plans to build natural gas compressors and a commercial disposal well inside a rural neighborhood near Argyle, and neighbors used an hour-long open house to discuss the plans with representatives of the companies behind them.

DRC/David Minton

Josh Vasbinder, a partner with The Dinerstein Cos., speaks with Denton residents about their questions on the proposed development for the Fry Street area, during a public meeting Wednesday.

After a public hearing Wednesday about the proposed redevelopment of the Fry Street area, the company behind the proposal is preparing to draw up new plans for a mixed-use development. The new plans for a combined retail and residential development took shape at Wednesday night’s meeting at Denton City Hall as community members expressed concerns over a preliminary plan presented to city officials last month.

As Judge Darlene Whitten steps down from the County Court at Law No. 1 bench, a quartet of candidates have filed to run for the vacant seat. One has run for office before and the other three are newcomers to the political scene, but Republicans Kimberly McCary, Chance Oliver, George Mitcham and Christine “Chris” Ventura all say they have what it takes to be a county court judge.

DRC/David Minton

Tim Owens of The Owens Group, an organizational training and development firm, speaks to students about the importance of respect at a recent meeting of the Leadership Development Institute, an after-school program at the Legends Academy.

Each person has the ability and potential to be a leader, says Cassandra Berry, superintendent of Legends Academy. To drive that message home, the Denton charter school began the Leadership Development Institute, a weekly after-school program that grooms students to become a positive influence in the community.

Texas Woman’s University officials recently finalized budget plans for the upcoming summer semester that would trim an estimated $700,000 from expenses, compared to last year.

The $4.2 million budget allocated for the summer semester reflects increased enrollment caps on courses, fewer classes and salary savings from the elimination of vacant faculty positions, said Kay Clayton, TWU provost and vice president of academic affairs.

Steve Mossman

Some area city managers are hoping county officials will approve a program whereby the county tax office could help collect municipal court fines. Steve Mossman, county tax assessor/collector, said he supports the idea and is working to establish it in Denton County. Under the program, residents with outstanding fines owed to participating cities would have to settle up at the tax office before being allowed to renew their vehicle registration.

DRC/David Minton

John Sumner, left, Denton Police Chief Roy Minter, Bryan Jacobs and Mary Ann Bax pose during an award ceremony Wednesday in Denton. Jacobs was recognized for saving Andrea Sumner — John Sumner’s wife and Bax’s daughter — after he noticed her having a seizure while driving on Interstate 35E.

Bryan Jacobs was on his way to a quick lunch at McDonald’s on Jan. 11 when a Chevrolet Blazer in the outside lane of Interstate 35E suddenly veered across his lane in front of him and struck the concrete median barrier. The sport utility vehicle reared, nearly turning over backward, but righted and scraped down the barrier as it continued at about 45 mph. Jacobs could see that the driver was slumped over into the passenger seat.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Corinth parks officials said volunteers cut down numerous trees on Pacman Hill before city crews realized the project had gotten out of hand.

CORINTH — The city’s newly revitalized parks board met in front of a full house Monday night and formally pulled the plug on Quisenberry Disc Golf Course, a volunteer-built course on Pacman Hill in Corinth Community Park.

DRC/David Minton

Sisters of the local Epsilon Mu chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority lead the Martin Luther King Jr. Day march through downtown Denton on Monday. The march went from the University of North Texas to Fred Moore Park in Southeast Denton.

Students and community members gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally and march at the University of North Texas to honor and remember the civil rights activist’s message and contributions. The rally has become an annual event organized by the Epsilon Mu chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Sorority President Shanel Brown said the rally and march stand for unity and make a bold statement to the Denton community that King’s vision lives on through them.

Courtesy photo/Danny Fulgencio

Surrounded by other volunteers, Bethany Merren listens as North by 35 administrators instruct the crowd at the NX35 Music Conferette kickoff party at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton on Sunday evening.

Chris Flemmons tipped his shot glass to the music-filled ceiling in a toast, as someone said, “Let’s make this … rock,”  clinked his glass and took a swallow. The festival founder and organizer of the North by 35 Music Conferette wasn’t alone. Rocking it out, most of the 100 festival volunteers for the second annual event attended Sunday’s volunteer orientation and kickoff party at Dan’s Silverleaf, where small teams met to discuss plans for the upcoming March festival.

DRC/David Minton

Amy O’Keefe, left, and Scarlett Pope collect donations Friday for Haiti earthquake relief from Judy Elias, associate director of the Leadership Institute at Texas Woman’s University, and student Archana, who only gave one name. Pope organized a garage sale this weekend to benefit Real Hope for Haiti, a charity that operates a clinic in Cazale, Haiti.

Along with other volunteers, Scarlett Pope is hustling to raise funds this weekend to send to earthquake-devastated Haiti on Monday. The Texas Woman’s University nursing student and former student regent organized a garage sale, picking up donated items throughout North Texas to hopefully sell and earn money for medical supplies and clothing. The garage sale, in North Richland Hills, started Saturday and raised $811.17. The sale will run through today.

DRC/David Minton

Robin Gregory, Melinda Carter and Eddie Carter protest against the city of Denton’s proposed annexation of their land, outside the Murchison Performing Arts Center before the first Republican gubernatorial debate Thursday.

Denton-area residents fighting the city’s plan to annex their land used Thursday’s gubernatorial debate as a platform to highlight their cause. A small group of protesters carried signs reading “Vote No Denton Land Grab!” outside the Murchison Performing Arts Center as crowds waited to be let inside for the Republican candidates’ debate.

Associated Press/LM Otero

Republican candidates for Texas governor, on stage from left, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Debra Medina and Gov. Rick Perry participate in a gubernatorial debate at the Murchison Performing Arts Center at the University of North Texas on Thursday.

It didn’t take long for the pre-debate handshakes and smiles to devolve into political jabs and haymakers between gubernatorial candidates during “The Texas Debates: Race for Governor” Thursday night.

Click here for live video streaming of the event

The eyes and ears of Texas will be focused on three Republican candidates tonight as the first gubernatorial debate between Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Debra Medina is conducted in Denton. The debate will begin at 7 p.m. at the University of North Texas Murchison Performing Arts Center.

Steve Mossman

After three years of dealing with insufficient tax collection software, the county’s tax assessor/collector went before the Commissioners Court on Tuesday to ask for a $600,000 solution. On Monday, Steve Mossman issued a memo to county commissioners listing problems with the software.

DRC/Barron Ludlum

Barry Veanueva, an independent contractor for the Denton Record-Chronicle, has been nominated for the Texas Circulation Managers Association’s Contractor of the Year award.

Imagine working 365 days for each of nine consecutive years without a single day off. It sounds harsh, but it’s a source of pride for Barry Veanueva, an independent contractor for the Denton Record-Chronicle, who is a contender for the Texas Circulation Managers Association Contractor of the Year.

DRC/David Minton

A noise-reducing barrier wall surrounds the natural gas well site at Rayzor Ranch in Denton.

The first round of air and water sampling around the Rayzor Ranch gas well site is complete, but residents are still raising money for tests that would show whether the drilling has any measurable environmental effects. “The key is to see, as time goes on, what variation occurs — if there is a variation,” said Alisa Rich, president of Wolf Eagle Environmental, an environmental firm based in Flower Mound.