Ranch Cities: 2023 Year in Review
— Kim Fleming
2023 has been a blur of activity throughout the Ranch Cities area. Residents and members of the business community throughout the U.S. 377 and U.S. 380 corridors have worked, played, served and grown together. Here is our annual review of some of the biggest news from the past year.
January
Local elections are here again with the statewide local election day set for May 6.
Ranch Cities residents are greeted with unseasonably temperate weather to kick off the new year, and participants of the Texas State Parks First Day Hike are all too happy to stroll at 73 degrees.
Tioga ISD has its first day back after the staffing cuts made over the winter break, with students and teachers getting a taste of the new rhythm.
City Manager Britt Lusk, with the help of local business owner and cohost Jimerson Adkins, begins the Pilot Point Podcast as a way to share information about the community and City Hall with the residents punctuated with some fun and humor.
Cofounders of the Tioga Education Foundation Jamie Chamberlain, Liz Kemp and Jordyn Miller begin the process of establishing a nonprofit with the first goal being to help bring down the debt-to-student ratio.
As the Ranch Cities continue to grow year after year so too could the amount of light their businesses and houses produce.
Sarah Boyd & Company holds a ribbon cutting with a newly renovated office on the Pilot Point Square.
Texas state parks are celebrating their 100-year anniversary this year.
Josh Ballinger is named by the Tioga ISD trustees as the lone finalist for the superintendent position.
Dayzee Tovar shows one of her four sheep for the season at the Aubrey FFA Stock Show.
Pilot Point ISD Superintendent Todd Southard’s contract is extended to 2026.
The city of Pilot Point takes the next step in issuing up to $16.1 million in debt to finance an additional fire station, additional police station and other municipal projects.
Little Elm Fire Department Chief Paul Rust speaks regarding the growth of his department during the first Cross Roads Town Council meeting of the year.
Students at the Pilot Point Elementary School campus learn all about the Go-To-Green program.
Feb. 18 will see the first Tioga PTO fundraising gala, and it’s kicking off with a bang.
The Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce holds a night of Western wear and awards for the annual banquet.
The Aubrey ISD trustees get a chance to see the preliminary plans for expanding Aubrey High School to accommodate its growing population.
February
Rounds of winter precipitation bring much of the area to a grinding halt.
Pilot Point City Council members agree to authorize thousands of dollars in expenditures to equip municipal buildings with security systems among other decisions at their Jan. 28 meeting.
Aubrey Fire Department Chief Eric Scholtter provides the Aubrey City Council with a detailed look at the current staff and the needs of the department.
High school students in Denton ISD from Providence Village and Cross Roads may have a shorter drive in the coming years as DISD plans to build a campus a little closer to home.
The ice storm sees businesses around the Ranch Cities stuck between a cold rock and quite the slippery hard place.
A group of at least 250 community members helps provide around $40,000 for two Tioga ISD programs.
Aubrey ISD’s success in UIL competitions throughout the school year lands them high on the rankings for the Lone Star Cup.
Aubrey and Pilot Point area residents take to social media to vent their frustrations about Rhino Removal’s trash and recycling services.
Pilot Point ISD is looking for a new high school principal as Jacob Williams is getting a promotion.
Lovepacs continues to feed local children.
Students of Pilot Point ISD FFA take their livestock for a spin in their home barn at the local stock show.
The Aubrey ISD school board sees a comprehensive presentation on the early literacy and math intervention program in Aubrey schools.
Tioga ISD approves John Ballinger as superintendent.
Pilot Point Works—a collaboration between Pilot Point ISD, the city of Pilot Point, the Municipal Development District and the Chamber of Commerce—is a way to connect students to businesses in the area.
Coming off the week of ice at the end of January, school districts along U.S. 377 are adjusting calendars and redoubling efforts in the classroom.
March
The May 6 general election ballot is set, but there are still opportunities for those interested to serve in Pilot Point and Krugerville to run for office.
To allow a preliminary plat or not to allow a preliminary plat is the question at the Aubrey City Council meeting on Feb. 23.
