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JFK
President John F. Kennedy's assassination is an unforgettable part of Dallas' history.Nearly 54 years later, scholars and enthusiasts alike are still processing details from that fateful drive through Dealey Plaza now that the remaining investigation files have been unsealed. For the 50th anniversary in 2013, KERA produced special stories and reports from the commemoration:The 50th: Remembering John F. Kennedy was KERA's live, two-hour special covering the official commemoration event at Dealey Plaza in Dallas on Nov. 22, 2013. Hosted by Krys Boyd and Shelley Kofler, the special includes reports from KERA reporters before the ceremony begins. Listen to the special here.Bells tolled across the city, and the event featured historian David McCullough, who read from Kennedy’s presidential speeches; Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings; religious leaders; the U.S. Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club; and a moment of silence. Read highlights from the event from KERA's live blog from that day.Throughout the month, KERA posted an online series called 22 Days In November, which takes a closer look at that fateful day, what it meant to the country and how it affected Dallas.We shared stories and memories in a series called “JFK Voices.” Explore our archives below.

Dallas Love Field Has Been Ignoring One Of Its Biggest Historical Milestones, Reporter Finds

LBJ LIBRARY
President Lyndon Johnson taking oath of office aboard Air Force One on Nov. 22, 1963.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: A judge refused to disqualify an attorney who's prosecuting more than 150 bikers indicted in last year's Waco shootout; Deep Ellum artists are banding together to prevent suicide; make a bid on Willie Nelson’s tour bus; and more.

Dallas Love Field is celebrating its 99th anniversary this week. But, as WFAA’s Jason Whitely reports, for years the airport has been reluctant to publicly recognize one of the most important events in its nearly 100-year history. Historians and local leaders have hoped to create a permanent exhibit to commemorate what happened at Love Field on Nov. 22, 1963 — Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president of the United States.

Renderings of the exhibit, a list of potential artifacts and even a name, “Transition from Tragedy,” were in progress but plans were halted before the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination in 2013. And no one really knows why, Whitley reports.

Last year, local historian Farris Rookstool III was granted FAA permission to permanently mark the spot of LBJ’s swearing in. “Rookstool even personally paid to have a bronze marker cast, which was embedded in the taxiway, forever logging the historic location,” Whitley reports. But it’s inaccessible to the public.

Presidents have only been sworn in places other than Washington D.C. just four times in the country’s history, and those locations are marked. Why is Love Field different? Read the full story from Whitely. [WFAA]

  • A judge has refused to disqualify a district attorney who's prosecuting more than 150 bikers indicted in last year's deadly gun battle at a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco. District Judge Matt Johnson on Thursday denied a motion, on behalf of two bikers, to have McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna removed. Critics say Reyna overstepped his authority in having so many bikers arrested following the May 2015 shootout that left nine people dead. Records show 154 bikers face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. [The Associated Press]

 

  • Foundation45 in Deep Ellum is working to keep artists alive.Research shows creative types are often at a higher risk for mental health issues and addiction, yet there are few programs tailored for them. One study found artists are almost three times more likely to commit suicide than non-artists, Art&Seek reports. And that’s why Foundation45 was founded. The support group started about a year ago. Meetings are every Monday in a loft in Deep Ellum. It serves about a dozen artists, musicians and actors who come from as far away as Addison. [Art&Seek]

 

  • You could be behind the wheel of Willie Nelson’s tour bus. No, the Abbott, Texas native won’t be cruising around with you. Actually, the 1983 bus was purchased in 2014 by a group of 12 Austinites that rented out the bus for weddings, parties and events over the past couple of years, and they put it up for auction this month, KUT reports. Bidding for the “Me & Paul” bus —named after Nelson’s longtime drummer Paul English — ends Nov. 7. [KUT]    

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  • Speaking of Willie Nelson, his face adorns the side of a traffic signal box in North Richland Hills. It’s part of an “outdoor gallery” where different musicians — Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, Prince and more — are painted on what would be just boring metal boxes. The musicians replaced a series Western film stars; the art changes about every three years, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. A map on the North Richland Hills website shows the location for all the signal art boxes. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]