December 21, 2011

Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) welcomes Dallas' newest resident Khloe Kardashian with a flag flown over the Capitol.  Ms. Kardashian, having only been in Dallas for a week, held a holiday toy drive at Dallas City Hall benefiting Children's Medical Center of Dallas.

Rep. Branch spoke at the main commencement ceremonies at the University of Texas at Tyler on December 17, 2011.  Thousands of friends and families were on hand to cheer on graduates of the Colleges of Business, Technology, Education, Psychology, Engineering and Computer Science.

Rep. Branch visited the campus of UT Health Science Center at Tyler on December 16, 2011.  Accompanied by Dr. Kirk Calhoun, President of UTHSC-Tyler, Branch met with faculty and GME students completing training in several fields and toured some of the facilities on site.

December 18, 2011

Press Release

The University of Texas at Tyler will hold fall 2011 commencement ceremonies Dec. 16 and 17, President Rodney H. Mabry announced.

The commencement schedule is:

College of Nursing and Health Sciences – 3 p.m. Dec. 16

College of Arts and Sciences – 6 p.m. Dec. 16

College of Business and Technology – 10 a.m. Dec. 17; and

Colleges of Education and Psychology and Engineering and

Computer Science – 1 p.m. Dec. 17

Commencement speakers and the ceremonies during which they will speak are:

Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), House Higher Education Committee chair – Colleges of Business and Technology, Education and Psychology and Engineering and Computer Science

December 16, 2011

Leslie Minora

The Green Dragon takes its inaugural spin.

Back in June, the plot of land near the Cityplace DART station at Haskell and N. Central Expressway was a vacant lot with a big hole and a big plan. It would be the future site of a trolley turntable, a novelty attraction to be sure, but with the purpose of redirecting an expanding fleet in one direction, instead of backward and forward like the current inventory of vintage streetcars.

Last night, the new turntable had its first go-round, rotating a car packed with those who had helped move the project from concept to reality. The station lit up in neon as the Green Dragon trolley, decorated with garland, slowly rotated. To someone unfamiliar with Dallas's recent propensity for viva Las Vegasing, the turntable may have looked more like a landing pad for UFOs with the darting laser lights around its circumference. But the hyper-modern display was only meant to highlight the subject of the fuss, the trolleys from the early 1900s.

December 12, 2011    

Mike Hailey    

Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III capped off one of the most spectacular seasons in the history of sports at any level Saturday when he captured the Heisman Trophy in a glorious night on Broadway in New York City.

December 5, 2011    

Steve Levine    

Fifteen Texas legislators picked up TMA’s Friends of Medicine award at the retreat for their relentless energy, dedication, and steady leadership on behalf of Texas’ patients and physicians during the 2011 session. Since 1995, TMA has honored lawmakers who have gone above and beyond to champion important legislation on behalf of Texas patients. TEXPAC Board Chair Joe Todd, MD, and Candidate Evaluation Committee Chair Jerry Hunsaker, MD, hosted the awards dinner, which began with some political prognostications from Texas Monthly Senior Editor Paul Burka. From the House, the winners were State Reps. Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas), John Davis (R-Houston), Sarah Davis (R-West University Place), Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi), Susan King (R-Abilene), Elliot Naishtat (D-Austin), Charles Schwertner, MD (R-Georgetown), Mark Shelton, MD (R-Fort Worth), Vicki Truitt (R-Keller), and John Zerwas, MD (R-Richmond). On the Senate side, the friends are State Sens. Bob Deuell, MD (R-Greenville), Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), Juan Hinojosa (D-McAllen), Joan Huffman (R-Southside Place), and Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound).