Lake Highlands Advocate

01/14/2026

Sitting at about 2 feet tall and weighing 26 pounds, the 2-year-old goldendoodle named Toby — short for Tobias, or “God is Good” in Hebrew — first arrived on the Old Lake Highlands Campus as a 10-month-old pup. In what St. John’s Episcopal School Chaplain Shannon Newsome estimates was a year-long process, she consulted with other schools. Therapy dogs were brought in for finals as a test run at St. John’s school. Leadership got on board and “hired” Toby as the school’s emotional support dog.⁠
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Now, after turning two in December, Toby is a fully registered service dog who can fly on planes, been awarded a Good Canine Citizen certificate and recently earned his American Alliance of Service Dogs Certification. ⁠
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Nancy Avery, the school’s director of mental health and wellness, says that while he’s had a big paw in lifting students’ moods, his reach goes even further than that. “So for me and my own mental health, he has been such a comfort to just know that that’s there, and I think that that’s that that’s for everybody, not just our students but our employees as well.”⁠
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https://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2026/01/03/how-toby-the-dog-made-st-johnns-home/
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“If you see this guy, he looks a little bit like Fozzie Bear,” St. John’s Episcopal School Chaplain Shannon Newsome says of her assistant chaplain with a laugh. As teasing as it may sound, she’s not wrong. Sitting at about 2 feet tall and

01/14/2026

Chef Tida Pichakron and her team will offer cream cheese-filed king cakes for the first itme this year.

Haute Sweets Patisserie is going back to its roots as Mardi Gras season gets underway. New Orleans native and chef-owner Tida Pichakron has been churning out purple, yellow and green-sparkled king cakes for over a decade off Northwest Highway. In a 2024

01/14/2026

Lake Highlands basketball defeated Richardson 63-50 at home on Tuesday behind tough defense and a collective offensive effort.

Lake Highlands basketball defeated Richardson 63-50 at home on Tuesday behind tough defense and a collective offensive effort. This season, the Eagles (11-11, 2-2 District 7-6A) have been led by senior Lucas Sutherland. In last

01/13/2026

At Monday's award ceremony for Allies Against Slavery, new tools were touted to rescue missing children before they are scooped up by s*x traffickers.
“Since the dashboard has launched, my guys can lock in and see a currently missing child, and they can go out and try to find them right away,” explained DPD Sergeant Alan Holmes. “It’s been absolute game changer for my team to be able to go out and recover these children, hopefully before they’re exploited.”

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Gay Donnell Willis, Jacob Geary, Angela Thorne and Chad Frymire The Champion of Freedom Award was presented Monday to Allies Against Slavery by the North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NTCAHT). A luncheon hosted by Deputy Mayor Pro Tem

01/13/2026

“I’ve been interested in trains since I could say ‘choo-choo. All through elementary school, high school and college, I was into it deep,” says train enthusiast Lloyd Keyser. On the second floor of his Lake Highlands home, he's installed a specialized framework to put HO gauge trains and their tracks at eye level, and he’s set up dedicated lighting to monitor tiny details. ⁠
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To build the extensive setup in his home, Keyser removed a large section off his roof. At the time, he reassured his dear, now-departed wife Mary that the move would only be temporary. ⁠
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To spark an interest in children or grandchildren, he says, “I suggest beginning with the Lionel set,” and points to the antique model on his wall. “You can always build on that with a little encouragement. And take them to the big train shows, like the ones held in Plano. Between Saturday and Sunday, close to 20,000 people walk through that show.” This year's winter Dallas Area Train Show runs Jan. 17-18 at the Plano Event Center.⁠
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https://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2026/01/03/lloyd-keyser-has-a-serious-train-collection/

01/12/2026

🌟Your student's legacy starts at Dallas ISD. From magnet to Montessori programs, Dallas ISD offers more school choices than any district in the region.
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Apply NOW through Jan. 31, 2026!
http://www.dallasisd.org/Discover

01/12/2026

Carol Toler: Congratulations to the newest All-State Choir members from Lake Highlands High (and one bonus member we can't stop crowing about here at the mag)! https://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2026/01/12/lhhs-pottkotter-and-smith-named-to-all-state-choir/

01/12/2026

There's a new spot serving cortados, empanadas and churrasco in Lake Highlands.

UniMarket Latin Foods has opened near the intersection of Skillman Street and Walnut Hill Lane. House-roasted coffee beans can be purchased for home brewing. Photo by Austin Wood. While it was originally announced that Unimarket would open in Kingsley Square toward

01/10/2026

Christina Melton Crain practiced law for over 40 years. She mainly specialized in juvenile cases and representation. Until 2001, her experience with the criminal justice and corrections systems had been limited. That year, Gov. Perry appointed her to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, an experience which she describes as eye-opening. Crain went on to serve as the first and only chairwoman of the board and is credited with significant reforms during her tenure, including the introduction of a program intended to soften procedural barriers during family visits.⁠
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As her term ended in 2008, Crain knew her work in the field wasn’t finished. In 2010, Crain founded Unlocking Doors, a nonprofit organization created to smooth individuals’ transition into society and prevent recidivism — the economic impact of which its CEO and president stresses when emphasizing the organization’s importance. Crain says, "I think, roughly, it’s about $80 a day for the general population offender at TDCJ. So if you take that and you amortize that over somebody being incarcerated, let’s say they get out and then they come back, and then they get out and they come back. Think about that. I mean, it’s crazy, whereas, on average, for the general guy that walks through our doors, it costs me maybe a buck a day."⁠
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Operating out of a north Greenville Avenue office tower, Unlocking Doors serves close to 1,000 clients a year, most of whom are referred to the nonprofit while still incarcerated. Crain’s team finds employment, housing, healthcare and other services for clients with one of the organization’s 300 plus partner organizations. The organization’s model has a 92% success rate, Crain says.⁠
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https://lakehighlands.advocatemag.com/2026/01/03/christina-melton-crain-brokers-new-futures/
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*xperiencesinventory

Christina Melton Crain wants felons on the street. And no, the former Gov. Rick Perry-appointed chair of the Texas State Board of Corrections isn’t advocating for a Gotham-style takeover of society by experienced criminals. Instead, Crain is trying to keep justice-affected individuals, as she

01/09/2026

While Lake Highlands' single-member district-based trustees still have a few years left in their terms, one of the board's two at-large seats is up for grabs.

The filing period for the May Richardson ISD school board election opens next week. Richardson ISD The May 2 election presents RISD voters with the opportunity to cast ballots in races for two board seats, depending on where they live. Both

01/08/2026

The ancient game of Mahjong — and the Mahj for a Cause fundraiser — have become wildly popular. Funds raised will provide mental health care and su***de prevention initiatives for teens.

Photo courtesy of Peace Love Mahjong The Grace Loncar Foundation will host their second annual Mahj for a Cause on January 25 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Royal Oaks Country Club. The fundraiser and awareness event benefits the GLF Care Fund. Grace