Five stories that have North Texas talking: a unique delivery in Plano; Tonya Couch is back in Texas; what hunters think of Texas gun laws; and more.
A 54-year-old grandmother has given birth to a baby – her granddaughter.
Kelley McKissack had tried for three years to have a baby, and had repeated miscarriages. But a round of in-vitro fertilization resulted in four embryos. Her mother, Tracey Thompson, offered to be a surrogate. Her daughter’s embryos were implanted last April. The baby, named Kelcey – a name that combines Tracey and Kelley – was born Wednesday afternoon at The Medical Center of Plano.
Thompson was seven years past menopause. “Age alone is typically a limiting factor for childbirth and surrogacy,” The Medical Center of Plano said in a statement. “However, medical advances in assisted reproductive technology can allow for late-in life surrogacy, under exacting supervision.”
McKissack calls it “the best gift … for a lifetime.” Baby Kelcey at birth was 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and is doing just fine.
Even “Inside Edition” reported on the birth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J46o25VgJVA
- Tonya Couch, the mother of the “affluenza” teen, was flown in from Los Angeles Thursday. She’s in the Tarrant County Jail -- and she’ll be arraigned Friday on a charge of hindering the apprehension of a felon. Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson said her move went smoothly. ”Her attitude was cooperative,” Anderson said. “It was polite. She was appreciative of the way she’d been treated, so far. And I assured her that we were going to do everything we could do to protect her and make sure that under the circumstances that she was treated the way she needs to be treated in our jail.” Anderson said he didn't talk with her about her son Ethan. The 18-year-old is still in detention in Mexico City. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has more details. [Gus Contreras, KERA]
- What do hunters think of the new Texas open carry law and President Obama’s executive actions on guns? More than 50,000 folks are attending the Dallas Safari Club’s annual convention. KERA’s Courtney Collins got the hunters’ perspective: “In Barbara Rumpel’s opinion, the debate over guns is outrageous. ‘What it is about ‘shall not be infringed’ that nobody seems to understand?’ She’s referring, of course, to language in the Second Amendment that reads: ‘The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.’ On Tuesday, President Obama proposed a series of measures to take on gun violence. One of them? Require more gun sellers to do background checks. Rumpel thinks that’s a slippery slope. ‘The thing about these universal background checks is the only way to enforce it is universal registration,’ she says. ‘So that the government knows exactly where everybody’s guns are so they know where to take them.’”
- Some Texas Walmart managers are having to ask customers who openly carry guns some questions. Bloomberg News reports: “Managers at Walmart stores in Texas have a new task to add to their list of duties: asking customers if they have a permit to carry a handgun. To comply with state liquor rules, the world’s biggest retailer sent a written notice last month to stores that sell alcohol, telling managers to ensure that customers who openly carry firearms under a new law have licenses. Cashiers or door greeters who see someone with a gun are to alert the highest- ranking employee, who is to approach the customer and ask to see the paperwork. ‘We do try to ensure that people have a licensed firearm,’ said Walmart spokesman Brian Nick. ‘We are giving direction to our store employees to ask for a license as our management sees appropriate.’” [Bloomberg News via Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
- Globe Life Park in Arlington is getting some upgrades during the Rangers’ offseason. WFAA-TV reports: “Fans in nearly every seat of Globe Life Park in Arlington will have a view of a large video screen starting this year. The Rangers Thursday announced plans to install an additional LED video board beyond the visiting bullpen and above offices in left field. The video board will be 34 feet tall and 94 feet wide. … Through the 2015 season, the right field video board was not in the sightline of fans seated in far right field at Globe Life Park.” [WFAA-TV]
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
