This Week's Hot Headlines

Texas car registration changes lead Dallas' top stories of the week

Changes are coming to vehicle registration in 2025.

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

Editor's note: The most-read Dallas stories of the week look to the new year ahead. We cover all the changes to Texas car registration in 2025, plus the top places to travel (one is on our own backyard).

Here are the five hottest headlines in Dallas right now. And for the best things to do this weekend, go here.

1. What is this new emission inspection to register your car in Texas. Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer need to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration. House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, eliminates the safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles. We'll all be free, free, free of the oppression of the safety inspection process. However …

2. Kindhearted Plano ranks among the 10 most caring cities in America. Plano has some of the kindest, most generous residents in the country. So says a new report that ranks the Dallas suburb the No. 10 most caring city in the United States.

Plano in December Plano is one of the happiest and most caring places in America. Visit Plano - Facebook

3. West Grove center in McKinney signs on slew of new restaurants. A mixed-use center coming soon to McKinney has already lined up more than a dozen tenants: According to a release, West Grove, a new development at the intersection of US-380 and North Custer Road has signed on a supermarket, a coffee shop, ice cream shop, and a Chick-fil-A.

4. Beloved Texas city hailed top place to travel in 2025 by Travel + Leisure. Texas travelers already know the many charms of San Antonio, and now the whole world is finding out, too. National magazine Travel + Leisure has declared San Antonio one of the best places to travel in 2025.

5. Exclusive Prime rib and fancy lunches lead this Dallas restaurant news. There's plenty to chew on in this roundup of restaurant news, from new lunch and dinner menus to holiday-flavored beers. Even bigger news — the McRib is back, for those who have been anxiously awaiting its return.

Turn Cancer Upside Down

Figure skating legend Scott Hamilton brings holiday ice show to DFW

Scott Hamilton & Friends Benefiting The Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Scott Hamilton will emcee the ice show.

Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater known for his signature backflip, is coming to Dallas-Fort Worth for a holiday ice show and "Frozen 5K" fundraising mega-event.

The fundraiser portion ties into Hamilton's public battle with testicular cancer in the 1990s, which led him to found the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation in 2014. The nonprofit's mission is to fund innovative, patient-centered, targeted treatments that fight cancer while preserving quality of life.

One of its fundraising events is the Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer ice shows, which bring Hamilton and other world-class athletes to rinks around the country.

NYTEX Sports Centre in North Richland Hills is hosting a holiday version on Saturday, December 20 at 7 pm, where Hamilton will emcee and Olympians Mariah Bell, Ashley Cain, and Polina Edmunds will perform.

Tickets range from $32.75 to $79, with proceeds benefiting UT Southwestern Medical Center in addition to the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation.

Mariah Bell, figure skating, Olympian Figure skater Mariah Bell. Getty Images

"This isn’t just an ice show - it’s a celebration of hope, resilience, and community," the city of North Richland Hills says in a Facebook post. "Expect breathtaking performances, holiday cheer, and the chance to see world-class athletes light up the ice, all while supporting a cause that will touch so many."

If you'd like to get out on the ice yourself, you can register for the Frozen 5K on December 21 and skate 35 laps to honor and remember those impacted by cancer. The $35 registration fee includes a T-shirt, or you can donate extra to receive other Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer swag.

DFW-only fundraising incentives include an autographed program ($500), a VIP meet-and-greet plus autographed program ($1,000), or the chance to perform at the holiday ice show (top fundraisers only — see more info here). Better start stretching.

It's the perfect time for Hamilton to bring his ice show to North Texas. Ice rinks are a huge holiday trend for 2025, with kids of all ages gliding and spinning on special pop-up rinks from Grapevine to Garland to the all-new CultureMap City Rink in downtown Dallas.

scott hamilton cancer research fundraising olympians mariah bell ashley cain polina edmunds scott hamilton cares foundation ska8 to elimin8 cancer frozen 5k ice skating city rink