Good morning y’all,

As you know, the region is very much in a season of reinvention. Corporations and sports teams are moving around, restaurant and entertainment chains are choosing to expand here, and we’ve been constantly repurposing old spaces for modern use. 

Take this South Fort Worth Catholic school. In 1910, Our Lady of Victory Catholic School begin as a boarding school for girls, ran by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur. Because of declining enrollment and financial insecurity, the school closed in 2021, and the nuns decided they’d figure out how to use the 26-acre property for good.

Today, the campus is an affordable housing complex in a time when North Texans need options the most. Now a 90-unit building, it will not only provide housing to families making between 30% and 80% of area median income, but it will also offer free pre-K services. Isn’t that cool? It makes you think about what other community improvements could be made if we could recycle more of our old structures and abandoned lots. 

Dallas ISD is doing just that with an old high school that’s been sitting vacant for years. Scroll down to see how the district wants to repurpose the space.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discussed several titles during a Texas Senate press conference in Austin on Aug. 19. (Photo via screenshot/courtesy of Texas Senate)

By Katie Serrano

Despite affordability, immigration, and healthcare being the top issues on Texans’ minds heading into the midterm election, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has announced a new initiative to fight “dirty” books in Texas public schools.

He claims there are 2,000 inappropriate titles in Texas public school libraries, and during a press conference on Wednesday, he threatened to create a new law next legislative session that would knock a public school district’s accountability rating down one letter grade if they’re not removed from library shelves.

During the press conference and on his podcast last week, he used several titles as examples, claiming he wouldn’t even show his wife or a woman staffer pages from the books and called their content “demonic” and “pornographic.” Courier Texas delved into these titles, which are either banned in several Texas school districts or restricted to the adult section in school libraries, and analyzed them for ourselves. Here’s what we found.

The old W.H. Adamson High School has at vacant for 14 years. (Joi Louviere/ Courier Texas)

The former W.H. Adamson High School is a historical landmark and its demolition was halted last year after backlash from alumni and community members. The 1915 building is now up for grabs, as Dallas ISD is accepting redevelopment proposals and is willing to give the building over to the best idea for free.

“Dallas ISD seeks a redevelopment partner capable of preserving the historic significance of the building while delivering a sustainable public-purpose project that provides measurable benefits to the Oak Cliff community and the residents served by Dallas ISD,” reads the district’s solicitation summary.  

The Dallas ISD Board of Trustees said it’d consider donating the building, as is, for the best proposal. Got a great idea? You have until Oct. 15 to apply. 

Halbert Farm is a family-run farm . (Noemi Castanon/ Courier Texas)

By Noemi Castanon

If you’ve always wanted to play with adorable pigs, head to Burleson to snuggle up with more than 40 Kunekune pigs.

Kunekune pigs are a rare pig breed, as they’ve been threatened by extinction for more than 50 years now. Halbert Farm specializes in breeding these pigs and welcomes guests to visit them, as well as miniature zebu cows, salmon faverolle chickens, and other farm animals. Hour-and-a-half tours are offered year-round, Monday through Saturday. Tickets are $48 for adults-only tours, and children tours are also available upon request.  

Throughout the tour, Josh, the owner, will educate you about the pigs. For example, I learned that you can identify a Kunekune pig by looking for its unique wattles. Halfway through the tour we were also given drinks for refreshment. 

I visited the farm recently and loved  being able to play with the piglets, some just a couple of weeks old. These babies may try to nibble on your fingers, but it’s all in love. I was also able to feed the older pigs carrots, a treat they go crazy for. Most of the pigs know tricks, like sitting and spinning on command, and when they see a carrot in your hand they will likely perform a trick to get a treat. If you aren’t afraid of a little dirt, they also enjoy when you lie down with them and give them belly rubs. 

All of the other farm animals are very friendly and playful, as well. If you enjoy animals and being out in nature, I’d recommend going this fall for a cooler date with these cuddly Texans.

If you meet an animal and fall in love, you’re in luck—you can adopt most of the animals you see. Tap here to see what cuties are available. 

Have you had fun animal experiences in DFW? Let us know what we should try next.

Don’t Sleep On is a weekly series where I shout out DFW events and businesses I think you should try. Have a suggestion? Reply to this email.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Joi Louviere with reporting by Katie Serrano and Noemi Castanon. It was edited by Crystal Niforos

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