Blue Bell Is Back On North Texas Shelves

Five stories that have North Texas talking: DFW can scream for ice cream again; Woody Harrelson is filming at Dealey Plaza today; California is buying more guns than Texas; and more.

Blue Bell, the Brenham-based company, began Phase Two of its five-part re-entry plan today to get the beloved ice cream in stores and in the good graces of its consumers once again. In April, the company had to recall its products and suspend production because of a listeria outbreak. Ten listeria illnesses were reported, including three deaths in Kansas, according to this Centers For Disease Control and Prevention report.

Re-entry launched Aug. 31 with Homemade Vanilla being the first flavor to return to Brenham, Houston, Austin and Alabama-based stores. Phase Two includes North-Central Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth and Waco areas) and North-Central and Southern Oklahoma (Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas), according to Blue Bell’s press release.

Where can you find Blue Bell in town? WFAA has a running list.

 
The lactose tolerant in North Texas are overjoyed:

Actor Woody Harrelson will recreate the infamous drive through Dealey Plaza today following Sunday’s rain delay for the filming of LBJ. Harrelson stars as the film’s namesake, who had to assume the role of President following John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas 52 years ago this month. The film stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lady Bird and Jeffrey Donovan as JFK.

Shooting will take place from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Dallas Morning News reported: “The set’s closed to the public, but the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza sends word this morning that it will be open during filming tomorrow. Consider it a very interactive exhibit for one day only.” You can also stream the shoot here.

Street closures include Elm, Main and Commerce:

Credit City of Dallas

Important: Live blank gunfire will be audible periodically throughout the day of filming. But don’t worry, it’s just a movie. [Dallas Morning News]

The open enrollment period for health insurance began Sunday. This marks the third round of enrollment since the Affordable Care Act launched in 2013. In Texas, more than 1 million people have signed up. However, the state still has the highest number of uninsured citizens in the country. KERA's Lauren Silverman reported this year may be more difficult to get people sign up than in previous years because “the people most in need have already signed up. That said, this year the financial penalties for not having health insurance will go up – to $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of household income, whichever is greater.” The enrollment window will be open through Jan. 31, 2016. Read moreon how to “navigate the insurance landscape.” [KERA News]

Shoot, Texas isn’t the place where the most guns are sold anymore. It’s California. And Governor Greg Abbott is downright embarrassed.

Ryan Poppe of Texas Public Radio reports: “The figures are based off of the number of requests the FBI receives to conduct criminal background checks for new gun purchases. Two years ago following the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, gun sales were at an all-time high in Texas.” Michael Cargill, owner of the Central Texas Gun Works, told Poppe Texas lost the No. 1 spot because gun control laws are on the upswing in California, and people react to the restrictions by buying more firearms. Read more. [TPR]

What song does KXT’s Amy Miller have on repeat these days? Our favorite Program Director contributed thoughts on Kurt Vile’s single “Pretty Pimpin” to NPR Music’s Heavy Rotation for the first time. Here’s what she had to say about the tune from Vile’s latest album, "b’lieve i’m goin down": “Lyrically, Vile fuses humor and irony with melancholy and introspection, and nowhere is that more apparent than in ‘Pretty Pimpin.’ Backed by his band The Violators, Vile's rhythmic delivery is accompanied by a slight twang and steady pulse — a quirky style that makes for refreshing radio.” Listen to nine other hits “public radio can’t stop playing.” [NPR Music]