After Controversy Over Collin County Passport Offices, State Department Authorizes Additional Services

After Collin County's busiest passport office closed following a district clerk's claims of retaliation, the U.S. State Department has announced it will temporarily offer extended services by appointment for residents.The announcement comes after U.S. Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, wrote to the State Department saying he was "concerned this closure will make it more difficult for those in our community to obtain passports in a timely manner."Now, the State Department has added two windows during which residents can make appointments for passport application and renewal: from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. next Wednesday, April 24, and Thursday, April 25, at the Plano Northwest Post Office, 3905 Hedgecoxe Road.Two of the county's passport application offices at the district clerk's office — one at the county courthouse in McKinney and another in Plano — were closed beginning in December. The Dallas Passport Agency, which oversees the Collin County district clerk's passport application process, at the time said the offices "may have failed to follow ... guidelines and procedures that adversely impact the integrity of the passport acceptance process."  Continue reading...