The crew located the individual, believed to be the driver of a vehicle that veered off the 2900 block of northbound I-35E around 3:35 a.m. Saturday.

According to the Lewisville Police Department, the vehicle left the roadway, went over a guardrail and entered the lake.

Authorities said there is currently no evidence to suggest that anyone else was in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Sonar equipment was used during the search and recovery efforts.

The Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Laqwetta Robin Moore, 29. The incident remains under investigation by the Lewisville Police Department.

Anyone with information related to the crash is encouraged to contact Officer Rosales at 972-219-3600 or via email at Mrosales@cityoflewisville.com. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Denton County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-388-TIPS (8477) or online at dentoncountycrimestoppers.com.

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From those talks and meetings between Texas Department of Transportation officials as well as staff at AGL- the company overseeing the widening of Interstate 35E, county officials say they  now have a strategic plan in place.

“We’ve been meeting since the snow incident last year,” Eads said. “We studied west and northern counties for best practices because they have been dealing with it longer.”

One result of the meetings is a plan to begin sanding roads earlier in the process during a winter storm rather than waiting until after ice had formed on major thoroughfares.

In addition, the county has more sand and salt trucks ready to cover major areas and are working with TxDOT to make sure all efforts are coordinated, he said.

TxDOT oversees state and interstate roads while counties oversee farm-to-market and other roads in the unincorporated areas.

Eads said the new plan includes more specific timing for when to apply road treatments and which areas to target first, based on traffic patterns.

In Flower Mound, Emergency Management Specialist Brandon Barth indicated the town will continue to monitor weather conditions while the staff remains on call in case roads need to be pre-treated.

National Weather Service officials are indicating light rain is expected to hit Denton County by nightfall. With falling temperatures, slick conditions could develop on bridges and overpasses as well as roads by Thursday morning.

Accumulation could be anywhere from a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch, according to the winter weather advisory issued by NWS officials earlier Wednesday.

In addition, both Denton County Sheriff’s deputies and DPS troopers as well as local law enforcement will be on the roads to monitor traffic for drunk drivers on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

“The New Year’s Eve holiday has historically been a dangerous time on our roadways,” said TxDOT Executive Director Lt. Gen. Joe Weber, USMC (Ret), in a news release. “Texans should plan ahead for a sober ride or risk suffering the consequences. Drunk driving will not be tolerated in Texas.”

TxDOT’s annual Holiday Impaired Driving Campaign runs through New Year’s Day to promote planning for a sober ride. Anyone arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated can face up to $17,000 in court costs and legal fees as well as face imprisonment. The legal limit in Texas for intoxication is .08 blood or breath alcohol concentration, according to a news release.

From 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 to midnight on Jan. 1 last year, an estimated 218 alcohol-related crashes resulted in 10 fatalities and 76 injuries across Texas. The alcohol-related fatalities marked a 25 percent increase from the year before during the same time period.

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The new center is larger than the current facility and will offer more amenities, officials noted in a news release.

Among the new amenities at the senior center will be a large ballroom complete with a raised stage where the program can host parties, dances, weekly lunches and more.

The center also will have a fitness center, computer room, craft and activity classrooms, a large game area, a game room with billiards tables and a library.

Outdoors, the new senior center will also have a covered patio, a grilling station, bocce ball court, horseshoe pits and a garden.

The senior center will back up to Amy Lane Park, which is equipped with paved walking trails, benches and a small disc golf course.

The post New FM senior center to open this spring appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Thunderstorms rolled into Denton County on Friday night bringing lightning, thunder and more rain. Rain continued through Saturday morning, bringing almost an inch of rain to ring in the new year.

With temperatures in the 40s, the overnight storms capped a trio of rainy days that began with the threat of freezing rain and sleet. Temperatures were cold enough early New Year’s Day for icing on trees, vehicles and eaves, though roads remained clear.

Total rain accumulation was 1.78 inches at Denton Municipal Airport for the three-day period. In Double Oak, an estimated .87 of an inch has been recorded for the first three days of January 2015.

On Saturday, temperatures are expected to climb into the lows 50s as skies begin to clear by mid-day. Saturday night, temperatures will fall back to 28 degrees with a high Sunday high of 39 degrees. The low Sunday night will fall to 22 degrees. Skies will be clear Monday through Thursday with temperatures mostly in the mid-40s. Tuesday is expected to reach a high in the low 50s. Rain creeps back into the forecast on Friday.

