This Week's Hot Headlines

Richest city in North Texas tops this week's 5 most popular Dallas stories

The multitiered pool and spa have a resort-like feel.

Ebby Halliday/Shoot 2 Sell

Editor's note: A lot happened this week, so here's your chance to get caught up. Read on for the week's most popular headlines. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Find that list here.

1. Wealthy Dallas neighbor rakes in No. 3 spot among America's richest cities. Frisco may be the home base of the Dallas Cowboys, the richest team in the NFL, but it’s also home to some of the richest people in the country. A recent ranking from data provider HomeSnacks puts Frisco at No. 3 among the richest big cities in the U.S. Four other DFW cities also made the top 50.

2. Shaquille O'Neal slam dunks into Dallas-Fort Worth with new million-dollar mansion in the 'burbs. There's a new Big Man on Campus around North Texas — a really, really big man. NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal has purchased a home in Carrollton ahead of the anticipated expansion of his Big Chicken restaurants in Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. And he's already being a good neighbor.

3. Infamous sailboat built by shady Dallas contractor is on the auction block. One of Dallas' most famous boats is on the auction block: Named the Whitmar, it's a sailboat belonging to Dallas contractor James Allen "Jim" Benge, and it's being auctioned off in a bankruptcy settlement.

4. Venerable sub shop on Dallas' Lemmon Ave to close but bagels are coming. There's a real closing date for The Great American Hero, the longtime sub shop at 4001 Lemmon Ave. The shop will close in mid-August, and will relocate. Not to worry, the space has already been leased by a new tenant: Shug's Bagels.

5. New shop Rings Donuts determined to make the best doughnuts in Dallas. An exciting new shop with must-try doughnuts has landed in Dallas near Preston Center. Called Rings Donuts, it's an independently-owned startup now open at 6053 Sherry Ln., with a noble goal: to make the best doughnuts in Dallas.

Gotta have a pool in Frisco.

5009 Spanish Oaks home for sale in Frisco

Ebby Halliday/Shoot 2 Sell

Gotta have a pool in Frisco.

RIP Joe

Texas country music singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer, and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

According to a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife Sharon, and daughter Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings."

Read the full story at KVUE.com.

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