Five stories that have North Texas talking: Farmers Branch legal maneuvers anger Hispanic leaders, DISD's cost-cutting efforts turn sour for some parents, the March On Washington turns 50 today, and more.
Last month, a federal appeals court struck down a Farmers Branch ordinance to keep undocumented immigrants from renting property. The city says it will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, and that's spurred a group of city Hispanic leaders to call for a boycott of Farmers Branch. They are urging people to avoid shopping there, and to skip work and school in the city on Sept. 13. [CBS DFW]
DISD’s Shuttle Shuffle Leaves Parents And Kids Uncomfortable: Just about every kid knows not to get in a car with a stranger. Well, 2,000 Dallas students had to do just that on the first day of school. In an effort to save money, the district replaced some buses with taxis and shuttles to transport kids who lived farther away. But some parents were furious: One tells Fox 4 that the school district didn’t inform them until the day before.
Downtown DART Rail Is So Popular It’s Deteriorating: The rails that carry DART trains through downtown Dallas are breaking down quicker than expected, the Dallas Morning News reports. The transit agency is planning to spend $50 million over 18 months to replace the tracks. DART says success is one reason for the wear and tear; the main corridor serves 95,000 passengers a day. Officials say that although the rails are a little rugged, things are still still safe.
Marching Across The Country, A Half-Century Later: Millions across the country are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington today. That, of course, was the day Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial, which Google commemorates in this doodle. KERA will air live NPR coverage of President Obama's speech at the memorial today, and Courtney Collins shared one Dallas reverend's memories of hearing Dr. King's speech. Events across the country will be celebrating the anniversary, but it looks like former President George W. Bush will have to miss out on the festivities, as he’s still recovering from heart surgery.
Denton Almost Had A Giant Rock Pyramid: The huge rocks you may come across in Denton actually hold some historical significance. Early Denton residents built their homes using these rocks as a foundation, but one resident wanted to take things a step further. A.G. Lee hoped to build a pyramid on his farm to honor John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard & Oil. The only progress made on the construction project was a 100-foot pile of boulders for the base, but you can’t knock him for trying. [Denton Record-Chronicle]