The St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Hall buzzes with conversation and the sound of the Pilot Point Educational Foundation’s annual gala on Feb. 25.
Tioga ISD is actively looking for a new athletic director as Chad Rogers has submitted his resignation and accepted a job in Sanger ISD.
For all their hard work in the community of Pilot Point and the greater Ranch Cities, the officers of Pilot Point Police Department are competing with a four-legged trendsetter in their midst.
Aubrey ISD now owns 71 acres on FM 2931, which it plans to turn into the site for at least the district’s second middle school campus.
Hilary McConnell is the new town secretary for Providence Village.
The yearly Pilot Point FFA auction offers student projects on the docket.
Signs bear the saying “Stop White Oaks M.U.D.” line FM 455 on the properties surrounding the existing White Oaks Ranch.
Pilot Point takes an aggressive approach to filling the educator spots it knows will be open next year.
Cross Roads Town Council member Greg Gaalema, who served on the Town Council since 2020, passes away.
First responders inspect the remains of a charred Amazon delivery van.
The March 9 meeting of the Pilot Point City Council kicks off with several public comments from disgruntled homeowners in Yarbrough Farms.
Starting with the 2023-24 school year, Pilot Point ISD will offer athletic insurance to help fill the gaps of what parents can provide.
Max Griffin hopes he inspires a tradition of filmmaking excellence at Aubrey High School.
Rows of colorful blossoms serve as the backdrop for professional photos and new memories at Texas Tulips on FM 2931.
Tioga ISD names Zach Birdwell as its new athletic director and head football coach.
After hearing from Cross Roads business owners about multiple zoning-related problems, a two-council member majority votes to make changes to the town’s zoning ordinances.
The band school programs along U.S. 377 are making sound waves on the UIL stage from marching to concert, solo and ensemble.
John “J.W.” Scott, a living part of the area’s history, celebrates his 95th birthday.
Aubrey ISD continues its series of informational reports on educational programs with word from teacher facilitators.
The hard work of the members of the Aubrey FFA chapter was on display at the annual FFA dinner and auction.
With the $1.4 billion Denton ISD bond election on the May 6 ballot, two members of the Denton ISD leadership speak at the Providence Village Town Council meeting on March 21.
Residents of Pilot Point will have six names in three positions to consider at the polls in May.
The rangers at Ray Roberts Lake State Park Johnson Branch ring in spring with a vendor event focused on the partnerships that make their park and state parks in general happen.
April
After a year of business, Equiphope hosts its second Tag and Tack event, this time complete with an egg-toting bunny raring for photo ops.
Two would-be newcomers to the dais via for a place on the Providence Village Town Council.
The voices of Pilot Point’s late historians Clifton Irick and Jay Melugin are heard once again to a standing room crowd at the Pilot Point Coffee House.
Planning together is the focus of the joint meeting between the Aubrey City Council and the Aubrey ISD board of trustees on March 29.
Two candidates contest the incumbent for Place 7 on the Aubrey ISD school board.
As to be expected in the Ranch Cities’ rural environments, Future Farmers of America is a cornerstone of the local ISDs.
Beau Foster sees himself less as the heir-apparent to Jay Melugin and more as the custodian of Jay’s Songwriter Fest 2023.
There are three contested seats in the Tioga ISD school board election set for the May 6 ballot.
New to her role with the Chamber but well established in the city of Aubrey, Jana Temple steps in as executive director of the Aubrey 380 Area Chamber of Commerce.
Free breakfast remains available for all students in Tioga ISD.
Pilot Point High School’s next principal, Jason Crow, comes on board at PPHS so he can learn how things flow in the school.
Six candidates, including one incumbent, seek three seats on the Cross Roads Town Council.
In the course of two days, 13 students from Aubrey High School and Pilot Point High School celebrate their commitments to the next step in their future.
The state of Mustang Road along FM 1385 is only tangentially related to the 1385 expansion project.
Aubrey ISD settles on the footprint and basic layout of the district’s new middle school and elementary school as well as the major renovation planned for Aubrey High School.
