2023 in Review: Southern Denton County’s top stories of the year

December 28, 2023

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A review of all the stories to appear on crosstimbersgazette.com in 2023 reveals a welcome return to normalcy.

This was the first year since 2019 that none of the top stories had anything to do with COVID-19. News of crime and traffic, businesses opening and closing, high school football scores and whether or not the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch would return dominated the attention of southern Denton County readers.

Barnes & Noble is closing its location in The Shops at Highland Village

One of the biggest series of stories this year was the progression of changes being rejected, and approved, at The Shops at Highland Village. After the Highland Village Planning & Zoning Commission rejected a proposal to build hundreds of apartments at The Shops, Shops management decided to shelve that proposal and move forward with a plan to replace Barnes & Noble with The Cheesecake Factory. The AMC movie theater also renewed its lease at The Shops, and a new parking lot was added on the southside of The Cheesecake Factory, which opened this month. Barnes & Noble opened last month in a nearby shopping center.

Here are the 20 most-read stories on crosstimbersgazette.com in 2023, in chronological order:

Jan. 6: Lewisville assistant police chief dies

Jan. 10: Woman killed in head-on crash near Denton

Jan. 19: Officials identify young man who died in Flower Mound crash

Jan. 23: Marcus teacher resigns after solicitation arrest

Feb. 6: Teen dies in crash during street race in Lewisville

Feb. 13: Edward Leclair died by suicide after guilty verdict in Denton County, medical examiner rules

Feb. 16: Swirl Bakery closes after new owner walks away