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One Year After Kidd Kraddick’s Death, His Co-Hosts Keep His Show On The Air

Kiddnation.com

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Marking the one-year anniversary of Kidd Kraddick’s death; Dallas Animal Services is overrun with abandoned pets; a Tarrant County resident has been diagnosed with measles; and more.

One year ago, when Kidd Kraddick died, there was no guarantee that his morning radio show would continue. But his co-hosts rallied – and the ratings are on the rise. The Dallas Morning News offers a lengthy profile of the co-hosts and how they bounced back from last July when the popular Dallas radio show DJ collapsed and died in Louisiana. Sunday marks the first anniversary of his death. Listeners to his popular show have been loyal. Among women between 18 and 49, a prime demographic, the group is in first or second place in 95 percent of the markets that carry the show across the country – up from 75 percent when Kraddick was on the show, The News said. But the surviving hosts aren’t bragging about that – the past year hasn’t been easy. “I spent more time with him than any man in my entire life,” co-host Kellie Rasberry told The News. “People could tell we really loved each other.”KXAS-TV (Channel 5) interviewed the team, too:

  • A Tarrant County man has been diagnosed with measles. He attended a softball tournament in Kansas where health officials later warned of possible exposure to the virus. Texas Department of State Health Services spokeswoman Christine Mann says the man attended a July Fourth weekend softball tournament in Kansas. Health officials on July 17 announced more than 30 people from Texas who traveled to the tournament may have been exposed to the measles virus. At least three recreational softball teams from Texas played in Wichita. Officials with Dallas County Health and Human Services say they’re working to trace possible cases of possible exposures. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory illness that spreads through coughing and sneezing. [Associated Press/KERA]

  • A new Texas law led to a statewide drop in abortions, a new report says. The Texas Tribune reports that the number of abortions in Texas decreased by about 13 percent statewide and 21 percent in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The strict abortion regulations went into effect last November. The Tribune reports: “The study, by the Texas Policy Evaluation Project at the University of Texas, which is analyzing the effects of reproductive health-related laws passed during the last two legislative sessions, found that as the number of clinics that provide abortions declined, so did the number of abortions performed statewide. Researchers said the decline was not as large as expected but that the numbers could continue to drop as more restrictions take effect under the law this year.”

  • Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center says its shelter is full and officials are encouraging North Texans to adopt. The facility is taking in more than 120 animals a day – and field calls are up, too. “Our intake staff is exhausted,” the facility wrote on its Facebook page. “Our staff is trying their best to counsel people over the roar of all the fans we've got going. People are having to wait in line to surrender pets and everyone is losing patience. The staff is discouraged and exhausted, so please, please be patient with them.” The center says adoption fees are waived on pets that have been sheltered for more than 14 days. There are discounts for seniors, as well as pets who are older than 6 years old. Check out Animal Services’ Facebook page for more.

  • There’s a storytelling show in Dallas where people share their most private life moments in front of strangers. It’s called Oral Fixation and KERA’s Art&Seek stopped by a recent show to record their experiences. (Watch them here.) Adelina Sun reports on Art&Seek: “Since 2010, Oral Fixation has been dedicated to bringing the Dallas community together through the sharing of true and personal stories. Inspired by the Los Angeles storytelling scene and the NPR show This American Life, Nicole Stewart began the series after returning to Dallas. … The public is open to submit their first-draft stories and from those, Nicole selects a variety of perspectives to bring together under one common theme.” Last month’s program featured stories from several recent immigrants.
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.