Tioga ISD is seeing immediate returns on the choice to hire a full-time theater teacher, with the UIL One Act Play advancing all the way to the state stage.
Members of the Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce listen to the forecast for land development in the area from Ryan Brown, president of Talley Land Development.
Four candidates look to take two open seats on the Tioga City Council in the upcoming election.
May
Despite the threat of a late spring shower, vendors and community members attend the first Farmers Market of the season on the Pilot Point Square.
One Pilot Point ISD parent turns out on April 25 for a special school board meeting with only one agenda item: an executive session discussion about an employment issue.
The Aubrey City Council conditionally approves a new large-scale gas station at the old site of Betty’s Café along U.S. 377 at the April 27 meeting.
The Post-Signal again claims the title of the best newspaper in its division in the 2023 North and East Texas Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.
Members of the Pilot Point faith community gather together under and around the gazebo on May 4 to celebrate the National Day of Prayer together.
Pilot Point is getting a sexy solution for a not-so-sexy project—the wastewater treatment plant.
The results of the local spring elections have been tallied.
The Pilot Point kindergarten class goes a little wild as they bring animals to life.
The resignation submitted by Kyle Peacock as head football coach and athletic director for Pilot Point ISD launches a landslide of community comments and district response.
Several Pilot Point residents living in Yarbrough Farms mount a fight against developer Randy Tudor for his handling of the development.
A special meeting of the Aubrey City Council on May 10 sees Randy Jones join its ranks and Mayor Chris Rich and council member Erin Allen reaffirm their oaths.
Pilot Point City Manager Britt Lusk is going to work with a third-party company to work on new historic design guidelines, based on the vote of the City Council on May 11.
Pilot Point ISD looks into allegations regarding Superintendent Todd Southard’s treatment of district employees.
A senior prank at Tioga High School creates a mess at the school and an uproar online.
Clad in bright Chaparral red, the Aubrey Education Foundation Prize Patrol makes its rounds.
Virtual meeting information on the Regional Outer Loop is available with Aubrey and Krugerville right in the middle of the study area.
June
Texas Attorney General Warren Kenneth “Ken” Paxton Jr. is impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in a vote of 121-23.
Development and infrastructure investment are the primary concerns before the Aubrey City Council on May 25.
The dais had a couple of presentations prior to the swearing in ceremony at the May 25 council meeting of the Pilot Point City Council.
Just as she has week in and week out for the last decade, Frances Carter stops by the Aubrey Area Library to turn a picture book into a special adventure for the children of Aubrey.
Elliot Bland and his Grandpa Rusty are not only offering a selection of home-grown greens but will put your money to use supporting children with St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Chase Adams will lead the Pilot Point Bearcats on the sideline starting this fall.
For the fourth year in a row, The Post-Signal wins the sweepstakes competition for its division in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
Long-range needs are on the docket and minds of the Providence Village Town Council.
No Kid Hungry partners with local schools to make sure children in the area get good meals during the summer even when parents are still at work.
The UNT Digital Newspaper Program is preserving rural history one local paper at a time.
The post office in Pilot Point is under new management.
The Providence Village Community Center plays host to the founding of a new civil service organization in the Aubrey area on June 6—the Aubrey Area Kiwanis Club.
Tioga ISD’s annual budget is projected to bring in around $10.7 million in revenues, and the district is working to get a clearer picture of what its expenditures will be for the year.
Tioga ISD budget discussions continue in advance of the upcoming board plans to set the new budget.
With the nation’s birthday just around the corner, many members of the Ranch Cities communities will be restocking their fireworks cache and looking for a place to brighten the night sky.
New sidewalks are going into Downtown Pilot Point.
Around 70 members of the Williams family turn out for a combination family reunion and Juneteenth Celebration.
The Aubrey ISD school board hires Aubrey Elementary School No. 4 Principal Jennie Petrasic at the June meeting.
The Tioga ISD school board approves the district’s 2023-24 budget.
