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Dublin Dr Pepper Stops Bottling Dr Pepper

Dublin Dr. Pepper plant in Dublin, Texas.
Steven Martin (cc) flickr
Dublin Dr. Pepper plant in Dublin, Texas.

The world’s oldest and smallest Dr Pepper bottler … the one in Dublin, TX … will stop bottling the drink.  In return, Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group will drop a trademark infringement case.

Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. and the Dr Pepper Bottling Co. of Dublin, Texas, have agreed to end their relationship to settle Dr Pepper's trademark-infringement case against the Central Texas bottler of what had come to be called "Dublin Dr Pepper."

A joint statement issued Wednesday says the bottling company will continue as the Dublin Bottling Works Inc. and produce its other brands, including Nu Grape, XXX Root Beer and Big Red.

The Dallas Morning News reports that 14 of the bottler’s 40 workers are now out of a job.

Dr Pepper Snapple says it will continue to distribute the Dr Pepper sweetened with cane sugar for which the Dublin bottler had become famous.

BJ Austin, KERA News

MetLife Closure Costs Irving Jobs

MetLife Inc.'s decision to cut most of its resident mortgage operation will cost more than 850 jobs in the Dallas suburb of Irving.

Dallas television station WFAA reports the company says about 860 of the 1,400 employees with MetLife Home Loans in Irving will lose their jobs.

Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne says the city was notified Tuesday.

MetLife says it will no longer originate forward residential mortgages, which bring in only a fraction of the revenue that its global insurance and employee benefits businesses do.

The company says it will continue to service its current mortgage customers as well as to originate reverse mortgages. It also will honor all commitments for loans in process.

Irving-Based Hostess Brands Files For Bankruptcy

Irving-Based Hostess Brands Inc., the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, is filing for bankruptcy protection, blaming troubles with its pension and medical benefits obligations, increased competition and tough economic conditions.

The Chapter 11 filing on Wednesday comes just two years after a predecessor company emerged from bankruptcy proceedings. 

The privately held bakery company says it will be able to maintain routine operations thanks to a $75 million financing commitment from a group of lenders.

Reports had surfaced earlier in the week that the company was planning to make such a filing. Hostess said that it will look to restructure into a "strong, competitive" company.

It will continue to run bakeries, outlet stores and distribution centers and deliver its goods during the process. Hostess operates in 49 states.

AP

Fort Worth Website Feature Tracks Tax Dollars

Fort Worth has launched a new feature on its website to let residents know, in dollars and cents, where their property taxes are spent.

Budget Officer Horatio Porter gave City Council members a demonstration using a 100 thousand dollars home. He says the total annual tax bill would be about $2700, the lion’s share going to the school district. The city’s part would be $684 dollars.

Porter: And you’ll see 29 percent goes to the Police Department, for $195 dollars almost. Then you’ll see the Fire Department at 17% of the tax rate, for $118, almost $119.

Porter hopes the new feature will allow taxpayers to better understand where their taxes go.

http://fortworthtexas.gov/applications/mypropertytaxdollar/

BJ Austin, KERA News

Mistrial in Fort Worth over ownership of antlers

A mistrial has been declared in the trial of two former North Texas deputies who allegedly admired and then took some deer antlers a collector found in a park.

A judge in Fort Worth barred attorneys in the trial of William E. Fox Jr. and George "Tom" Wood from mentioning the two were dismissed as deputy marshals after the 2010 incident. The judge declared a mistrial Tuesday after a witness referred to the firing.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports collector Anthony Brown considers the shed antlers worthy of trophy status.

Brown testified the deputies gave "excuses" about needing to have the rack studied, then did him a "favor" by not citing him for illegally driving his four-wheeler nearby.

The defense challenged where the antlers, which jurors examined Tuesday, were found.

AP

Bank Robber Pleads Guilty After Mom Blows Whistle

A 19 year old man from Garland pleaded guilty this morning to robbing three banks. Anthony Blue was arrested last summer after his “mom” turned him in.

Prosecutors say Blue’s mother called agents after she went to the FBI website “bandittracker.com”. She told agents she believed it was her son in surveillance photos from robberies June 14th in Garland and Rockwall. She also picked him out of video from the robbery of a bank in Quinlan in July.

Blue will be sentenced in April. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Arlington Police Ticket Texting Drivers

Arlington’s ban on texting and driving has been in effect about six weeks. Police say they have ticketed four people for violating the city law against texting, emailing, gaming, or Googling while driving.

Officers say many of those stopped for violating the “texting” law got verbal warnings.

Officers hope each “texting” traffic stop they make will convince that driver … and others … to think twice before driving distracted.

BJ Austin, KERA News

Fort Worth Online Water Bill Payments On Hold

Online payments of Fort Worth water bills will be OFF line this weekend.

The system, H2Online is getting an upgrade. The new features will make the system more user friendly and better protect personal information.

The system goes offline at 8pm Friday and will be back up early Tuesday, January 17th.

Customers may make payments by phone, using a check, credit or debit card.

Water Department officials, in-person or by phone, will still be able to open and close accounts, and take reports for water and sewer emergencies.

BJ Austin, KERA News