Dallas' 'Most Hated Chef' Bounces Back

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There appears to be redemption for the man "D Magazine" labeled "the most hated chef in Dallas."

The magazine gave John Tesar the dubious distinction after he abruptly left The Mansion on Turtle Creek, where he earned a five-star review in 2008 from the The Dallas Morning News.

"I got the opportunity to go on 'Top Chef' because I was 'the most hated chef in Dallas,' and that worked out really well," he said. "And we came back and opened Spoon, and the word on the street is, it's fantastic, and I'm having a great time."

Spoon Bar and Kitchen in Preston Center opened in January. The space, the kitchen and the food prepared here reflects Tesar's days growing up near the ocean in Long Island.

"You know, you can go out and eat fish but here at Spoon, we give you the flavors of the ocean," he said. "We bring the sea to our land-locked city."

"We're very simple. We let the fish be the star of the plate," Tesar said while he sliced foie gras torchon, placed it on croutons and layered it with tuna carpaccio, sea salt, chives and olive oil. (See the recipe and watch a video on preparing the dish here.)

It's one of the dishes he prepared at a recent Twenty at the Tower event benefiting the 2014 Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival. The three-day event next spring will put area chefs in the spotlight, they deserve, he said.

"I believe a lot of other people in the food world almost look down upon us, which is disturbing to me, because there are a lot of great chefs in Texas," Tesar said.

Tesar said the festival "allows everyone to come and meet chefs, taste good food and really understand what we're doing here in Texas."

The native New Yorker adopted Texas as his second home after marrying a woman whose family ranches in Stephenville. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Tracy, and their 3-year-old son, Ryder.

With a wife, a son, a new restaurant getting rave reviews and more culinary plans for the future, Tesar seems to be living a five-star life.

"I just really love to cook," he said. "Any time we can go out and meet new people and make them happy, we're having a good time."

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UTA Venue Attracts Visitors to Downtown Arlington

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Boxing is among the growing list of events hosted at downtown Arlington venues that compliment the nearby pro sports stadiums.

Local fighters entered the ring Friday at the University of Texas at Arlington's year-old College Park Center for the Bud Light Pro Boxing Series.

"[College Park Center] is probably the No. 1 venue for boxing in the whole state of Texas," said Dustin Haney, president of Standing 8 Promotions, which is organizing the event. "It's beautiful venue -- state-of-the-art and there's not a bad seat in the house."

Last year, ESPN's Friday Night Fights paid the city a visit.

The venue compliments the nearby Cowboys Stadium and Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and helps boost the growing list of restaurants, bars and shops that are making downtown home.

"[College Park Center] is bringing in new acts and new types of events," said Tony Rutigliano, Downtown Arlington Management Corp. CEO. "They've already had boxing there before. They've had Kansas -- they're playing Division I [college] basketball. It's our mini American Airlines [Center]. That's how valuable it is for us."

Rutgliano said that the venues around downtown -- Levitt Pavillion, Capital Bar, Arlington Music Hall -- bring people to the downtown area who may not know about all the new offerings

"We have lots of great venues, lots of great entertainment in downtown Arlington," he said.

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Garland Horse Ranch Fights Housing Development Plans

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A Garland horse ranch that has been in operation since the 1950s is fighting plans to use the land for a housing development.

Merriwood Ranch leased the privately owned land for years until the owners decided to sell it. A developer now wants to use the 10 acres of green space for a development with 45 single-family homes.

More than 600 people have signed an online petition asking the ranch be kept open.

"Merriwood is my life," said Hannah Buskin, a child who visits regularly. "I'm here 24/7, every day. The horses here mean so much to me. They're not just any ordinary horses -- they're one of my bestest friends and I just love being with them."

"Our babies are here, our horses," said Polly Whittle, who has worked for the ranch for years. "There is no other place for us to go that we can have this many horses. It would break the hearts of countless girls and moms and grandmothers."

The property owner has requested to change the zoning from agricultural so houses can be built on the land. A zoning hearing is scheduled for July 8 so the city can assess if a housing development is compatible with the surrounding land.

Some residents who live in the area said they are concerned about the environment and want keep the natural habitat.

