Governor taps Tarrant Comissioner; Elbit, Sikorsky win big deals; Carshon's best deli in TX?

Volvo Autonomous Solutions and DHL Supply Chain kicked off autonomous truck operations in Texas during December, using the Aurora Driver hardware and software. Autonomous trucks operated by the companies are running between Dallas and Houston, and Fort Worth and El Paso.

Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky business unit secured a $375.9-million modification contract for UH-60M and HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters. The award is from the Army Contracting Command. The work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2027.

It appears brother-sister twins Will Churchill and Corrie Watson may have sold Frank Kent Country, their GMC and Chevrolet dealership in Corsicana. A social media post from Will read, “We are now all in on Cadillac with a one brand focus.”

So long excessive overdraft fees. A federal rule has been finalized to cap how much banks can charge customers in overdraft fees. It’ll take effect in October 2025 and is projected to save Americans up to $5 billion annually. 

Lonestar Compounding Pharmacy is preparing to open mid-March as part of the HCA Medical City Alliance campus, according to Community Impact. It will feature a pharmacy with sterile space for compounding and a small retail office in a nearly 4,000-square-foot space.

In search for the gift of time: An Arlington couple has gone public with a life-and-death request. Pat Svacina, director of community relations at the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, turned to social media in search of a kidney donor.

Fort Worth-based Elbit Systems of America has completed its acquisition of Sparton Corporation from an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management for $380 million.

Boswell High School grad, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alex Nottingham, has joined the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region, which is preparing to support the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 20. 

Monday mansion: This two-story post-modern industrial home has views of Lake Veridian in north Arlington. The four-bedroom, 3.5+ bathroom, 5,670 square foot estate is listed for $2.7 million.

Waxing poetic: Last Friday, we told you CEO Chris Morris was leaving Dave & Buster's. Turns out he is the new CEO and Board Chair of European Wax Center. Dave Berg is stepping down as CEO of European Wax, but remaining on the Board. 

Snippets:

• The Fort Worth Botanic Garden celebrates its 90th birthday with free admission Wednesday.

• Park Place Dealerships gave $100k to 21 D-FW non-profits, including six in Tarrant County.

• Taste of Home magazine names Fort Worth’s Carshon's the best deli in Texas. 

• After second-quarter results, is Grapevine-based GameStop stock a boom, bust, or blah opportunity? 

The Supreme Court is conducting a pilot program in which members of the public may apply for Courtroom seating through an online lottery. Courtroom seating will also be available to the public on a first-come, first-seated basis.

President-elect Donald Trump said on Meet the Press he won't attempt to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whose term ends May 2026. During his first term, Trump was critical of Powell's monetary policy decisions.

The skinny on beer sales: Michelob Ultra has surpassed Bud Light as the U.S.’ most popular beer on tap at bars.

Gen Z loves malls: 63% of CNBC respondents plan to make holiday purchases at physical stores. Gen Z, generally thought to span ages 13 to 28, makes up about 20% of the U.S. population, or roughly 69 million people.

Google released its “Year in Search” findings and the top five most-searched people were:

1. President-elect Donald Trump

2. Catherine, Princess of Wales

3. Vice President Kamala Harris

4. Imane Khelif (Algerian boxer from the Olympics)

5. Joe Biden

Science says dogs can be trained to “talk” with humans. A study analyzed data from 152 dogs trained by their owners to use soundboards, where buttons are pressed to produce words or phrases. No surprise, the most-pressed buttons in the study were: “Go outside,” “Treat,” “Food,” and “Play.”

Believe it or not: Bible sales are up 22% in the U.S. through October, compared with the same period last year, according to book tracker Circana BookScan. By contrast, total U.S. print book sales were up less than 1% in that period. (WSJ)

Significant stat: The ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” were sold for $28 million at a live auction in Dallas.

Daily digit: 9.6 million = number of TikTok followers for cookie brand Crumbl; Starbucks has 2.2 million. Crumbl has more than 30 social media team members.

Announcements:

• Texas: Gov. Greg Abbott appoints Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez to be Chair of the Texas Juvenile Justice Board.

• Navitus Health Solutions: Hires Les Hicks as Art Director.

• Counsel Press: Hires Janet Bennett as Appellate Counsel for clients.

• Texas Digestive Disease Consultants-Willow Park: Hires Dr. Angela Saunders, a board-certified gastroenterologist.

• Cyclyx International: Appoints Chris Yandell Chief Executive Officer.

• Schreiner University: Hires Alan Liebrecht as VP for Enrollment Management. He had been VP of enrollment, marketing and communications at Texas Wesleyan University.

• Prairie View A&M University: Awards Renika Atkins its W.R. Banks Graduate Fellowship (Presidential) Scholarship.

• Cook Children’s: Executive VP/Chief Medical Officer James “Jim” Cunningham is retiring.

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