North Texas

There's a New Anti-Fluoride Push in North Texas, which Has Ear of McKinney City Council

Public water systems in the United States have been adding fluoride to their water since the 1940s as a way to prevent tooth decay. The consensus among public health officials and scientists is that the practice has been incredibly effective. The only documented side effect is a rise in fluorosis, a ... More >>

Native Americans Gathered Downtown Last Night to Protest Broken Treaties and a Tar Sands Pipeline

If you happened to be passing the corner of Akard and San Jacinto Monday night, the huge, blue LED lights spelling out "IDLE NO MORE" might have left you nonplussed. It was no coincidence that the demonstration, known as a light brigade, took place within a stone's throw of the Canadian consulate g ... More >>

Five DFW Rap Songs To Close Out the Summer

See also: The North Texas hip-hop sampler, 2012 1/2 edition Summer is coming to an end and for those of us in Texas, that means we get three months of non-90-degree days and the return of our beloved football. So, in the spirit of summer and all the mischief it brings, we present the five best rap ... More >>

Video: Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Decoding Society at the Kessler Theater

Ken Shimamoto gave you the word earlier this week, but here is some visual confirmation of one of the best shows North Texas may have seen this year. It's one I find myself thinking about days later, which is always the mark of something special. Ditto on what Ken said: Someone record this band loca ... More >>

Will It Ever Get Really Cold in Dallas This Winter? Well, As a Matter of Fact ... Maybe?

​A few days back the great Alan Melson, KERA's director of interactive, directed his Facebook friends to a great weather-geek (said with all due respect) site where folks are currently having a great debate about whether or not signs point to an icy deep freeze headed toward North Texas toward the ... More >>

North Texas Bets Big on Pumping from Lake Texoma

Environmentalists fear plan will let invasive zebra mussels spread.

What's Dallas Water Utilities Director Jody Puckett Most Concerned About? Let's Find Out.

​Late yesterday I got a call back from Dallas Water Utilities Director Jody Puckett, for whom I'd left a message about Irving and the North Texas Municipal Water District's need to buy water from the city. We set up a time to chat this morning, and just got through visiting for a little while abou ... More >>

While Faraway Lenders Grapple with Fracking, a Word From Local Appraiser in the Trenches

Photo by Taryn Walker​A rig in ArlingtonThe New York Times ran an interesting story Thursday on the growing reluctance of banks to grant mortgages to owners of properties that have been leased for gas drilling in the northeast. Landowners often aren't giving banks a heads up before signing on ... More >>

And the Winners Are ... You

Our 23rd annual Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase a scene ready for the spotlight.

Ascent Lands in Fort Worth

All Aboard the Cheese Bus!

​In 1964, Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters hopped into a brightly painted bus and traveled eastward in a hallucinogen-inspired stupor with the hopes of expanding their perceptions of reality. This Saturday, in a slightly less psychedelic but far more delicious bus trip, Dallas' Scar ... More >>

Early Voting Starts Today, Sure, But If You Really Need One More Mayoral Debate ...

​Schutze and I have a date tonight: the North Texas GLBT Chamber's mayoral forum at the Cityplace Conference Center on Haskell, where he and I have been asked to serve as moderators. (Because asking us serve on the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Dallas Candidate Forum would have bee ... More >>

On the Road Again

Live Nation Announces Fair Park Amphitheater Name Change: Superpages.com Center Will Now Be Called The Gexa Energy Pavilion

Welcome to North Texas, dudes!​After three years of existing under the name of Superpages.com Center, the Live Nation-owned and -operated concert amphitheater located in Fair Park announced today a new corporate sponsor for its facilities -- and with it, yet another name in a long line of names.Si ... More >>

Tonight Only at the AAC: Mark Cuban, Chuck Greenberg, Eddie Gossage, Tom Leppert ...

Sam MertenChuck Greenberg​You'll note there's an empty space on the American Airlines Center's calendar tonight, which doesn't meant it'll be dark. Far from it: The National Sports Marketing Network, a sports-biz trade organization with some 10,000 members, is holding its first North Texas Chapter ... More >>

So, About That "Significant" Cold Front Scheduled to Arrive Here Early Next Week

​I still get the morning paper, even though I'm now paying $4 more for the privilege than I previously thought, which sucks. Anyway. Saw on the weather page that it's supposed to be colder than normal beginning next week. Didn't say how cold, but yesterday Tim Rogers linked to a weathering website ... More >>

Dallas, FW and Arlington Mayors Ask Locals to "Like" Food Bank Campaign, Lest Area Lose Out

​Meant to get to this a few days ago, when a Friend of Unfair Park directed our attention to Walmart's Fighting Hunger Together website. Long story short: Walmart, in conjunction with the Food Research and Action Center, is doling out $1.5 million to food banks nationwide. But it's handing out the ... More >>

