Five stories that have North Texas talking: Luck be a lady… in Oklahoma and Louisiana, Yu Darvish is darn near perfect, Mark Cuban plans to cast a wide net on draft day and more.
Let the chips fall where they may? According to a new report, close to $3 billion worth is falling outside the Texas border. Research by economic group TXP shows Texans are gambling $2.96 billion each year in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Louisiana. According to the data, that adds up to almost 40 percent of Texans’ gambling budget. If you factor in food and hotel stays, the total jumps to $4.37 billion.
Members of advocacy groups like “Let Texas Decide” say this report lines up with what they’ve been saying all along; that Texas money should stay in Texas. But some groups like Oklahoma tribal leaders say expanded gambling in the Lone Star State is cause for concern. There are a handful of bills before the legislature that would allow for a few resort style casinos as well as slot machines at existing dog and horse tracks. [Dallas Morning News]
- Taking out the trash, hopping the fence and bolting for freedom sounds like the plot of a grounded teenager. But early this morning, it was exactly how an inmate escaped from Dallas’ Lew Sterrett jail. Dallas County Sheriff’s officials say 38 year-old Donald Greenlee was being held on felony burglary charges. Greenlee is described as being 5’11’’ and 200 pounds with a tattooed right arm and hand. [WFAA]
- The quest for perfection was derailed by a pesky grounder in the ninth. Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish had completely shut down the Astros Tuesday night, with a career high 14 strikeouts, before Marwin Gonzalez smacked a single up the middle. Darvish couldn’t get his glove on the ball in time and the base hit ended his almost perfect game. A relief pitcher came in to wrap up the inning and close to 23,000 fans cheered Darvish as he cleared the mound. The Rangers flattened the Astros, 7-0. [Dallas Morning News]
- Speaking of sports history, could Brittney Griner be a Maverick in the making? Owner Mark Cuban says he’d consider drafting her. Now that Baylor’s 6’8’’ leading lady is no longer college eligible, Cuban said he’d like to see how she does against tougher competition. “If she’s the best on the board, we’ll take her,” Cuban said. “If we have the 60th pick and she’s on the board, we still might take her.” Griner, for one, is game. She tweeted this response to the rumor early this morning: “I would hold my own! Lets do it.” [Dallas Morning News]
- Texas leads the nation in installed wind capacity, but the energy source, long touted as a clean and sustainable way to power the earth, is getting some new buzz… literally. People who live near the enormous turbines on wind farms are claiming ear trouble and illness. Symptoms reported include headaches, dizziness, tinnitus, ear pain, and difficulty sleeping. In the past, these claims have been met with skepticism, but a new review article published in the Journal of Laryngology & Otology finds turbine produced infrasound can affect ear function. But other researchers aren’t buying it and believe some reports of ear trouble can be blamed on the power of suggestion. [NPR]
