Five stories that have North Texas talking: The Robert E. Lee statue was vandalized in Dallas; an earthquake hits Irving this morning; potholes are annoying Troy Aikman; and more.
Officials say someone has vandalized a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee at a park named in his honor in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood. Dallas police say they received two calls Friday morning after people say they saw the word "shame" spray-painted on the base of the statue. The city's Park and Recreation Department had workers use a power washer to clean the statue later that morning. An investigation is ongoing. The Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy, which is the group that maintains the park, said in a statement that the act creates alarm, not dialogue. Two weeks ago, the conservancy said they support open dialogue and peaceful debate after a small group of protesters gathered at the statue to hold an "un-dedication" ceremony. [Associated Press]
'SHAME' written on Robert E. Lee statue at Lee Park in Dallas (PHOTOS: Clinton Kemp) RELATED: http://t.co/dhVm34tUhB pic.twitter.com/rwoxgqbmMq
— WFAA (@wfaa) July 10, 2015
- The North Texas potholes are annoying everyone – even Troy Aikman. The Cowboys legend tweeted this over the weekend:
Are there any worse roads in the country than we have in Dallas?? Not anywhere I've traveled. #potholeseverywhere
— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) July 12, 2015
- A 2.4-magnitude earthquake hit North Texas – it struck early this morning. KXAS-TV [NBC 5] reports: “The quake was recorded at 6:03 a.m. with the epicenter just east of North O'Connor Boulevard and Texas 183 not far from the former site of Texas Stadium. The tremblor is the latest in a string of unusual quakes to strike the area since Oct. 28, 2014. Monday's quake was rated an MMI III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, indicating weak shaking and no damage reports.”
- Texas researchers are working to save Kemp’s ridley turtles. Houston Public Media followed a group that rescues and rehabilitates them: “Large populations nest in the Gulf of Mexico, but their numbers have been steadily declining. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is still assessing if some of that decrease stems from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.” Protecting the turtle’s natural habitat is critical, one expert says.
- You know you want to see some impressive tattoos. The San Antonio Current has created a slideshow of 20 Texas-themed tattoos. There’s one with a bluebonnet. And lots with Texas flags or the outline of the state. A couple of UT-Austin Longhorns, too. Check ‘em out here.
