Five stories that have North Texas talking: Grammy victors have North Texas ties; a North Texas Republican wants to limit vaccine exemptions; Fort Worth ISD chooses the man it wants to be its next superintendent; and more.
Musicians with North Texas ties won Grammys Sunday. St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark of Lake Highlands, won for Best Alternative Music Album. She’s touring in Australia at the moment, and wasn’t in California to accept her award. Here’s what she told Rolling Stone after she won: “’I just wanted make music and tour,’ Clark said, explaining that even a few years ago, she couldn't have imagined having a Grammy resting on her mantle. ‘That's what we're still doing.’… The question is always 'Alternative to what?' But I think they added this award in response to the Seattle bands of the early [‘90s] -- and that's a great legacy to follow.’" Pentatonix, the group with Arlington roots, won a Grammy in the Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella Category. Forbes calls it a “watershed moment for a cappella.” Pentatonix singer Scott Hoying said: “We recorded this in a bedroom closet, filmed it in the kitchen, and now we’re winning a Grammy. It just goes to show that anything is possible.”
Here are some Pentatonix and St. Vincent videos to help you ease into your Monday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MteSlpxCpo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVAxUMuhz98
- A North Texas Republican wants to limit vaccine exemptions. The Texas Tribune reports that State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, is “taking aim at a provision in state law that allows parents with personal or religious objections to vaccines to opt their children out of school immunization requirements. [Villalba] said Friday he will soon propose legislation to eliminate what are called "conscientious exemptions" because of the re-emergence of diseases like measles and whooping cough attributed to growing numbers of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children.”
- Fort Worth ISD has made its pick for its new superintendent. KERA’s Stella M. Chavez reports: “Fort Worth school district trustees made their choice for superintendent over the weekend. During a special morning meeting Saturday, the board voted unanimously in favor of Joel D. Boyd, who’s currently the superintendent of schools in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The man tapped to lead Fort Worth schools is someone the district’s trustees describe as having an infectious energy that inspires others.” Read more here.
- The company behind the proposed Dallas-to-Houston bullet train has selected two locations has selected two locations as possible sites for a Dallas high-speed rail station. One site is undeveloped land located south of downtown Dallas at the South Side on Lamar. The second site would extend over Interstate 30 into downtown -- it includes part of the South Side land, as well as property next to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Read more here from KERA.
- Neil deGrasse Tyson and Sarah Koenig are headlining a new speaker series in Dallas. KERA’s Krystina Martinez has the details: “KERA and the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas are teaming up to produce a new summer speaker series called #thinkspeak. Each month, there will be a live event with public radio stars you’re probably familiar with: Serial host Sarah Koenig, Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad, This American Life host Ira Glass and astrophysicist and StarTalk Radio host Neil deGrasse Tyson. We'll kick things off with Radiolab's Jad Abumrad on May 15.” Learn more here.
