Five stories that have North Texas talking: the latest on Gov. Rick Perry’s indictment; the State Fair of Texas names the top new foods at this year’s fair; a tick can make you allergic to meat; and more.
- George Strait’s farewell performance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington will be featured on cable TV next week. A two-hour special, George Strait: The Cowboy Rides Away, will air at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 on CMT. Pretty much every singer alive joined him on stage back in June, including Kenny Chesney, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride. Strait’s Arlington finale broke records. The King of Country’s June 7 show set an attendance record — 104,793 fans crammed into AT&T Stadium – and the concert generated nearly $18.2 million in ticket sales. The show broke a Billboard record for “largest attendance at an indoor venue.” Strait told fans in Arlington: “Oh, man. I tell you what. This is too much fun. … Damn, I’m so lucky.”
- Attorneys for Gov. Rick Perry say they don’t know when he will be booked on abuse of power charges – but that it won’t happen in secret. Houston-based defense Tony Buzbee said Monday that he will head Perry’s high-powered legal team. The Republican and longest-serving governor in Texas history has been indicted on two felony counts. Buzbee said the governor is “going to let everyone know” when he will be booked, fingerprinted and have his mug shot taken. Perry’s attorneys and a special prosecutor are still working that out. Buzbee also dismissed the case as “nothing more than banana republic politics.” Perry was indicted Friday on charges of coercion and official oppression for publicly promising to veto $7.5 million for the state public integrity unit run. On Sunday, Perry appeared on “Fox News Sunday” to defend himself. So what’s ahead for Perry? KERA’s Sam Baker spoke with Ross Ramsey with The Texas Tribune. [Associated Press]
- Big Tex will be served up all fried, spicy and boozy this fall. The State Fair of Texas on Monday morning announced the eight finalists vying for the annual Big Tex Choice Awards, which honors the top new foods at the fair. At this year’s fair, start with a fried breakfast burrito. Then, for lunch, how about a fried brisket taco? Or a chicken-fried baked potato? Fried shrimp, perhaps? Spice things up with spicy Sriracha chicken balls. For dessert, try a fried bluebonnet — it’s actually a blueberry muffin — or a fried combo of pecan pie/peach cobbler/buttermilk pie. And wash it all down with something that’s not fried: funnel cake beer. See pictures of the food here.
- A new federal study finds that man-made earthquakes cause less shaking and are about 16 times weaker than natural earthquakes with the same magnitude. Many say these quakes are side effects of oil and gas drilling from injecting wastewater underground. U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Susan Hough’s study found that people report feeling the ground move from man-made quakes significantly less than those who experience more normal earthquakes of the same magnitude. However, she said, within 6 miles of the fault, artificial and natural quakes feel pretty much the same. The study is published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. It is based on thousands of responses to the USGS “Did You Feel It” survey system after quakes in North Texas, as well as Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, and Ohio. Here’s a roundup of KERA’s recent coverage of the earthquake swarm northwest of Fort Worth. [Associated Press]
- A tiny tick can put you off burgers for years. KERA’s Courtney Collins reports: “Talk about irony. The pest that causes a meat allergy is actually called the Lone Star tick. One bite can put you off beef, lamb, pork and more for several years.” Courtney talked with Chris Apps, who used to enjoy burgers, hot dogs and the occasional juicy steak. But about a year and a half ago, he started waking up in the middle of the night with hives. Hives that started as itchy, annoying spots on his thighs, but quickly spread everywhere. He got bit by a Lone Star tick.
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