Five stories that have North Texas talking: a black bear cub escaped from a chicken coop in Corinth; a Fort Worth-born jazz legend has died; the fourth annual Oak Cliff Film Fest takes place this weekend; and more.
The Denton Record-Chronicle reported a baby black bear was roaming the 2700 block of Wind Stone Way in a Corinth neighborhood Thursday morning, garnering attention from residents, police and broadcast news stations alike. The 3-month-old cub was originally spotted in a hog trap in McAlester, Oklahoma. The Corinth resident, who found the trapped bear, brought him back across the Texas border to live in his chicken coop. Following the bear’s capture by Corinth police and animal control, the furry vigilante was taken to Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch, where he was then picked up by an official from the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Boyd. The bear will live happily among the other wild animals at the sanctuary. A not-so-happy ending: The man who held the bear in his backyard coop before its escape will most likely face charges for possession of a dangerous animal without proper permits. [Denton Record-Chronicle]
Watch the video of the capture from WFAA.
Ornette Coleman, 85, died of cardiac arrest Thursday morning. The legendary alto saxophonist and “Free Jazz” innovator “born poor and fatherless in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1930” according to NPR’s obituary, “went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, the Japanese Praemium Imperiale, two Guggenheims, a MacArthur, honorary doctorates and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master honor.” Coleman moved to New York in the 1950s to further his career, which began at I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth. Read the school district’s note about one of its most prolific and revered alumni as well as this report from Art&Seek's Jerome Weeks, who interviewed the chair of the UNT Jazz Studies program and a jazz historian in Plano about Coleman. [NPR and KERA News]
Watch Coleman perform in Berlin in 1972.
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of same-sex marriage, Dallas couples can expect licenses almost immediately. Dallas County Clerk John Warren expects the Supreme Court to rule in favor of gay marriage and plans to issue licenses prom to couples eager to marry. The Dallas Morning News reports: “After the decision, [Warren] said he’ll consult with legal counsel and ‘at least within an hour and a half of the opinion, we’ll start issuing licenses.’” A decision is expected in the new few weeks. [Dallas Morning News]
Jeb Bush’s staff meetings at a Hyatt Hotel inside DFW Airport are the reason his campaign is struggling. An article from The Washington Post says: “The airport huddles were just one sign among many of a political operation going off course — disjointed in message and approach, torn between factions and more haphazard than it appeared on the surface. Bush’s first six months as an all-but-declared candidate have been defined by a series of miscalculations, leaving his standing considerably diminished ahead of his formal entry into the race on Monday.” Read more about the unusual local tie to Bush’s presidential endeavor. [The Washington Post]
The fourth annual Oak Cliff Film Fest will take over South Dallas this weekend. Independent and experimental films from Texas and U.S. creatives will screen at the historic Texas Theatre, the Kessler Theater, the Bishop Arts Theater and other venues in North Oak Cliff. Before heading out, listen to the podcast from KERA’s Stephen Becker and Chris Vognar, culture critic from The Dallas Morning News. They talked to the festival’s programmers about honoring the “No Wave” style of filmmaking. Plus, here’s a weekend schedule to help you plan. [Art&Seek]
