🌱Pilots' Fatigue Causes Safety Concerns + Irving's 6 Chief Candidates

Good morning Irving. We’re mid-week and mid-April and I’m Merlin Douglass, your regular guest curator with these news gems for your Thursday morning consumption.

First, today's weather:

It’s a bright and shiny sunny day or so they tell me. High: 79 Low: 48

Here are the top five stories today in Irving:

1. The pilots' union for locally-headquartered Southwest Airlines says fatigue among pilots could be becoming a safety problem. The rate of pilots calling in too tired to fly increased 330% in March 2022 compared to pre-pandemic numbers. The organization blames poor scheduling practices, although a Southwest spokesperson says they've adjusted their scheduling practices and poor weather is actually the culprit behind the numbers. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
2. The grocery store Albertson's is coming back to Irving after a 15-year absence. They are taking over the vacant space that Fiesta Mart left a couple of years ago. The Boise-based retailer hasn’t opened a new store in Irving since 2007. (Dallas Morning News; subscription required)
3. Irving residents are invited to meet the final six candidates for the new Chief of Police at a community open house on Monday, April 18 from 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. at the Irving Convention Center, 500 W. Las Colinas Boulevard. Three of the candidates are from Irving but the other three hail from further away. The article names each of the candidates and gives a brief statement of their qualifications. (Irving Weekly)
4. Irving tied two other US cities as the most increasingly diverse city in the nation, tying with High Point, North Carolina, and Kent, Washington, according to Prepy, a language-learning platform. The company relied on US Census data to reach its conclusions. Factors being considered included racial distribution, multiracial identification, bilingual identity and percentage of foreign born population. (KOMO)
5. Oak Cliff Artist Arthello Beck Jr. is set to receive special accolades from the City of Dallas. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

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Today in Irving:

• Baby Bookworms are wiggling into the South Irving library, 602 Schultze Drive, today for songs and activities to build early literacy skills. The event takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and is geared towards children from birth to pre-walkers and their grown ups. Parents or caregivers who attend are encouraged to engage and participate in the activities.
• Join artist Adnan Ravzi as he leads a tour of his work, Floral Futurism at the North Lake Gallery, at the Dallas College North Lake Campus, 5001 N. MacArthur Boulevard in Irving. The tour takes place from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visiting the gallery and taking the tour are free.
• Have you taken your dog anywhere recently? No? Well the Two Mules Cantina at Texican Court, 501 W. Las Colinas Boulevard, is presenting Yappy Hour beginning Thursday evening. There is no cover charge and a portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the DFW Humane Society. There will be special drinks available and pet friendly treats as well. (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The City of Irving wants to remind residents who want to exercise in an indoor facility that they can sign up for relatively inexpensive memberships at the city’s several recreation centers. Requirements include being 18 years old, or 16 with a parent in attendance and a valid IPAR ID card at the time of purchase. Rates vary by location. (City of Irving)
• If you’ve got a little free time today, consider visiting the Grapevine Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park, 411 Ball Street, Grapevine. The peaceful and beautiful gardens open a half hour after sunrise and close a half hour before sunset. The gardens are always free unless they have been booked for an event.

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday! Ash will be back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Merlin Douglass