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McKinney's economy seems to be thriving

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:43:00 GMT

Brandi Hart, from the McKinney Courier-Gazette, writes:

"McKinney seems to be weathering the downturn in the national economy as residential and commercial development continues to thrive throughout the city. The city s employment rate was below the state unemployment rate last month.

The city s unemployment rate in January was 4.1 percent, which is higher than the Collin County unemployment rate of 3.9 percent last month, but higher than the state 4.5 percent unemployment rate, according to the Texas Workforce Commission. McKinney has maintained an unemployment average of 4 percent since 2005, and had an 8 percent unemployment rate in 2004."

Great news for McKinney! Read the full article here

Slight Change On Site

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:10:19 GMT

UH-OH!

Looks like the city of McKinney didn't like our old banner. So, we tossed together a quick replacement for the time being, which might turn out to be permanent :)

If anybody reading this is proficient at logo designs, we need a new McKinney Texas logo for the banner.

Thanks!

"Good afternoon,

My name is Kelly Ferneding and I am Marketing Coordinator for the City of McKinney. Your blog was brought to our attention a few weeks ago, and first off, I'd like to thank you for your interest in the City's official news and programming.

However, I would like to request that you remove the McKinney logo and "Mr. McKinney Would Love What We've Done With His Town..." tag line from your site. While we greatly appreciate your pride in the community and our message, this tag line and logo are strictly identified with official City of McKinney communications, advertising, etc. In addition, the City has obtained a copyright for the use of the McKinney logo.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions/concerns/comments. My email address is kferneding@mckinneytexas.org and you can reach my direct phone line at 972-547-7381.

Again, thank you for your interest in all things McKinney.

Kind regards,
Kelly

Kelly Ferneding
Marketing Coordinator
City of McKinney"

More Arrests in the 2004 Quadruple Murder

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:28:57 GMT

McKinney residents may remember the quadruple slayings of Rosa Barbosa, 46; her nephew, Mark Barbosa, 25; and his friends, Austin York, 18; and Matthew Self, 17, inside the Barbosa home back in 2004.

Good news for those still seeking justice!

McKinney PD plans to file murder charges following the arrest of three men last Friday. Raul Cortez, Javier Cortez, and Eddie Williams. Eddie Williams, of McKinney, is the only one McKinney is planning on filing murder charges against at this time.

"We're confident now that this will go to trial and they will be indicted and there are additional charges to come with Javier Cortez," Capt. Roland said. "It would be our hope that we can get enough evidence, have enough evidence to convince a grand jury that he was an integral part of this besides just buying the weapon."


Raul Cortez	Javier Cortez	Eddie Williams

McKinney: Second Fastest Growing City In The Nation

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 11:12:30 GMT

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's findings, we trail only to Las Vegas in terms of growth (in cities over 100,000 pop.). Now, that is some serious growth!

From the sounds of it, John Kessel , executive director of Development Services, has this growth in mind as he plans for the future.

"Everything we do is looking forward so that we're ready for growth. We're not being caught on our heels or caught by surprise by the growth. We have a comprehensive plan that was recently updated and solid leadership in place guiding our growth."

In 2004, McKinney ranked at the top of the fastest growing cities between 50,000-100,000 citizens.

This trend in rapid growth shows that McKinney is attracting new citizens, as well as keeping people here for longer periods of time. I guess people are finally getting the hint, McKinney, Tx is the place to live!

McKinney to get its very own galleon, on Stonebridge Lake!

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:58:15 GMT

It looks like the Planning and Zoning comittee has approved the placement of the Galleon Dubrovnik. All that is left now is for the Council to approve, they meet next on June 19th, 2007.

A little background on Adriatica, borrowed from a McKinney Courier-Gazette article:

"The southeast corner of Stonebridge Drive and Virginia Street is turning into something found in Central Europe and the Mediterranean rather than the typical office buildings found in Texas.

That’s exactly what the Blackard Group Inc. wants to accomplish at the Adriatica Croatian Village in Stonebridge, which is being developed on 45 acres at the southeast corner of the intersection. The village will also feature a harbor district that will include 68-foot-long docked galleon, bell tower, 74-room hotel, and other structures when the district is completed.

The 22-foot-wide Croatian galleon will be docked in the harbor and will have four levels. The one level that will be accessible to the public will feature an ice cream and coffee shop. Its five sails will be furrowed, and will be tied to a dock to prevent movement. It should resemble the Galleon Dubrovnik and should have three masts."

McKinney searches for new City Manager

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:22:45 GMT

City Manager Larry Robinson has announced his plans to retire. In anticipation of this, Mayor Bill Whitfield is planning on hiring somebody within the next 6 months.

Excerpts from the McKinney Courier-Gazette:

Regarding forced retirement and serverance pay...

When asked if council members encouraged Robinson to retire, Huff (City Council member Pete Huff) said, “Larry came to the whole council and said that it was time for him to retire, and he wanted to work out a smooth transition for all concerned.” Robinson will receive a severance pay of $230,000 to be paid Dec. 8 of this year through Jan. 31, 2008. He will also receive his annual pay of approximately $175,000 from now until Dec. 7 of this year, which will total $405,000. He will also receive $2,500 for medical exams at the Cooper Clinic that are not covered by the city’s medical insurance provider.

What kind of city manager are they looking for?

Huff wants the new city manager to be a decisive leader who will take a strong stand on something that he believes is right, even if it’s not the popular thing to do, he said.

“We want someone who is a real leader who has been involved with explosive growth. I demanded for a long time from a city manager and staff not to give us alternatives on things. I want a city manager that came with a plan and reasons why we needed to do something. He needs to listen, digest the information, literally decide what he thinks is right, and sell the council on it,” Huff said.

Read the full story here.

McKinney eases water restrictions today, June 8th

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:35:56 GMT

Effective today, McKinney has eased its water restrictions and now allow watering twice weekly.

Here is the new schedule for watering:

First Watering Day: Your Normal Trash Day	Second Watering Day: Three Days Later
Monday	Thursday
Tuesday	Friday
Wednesday	Saturday
Thursday	Sunday
Friday	Monday

Source

Summer Film Series at Myers Park

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 11:57:36 GMT

Humphrey Bogart, Superman, Ferris Bueller, zombies and Oompa Loompas will be featured in the summer film series each Friday beginning tomorrow through Aug. 24 at Myers Park and Event Center, formerly called the Collin County Youth Park.

The park will be open at 6 p.m. every Friday for the entire family. The cost to see the movies is $10 per vehicle, no matter how many people are in the car. The movies will be shown at dusk and cartoon short films will be shown prior to the movie. An open play area will be available for children. Concessions will offer a variety of items, including popcorn, hot dogs and other items, and coolers will not be allowed into the park.

Scheduled Movies:

“Grease” 06/08/07
“Night of the Living Dead” 06/15/07
“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” 06/22/07
“Superman” 07/13/07
“Viva Las Vegas” 07/20/07
“The Karate Kid” 07/27/07
“The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” 08/03/07
“Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” 08/24/07
“Casablanca” 08/17/07
“Back to the Future” 08/24/07