Commercial Roofing Contractors in McKinney, TX

The 21st year of the Krewe of Barkus event in downtown McKinney featured a parade of dogs in superhero costumes, over 30 vendors and the unveiling of a statue commemorating the movie “Benji.”

The event is a Mardi Gras dog parade styled after the Krewe of Bacchus parade in New Orleans, and it featured more than 300 participating dogs and owners. The event was held Feb. 19 at Dr. Glen Mitchell Park and included pet adoptions, pet-specific vendors and general vendors. The Big Easy Brass Band also performed and led the parade around the downtown square.

A statue commemorating the film “Benji” was unveiled on the Krewe of Barkus stage with actress from the film Cindy Smith Baker in attendance. McKinney served as the main outdoor shooting location for the film, according to the Visit McKinney website. The sculpture commemorates 50 years since the movie was filmed in 1973 before it was released in 1974.

The creation of the statue was organized by the Benji Love Project and funded by the Daisy Riddle Family and the McKinney Arts Commission, according to a news release. Plans for the statue were first announced June 8 following a June 7 City Council meeting where council members approved a $15,000 contract with sculptor Susan Norris.

“I'm very honored to be the sculptor artist chosen to immortalize the little dog that kind of put McKinney ... on the map,” Norris said.

Benji’s statue will be installed on the sidewalk at the southeast corner of Tennessee and Virginia streets. A “Benji” movie screening is also planned for fall 2024 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film’s release.

This year’s event theme was “Unleash your superheroes: Barkus salutes the good dogs,” commemorating heroes from fiction, history and everyday life. More than 15 awards were given as part of the event’s costume contest, with categories such as best in show, most creative, best group and more.

Next year’s Krewe of Barkus event will be held Feb. 11, 2024, at Dr. Glen Mitchell Park. The theme is “Barkus salutes the Lone Star State,” and it will celebrate the culture, history, and cuisine of Texas, according to the event’s website.

Reporter, Frisco-McKinney

Shelbie joined Community Impact Newspaper in August 2022 after graduating with a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in May 2022. She covers the communities of Frisco and McKinney. Prior to CI, Shelbie served as a business news fellow for the Dallas Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys photography and live music.

'I feel highly disrespected': Basima Muhammad, 17, said a portrait she was asked to paint was only on display one full day, before an administrator had it removed.

MCKINNEY, Texas — A McKinney High School student and her family want answers after a Black History Month painting she painted was removed from the school’s main entrance.

Basima Muhammad, 17, said she was asked by a sponsor of the school’s Black Student Union to submit a portrait for the campus Black History Month celebration. She titled the painting ‘Inés’.

“I wanted to involve all colors of a Black person onto one face, because I wanted everyone to feel included,” Muhammad explained.

The high school junior spent two weeks painting the image.

“I was told that it was verified to be hung up at the front of the school so that everyone could see it," Muhammad said.

Initially, the young artist was proud to see her artwork on display. She said many students complimented the painting.

However, Muhammad and her father said there was a big problem. They said the painting was only on display in the main entry for one day, before an administrator allegedly took it town.

“I wasn't aware that there was a group of people that really didn't want it there,” Muhammad said.

According to a statement from McKinney Independent School District, all McKinney high schools have an approval process and designated area for hanging posters. The District’s spokesman, Cody Cunningham, said in this case, staff spoke with the Black Student Union’s sponsor and requested the artwork be moved.

The statement went on to share communication, allegedly between an administrator and the Black Student Union sponsor. It said, “Thank you for working with our students to help inform while we celebrate Black History Month. I took another look at the cafe windows and I think the beautiful poster that is hanging over the front entry would be fabulous on those cafe windows, so please place it there."

Muhammad said she was never informed about anything involving the artwork being removed nor relocated.

“I feel highly disrespected,” the student said. “It just feels like I was overlooked.”

Muhammad and her dad, Reginald Brinkley, said the artwork was later found in a school staffer’s office. They said it was damaged. The painting had been folded and it had a tear.

