Five stories that have North Texas talking: Winter temperatures return; the state Supreme Court rejects $750 million from BP; the city of Denton bans texting; and more.
An arctic front arrived Sunday night in North Texas and will stay through Tuesday morning. Daytime highs today will only reach the upper 30s and lower 40s, the National Weather Service says. Lows tonight will stay in the 30s and in the 20s in some areas. There is a chance of freezing drizzle this morning and light snow flurries across the northern half of North Texas tonight and Tuesday morning. Any ice or snow accumulations will not impact travel, instead sticking mostly to elevated objects and grassy surfaces, the weather service confirms. Temperatures will spike into the mid-to-upper 50s on Wednesday with sunny skies in the forecast. Watch a video briefing of the winter weather here.
- The Texas Supreme Court rejected BP’s $750 million insurance claim for a 2010 explosion.The Texas Tribune reported Friday: “The high court ruled that BP's Transocean Ltd. policy does not cover BP for subsurface pollution damage that occurred following the April 20, 2010, explosion and spill from Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, 42 miles off the coast of Louisiana. BP had leased the platform and was managing the drilling at the time of the accident.” More than 3 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico before the Macondo well was capped on July 15 of that year, making it the worst spill in history. [Texas Tribune]
- A ban on texting while driving went into effect in Denton today. The Dallas Morning News reports: "After a lengthy grace period, Denton police will begin handing out fines for texting while driving today. The ordinance passed in May on a 7-0 vote by the City Council, but Denton police could not enforce the law because there were no signs to alert the public.” Using a cell phone to make a call, however, is still allowed. [Dallas Morning News]
- A state representative wants public information requested in Texas to stay in Texas. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Sunday: “State Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy, has filed a proposal that requires government workers to release information sought under the Texas Public Information Act to Texans only. If a request comes in from out of state, the bill lets government workers decide whether they want to comply.” Some think House Bill 1118 would negatively affect the Texas Public Information Act as well as the Public Information Act adopted in 1973. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]
- North Texas Muslims gathered Friday night for a candlelight vigil for Chapel Hill victims. After weeks of disturbing news for Muslims in America — loud protests in Austin, three people killed in North Carolina, a fire in a Houston Islamic Center — North Texas Muslims gathered Friday night in downtown Dallas. KERA reporter Stella Chavez visited the candlelight vigil for the victims of the Chapel Hill shootings sponsored by the Dallas Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Read Stella’s story. [KERA]
