Little Elm ISD’s board of trustees unanimously voted to remove Daniel Gallagher as superintendent and place him on administrative leave with pay, according to LEISD board President Jason Olson.

“This change is necessary for the immediate leadership needs of our students, teachers, staff and administration,” according to a Feb. 19 district statement.

The board has not announced specific reasons for Gallagher’s immediate removal.

Shay Adams, LEISD’s assistant superintendent for business and finance services, will act as acting superintendent until the search for LEISD’s permanent superintendent is complete, according to the board’s statement posted on Facebook on Feb. 19.

The board’s next steps are to find a firm to aid in the next superintendent search, Olson said.

Before being placed on administrative leave, Gallagher announced in November his plans to retire by the end of 2023, according to a district statement.

“We celebrate the successes the district has experienced under Mr. Gallagher,” Olson said in the November statement.

Olson also signed the announcement Feb. 19 to remove Gallagher.

Gallagher became superintendent in 2017 following his time as the assistant superintendent for educational services.

Gallagher’s page on LEISD’s website is unavailable as of Feb. 20. Gallagher did not immediately respond to Community Impact’s request for comment.

Reporter, Frisco & McKinney

Riley joined Community Impact in January 2023 after graduating with honors from Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in May 2022. She covers the communities of Frisco and McKinney. Prior to CI, Riley served as the David Jayne Fellow for ABC News in London, a reporter for Religion News Service, an editor for Odyssey, a writer for D Magazine and a radio news talk show host. She has had bylines in the Washington Post, Yahoo News, ABCNews.com, the Battalion Newspaper, Columbia News Service and more. When she is not writing, she enjoys baking, fitness and caffeinating.

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The Harry Potter films may be done, but that's not going to stop a big Hollywood studio from coming up with more ways for fans to experience its wizarding worlds. A new walkthrough experience that takes guests through the Forbidden Forest is coming to Little Elm Park right before Halloween.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery

The Harry Potter films may be done, but that's not going to stop a big Hollywood studio from coming up with more ways for fans to experience its worlds of wizardry.

So far, they've given us a bunch of spinoff movies, a whole theme park at Universal Studios that is basically a life-size re-creation of the Harry Potter universe and the ability to use "wizard" as a verb. And, of course, many a fight with family members over J.K. Rowling's views on transgender people.

But Harry Potter fans will be happy to know that a new walkthrough attraction called Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience, which has toured the U.K. and Brussels, is on its way to Little Elm Park in Little Elm starting Oct. 28. Tickets will go on sale on the official website starting at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 27.

The attraction will take fans through the dark forest that surrounds the Hogwarts School and offer a chance to see some of the films' most iconic moments and creepiest characters up close along a lit outdoor trail.

The creators of this touring exhibition promise fans will get to see and hear some hippogriffs (a cross between an eagle and a horse), nifflers (it's kind of an upright platypus with claws for feet and hands and the bill of a duck) and a few unicorns (duh, they're unicorns).

The walkthrough experience will also have interactive photo opportunities. You'll be able to cast spells with wands that emit special neon lights illuminating the walking path so you can get photos of you and your friends engaged in some friendly wizard duels for Instagram. You'll also be able to summon wolves and create light shows with your wand, along with a few other surprises.

Of course, no visit to the dark forest is complete without running into a few spiders. No, they couldn't be butterflies instead. The animatronic creatures in the forest will move and sound just like they do on the big screen as you go deeper into the woods.

And like all great attractions, the experience ends with a visit to the gift shop, where you can pick up T-shirts, hats and other souvenirs.

The experience comes from the global Wizarding World franchise, which now encompasses all of the books and movies from the original films to the new Fantastic Beasts franchise, live experiences and who knows how many other properties from the Harry Potter universe.

This also won't be the only Harry Potter experience you can ... well, experience this year. The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center will host a live orchestral performance of the score for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for three nights, Oct. 27–29, as part of the touring Harry Potter Film Concert Series.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery

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Summer is in full swing and what better way to beat the Texas heat than to spend a day at The Lakefront at Little Elm. Whether you’re looking to hangout in the water, hike the trails along the lake, or find the best places to eat and drink, The Lakefront at Little Elm has it all.