“Once she located the art, she brought it to me. I fixed it as much as I could,” Brinkley said.

The school district said McKinney High School has a long-standing tradition of celebrating Black History Month.

However, the artist and her dad believe the school’s actions speak volumes.

“It’s Black History Month. It's only 28 days. You only had 6 days left for the art to be displayed,” Brinkley explained.

This incident involving the student’s artwork has been getting a considerable amount of social media attention ever since Brinkley shared a post on social media about his daughter’s experience.

Prime IV Hydration and Wellness is expected to open its first McKinney location.

The Colorado-based franchise offers intravenous therapy and intramuscular injections, which provide vitamins, hydration and more, according to its website. The business, located at 3194 University Drive, Ste. 500, is expected to open in April, owner Kim Rosiek said.

Prime IV Hydration and Wellness offers over 10 drip types, according to its website. The business’s infusion therapy treatments can boost metabolism, support heart health, increase energy levels and more, Rosiek said. Each client receives a consultation that helps create a personalized plan to achieve their wellness goals, Rosiek said.

“We want to alleviate ailments of the mind and body in a natural and safe way. We're looking to achieve the next level of wellness,” Rosiek said.

Clients can buy individual treatments or membership packages. The facility offers a spa-like environment, and members can take advantage of zero-gravity, heated massage chairs while receiving their treatments, Rosiek said. The IV drips are also safe for any age, according to the business’s website.

Prime IV Hydration and Wellness has over 50 locations open in 31 states, including two open locations in Texas, and more than 100 franchise locations sold that have not opened yet, according to its website. www.primeivhydration.com/locations/texas/mckinney-75071/

Reporter, Frisco-McKinney

Shelbie joined Community Impact Newspaper in August 2022 after graduating with a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in May 2022. She covers the communities of Frisco and McKinney. Prior to CI, Shelbie served as a business news fellow for the Dallas Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys photography and live music.

McKinney's terminal would open in 2026 with four gates offering four to 20 flights daily.

MCKINNEY, Texas — The McKinney City Council took a big step toward making commercial service out of McKinney National Airport possible when it voted to call for a bond election but there is still a long way to go before travelers can ever start booking flights.

Last Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to put a $200 million bond package on the ballot this May. The bonds would support two-thirds of the cost for a $300.7 million project to build a 144,000-square-foot terminal, 15-acre aircraft apron and 2,000 parking spaces. The airport would serve as an alternative to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport for residents in the fast-growing communities in the northern part of the Metroplex.

McKinney's terminal would open in 2026 with four gates offering four to 20 flights daily. Eventually, the airport would have 16 gates and be able to offer as many as 40 daily departures by 2040.

Before that happens, though, McKinney voters need to approve the bond package. While city leaders have pushed for the project, three residents appeared at the council meeting to speak out in opposition. They argued that the city's projections about economic impact and number of passengers are "biased" and overly optimistic. They also said the project would not be the best use of city funds.

Mayor George Fuller perhaps put it best when he said the bond election is "a step, not the final step." Even if voters approve the bond package, the commercial terminal doesn't necessarily become a done deal. Assistant City Manager Barry Shelton has said the city has multiple "off-ramps" it can take if it decides it does not want to move forward with the project.

"A lot has to happen before the wedding actually begins and the 'I do’s are said," Fuller told the audience at the council's meeting prior to the vote.

Here's a look at what has to happen for commercial flights to start taking off from McKinney National, assuming the bond election passes:

McKinney plans to apply for federal, state and local grants to cover about $100 million of the cost for the commercial terminal. The federal agencies require the city to go through an environmental review process.

The city has already begun that process and plans to have a draft environmental impact statement ready in June, Shelton said. While that means the document will not be ready for residents to see until after the May bond election takes place, Shelton said the document is mostly completed at this point and the city plans to host a couple of open houses in the coming weeks.

