Author: Brian Bearden

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Dallas Cowboys update: Cowboys (1-1) celebrate 40-39 comeback win over Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

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Greg Zuerlein kicked a 46-yard field goal in the final moments to give the Dallas Cowboys a one-point win in Arlington, Texas, after the Cowboys recovered on-sides kick.

The win was Mike McCarthy’s first regular-season victory as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas’ Dak Prescott (450 yards passing) became first quarterback in NFL to pass for more than 400 yards and carry for three touchdowns in single game. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 89 yards and one touchdown.

Next up Seattle, which beat New England, 35-30, on Sunday night. Dallas plays at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field on Fox on Sept. 27.

Culver’s CEO – President Joe Koss retiring at end of year

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PRAIRIE DU SAC, Wis. — Culver Franchising System LLC announced today the retirement of CEO and President Joe Koss at the end of 2020.

Culver’s is situated in McKinney, Texas, at 4200 W Eldorado Pkwy off Orchid Drive between Hardin and Lake Forest in McKinney, TX 75070.

After 23 years with this growing organization, to what is now nearly 770 restaurants, Koss made the decision to retire and spend more time with his family.

“Joe has positively impacted so many facets of our company in his time with us, especially his leadership through this unprecedented set of circumstances we’ve successfully navigated recently,” said co-founder Craig Culver. “That said, we certainly know how important family is and fully support his decision to focus there.”

Leadership at Culver Franchising System LLC is actively recruiting for a CEO to replace Koss.

Through the combined efforts of Craig Culver, an experienced leadership team, a dedicated support team, passionate owner-operators and an engaged Franchise Advisory Council, Culver’s continues to see strong same-store sales growth even amidst the pandemic. Culver’s also continues to enjoy a healthy pipeline of owner-operator interest in additional franchises.

Nearby Culver’s include 5100 TX-121, Lewisville, TX 75056 and 2475 Ridge Rd, Rockwall, TX 75087.

McKinney TX: #AdriaticaVillage aerial view #visitmckinneytx #mckinneytxhomes #stonebridgevideography

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Adriatica Village in McKinney Texas – Stonebridge Videography
Also in McKinney, visit The Mill at East McKinney near the historic downtown area

Nationwide estimated 100,000 restaurants closed since #Pandemic began

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Six months after the first shutdown of restaurants for the coronavirus pandemic, the restaurant industry is in limbo. According to a new survey released today by the National Restaurant Association, nearly one in six restaurants (representing nearly 100,000 restaurants) is closed either permanently or long-term; nearly 3 million employees are out of work; and the industry is on track to lose $240 billion in sales by the end of the year.

Locally many North Texas restaurants have closed doors.

The survey, which asked restaurant operators about the six-month impact of the pandemic on their businesses, found that overwhelmingly, most restaurants are still struggling to survive and don’t expect their position to improve over the next six months. The findings include:

  • Consumer spending in restaurants remained well below normal levels in August. Overall, sales were down 34 percent on average.
  • Association analysis shows that the food-service industry has lost $165 billion in revenue March through July and is on track to lose $240 billion this year.
  • National Restaurant Association research estimates that for 2020, at least 100,000 restaurants will close, but the initial scope of closures won’t be known until government statistics are released in the months ahead.
  • 60% of operators say their restaurant’s total operational costs (as a percent of sales) are higher than they were prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • On average, restaurant operators say their current staffing levels are only 71 percent of what they would typically be in the absence of COVID-19.
  • In a recent consumer survey, 56 percent of adults said they are aware of a restaurant in their community that permanently closed during the pandemic.

“For an industry built on service and hospitality, the last six months have challenged the core understanding of our business,” said Tom Bené, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Our survival for this comes down to the creativity and entrepreneurship of owners, operators, and employees. Across the board, from independent owners to multi-unit franchise operators, restaurants are losing money every month, and they continue to struggle to serve their communities and support their employees.”

The survey also found that 40 percent of operators think it is unlikely their restaurant will be in business six months from now if there are no additional relief packages from the federal government.

