Taiwan-based Lite-On Technology USA is in late-stage talks with the McKinney Economic Development Corporation to land its North American headquarters at the Core5 Logistics Center on Cypress Hill Drive, with Friday's filings showing two buildings in play totaling 652,000 square feet. The ask is significant: a $300M expansion, $50M of it for a new R&D operation, and up to 500 advanced-manufacturing jobs.

A pioneer in LEDs, semiconductor components, and power management modules, Lite-On is active in key sectors like cloud computing, 5G/AIoT applications, and automotive electronics.

The MEDC's draft incentive package adds up to roughly $8.7M, structured as a Chapter 380 property tax rebate of about $3.1M over seven years, a $2.9M capital investment grant, $1.7M in R&D incentives tied to the research investment, and up to $1M tied to job creation milestones. Lite-On is separately pursuing about $4.75M in school district tax abatements through McKinney ISD, bringing combined incentives over $13M.

For McKinney, this is the kind of deal that pulls forward the city's pivot from suburb to manufacturing-and-airport hub. The Core5 site is minutes from McKinney National Airport, which itself is gearing up for commercial passenger service this fall. If Lite-On signs, it slots cleanly into the corridor the city has been building for two years. The MEDC is expected to formally vote on the package in the coming weeks. (Source: McKinney Economic Development Corp. public filings, May 8, 2026)

Devin Wynnie Marchand just announced on Facebook her new salon, FS Cut and Color, is officially open and taking appointments. To celebrate, she's offering 20% off your first appointment for a limited time, with a grand opening event on the way. Now open | 4180 S Lake Forest Dr | Grand opening details TBA

The New York-based juice and smoothie chain known for cold-pressed juices, açaí bowls, and clean-label smoothies is bringing its first McKinney location later this year. A solid addition for the post-workout-Apex-run crowd. Opening: TBD 2026 | West McKinney corridor

At Monday's regular meeting, council authorized the city manager to execute a contract with Aerocloud Systems for the Common Use System at McKinney National Airport's new commercial terminal. Translation: the gate-management, baggage, and check-in software that lets multiple airlines share the same terminal. It's the technology spine for commercial passenger service this fall. (Source: McKinney City Council Regular Meeting, May 5, 2026)

The library's annual one-day celebration of North Texas authors lands at McKinney City Hall on May 30 with keynotes, panels, and author meet-and-greets. Registration opened May 2 and the event is free, but spots have a tendency to vanish. (Source: McKinney Public Library System, May 2, 2026)

🏃 McKinney Running Club Monday Run
The club's weekly Monday meet-up at the Adriatica Starbucks - all paces, all abilities, no membership pressure. Show up, lace up, run, stay for coffee.
Starbucks at Adriatica Village, 6841 Virginia Pkwy, 6:30PM (Free)

🎵 Music Bingo Mondays at The Common Table
Four rounds, four ways to win, two cards per round. Songs from across the decades drop in snippets and you race to fill the card. Prizes for winners, dinner for everyone.
The Common Table McKinney, 6651 Alma Rd #350, 7-9PM (Free)

🎨 Creative Arts Studio at the John & Judy Gay Library
A weekly drop-in studio for ages 13+ exploring different art techniques, from print making to mixed media, with context on the historical and cultural roots of each form. Free, registration required, six seats left.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 7-8PM (Free, registration required)

😂 Yes, And Improv Jam at The Comedy Arena
The arena's open improv night where seasoned performers and first-timers share the stage. Low-stakes, high-laugh, walk-ups encouraged. The kind of Tuesday that turns into a story.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E Virginia St, 7:00PM ($5-$15)

🎵 Eric Erickson at Harvest at the Masonic
A Tuesday-night live set at the Masonic Lounge - Harvest's intimate downstairs music room paired with a farm-to-table menu and well-curated wine list. The kind of weeknight that feels accidentally fancy.
Harvest at The Masonic Lounge, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM (Free)

✍️ Creative Writers Workshop at the John & Judy Gay Library
A community-driven writing group open to all skill levels - blogger, novelist, poet, screenwriter. Bring a draft, swap feedback, leave with momentum.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 1-2:30PM (Free, registration required)

😂 Three Companies at The Comedy Arena
Three improv groups, one stage, and a full night of unscripted comedy. No safety nets, just quick thinking and big laughs times three. Triple the fun.
The Comedy Arena, 305 E Virginia St, 7PM ($10–$23, 2-item minimum)

🔪 True Crime Book Club at the John & Judy Gay Library
A monthly adult book club on the most compelling true-crime non-fiction in print, with discussion through the lens of history, justice, and psychology. New members welcome - 17 seats left.
John & Judy Gay Library, 6861 W Eldorado Pkwy, 7-8PM (Free, registration required)

🚶 Free Stroller Strides Workout at District 121
A weekly outdoor stroller-friendly workout for new parents - walking, lunges, and bodyweight strength while the kids ride along. The plaza covers most of it for shade.
District 121, 5800 Town and Country Blvd, 9:30-10:30AM (Free)

🏛️ Historic Village Tour at Chestnut Square
A guided walk through the cluster of restored 19th-century homes and the original Faires House on the square. McKinney before pavement.
Chestnut Square Historic Village, 315 S Chestnut St, 11AM-12PM ($7-$10)

🎤 Open Mic Night at TUPPS
The brewery's outdoor beer hall flips into an open-stage night for music, comedy, poetry, and the occasional why-did-they-let-this-happen moment. Sign up at the door, watch from the bench.
TUPPS Outdoor Beer Hall, 721 Anderson St, 6:30-9:30PM (Free)

🎵 Songbird Jones at Harvest at the Masonic
A Thursday-night live set in the Masonic Lounge - smooth vocal pop-soul that pairs ridiculously well with the seasonal menu. The room fills early on Thursdays so come hungry.
Harvest at The Masonic Lounge, 215 N Kentucky St, 6:30-9:30PM (Free)

🎶 Acoustic Mayhem Live at Zin Zen
This husband-and-wife duo mixes saxophone, guitar, and nonstop banter into a lively set packed with crowd favorites. Light on the acoustic, heavy on the fun.
Zin Zen Wine Bistro, 7–10PM (Free)

In 1965, Bessie Heard was 79 years old, sitting on a 287-acre piece of family land just east of McKinney. She'd never married, never had kids, and was watching the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex creep north toward her property. So she did what most people in their 80s don't do: she started a museum.

Bessie had been collecting things her whole life. Audubon prints, butterflies, rocks, minerals, sea shells, Chinese artwork, fossils. She kept the collection in a room at her home and gave informal tours to anyone who asked. By 1967, at age 80, she'd opened it to the public as the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary - 287 acres of preserved Texas blackland prairie, bottomland hardwood, and creek corridor, with a small museum building anchoring it.

The deed she signed put the land into trust, permanently protected from development. McKinney was a town of about 16,000 people then. Today it's pushing 220,000, and the Heard is the only meaningful undeveloped greenspace left on the city's south side. Every kid who's been on a school field trip to see a great horned owl, every bird walk, every Family Campout - all of that runs on Bessie's foresight.

She kept showing up at the museum well into her 90s. She died at her McKinney home on March 22, 1988, six weeks shy of her 102nd birthday. The Heard now hosts more than 100,000 visitors a year. (Source: Heard Museum, Texas State Historical Association)

Mon: ☀️ Sunshine, nice and less humid, high 76°F
Tue: ☀️ Plenty of sun, high 80°F
Wed: 🌤️ Sunny and warm, high 87°F
Thu: 🌤️ Partly sunny and warm, high 89°F

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