- 817 BIZ
- Posts
- 🏈A QB and a fiddler are big winners; Walmart leaves NYSE for Nasdaq; Horse virus puts collar on activities.
🏈A QB and a fiddler are big winners; Walmart leaves NYSE for Nasdaq; Horse virus puts collar on activities.
Plus, more bite-size news about business in Tarrant County.

Tesla is expanding its in-house rental program with additional rollouts in Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, Nashville and Boston. Tesla’s full lineup is available to rent — Model 3/Y: $60/day; Cybertruck: $75/day; and Model S/X: $90/day -- and includes unlimited mileage, free Super charging, and access to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) at no extra cost.
🦃Scheduling note: 817 Biz will not publish Wednesday, November 26 or Friday, November 28 in celebration of Thanksgiving.
Fort Worth-based Bobby Patton, a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, purchased the historic 1851 homestead of early Texas Ranger Buck Berry. List price for the Two Rivers Ranch in Bosque County was $21 million.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD superintendent Brad Schnautz resigned to become executive director of Region 11 of the Education Service Center, which offers training, resources and technical assistance. Region 11 supports 10 counties, 76 public school districts and more than 500,000 students in Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Wise and Johnson counties.
Walmart is moving from the NYSE to the Nasdaq, and at an $852-billion valuation -- fourth largest on the NYSE -- it is the biggest exchange transfer in history. Interestingly, the company gave a passing nod to artificial intelligence as one of the reasons for aligning itself with the tech-heavy Nasdaq.
Daily digit: 34,397 = Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott became the team's all-time passing yards leader during Sunday's stunning 24-21 comeback victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Tony Romo held the record with 34,183.
A Texas A&M committee rules a professor's firing over gender identity lesson was unjustified. That doesn't mean she will get her job back.
If approved, the U.S. Postal Service will increase prices for most shipping services beginning Jan. 18. The changes would raise Priority Mail rates by about 6.6%, Priority Mail Express by 5.1%, USPS Ground Advantage by 7.8%, and Parcel Select by 6%. The cost of a First-Class stamp will remain 78 cents. During fiscal 2025, USPS had a $9 billion net loss, slightly better than the $9.5 billion prior year.
The Arlington water utilities department is using two-pronged technology -- satellite and algorithm -- to detect leaks. It says nearly $500k has been saved.
The Grand Prix of Arlington reached a multi-year agreement with Java House Cold Brew Coffee to be the title sponsor of the race. The city’s inaugural NTT INDYCAR SERIES race weekend is March 13-15, 2026.
Fort Worth ISD and The University of Texas at Arlington initiated an opportunity for Fort Worth ISD students to receive early admission offers to the school. "Direct to UTA: College Ready Career Bound," guarantees qualifying students admission to UTA as early as the end of their junior year.
PE equity firms TPG, based in Fort Worth, and Warburg are in talks about a $500-million stake in India-rooted Sirion Labs. The transaction highlights investor interest in artificial intelligence-based digital businesses that automate processes and reduce employee time spent on procedural tasks.
Believe it or not: A copy of the first issue of Superman sold for $9.12 million at auction, shattering the record for most expensive comic sold by more than $3 million. The copy was discovered in an old cardboard box by three brothers clearing out their late mother’s attic.
Recently, Defense Department Secretary of War Pete Hegseth "remotely flew a Lockheed Martin Black Hawk helicopter, which was sitting on a runway more than 250 miles away." Using "ALIAS" -- Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System -- "non-pilots" eventually will fly similarly equipped aviation platforms, both rotary and fixed wing, without having to be on board or attend flight school.
Southlake resident Tristan Paskvan continues to build his impressive musical resume. The 15-year-old fiddler claimed his second straight Youth Grand Master Fiddler Championship.
Under-16s are losing access to Instagram and Facebook in Australia. The country has a reputation for taking on the tech giants, but experts worry about the impact of its world-first social media ban on privacy and shrinking spaces for youths.
An outbreak of a deadly horse virus linked to a recent Waco event is disrupting equestrian gatherings across the state and beyond. Fort Worth magazine details the changes to activities in the Stockyards.
Construction on the Lambert Home headquarters should be wrapped up by early 2026 for the company's planned move March 3. The decade-old Southlake interior design and construction company owned by Katie and Sarah Lambert will be in a 12,000-square-foot office and showroom at 1700 N. White Chapel Blvd.
Southlake-based Sabre introduced Concierge IQ™, an AI-powered airline assistant for travel planning, shopping and servicing through direct interactions with passengers across their journey.
Arlington approved a $3.8-million grant to developer Sam Mahrouq for a mixed-use project to aid re-development along Division Street, according to the Dallas Business Journal.
The 19th Expeditionary Sustainment Command opened the Army's first autonomous dining facility, in South Korea, to explore how it might improve food service operations. Market 19 combines automated food preparation, cooking and serving ... with soldier oversight.
Notable and quotable: "Everyone else … is sort of competing for spill traffic.”
Former Arlington Mayor Elzie Odom has passed at 96. He served in multiple roles across the city, from its Planning and Zoning Commission to City Council. Mayor Jim Ross said he was “the true meaning of a trailblazer.”
If at first you don't succeed, don't always try again. Just ask Fort Worth bank robber Christopher McKay, 43.
Significant stat: 28 = The record number of consecutive home-court victories by the TCU women's basketball team. Its last loss in Schollmaier Arena was to West Virginia, 77-52, Feb. 13, 2024.

“We’d like to promote the concept of a nontraditional Thanksgiving.”
Announcements:
Texas Rangers: Acquires New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo for second baseman Marcus Semien.
Charles Schwab Challenge: Mike Zinga, Director of Sales & Sponsor Relations, is leaving Dec. 5 after 14 years.
Tarrant County GOP: Elects Tim Davis Chairman. He is an attorney who has counseled the party and represented Keller ISD during its attempt to split the district in two earlier this year.
Armed Forces Bowl: Adds TCU Chancellor Emeritus Victor J. Boschini, Jr. and TCU Athletics Director Mike Buddie to its leadership board.
Passed away: Misako Parshall dies at 89. She retired last year after decades creating costumes and overseeing wardrobes for Texas Ballet Theater and Casa Mañana.
Tarrant County College: Terminates Former Vice Chancellor and Provost Shelley Pearson, who confirmed it to the Fort Worth Report.
Keller: Selects Kendall Nivens as Captain of Fire-Rescue, steering the helm of EMS operations.
Trump Administration: Names Ryan R. Raybould U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, overseeing Dallas and Fort Worth, pending approval.
University of Texas: Del Williams, General Counsel of Hillwood, is among this year’s six Distinguished Alumnus Award honorees. Others are Gary Farmer, Bill Gurley, Fran Harris, Richard Reddick and Lynn Utter.
Angel Reyes & Associates: Law firm focused on car and truck accidents opens an office in Arlington.
IKS Health: Appoints Kathryn Weismantel Chief Marketing Officer and Chtisti Braun Chief Legal and Compliance Officer.
DFW Business Council: Names Pam Nelson, CEO of Bracane, its Business Advocate of the Year.
817 Biz is formatted for viewing on mobile devices. If this email doesn’t look right, click the link at top right. Some links may expire after initial posting or be paywall-protected.