"Our concern is with the environment," Lynn Corey said. "There are plenty of homes in Garland. We invite people here, we want you to live here, but enjoy the wildlife and the beautiful treasure that is Merriwood."

Whittle said the ranch puts a new face on Garland.

"People from all over the Metroplex come to Camp Merriwood that never have any reason to come to Garland other than they bring their children to Merriwood and, instead of looking like a sleepy residential community, suddenly, Garland means something very new," she said.

The ranch is ready to clear any hurdles, including using social media and attending the zoning hearing.

"We've had so many memories here, and I would just hate to see it go," said Buskin.

The developer did not return requests for comment.

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Wall-E the Wallaby's Walkabout

Bob Fitch/GrandPrairieReporter.com

Apparently the wallaby was very excited and officers had a hard time controlling the wallaby while they waited for animal control to arrive.

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Wall-E the Pet Wallaby's Day Out

The Grand Prairie Police Department caught a wandering wallaby in a residential neighborhood on Friday.

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The Grand Prairie Police Department gets interesting 911 calls, but this one will be talked about for days.

Police in the Dallas suburb received a 911 call just before 7:45 a.m. Friday about a kangaroo hopping westbound in the 2200 block of Prince John Drive.

Officers arrived but didn't catch a kangaroo -- the animal was, in fact, a wallaby.

"I have been doing this for 20 years, and I will probably never see something like this again," Detective Lyle Gensler said.

John Richardson, the 911 caller, sent NBC 5 DFW a photo of the Wall-E the wallaby sitting at his front door.

Grand Prairie police said the wallaby was very excited, saying officers had a hard time controlling him while they waited for animal control to arrive. When asked how he knew how to catch a wallaby, Charles Munoz, the animal control officer, replied "Animal Planet" with a laugh.

The wallaby had tags and was returned to his owner unharmed.

"As far as we know, we don't have anything in our city ordinance that says you can't have one, " said Danielle Tate, animal services manager.

Wall-E's owners came to get him from animal control after friends saw on social media that he was loose. Their son-in-law said they believe someone tried to steal Wall-E because their fence was ripped.

Jessica Churchill, the owners' daughter, said her father gave the wallaby to her mother for Christmas after she said she wanted a kangaroo someday.

NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report.

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Sheriff's Deputy Shot in the Head; Gunman Killed

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Sheriff's Deputy Shot in Head; Gunman Killed in Hood County Shootout

A sheriff's deputy is in critical condition and a police officer is in the hospital after a shooting in Granbury.

DPS Statement on Hood County Shootings

A Hood County Sheriff's Deputy suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound to the head and a Granbury police officer suffered a non life-threatening gunshot wound to the arm after a man opened fire on police Friday in Hood County. The gunman was killed by police near the Granbury City Hall. Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lonny Haschel provides and update to the media.

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Investigators say a Joshua man shot a Hood County sheriff's deputy before being killed in a shootout with police officers in Granbury that also injured a police officer.

Sgt. Lance McLean, a 38-year-old Hood County sheriff's deputy, was shot in the head at a Granbury home while responding to a disturbance call, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. He is in critical condition at a Fort Worth hospital.

The shooting suspect, Ricky Don McCommas, 49, of Joshua, was later killed during a shootout just 50 feet from the doors of Granbury City Hall.

Chad Davis, a Granbury police officer, was injured in the shootout.

DPS spokesman Sgt. Lonny Haschel said McLean was dispatched to a residence in Oak Trail Shores shortly before 11 a.m. When he arrived, he made contact with McCommas. Moments later, shots were fired and McLean was struck in the head, Haschel said.

Another Hood County deputy responding to the call provided a description of McCommas' van as it left the scene -- white with its windows shot out.

A neighbor told NBC 5 that McCommas lives in Joshua and drove to the house in Granbury, where he started a ruckus that led to the shooting. Deputies were then called to the scene, the neighbor said.

Granbury police officers later spotted McCommas' van as he pulled into the Granbury City Hall parking lot. It is unclear if McCommas chose to enter the parking lot or was forced there by pursuing police officers.

Haschel said McCommas then got out of the van and exchanged gunfire with Granbury officers.

McCommas was hit several times and died at the scene.

