Noah McGough, a senior at Jesuit High School in Dallas, is one of the best high school kickers in the country. Rated number one in Texas with the most field goals last season at 17 and number six in the U.S. 

His achievements include the Texas Sports Writers Association's 2023 Class 6A All-State First Team 6A Kicker and Player of the Year for All District 7-6A Special Teams.

While McGough is known in the sports community for his incredible talent, it’s his huge heart and willingness to serve others that stands out.

“At Jesuit, we live by the motto Be Men for Others,” says McGough. “As I go through this journey with so many amazing brothers, I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ‘Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.’ There is so much hate in the world right now. I’m called to be God’s light to the world.”

McGough is bringing awareness to Men of Nehemiah, a nine-month residential recovery program in South Dallas. During the football season, he is asking for the community’s support with pledges for every point he scores to benefit Men of Nehemiah at menofnehemiah.org/kick

“My Dad took me to a Men of Nehemiah service one Sunday morning,” explained McGough. “When you come here, you feel the love of God. These men have gone through horrible things. But to see God moving in people, it’s so powerful! This is loving your neighbor at its finest.”

Jesuit Dallas’ first exhibition football game will be Friday, August 23 against Flower Mound High School at Ranger Stadium in Dallas. The regular season ends November 8 at home against Irving Nimitz. McGough says he will continue to ‘kick for a cause’ throughout the playoffs if Jesuit advances.

“Noah is an amazing young man,” said Jim Ramsey, CEO of Men of Nehemiah. “We’re looking forward to watching him kick this season. But, more importantly, he’s reinforcing to each of these men that he cares about them. Many of these men are estranged from their families and friends. Some have been incarcerated. More than a few have lived on the streets. But some also come from gated communities and very nice neighborhoods. Addiction respects no zip code.”

Men of Nehemiah combines Biblical discipleship with professional counseling and military discipline and seeks to restore lives that have been derailed by drug and alcohol addiction. The objective is to help each man become the person God intended him to be and reunite him with his loved ones and community. 

“I’ve been blessed with a gift to kick at Jesuit,” concluded McGough. “I want to use my gift for God. For a kick to count, it takes a great snap, a precise hold, and a team of blockers. We all need a team to succeed. I am thankful to be supporting the team at Men of Nehemiah.” 

In 1994, Pastor Louis Harrell, a former US Army Colonel, founded Men of Nehemiah in New Orleans to deliver his wayward son, Louis Harrell, Jr., from the grip of addiction. Louis Jr. relocated to North Texas, where he launched Men of Nehemiah in South Dallas with the help of Roger McCasland, President and CEO of Operation Relief Center. 

Today, Men of Nehemiah has helped more than 1,500 men find paths to recovery. Research compiled in 2022 affirmed that 61% of men who graduated from Men of Nehemiah prior to 2020 stayed sober for at least two years. More information is available at menofnehemiah.org.

University officials and commercial builders and architects marked a significant milestone in the construction of Texas Woman’s health sciences center, which will expand programming and research at TWU and increase health-related services for North Texans.

University leaders and representatives of AECOM Hunt construction and SmithGroup architects took part in a topping off ceremony, which celebrates placement of the final beam in a building project. Attendees signed their names to the beam, which in the coming weeks will be set into place.

“We are thrilled at the prospect of expanding health-related activities to better serve our students and the community, and we are excited about launching inter-professional collaborations that bring together multiple disciplines in innovative ways to improve the way we teach and learn,” said Angela Bauer, PhD, Texas Woman’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “The new health sciences center will be a beacon of health education for the academic community and a lifeline for rural North Texans who need greater access to health care.”

In September 2023, Texas Woman’s broke ground a $107 million, 136,000 square-foot health sciences center to serve as an inter-professional education facility linking students in the allied health fields with an emphasis on preparing them to serve in rural settings. The building will expand health-related programming, community outreach, research and other activities at Texas Woman’s.

The building will include labs, classrooms, collaborative workspaces, outdoor clinic sites and a teaching kitchen, as well as community health care clinics and student training spaces. The building project is scheduled for completion in summer 2025, with opening set for fall 2025.

