For Ashley Carlisle, growth does not always begin where it can be seen.

Sometimes, it starts in darkness — with no outward sign that circumstances are changing or prayers are being answered.

That idea is at the heart of Roots, a new Christian devotional app Carlisle developed to encourage people navigating seasons of waiting, uncertainty and spiritual growth.

Read the full story in the September 10th edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Sachse News.

The club will host its inaugural Rotary Peace Summit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the Collin College Wylie Campus Conference Center, 391 Country Club Road.

Designed as a conflict resolution conference, the summit will focus on building unity, encouraging dialogue and helping participants engage respectfully with people whose perspectives may differ from their own.

Wylie Rotary Past President Ofilia Barrera said the idea grew from Rotary’s broader commitment to promoting peace, but with an emphasis on challenges much closer to home.

“As Rotarians, we are committed to peace building,” Barrera said. “For many people, this brings to mind war torn countries. For us, it hits a little closer to home.”

Rotary President Bryan Brokaw proposed the summit as a way to address increasing polarization within the community, added Barrera.

“A lot of what we hear on the news and social media is negative, but when we look to our friends and neighbors, the positives abound,” she said. “We wanted to build on that. We want people to walk away knowing they can disagree and still work together to build a stronger community.”

The summit is open to anyone interested in strengthening the community, Barrera said, including leaders, business owners, educators, volunteers and engaged citizens from Wylie and surrounding areas.

Three featured speakers will guide participants through the day.

Wylie High School graduate Roza Patterson will open the summit. Patterson, an attorney and UCLA School of Law professor, is also a former Rotary Youth Leadership Awards participant. In 2013, she received a Rotary International Global Grant Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree focused on peace and conflict prevention and resolution.

Patterson has worked in employment law and was selected in 2021 for Orrick’s Racial, Social and Economic Justice Fellowship. She currently works as a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice.

The Rev. Celestin Musekura, president and CEO of African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries, will bring decades of experience in reconciliation and peacebuilding to the summit. The global nonprofit works toward an Africa without violent racial, tribal and religious conflicts.

Musekura lost family members during the Rwandan genocide, an experience that inspired his work helping leaders and communities move from conflict toward reconciliation. For three decades, he has trained leaders in strategies intended to promote healing and sustainable social change.

Organizational psychologist Heather Hodges will lead participants through a research-based framework examining how people approach challenges and how understanding those differences can help foster innovation and cooperation.

Hodges, who has 25 years of leadership experience, will also explore how culture shapes behavior, perceptions and an individual’s sense of safety.

Rotary organizers say the full-day program is intended to give participants opportunities not only to hear from the speakers but also to practice listening, gain perspective and develop skills that can be used in workplaces, organizations and everyday community interactions.

Doors open at 8 a.m. for check-in and a continental breakfast. Lunch will be served at noon. Following the summit, participants may attend an optional happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Landon Winery in downtown Wylie.

Registration is $115 per person. A table for eight is $805. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

Parking at Collin College is free.

For registration, sponsorship information or additional details, visit wylierotary.org/page/peace-summit or email to [email protected].

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The department will host a free Civilian Response to an Active Shooter Event, or CRASE, training at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Sachse Public Safety Building, 3815-D Sachse Road.

The community training is built around the Avoid, Deny, Defend model, which teaches civilians options for responding when confronted with an active shooter or similar threat.

The course is open to residents, business owners, employees and anyone interested in becoming better prepared. There is no cost to attend and registration is not required.

CRASE was developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center, or ALERRT, at Texas State University. The program was designed in response to requests from schools, businesses and communities seeking guidance on how civilians should respond during active shooter events.

ALERRT developed the Avoid, Deny, Defend strategy in 2004. The model encourages people to first avoid the danger and move to a safe location when possible. If escape is not possible, the next option is to deny an attacker access to their location. Defending oneself is considered a last resort when faced with a life-threatening situation.

The concepts are similar to the more widely recognized Run, Hide, Fight model, but ALERRT uses different terminology intentionally.

According to ALERRT, “Avoid” recognizes that not everyone may be physically able to run, while “Deny” emphasizes taking steps to prevent an attacker from gaining access rather than simply hiding. “Defend” describes taking action to protect oneself as a last resort.

