Friday, September 11, 2026

Tonight: mostly clear, low around 75, with temperatures rising to around 77 overnight. Saturday: sunny, high near 100, heat index values as high as 104, south wind around 10 mph with gusts as high as 20 mph. Sunday: sunny, high near 100, heat index values as high as 103.

Source: National Weather Service, Fort Worth, forecast updated Sept. 11, 7:13 p.m. CDT; no active alerts for Aledo as of 8:47 p.m. CDT

The Sept. 17 council agenda, posted at 4:48 p.m. today: a potential settlement agreement in the Willow Park suit and a Dean Ranch development agreement in closed session, the golf-cart and e-bike ordinances for approval, an alcohol-sales variance hearing for Aledo Shell, and a work session on food trucks and the FY 2027 fee schedule

The agenda for the Regular City Council Meeting, Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m., at the Aledo Municipal Complex, 200 Old Annetta Road, opens with a work session on food truck ordinance updates and FY 2027 municipal fee schedule updates, then a presentation recognizing the Parker County Genealogy and Historical Society. The consent agenda carries the meeting minutes and Resolution No. 2026-R-17 adopting the City of Aledo Investment Policy. The one public hearing is a request for a variance from Article VI, Alcoholic Beverage Sales, Section 14-137 of the city code, which the agenda describes as regulations prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages near a church, public or private school, or public hospital, for Aledo Shell, located at 401 S FM 1187. The regular agenda lists Ordinance No. 2026-O-24 regulating golf carts and ATVs, off-road vehicles, utility vehicles and recreational off-road vehicles within the city limits, and Ordinance No. 2026-O-25 regulating bicycles and e-bikes within the city limits; the council discussed both subjects Sept. 3.

The executive session list, under Section 551.071, consultation with attorney: City of Aledo and City of Fort Worth v. City of Willow Park, Beall-Dean Ranch and Parker County potential Settlement Agreement; Capital Lane Advisors Proposal; Dean Ranch Development Standards; and Downtown Development. Under Section 551.087, deliberation regarding economic development negotiations: Dean Ranch Development Agreement. Item 13 is listed as Action Taken on Items Discussed in Executive Session, if Necessary. Willow Park's Sept. 8 agenda listed the same case, cause number CV26-0175, with the words Mediation Settlement Agreement. Only the agenda is posted; no packet was attached on CivicClerk as of this evening.

Read: The agenda on CivicClerk · Dean Ranch tracker · Sept. 3: golf carts, e-bikes and the water agency · Tuesday's edition: Willow Park's closed-session list

What you can do. To speak on an item not set for public hearing, sign in before the start of the meeting and give the paper to the City Secretary; comments are normally limited to 3 minutes, per the agenda, which also says the presiding officer may ask a citizen to hold comment on an item posted as a public hearing, as the Shell variance is.

The consent agenda should carry the Sept. 3 minutes, which will show the votes on the $932,729 FM 1187 design contract and the sheriff's-office renewal.

Where it stands: Aledo and Fort Worth's suit against Willow Park over the 320-acre Beall-Dean Ranch tract is pending in the 43rd District Court; no ruling on the injunction has been published.

Source: City of Aledo, Regular City Council Meeting agenda, Thursday, September 17, 2026, posted on CivicClerk September 11, 2026 at 4:48 p.m. (CivicClerk event 64, file 3271); Ledger daily edition of Sept. 8 for the Willow Park agenda wording

A Goddard School is registered with the state for 700 Willow Crossing East: 11,502 square feet, an estimated $2,500,000, completion set for June 29, 2027; the company scheduled its groundbreaking for Thursday at 10 a.m. and says the school will open in spring 2027 for children six weeks to six years old

The state record: project TABS2026020917, Goddard School at Willow Park, was registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on May 21, 2026. It lists 700 Willow Crossing E, Willow Park, TX 76008, Parker County; new construction; scope of work, construction of a new daycare; 11,502 square feet; estimated cost $2,500,000; start date June 29, 2026 and completion date June 29, 2027; status, Project Registered; privately funded, on private land for private use. The owner of record on the filing is Triangle Travis Ranch Forney, 1782 W McDermott Drive, Allen, Texas 75013; no tenant or design firm is assigned. The record is a registration under the state's Architectural Barriers program; the page says the owner of a building must obtain an inspection from a registered accessibility specialist no later than the first anniversary of the completion of construction.

The announcement: in a media advisory emailed to the Ledger on Sept. 8, Joseph Markle, public relations specialist for The Goddard School, said The Goddard School of Willow Park would hold a groundbreaking Thursday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. to celebrate the start of construction, that the school will serve children from six weeks to six years old, that it is slated to open in spring 2027, and that the owners are Brittany and Paul Boyett. The Ledger did not attend the event. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported May 22 that the application had been filed with the state the day before, that construction was estimated at about $2.5 million for a building a little over 11,500 square feet, that the franchise counts more than 640 locations in 37 states, and that its closest schools to Willow Park are in Fort Worth, Keller and Dallas.

What the record does not yet show: a child-care license from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for the address; the Ledger will report one when it appears. Willow Park's site-plan and permit record for the address was not reviewed.