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In addition to their responsibility of fire suppression and prevention, the Flower Mound Fire Department has operated an ambulance service since 1987.

As of mid-December, three ambulances are in service at all times, with one older rig on reserve which is often used for medical standby at events or when the other three medics are in use.

At a recent Town Council meeting, funding was approved to purchase a new, updated ambulance that will allow the department to use one of the three current rigs as a standby unit.

The typical life of an ambulance is around five years, but as technology changes and new, lifesaving equipment becomes available, it’s important to stay ahead of the game, officials said.

The new ambulance will be in service by August 2015.

The post FM Fire Department to upgrade ambulance appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

“We are excited that the Town of Northlake shared our vision for a unique high quality residential development with one-acre lots, miles of trails and interconnected greenspaces.” commented Tim Coltart, Managing Director of Realty Capital Management, LLC, of Irving in a news release. “After 14 months of planning, design, many meetings with residents and town officials, The Highlands is becoming a reality.”

The first phase will consist of 100 acres with 68 homesites and Northlake’s first public park encompassing over 50 acres. The park and development will include more than two miles of hike and bike trails.

Noble Classic Custom Homes, Providential Custom Homes and Bannister Custom Homes will be offering homes ranging in price from $400,000 to $600,000. The homes will be served by the Northwest Independent School District as well as private schools.

The Highlands project secured $4.385 million in infrastructure reimbursements from the Highlands Public Improvement District along with debt funding from First United Bank and equity funding provided by RCP Properties LLC., according to the news release.

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A 30 percent chance of rain is possible Friday night with a 20 percent during the day Saturday. Temperatures will dive to the mid-30s Saturday through Monday night with highs ranging from the mid- to upper-40s Saturday and Sunday and a high of 55 on Monday.

Forecasters are watching the position, track and strength of an upper level low that will begin moving into the area by Tuesday.

The upper level low will determine whether North Texas will see wintry precipitation around or after New Year’s Day.

Three ingredients are needed for winter precipitation: cold air, moisture and lift.

The upper level low will be responsible for the amount of moisture and lift seen over the region, but it is too soon to know for sure how much.

Currently, the forecast data favors a low chance of freezing rain (with snow looking unlikely) as there may not be enough moisture or lift for a major winter weather event. 

The highs for Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be in the mid-30s with lows dipping to the high 20s.

For more information, see www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd

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In observance of Christmas and New Year’s Day, all Town of Flower Mound offices, Animal Adoption Center, Municipal Court, the Shirley Voirin Social Senior Center, and the library will be closed on Dec. 24-25 and and Jan. 1.

Additionally, the library will close at 5 p.m. on Dec. 31. The Community Activity Center will be open on Dec. 31 from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., but will be closed along with all other town offices Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1.

Police, fire and emergency medical services will remain in operation at all times.

There will be no collection of trash/recycle/bulk materials on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The weekly schedule will be delayed by one day, with all collections being complete by each of the following Saturdays.

In Highland Village, city offices will be closed on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

Offices for the Town of Argyle will be closed Dec. 24-25, as well as Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, for the holidays.

Double Oak Town Hall will be closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, re-opening at 9 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.

In Bartonville, town offices will be closed Dec. 24-26 as well as Jan. 1-2 the following week.

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The department’s Traffic Unit selected Ford Interceptors’ to join the fleet.

Officers spend 8-10 hours in patrol cars each day and will appreciate the Interceptors’ larger interior, added room for equipment, and fuel efficiency.

The post New FMPD patrol vehicles to hit streets in spring 2015 appeared first on Cross Timbers Gazette | Southern Denton County | Flower Mound | News.

Flower Mound police report they continue to see residents report they are victims of fraud involving prepaid debit card, commonly known as “green dot cards.”

In some cases, criminals use phone calls or email to threaten that if prepaid green dot cards are not used to pay off various debts or fines, the victim will be arrested.

The most important thing to keep in mind with prepaid debit cards is that no official agency will ever call or email someone and demand these cards be used.

Prepaid debit cards should be used just like cash.

If you give the card information out, it is the same as giving cash away and is almost impossible to track or catch the criminals once they have been given the card information.

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