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Robert E. Lee Statue Is Vandalized At Oak Lawn Park

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Wikimedia Commons
The Robert E. Lee statue, before the vandalism, is in an Oak Lawn park.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: The Robert E. Lee statue was vandalized in Dallas; an earthquake hits Irving this morning; potholes are annoying Troy Aikman; and more.

Officials say someone has vandalized a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at a park named in his honor in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood. Dallas police say they received two calls Friday morning after people say they saw the word "shame" spray-painted on the base of the statue. The city's Park and Recreation Department had workers use a power washer to clean the statue later that morning. An investigation is ongoing. The Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy, which is the group that maintains the park, said in a statement that the act creates alarm, not dialogue. Two weeks ago, the conservancy said they support open dialogue and peaceful debate after a small group of protesters gathered at the statue to hold an "un-dedication" ceremony. [Associated Press]

  • The North Texas potholes are annoying everyone – even Troy Aikman. The Cowboys legend tweeted this over the weekend:

[h/t The Dallas Morning News]

  • A 2.4-magnitude earthquake hit North Texas – it struck early this morning. KXAS-TV [NBC 5] reports: “The quake was recorded at 6:03 a.m. with the epicenter just east of North O'Connor Boulevard and Texas 183 not far from the former site of Texas Stadium. The tremblor is the latest in a string of unusual quakes to strike the area since Oct. 28, 2014.  Monday's quake was rated an MMI III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, indicating weak shaking and no damage reports.”


  • Texas researchers are working to save Kemp’s ridley turtles. Houston Public Media followed a group that rescues and rehabilitates them: “Large populations nest in the Gulf of Mexico, but their numbers have been steadily declining. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is still assessing if some of that decrease stems from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.” Protecting the turtle’s natural habitat is critical, one expert says.

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.