Trips for Troops Helps Families Reconnect
A North Texas woman has started a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping bridge the gap between the end of a deployment and the reunion with family by providing vacations during this transitional time, the Carrollton Leader reports. Trips for Troops aims to help military families reconnect after being separated by sending them on vacation together. “Our goal is just to help these military families, because the divorce rate is so high,” said Lorianne de La Vega, the organization's founder and executive director. Click here to read this story from the Carrollton Leader.
Mesquite Man Missing Since Monday Found at Garland Walmart
An 18-year-old disabled Mesquite man was found Tuesday night at a Walmart in Garland, the Dallas Morning News reports. Nelson Velasquez, 18, who can’t hear or speak and is described by his family as “mentally challenged,” was found at about 10 p.m. by Garland police outside of a Walmart on the Bush Turnpike. He was reunited with his family and did not appear harmed. Click here to read this story from the Dallas Morning News.
N. Texas Nurse Aims to Inspire Others Through Medical Mission Trips
A University Park resident has dedicated herself to serving twice a year on health care missions to impoverished or Third World countries, Park Cities People reports. All the missions she’s been on thus far have a twist, though: She does a good deal of her volunteer work from the confines of a ship. The longtime surgical nurse has traveled to the Amazon River, Nigeria and Micronesia -- in just the past two years. Click here to read this story from Park Cities People.
Dallas Students 'Excited' to Film Obama Documentary
Seven Lincoln High School students are heading to the presidential inauguration next week to make a documentary about the experience. Each student will get a highly coveted ticket to see President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20. The students all study radio, television and film at Lincoln. They will have cameras with them in Washington, D.C., to capture the moment. Click here to read this story on NBCDFW.com.
Texas Is a Good Place To Be, Report Says
The Texas economy fared much better than the United States' during November 2007 to November 2008, gaining 222,900 jobs and increasing its labor force by 2.1 percent, The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University reports. During the same period, more than two million U.S. jobs were lost, representing 1.5 percent of its labor force. The report also says that despite recent oil price decreases, the state’s mining industry continues to gain jobs. It ranked first in job creation, followed by professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, education and health services and construction. Click here to read this story from The Real Estate Center.