Davis sustained a nonlife-threatening gunshot wound to an upper extremity believed to be an arm or shoulder. He was transported to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, where he remains in the Intensive Care Unit.

McLean was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth for treatment of a life-threatening gunshot wound. Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds said McLean is in "extremely critical condition."

"He's hooked up on a lot of machines and on a ventilator right now, so it's about as bad as it gets," he said. "It took them quite a few hours before they were able to do a CAT scan on him, [which] was how unstable he was. ... They didn't find anything good when they did the CAT scan, so we're just waiting and seeing how everything goes in the next few hours over the night."

Several witnesses who were working at a residence just 15 feet away from where the van pulled into the City Hall parking lot saw it all go down.

"He had a cold look on his face. He was going to go for them," Joe Vanderveer said. "He put it in park, looked at us, he got out. He turned and then the cop cars pulled up, because they pulled up about 15 seconds after he pulled up. And then the shooting started."

Gary Farina, who is opening a restaurant next to City Hall, a half block north of the town square, said he heard 40 to 50 shots.

"We kept hearing a barrage of gunfire," he said.

Farina and Vanderveer took cover on their outdoor patio before hiding inside the business. They said McCommas appeared to be wearing a vest, but they were unsure if it was a tactical vest or bulletproof vest.

"He definitely looked like he had a purpose in mind," Vanderveer said.

At least 50 evidence markers were placed at bullet casings and other evidence at the scene. What appeared to be an assault rifle was next to McCommas' body for several hours as the investigation continued.

"Those of you who've been to the scene saw how big a scene it is, how many details are going to have to be looked at, so it's going to take some time for everyone to go out and interview witnesses, take a look at physical evidence on the scene, send officers out and really comb those areas," Haschel said.

Haschel had no other details to offer about the shootings, saying only it was an ongoing investigation with large, multiple scenes.

Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Joshua police spent hours Friday evening at McCommas' home along Joshua Boulevard. They removed several guns, boxes of bullets and what appeared to be body armor.

Neighbors said McCommas had been buying and selling guns to make ends meet since he lost his job as a security guard at Texas Health Resources Harris Methodist Hospital following a sexual assault arrest in August.

A man who identified himself as a friend of McCommas said he always carried a gun with him but was a nice man who was a good neighbor.

The case is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, the Hood County Sheriff's Office and the Granbury Police Department.

NBC 5's Chris Van Horne, Ben Russell and Kevin Cokely contributed to this report.

Editor's note: DPS originally reported the name of the gunman as 60-year-old Richard Randall McComas and then later identified the gunman as 49-year-old Ricky Don McComas.

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Fighting Mosquitoes With Fish

Omar Villafranca, NBC 5 News

The city of Dallas is taking the fight against the West Nile virus underwater. The city is deploying Gambusia, or mosquito fish, to battle mosquito larvae in stagnant pools that can serve as breeding grounds.

Dallas Begins Underwater Battle...

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The city of Dallas is using a finned fighter to combat the West Nile virus.

The city is deploying Gambusia fish, also known as mosquitofish, into stagnant pools and creeks.

"Each one of them can eat about 100 to 200 larvae per day," said Jose Ruiz with the Code Enforcement department.

On Friday, Ruiz deployed about 150 fish into a large stagnant creek in North Dallas. In a few days, Ruiz said the larvae count should be lower. Less larvae means less mosquitoes.

"They do eat them, so we do notice a difference," Ruiz said.

Ruiz said the fish can survive in hot temperatures and breed three times a year. That means the fish can eat larvae for longer periods of time as more fish are born.

"They're in our ponds. They're also in other creeks. Sometimes we take them from one creek to 

another creek so there's not telling we actually have, because they breed a lot," Ruiz said.

Ruiz said the city is also dumping the fish in abandoned ponds and pools to fight the spread of West Nile.

Doctor David Rothbart, a North Dallas resident, lives near the stagnant creek where Ruiz was dumping Gambusia. He said the creek is a problem area, and he'll take any help he can get fighting the mosquitoes.

We have our own mosquito abatement, the spray, but as soon as you walk in front of our house, outside the wire, it's like, oh my gosh," Rothbart said.

