Five stories that have North Texas talking: state politics dominated the weekend, a life-sized statue of Larry Hagman is unveiled in Weatherford, Dallas' annual gay pride parade drew thousands, and more.
Texas politics took up many of the headlines this weekend. That was partially due to The Texas Tribune Festival, otherwise known as TribFest. It’s a roll call of some of the biggest names in state and national politics. More than 200 speakers were at the three-day event, discussing everything from education to government transparency. KERA's Bill Zeeble was there, and reports that the lieutenant governor candidates, Republican Dan Patrick and Democrat Leticia Van De Putte, took the stage at different times to trade jabs and agree on very little. The two will share a stage soon when they meet for their only head-to-head debate. The Texas Tribunerecaps some other noteworthy discussions of the weekend.
Elsewhere, the candidates for governor visited the Rio Grande Valley for their first televised debate on Friday. KERA’s Shelley Kofler reports Republican candidate Greg Abbott stayed in the Valley to talk to voters there, while Democrat Wendy Davis went to Austin.
- Weatherford's "favorite son" has his own life-sized statue. The late Larry Hagman, best known for playing J.R. Ewing in the television show "Dallas", had the statue dedicated to him at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center. The Star-Telegramreports Weatherford mayor Dennis Hooks declared Sept. 21, Hagman's birthday, to be Larry Hagman Day. The actor died in 2012.
- Nine years ago, RadioShack built a $200 million headquarters in Fort Worth. Now, it's on the brink of declaring bankruptcy.The Star-Telegramhas an in-depth look, detailing the rise and fall of the electronics giant, which has struggled to keep up with competitors like Amazon and Walmart.
- Dallas' annual gay pride parade drew thousands to Oak Lawn yesterday. The 31st Alan Ross Freedom Parade and the festival that followed celebrated the local LGBT community. Missed out on the fun? The Dallas Morning News has a slideshow.
- A new exhibit will showcase some of the best contemporary art of New York City in the 1980s. "Urban Theater: New York Art in the 1980s" opened yesterday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Chief Curator Michael Auping says “I’ve experienced over four decades in the art world, and the ’80s in New York was the wildest." The exhibit will run until January.
