🩰Ballet is pirouetting over ED hire; Farmer planting seeds for better BNSF; Speedy success for Lockheed, GM partnership.

Another grand slam in Arlington: The Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office announced Arlington has been designated by the Texas Film Commission as a Digital Media Friendly Texas Certified Community. Certified cities spur digital media production and grow local jobs in animation, visual effects, video games and extended reality. Arlington is a “Grand Slam” winner as a Film Friendly Texas, Music Friendly Texas, Tourism Friendly Texas, and Digital Media Friendly Texas Certified Community.

Texas Ballet Theater agreed to a deal that brings Nicholas Dragga to Fort Worth as its next Executive Director, effective January 1. He has more than 15 years of executive leadership, including his current role as Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and 12 years as Executive Director of Ballet Lubbock. TBT said its 8-month search aimed to identify a leader who could build on TBT’s momentum while supporting the organization’s artistic ambitions, financial sustainability, community relationships and growth. Dragga is a Texas native and graduate of Texas Tech University.

The U.S. State Department notified Congress this week that it has cleared a first-of-its-kind sale of 48 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, a deal worth up to $24.3 billion for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. It would be the first time our top-tier stealth fighter would be sold to a Middle Eastern country other than Israel. The sale needs to clear congressional review.

The $85-billion prospect of a Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern rail merger does not faze Katie Farmer, CEO of Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway. She says she would rather invest in a better railroad than in a rail merger. She covers a rail yard of ground in this interview.

American Airlines is making half of its revenue from 30% of its seats. It is refreshing layouts to add higher-yielding seats, including a 70-seat business class on its largest aircraft.

Work has begun on the first phase of the $57.5-million Mansfield Innovation Community (The MIC). Phase 1A is a 152,894-square-foot, Class-A office building that will serve as the first vertical component of the community’s planned 18-acre, mixed-use destination.

North Carolina's Truist Financial Corporation is exiting the near-prime auto loan business after reaching a deal to sell its $5.5 billion loan portfolio. The corporation also filed notice that its auto loan subsidiary, Regional Acceptance Corporation in east Arlington, is closing and laying off 205 full-time employees.

Tarleton State University will receive about $3.3 million for the 2026-27 academic year through an initiative from The Texas A&M System that will help its universities cover the non-reimbursed cost of serving Texas veterans under the Hazlewood Act.

In an extraordinary 22-day turnaround, Lockheed Martin announced the first delivery of mission-critical components produced by GM Defense for the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement interceptor missile. The rapid delivery from GM Defense to Lockheed Martin traditionally takes months-to-years to produce. The Trump administration has underscored the importance of accelerated production and the effectiveness of defense and commercial partnerships. Additionally, Lockheed Martin has a framework agreement with the Department of War to rapidly accelerate the production and delivery of the AIM-260, Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.

Texas teacher misconduct reports tripled this year, and the number of school employees added to the state’s Do Not Hire Registry hit an all-time high. As Erin Anderson from Texas Scorecard reports, the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Misconduct Reporting Dashboard recorded 19,766 complaints submitted during the 2026 fiscal year ending August 31, an average of 1,647 a month. That is three times the 6,456 misconduct reports submitted during 2025.

Fort Worth entrepreneur Whitney Lombardy has plans to open her third Cowtown Tanning, this one at 5924 Curzon Ave. in Fort Worth. Her first two custom sunless tanning salons are on Bluebonnet Circle and in Hudson Oaks.

Remember the $27 million a day Texas hospitals were going to lose for Medicare and Medicaid services? After nearly a year of haggling, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has relented and is sending $12 billion. 

A New York French cafe chain, Maman, is coming to 1161 E. Southlake Blvd. in the Park Village shopping center. The celebrated cafe with coffee and brand-name pastries projects to open in late January. 

Rustic Cowboy Bar & Dance Hall opened Sept. 12 at 5970 Park Vista Circle in Keller, replacing Legends Sports Bar and Billiards. Owner Ned Brown, who also operates Shotzee’s Bar & Grill in Keller, added two bars, mechanical bulls and a 1,300-square-foot dance floor. A grand opening is scheduled today.

Concurrent with Hispanic Heritage Month, Trinity Metro launched "La Linea Rosa” – three Texas artist-designed buses that connect downtown Fort Worth with three shopping, dining and cultural destinations and neighborhoods: Near Southside, La Gran Plaza de Fort Worth and the Hemphill Street corridor. 

