• Plano, TX

Boy Scouts vote to end ban on gay members

 

The National Executive Committee for theBoy Scouts of America voted on Thursday to lift the ban on gay members in the Irving-based organization in a meeting at theGaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine.

The organization said that 61 percent of the roughly 1,400 members of the Boy Scouts National Council voted to end the prohibition, effective on Jan. 1, 2014. The ban on gay adults in the organization was not up for a vote and remains in place, the Scouts said.

"Today, following this review, the most comprehensive listening exercise in Scouting's history the approximate 1,400 voting members of the Boy Scouts of America's National Council approved a resolution to remove the restriction denying membership to youth on the basis of sexual orientation alone," 


IVF 'may be boosted by time-lapse embryo imaging'

 

Time-lapse imaging which takes thousands of pictures of developing embryos can boost the success rate of IVF, according to British research.

The method, reported in Reproductive BioMedicine Online, can be used to select embryos at low risk of defects.

Scientists at the CARE fertility group say such informed selection can improve birth rates by 56%.

Other experts say the result is exciting, but the study of 69 couples is too small to be definitive.


Texas law prevents shelter animals from being euthanized in gas chambers

 

The gas chambers will soon be gone.

Now that there’s a new law on the books protecting stray cats and dogs at shelters from dying by carbon monoxide poisoning — as they have in some Texas communities for decades — those chambers will be mothballed.

This leaves lethal injection as the only legal way to euthanize a shelter animal.

“While I cringe at the thought of any animal being put down, I want to ensure that it is being done in the most humane way,” said state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville, who carried the bill in the House. “Texas is already trending away from using gas as a means for euthanasia, and this bill will further that effort by preventing the use altogether.”


Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/18/4867591/new-texas-law-prevents-shelter.html#storylink=cpy

Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano

 

Newcomer Friends of Greater Plano will hold its June meeting at Collin College, Courtyard Center, 4800 Preston Park Blvd.,   Plano, TX  75093  on Tuesday,  June 11, 2013.

Refreshments  at 9:30 am .

Program  at 10:00 am .

Renowned educator, author and book reviewer Sharron Lucky will speak on how to develop our "multiple intelligences."

Visitors are welcome.

Go to  www.newcomerfriends.org  for more information regarding this women's social club.

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where: Collin College, Courtyard Center,
when: Tuesday, Jun 11
until: Tuesday, Jun 11

Dallas Stars to unveil new uniform, logo in rebranding effort

 

The Dallas Stars plan to update the team's look with a new uniform design, as well as a new logo in a rebranding effort aimed at bringing renewed attention to the National Hockey League club.

Ever since Stars Owner Tom Gaglardipurchased the team a year-and-a-half ago, the club has been working on a rebranding effort that will bring the team back to its hockey roots, President and CEO Jim Litessaid.

The Stars plans to unveil the new logo and uniform at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4th at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.



Childhood ADHD tied to adult obesity

 

Boys who are diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in elementary school are more likely to grow up to be obese adults than those who don’t have the condition, a new study suggests.

Researchers surveyed two groups of 41-year-old men and found those with a history of ADHD were 19 pounds heavier than their non-ADHD counterparts, on average.

The findings are consistent with past studies that looked only at children or only at adults and linked ADHD to extra pounds, researchers said.


Dallas area home prices continue to rise as inventory dwindles

 

Dallas area home prices rose 7 percent year-over-year this spring to a median home price of $169,900, even as housing inventory continued to dwindle.

North Texas' housing inventory, or homes listed for sale on the market, decreased 33 percent, according to a report released Tuesday from ZipRealty, which measured MLS housing data from Feb. 15-March 15.

The rising home prices, coupled with the dwindling number of listings, has created a frenzy that's being seen not just in Dallas, but throughout the country, said Lanny Baker, president and CEO of ZipRealty.


NTSB wants states to lower legal blood-alcohol standard

 

AUSTIN — Ordering that second frozen margarita could be a ticket to jail for some motorists, if states go along with the latest recommendation from a safety group that wants to redefine drunk driving.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday recommended that states lower the threshold for driving while intoxicated to a blood-alcohol content of .05. Today in Texas and most other states, motorists are generally considered too drunk to drive with a BAC of .08 or more.

If that amount was changed to .05, a woman weighing less than 120 pounds could be intoxicated if she downed more than one drink in an hour. For a 180-pound man, the limit would be two drinks in an hour


Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/05/14/4850094/taking-away-the-keys-ntsb-wants.html#storylink=cpy

House Democrats kill welfare drug testing bill, and about 50 others

 

House Democrats killed a bill Tuesday night that would have required welfare recipients to undergo drug screenings and potential drug tests to receive benefits.

By raising five points of order, filing amendments and drawing out debate, Democrats chewed up more than two hours of precious time on a night when all Senate-approved bills would die without an initial vote before midnight.

“We believe, simply, that this bill is wrong,” said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie. “This bill singles out some of the least fortunate in our state for what essentially is a stigmatizing test.”

Senate Bill 11 died when midnight struck, as did about 50 Senate bills behind it.