If the environmental impact statement identifies any issues, then the city would need to complete mitigation work before it can move forward with construction, Shelton said. The environmental review will cover issues like noise, traffic and the impact of commercial service on air and water.

After the environmental review is completed, then the city needs to actually obtain the funding by issuing the bonds and applying for grants.

While Shelton has said the the city has a good track record of winning federal grants, doing so is never a sure thing and could depend on the political climate in Washington.

On the bond side, if economic conditions change drastically, it could have an impact on the city's ability to issue debt.

"Just because this passes, it doesn’t mean we go spend $200 million," Fuller said. "There is a whole lot to do before we’re ever committed."

Councilman Patrick Cloutier compared the bond election to when someone applies for a mortgage and a real estate agent asks for a mortgage approval letter.

"That’s where we find ourselves," Cloutier said. "We're asking for level of approval."

Once the city has completed its environmental review and obtained funding, then construction could finally begin.

Officials hope to break ground in 2024 and have the terminal open by 2026. However, construction projects can often experience delays. During the last few years alone projects have suffered delays due to the pandemic and resulting supply chain issues.

Of course commercial aviation can't happen at McKinney if the city doesn't attract any carriers.

Shelton has said several airlines, ranging from legacy carriers to low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers have expressed interest in serving McKinney. He has declined to disclose which carriers have expressed interest because of non-disclosure agreement.

Interest does not necessarily mean a deal and airlines are constantly evolving their strategies. While demand for traveling remains high currently in the aftermath of the pandemic, the airlines remain constrained from increasing capacity too much because of issues like a pilot shortage and aircraft delivery delays.

If demand declines and the constraints on capacity don't become resolved, then it could be harder to get deals done.

Shelton said the city projects the commercial terminal becoming self-funding within seven to 12 years. However, he said that projection assumes a "good collection of airlines."

Some homeowners in a McKinney neighborhood say wild hogs are leaving a trail of destruction and getting too close for comfort.

“I've never seen bacon run in front of me,” said Mike Danielson, who spotted a trio of feral hogs while driving his daughter to school Thursday morning.

“The windows were kind of iced up because it was cold this morning so, real foggy,” Danielson said. “My daughter was like, 'dad what's that?' and I just saw three big black things.”

He was able to snap a picture and shared it on the neighborhood Facebook page. He was not the only one that had spotted the trio.

“I got on my Facebook account and started messaging my neighbors saying, ‘did anyone lose any pigs today?’” TJ Trusty said. Trusty lives minutes away from Danielson in the Erwin Farms neighborhood.

“I was actually coming home from dropping off my kids, and I saw these figures in the dark,” Trusty said. “So, I looked and they were wild boars! Wild hogs!”

Later that morning, he spotted the wild hogs again and captured that brief encounter on video.

“There they are,” Trusty said on the video.

“I don't know, it's like they have this fascination with the weeds and the bushes,” Trusty said.

That fascination has resulted in destruction for some homeowners.

“I had woken up in the morning, and they had torn up the yard there, gone through my flower beds, tore up some neighbors' yards over here and tore up some down the street,” Fred Turner said.

Some neighbors are concerned for their safety.

“The concern is like, what if there's more?” Trusty said.

In an e-mail, a spokesperson for the City of McKinney shared the following information.

“McKinney is known for its nature and various wildlife call the city home. While city staff is not equipped to trap feral hogs, we have been in contact with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Game Warden to provide assistance. In the meantime, staff is focused on educating residents and HOAs on how to make their yards and common areas less attractive to these animals."

"Additionally, it is illegal to discharge a firearm in the city limits unless the property is larger than 10 acres. In that case, additional restrictions are enforced,” the statement added.

Until a plan is finalized to address the wild boar issue, neighbors have also started to consider adding security measures of their own.

“There's nothing you can do. Maybe an electric fence,” Turner said. However, Turner added the concern would then be for the safety of the children and pets in the area.