Little Elm Beach

Forget you’re in North Texas for a day and relax on the beach and escape for hours in the sand and sun. Pack towels, toys and snacks for a relaxing all-day excursion.

Looking to get more active? Enjoy a day of waterskiing, tubing, wakeboarding, fishing, or cruising around. Both ski boats and pontoons are available to meet your needs for a day on Lake Lewisville at Cottonwood Creek Marina, or there is a boat ramp located at The Lakefront.

Another way to cool off is to visit DFW Surf, Hydrous Wake or Aqua Park to participate in a wakeboarding session or to experience The Lakefront’s giant floating playgrounds on the water.

There is a $10 parking fee to enter The Lakefront and parking attendants take cash or credit on site. A resident seasonal parking pass is available for $25 and non-resident seasonal parking passes are available for $75. Passes can be purchased in person at The Rec at The Lakefront at 303 Main Street, Little Elm.

Parks and Trails

If you’re looking to continue your excursion to The Lakefront, there are plenty of parks and trails surrounding Lake Lewisville to venture.

One of the most popular trails, Johnny Broyles Trail, is located at the north end of Little Elm Park and the hike and bike trail has a 10-foot-wide concrete path that is just under a mile long. The remaining one-quarter mile of the trail is on crushed granite.

Another popular course is the Cottonwood Trail, which is a 1.5 mile, rustic wood chip trail located at the end of Lobo Lane. There are two trailheads hikers can access — the first is located across the street from the Cottonwood Sports Complex and the second is located at the end of Hardwicke Lane. This trail guides hikers through one of the most pristine park areas and is heavily canopied along the lake, leading into an open field of cedar trees.

Lakefront Trail is another popular course for residents. The east end of the trail starts near Veterans Memorial Bridge and connects with the paved trail that runs through McCord Park. The west end of the trail starts at Hula Hut with a public parking lot next door. This trail is approximately four miles of crushed granite, with several access points for fishing, and is ideal for hikes, runners, cyclists and more.

Restaurants

After spending the day on the water or hiking around The Lakefront, guests have plenty of restaurant options to stop by at the end of the day.

Restaurants include Tinman Social, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, 575 Pizzeria, Krab Kingz, Towers Tap House, Sawaii Indian Restaurant, Lakefront Grill, Hula Hut and so much more. If you’re looking to start your morning with good eats before heading out on the lake, Leo’s Brunch House or Water’s Edge Cafe are great places to start.

Efrogs

If you’re visiting The Lakefront this summer and not up for the hassle of finding parking at your favorite locations, you can shuttle around for free with Efrogs.

The electric carts can take passengers to any destination in The Lakefront at Little Elm, all you have to do is a text 214-356-4490 with your name, number of riders, your location, where you want to go, and at what time.

A driver will make sure you get to your destination safe and sound. Efrogs service runs on Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Pierce Lisner, 17, longs to be the next Chuck Morgan. His bellowing voice makes you think a pro is in the press box announcing games--not a baby-faced senior.

LITTLE ELM, Texas — The sounds of an aluminum bat cracking a baseball echo through 'The Backyard' at Little Elm High School on a Friday afternoon.

'The Backyard,' is what the school and players call the baseball stadium.

It's 4:29 p.m., and a JV baseball game is set to start in one minute. Suddenly, from the stadium speakers, a silky and polished voice comes over the PA, letting folks know the game is about to begin.

The names of the starting lineups for both teams are read, and the first batter steps up to the plate.

Again, you hear from the speakers the name and position of the player.

The bellowing voice sounds eerily similar to Chuck Morgan, the PA announcer for the Texas Rangers. You can tell, especially for the home team, the batters walk into the box -- feeling a little taller.

After a few batters, someone with golden pipes is again heard on the PA reading an ad for a local HVAC company.

You start to wonder: who in the hell is announcing a JV game this dang good on a Friday? It sounds like someone who knows what they're doing, someone who has been doing this for years.

Surely, it can't be some baby-faced kid with a mullet, bottle cap glasses and the crushing inability to grow facial hair.

Well, turns out 17-year-old Pierce Lisner had me fooled.