The organization emphasizes that regardless of the terminology used, the goal is for civilians to have a plan, remain aware of their surroundings and understand that their actions during an emergency matter.

CRASE training also provides information about the history and prevalence of active shooter events, civilian response options and medical considerations. Law enforcement officers who complete ALERRT’s instructor training can then provide the information to schools, businesses and members of their communities.

The Sachse class is part of that community outreach and gives participants an opportunity to learn the response principles directly from local law enforcement before they are ever faced with an emergency.

The free training begins at 9 a.m. Oct. 3 at the Sachse Public Safety Building, 3815-D Sachse Road. No advance registration is required.

For additional information about CRASE and the Avoid, Deny, Defend model, visit alerrt.org.

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New Secretary of State Robert Howden has rolled out an online portal that allows Texans to confirm their active voter registration, register to vote in the upcoming election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, or make changes to a voter registration certificate. 

Monday, Oct. 5, is the last day to register to vote in the November Election and early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Oct. 30.

Requests for a ballot by mail must be received by Friday, Oct. 23. The mail ballot must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, (Election Day) at 7:00 p.m. if the carrier envelope is not postmarked, OR Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, (the next business day after Election Day) at 5:00 p.m. if the carrier envelope is postmarked by 7:00 p.m. at the location of the election on Election Day (unless overseas or military voter deadlines apply).

 The link to the Secretary of State’s voter registration portal is: https://bit.ly/4gMFjUL.

The portal, with a first build date of Aug. 18, confirms voter registration by asking for First Name, Last Name, Suffix, Date of Birth, and either ZIP Code and county, Driver’s License number or Voter ID number.

If a site visitor is not registered, a link asks in English or Spanish if the person is a U.S. Citizen and whether they will be 18 years of age on or before Election Day.

Clicking “No” on the citizenship question triggers the response: “You must be a United States citizen to proceed with this form.”

A similar message informs those under 18 that they must be at least 18 years old in order to vote.

Answering “yes” to both questions opens a form that must be completed, printed, signed and sent by U.S. Mail to the Secretary of State’s office.

The form requests a Driver’s License number, Texas ID number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. There is a box to check if a person does not have any of those documents.

The information form includes a warning that giving false information to procure voter registration is perjury and a violation under state and federal law.

“Conviction of this crime may result in imprisonment up to one year in jail, a fine  up to $4,000, or both,” the form says. “Please read all three statements to affirm before signing: I am a resident of this county and a U.S. Citizen; I have not been finally convicted of a felony, or if a felon, I have completed all of my punishment, including any term of incarceration, parole, supervision, period of probation, or I have been pardone [sic.]; and I have not been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.”

Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Howden on July 17 to succeed Secretary Jane Nelson, who Abbott appointed in January 2023 following her three decades in the state Senate.

A University of Texas at Austin graduate, Howden had worked in Abbott’s office as director of legislative affairs. He previously worked with Govs. Bill Clements and Rick Perry.

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Officials say the individual visited three public venues while infectious:

Turrentine Jackson Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Aug. 14; Gloria’s Latin Cuisine, 152 Fountain Circle Fairview, between 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Aug. 14; and The Revel in Frisco Patio & Grill, 9305 Preston Road, Frisco, from 7:45 p.m. to 12 a.m. Aug. 15.

The county says measles is a highly contagious disease that can be transmitted from person-to-person through the air or contaminated surfaces. Measles can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area. Measles can lead to serious health complications, health officials say.

Collin County Health Care Services says if you or anybody you know were at any of these locations during the specified dates and are not vaccinated against measles, or are unsure of immunity, there is a risk of contracting measles. Those people, as well as pregnant or immunocompromised individuals, should contact their health care provider.

The county says anyone who was at the venues on the dates listed should monitor themselves for measles symptoms through Sept. 5.
Symptoms of measles typically include fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes (conjunctivitis), small white spots inside the mouth known as Koplik’s spots, and a skin rash made up of large, flat blotches.

If symptoms develop, health officials recommend staying home and avoiding contact with others. A health care provider should be contacted for guidance, and individuals are advised to call ahead before visiting a clinic or hospital to prevent further exposure.

The most effective way to prevent measles is vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, said health officials.

For more information about measles, including symptoms, prevention and treatment, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/measles.

