Five stories that have North Texas talking: A shooting at the brand-new Frisco Gun Club (it was accidental), Ray Price is near death, what are the top Foursquare check-ins in Dallas?, and more:
On Friday, the exclusive Frisco Gun Club had its grand opening – and on Saturday a worker was shot. It was an accident. A worker was clearing a jam in a customer’s gun when it discharged. The worker was wounded in the hand and taken to a hospital, The Dallas Morning News reported. The club told The News that the injured employee has 20 years of experience as a range safety officer – and that a staff meeting was scheduled for Sunday in which safety was on the agenda. The 43,000-square foot club, which describes itself as the country’s largest indoor shooting range, includes an indoor shooting range with 40 lanes, a 100-person training room, a private VIP club, a cigar lounge and restaurant. While the club had its grand opening Friday, it opened late last month. “There are no limitations at Frisco Gun Club,” its website states. “If you can dream it – you can do it here.”
- The death of country singer Ray Price was prematurely reported – several times – over the weekend. The Country Music Hall of Famer’s son had reported that he had passed away, but that was a mistake. Price, who had big hits like “Crazy Arms” and “City Lights” has pancreatic cancer and is resting in Mount Pleasant in northeast Texas. USA Today posted this on its website Sunday: “Earlier today, USA Today posted an appreciation of Price's career, based on initial information from the singer's family. Given the confusion, that report has been removed. The country singer, who has been in hospice care at home since Thursday, is suffering complications from pancreatic cancer. Son Cliff Price wrote of his father's death on Facebook, but was not at Price's bedside in Mount Pleasant, Texas, when he posted. Price's wife, Janie Price, is with her husband and told The Tennessean he is alive. ‘Our lovable Ray Price is still with us,’ reads a post on her Facebook page. ‘When it is the time, there will be an official statement.’”
- The Guardian, the British publication, visited the small Denton County town of Ponder to explore how gas drilling has changed the area. The writer profiles Veronica Kronvall, who bought her first home in 2007 and has seen wells fill the landscape near her backyard. The Guardian reports: “An energy company would drill five wells behind her home. The closest two are within 300 feet of her tiny patch of garden, and their green pipes and tanks loom over the fence. As the drilling began, Kronvall, 52, began having nosebleeds, nausea and headaches. Her home lost nearly a quarter of its value and some of her neighbors went into foreclosure. ‘It turned a peaceful little life into a bit of a nightmare,’ she says.” Devon Energy Corporation, a firm drilling in the area, told The Guardian it’s committed to supporting residents. "We are always working to find new and better ways to do what we do with the smallest possible impact that we can have on our neighbors," a spokesman told the newspaper. "Wherever we are, we want to have a healthy, safe, best-in-class operation, so we are committed to that and we have delivered that in the Barnett Shale area for many years."
- The New York Times chimed in on Chanel’s ritzy runway show at Fair Park last week. “A few nights ago, in Dallas, Chanel invited 900 guests to eat barbecue and corn dogs at the home of the Texas State Fair.” (Actually, it’s the State Fair of Texas.) “A 20-minute drive from downtown, the weathered grounds include exposition halls, like the Food and Fiber Pavilion, built in the 1930s, and the Cotton Bowl.” (Does it really take 20 minutes to get to Fair Park from downtown? Was there traffic?) The Times reported on Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s creative director, and his efforts to inject Texas flavor into Chanel’s exclusive Metiers d’Art fashion show. “Mr. Lagerfeld, now in his 70s, cuts a Bunyanesque figure in fashion. He arrived in Dallas by private jet with his cat, Choupette, whose Louis Vuitton travel case was a gift from Bernard Arnault of LVMH. He set up his studio in the Mansion on Turtle Creek hotel, with his white-jacketed butler, Frederick, attending him and guests who came by for a preview. He described the collection as ‘not Dallas cheerleader,’ but ‘the West of the Mexican border in the time of the Civil War, a more romantic Texas fantasy.’ He had not done any special research, he said, as a model waited to have a brave’s feather stuck in her hair. ‘I have so many images already,’ he said. ‘I have to research in my brain.’” Oh, and The Times reports that not many Dallasites were invited to the grand event. Some said about 100 locals were present.
- And where are the top Foursquare check-ins across Dallas for 2013? For Mexican food, Velvet Taco is numero uno, although Mi Cocina, Taco Diner and Chuy’s are close behind. For those who like beer, The Ginger Man is No. 1, followed by Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Anvil Club and The Old Monk. For entertainment, Klyde Warren Park is tops, followed by Katy Trail, Fair Park, the Dallas Zoo and the Angelika movie theater. And what about barbecue? Everyone raves about Pecan Lodge, but it’s tied for second with Lockhart Smokehouse. Smoke is No. 1. Check more local top Foursquare check-ins here. (And if you’re wondering: isn’t Foursquare a kids’ game played at recess? We’re talking about the Foursquare app that lets you tell your friends online about where you are day or night.)
