KERA News

Texas Reports First West Nile Virus Case

BJ Austin — Fri, 24 May 2013 23:04:36 +0000

Texas has its first human case of West Nile Virus this season.

DISD Says Almost 300 Teachers Received Termination Notices Today

Stella M. Chávez and Shelley Kofler — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:53:17 +0000

DISD says nearly 300 teachers received termination notices today after a school board vote last night.

Seven of the nine board members voted in favor of terminating the teachers and two DISD principals. Trustees Carla Ranger and Bernadette Nutall cast the dissenting votes.

How Much Did Online Activism Influence The Boy Scouts' Decision To Allow Gay Scouts?

Lyndsay Knecht — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:57:48 +0000

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Tracing the events that led to the Boy Scouts' vote to allow gay scouts, bracing for Perry Power post-session, traveling Texas via Bob Dylan's lyrics, chewing on best practices with Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn Saturday in Dallas and more.

Dallas ISD Board Votes To Fire Two Principals, Numerous Teachers

Stella M. Chávez — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Seven of the nine Dallas school board trustees voted to terminate the principals of Madison and Roosevelt high schools Thursday night.

The decision follows months of speculation and disagreement over Superintendent Mike Miles’s controversial plan to improve low-performing schools.

Casa Mañana Showcases Best Of The Best In High School Theater

Courtney Collins — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

With talent to spare and the charm of seasoned professionals, students filled the house at Fort Worth’s Casa Mañana Thursday night for the 13^th annual Betty Buckley Awards. These musical theater awards promise to showcase high school’s top thespians, and the audience wasn’t disappointed.

Gay Youth Now Allowed In Boy Scouts - But Gay Adults Still On The Sideline

Lauren Silverman — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:52:45 +0000

The vote has been taken but the controversy isn't over - The Irving-based Boy Scouts of America will lift its long time ban and allow gay boys to join their organization – although the ban on gay adults remains.

Boy Scouts Lift Ban On Gay Members

Shelley Kofler and Lauren Silverman — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:20:58 +0000

The Boy Scouts of America, based in Irving, will lift the organization's ban on openly gay members.

KERA reporter Lauren Silverman says 61 percent of the 1,400 national council members meeting behind closed doors in Grapevine have voted in favor of including gay scouts.

Under the proposal drafted by the Scouts' governing board, gay adults will remain barred from serving as Scout leaders.

No Federal Help For Tornado Victims In Granbury, Cleburne And Ennis

BJ Austin — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:54:24 +0000

Three North Texas counties hit by tornadoes last week won’t get any federal help to clean up and rebuild.

CDC Reports Staggering Drop In Hispanic Teen Birth Rate, TX Lags Behind Trend

Courtney Collins — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:44:51 +0000

Five stories that have North Texas talking: drop in Hispanic teen birth rate doesn’t completely apply to Texas, solar plane glides to a landing early this morning at DFW, the speech JFK never gave will live on in Dallas and more.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard Says Solar Impulse Is Vehicle For Change

Shelley Kofler — Thu, 23 May 2013 05:34:23 +0000

Update: The Solar Impulse project says all of its scheduled open houses for Saturday at DFW are full. If they add other open houses the information will appear on their website solarimpulse.com

Solar Impulse touched down at DFW International early this morning at 1:08 a.m.

The Phoenix-Dallas flight of more than 800 miles is the longest yet for the aircraft which is on a coast-to-coast trip to raise awareness about the capabilities of renewable energy.