Five stories that have North Texas talking: Dallas is getting a new independent bookstore; Jerry Jones says he alone will decide if Romo stays or goes; got questions about the Legislature? Ask us; and more.
?! — do you know what that means? It’s called an interabang. It’s how you often punctuate a sentence when you’re really excited, perhaps one about Dallas getting a new independent bookstore by the same name. Yep, plans were confirmed Tuesday for Interabang Books, a new bookworm’s paradise to open at the corner of Preston Road and Royal Lane this May. The Dallas Morning News reports: “Owners are finalizing the lease on a 5,000-square-foot site that will carry 12,000 titles and focus on fiction, children's books and creative nonfiction. It will have space for up to 100 people for book signings, and a children's stage for story times.” It will be located across the intersection from Barnes & Noble. The new bookstore will be about one-third the size of Barnes & Noble, according to The Dallas Morning News. General manager Jeremy Ellis tells the Morning News the location “is kind of a literary sweet spot in Dallas.” Interrabang might round out the literary scene in the city, which boasts plenty of chains like Half Price Books and hybrid or niche bookstores like The Wild Detectives in Oak Cliff and Deep Vellum Books in Deep Ellum. [The Dallas Morning News]
- Energy Transfer Partners wants a federal judge to block the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from launching a full environmental study of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Dallas-based company wants any further study put on hold until U.S. District Judge James Boasberg rules on whether ETP already has the necessary permission to lay pipe under Lake Oahe — the water source for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota. ETP says the pipeline is safe and that the Corps gave it permission in July to proceed with the Lake Oahe stretch, but the Corps says all of the necessary steps have not yet been completed, including an easement to work on federal land and the notification of Congress. [The Associated Press]
- Donations have poured in for an Arlington woman who couldn’t afford to pay for heat. The Texas Tribune earlier this month profiled Mary Garcia and other low-income Texans that were struggling to stay warm this winter. They relied on assistance from Lite-Up Texas, a state program that had long helped low-income folks pay their electricity bills. But the program stopped offering its discounts on Aug. 31 because it ran out of money. In the days since the Tribune and several of its media partners published Garcia’s story, readers have donated hundreds of dollars to her electricity account with Penstar Power. [The Texas Tribune]
- Jerry Jones says he alone will decide the future of quarterback Tony Romo, and there are "several cards to be played." Romo started for the Dallas Cowboys 10 years before losing his job to rookie Dak Prescott after a preseason back injury. According to The Associated Press: “The Cowboys are most likely to trade or release him. The 36-year-old quarterback figures to have some say in his landing spot because of his strong relationship with the Jones family and coach Jason Garrett.” Romo is the franchise leader in passing yards and touchdowns and has the largest 2017 salary cap figure among quarterbacks at $24.7 million. One former NFL manager, however, says it might be time for Romo to just retire. [The Associated Press]
- Lawmaking in Texas is pretty complicated. What do you want to know about it? The 2017 Texas Legislative session is underway. State legislators meet every other year for 140 days in a frenzy of debating, deal-making, stand-taking, bill-killing and, occasionally, law-making. KERA and public radio stations across Texas want to know what you want to know about the Legislature: how it works, why it works the way it does and what you want lawmakers to do. We want your voice to be heard as we cover the state Capitol, so send us your questions! Use the form below. [Texas Station Collaborative]
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