Five stories that have North Texas talking: A big win for the Dallas Cowboys; SMU seismologists to study Irving earthquakes; 2014’s buzzwords; and more.
Despite its reputation for anti-immigrant politicians, Texas has led the nation in refugee resettlements for the last four years and continues to attract others who move here on their own. The strong economy is playing a big role. The Associated Press reports: “Most are settled in large cities, but immigrant populations are also thriving in more remote areas like Amarillo. … In a year span that ended in September, Texas became the new home for about 7,200 refugees from more than two dozen countries, the majority from Iraq and Myanmar. Houston led the state with nearly 2,000 resettlements, followed by Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio. Texas' smaller cities have been accommodating the rest - including Amarillo, Abilene and Midland. … Amarillo's rich history of being a refugee relocation spot dates to 1975, when Vietnamese were resettled there. Today, the majority of its refugees come from Myanmar. … More dramatic shifts are occurring in smaller communities such as Cactus, a town of about 3,000 in Moore County where the Asian population has gone from less than 1 percent in 2000 to the most recent estimate of almost 28 percent.” KERA has recently explored how schools are trying to educate children who are immigrants or whose parents are immigrants – explore the “Generation One” series here. [The Associated Press]
- The Dallas Cowboys scored a big wild-card playoff win Sunday afternoon, defeating the Detroit Lions 24-20. ESPN reports: “In the fourth quarter, however, there was a sense of calm, which considering TonyRomo's past might strike thousands of people funny. After putting up ridiculous regular-season numbers and leading the Cowboys to an NFC East title for the first time since 2009, Romo knows it is what he will do in the playoffs that will ultimately define his career.” Next up: the Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers – in chilly Green Bay – at 12:05 p.m. Sunday. Here’s coverage from The Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Seismologists from SMU plan to install equipment in Irving Monday after a recent rash of minor earthquakes around Highways 114 and 183 – near the old Texas Stadium site and the city’s only producing gas well. KERA’s BJ Austin reports: “Irving City Manager Chris Hillman says it was time to call in the experts. ‘The frequency seems to have increased over the past month, month-and-a-half,’ Hillman says. He says SMU seismologists will update the city on the new monitoring and what to anticipate at the Jan. 15 City Council meeting. He expects the City Council chambers will be packed with northeast Irving residents who’ve felt the ground shaking a lot recently.”
- “Think” returns with new shows today. At noon, John Edward Terrell with the Field Museum of National History talks about his new book about friendship as a tool for survival, A Talent for Friendship: Rediscovery of a Remarkable Trait. Then, at 1 p.m., a discussion about chickens with Andrew Lawler, author of Why Did the Chicken Cross the World? The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization. “Think” airs noon-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday on KERA 90.1 FM.
- What were the buzzwords of 2014? How about “babymetal” and “beezin”? Grant Barrett of the public radio show “A Way With Words” is known for his annual list of the words of the year. He talked with KERA’s Justin Martin about what made his 2014 list.