Read: The Ledger's brief, with the ledger of figures · The TDLR project record · Star-Telegram, May 22 (via AOL)

Disclosure: the Ledger's publisher and his family have business interests in early-childhood education in the area; the About page explains the rule that any entry touching those interests says so.

Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers project TABS2026020917, Goddard School at Willow Park, registered May 21, 2026; The Goddard School media advisory emailed to tips@aledoledger.com Sept. 8, 2026 (Joseph Markle, Goddard Systems); Fort Worth Star-Telegram, May 22, 2026, read via AOL. The groundbreaking date, age range, opening season and owners' names are the company's statements and were not independently verified.

September sales tax allocation to the city: $230,520, up 3.7% from a year earlier; the 2026 total through nine months, $2,000,904, is the first past $2 million in the Comptroller's series

The Comptroller's September 2026 allocation to the City of Aledo was $230,519.57, against $222,243.30 in September 2025, an increase of 3.7% by the Ledger's arithmetic. The year-to-date total through September is $2,000,903.87; the same nine months of 2025 totaled $1,822,042.58, so the year is running 9.8% ahead. No earlier year in the series, which starts in January 2013, had passed $2 million by September. A month's allocation reflects sales made about two months earlier.

Read: The monthly series since 2013

Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Sales Tax Allocation, City (data.texas.gov dataset vfba-b57j), Aledo, pulled Sept. 11; percentages and the nine-month comparison are the Ledger's arithmetic

Ross Fire: containment rises to 76% in InciWeb's Sept. 11 update after a round of storms; Parker County stays under a burn ban, one of 209 counties

The update, posted at 11:15 a.m. Friday, lists the fire at an estimated 90,400 acres and 76% containment, up from 57% in the Sept. 8 update, with the cause listed as Equipment Use, Under Investigation. It says the area saw a round of storms Thursday bringing gusty winds and locally heavy rain, that an air reconnaissance flight was scheduled Friday afternoon to assess conditions and recent rainfall, that temperatures would climb back into the 100s with relative humidity near 35%, and that the threat of storms diminishes Saturday with very hot temperatures returning and gusty south winds late in the day. There are no road closures or evacuations at this time, per the update. The Texas A&M Forest Service's county list, stamped 9/11/2026 7:55:35 AM, carries 209 counties under a burn ban, Parker among them.

Read: Parker County burn ban, live

Where it stands: 90,400 acres in Palo Pinto and Jack counties, 44% contained as of Sept. 5 per InciWeb, with an estimated containment date of Sept. 8; human-caused per the Forest Service. Parker County remains under a burn ban.

Source: InciWeb, Ross Fire Daily Update, Sept. 11, 2026, 11:15 a.m., and the Ross Fire incident page; Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Burn Bans county list, 9/11/2026 7:55:35 AM

Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.: Bearcats at Euless Trinity

What you can do. The Ledger has the result Saturday morning per MaxPreps; the game was not final on MaxPreps as of 8:50 p.m.

Aledo is 0-2, per MaxPreps; this is the last non-district game before the opener at Granbury on Sept. 18.

Where it stands: First season in Class 6A; 0-2 after the 26-0 loss at North Crowley and the 28-21 loss to Waco Midway, per MaxPreps. Sept. 11 at Euless Trinity, then district play opens Sept. 18 at Granbury.

Saturday, Sept. 12, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.: The Promise's 38th Season, Willow Park Baptist Church, 777 Crown Pointe Blvd., Willow Park, TX 76087

Source: per Parker County Chamber of Commerce

Sunday, Sept. 13, 7 a.m.: Walsh Lake Triathlon, Walsh Lake Park, 2401 Longspur (expected; confirm with the organizer)

Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m.: Aledo City Council, Aledo Municipal Complex, 200 Old Annetta Rd.

The agenda above: the Willow Park suit's potential settlement agreement and the Dean Ranch development agreement in closed session, the golf-cart and e-bike ordinances, the Aledo Shell variance hearing, and the food-truck and fee-schedule work session.

What you can do. Sign in before the meeting to speak; 3 minutes per person, per the agenda.

Source: City of Aledo, CivicClerk, agenda posted Sept. 11

Friday, Sept. 18: last day of Willow Park's application window for its Comprehensive Planning Advisory Committee, per the Sept. 8 packet's briefing sheet; the council's vote to create the committee is still to be confirmed from the minutes

Source: Ledger daily edition of Sept. 9, from the City of Willow Park Sept. 8 agenda packet, Item 15

Friday, Sept. 18, 7 p.m.: Bearcats at Granbury (district opener)

Where it stands: First season in Class 6A; 0-2 after the 26-0 loss at North Crowley and the 28-21 loss to Waco Midway, per MaxPreps. Sept. 11 at Euless Trinity, then district play opens Sept. 18 at Granbury.

Source: per MaxPreps

Sales tax, month by month since 2013: the Comptroller's allocations to the city, with the year-to-date and fiscal-year totals.

The trackers: nine matters, Dean Ranch and the FY2027 budget among them, with where each stands in one line and the milestones and meetings behind it.