Hottest headlines of 2023

Bugs, billionaires, and population boom bolster 10 most-read Dallas city life stories of 2023

Dallas loves to gaze upon Dallas.

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Editor's note: As we look back at the top city life stories that captivated our readers in 2023, we see one topic that eclipsed them all: Dallas-Fort Worth's population explosion. Aspirational readers also ate up a list of local billionaires and stories about the wealthiest suburbs. The one story that landed high atop the list, though, was about the leggy crane flies that arrived in droves last spring. Here are the 10 most-read city life stories of 2023:

1. Crane flies have landed ever so lightly in Dallas, which means one thing.The crane flies arrived in Dallas in March, and this year, they were here in droves. Fragile, leggy, and whisper-light, crane flies are most often found around streams and lakes. But at certain times of year, they show up in urban areas, hovering and bobbing around houses and doorways. Spring 2023 was that time.

2. Dallas-Fort Worth population headed toward jaw-dropping milestone by 2028. Dallas drivers, prepare to share the roads with nearly a million more people. An analysis in July predicted Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's population could cross the 8 million threshold in the next five years, swelling to nearly 8.5 million total residents.

3. Dallas neighbor booms as 6th fastest-growing U.S. college town, report says. Dallas might be one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S., but there's one North Texas city that's outdoing it in a different category of population growth. A study released in September by university scholarship website BrokeScholar deemed Denton the No. 6 fastest-growing college town in the country.

4. Elite Dallas enclave makes bank as 4th richest small town in U.S., report says. University Park packed some new prestige into its compact 3.73 square miles, ranking No. 4 on a list of the wealthiest small towns in America. In June, the number crunchers at GoBankingRates.com analyzed income data from the U.S. Census Bureau for towns with 500 to 15,000 households across the country to come up with the richest small towns in every state, ranked from lowest to highest income.

5. 4 Dallas-Fort Worth universities earn top spots on new list of best U.S. colleges. Four Dallas-Fort Worth area universities rose through the ranks in a highly anticipated list of the country's best universities published in September. Niche, an education review and ranking website, deemed Southern Methodist University the fifth best college in Texas. It was joined by three more local schools.

6. 19 Dallas-Fort Worth billionaires land on Forbes' 2023 list of richest Americans. Austin's Elon Musk and Michael Dell are the richest people in Texas, but Dallas-Fort Worth billionaires are not far behind, according to theForbes 400, a list of the 400 richest people in the United States for 2023, released in October.

7. 2 freeway shutdowns this weekend in northeast Dallas of I-635 and US-75. A portion of I-635 was closed in all directions the weekend of December 2-3. In the same weekend, all lanes of southbound US 75 were closed at the I-635 junction for a sign maintenance project.

8. Dallas-Fort Worth could be biggest metro in U.S. by year 2100, new report says. Start spreading the news: Dallas-Fort Worth will eclipse New York City as the biggest metro area by the year 2100, a report predicted. An analysis by moving services site moveBuddha published June 22 said the Metroplex's population could swell to 33.91 million people in the next 77 years.

9. Cool Dallas mid-century hotel off I-35 gets funding to become apartments. Developers of the historic Cabana Hotel, the distinctive mid-century Dallas lodging where the Beatles once stayed, received a $41 million go-ahead from the Dallas City Council in late September to turn the building into apartments.

10. Wealthy Dallas suburb boasts the 3rd biggest holiday spenders in U.S. According to a November study by Wallethub, Santa's gonna be working overtime to fulfill the orders for residents of Frisco this holiday season. The personal finance experts have determined Frisco is the U.S. city with the No. 3 biggest holiday spending budget in 2023. Shoppers in the affluent Dallas suburb are expected to spend $3,546 this festive season.

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Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."