Across Collin County in 2025, some of the region’s most defining and widely-circulated stories played out in mosques, council chambers, schools, court rooms and grocery stores.
From national stories on politics, religion and public health to local crime, food and entertainment news, 2025 was busy north of Dallas. Here are some of the most-read, defining stories from Collin County on dallasnews.com from the past year.
Investigation into plans for Muslim-centric neighborhood
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced in March an investigation into a planned Muslim-centric neighborhood in Dallas-Fort Worth, formerly called EPIC City, over potential violations of state consumer protection laws.
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Texas officials threatened, sued and denounced the planned neighborhood over the course of 2025, drawing massive regional attention to the project.
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Frisco student fatally stabbed at track meet
In April, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony was accused of stabbing and killing high schooler Austin Metcalf at a Frisco high school track meet, shocking the community and region. Anthony told police he was acting in self defense and has been indicted on a murder charge.
The case sparked racist discourse online and a Frisco protest held by the group “Protect White Americans,” thrusting two grieving families into the national spotlight.
Proposed LDS temple draws debate to Fairview
Plans for a temple by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the town of Fairview, 30 miles north of Dallas, have been the subject of heated debate and a threatened lawsuit, much of it focused on freedom of religion and the proposed height of the building’s steeple.
Fairview’s Town Council approved a permit in April after more than five hours of debate and discussion, allowing a 120-foot spire despite residents’ concerns that the size will dominate the town’s neighborhoods. The temple’s original design, which the town’s leaders rejected last August, included a 174-foot spire.
Plano could land Dallas Stars with billion-dollar stadium
The Dallas Stars are considering a new $1 billion arena in Plano at the Shops at Willow Bend Mall site — a move that could see the hockey franchise leave downtown Dallas for the first time in its history, two people with knowledge of the team’s efforts told The Dallas Morning News in October.
The relationship between the Stars and Mavericks, who share the American Airlines Center, has deteriorated over the last year, reaching a climax this fall when the Mavericks filed suit against the hockey franchise.
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One of Texas’ top barbecue joints moved to Plano
After getting its start in a tiny North Texas town, one of Texas Monthly’s top 50 barbecue joints has packed up and moved to Plano.
Yearby’s Barbecue and Waterice, which specializes in halal barbecue, opened this year near U.S. Highway 75 and Parker Road after two and a half years in Pilot Point.
Collin County megachurch pastor steps down
John McKinzie, the former lead pastor of Hope Fellowship Church resigned in September after confessing to a pattern of consensual “sexual sin,” according to an email his church shared with The News.
The Collin County megachurch earlier in the year removed a student pastor who allegedly confessed to inappropriate contact with a minor at a previous church.
Collin County sees measles exposure
This year, Texas saw the largest measles outbreak the state has reported in more than 30 years, with a reported 762 cases, 99 hospitalizations and the deaths of two children. The highly contagious virus spread quickly through communities with low vaccination rates and across dozens of Texas counties.
In April, Collin County health officials warned about a possible measles exposure in Plano and later that month confirmed a Collin County middle school student tested positive for the virus, the first reported case in a child in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2025. In May, Collin County officials warned the public of exposures at four locations in McKinney.
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Paxton divorce records unsealed
A judge in Collin County unsealed the divorce records of Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, Republican state senator Angela Paxton in December. The documents laid out a sharper picture of the breakup between Paxton, who is running for the Senate, and his wife, who blames him for the marriage’s collapse. Paxton denied her allegations that he committed adultery
The divorce case records were released after legal wrangling between the Paxtons and several media organizations and a government watchdog group that sought access to the documents.
Amphitheater coming to McKinney
Construction began this year on a $300 million, 20,000-seat open-air amphitheater in McKinney roughly 30 miles north of Dallas.
North Texas music fans could soon be heading to the new performance venue in Collin County to catch some of the music industry’s top acts, the project expecting to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators to as many as 70 shows a year in the Dallas suburb.
Trader Joe’s picks spot for new store in Collin County
McKinney will soon get another Trader Joe’s at 8101 Eldorado Parkway, about five miles away from an existing location in the city closer to U.S. Highway 75.
The company, which has a devoted fan base in Texas and around the country, announced the new store in May.
Email tips on all things Collin County to lilly.kersh@dallasnews.com.