Weather or Not You Like It, Channel 5 Has a New Meteorologist

Jennifer Lopez, your new KXAS meteorologist This morning, Uncle Barky and KXAS-Channel 5 revealed the NBC affiliate’s replacement for ousted meteorologist Rebecca Miller: The Weather Channel’s Jennifer Lopez, an eight-year vet of the channel only watched in hotel rooms. Funny coincidence, though: On the same day we learned of the…

Missing the Bullseye, Caraway Derailed DART Board Interviews

Former (and future?) DART board member Joyce Foreman Lots of buzz this week about a bizarre performance on Monday at City Hall by council member Dwaine Caraway. He tried to rattle Joyce Foreman, who was being interviewed by the council for reappointment to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit board. Foreman…

Anaheimlich Maneuver

Well, that was fun. We spent Tuesday getting our asses handed to us by Southern California, by a combined score of 11-6. First, the Texas Rangers bumbled their way to a 7-4 loss, followed by the Dallas Stars’ humbling 4-2 defeat at the wings of the Mighty Ducks. The good…

Rampant Abuse and Neglect Uncovered in Texas’ Facilities for Disabled

When Gov. Rick Perry’s office confirmed last month that the U.S. Justice Department is investigating allegations of abuse and neglect at the Denton State School, Laura Albrecht, a spokesperson with the state’s Department of Aging and Disability Services, insisted, “We welcome the scrutiny.” Not sure she feels the same way…

How Another Innocent Dallas County Man Spent 23 Years in Prison

Thomas McGowan The most stunning thing about the Thomas McGowan case, as mentioned below, is “how normal it is,” says Jason Kreag, staff attorney with The Innocence Project of New York. Kreag just arrived in Dallas so he could appear with McGowan at a hearing tomorrow afternoon in the courtroom…

Dallas Theater Center: “By Us, For Us”

“By us, for us,” said Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty at Monday night’s announcement of the theater’s 50th season programming. The 41-year-old Moriarty — who sat for an exclusive video interview with Unfair Park that’s above — has spent lots of time and energy since he arrived on…

It’s Officially Football Season

Today is a great day. Because this season’s Cowboys disappointment officially becomes last season’s memory. And next season? It’s now this season. As for 2008, the Cowboys are again heating up trade talks for Pacman Jones (but really, how could they get any hotter?). They are licking their chops at…

Semi-Nude Women Gathering Today and Tomorrow in Downtown Hotel

What, precisely, does a lonely traveling businessman get his travel agent as a thank-you gift when he discovers his hotel is hosting Playboy’s auditions for the magazine’s 55th Anniversary Playmate? Because, no doubt, there are at least a few dudes huddled somewhere at the Westin City Center on North Pearl…

The Million-Dollar Cookie

Pillsbury Since October, we’ve been ever-so-anxiously awaiting the winner of the 43rd Pillsbury Bake-Off® Contest, which just wrapped at the Fairmont Hotel downtown. And we need wait no more: A hearty mazel tov goes to Carolyn Gurtz of Gaithersburg, Md., whose six-ingredient Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies, pictured at right, are…

George Bush to Watch Rangers, Play Paintball, Get Naked

And by “George Bush,” of course, I mean Will Ferrell, who last night resurrected his Bush impersonation during the otherwise laugh-free Night of Too Many Stars: An Overbooked Benefit For Autism Education on Comedy Central. Toward the end of the clip, Ferrell discusses Bush’s plans for his SMU library –…

A Trip to Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi On Friday night, I attended a lecture delivered by Marjane Satrapi, author of the comic books Persepolis and co-director of the 2007 Oscar-nominated film of the same name — the English-language version of which opened locally on Friday as well. Satrapi, who spoke at University of Texas at…

Introducing, Ahem, Southwest Airlines’ Newest Symbol of Freedom

Following Herb Kelleher’s stand-up act in front of rhe House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure a few days back, The Onion today serves up a “news” story that’s so not funny I initially thought it was a news story: “Southwest Airlines Now Taking Passengers To Destinations By Shuttle Bus.” And,…

Monday Morning Meanderings

Dallas Stars OK, sure, we believe, already. For now, anyway. After spending their first and only day over .500 in the Ron Washington Era, the Texas Rangers got swept at home by the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend. Even more humiliating, they found a pitcher worse than Chan Ho…

A Fancy New Life for Wedgewood Tower, the Stevens Park High-Rise

View Larger Map Reports GlobeSt.com this morning, a high-rise abutting Stevens Park Golf Course has a new owner, a Boston-based investment group, which plans on turning Wedgewood Tower into the far sexier-monikered Indigo. From the sound of it, the mixed-use development will be a little bit of everything — including…