“Through skill, dedication, and at times sheer grit, the health sciences center is making its way toward completion,” said Clint Binkley, AECOM’s vice president and Higher Education Sector Lead of the company’s South Region. “This is a milestone for this project, and we proudly look toward the impact the health science center will have ? creating opportunity and opening pathways to new careers, and growing access to health services in some of our most underserved rural communities in need of care. We are incredibly proud to be a part of the team that has helped make today’s topping out a reality, and I thank each and every one of the talented subcontractors, AECOM Hunt and SmithGroup workers, for their countless hours that brought us to this moment.”

Balekian Hayes, PLLC is proud to announce that partners Kris Balekian Hayes and John Withers, Jr., have been honored in the 31st Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® peer review guide. This prestigious recognition celebrates Hayes for her expertise in family law and family law mediation and acknowledges Withers for his exceptional work in family law. Their inclusion in this distinguished list highlights their continued dedication and exceptional contributions to the field.

The Best Lawyers® guide, renowned for its thorough peer-review process, highlights exceptional legal professionals across 150 practice areas based on feedback from fellow attorneys. This esteemed recognition is a testament to the dedication and high regard in which the partners at Balekian Hayes, PLLC are held by their peers.

“I am immensely grateful to be included along with my partner John in the list of top family lawyers by Best Lawyers®  in America,” said Hayes. “This acknowledgment by Best Lawyers® is particularly meaningful because it comes from the feedback of our peers in the legal community. Our firm takes great pride in our integrity and dedication to our clients, and this continued recognition is a testament to our steadfast commitment and the trust we have built with both our clients and colleagues.”

Hayes, who earned her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University School of Business. With over two decades of experience in family law, Hayes is distinguished by dual certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in family law and child welfare—an honor held by only 47 family lawyers in Texas. She is also a credentialed mediator in all civil, family, and CPS matters and is licensed by the Supreme Court of the United States, highlighting her exceptional qualifications and expertise.

Withers, a dual board-certified attorney, has earned recognition as a Super Lawyer and a nominee for Best Lawyers due to his commitment to excellence and advocacy for his clients. A Dallas native, he holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Texas A&M University and attended the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as part of the U.S. Army Reserve. He later earned his law degree from Southern Methodist University. Withers' extensive legal background includes serving as an assistant district attorney and co-founding a successful law firm. His dedication extends beyond the courtroom through his military service and involvement in the State Bar College and the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.

At Balekian Hayes, PLLC, based in Dallas, the leadership and commitment to clients are central to the firm's reputation. The repeated recognition by Best Lawyers® not only underscores the individual excellence of each partner but also reflects the high standards maintained by the firm. For additional information about Kris Balekian Hayes and John Withers, Jr. and the services offered at Balekian Hayes, PLLC, please visit Balekian Hayes, PLLC.

DENTON - It's back to class for college and technical school students, and North Point Cafe in Denton wants to celebrate as students dive into those long days of books, tests, and papers. For the second year, the restaurant's Back-to-School Bargain offers free coffee to college students and technical school students who show their IDs on Wednesday, Aug. 28. One cup per customer between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Each customer is required to purchase a meal. The coffee deal also is offered to faculty and staff of area colleges and technical programs.

For more information about North Point, go to northpoint-cafe.com. The restaurant is at 2000 W. University Drive and includes both a spacious patio and a large community room for meetings, study sessions, and parties.

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra League is pleased to announce that Mr. and Mrs. William Stokes McIntyre IV will serve as the Honorary Chairs for the 2025 DSOL Presentation Ball. Forty-six Debutantes will be presented at the Thirty-ninth Annual Ball which will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. 

Shirley and Bill are Dallas philanthropic community leaders who have been longtime advocates for the arts in Dallas and have supported the DSO since 1988. Shirley has served on the DSO Board of Governors, the Gala Committee, the Stradivarius Patron Committee and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League.  Bill has been on the DSO Executive Board and has served on the Gala Committee.  

Most recently, the McIntyres provided a generous gift to the DSO to improve, beautify and increase musical programming in the park formerly known as the Betty Marcus Park. The newly renovated park, which sits just west of the iconic Meyerson Symphony Center, is the perfect tranquil setting for DSO patrons to gather and is a hidden gem in the Dallas Arts District.  The park has been renamed the Shirley & Bill McIntyre Park in their honor.