Let’s just say 2025 was a lot. So we’re here to put a spotlight on some stories our reporters wrote that show the cool, the fascinating and the just plain fun stuff that’s happened in North Texas over the last year.
Let’s kick it off with some hometown wrestling.
An electric North Texas fanbase finds big-ring thrills and family atmosphere at Metroplex Wrestling
From November: KERA's Andy Lusk writes about Bedford's Metroplex Wrestling. It started off in a backyard and became an official venue around 2010. But despite the humble beginnings and a facade that doesn't give much away, the fanbase came in droves for the promise of a high-voltage show that has kept them hungry for more over the years.
What in the labubu is going on? North Texans are obsessed
From September: KERA's Elizabeth Myong reported on the Labubu fans that gathered at a festival in Dallas’ RedBird Mall to buy the quirky plush dolls. Inspired by Nordic mythology, the collectible labubu dolls sold by Chinese toy company PopMart have garnered a cultlike following with many crediting Blackpink’s Lisa for its rise after she featured the toys on her social media last year.
Dallas renames lakes along the Trinity River to honor Native American tribes
From June: KERA's Pablo Arauz Peña The Dallas City Council approved a resolution that renames three lakes along the Trinity River as the Three Sisters lakes, each one named after a tribe that's indigenous to North Texas. The resolution renames the lakes after three tribes and their Native words for “sister” – NʉmʉNahmi Lake (Comanche Nahmi Lake), Wichita ita:iʔh (pronounced ih-dahts-ih) Lake, and Lipan Apache Mbátí Lake. The three lakes, which help control flooding in the area, will also be designated for recreation along the Trinity River.
Farmers Branch to expand animal shelter with dedicated cat area
From September: Farmers Branch is expanding its animal shelter with help from a posthumous donation from a late cat-loving resident. KERA's Dylan Duke reports that the expansion will add three holding rooms, a cat meet-and-greet room, an adoption room and a play room, according to a city presentation. Most of the project's cost will be covered by a $1.5 million donation from Dorothy Ray Holly, who died in 2021 and wrote the donation into her will. The donation was tied to creating a dedicated cat area with an "open air enclosure/sunroom."
L.D. Bell band fulfills decades-long goal of marching in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
From November: For the L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band, the trip to New York City marks a milestone that has been decades in the making. KERA's Andy Lusk and the Fort Worth Report's Matthew Sgroi talked with the school's band director and parents. “The band program at L.D. Bell is pretty special. It’s been around for a really long time. The band was founded in 1957, and so there’s just this really long tradition of excellence within the program,” band director Suzanne Dell said. This year, that tradition includes a national spotlight: L.D. Bell is the only Texas band performing in the 2025 parade.
'Doctor' who? Candidate accused of misusing the title wants Texas Supreme Court to back his suit
From September: The Texas Medical Board took issue with a former South Texas congressional candidate calling himself a doctor. KERA's Toluwani Osibamowo reports that he says he never claimed to practice medicine, and the board is infringing on his political speech.
