The Ticket, the Eclipse and Ending Veteran Homelessness: Positive Observer News Stories of 2024

Every year, what we call the news consists primarily of information that isn’t exactly positive or hopeful. It is what it is. Here at the Observer, we find that pointing out where things are going wrong or where danger might loom is more than a worthy pursuit. For many Americans, though perhaps not the majority of voters, the news has been full of not-so-uplifting stories since the Nov. 5 elections.

But as we inch closer to a new year, we thought it would be a great time to start looking back on 2024 and, specifically, point out some of the positive things that we’ve reported on here in the news vertical. In case you've missed it, we’ve done this little roundup of positive stories for the past couple of years. So, check those out if you need an extra dose of sunny vibes as 2025 continues barreling closer.

Dallas Is Full of Winners

Aside from disastrous periods at both ends of the 2024 calendar for the Dallas Cowboys, the local pro sports landscape enjoyed a remarkable, thrilling year. We stayed on top of it from beginning to end by following the NBA Finals run of the Dallas Mavericks, the repeat trip to the Western Conference Finals by the Dallas Stars and the blockbuster World Cup schedule announcement. Big developments in women’s pro sports took place in 2024, and even though the Texas Rangers didn’t make the playoffs this year, the club did get to visit the White House to celebrate its 2023 World Series title.

Affordable Housing for LGBTQ Seniors

In June we reported on a new living facility that will help senior citizens in the LGBTQ community find affordable housing that’s close to services and medical facilities. From our article:

Oak Lawn Place will have 84, high-quality rental units for adults 55 and older, in an environment also intended to support the LGBTQIA+ community. The apartments are available to tenants of any sexual orientation, but the people behind the project hope to make welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ residents there through community art and various programs. The apartments will serve residents who earn from 30% to 60% of the area's median income. More than half of the units are reserved for people making below 50% of the median income.

Don’t Look Directly At It!

Remember that total solar eclipse in April? Yeah, that one! We had a really clear view of it from Dallas, and it ended up being one of the events that everyone could agree was pretty cool.

Three Decades of Radio Gold

In January, local sports radio titan 1310 The Ticket celebrated its 30th birthday. The station, which mixes a bit of sports talk with its goofy guy talk and pop culture discussion, has racked up massive ratings and turned many of its on-air talent into local superstars. Also in 2024, former Ticket personalities Mike Rhyner, Jake Kemp and Dan McDowell also made their own audio splashes with new podcasts that look to capture some of the 1310 magic.

Allred’s Trailblazing Replacement

For local Democrats, Nov. 5 wasn’t exactly brimming with happy news. To many observers, Ted Cruz's decisive defeat of Dallas U.S. Rep. Colin Allred in the U.S. Senate race was the biggest missed opportunity for Democrats. But Allred’s successor in District 32, Julie Johnson, represented something encouraging. With her victory, Johnson became the first openly LGBTQ member of the U.S. Congress from the South.

Overcoming Obstacles

In April, we ran a cover feature taking a look at a local nonprofit that helps kids with special needs learn indoor rock climbing, skills that help them excel in life outside the climbing gym. And speaking of indoor rock climbing, one of several North Texans to participate in the Paris Summer Olympics, Sam Watson, grabbed global headlines for his speed.

No More Homeless Veterans?

In February we reported that the city of Dallas had applied for a federal designation stating that it had ended veteran homelessness in the city. Now, that doesn’t mean there will never be a veteran on the street, our story explained at the time. It only means that the local homeless response system can identify homeless veterans and get them off the streets in a relatively short amount of time.