Five stories that have North Texas talking: Texas lawmakers call for an end to toll roads; a cow gives birth to four calves; a Dallas pothole has its own Facebook page; and more.
A Northeast Texas cow has defied the odds and given birth to four calves. Their names? Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo. The Associated Press reports: "Jimmy Barling said Monday that DNA tests will be done on tissue samples from the three bull calves and the one heifer calf to satisfy those who may question the births from one mother. 'We knew she was pregnant, but we didn't know she was going to do this,' the 76-year-old Barling said. 'This was a shock. This blew our minds.' Barling's wife, Dora Rumsey-Barling, owns the couple's 20 or so cattle outside of DeKalb, near the Arkansas and Oklahoma borders. Rumsey-Barling's granddaughter named the four black calves Eeny, Meeny, Miny and Moo, Barling said. Local veterinarian Mike Baird called the March 16 births 'extremely rare.' He said the odds of four live births from one cow are 1 in 11.2 million. Baird knows the couple well and is nearly certain the four came from one mother, rather than a nearby cow perhaps birthing one or two and then moving along so that it appeared the four came from the Barling's cow." [Associated Press]
- Texas lawmakers are calling for an end to toll roads. The Texas Tribune reports: “With more than 50 supporters behind them cheering and waving signs that read ‘Toll Free Texas’ and ‘Hands Off Our Freeways,’ Republican lawmakers on Monday called for an end to the state’s heavy use of toll roads and toll lanes and returning Texas transportation to a pay-as-you-go system. ‘These are people from all across the political spectrum, on all sides of the aisle, who are sick and tired of toll roads in Texas,’ said state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, who has authored bills to boost the Texas Department of Transportation's transportation budget and reduce its reliance on tolling.” Read more here. [Texas Tribune]
- Potholes have been popping up on North Texas roads – they’re popping up on Facebook, too. The infamous Mockingbird Pothole in Dallas has its own Facebook page: Mockingbird Pothole for City Council. The page includes many funny pictures of decorated potholes, as well as this choice quote: “Potholes are here to stay, and you need to quit whining.” [h/t Art&Seek’s Anne Bothwell]
- Parkland Memorial Hospital’s president and CEO is marking his first anniversary. The Dallas Morning News reports: “Dr. Fred Cerise came to Dallas a year ago without any experience with Texas health care or the institution he had been hired to run, Parkland Memorial Hospital. He’s been through a baptism by fire since. His tribulations have included renewed trouble with government regulators, struggles to accommodate a growing patient population and a budget deficit. But when Cerise sat down to review his first year as Parkland’s president and CEO, he rejected any suggestion that it’s been a tough year. … Debbie Branson, who chairs the hospital’s Board of Managers, gave Cerise credit for working to improve the quality of care, controlling costs and increasing county residents’ access to Parkland.” [The Dallas Morning News]
- A Northeast Texas man has been arrested after the parents of two 14-year-olds complained to police he had given their boys tattoos. Texarkana police say 41-year-old Christopher Earl West was arrested on two counts of putting tattoos on prohibited persons. Conviction on each count carries up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Authorities tell the Texarkana Gazette West was arrested Sunday afternoon at his home where investigators determined he was operating his Wild West Tattoos without a license. [Associated Press]