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Prop 8 Plaintiffs Wed as Calif. Same-Sex Marriages Resume

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Same-sex marriages resumed in California on Friday just after an appeals court issued an unexpected order clearing the way for such unions — and the two couples whose Supreme Court challenge helped torpedo Proposition 8 were two of the first to wed.

Paul Katami and Jeff Zarillo, two of the lead plaintiffs who had challenged California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, were married in outgoing Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's press office at L.A. City Hall, with Villaraigosa officiating.

A few hours earlier, just before 5 p.m. Friday, Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier were married at San Francisco City Hall by California Attorney General Kamala Harris.

The jubilant public ceremony, shown below at right, marked the resumption of same-sex unions in the country's most populous state after a 4-1/2 year break. California is now the 13th state, along with the District of Columbia, to allow same-sex marriages.

"Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier, I now declare you spouses for life!! #Prop8 #MarriageEquality," tweeted Harris just minutes after the ceremony.

Less than two hours earlier, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had issued a brief order lifting a stay ordered in 2012 that had allowed time for an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2010, a federal trial court judge found California's Proposition 8 unconstitutional, a finding that was upheld by the 9th Circuit.

Same-Sex Marriages Resume in California

In a surprise decision, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order clearing the way for same-sex marriage to resume in California Friday afternoon. Jean Elle and George Kiriyama report.

RAW VIDEO: Kris Perry and Sandy Stier Get Married

Proposition 8 plaintiffs Kris Perry and Sandy Stier become the first same-sex couple to be married in California since Prop 8 was overturned.

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The appellate court order came two days after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to rule on the Prop 8 a case, effectively paving the way for same-sex unions in California.

Full Coverage: Prop 8 Page | Read: Supreme Court's Prop 8 Opinion | Prop 8 Timeline

Same-sex marriage opponents who had argued in court on behalf of Proposition 8 -- the 2008 ballot measure that state officials refused to defend -- said the appellate court's order Friday was an "outrageous act" that denied the group its rights.

But the state's top elected officials celebrated the shift, which came just as San Francisco was beginning its massive annual gay pride celebration.

"LOVE WILL RULE THE WEEKEND. CONGRATS TO ALL THOSE PLANNING TO GET MARRIED," tweeted Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who as San Francisco's mayor in 2004 had ordered the issuance of the state's first same-sex marriage licenses.

"Same-sex marriage is now the law in California!," Gov. Jerry Brown tweeted after the federal appellate court order came down Friday afternoon.

The Prop 8 plaintiffs' wedding ceremonies marked the end of an historic week for the gay rights movement, which also saw the Supreme Court strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, a law that allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages permitted in other states.

In its 5-4 ruling on Proposition 8, the Supreme Court on Wednesday had decided the ballot measure's backers lacked standing under federal law to appeal the case, effectively leaving in place the 9th Circuit's 2012 finding that the law was unconstitutional. State officials had refused to defend the ballot measure in court, leaving a group including ProtectMarriage.com to argue on behalf of the measure.

The Supreme Court decision meant same-sex marriage could soon resume in California pending a legal process that many expected would mean a wait for the lifting of the stay on the 9th Circuit Court's order overturning Prop 8. It seemed it could takes weeks for same-sex marriages to resume.

Under Supreme Court rules, rulings are usually final after 25 days, and the court said earlier this week that it would not finalize its ruling in the Proposition 8 dispute until after that time had elapsed.

It was not immediately clear whether the appeals court's action would be halted by the high court.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had said after Wednesday's ruling that it would take at least the 25 days for the Supreme Court's ruling to become official. The San Francisco-based appellate court had also said it might continue to bar same-sex marriages beyond that time if proponents of Proposition 8 ask for a rehearing.

But Attorney General Harris had on Wednesday called for the stay to be lifted as soon as possible, after Gov. Brown said he wanted counties to prepare for same-sex marriages to resume once the 9th Circuit confirmed the stay was lifted.

And on Friday, the federal appellate court did so.

"The stay in the above matter is dissolved effective immediately," said the one-sentence order, issued just after 3 p.m. Friday.

County clerks in several of the state's 58 counties had on Wednesday put out statements that they would begin issuing marriage licenses once the stay was lifted.

With that done on Friday, same-sex marriage supporters in California celebrated.

