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Prada Marfa Finds A Way To Stay Open: It’s An Art Museum

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Five stories that have North Texas talking: Prada Marfa avoids being shut down; a man falls nearly 15 feet at AT&T Stadium over the weekend; the “kissing bug” is spreading across Texas; and more.

Prada Marfa, which faced being shut down, has found a way to stay open: It’s calling itself a museum. You might recall the brouhaha last fall: Prada Marfa in West Texas has been in jeopardy after the Texas Department of Transportation declared that the building is illegal because it’s a roadside advertisement. The building is modeled after a Prada boutique. The front door doesn’t open, but the building has attracted scores of tourists. Lots of folks blasted TxDOT for trying to bring an end to Prada Marfa. The Texas Tribune reports: “On Friday, the Ballroom Marfa Foundation confirmed on its website that it had found a solution ‘after a series of productive negotiations with the Texas Department of Transportation.’ The foundation arranged to get Prada Marfa classified as an art museum by leasing the property on which the building stands, TxDOT spokeswoman Veronica Beyer said. ‘The site is now an art museum site and the building is their single art exhibit,’ Beyer said.”

  • Did Wendy Davis’ work in the title business pose a conflict with her time on the Fort Worth City Council? The Dallas Morning News explored that issue in Sunday’s paper, finding that she was “at times in a position to vote on items that affected her business – such as projects for which the Davises’ company did title work. Sometimes she recused herself, but on other occasions she did not. Over the years, Davis’ political opponents have accused her of using politics to benefit her business affairs. Davis denies it.” She appears to have followed Fort Worth’s ethics policy, The News reports. The newspaper also reports that Davis received a multi-million dollar divorce settlement with title company executive Jeff Davis. “Wendy Davis received about $6 million from the family’s assets, according to a person familiar with the settlement,” The News reported. A Davis campaign spokesman, who declined to comment before the story was published, says the figure is wrong, but provided no other details, the newspaper says.

  • A man who fell nearly 15 feet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday remained in critical condition on Sunday. WFAA-TV reports: “The man, who hasn't been identified, was with a group of friends cheering on the Longhorns during the Texas vs. UCLA game. According to witnesses, he toppled over a guardrail at the bottom of the 100 level of the stadium just before halftime. ‘It was maybe like he was leaning over to clap or something, and then he did a somersault,’ Justin Deweese said. ‘Landed there flat on his back... probably about a 15-feet drop.’ The Arlington Fire Department is investigating, but it’s too early to know if alcohol was a factor, WFAA reported.

  • Ever heard of the kissing bug? It can spread a parasite that can infect your pet – and it’s showing up in North Texas. KXAS-TV (NBC 5) reports: “A disease that has infected millions of people in Mexico, Central America and South America is now showing up in greater numbers than had been previously reported in Texas; not in people, but in dogs. A recently released study by researchers at Texas A&M University showed that nearly one in 10 shelter dogs had been exposed to the parasite that causes Chagas, a disease spread by insects known as kissing bugs.” The dogs in the study were chosen from animal shelters across Texas, including two in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Kissing bugs infect people and animals by biting them and depositing parasites into the victim's blood stream,” KXAS-TV reports. An infected dog can’t spread Chagas to humans.

  • Are you watching “The Roosevelts?” It’s the latest historical documentary on PBS from Ken Burns, the prolific producer. Part one aired Sunday; part two is on Monday at 7 p.m. on KERA-TV (Channel 13). It’s a seven-part series, so get your DVR ready. Tonight’s installment: “Teddy becomes the 26th U.S. president on Sept. 14, 1901, six months into his term of vice president, when President McKinley is assassinated. Over the next seven years, he fights corporate greed; builds the Panama Canal; and preserves wilderness areas.” Explore the series here.
Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.