Five stories that have North Texas talking: A father and daughter robbed three banks; Bernie Tiede has been released from prison; Larry McMurtry speaks tonight; and more.
Last May, John Charles Applewhite robbed three banks in north Dallas. His daughter helped out. Now both father and daughter have been sentenced. John Applewhite, 50, was sentenced this week to 15 years in federal prison, the U.S. attorney’s office announced. His 23-year-old daughter, Shelby Dawn Applewhite, was sentenced in March to serve five years. Both pleaded guilty, admitting they robbed Citibank on Coit Road, Veritex Community Bank on Preston Road and ViewPoint Bank on Forest Lane. They drove in separate vehicles to each bank, court documents show. Then they switched vehicles and altered a license plate before each robbery to avoid getting caught. The daughter would enter each bank to study the layout and determine whether a security guard was around. Wearing a hoodie, scarf or mask, as well as sunglasses and gloves, her dad would point a weapon at tellers. [KERA News]
- A former mortician sentenced to life for killing a rich East Texas widow will be released from prison early under an agreement with the prosecutor. The judge recommending a reduction in Bernie Tiede's sentence set bond at $10,000 Tuesday. A state criminal appeals court must sign off on the sentence reduction while Tiede is out on bond. Tiede, now 55, was convicted in 1999 for the shooting death of 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent in Carthage, which is about 150 miles east of Dallas. The case inspired the movie "Bernie." The judge has agreed to let Tiede live with filmmaker Richard Linklater, who made the 2012 dark comedy. The district attorney agreed with Tiede's attorney that he deserved leniency. Newly uncovered evidence showed Tiede was assaulted as a child and had an abusive relationship with Nugent. The Texas Tribune reports that his release comes with conditions — that he receive counseling for sexual abuse. [Associated Press]
- When an older person falls and breaks a hip, it’s a moment that changes everything. Not just for patients, but for their families, too. On Wednesday, KERA News is launching The Broken Hip, a seven-week Breakthroughs series that explores the issues surrounding this serious medical issue. Falls are the leading cause of death for older Americans. One of every five people who breaks a hip after age 50 dies within a year. Explore the first three installments in the series in the KERA News Digital Storytelling Project. Learn how to make your bedroom fall-proof. KERA will also post stories on our Breakthroughs blog.At 1 p.m. Wednesday, “Think” host Krys Boyd explores the issue with medical experts. That’s on KERA 90.1 FM or listen online.
- Larry McMurtry, the legendary Texas writer, will appear at the Dallas Museum of Art at 7 p.m. Wednesday. He’s releasing his new novel The Last Kind Words Saloon. The museum reports: “McMurtry will discuss his new work, his creative process, and his passion for book collecting, taking the stage with Diana Ossana, author and long-time collaborator with McMurtry, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Brokeback Mountain. Skip Hollandsworth, executive editor of Texas Monthly, will moderate an on-stage conversation. Actor Jeremy Schwartz will read short excerpts from the novel.” Auditorium tickets are sold out, but the DMA is selling tickets to a live video-simulcast of the event in the adjacent C3 Theater and DMA Café.
- Drama! Intrigue! Passion! Ahh, the telenovela. So entertaining even if you don’t speak or understand Spanish. Learn about the telenovela at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Latino Cultural Center. Let’s let the center explain: “There are some stories that constitute a narrative deluge transmitted daily via the television screens of more than 130 countries. These serialized dramas are called telenovelas, and the simplicity of their codes belies the complicated nature of their production and consumption. This presentation will focus on that complexity, teasing out how telenovelas are more than just melodramatic love stories.” Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, a University of Georgia professor, will speak.
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