Collin County Health Care Services said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.

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By Allison LaBrot

Northplace Church has a goal to serve local neighborhoods and the nations. A group of young adults from the church put that mission into action during a 10-day mission trip to Ireland in July. A 27-member team partnered with missionaries to host a week of science camps and events for youth and young adults.

Since 2021, Northplace Young Adults (NPYA) has met weekly in Wylie, and the community of 18 to 25-year-olds took its first mission trip during the summer of 2025. Northplace Youth, the church’s teen ministry, sent a group of 16 to serve in Ireland the same summer. The group worked with Randal and Kendra Baird, missionaries to Ennis, Ireland, and Hope Church Ennis to organize camps, outings and services for young people in the area.

Northplace decided to continue building the partnership with the Bairds and Hope Church through the Young Adults mission trip for 2026.

Read the full story in the August 27th edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Sachse News.

Dallas County commissioners approved a modified $1.589 billion all-funds budget for fiscal 2027, which begins Oct. 1. The budget was reduced from an initial proposal of about $1.608 billion.

Commissioners also approved a property tax rate of 24.865 cents per $100 of assessed value on a 3-2 vote. County Judge Clay Jenkins and commissioners Theresa Daniel and Andrew Sommerman voted for the rate, while commissioners John Wiley Price and Elba Garcia voted against it.

Read the full story in the August 27th edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Sachse News.

The commission voted unanimously on Aug. 18 to recommend that City Council approve the change from Agricultural and Commercial Corridor zoning to Commercial Corridor with a Special Use Permit. The property is generally located at 2002 W. FM 544 and is part of the WEDC Retail Addition.

The proposed development would include a wholesale retail store, minor automobile repair services for tires and batteries, and a member-only fueling station. The SUP also includes the site plan for the project.

Read the full story in the August 27th edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Sachse News.

Wylie ISD’s newest career and technical education facility will carry the name of a longtime community leader whose ties to the district and its agricultural programs span more than three decades.

Trustees announced Monday, Aug. 17, that the new facility at the F.O. Birmingham Agriculture Center will be named the Marvin Fuller Career & Technical Education Center in honor of Albert Marvin Fuller Jr.

The name was recommended by the district’s Board Naming Committee in recognition of Fuller’s decades of service to Wylie in education, agriculture, business and economic development.

Read the full story in the August 27th edition. Stay informed — subscribe to The Sachse News.

The Commissioners Court approved a modified all-funds budget totaling $1.589 billion for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2027. The budget was reduced from an initial proposal of about $1.608 billion.

Commissioners also approved a county property tax rate of 24.865 cents per $100 of assessed value, a 3-2 vote supported by County Judge Clay Jenkins and commissioners Theresa Daniel and Andrew Sommerman. Commissioners John Wiley Price and Elba Garcia voted against the rate and budget.

The adopted rate is higher than the county’s voter-approval tax rate of 22.465 cents per $100 of valuation. Because the adopted rate exceeds that threshold, commissioners ordered an election for Nov. 3, when voters will decide whether to approve the higher rate.

The tax increase is tied to a proposal to fund programs aimed at reducing homelessness and resolving encampments, improving neighborhood conditions, expanding access to mental health treatment and helping provide stable housing.

Under the county’s adopted tax-rate notice, the higher rate would increase the Dallas County portion of the annual property tax bill on a $350,000 home by about $116.03 compared with the prior rate. If voters reject the higher rate, the county would use the voter-approval rate instead.

The county’s prior tax rate was 21.55 cents per $100 of valuation. The adopted fiscal 2027 rate represents an increase of 3.315 cents per $100.

The homelessness proposal also would support outreach and housing services, as well as mental health treatment. The plan calls for a minimum five-year contract with Housing Forward to help allocate funding among housing and health care programs.

Dallas County held its public hearing on the proposed fiscal 2027 budget and tax rate Aug. 11 at the Records Building. The Commissioners Court then adopted the modified budget and tax rate.

The county’s online FY2027 adopted budget provides detailed information on spending, revenues, departments, capital projects, road and bridge funds, public safety, health and human services and other county operations.

The fiscal year begins Oct. 1, 2026, with the tax-rate election scheduled for Nov. 3.

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