Author: Dallas Dispatch Staff
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Medigap in Texas: What Supplement Plans Really Cover
Medicare Supplement plans fill Original Medicare’s cost gaps. The lettered plans, the six-month open-enrollment window, and how Texans shop them without getting burned.
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Your 2026 Tax Rate Isn’t Set Yet. Hearings Come Next
Appraisals are done, but the tax rates that set your actual bill get adopted in late summer. How Truth-in-Taxation notices, hearings and Texas.gov/propertytaxes work.
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State Parks Within Reach of DFW: Fees, Passes, Bookings
Day-use fees, the $70 annual Texas State Parks Pass, and why TPWD says to reserve a day pass before you drive out. The state parks within an easy run of Dallas-Fort Worth.
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Need a Birth Certificate? Dallas County Has Three Routes
Certified Texas birth certificates come from the county clerk in person, from DSHS by mail, or online through Texas.gov. Fees, ID rules and which route is fastest in Dallas.
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Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke? The Signs That Decide
In a DFW July, knowing the line between heat exhaustion and heat stroke is a life skill. The symptoms that separate them and the moment to call 911, per NWS and CDC guidance.
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SSI and Social Security Are Not the Same Program
SSI is a needs-based payment; Social Security is earned on a work record. What each pays in 2026, who qualifies, and the Medicaid bonus SSI carries in Texas.
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Your Smart Meter Logs Every 15 Minutes. See It for Free
Smart Meter Texas shows DFW households their electricity use in 15-minute slices, free. How to register with your ESID and use the data to shrink a summer bill.
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That Official-Looking ‘Deed Copy’ Letter Isn’t the County
Mailers selling North Texas homeowners a copy of their own deed for close to $100 mimic government letters. The Dallas County Clerk sells the same record for a few dollars.
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Texas’s Back-to-School Tax Holiday Lands in Early August
Texas’s sales tax holiday runs Aug. 7-9, 2026. Which clothing, school supplies and backpacks under $100 qualify, the online-order rules, and the fine print.
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How Texas’s New Education Savings Accounts Work
Texas Education Freedom Accounts launched for 2026-27 with $10,474 per private school student. Who got in, when money flows, and what waitlisted DFW families can do.
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How to Get a Copy of a Dallas Police or Crash Report
Crash reports come from TxDOT’s CRIS system for $6; Dallas police incident reports go through the city’s open records portal. Who can get what, and how.
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Power Out? How to Report It to Oncor and Track Repairs
Oncor delivers power for most of DFW no matter who sends your bill. The phone number, text shortcut, outage map and app that get your outage on the repair list.