Like Burr, Jaffe and Crushed Stars Before Them, The Orbans Get Some Love From Magnet

​Back in September, we lamented the death of Paste magazine's print edition, partially because we rather enjoyed it's coverage, but mostly because we very much enjoyed the constant love it threw North Texas' way. And we asked the question: With Paste gone, where will our local folkies get their na ... More >>

Eat, Drink and Be Charitable

​The holiday season has a way of making even charity work a treat. Philanthropists around Dallas are letting you give back by giving to yourself. You just have to choose between s'mores, drink specials and cookies. The Thing: OMG S'mores The Cause: North Texas Food Bank Not like you need a le ... More >>

Whatever Works: Eating to Feed the Hungry; Dominion Farms Going Au Naturel

Dominion FarmsInside Dominion's Store​This year has been one of charity and fund-raising in the North Texas food world. So much so, it's surprising chefs haven't been hospitalized for Hollywood's favorite "medical" condition, fatigue. One of this year's most notable events (for its locavore emphas ... More >>

Local Musicians Tell Us Why They're So Excited About The State of the Scene.

Selena Gomez Becomes The Latest North Texan on The Kinda Impressive Lilith Fair Tour Lineup.

Past her prime already?​Another month, another North Texan gets added to the kinda impressive Lilith Fair tour lineup...Yep: Today comes the news that Grand Prairie's own Dis-kid, Selena Gomez (who our sister paper down in Houston is already pegging as past her prime at just 17 years old), has bee ... More >>

Super Bowl XLV: Century in the Making

​In Texas, the old saying goes, there exist only two sports: Football. And spring football. God, after all, decreed Texas Stadium have a hole in its roof so he could look down upon his favorite team. Right? From the old wooden Fair Park Bowl through the Cotton Bowl, Texas Stadium and now the ... More >>

O, Tannenbaum

Roger the Dodger Gets Called Back to Lead One More Super Bowl Drive

Very Semi-Pro: If Nothing Else, DFW's ABA Teams Will Have Some Familiar Names

​A Friend of Unfair Park who knows of my, um, interest (sure, why not?) in the American Basketball Association's return to the DFW sends along this profile of Isaiah "J.R." Rider, who, I'll be damned, is set to make his return to pro ball with the North Texas Fresh outta Fort Worth. (As you may re ... More >>

Giveaway: A Pair Of Tickets To An Evening With Janis Ian Oct. 22 At Station 4's Rose Room

​In her only North Texas stop on her current tour, "Society's Child" and "At Seventeen" singer-songwriter Janis Ian will perform next Thursday, October 22, at the Rose Room in Station 4.The show is $25 per person and serves as a fund-raiser for the North Texas GLBT Chamber of Commerce. But if you' ... More >>

Yes, But Is it Fare? As Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game Loom, the City's Talking Taxis.

​Tomorrow, the Dallas City Council's Transportation & Environment Committee will take up taxis -- specifically, whether or not to cut cab companies a few big breaks in the middle of an economic downturn that's turned smack into oncoming business. According to briefing documents, calls to the a ... More >>

Some Sobering Sights From the North Texas Irish Festival at Fair Park

Daniel DaughertyThe Saturday turnout for this year's North Texas Irish Festival was pretty solid, even before taking into account the steep price of admission -- 15 bucks a pop! Who knew so many people were itching to wear a kilt in public? Then again, it's really the only day of the year when kilt ... More >>

"Just to prove not all major dailies are out to lunch ... :)"

The title of this post is ripped right from an email that popped up in the inbox yesterday afternoon in the wake of this post--and, lo and behold, yep it's from Preston Jones of the Star-Telegram, sharing the links to his favorite concerts and albums of the year, as well as the link to his top 20 Te ... More >>

Check Out The Trailer For This Upcoming Dallas Blues Documentary

Send Lawyers, Guns and Money (And Drugs, Lots of Drugs)

Have Scarecrow Bandits Reached the End of the Yellow-Brick Road?

It's Official: Super Bowl XLV is a Living, Breathing Thing

Assemble for the Ensembles

Fight Song

Gated Blaxploitation

Dirty Dining

You Bet Your Collars

Jazz It Up

The North Texas Jazz Festival kicks out the sweet jams

American Eagle

March Madness ain't nothing compared to Ambush Alley

Snakes on the Brain

These pets will crawl right into your heart (and eat it)

The Day the McKinney Courier-Gazette Got Bought By Some Yankees

When Evacuees Become Residents, Part 2

Place Your Bets

Dogs are playing the winning hand

Best Thrifty Clothing That's Not "Thrift"

Buffalo Exchange

Best Place to Commune With Nature

L.B. Houston Nature Trail

Sum 36

DV8 could be the standout at the North Texas New Music Festival

Take a Gamble for Charity

Big Brothers Big Sisters shows its poker face

Events for the week