⚖️Village Homes files for Chapter 11 re-org; Crescendo gets go-ahead for Woodhaven plats; Texas to tax some online sellers.

Former pastor Robert Morris pleaded guilty Thursday to child sexual abuse charges in an Oklahoma court. The charges came after a woman accused Morris of abusing her in the 1980s, when she was 12 years old and he was a traveling evangelist. Morris founded the Southlake-based Gateway Church, where he served as senior pastor until his resignation in June 2024.

The Fort Worth City Plan Commission voted to approve all components of Crescendo Development’s complex plat application for its 150-acre Woodhaven property. Each plat is reviewed by city staff to ensure compliance with drainage, flood protection, open space, street access, utility, and other requirements. In Fort Worth, the City Plan Commission has final authority on plat approvals.

Village Homes of Fort Worth filed for Chapter 11 reorganization amid a state-court proceeding over a disputed land sale that has impeded its operations. The company said its goal is to preserve the value of the business as a going concern, continue operations and emerge quickly. Founded nearly 30 years ago, Village Homes has built more than 1,500 homes across Fort Worth and Parker County.

The new fiscal year started Monday and you may be paying less for property taxes in Fort Worth, but on average you are going to be paying more to the city because of fees. The city estimates the average homeowner will pay about $56.88 more in user fees annually. The lower property tax rate is estimated to save about $20 a year.

Texans who sell on platforms such as eBay, Poshmark and Etsy are being charged a little extra starting Oct. 1 by the state, which will collect sales tax on the fees online marketplaces charge sellers. Buyers already pay a sales tax. The new tax falls on listing fees, commissions and other platform charges.

Bobby Norris, founder of The Roundup for Autism Gala in 1998, will be inducted into the Texas Trail of Fame during ceremonies October 23. Norris is a respected rancher, accomplished equine professional, dedicated philanthropist and leading realtor. He will be joined by nine other inductees — Elaine Agather, Mrs. Ninnie L. Baird, Dan Blocker, Lane Frost, Walt Garrison, Deb Haaland, Capt. John T. Lytle, Sancho, and Samuel H. Walker. For more information go here. 

Significant stat: 38.7% = percentage value of the biggest 10 stocks versus the rest of the S&P, the largest ever. Do you know the top 10? 

Union Investment Real Estate sold the Uptown Dallas office building 2000 McKinney to Crescent Real Estate for a “significant value increase,” The Real Deal reported. The German firm acquired the building in 2016 for $226M. Fort Worth's John Goff is Chairman and principal owner of Crescent Real Estate.

Tarleton State University President Dr. James Hurley highlighted enrollment growth, academic program expansion, key infrastructure investments and the soaring national prominence of the institution during his annual update of the university. 

General Motors’ third quarter U.S. vehicle sales were up 8% from prior year on continued strength in electric and gas-powered vehicles. With EV rebates expiring, GM set another EV sales record with 66,501 deliveries. GM’s year-to-date, U.S. EV sales are 144,668, up 105% from prior year. 

Southwest Airlines announced its intention to begin service at Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport during the first half of 2026. Reservations can be made starting later this month. Anchorage will expand Southwest's network to 122 airports and 43 states.

If you are part of the confusing, err, comprehensive integration of Disney with Hulu and ESPN, Disney released more updates and said it is re-branding its global entertainment group from Star to Hulu.

Homicide detectives in Arlington work on cold cases during their down time. They evaluate evidence, re-visit witnesses who may remember new details and use DNA and technology to help close these investigations, some decades old. Now, University of Texas-Arlington students are providing some help.

Cutting Edge Haunted House in Fort Worth was ranked the 2025 No. 1 scariest haunted attraction globally by HauntWorld. It was cited for its massive scale, high-quality production, and ability to immerse guests in a fearful, 55-minute immersive experience with twisting corridors, live actors, and special effects.

The State Department signed off on a proposed deal to provide Canada with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and associated equipment. Lockheed Martin is the primary contractor on a deal valued at roughly $1.75 billion.

Toppers for street signs will be unveiled Tuesday on S. Calhoun to honor Fort Worth singer/songwriter Leon Bridges. S. Calhoun is the pick because it is where Bridges recorded his 2016 album “Coming Home.” The unveiling ceremony is at noon at recording studio Niles City Sound.

The North Texas Community Foundation awarded $75,000 in general operating funds to six organizations through its Arts and Culture Fund. Grant recipients were Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, Kinfolk House, SiNaCa Studios, Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society, Theatre Arlington and Timeless Concerts.

Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County will host a 24-hour livestream of “Conversations on a Bench” with the community about homelessness. President/CEO Charles Wolford will talk and answer questions about the critical issues of homelessness, addiction and mental health. The full day of conversations at the UGM-TC Community Outreach Center is from 2 p.m. Oct. 9th through 2 p.m. Oct.10th.

Daily digit: $1 trillion = value of the U.S. Treasury’s gold reserve, which is the world’s largest stash of the precious metal. The price of bullion has soared 45% this year. 

Snippets:

• That one-mile walk around the inside of Grapevine Mills Mall? It is getting a $125k cut through. 

• Virtual reality flight simulation continues to gain traction as the FAA approves the training tool Veris from TRU Simulation, a unit of Textron Inc.

• Fort Worth newcomer Meritus Capital is rolling out Rostyr OS for staffing firms. Meritus bills it as a "complete back-office from day one."

• Ferrovial has won $720 million in contracts on two water facilities in Texas, including Fort Worth's Eagle Mountain Water Treatment Plant expansion. 

Announcements: 

• Charlie Royer: Announces he is a Principal at Panther FW Investments. Additionally, he has become a shareholder, strategic advisor, business developer and cheerleader for Royer Commercial Interiors.

• UT-Southwestern Medical Center’s Clements University Hospital: Hires Traci d’Auguste as Vice President and Chief Executive Officer.

• TCU Athletics: Adds Cori Bolts as Deputy Athletic Director/ Senior Woman Administrator; Alex Yack as Deputy Athletic Director/Frog Club; and Kyle Neaves as Senior Associate Athletic Director/Strategic Communications.

• Spitfire Elite Consulting: Names Bo Parker Chief Marketing Officer/Chief Technology Officer.

• Greater Fort Worth Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America: Selects officers and board of directors for 2026. The officers: President Sydney Hanes; President-elect/Vice President of Membership: Sara Mitchell; Vice President of Programs: Detavious Hill; Secretary: Myisha Washington; Treasurer: Eline deBruijn Wiggins; Treasurer-elect: Cindy Vasquez; For complete list, go here.

• GameStop: Hires Macie Whiten as a Visual Merchandising Specialist.

• Simpli.fi: Names Michael Schoen Chief Product and Technology Officer and Susan Rothwell Chief Revenue Officer. 

• Truist: Names AJ Hinojosa Assistant Vice President - Wealth Private Banking Advisor.

• AT&T: Hires Leslie Moore as Sales Specialist. 

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