🌱Arlington Settles In Splashpad Death + Irving Most Affordable?

Hello Irving, welcome to the last day in March. Let’s catch up on all the news you need to start the day.

First, today's weather:

Cloudy with sunbreaks. High: 73 Low: 47

Here are the top five stories today in Irving:

1. The City of Irving is making a special effort to convince residents to register to vote. They remind people that the last day to register is April 7 for the May 7 general election in which several city council positions are on the ballot. Registration information and voting options are available on the Dallas County Elections website.
2. The City of Arlington settled a suit with the family of a three-year-old who was infected with brain-eating amoeba at a splash pad. The boy, Bakari Williams, died in September after developing a brain infection after playing at the splash pad at Don Misenhimer Park. In the ensuing investigation the city found that park employees failed to perform appropriate water quality testing. The city approved a quarter of a million dollar settlement for the family. (Fox 4 news)
3. The Irving Hispanic Chamber partnered with AMBEST to host a special day of recognition for civic superstars. The occasion was the 3rd annual #BigHeroDay. Members of the police and fire departments were celebrated with a cookout. (Twitter)
4. The owners of Pax & Beneficia, a local coffee shop chain, are opening their third location in Grapevine. The second shop in Fort Worth opened last year. The very first location was in Las Colinas in 2019. (Dallas Morning News; subscription required.)
5. Irving is among the top northern Texas cities with the most affordable housing. As housing prices skyrocket around the county, Irving residents are paying 33% of their incomes for housing, lower than the Dallas average of 38.65%. The survey also found that Irving ranked 44th in average income for the nation’s 100 largest cities compared to Dallas, which was ranked 22nd in the same survey. (Irving Chamber)

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Today in Irving:

• Baby Bookworms are meeting at the South Irving Library, 601 Schulze Drive, for a lap-sit story time with gentle activities including songs and fingerplay. Storytime begins at 10:30 a.m. Children from 0 to 15 months are welcome to attend with a parent.
• Online Diversity Job Fair today from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is sponsored by Diversityx, which claims to represent start ups as well as Fortune 500 companies looking to hire. The event requires online registration.
• See the new movie "Morbius" at the Alamo Draft House Cinema, 320 West Las Colinas Boulevard, building A2 in Las Colinas. The movie follows enigmatic antihero, Dr. Michael Morbius, who developed a cure for a rare blood disease that has, well, a few super-powered side effects. Will the good doctor fight his dark urges or will he give in to them? Multiple showings are available, starting at 4 p.m.

From my notebook:

• Irving Art Association’s galleries at Jaycee Park Center for the Arts, 1975 Puritan Drive, has just announced the workshops, classes and meetups through the month of April. Some have fees attached but some are free. Review the classes and requirements here.
• If you, your family or one of your neighbors is experiencing food insecurity, the City of Irving wants to help. There are six food pantries in Irving and a list of them can be found here. All required identification and proof of residency.

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• Estate Planning Webinar (April 4)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (April 4)
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• Relax and Rejuvenate with Parkway Therapy (Details)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday. I'll see you around!

— Merlin Douglass