In the wake of an election that seemingly overhauled the Irving Independent School District Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr. Dana Bedden interviewed on May 28 for the superintendent job of Wake County Public School System in North Carolina.

Bedden was one of three finalists for the position who attended a public forum in Raleigh, NC to take questions from the audience about the job. Other finalists include Jim Merrill, a former superintendent for a Virginia school division, and Ann Clark, a deputy superintendent for another North Carolina school system.

“This represents an opportunity to come home,” Bedden said at the forum. “My wife is a graduate from Wake County public schools, and the move would significantly honor the work my father-in-law did in the area as a judge."

Alco Stores, based in Abilene, KS, will relocate its company headquarters to Coppell this summer. From its humble beginnings as a single variety store in 1901, the company now boasts more than 200 stores in 23 states. 

According to the company’s 2013 annual report, last year’s sales were almost $500 million with net earnings of $1.7 million. Alco employs approximately 3,400 people. Its stock (ALCS) is publicly traded on NASDAQ.

The chain retails electronics, house wares, and apparel. Most Alco stores are located in communities of less than 16,000 where competition from national chains is minimized. Texas is home to 35 Alco Stores; the closest to Coppell are in Grand Prairie and Pilot Point.

The annual report cited the move to Coppell as a “transformational event” that will allow the company to recruit and retain top talent. 

Fluor Corporation announced that a company joint venture recently executed the contract with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the design, construction, and potential maintenance of the Horseshoe Project in Dallas. Pegasus Link Constructors LLC (PLC), the Fluor-led joint venture, was selected as the best value proposer for the project by TxDOT in the fourth quarter of 2012. Along with the signing of the contract, PLC received a notice to proceed (NTP) with the design phase and the construction NTP is expected shortly.

TxDOT’s overall estimate for the design, construction, utilities and right of way for the project is approximately $798 million. Fluor booked the contract into backlog in the first quarter of 2013.

“Our selection for the Horseshoe Project in Dallas is another great example of the exceptional expertise and world class execution that Fluor brings to infrastructure work in Texas,” said Herb Morgan, business line lead for Fluor’s Infrastructure business. “Whether it’s SH-130 outside of Austin or the recently completed SH-161 extension in Dallas/Fort Worth, we are proud of the safe, on-time and on-budget projects we have helped accomplish in the state.”

The Horseshoe Project’s scope of work includes I-30 from Sylvan Avenue to I-35E and I-35E from north of Eighth Street to north of the I-30/I-35E interchange in Dallas as well as construction of a fully designed Santiago Calatrava signature bridge. When completed, the project will correct some of the existing geometric issues causing congestion, repair and replace some of the deteriorating structures, and add capacity to the interchange and frontage roads. The I-30 and I-35E corridor carries more than 460,000 vehicles per weekday and portions were rated ninth and 17th on TxDOT’s 2012 most congested roadways report.

TxDOT is utilizing design-build project delivery which will result in a shorter construction schedule and lower overall cost. Construction on the Horseshoe Project is expected to begin in the summer of 2013 with a projected completion date of 2017.

Pegasus Link Constructors is a joint venture made up of Fluor Enterprises, Inc. (55 percent owner), and Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. (45 percent owner). The PLC team includes Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. (lead designer), AECOM (design), Raba Kistner Consultants, Inc. (independent construction quality assurance support and independent environmental compliance support), Kleinfelder Central, Inc. (geotechnical engineering), VMS (capital maintenance), and a number of local engineering consultants.

The Horseshoe Project is dedicated to improving mobility along I-30 and I-35E near downtown Dallas' Central Business District in a safe, efficient, reliable, and environmentally sensitive manner.

Source: Fluor Corporation

The City of Irving is transitioning from Stage One to Stage Two water restrictions May 13. With Irving’s move to Stage Two restrictions, residents and businesses only may water a maximum of two times per week on designated days. Stage Two irrigation restrictions for the City of Irving are as follows:

Even-numbered addresses (those ending in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) may water on Tuesday and Saturday.

Odd-numbered addresses (those ending in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) may water on Wednesday and Sunday.