Texas A&M University

Crazy Ants, Discovered in Houston a Decade Ago, Are Swarming Toward Dallas

First, the good news: Crazy ants don't sting. They do sometimes bite, but the pain is mild, and it fades quickly. Even better, they drive out their stinging cousins, fire ants, which have been tormenting Texans for decades. Now, the bad news: When entomologists say "crazy," they mean it. "When you ... More >>

State Rep. Bill Zedler Wants to Shut Down Those Grody LGBT Centers at Texas Colleges

The LGBT Resource Center at Texas A&M University, like its cousins at the University of Texas and the University of Houston, is an innocuous arm of school bureaucracy that offers an array of resources to gay and transgendered students. There is a guest speaker program, a lending library, networking ... More >>

Sitting in Traffic Costs Car-Bound Dallas Commuters $3.6 Billion Per Year

Every day, my commute home takes me over the Hall Street overpass where, from the comfort (or, more accurately, mild discomfort) of my bike seat, I gaze down at the parking lot that is Central Expressway at rush hour and wonder with a mix of empathy and mild condescension what all those poor souls a ... More >>

Texas Researchers Investigate Who Speeds (Young Dudes), Why (To Get There Faster) and What Can Be Done About It (Nothing)

Several months ago, researchers gathered 164 volunteers in College Station, Texas and Seattle, outfitted their cars with GPS devices, and had them fill out questionnaires detailing how they drive (i.e. if they speed up for yellow lights, drive drunk, miss road signs, and any number of other factors) ... More >>

One Woman's Uncomfortable Tribute to A&M Quarterback Johnny Football

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, aka "Johnny Football," is a 19-year-old phenom on the verge of winning a Heisman, who has managed to revitalize the A&M brand. Aggie superfan Lisa Vasquez Roper of Houston is really into that, and decided to do her own special cover of chaste 1962 hit "Johnny An ... More >>

On I-35, a Freight-Only Monorail Could Soon Take Root

The drive south down Interstate 35 isn't a particularly pleasant one, but there soon there may be something to distract you, namely a 243-mile elevated rail line dedicated to shipping freight. The Texas Department of Transportation is close to reaching a deal to lease highway right-of-way to Freigh ... More >>

Meet David Preziosi, Preservation Dallas' New Executive Director

Katherine Seale officially ended her five-year tenure as executive director of Preservation Dallas early this year, but she didn't stop working. Instead, she's been hanging around as a volunteer until the nonprofit found a new leader. That just happened. The nonprofit announced in a press release t ... More >>

Want to Ride to Work With Strangers, North Texas? There Will Soon Be An App For That.

Slugging, aka commuting to work in random strangers' cars, has long been a thing in Houston and a handful of other cities across the country but never in Dallas. Maybe it's that use of our HOV lanes requires only two people per vehicle or that Dallas doesn't have enough pockets of density. Maybe it' ... More >>

What Ice Cream and Fracking Have in Common And Why Your Dessert Has Become So Pricey

The food industry has for decades leaned on an inexpensive and natural thickening agent: guar gum. It builds viscosity in ice cream, dressing, baked goods, and other foods you've likely eaten it in the past week (as well as makeup, explosives, and other things you probably haven't eaten, ever). In ... More >>

UT-Dallas: Way Less Fun and Way More Expensive than UT-Austin

It wasn't without some pride that I saw last week that my alma mater, the University of Texas at Dallas, had earned what may be its first superlative. (Okay, maybe its second, but the most-hideous-architecture label was unofficial). The Texas Tribune has helpfully compiled a list of average tuition ... More >>

Warrant Issued for 18-Year-Old Accused of Setting Puppy on Fire (Update: Arrest Made)

Update, 9:42 p.m., Friday: An arrest has been made. From DPD: Darius Ewing, who was wanted in connection to the puppy who was burned, has surrendered to the Dallas Police Department. He surrendered to police while a candle light vigile was being held by area animal advocates for the puppy named Ju ... More >>

Justice, the Puppy Burned in Pleasant Grove Last Week, Died Last Night

The caretakers of the puppy who suffered third degree burns over most of his body were optimistic until the very end. But last night, Justice died after some of his wounds became infected and his condition worsened, according to a posting by DFW Rescue Me. The dog was rescued in Pleasant Grove last ... More >>

A Decade-Long Drought? Yeah, Maybe So, State Climatologist Says.

It's all but official now. We've strung together the 12 driest months in Texas history. State climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon estimates we got 13.69 inches for the year. The average is 27. It's been hell on ranchers, as we reported in this week's cover story. And it may get worse. Texas A&M put o ... More >>

The Long, Dry Fall of the Texas Rancher

Ranchers are struggling to hold on to their herds during the driest year in Texas history.

No, Seriously, Says A&M Transpo Report, Dallas-Area Traffic's Not as Bad As It Used to Be

​Could have sworn we just saw an Annual Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M -- like, eight months ago. Maybe the Aggies couldn't wait any longer to bring the good news: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington drivers no longer waste 48 hours behind the wheel annually ... More >>

They Must Be Ice Skating in Hades Because SMU is Laying Three Touchdowns. On the Road.