“This survey reminds us that independent owners and small franchisees don’t have time on their side,” said Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of Public Affairs for the Association. “The ongoing disruptions and uncertainty make it impossible for these owners to plan for next week, much less next year.  Congress is about to leave Washington for the elections – we need them to focus on the short-term, basic solutions that have secured bipartisan support and passed one or both chambers.  We urge immediate passage of these while we work with lawmakers on the comprehensive elements of our ‘Blueprint for Restaurant Revival.’

“The food-service industry was the nation’s second largest private sector employer and pumped more than $2 trillion into the economy right up until our sudden shutdown,” Kennedy said. “Making an investment in an industry that consumers love and that powers the economy is a good business and economic move for Congress as they search for the biggest bang for their recovery buck.”

Updated: Legacy Drive shooting suspects charged in Plano TX with aggravated assault with deadly weapon

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Plano Police report #planotxshooting #planocrimes

What happened? On Sept 10, Plano Police Officers were dispatched to a Shooting incident in the 100 block of Legacy Drive near U.S. 75.

Police determined shots had been fired from the parking lot into a truck, striking the driver. Another person walking to his vehicle was also struck by gunfire. Police reported that the vehicle fled before officers arrived.

The shooting victim inside the black pickup was transported by Plano Fire-Rescue to a local hospital for medical treatment. The other gunshot victim drove himself to the hospital.

Authoritie said both suffered non life-threatening injuries.

Updated: On Sept. 13, Plano Police executed arrest warrants and suspects were taken into custody without incident.

Plano Police reported the suspects have been charged in connection with the crimes. Plano Police reported that 18-year old Xavier Alexander Aguirre, 26-year old Rani Bryanna Gamboa, and 25-year old Trevaughn Cortez Linnear have been arrested.

Aguirre and Linnear have been charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Gamboa has been charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence.

See who is locked up in Collin County TX.

Upon execution of a search warrant, nine firearms, $18,000 in cash, and approximately 2000 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cartridges were recovered.

Police report the investigation remains ongoing.

MORE COVERAGE

NBC5 DFW story 3 Arrested, Charged in Connection With Shooting in Plano

WFAA Channel 8 story 3 arrested in connection with shooting at parking lot on Legacy Drive in Plano

Great Minds: TEA launches innovative learning solutions for K-12 Math

Brian Bearden

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Education Agency announced the first set of instructional materials – covering K-12 Math – that will be made available to school systems through the Texas Home Learning 3.0 (THL 3.0) initiative.

Like other THL 3.0 offerings, these instructional materials are digitized, customized, and aligned to Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) — the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. These resources are optional and free to all Texas school systems to utilize.

TEA has partnered with Carnegie Learning for 6-12 Math and Great Minds for K-5 Math to develop and deliver this first set of high-quality, TEKS-aligned unit and lesson plans.

“Texas Home Learning 3.0 is a milestone achievement in Texas public education. The significant ways in which these high-quality, free instructional offerings across core subjects will shape learning throughout the Lone Star State in the months and years to come is hard to gauge at this moment, though we are confident the outcomes will be positive,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “Our state’s hard-working students and teachers will benefit immensely from this digital TEKS-aligned offering. School systems are having to adjust to these extraordinary times, and we at TEA are doing the same. We will continue to provide our schools with support in all realms so that the learning can continue uninterrupted.”

The Carnegie Learning Texas Math Solution provides educators and students with free access to its highly rated middle school and high school content to support flexible learning in the 2020-21 school year and beyond. Educators who choose to participate will receive access to TEKS-aligned curriculum materials and adaptive math learning software, MATHia®, all customized for Texans to access high quality content that works seamlessly between remote and in-classroom environments.

The Texas Math Solution includes daily teacher lesson plans with accessible student materials, guidance for remote learning for teachers, and family guides to support learning regardless of setting.