"On my way to S.F. City Hall. Let the wedding bells ring! #Prop8," Harris tweeted Friday afternoon.

"I am thrilled that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted its stay to allow same-sex couples to legally marry in California," Harris said in a statement issued just before 4 p.m. "Gay and lesbian couples have waited so long for this day and for their fundamental right to marry. Finally, their loving relationships are as legitimate and legal as any other."

Anthony Pugno, the general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, said in a statement that the court order deprived the group of its "right to ask for reconsideration."

"This outrageous act tops off a chronic pattern of lawlessness, throughout this case, by judges and politicians hell-bent on thwarting the vote of the people to redefine marriage by any means, even outright corruption," Pugno wrote. "The resumption of same-sex marriage this day has been obtained by illegitimate means."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Naked Man Shot While Attacking Officers: Police

NBC10.com - Matt DeLucia

A man is in criticial condition after he was shot by the police officers he allegedly attacked while naked. NBC10's Matt DeLucia has the details.

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A man is fighting for his life after investigators say he tried to attack police officers while naked and was shot in the process.

Officials say the naked man was on the 2000 block of Westmoreland Street in the Tioga section of the city around 5:30 a.m. and throwing rocks at cars that were passing by. As a police cruiser approached him, investigators say the man threw himself on top of the vehicle in an attempt to attack the officers inside.

Officials say the officers opened fire and shot him through the windshield, striking him twice in the chest. After he was struck, police say the man ran an entire block before collapsing to the ground.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was taken to Temple University Hospital where he is currently in critical condition. Police suspect the man was on some form of drugs during the incident. No officers were hurt.

Another shooting took place in North Philadelphia shortly after 3 a.m. Police say a 16-year-old boy was walking home on the 1500 block of Judson Way after buying food at a Chinese restaurant. Suddenly, investigators say, someone opened fire and the teen was struck in the upper left thigh.

The teen was taken to the hospital where he is in stable condition. Investigators are unsure at this point whether the teen was the intended target or an innocent bystander. No arrests have been made.
 

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Gettysburg Prepares to Reenact Historic Battle

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As the nation marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, Civil War buffs gathered in Pennsylvania to prepare for a massive re-enactment.

Organizers are expecting 80,000 people in the Gettysburg area every day through July 7. Many of them are already checking in online, but they're not only doing it on social media -- they're also checking in at motels. There's not a single vacancy for miles, reports News4's Richard Jordan.

"It takes a little time to get them all here, but it's a lot of fun once it happens," said re-enactor Chuck Stephens.

"We're got people here from California, Oregon, Germany," said volunteer Bill Scott.

Thousands are eager to bear witness to mark the anniversary of the bloodiest battle in American history. Combined, the Union and the Confederacy suffered 51,000 casualties. Fought July 1-3, 1863, the battle is considered a turning point in the Civil War, forcing Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's troops out of the north.

Over the next several days, re-enactors on horseback will portray the reality of a war far back in time. The clothing is heavy and hot -- these men and women are wearing wool from head to toe.

"Wool in July. They call it the Jenny Craig weight-loss program of 1863," quipped re-enactor Rex Orton.

"I'm just in awe, when I saw the cavalry go by," said visitor Pamela Yates. "Where we're from, we have a lot of cavalry at the Moore Park event, which is the largest in California, but it's nothing compared to this."

Those taking part in the re-enactment have prepared for weeks to create an authentic representation that brings Gettysburg's past to the present for all to see. The battle isn't all -- re-enactors also represent scenes of camp life, drill demonstrations, period music and more.

"We just love history, and the camaraderie," Orton said, while donning a Union uniform. "You know, we're friends with all the Confederate people, and it's just like a big family."

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NFL's Joe Lefeged Arrested in D.C.

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Joe Lefeged #35 of the Indianapolis Colts looks on from the sidelines against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, Dec. 11, 2011 in Baltimore, Md. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

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Indianapolis Colts safety Joe Lefeged was arrested overnight in Northeast D.C., police confirmed to News4 Saturday morning.

There is no information yet on what led up to the arrest.

Lefeged, 25, is originally from Gaithersburg, Md., and attended Northwest High School in Germantown. He played college football at Rutgers and was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2011.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington.com for more information.

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