Tales From the Crypt

One Texan keeps it weird with macabre Goodwill donation

One Austinite is keeping things weird with a bizarre charitable donation. On August 27, the Austin Police Department issued a statement asking for the public's assistance in locating a person who donated a human skull to a Goodwill on North Lamar Boulevard.

Detective Derek Israel of the homicide unit stated during a press conference that the skull was discovered by Goodwill employees on July 16. The charity then contacted APD, who turned over the skull to the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office.

"The medical examiner here in Travis County has a responsibility to try to identify the identity of any human remains and the circumstances under which the person died," said Israel. "So they requested the assistance of the police department in trying to find out who the person is that made this donation."

The skull and its container could have been donated at any time this year. And because items can simply be dropped of at Goodwill, there is no paperwork or receipt to help identify the person who donated the skull. It was handled by several employees, so it would be difficult to identify anyone through fingerprints.

The medical examiner's office hasn't released a report on the skull, but Israel said it belonged to an adult. At this time, it is not believed to be involved in any crime or foul play; it's more likely that the skull was part of a private collection or an anatomical model.

"I'm sure that person's going to remember having donated that," said Israel.

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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