Five stories that have North Texas talking: Dallas helps Houston in next phase; bright, squishy blobs made this Dallas artist Instagram famous; Bono’s getting an award from the Bush Center; and more.
Dallas plans to send garbage trucks and sanitation workers to Houston this fall to help with post-Harvey cleanup.
In Sunday’s “Lone Star Politics” on KXAS, Mayor Mike Rawlings said he’s proud of how Dallas has contributed to recovery efforts since the hurricane hit the coast just over three weeks ago.
The city has temporarily housed nearly 4,000 South Texans, including evacuees from Houston after the hurricane brought unprecedented flooding. As of Monday’s count from the American Red Cross, approximately 622 people are still taking refuge in D-FW shelters.
The next opportunity to help the state’s largest city is trash removal. Rawlings said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner asked for extra hands. San Antonio and Austin are already on board.
Officials estimate that 126,000 homes in Houston need debris removed.
The Dallas Morning News reports that “Dallas' help to Houston will mean changes in pickup for Dallas residents, who probably will have to separate bulky trash and brush for separate removal to offset the loss of trucks that will be in Houston.”
City Council will consider the matter in its Sept. 27 meeting. If approved, Dallas garbage trucks will be in Houston around Oct. 1 and be deployed for at least 30 days. The federal government will reimburse the city. [The Dallas Morning News, KXAS]
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- Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall made one of her first big public appearances Sunday at a hot and humid but still packed Dallas Pride in Oak Lawn. Hall just started leading the police department this month. [KERA News]
I'm having a blast walking in the #DallasPride2017 parade! Being able to shake hands with the great citizens of Dallas! pic.twitter.com/DYzCcFDkS6
— RENEÉ HALL (@ChiefHallDPD) September 17, 2017
- More than 100 people gathered Saturday to oppose Dallas City Council’s decision to remove a Robert E. Lee statue. Besides one tussle between a man wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt and a supporter of the statue, the protest went off without a hitch. [KERA News]
- Dallas artist Dan Lam creates sculptures playfully known as “Drops,” “Blobs” and “Squishes.” The brightly colored pieces that resemble cheerful monsters became huge on Instagram, propelling Lam into internet stardom, and she hasn’t slowed down since. [Art&Seek]
- Bono will be the first recipient of the George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership for his work in global poverty and preventable disease. The lead singer of U2 will receive the award in April 2018 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. [KERA News]
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.
