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đŸșTCU parties second to only one; Robo-meals at AA; Tundra gets leather treatment

+More news to keep you informed and make you smarter.

October 02, 2023

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đŸ—žïžNEWS OF THE DAY:

TCU has been named 2nd  best party school in Texas by the Wall Street Journal. In partnership with College Pulse, the Journal surveyed more than 60,000 students and recent graduates. Among other things, it asked students to rank their satisfaction with their college’s party scene. Other top party schools in Texas were Tarleton State at No. 5 and Prairie View A&M at No. 15.

TCU has had a lot to celebrate recently with an appearance in the College Football Championship game, and a trip to the College World Series.

Dave Munson, CEO of Fort Worth-based Saddleback Leather, spent six years working designs with Toyota for its 1794 Limited Edition Tundra, which will be available at dealerships in Spring 2024. Take a look.

American Airlines has a new 214,000-square-foot facility at DFW International Airport. It prepares approximately 15,000 meals a day, with the help of robots, for more than 800 flights daily. Get a taste of how it happens here.

Governor Greg Abbott announced five grants totaling nearly $2.2 million from the Texas Workforce Commission to the Keller and Arlington ISDs to work with Tarrant County College on career and technical education training programs. Keller received $1,730,285 for welding, HVAC and electrician equipment and training. Arlington received $463,243 for nursing and auto service technician training.

Supremes on Texas law: A new term begins for Supreme Court justices and they have agreed to hear whether Republican-backed laws in Florida and Texas violate social media companies’ free-speech rights by limiting their ability to decide how material is presented and requiring detailed explanations for content-moderation decisions. Trade associations argue the requirements are onerous and would leave platforms vulnerable to being overrun by spam and bullying. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Texas Governor Greg Abbott contend the rules will keep conservative voices from being silenced.

Mansion Monday: Today we look at what kind of home you can get in various parts of 817-land for $1.5 million. How about this 3-level Arlington home with multi-tiered backyard and heated pool? A Mediterranean home in Colleyville; or this classic craftsmen custom home in Fort Worth’s Park Hill neighborhood.

Senioritis 1: Fort Worth seniors are punching the clock past retirement age. According to an employment study by business website ChamberofCommerce.org, a quarter of Fort Worth seniors aged 65 and up are still employed, ranking Fort Worth the No. 31 city in the U.S. About 24,300 Fort Worth seniors are employed out of a total of 96,883 (25%). Alexandria, Va., is No. 1 with 36.8%. Dallas is 3rd with 30.3%.

Senioritis 2: A partnership between Arlington, the nonprofit Housing Channel in Fort Worth, and the University of Texas at Arlington is aiming for a housing solution for seniors. Construction is underway for Wynn Terrace Senior Cottage Community, a below market, affordable housing development in east Arlington with a dozen one-bedroom homes under 600 square feet for seniors who meet lower-income guidelines.

“I have to admit, I’ve never seen anyone list ‘cleaning out my desk’ as a job skill.”

🏆Awards, Announcements & Promotions:

  • Laken Rapier, Chief Communications Officer for the University of North Texas System, has been named by Women We Admire as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Education of 2023. Sonia Reagins-Lilly (UT-Austin) and Becky Spurlock (UT-Permian Basin) are the other Texans on the list.

  • Woody Frossard, long-time Tarrant Regional Water District environmental guru, has been awarded the U.S. Army's Public Service Commendation Medal for his remarkable contributions. It is the fourth highest public service decoration the Army can give a citizen.

  • Citi: Names Randal Senter SVP-Sr. Technology Risk Officer.

“If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself.” 

—Charles M. Schulz, who first published the comic strip ‘Peanuts” on Oct 2, 1950

✂Snippets:

  • Weak economic numbers for Americans slip farther in September. The only other period of such sustained negativity about the economy since Gallup began measuring the index monthly in 2000 was recorded in the years during and in the few years after the 2007-2009 recession.

  • What kind of pay increases are companies budgeting for in 2024? In a Mercer Compensation Planning Survey, employers plan merit pay increases of 3.5% in 2024, down from 3.8% in 2023.

  • Daily digit: 690 - That’s how many words Merriam-Webster added to its dictionary, including doggo, chef's kiss, and thirst trap. See the list here.

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