A firework stand north of Tioga is helping to fund as much of the Tioga Bulldog athletic department expenses as it can.
Pilot Point Mayor Elisa Beasley offers two versions of her State of the City address—the first geared for business owners and the second more for residents.
Isaac Hoskins and the Glass Mountain Orchestra take the stage at Krugerville Park Fest, playing old-fashioned outlaw country for the city’s residents and area visitors.
July
Pilot Point ISD’s school board holds a short, special called meeting to go over final budget amendments prior to the end of the 2022-23 fiscal year.
One of the biggest pieces of Pilot Point history is up for sale—the Farmers and Merchants Bank.
The work an Aubrey family and the Aubrey Historical Society have done to preserve a part of their history receives state-level recognition at the Wilson Cemetery.
Long-time civil servant John Nipe announces his approaching resignation from not only the Community Development Corporation of Krugerville but also from the city council.
The new Municipal Development District executive director at the city of Aubrey just hit two months on the job.
A long-standing horse facility along Grubbs Road has come back to life.
Representatives from Post Oak Preservation Solutions spend the week in town to better understand Pilot Point for their re-creation of the historic guidelines regarding the Square.
The Corner Café kitchen is out of commission after an early morning fires damages the food trailer outside of the brick-and-mortar business.
The July 13 meeting of the Pilot Point City Council sees robust discussion on how nonspecific ordinances can leave the town open to unfavorable business.
Logan Moore celebrates his 18th birthday with another major milestone after his dad, Tioga Volunteer Fire Department Chief Richard Hartman, inducts him as a firefighter.
Cindy Faris leads the charge on celebrating the one-year anniversary of Meals on Wheels again providing hot meals for seniors in the Aubrey-Pilot Point area.
As the communities along the U.S. 377-corridor swing into the latter half of summer, mild drought conditions and high heat persist.
After an increase in public attendance at multiple recent meetings, the Pilot Point ISD school board discusses the pros and cons of possibly changing the meeting time.
Pilot Point Public Works Director Trent Vandagriff steps outside of his comfort zone to share about the work his staff does with a group of business and community leaders at the July PointBank Business Breakfast.
A kitchen fire leaves Leslie Lynn’s family home on Broad Street in Pilot Point unlivable.
Tony Langdon Real Estate joins Ciera Bank and Sendera Title in the Ciera Bank building.
Denton County issues a burn ban as the summer heat has counteracted the rainfall and humidity, creating ideal conditions for fast-spreading grass fires.
August
Pilot Point Parks Director Jason Poncio is excited for a basketball court that dreams are made of.
The Krugerville City Council will look very different in the coming months.
City council members in Pilot Point accept a petition to annex nearly 85 acres of unincorporated land near the city’s existing borders.
The Pilot Point Square holds the final Farmers Market, the second Mimosa Mosey, Shakespeare on the Square and the Saturday Drawing.
Hearts for Homes is moving from rehabilitation to reconstruction for Mickey and Lupe Hessel in Pilot Point.
Johnny Dudley, the Marine turned rodeo clown, takes his mentor’s place as clown for the North Texas Fair and Rodeo.
The Aubrey City Council gives the go-ahead for a new wedding venue in the 1600 block of Spring Hill Road.
Aubrey PD with mutual aid from several other departments apprehend a man who leveled a rifle at police after a traffic violation turned car crash turned active search.
The hallways and classrooms ring with chatter from 3,780 students across Aubrey ISD.
The Pilot Point High School Booster Club raises a record sum for the student athletes of PPISD.
The employees of Pilot Point ISD get a big welcome back to school with a $1,000 check.
The Tioga ISD trustees officially set the tax rate for the district.
After an extra week and a half in the sun, the students of Pilot Point ISD are back to hitting the books.
The Cross Roads Town Council decides that commercial spaces zoned for retail should be reserved for businesses that primarily conduct retail transactions.
Drought conditions and rising populations in the area are keeping local fire departments busy.
September
The Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System gives Captain Todd Rimling of the Pilot Point Fire Department back to his station after two weeks of service all over the state.
