Five stories that have North Texas talking: Waco bikers involved in the shootout say they’re innocent; Baylor University no longer bans “homosexual acts;” a pot-bellied pig was lost – then found; and more.
The family of a biker killed in a shootout outside a Waco restaurant has sued the restaurant's parent company, alleging negligence. The suit filed Wednesday by the widow of Jesus Delgado Rodriguez says Twin Peaks recklessly hosted the motorcycle clubs May 17 after police warned of tensions between two gangs. The suit seeks unspecified damages. Rodriguez, of New Braunfels, was a decorated Vietnam War veteran with no criminal history. A preliminary autopsy report shows the 65-year-old man died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso. His widow Mary Rodriguez told The Associated Press that his death was "something that shouldn't have happened." Neighboring restaurant Don Carlos filed a similar lawsuit in May, seeking at least $1 million to compensate for lost profits and property damage. [Associated Press]
- Many of the bikers involved in the Waco shootout say they’re innocent. More than 175 bikers were arrested. NPR’s Kelly McEvers reports: “But many of them say they had nothing to do with these ‘outlaw’ motorcycle clubs — and nothing to do with the violence. Among them are Walt and Ester Weaver. Walt says he's stunned by the way authorities handled the situation. ‘Two months ago if you'd told me this could happen to this many people in the manner in which it was done, I would've looked you in the eye and called you a liar,’ he says.” Read and listen to the report here. [NPR]
- Baylor University’s sexual conduct policy no longer bans “homosexual acts.”The Texas Tribune reports: “The old policy explicitly banned “homosexual acts” among students, and included those acts on a list of “misuses of God’s gift” that also included sexual abuse, incest and adultery. In May, with little fanfare, the school's board of regents approved a new policy without a specific ban. It instead says that students should be guided “by the biblical understanding that human sexuality is a gift from God,” and that sex should be limited to within marriage. That's a small bit of progress for the largest Baptist school in the country, gay rights advocates said.” Read more here. [Texas Tribune]
- NPR is exploring public corruption in South Texas. Check out John Burnett’s stories about campaign workers and election fraud; how a police officer became a drug dealer in the Rio Grande Valley; and efforts to combat corruption. [NPR]
- A pot-bellied pet pig escaped her Far East Dallas home – and was found in Kaufman County. Her name? Eleanor Pigby. The Dallas Morning News reports: “Eleanor, a 2-year-old pot-bellied pig, went missing from her home on Monday. The pig’s owners are out of town, but friends and family were canvassing the area in search of their hooved friend Tuesday. … A truck driver found the escaped pig and took it to his uncle’s farm in Kaufman County, where she will be reunited with her family Wednesday evening.” [The Dallas Morning News]
