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Texas Drivers Are More Likely To Hit A Deer This November, Study Says

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November is the month drivers are most likely to collide with a deer, followed by October and December.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: the upcoming deer season could lead to a greater chance of an accident; Kopano the Giraffe is 1; Bernie Sanders hired a Texan; and more.

 

New claims data and estimates from State Farm shows an increased likelihood of having an accident with a deer this year in Texas. Using the number of licensed drivers and claims data, the insurance company estimates 52,000 claims will be filed with Texas insurers because of deer collisions in 2015.

The odds Texas drivers will hit a deer are 1 in 297. The national odds are 1 in 169. Texas ranked 39th in the nation in deer collision claims, according to a press release from Chris Pilcic with the company’s media relations. Curious about who’s first? West Virginia. And Hawaii’s dead last with a 1 in 8,765 chance.

Here’s how the company got the numbers: “Using its claims data and state licensed driver counts from the Federal Highway Administration, State Farm calculates the chances of a motorist striking a deer, elk or moose during the time frame of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 in all 50 states. The data has been projected for the insurance industry as a whole.”

November is the most active month for deer strikes, most likely because it’s the beginning of hunting season for white-tailed deer, according to The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The season officially begins on Saturday and lasts through Jan. 3, 2016.

Here are a few tips to avoid a deer in your headlights:

  • Use extra caution in known deer zones
  • Always wear your seatbelt
  • At night, when there is no oncoming traffic, use high beams
  • Avoid swerving when you see a deer
  • Scan the road for deer and other danger signs
  • Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles

 
The wildest parties are thrown at the Dallas Zoo. Kopano, the giraffe that was named by the public last year, is celebrating first birthday today at 10 a.m. Just a mere 6 feet tall and weighing 120 pounds at birth, Kopano will ring in his first birthday at 10 feet, 760 pounds. According to a press release from the zoo: “Kopano was born Oct. 26, 2014, to mom Chrystal. A generous donor of the Dallas Zoo paid $50,000 to name the calf, then decided to open up the choice for a public vote. After five days of online voting that drew more than 10,000 votes, the public named him ‘Kopano,’ meaning ‘united’ in Botswana. The entire $50,000 was donated to African conservation groups helping giraffes in the wild."    

Watch Kopano when he was just moments old:

Forest Theater, Brink’s Coffee Shop and several of Dallas ISD schools are “endangered” places in Dallas. Preservation Dallas released its 2015 Most Endangered Historic Places list, highlighting 10 buildings that demonstrate the “rapidly disappearing residential, commercial and educational architecture” of the city. Take a tour of the 10 places from Highland Park to Oak Cliff and learn more about each building and why Dallas should preserve its history, according to the organization. [KERA News]

 

A razor blade was found in a 4-year-old's Halloween candy. Fort Worth Police have issued a safety warning after a parent found a thin razor blade in his son's Rice Krispies Treat. CBS DFW reported: "The Rice Krispies Treat was store bought, not homemade, according to the boy’s parentshttps://lh6.googleusercontent.com/iKh44GBfKby-_dkWWo-KG5vueBQtkCdXXHURqDRaZcCLCYkNsBsBwNzHP9h-Ub6Fxg3ILuLeFTOiJqyRLDgoanRhmmNixc5ToQmKcywFdo-9WD-H-ee12iNvfb9upmjb5U7Pw66o. The father who cut his finger as he sorted through his child’s candy, said the sugary snack didn’t seem to have been tampered with, at first glance." Police said the treat was likely given out in the Chapel Creek area of Fort Worth near 820 and White Settlement Road. [CBS DFW]

 

 

Bernie Sanders hired a Texas State Director to gain campaign support in the state. Jacob Limon, currently chief of staff to state Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth is the man in charge. The Texas Tribune reported Tuesday: “Limon's hire comes as the Sanders campaign begins dispatching staff to Texas to meet with supporters. From Saturday through Nov. 13, campaign staffers are set to hold listening sessions in Dallas, Houston, Corpus Christi, Austin, San Antonio, Brownsville and Fort Worth.” Read more.