Five stories that have North Texas talking: Gov. Perry talks yet again about a potential presidential run; watch some cool drone video of fog hugging the Dallas skyline; Arlington ISD apologizes to a student in a wheelchair; and more.
Gov. Rick Perry says he won't make up his mind about running for president until the middle of next year, but he doesn't feel pressure to announce sooner because most people expect that he will. "People think we're going to run, and that's not necessarily a bad thing," Perry said in an interview with The Associated Press as he prepares to leave office next month after 14 years as governor. While a formal announcement may be a ways off, the longest-serving chief executive in Texas history sounded Tuesday like a candidate preparing for his next campaign. Perry cited his state's low taxes, restrained regulatory climate and caps on civil lawsuit damages as the reasons behind Texas' economic success. He argued the state's record in creating jobs during his time in office can convince potentially skeptical supporters that he's worth a second look after his short-lived 2012 presidential bid. [Associated Press]
- Arlington ISD is apologizing to a 9-year-old because his school placed him and his wheelchair away from other students during a photo shoot. KXAS-TV (NBC 5) reports that Tyson Wenzel had made the honor roll, earned perfect attendance and was being an outstanding citizen. After a ceremony at Swift Elementary, a photo was taken of Tyson and the other kids. It shows Tyson on the left side of risers, with a noticeable gap between him and the other students. Arlington ISD says it was a mistake that it is “working to correct," the station reported.
- Big news on the North Texas radio scene. Terry Dorsey, a local radio host for 33 years, is retiring Dec. 17. He’s been with KSCS 96.3 FM for 26 years. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: “The departure will break up a duo that has been together for more than 25 years, since 1988 when Dorsey, Mark ‘Hawkeye’ Louis and others made up what was became known as The Dorsey Gang. … KSCS has had a recent resurgence in the ratings, and Hawkeye and Dorsey is the No. 1 country morning show and No. 4 morning show overall.” Dorsey plans on becoming a farmer in Illinois.
- Flu season has arrived early in North Texas. KERA’s Lauren Silverman reports: “Normally flu cases in North Texas spike after the Christmas holidays. This year, the virus has come early. Dallas County Health and Human Services reported a steady rise of positive flu tests, which ramped up to a quarter of people tested over Thanksgiving week. So far, there’s been one flu-related death in Dallas County and two in Tarrant County. … ‘We’re almost three weeks ahead of time for flu activity to start picking up,’ said Vinnie Taneja, Tarrant County's public health director. ‘That gives flu more time to be spreading.’”
- Neat video alert: This stunning video of Dallas above Tuesday morning’s fog is making the rounds on the Internet. Mike Prendergast shot the video using a DJI Phantom 2 Vision Plus Drone. Watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOdl-NDv3NE
