Five stories that have North Texas talking: Gov. Abbott approves $800 million border security bill; the McKinney police officer has resigned following the viral video; Dallas and Fort Worth mayors are in Europe; and more.
Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law an $800 million border security package that will mean more state troopers, cameras and a spy plane to patrol Texas' 1,200-mile border with Mexico. The Republican made border security an emergency item, fast-tracking proposals on it through the GOP-controlled Legislature during the 140-day session that ended last week. Abbott signed the law Tuesday, during a ceremony at the Department of Public Safety's regional headquarters in Houston. It should accelerate the hiring of 250 additional state troopers who will patrol the border, replacing National Guard troops deployed there last summer by Abbott's predecessor, Gov. Rick Perry. KUHF, the public radio station in Houston, has more details. And here’s a report from the Texas Tribune. [Associated Press]
- The McKinney police officer who was captured on video pushing a 15-year-old and pulling out his gun at a pool party has resigned. Police Chief Greg Conley called David Eric Casebolt’s actions "indefensible." Read more here. Meanwhile, the pool party video continues to resonate. President Obama is aware of what happened. NPR has this roundup of what people are saying about the video. The Atlantic explores the racial history of American swimming pools. [KERA/Associated Press]
- The February death of a Dallas woman who had cosmetic injections at a salon to increase the size of her buttocks has been ruled a homicide. The Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office on Tuesday said Wykesha Reid died of pulmonary silicone embolization, associated with cosmetic silicone injections. Two salon workers were charged with practicing medicine without a license following Reid's death. Messina Madison with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office said Tuesday that prosecutors are preparing to bring murder charges against the two workers. Both remain free on bond. Online court records don't indicate any pleas on the original charge. Reid's family has said the 34-year-old woman visited the salon Feb. 18 for a cosmetic procedure. Her body was found there the next morning. [Associated Press]
- The mayors of Dallas and Fort Worth are in Europe to help drum up business for North Texas. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports: “Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings are going to be traveling buddies for the next week. The two leaders are heading an airport delegation to the United Kingdom and Germany through June 13, meeting with airlines and European companies to promote North Texas and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. … Although Europe is one of the oldest destinations out of DFW — American celebrates 30 years on its DFW-Frankfurt route this year — Price said it is important to re-establish relationships with European partners. She said she was looking forward to meeting with the mayors of London and Frankfurt on this trip.” Read more here. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
- The chancellor of the University of Texas System continues to share his concerns about allowing guns on Texas campuses. After the Texas Legislature passed a law to allow concealed handguns on public college campuses, retired Admiral William McRaven talked about the issue last week on NPR’s Morning Edition. “I want to make sure that we make our campuses as safe as possible. And the addition of concealed weapons on campus just didn't seem like a good idea to me,” McRaven said. He also talked about the letter he wrote to the state legislature – he said he feels concealed weapons will make campuses a “less safe environment.” McRaven told NPR: “The point is I did feel and I felt that the introduction of weapons would make the campuses less safe. Having said that, now that we have to implement this, I'm going to take every step possible to ensure the maximum safety.” [NPR]
