Family-friendly suburb

Plano earns new national distinction that families with kids will love

'Family fun' was one of the categories in the survey.

Plano is gaining praise as a great place to bring up your kids.

The Collin County suburb ranks fourth on WalletHub’s new list of the best places in the country to raise a family, and it’s the only Texas city in the top 15.

Plano, which also appeared at No. 4 on WalletHub’s 2021 list, earns especially high marks for socioeconomics (ranked second), affordability (ranked third), and health and safety (ranked eighth).

“Almost every neighborhood in Plano has trails, parks, and walking paths, so you’re sure to see families, seniors, and millennials out and about,” according to the blog published by PODS, a moving and storage company. “Plus, you can ride your bike everywhere in Plano … .”

Ahead of Plano on the WalletHub list are first-ranked Fremont, California; second-ranked Overland Park, Kansas; and third-ranked Irvine, California.

Other top-100 ranked Texas cities in the WalletHub study are:

Austin, No. 18
Grand Prairie, No. 59
Amarillo, No. 78
Irving, No. 87
Laredo, No. 89
Fort Worth, No. 95
El Paso, No. 96
Arlington, No. 97

To determine which cities are best for family life, WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared 182 U.S. cities across 46 metrics in five categories: family fun, health and safety, education and child care, affordability, and socioeconomics. Among the 46 metrics, Plano tied at No. 1 for median family income (adjusted for cost of living).

“A 30-minute drive north of Dallas, Plano offers the best of both a suburban feel and metropolitan proximity,” says mortgage provider Quicken Loans, which ranks Plano seventh among the country’s 10 best places to raise a family.

rankings wallethub lists families

Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."