This Week's Hot Headlines

New Dallas lunch spots and teacher Twitter fail top 5 most popular stories this week

Editor's note: Another week has come and gone, and there's a lot we all probably missed. But we're looking out for you, kid. Here are the most popular stories from this past week:

1. North Texas teacher to lose job for tweeting 'kill yourselves' to 'crackers.' Duncanville ISD discharged English teacher Vinita Hegwood over a profanity-laced tweet she sent on November 7. "Who the f*** made you dumb duck ass crackers think I give a squat about your opinions about my opinions RE: #Ferguson? Kill yourselves," the now-deleted tweet read.

2. Ballyhooed Preston Hollow Village reveals first round of restaurants and shops. Preston Hollow Village, the much chattered-about, mixed-use development at the northwest corner of Walnut Hill and Central Expressway, has released an official list of phase 1 restaurants and retail stores that will open in early 2015, including Trader Joe's and Orangetheory Fitness.

3. Texas Rangers beat Navy SEAL impersonator at his own game with fake award. An elaborate law enforcement sting operation led to the arrest of a 29-year-old man who was parading around North Texas as a Navy SEAL. Carlos Felipe Luna-Gonzalez is charged with falsely representing himself as an active-duty Navy SEAL and for accepting an award as a result of his fictitious service.

4. Where to eat in Dallas right now: 10 best new lunch spots. Of all the meals out there, lunch is the most flexible. It can be the getaway from work or an interview for work. It can be a rendezvous with your lady or a lunch with the ladies. But however you use your lunch, you'll want to keep up on the newest places to get it. Here's our list.

5. NBA All-Star Chris Bosh wants to unload his Dallas condo for $3.9 million. Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh has put his Dallas condo on the market. The 4,257-square-foot residence at the Ritz-Carlton used to belong to Dallas Symphony Orchestra musical director Jaap Van Zweden and violinist Michael Guttman. Bosh paid $3 million for it last October and is now listing it for $3.9 million.

Cuban sandwich is on the new lunch menu at Knife.

Photo courtesy of Knife

Cuban sandwich is on the new lunch menu at Knife.

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FIRE STARTER

Dallas chef will bring the heat with Bobby Flay on Food Network BBQ Brawl

Tim McLaughlin/Facebook

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Bobby Flay is bringing beef to Texas, and he’ll have some Dallas starpower in his crew: Pitmaster Tim McLaughlin of Crossbuck BBQ in Farmers Branch will be on the famed chef’s team when Food Network's BBQ Brawl returns on May 11.

They'll be joined by fellow Texas chef Braunda Smith of Lucy Coopers Ice House in San Antonio.

Now entering its seventh season, the Texas barbecue series follows a format similar to The Voice, pairing 12 battling chefs with team captains Flay, Maneet Chauhan, and Brooke Williamson. Each week brings a new live fire challenge, starting with creating the perfect barbecue bowl. Judges Adrienne Cheatham, Rashad Jones, and Carson Kressley will axe one competitor each week of the series, filmed at Star Hill Ranch near Austin.

Braunda Smith/ Lucy Cooper's Braunda Smith will compete on BBQ Brawl. Braunda Smith/ Facebook

McLaughlin and Smith will have some stiff competition. The roster includes pitmasters from Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, and beyond, each bringing their own regional traditions to the pit.

McLaughlin is entering the competition with less TV experience than Smith, but he does film his own "chef tip" videos in the kitchen for social media. He also appeared in a slightly longer-form series on Crossbuck's YouTube channel teaching viewers barbecue basics. McLaughlin's experience as a chef in fine dining has translated to super-sharp skills and an openness to unexpected flavors.

"I've got well over a decade of experience in fine-dining restaurants," he said in the promo. "I've got well over a decade of experience successfully cooking BBQ. I know how to cook just about everything."

His teammate Smith has an advantage over many members of the cast. She’s no stranger to reality competitions, sparring on Guy’s Grocery Games and Chopped in 2023. Although neither resulted in a win, her versatile cooking style impressed both shows’ panels.

"My BBQ reflects all the places I've lived in life: Southern, Cajun, Korean, Hawaiian, and it's got some Texas flair in there,” says Smith in the show’s promos. “You know, we kind of get overlooked a lot in San Antonio. Taking home Master of 'Cue to Lucy Cooper's would just set everything ablaze."

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