Elon Musk-led SpaceX is suing the Texas Attorney General's office and Grimes County to keep information about its planned 100-million-square-foot chip factory, Terafab, secret. The AG's office ruled the project must be disclosed under a Texas Public Information Act request.

Did you know? The U.S. General Services Administration has the nation's largest public art collection. It spans more than 170 years of American creativity and talent.  Limited attendance tours are scheduled at the federal building in Fort Worth on Sept. 25 and Oct. 2. Sign up here.

Trader Joe's has filed plans with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to begin construction at 9052 North City Dr., just south of North Tarrant Parkway. Two others are planned for Collin County, though no timelines were filed for the three. 

American Airlines has a new international airline partner -- Condor, a leisure-focused German airline. The partnership simplifies access to each other's travel networks.

Need those steaks now? Omaha Steaks is now open in Grapevine, its third Texas storefront. In addition to steaks, the company sells burgers, chicken, pork, seafood, meals, sides and desserts. The location is 1469 W. SH 114, Ste. 600, Grapevine.

The Texas Workforce Commission is offering Texas Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship grants of up to $1 million to help Texas employers rapidly develop and deliver short-term training programs. Governor Greg Abbott and the legislature allocated the money to address immediate industrial workforce needs, offset labor shortages and support economic resilience after natural disasters.

Believe it not: Twenty farms across the U.S. and Canada carved Dolly Parton-shaped corn mazes to honor the late country star and raise money for her Imagination Library book program, which provides free books to children.

Snippets:

• The Federal Reserve Board raised the benchmark interest rate to 3.75%-4%. Read what that means for us. 

• Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the United States has weapons stationed in Earth's orbit, the first time a Pentagon official has publicly confirmed the capability.

• Carroll ISD adds restrictions to the use of personal computer devices for 5th through 8th graders starting next August. 

• Three long-time Fort Worth employees who worked at the Fort Worth Convention Center talk about their special moments.

Today in history: 1965 = “I Dream of Jeannie” premiered on NBC, starring Barbara Eden as a genie and Fort Worth-born Larry Hagman as the astronaut who discovers her bottle. The sitcom ran for five seasons and 139 episodes, giving Hagman a memorable television role years before he became J.R. Ewing on “Dallas.”

Daily digit: Median U.S. household income rose 2.6% last year to an all-time high of $87,460, adjusted for inflation, while the poverty rate fell by nearly a half-point to 10.2%, according to updated Census Bureau data.

Announcements:

• BNSF Railway: Promotes Matt Larseingue to General Director, Brand and External Communications. 

• TCU: Kristie Bunton will retire as Dean of the Bob Schieffer College of Communication in May 2027 after 12 years of leadership.

• HF Custom Solutions: Carolyn Phillips announced she would be leaving the company. 

• Methodist Health System: Pam Stoyanoff, President and COO, will retire Dec. 31, after nearly two decades with the health system. John Phillips has been named Executive Vice President and COO, effective Jan. 1. Among other things, he has been President of Methodist Mansfield Medical. 

• JTaylor: Promotes Alexia Kinnick and Logan Spence to Senior Associate in Assurance.

• American Airlines: Promotes Trisha Porzycki to Senior Analyst, Marketing Sponsorships & Activations.

• Bell Flight: Selects Stephanie Botts as Manager, Aftermarket Sales &  Business Development. 

• Kelly Hart: Adds Joshua Lehrer to its Corporate & Securities section and Andrew Richie to its Real Estate group.

• Medical City North Hills: Names Cilia Stelly Chief Nursing Officer.

• Bougie Aesthetics: Adds Sarah Kassen as Medical Aesthetician and Laser Technician. 

• U.S. News & World Report: Includes Cook Children’s Medical Center in its 2026-2027 Best Children’s Hospitals Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health list.

• Fifth Third Bank: Names Nathaniel Edwards as Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor and adds David Bekerman to the Middle Market Commercial Banking team.

• Armanino: Adds Kelly Harris as Managing Director. 

• Texas Trust Credit Union: Promotes Terrilyn Hicks to SVP of Member Growth.

• Food Logistics and Supply & Demand Chain: Honors TA Services' Loretta Sercy, Director of Business Development, with the Women in Supply Chain Forum Award in the Workforce Innovator category. 

• Longhorn Council, Scouting America: Leadership honors were awarded to Jennifer Treviño, Executive Director of Leadership Fort Worth, and Mario Garza Jr., retired Director with Southwestern Bell/AT&T.

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