Randy Eisenman takes Wings; GE on Wing talks $50M; Snoop Dogg & Pitbull in business news?

Fort Worth businessman Randy Eisenman has purchased 1/2 percent of the WNBA's Dallas Wings for $1.04 million, giving the team an enterprise value of $208 million, a league high. Sports Business Journal reported the Wings’ impending move to downtown Dallas; a proposed practice facility; prohibitive gains this season in attendance and sponsorships; a presumptive new local TV contract; and the league’s upcoming $2.2 billion-plus media rights deal — have turned the team into, at worst, an upper echelon franchise.

Fernando Costa, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth since 2008, will retire in September, the city announced. He has been a leader in Fort Worth's urban development and planning processes and oversees three departments: Diversity & Inclusion, Neighborhood Services, and the Water Department. A week ago, City Manager David Cooke announced his retirement in February 2025.

Tomorrow, Fort Worth will consider a settlement in the amount of $5.2 million for former Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald, who was terminated in May 2019. He sued the city under the Texas Whistleblower Act, alleging that he was terminated for reporting violations of law. The city denied all claims. The settlement includes a full release of claims against the city and no admission of liability by the city. Also to be voted Tuesday are proposed settlements for two former information technology employees. William Birchett and Roland Burke also sued under the Texas Whistleblower Act. Birchett’s proposed settlement is $2.4 million, and Burke’s proposed settlement is $2 million.

The Mansfield Economic Development Corp. said Infinity Sound is one of a handful of companies that have expressed interest in supporting its 72-acre Super Studios film development. Seth Bodine of the Dallas Business Journal reports that Infinity Sound, an audio-visual, theatrical lighting and rigging company, is planning to build a 23,000-square-foot headquarters at 411 Easy Dr. in Mansfield. The company had previously been located in Grand Prairie.

GE on Wing Support, a full-service provider of aircraft engine maintenance and repair, and a legal entity of GE Aerospace, has approached Fort Worth about incentives for an expansion that could reach $50 million. 

Dallas to Fort Worth or vice versa may be a step closer. The Regional Transportation Council approved about $1.65 million to study an alternate route for the proposed train. An earlier route through Dallas was controversial. About $12.1 million in Surface Transportation Block Grant funds have been approved for the project.

Tarantula Corporation announced the acquisition of all Texas Central Railroad stock from Birdsong Corporation. Since December 11, 1998, Fort Worth & Western Railroad Company has leased and operated the Texas Central Railroad. With this acquisition, FWWR will transition from lessee to ownership.

The Ballot Verifier program's creators say it will let Tarrant County residents view cast ballots while keeping personal information about voters private. The site is currently live; try it here.

Jack Raskopf, who had a storied career before spending 35 years at TCU, has passed at 98. In the early 1970s, Raskopf became a professor of advertising and public relations at TCU, where, for a time, he served as the chair of the Journalism Department. He officially retired three times from TCU, the last time at the age of 80.

Stagecoach Ballroom, a mainstay for country ballroom dancing at 2516 E. Belknap, has been given a historical marker by the Texas Historic Commission.

Governor Abbott has ordered public hospitals in Texas to collect information regarding the costs of medical care provided to undocumented immigrants starting Nov 1, 2024. Spectrum News reported he will seek reimbursement from the Feds. 

Miami native Pitbull, Mr. 305, purchased naming rights for Florida International University's football stadium. Here are three more potential celebrity stadium purchases that seem rather obvious.

Believe it or not: 41-year-old Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez, in his sixth Summer Olympics, became the first Olympian to win five gold medals in the same individual event. After securing a place in the history books, he left his shoes on the mat to signal his retirement.

Significant stat: Commercial air travel keeps getting safer. The fatality rate fell to 1 per every 13.7 million passenger boardings globally in the 2018-2022 period, a major improvement from 1 per 7.9 million boardings in 2008-2017, according to a paper by researchers from MIT.

Snippets:

• Tarrant County College releases its 2024 State of the College. 

• Costco to require shoppers to scan their membership cards upon entry, in an effort to crack down on card-sharing

Announcements: 

• Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership: Hires Chelsea Griffith as VP of Investor Relations. 

• National Small Business Association Leadership Council: Adds FW Council member Michael Crain. 

• Girls Inc.: Adds to board -- Alicia Duran, Chief Financial Officer at Performing Arts Fort Worth; Deborah Su, Trolley General Manager for Arlington Entertainment Area Management District; and Taunya Williams, Chief of Staff at the UNT Health Science Center.

• American National Bank: Adds Carolann Morris as Sr. VP Commercial Lending.

• Civitas Capital Group: Hires Eric Celeste as Director of Communications and Public Policy.

• AddRan College of Liberal Arts Board of Visitors: Adds Kelly Hart attorney Jenny Rosell.

• TCU basketball: Hires Nolan Wilson as assistant women's coach.

• Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors: Governor Abbott appoints Sean K. Shahkarami, Founder/CEO of Opilio.