Five stories that have North Texas talking: Ryland Ward’s family is asking for Christmas cards; Abbott launches investigation into sexual misconduct; robots and Shakespeare; and more.
A young boy who survived the mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs last month will spend the holidays in the hospital.
Ryland Ward, 5, who lost two of his sisters and his mother in the shooting, is still recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. His shattered femur isn’t healing as doctors had expected and he’s having issues with his kidney, KSAT in San Antonio reported.
Doctors are hoping he’ll go home in six to eight more weeks.
Ryland doesn’t know his mother and sisters were three of the 26 people, including an unborn child, who were killed during a service at First Baptist that Sunday.
The Ward family lost three of its members today in the #SutherlandSprings shooting. But one is still holding on. https://t.co/qVwXaYS000 pic.twitter.com/IF5gbjwSls
— Lauren McGaughy 🌟 (@lmcgaughy) November 6, 2017
"I'm sure he's kind of getting some kind of idea because he's 5," his grandmother Sandy Ward told the TV news station.
To add some cheer to his stay, Ryland’s family’s requesting cards with $1 inside for him to get his Christmas wish: a Go-Kart. He’d also like pictures of kids with their pets, according to KSAT.
Cards can be mailed to Ryland Ward, P.O. Box 174, Sutherland Springs, Texas 78161.
Some links have a paywall or require a subscription.
- New investigation: Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the Texas Rangers to look into sexual misconduct at the state's juvenile lockups. The request comes after guards at Gainesville State School allegedly had sexual relationships with committed youth. [The Texas Tribune]
- Wherefore art thou, robot?: Robots can ask us about our day, play songs for us and, as one study from the University of Texas Arlington shows, can perform Shakespeare with us, too. The results hint at robots as companions and caregivers in the future. [KERA News]
- Hurricane Harvey: More than 15,500 Texas families or individuals are still in temporary housing at more than 1,200 hotels. The Federal Emergency Management Agency extended their stay to mid-January, and it could be extended again. [Houston Public Media]
- Ugly Christmas sweaters: Which Dallas City Council member wore it best? [D Magazine]
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.
