McKinney Airport Adding Passenger Service

The McKinney City Council has approved $72 million in contracts to expand the city’s airport by adding a 46,600-square-foot commercial passenger terminal. The expansion will provide North Texas travelers with an alternative to DFW International Airport and Love Field as soon as next year.

Local sales taxes and over $88 million in grants from the county, state, and federal governments will fund the expansion. Officials expect the project to add up to $400 million in annual revenue to the airport’s current $330 million.

The new terminal will open with three gates and could eventually accommodate five. Two budget airlines are reportedly looking at offering flights when the project is completed.

Voters previously rejected two bond proposals for the expansion, which has dominated McKinney politics for much of the last year. Candidates in runoff elections for mayor and an at-large city council seat have expressed opposing views on the issue.

Abbott Urges Lawmakers to Pass Bail Reform

Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on lawmakers to approve two bail reform proposals before the legislative session concludes in a few weeks.

In February, the Texas Senate approved constitutional amendments that would deny bail to illegal immigrants accused of a felony and suspects charged with violent crimes unless there’s “clear and convincing evidence” they won’t pose a danger to others.

The amendments must receive two-thirds support in each chamber and the approval of a majority of voters before they can become effective. Republican lawmakers in the House say the measures don’t have enough support among Democrats to pass at the moment.

Abbott has stopped short of saying he would call a special session to pass bail reform, which has been blocked in the House after passing the Senate in past sessions. 

Texas Waterparks Among Best in U.S.

A USA Today list of the nation’s top 10 waterparks includes two in Texas: the SeaWorld-owned Aquatica San Antonio and Splashway Waterpark in Sheridan.

Splashway is the top-ranked waterpark in the annual list. It boasts a lazy river that snakes under waterfalls, the Midnight Storm—a tube slide that shoots riders through twists and turns in complete darkness—and the dizzying Tubular Tornado.

At No. 10 on the list, the tropical-themed Aquatica San Antonio offers up-close marine life encounters, high-thrill slides, and plenty of places to relax and play. Families can touch and feed stingrays, brave the near-vertical Breakaway Falls slide, or splash around in the massive Big Surf Shores wave pool.

This summer is predicted to be a hot one. Get your goggles and swimsuit!

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➤ Arlington: The FAA issued a waiver for the police department to operate drones beyond the “line-of-sight,” allowing officers to respond to incidents in as little as two minutes. The department is the first in Texas to receive such authorization. (See Details)

➤ Marlin: The city council has extended a disaster declaration over ongoing water quality issues for 45 days. Officials have distributed filtered water since a storm reportedly caused a power outage at the city’s water treatment plant two weeks ago. (More)

➤ Austin: Federal immigration officials deported a woman and her three children to Mexico last week following a traffic stop, despite reports that two of the children are U.S. citizens. Officials said the woman was offered the option to place the children with relatives in the U.S. (More)

➤ Dallas: The federal Securities and Exchange Commission has accused three people of running a $91 million Ponzi scheme, defrauding more than 200 investors. (More)

➤ Edinburg: An 18-year-old student was arrested after allegedly bringing a modified handgun and a loaded magazine to school earlier this week. Kinzey Lira faces state and federal charges and is being held on a $100,000 bond. (More)

➤ Houston: Soil tests conducted by Union Pacific near the site of the former Houston Wood Preserving Works in the city’s Fifth Ward show there is no immediate health risk, despite elevated contaminant levels in four of the 18 properties tested. (See Details)

➤ The National Weather Service confirmed tornadoes briefly touched down in Leon, Milam, Robertson, and Anderson counties on Tuesday. (More)

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➤ President Trump appointed Texas Tech board chairman Cody Campbell to co-chair his new college sports commission. The billionaire athletics booster will work alongside former Alabama coach Nick Saban in the role. (More)

➤ Dallas Stars right wing Mikko Rantanen became the first player in NHL history to have multiple three-goal periods during the Stanley Cup Playoffs following the team’s 3-2 victory over Winnipeg on Wednesday. (More)

➤ The Houston Astros learned Wednesday that designated hitter Yordan Alvarez has a right hand sprain. The injury has sidelined the slugger since last Friday, but he is expected to return to the lineup next week. (More)

➤ Trophy Club’s Byron Nelson High School will start construction on a new 7,500-seat football stadium this summer. The stadium’s design includes 100 parking spots for golf carts. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NBA | NHL | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | PGA | LPGA

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➤ Houston-based Pappas Restaurants will purchase Irving’s On The Border after winning an auction for the Tex-Mex chain, which declared bankruptcy in March. (More)

➤ Match Group, the Dallas-based parent company of dating apps Tinder and OkCupid, will cut 13% of its workforce amid a decline in paid users. (More)

➤ A Grimes County judge awarded a group seeking to purchase the popular Texas Renaissance Festival more than $22 million in damages after the festival’s owners failed to close on a 2023 sales contract. (See Details)

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➤ The Grapevine High School marching band will perform before Post Malone’s concert tonight at AT&T Stadium. The country music star graduated from the high school in 2013. (More)

➤ The abandoned century-old San Juan Hotel was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. (More)

➤ A goat broke into First Baptist Church Mixon on Tuesday. “Not every day do you come to work and find a goat that has decided to come to church,” said the church’s administrative assistant Lowrey Davis. (See Photos)

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Have you visited either Aquatica San Antonio or Splashway Waterpark?

1. Aquatica
2. Splashway
3. Both
4. Neither

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you agree with Yelp’s ranking of Austin and San Antonio as the country’s top cities for barbecue?

1. Yes: 44%
2. No: 56%

How many Catholics have been elected governor of Texas?

Show me the answer