“We are proud to partner with the Texas Education Agency to make our materials available to all who need them during this challenging time,” says Barry Malkin, CEO of Carnegie Learning. “Texas educators don’t have to compromise on high quality instructional materials in order to have the flexibility they need to transition between in-person and remote learning – we’re here to support them with both.”

Great Minds’ Eureka Math® in Sync TEKS Edition is built specifically for Texas. Crafted by teachers and math scholars, the instructional materials carefully sequence mathematical progressions to maximize coherence across grade levels.

The materials are designed to meet the needs of today’s hybrid and virtual learning environments, allowing students and teachers to access the Eureka Math in Sync TEKS Edition materials wherever, whenever. Features of these materials include short, digestible videos for each lesson along with downloadable and fillable PDFs so students can show their work and communicate with teachers via annotations and comments. 

“As a native Texan, I’m proud to see the state’s commitment to high quality instructional materials, especially at this unique time in the history of education,” said Jill Diniz, Great Minds Chief Academic Officer for math. “We’ve learned so much about math instruction since my own time in the classroom.  It’s wonderful to be able to bring that to Texas—to teach math as a body of knowledge, not just a set of skills. The TEKS outline high standards. The Eureka Math TEKS Edition will make those standards accessible to all while bringing joy and wonder to students.”

TEA previously announced that it will offer all Texas school systems a world-class Learning Management System (LMS) from PowerSchool’s Schoology for two years at no cost. More than 300 Texas school systems have already signed up, with another 200 more currently engaging with the Schoology team. 

How Collin Creek Mall looks in 2020 #collincreekmall #planomallredevelopment

Brian Bearden

Collin Creek Mall, which opened in the summer of 1981, is being redeveloped in Plano, Texas.

This is what Collin Creek Mall looks like on a sunny Sunday in September 2020 off Alma Drive between Plano Parkway and 15th Street west of U.S. 75 in Plano TX.

This is what Collin Creek could become.

Almost 8,500 Frisco ISD college-bound students advance in AP programs #APHumanGeography #APWorldHistory #APEnglish #APUSHistory

Brian Bearden

Frisco ISD’s Advanced Placement (AP) program has grown to become one of the largest in Texas, with 8,475 students taking 17,843 AP exams in the 2019-20 school year. This is an increase of more than 925 students and 1,800 more exams administered than the year before.

Dr. Angela Romney, managing director of academic programs, said: “AP courses focus on building skills, such as critical thinking and writing skills, that are helpful for students as they move forward with additional AP courses or university-level coursework. This year’s AP exams were unique due the pandemic and students were able to take their exams at home on any device they had access to – computer, tablet or smartphone.

“Despite moving to virtual instruction in the spring, Frisco ISD’s AP teachers continued to teach students at a high level so that students were prepared for the revised exam format, which did not include any multiple choice questions and relied heavily on essays,” she said. “Students rose to the occasion and successfully exhibited the skills they had been working on all school year.”

The AP program provides students with a pathway to earn college credit while in high school.

Frisco ISD offers 32 AP courses that span all subject areas.

The four most popular AP Exams taken in FISD in the spring were

AP Human Geography at 2,088 exams,

AP World History at 1,883 exams,

AP English Language at 1,780 exams and

AP US History at 1,463 exams.  

AP courses are rigorous, college-level courses that align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the College Board standards and skills. Students may earn college credit by taking the AP exam in May and scoring a 3 or higher. 

Even as the FISD AP program expands, the student success continues to remain high with 75 percent of all exams taken earning a 3, 4 or 5 making the student eligible to earn college credit. 

More than 51% of the Frisco ISD Class of 2020 scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP Exam during their high school career.

Students who received scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams were deemed AP Scholar Award winners, while students who completed and scored a 3 or higher in an AP Seminar and Research course and scored a 3 or higher on four additional AP courses were recognized with an AP Capstone Diploma.

Frisco ISD had 3,178 or 38 percent of the students who took AP Exams earn an AP Scholar Award or AP Capstone Award.

Click here to learn more about the FISD Advanced Placement program.

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