​With the Big 12 seemingly back together since the Pac 12 didn't want 'em, SMU is back in play as a potential member in the wake of Texas A&M's expected departure. But before the Mustangs play with the big boys, they need to beat the little ones. They have a chance to do that Saturday. ... More >>

A Look at the Past, Present and Some Vague Suggestions for the Future of Deep Ellum

Just came across this video on Vimeo, posted yesterday by Texas A&M environmental-design grad Katie Ogden, who's spending the summer interning at the LBJ offices of architectural firm Gensler. It begins as a history of Deep Ellum, then rolls out current stats -- as in, how much of the neighborho ... More >>

College students, in meat lockers across America, compete to see who's the best judge of slabs of beef, pork and lamb.

So, You Think You Know Meat?

​For this week's Dish column, rather than eat at another restaurant, I spent time in the company of people who will ultimately choose the meats served there. Many meat industry professionals -- the experts who work at ranches, slaughterhouses, distributorships, groceries and chain restaurants ... More >>

Texas Aggies Know Their Meat

​A panel of judges at the National Meat Association's second-ever University Cook-off this week was partial to the University of Idaho's bacon sausage, but a stuffed pork loin created by Texas A&M took the people's choice prize. "I ate it, and I liked it," says operations manager Jen Kempis-P ... More >>

Transpo Institute's Study Says Dallas-Area Drivers Actually Better Off Now Than in '07

​At the stroke of midnight this morning, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M released its annual Urban Mobility Report, which promises a look at "the most accurate picture yet of traffic congestion in the 439 U.S. urban areas." Long story short, after two years of slight declines i ... More >>

SMU Cheerleader > Texas A&M Cadet

My favorite part of the informative, entertaining "Pony Excess" ESPN documentary over the weekend was being reminded of the classic scene that unfolded at Texas A&M's Kyle Field on October 31, 1981. Led by Eric Dickerson and Craig James, the 5th-ranked Mustangs trounced a mediocre Aggies ... More >>

After Last-Second Stay of Execution, the Big XII Lives to Play Another Day

The man who saved a conference: Dan Beebe​Who's the commissioner/savior/magician of the Big XII Conference, David Blaine? In a death-defying, last-second escape that would make the famed illusionist proud, Big XII commissioner Dan Beebe has somehow kept his league alive and, I think, wel ... More >>

Whitt's End: 6.11.10

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *The Southwest Conference lived to be 80. The Big 12 won't see its 17th birthday. Favorite part of the squabble is Texas A&M threatening to go to the Southeastern Conference without Texas. Yeah ... More >>

Says Mayor, Thanks to UNT Dallas Is Finally About to Become a College Town

Get to know the University of North Texas at Dallas from UNTD Webmaster on Vimeo.That video above was just posted to Vimeo by the University of North Texas at Dallas -- but says here it was sent out a couple of weeks ago to "the Board of Regents, potential donors, the Texas legislature, and elected ... More >>

Aggie Fans are Definitely Sad, Apparently Cheap

​Got a buddy who is Cowboys' season-ticket holder. One of the privileges is getting first dibs at all the events - not just NFL games - at the sparking, billion-dollar joint. So he buys four tickets on the 50 to last month's Oklahoma-BYU game. Cost him $1,200, and he sells them for $2,40 ... More >>

Dallas-Fort Worth Is Still Way High on Traffic Congestion List. But It's Getting Better.

So reports the Associated Press, which got a sneak peek at a Texas A&M-based Texas Transportation Institute study being released tomorrow that ranks the DFW as the sixth-most traffic-jammed-up metropolis in the country behind Los Angeles, Washington, Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco. That said ... More >>

So What Exactly Are You Eating When You Order Fajitas In A Tex-Mex Restaurant?

Re: FYI, Read This ASAP. OMG!

The following is a prime example of my curse here on Earth. A fleeting thought sprouts into a mild observation, only to bloom into a thesis that eventually flourishes into a blog item with sports branches. My apologies ... Got a text the other day, the salutation of which was LOL ... More >>

Pray for Rain

U.S. Drought MonitorThe most recent drought report for Texas, posted TuesdayIn his January Climatic Bulletin, published earlier this month, state climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon documented Texas's "extraordinarily dry" and "unseasonably warm" January -- and warned of more months just like it to co ... More >>

As Attorneys Argue Over Neches River's Future, Some Suggested Reading About Its Storied Past

In our editorial meeting this morning, Schutze offered a book report concerning his holiday reading: Paddling the Wild Neches by Richard Donovan, which was published by the Texas A&M University Press in May 2006. Says Jim about the book documenting one man's canoe trip through East Texas, it's e ... More >>

Texas Democrats Will Clean Up. Or Get Their Asses Handed to Them.

Yay, SMU! You're No. 66!

Another Cool Sporting Event You Won’t See in the City of Dallas

Jonestown Gets New Residents

Needle Point in Allen?

Still Too Premature to Talk A&M, Arkansas in Arlington. Or Is It?

Scattershooting ...

Damn This Traffic Jam

Woe Is They

Conservatives need not apply

SMU and A&M are Damned Liberal Anti-Bush Bastions. Sure, Prof, Whatever You Sez.

The Spy Guy

Check That, Everything Isn't Bigger In Texas

Pop Quiz

An SAT for DFW

Losing Faith in Faith-Based Prison

Loaded

The Contemporary catches artists Drawing Under the Influence

Born to Run

Lace up, Gramps

Trashy Dreams

The city hopes its new "eco-park" will mean jobs and business. That may take some luck.

Bugs Add Flavor

How to pass a restaurant health inspection with a gentlemanly C

Vanity of the Bonfire

When tradition and death collide in Aggieland, tradition triumphs