"I would love facial hair, actually," Lisner said. "A mustache is my goal, but I can't grow one, and it makes me really mad."

Lisner is a Little Elm High School senior and the voice of the Lobos. He's used to people thinking he's an older and accomplished professional, instead of some wiry kid in a T-shirt and gym shorts.

"People will hear me announce a game, and they'll want to meet me after to tell me how good of a job I did," Lisner said. "They have no idea I'm in high school."

"They say, 'Man, I thought you were a 40-year-old man who ate a pack of cigarettes for breakfast!' I say thanks," Lisner said with a laugh. "I can never tell if it's a compliment or not."

Lisner's story is pretty cool because it starts with him going from the bench of the JV baseball team during his sophomore year to the booth.

"My baseball career wasn't working out. I was pitching on the mound and wasn't doing well," he said.

But someone not showing up to one of his games to announce, opened a brand new door for the teen.

"They needed someone to announce the game, and I just raised my hand and said, 'I guess I'll do it," Lisner said. "I was shaking the entire time but when I was done, I came back down, and the coaches told me I was really good at it."

Lisner gave up sports at the end of his sophomore year and started announcing JV and varsity games full-time.

But not before recording a pretty hilarious moment in his sports career when he was announcing a game in his uniform and had to stop midway to take the mound for a pitching change.

Lisner threw a few strikeouts and then went back to announcing for the rest of the game.

"It was pretty wild," he said.

The teen also did broadcasting work for the football and basketball teams, once giving up sports. Not only that, he met Chuck Morgan along the way in his high school career.

The Rangers legend often does meet and greets before games.

"Sometimes, when I'm announcing batters, it can come out as Chuck," Lisner said with a chuckle. "The compliments are my favorite part, and I was like, this is what I want to do."

Once Lisner graduates, he plans to attend Collin County Community College and transfer to UNT. Honing his craft will be a significant focus in college, and I'll likely hear his voice again someday.

"I just want to throw my voice out there," Lisner said confidently.

With an anticipated population boom that could double the town’s resident count over the next decade, Little Elm won’t be quite so little in the coming years.

Little Elm is currently around 75% built out, with an estimated population of just above 50,000. The town is aiming for a variety of entertainment, retail and mixed-use development going forward, intent on being a regional tourism powerhouse.

Little Elm is unique among municipalities along the northern stretches of DFW. It’s heavily residential and doesn’t boast the industry base of some of nearby cities like Frisco and Plano.

However, the town has more shoreline than any other municipality in North Texas, with 66 miles along Lake Lewisville. Little Elm’s economic development strategy is built around the elements that make it unique, targeting retail and entertainment projects to complement its existing features.

In 1999, the town’s population was about 15,000. When Town Manager Matt Mueller took his position in 2012, the town’s population was about 25,000. Full population build-out could be between 75,000 and 100,000, depending on how much land within the Little Elm extraterritorial jurisdiction gets annexed.

“I always joke to friends and colleagues that it’s like playing SimCity for a living because it’s just moving so fast,” Mueller said.

The town’s leadership is anticipating it’ll take another seven to 10 years before the town is fully built-out.

Little Elm has different targets for different parts of the town, he said. In the Lakefront District, the town is prioritizing mixed-use development with more density. Along the Highway 380 corridor, the town is prioritizing development with the density of a north Dallas subdivision.

To the west, town leadership would like to see less density in residential development. The eastern section of the town is largely built-out.

The town’s economic development strategy isn’t as centered around job growth as other areas, Mueller said. While the community is excited about opportunities that create employment, it’s difficult to compete with the likes of Plano or Irving.

Instead, Little Elm is taking a different approach. The town is getting its first hotel, a La Quinta Del Sol Hotel by Wyndham, and an entertainment venue called Tinman Social. Multifamily and retail projects are also in the works.

“I think what we feel really fits into that regional tourism goal of ours is to have more places for people to stay,” Mueller said. “We’re certainly interested in more hotels coming to the area, more unique dining and entertainment venues… Maybe boutique retail and neighborhood services that come along with that, I would say, is what we’re really excited about.”

North Texas Economic Development Agencies

Value of deals 2021

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