CPS workers come through for kids in Hurricane Harvey
Among the many heroes in rescue efforts from Hurricane Harvey were Child Protective Services workers and contractors who helped relocate more than 400 foster kids from institutions and hundreds more from foster homes along the Gulf Coast. What's more, CPS workers in 55 counties made timely initial checks on nearly 96 percent of youngsters named in the most serious child maltreatment tips between just before Harvey made landfall and Monday. Impressive. This agency continues to work to right its chaotic system, and the workers, some of whom were displaced themselves, deserve praise.
A telethon even bigger than Texas for hurricane relief
Superstar pairings at Tuesday's nationally televised "Hand in Hand" telethon made for must-watch TV, but the $44 million (and still growing) in donations for survivors of hurricanes Harvey and Irma stole the show. The stage bounced from New York to LA to Nashville to San Antonio, allowing a staggering number of big names to perform, answer phones and share stories about the heroic acts of everyday folks. Among our favorite moments were these Texas-tinged musical highlights: Stevie Wonder with Houston residents Victoria White and Marquist Taylor, who made headlines with their inspirational singing at a city evacuee center. And the show's closing, which included George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen singing "If It Wasn't for Texas."
A big win for Texas A&M in the research lab
Texas A&M Universitywon a $35 million National Science Foundation grant to lead a multi-university and government collaboration to develop implantable devices that can send health data to doctors and study chronic health issues such as diabetes and heart disease in underserved communities. Partners in the effort include Rice University, Florida International University and UCLA, along with several companies and federal agencies. Grabbing the leadership role in a highly competitive selection process is an impressive endorsement of the high-quality engineering work underway at Texas A&M and a win for the statewide effort to elevate scientific research and innovation.
My kingdom for a crane
Kudos to the city of Dallas for sorting through the logistics of dismantling the Robert E. Lee statue after the City Council had agreed to remove it. The first crane was too small, the next crane was in a deadly traffic accident. As frustration brewed on both sides, and protestors began showing up at the site, the delay seemed ominous. Finally the city removed the statue on Friday without incident.
Garland takes bike-sharing for a ride
VBikes out of Garland joins several other stationless-bike-rental companies making a business out of augmenting transportation and offering healthy-living options. About 45 of VBikes have hit the streets in the neighborhood that has developed around Garland 's light rail station. The idea is that the bikes can connect residents to the restaurants and shops that have popped up but are not in walking distance. And folks can get a little exercise to boot. The company also has bikes all over downtown Dallas and Denton. Could these be a game changer to improving traffic and parking woes? Let's give it a spin.
A gift of life for Selena Gomez
Actress Francia Raisa refused let her best friend, Grand Prairie pop star Selena Gomez, succumb to Lupus without a fight. The disease left Gomez in need of a kidney transplant, and Raisa volunteered. "There aren't words to describe how I can possibly thank my beautiful friend Francia Raisa. She gave me the ultimate gift and sacrifice," Gomez, whose hits include It Ain't Me and Bad Liar, wrote on Instagram. Raisa, an L.A.-born actress who has played in a number of movies and television series including The Secret Life of the American Teenager, gained entry to an exclusive club of organ donors who have our deepest respect.
Dallas community college instructor makes National Book Award long list
An El Centro College English composition instructor made the long list for a National Book Award for Young People's Literature this week. Samantha Mabry wrote All the Wind in the World, a fictional story about two teenage laborers in Texas, scheduled to be released next month. She said news of the book award designation came as a "complete surprise" and left her "kind of incoherent." She is not the first Texan to make the list; last year two Texans even made the list of finalists. When this year's finalists are announced, here's hoping Mabry continues that winning streak.
Voters are big losers with Texas redistricting on hold
It looks like it will be politics as usual when it comes to 2018 elections in Texas. And that's a bad thing given that a panel of federal judges in San Antonio had previously found that the state's political maps discriminate against Latino and black voters. In the latest development in this complex six-year legal battle, the Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked the two lower court rulings, which would have forced Texas and minority rights groups to begin drawing new lines for a number of congressional and state House maps. The Supreme Court's order will remain in place while it considers the state's appeal, most likely assuring that next year's elections will use the maps that the lower court said violated the Constitution and Voting Rights Act.
