Good morning, North Texas,

Let’s start with some fun trivia, inspired by the wedding of the year. Over Fourth of July Weekend, pop star Taylor Swift married Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Now, we know the North Texans who attended, as well as other celebrities who played a role. Adam Sandler as the officiant?! That’s pretty epic, but I would expect nothing less from these larger-than-life superstars.

When the wedding venue was revealed, my first thought was, “Who gets married at Madison Square Garden?” The rarity of this was later confirmed—there have been only two other weddings at the iconic music hall, and one was of a North Texas native. 😯

In 1974, Denton-born funk legend Sly Stone married model Kathy Silva on the MSG stage in front of 23,000 fans and then performed an entire set list. Then, in 1984, the venue hosted the largest mass wedding in history, with the head pastor of the Unification Church officiating the marriages of 2,075 couples. 🤯 Swift and Kelce made wedding No. 3.

DFW’s largest event venue is AT&T Stadium, and you may be surprised to learn that weddings happen there all the time. The minimum cost is listed at $10,000 with a range up to $500,000. You can rent out some of the 22 event spaces within the stadium, including the 50-yard line or the Cowboys locker room. Talk about star-studded! Here’s a photo from a recent wedding.

Now, let’s get into some local news. 

International Newcomer Academy closed its doors on May 21, 2026. (Noemi Castanon/Courier Texas)

By Noemi Castanon

International Newcomer Academy, which served immigrant and refugee students in North Texas, opened its doors to Fort Worth families in 1993. But after 33 years, the Fort Worth Independent School District’s newly appointed board of managers voted to close INA in a unanimous decision on April 28, 2026. 

“Myself, being an immigrant into this country, I wish we would have had places like this coming in,” Juan Carlos Guerrero, an in-school suspension and on-campus intervention teacher, told Courier Texas. “It provided a sense of belonging.”

Fort Worth ISD was taken over by the state in October 2025 after one of Fort Worth’s campuses—Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center—received a failing accountability rating for five consecutive school years. The takeover has led to mass cuts and campus closures, including INA.

“The district cares very little about the disservice they’re doing to special populations, students with disabilities, and students with language barriers,” Guerrero said.

🤢 Foodborne illness on the rise: Texas has reported 48 cases of Cyclospora, a foodborne illness caused by a parasite that could cause gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea. Unwashed produce is the suspected source. Here’s how the outbreak has moved throughout the country. (NBC 5)

🧑‍⚕️ Help on the way: A Texas federal judge has ordered that mentally ill inmates deemed incompetent to stand trial must now have their competency restored in psychiatric care facilities before criminal proceedings. Those who’ve been left untreated while awaiting trial have developed additional issues, stayed imprisoned longer, and have even died from lack of care. (KERA)

💔 Houston ICE shooting: A Houston construction worker was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during a traffic stop on Tuesday. Learn more about what happened and the pending investigation here.

🍽️ Restaurant revivals: After some tough losses, our local restaurant scene is blooming again. Here are some spots that opened in June, including the return of a beloved charcuterie shop that closed down in 2023. (Dallas Observer)

🌋 Blue Bell’s new flavor: Yesterday, Blue Bell announced an explosive new ice cream flavor—chocolate lava cake. For a limited time, it’ll be available in all the usual stores in half-gallon and pint sizes. (WFAA)

🤑 Tax-free weekend: Mark your calendars. Tax-free weekend starts in less than a month. Plan to maximize this suspension on items under $100. Click here for more on how the weekend will work. 

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere with reporting from Noemi Castanon. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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