The management of events in downtown Pilot Point is a key debate at the City Council meeting.
Midlothian ISD announces that Dr. David Belding is the lone finalist for its superintendent position.
The Aubrey ISD school board receives a report on the new accountability system from TEA.
The Aubrey City Council receives comment from over a dozen displeased residents.
During a special meeting of the Aubrey ISD school board, the board speaks with several staff members regarding Superintendent Dr. David Belding’s transition out of the district and who would act in his place while the board finds a new district head.
Local Aubrey ISD student Josie Law is among those recognized in Times Square during the annual National Down Syndrome Society Buddy Walk.
Bella the Bulldog starts what she hopes will become a tradition to help her fellow Tioga ISD community members feel loved and supported.
The town of Providence Village approves its 2023-24 budget and tax rate at its town council meeting.
In a celebration of 100 years of state parks, the staff of Ray Roberts Lake State Park and the Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce join forces for the Family Fishing Festival and Buddy Bass Tournament.
Started by three soldiers who served in Afghanistan in 2009—Staff Sgt. John Bates, Spc. Eric Finniginamm and Spc. Eric Bakken—The Fallen Outdoors serves veterans, active military members and Gold Star families of all branches of the military.
Founded in 2011 in Pilot Point, Western Son Distillery has since grown to a two-campus facility which distributes to several states.
The state of Texas grants Tioga ISD the ability to split up the recapture payment of about $1.5 million over five years instead of requiring a lump sum payment.
Volunteers for a new local nonprofit—Pilot Point Neighborhood Events—come together to plan a day to celebrate German culture and heritage in Pilot Point.
The Pilot Point City Council hopes the “great garage debacle” is behind it following the Sept. 14 meeting.
Pilot Point ISD administrators put numbers to what they feel would be the necessary steps to reopen the track for public use.
Five teens fall into a ravine after the car they were in veered off the road on St. James Road.
Aubrey ISD joins a collection of Texas schools suing Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath regarding a drastic change the TEA made to accountability ratings.
Diamond Food in Aubrey will be getting a facelift after being bought by Brookshire Grocery Company.
The yearbook staff at Pilot Point Middle School earns a big honor for the work done in the 2022-23 school year.
Three members of the Aubrey ISD community join the ranks of the Aubrey Education Foundation’s Chaparral Elite.
October
Pilot Point City Council receives a comprehensive update on the state of the roads and sidewalks and how the remaining bonds from the 2018 election relate to them.
In one of his last acts as superintendent of Aubrey ISD, Dr. David Belding breaks ground on the district’s fourth elementary school.
Nicole Price, Pilot Point’s girls’ athletic director and head softball coach, is arrested by the Southmayd Police Department on a charge of driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 years old.
Pilot Point’s National Night Out comes with the gift of a new Dream Court for the community.
Aubrey has a new master thoroughfare plan, which includes a possible route for the Outer Loop project that is still in the preliminary stages and focuses on bringing the alignments of the roads into agreement with neighboring cities and Denton County for ease of traffic flow.
Thousands of people gather in downtown Aubrey for the 37th Annual Peanut Festival.
The Imagine the Possibilities Tour comes through Pilot Point, led by the duo of Denise Morris, the Pilot Point Municipal Development District executive director, and John Taylor, the city’s director of development services.
4-H returns to Tioga with early success in robotics and several service projects.
State legislature will bring 14 propositions before Texas voters in November.
The Tioga ISD school board votes to both accept and deny the Level Three appeal as presented by Wiley and Mary Alexander.
County Line Baptist Church celebrates its 160-year anniversary.
Texans will vote on 14 amendments in the November election.
Massive changes over the decades have removed a corner building at Main and Jefferson streets in Pilot Point from the national registry and could lead to its demolition.
Monaco Elementary School has a familiar face at its helm with Brett Dobbs.
Pilot Point ISD alumni from as far back as 1957 and as recently as 2019 gather at American Legion Post 550 for a night of dancing, conversation and one incredibly belated graduation.
Pilot Point’s South Well goes from producing 90 gallons per minute to nearly 200, all thanks to the discovery and extraction of a turbine pump that had been inside the well for more than 50 years.
Hopper Ranch sports its fair share of ghosts, ghouls, cowgirls and mermaids at the 13th Annual Hopperween Barrel Racing Show and Costume Contest.
Denton County Commissioner Ryan Williams, Precinct 1, speaks before a gathering of business and civic leaders throughout the Pilot Point area.
November
Aubrey intends to issue Certificates of Obligation for up to $6,725,000 to fund the construction of the Aubrey Fire Department’s Station No. 3.
Stormy weather forces the Tioga Education Foundation to shift its inaugural Fall Fest indoors.
The Aubrey ISD Board of Trustees unanimously names Dr. Shannon Saylor as the lone finalist for superintendent of schools.
Months of drought followed by a deluge of rain leads to extensive damage on Friendship Road east of FM 1385.
Two Texas Department of Transportation projects have started, one on U.S. 377 and the other on FM 2931.
A home in the 300 block of Gene Autry Drive in Tioga burns down in a blaze that raged for multiple hours.
The Lady Cats celebrate one of the most successful seasons in program history after finishing sixth overall as a team at the state cross country meet.
The Providence Village Town Council adopts a more stringent ordinance regarding building regulations.
The Aubrey Middle School community welcomes veterans from the branches of the U.S. military to honor their service in early observance of Veterans Day.
Representatives from the Regional Outer Loop project invite local residents to the Aubrey Area Library in order to give them the most current look at the proposed routes.
The police and fire departments of the city of Aubrey join city administration from Aubrey and Providence Village in breaking ground on the city’s third fire station, set to live near the eastern edge of the Silverado development.
The American Legion honors both a group of people and a symbol that were treated with disgust and disdain during the Vietnam War era.
Pilot Point ISD teacher and coach, Guadalupe Florez, passes away Nov. 17.
Tioga ISD faces a new challenge as a result of its financial difficulties—the loss of its District of Innovation status.
The Friends of Vail Foundation raises over twice as much as it has in years past at its annual auction and gala.
Dr. Karen Rue steps into the role of interim superintendent at Pilot Point ISD.
December
The new head of Aubrey ISD is new to the position but far from new to the district.
Every table, even some makeshift ones, is filled with people and plates at Bebo’s and Kathy’s Café on Thanksgiving.
Mayor Linda Inman has a little help from her grandson, Bruce Pike, at the Providence Village Tree Lighting ceremony.
Santa and Mrs. Claus make their annual trip to Downtown Pilot Point.
An instance of family violence leaves a young man dead in Providence Village.
With the arrival of flu season, the Denton County Public Health officials are encouraging people to get a flu vaccine.
For 35 years, Shepherd’s Storehouse has served families in the area surrounding Pilot Point with food and other assistance.
Veterans Memorial Park receives an abundance of guests in celebration of the holiday season during the city of Aubrey tree lighting.
A commission of Pilot Point residents, city council members and staff have spent the last month reviewing the city charter, which was last reviewed in 2014.
Santa Claus takes time out from his busy schedule to enjoy the festivities at the Pilot Point Community Opera House for the second annual Christmas celebration for the community.
The Texas Demographic Center releases figures for the 2022 population estimates that show the growth of the Ranch Cities area.
People from Midway Church, the Shepherd’s Storehouse and Aubrey ISD assist area families in need of a little holiday help.
The investigation into personnel complaints made against Pilot Point Police Department Chief Rex Marks finds he did not commit any legal or ethical violations.
Veterans, their families and volunteers gather at cemeteries across the country to honor the lives of service members.
Tioga ISD Superintendent Josh Ballinger explains the district was denied their insurance claims toward the repair and renovation of the currently closed wing of the elementary school during the board’s meeting.
Both the preliminary and final plats for the second Aubrey ISD middle school are approved by the Aubrey City Council.
Santa makes a stop at the Pilot Point Community Library to promote child literacy.
