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Signs Promoting Events Like A Free Scorpion Giveaway At The Dallas Zoo Were Planted

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No, there won't be snakes re-enacting Thanksgiving next Thursday, but professional prankster Jeff Wysaski might have had you for a minute.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Here are the quirkier bills filed among hundreds ahead of the 2017 Legislative session; Alamo officials have banned events inside the mission church; people camped out overnight in Allen for cookies; and more.

Did you hear on Wednesday and Thursday you can bring your own saddle to the Dallas Zoo and ride the animal of your choice? Well, it's completely untrue, despite posters you've might have seen around the zoo saying otherwise. As a “professional jokester,” Jeff Wysaski was just doing his job. He planted gag posters promoting fake events happening at the Dallas Zoo this month, Buzzfeed reports.

At first glance, the posters are convincing, but if you read the text more closely, you’d soon learn the zoo wouldn’t allow you to dress like a zebra and hang out with them, and it wouldn't give away a free scorpion to the first 500 guests. This definitely wasn't Wysaski's first time at the rodeo. Look what he did at this Los Angeles bookstore. If you’d like to see his full portfolio of pranks (his ultimate goal, probably), it can be found at obviousplant.com. [Buzzfeed]   

  • Many of the bills filed ahead of the 85th Legislative session won’t be passed. This year, lawmakers face more pressing issues like theCPS overhaul, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’sschool choice and transgender bathroom priorities and abortion regulations. Creating a budget this session is going to be trickier than two years ago, too, The Texas Tribune reports. With that in mind, here are a handful of bills — concerning Juneteenth, drones, the Bowie knife and more — that bring up interesting issues but aren’t exactly high on the Legislature’s list. [KERA News]

 

  • Alamo officials say ceremonies and other events no longer will be held in the mission church because of concerns with its deteriorating condition. The 250-year-old church attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually. The San Antonio Express-News reports that the Alamo's chief operations officer, Ian Oldaker, acknowledged in a letter to groups that have requested to gather in the church that they'll be disappointed. Groups can still hold gatherings elsewhere on the 4.2-acre state-owned Alamo grounds. [San Antonio Express-News]

 

  • People camped out overnight for warm, fresh cookies at the newest Tiff’s Treats in Allen. The line of sweet-toothed devotees was 75 people deep before 8 a.m. on Saturday, GuideLive reports. The new location isn’t even the first in Collin County. Tiff’s was founded by a couple in Richardson who started the business in college "to help fellow students get through exams," according to a company statement. Now, there are more than 20 stores, eight of them in D-FW. The newest store is located at 977 State Highway 121, Suite 160  in Allen. [GuideLive]

 

  • A group of students at the University of Texas at Austin ate spaghetti in the dark to experience what it’d be like to be blind. The biannual dinner was put on by the disABILITY Advocacy Student Coalition Thursday in the Student Services Building on campus. The Daily Texan reports: “About 70 students shared a meal and listened to personal stories from four people living with visual disabilities — in complete darkness.” The coalition is a student organization affiliated with UT Services for Students with Disabilities. [The Daily Texan]