Five stories that have North Texas talking: What’s next for the Gaineses; Fort Worth police officer have low morale; a Denton music festival moves to Big D; and more.
Chip and Joanna Gaines have decided to end their hit HGTV show, “Fixer Upper” after the fifth season, which begins Nov. 25.
The Waco power couple announced the news Tuesday “with both sadness and expectation” on their Magnolia Market blog. Here’s an excerpt:
This has been an amazing adventure! We have poured our blood, sweat and tears into this show. We would be foolish to think we can go and go and fire on all cylinders and never stop to pause. Our family is healthy and our marriage has honestly never been stronger. This has nothing to do with a fraudulent skincare line or anything else you’ll inevitably read. This is just us recognizing that we need to catch our breath for a moment. Our plan is to take this time to shore up and strengthen the spots that are weak, rest the places that are tired and give lots of love and attention to both our family and our businesses.
Only gifs could help fans adequately express themselves.
me watching @chippergaines & @joannagaines officially announce season 5 is the last season of #FixerUpper pic.twitter.com/b7w3djk2xA
— Christina Charles (@lindseyccharles) September 26, 2017
Actual footage of me finding out #fixerupper is ending- I HATE 2017 pic.twitter.com/ntAjDLn3Bh
— samantha fagundes-carter (@samanthafagu) September 26, 2017
When you hear that #FixerUpper is ending and you're really sad but you know that's what's best for Chip and Joanna pic.twitter.com/wAquSnrDrq
— Grace Leuenberger (@GracePeggyJean) September 26, 2017
Bu they’re not “done with Waco,” home renovation or design. Both husband and wife have several existing businesses and ventures in the works to keep them plenty occupied.
Chip has a business book out in October. Joanna is working on a cookbook. They’re businesses include the Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, e-commerce, furniture design, real estate, a quarterly magazine and a forthcoming restaurant. Also, they’ve partnered with Target on a new line of home decor.
They’ve boosted the local economy and brought in tourism dollars to the city. The home improvement show, however, put them — and Waco — on the map. Launched in 2013, "Fixer Upper" follows the couple as they redo houses near their Waco home. [KERA News]
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- Dallas has made progress on reducing poverty, but it’s still has one of the highest populations of children living in poverty among major U.S. cities. Dallas has lowered its child poverty rate to 30.6 percent. Still, almost 100,000 kids are living in poverty. [KERA News]
- The majority of Fort Worth police officers who responded to a recent Fort Worth Police Officers Association survey said morale has gone down in the department over the past two years, or since Joel Fitzgerald became police chief. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
- Over the past five years, oil and gas development and sand mining in the Permian Basin has destroyed 2,378 acres of a West Texas lizard’s habitat. The destruction can be linked to a decision made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2012. [Texas Observer]
- A Denton music festival is moving to Deep Ellum this year. Oaktopia has partnered with Trees Dallas, Canton Hall and the Bomb Factory to stage this year's festival on Nov. 17-18.
The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.
