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Dear Branch Herald members,
First, I owe you a belated thank you.
I’m sorry I didn’t reach out earlier this summer. I’ve been dealing with some health and family matters that required more of my attention than I expected, and I am incredibly grateful that you continued to support the Branch Herald through it.
Your membership does more than help pay the bills. It makes it possible for the Branch Herald to keep asking questions, filing records requests, attending meetings and paying attention to what is happening in our communities, including the things that sometimes take weeks or months to fully understand.
And there is plenty we are watching right now.
In Farmers Branch, I’m continuing to keep a close eye on City Council. I have filed open records requests related to additional ethics complaints as well as the email Councilmember Tina Bennett-Burton referenced during a council meeting when discussing why she wanted the city to have different legal representation. The city has asked the Texas Attorney General for rulings on both requests. I’ll continue following those requests and report what we learn.
We’re also watching the use of Flock license plate reader cameras in all three cities we cover. Carrollton is particularly worth watching right now, where a DeFlock Carrollton group has become active and residents are raising questions about the technology and its use. I’m also following what nearby cities, including Plano, are doing with Flock because those decisions can provide important context for what is happening here.
And then there is fall.
Apparently North Texas has collectively decided that September through early November should contain every community event imaginable.
Carrollton Culture Fest was Saturday, pumpkin patches and Halloween events are multiplying across the Metrocrest area, and then we’ll roll straight into Día de los Muertos celebrations Nov. 1. I’ll be out at community events throughout the fall, because covering a community isn't only about council meetings, budgets and public records. It's also about showing up when neighbors gather and telling those stories, too.
Behind the scenes, I’m also thinking seriously about what the Branch Herald needs for its next chapter. Part of that is looking for a hands-on partner who believes in this work and can help me carry some of the responsibility for running the Herald. I want to build something that can continue serving this community without depending so heavily on one person.
If you, or someone you know, have a passion for independent, factual, objective local news and are interested in helping carry the momentum of the Branch Herald forward, I would genuinely like to hear from you. Reach out to me at kbergeron@branchherald.com. I’m open to conversations about what that involvement could look like.
That is one of the reasons your support means so much to me.
The Branch Herald exists because people in Farmers Branch, Addison and Carrollton believe their communities deserve independent local journalism, journalism that pays attention when something important happens, asks questions when something doesn't make sense and also shows up for the festivals, firefighters, libraries, schools, businesses and people who make this place home.
Thank you for helping make that possible. And thank you for sticking with me this summer.
Local News Matters,
Kate Bergeron
Publisher
Branch Herald
