While many bemoaned 2020 as a wild year rife with unpredictability, turns out, the year of quarantines and a presidential election was just a warm-up for 2021. From vaccines to snowstorms to baby elephants to giant rubber ducks, the last 365 days have thrown Fort Worthians a number of curveballs. Here are our top stories for the Year of the Ox:
January:
“Grace and Grit” by Shilo Urban: We opened the year profiling eight local cowgirls. And, when we say cowgirls, we don’t mean those who happen to rock boots on a Friday night in the stockyards; we’re talkin’ bucking bull raisers and stable owners. https://fwtx.com/culture/true-grit/
February:
“A House for Healing” by Brian Kendall: 100 years ago, Fred Rouse, a packinghouse butcher at the Stockyards, was the victim of a racial terror lynching. Now, a group plans on renaming a building that once housed the Ku Klux Klan in his honor. https://fwtx.com/news/a-house-for-healing/
“A Fort Worthian’s Guide to Time Travel” by Shilo Urban: Tour guide Zeno took our readers on the staycation of a lifetime. https://fwtx.com/culture/the-fort-worthian%E2%80%99s-guide-to-time-travel/
March:
“How We Weathered the Storm” by Malcolm Mayhew and Samantha Calimbahin: With power out and businesses closed, we spent the week gathering content for our March issue. What we discovered: February’s near-apocalyptic snowstorm brought out the best in Fort Worthians. https://fwtx.com/news/how-we-weathered-the-storm/
April:
“The Invisible War” by Brian Kendall: An in-depth profile of Dr. Bianka Soria-Olmos, who’s on a mission to correct the disproportionate number of Hispanics or Latinos affected by COVID-19. https://fwtx.com/news/health/the-doctor/
May:
“A Shadow Over Sundance Square” by Scott Nishimura: Remember when Fort Worth Magazine questioned aloud, “what the heck is up with Sundance Square?” Well, that was in April, and you’ll find it’s still relevant.
https://fwtx.com/news/slow-burn/
“The Exit Interview: A Conversation with Outgoing Mayor Betsy Price” by Brian Kendall: For two hours, outgoing Mayor Betsy Price, who was wrapping up her 10 years at the helm of the city, spoke candidly about her time in office. https://fwtx.com/news/the-exit-interview_1/
June:
“A Tale of Might” by Brian Kendall and Samantha Calimbahin: An exclusive interview with the star, Luke Wilson, and makers of the locally-made “12 Mighty Orphans.” https://fwtx.com/culture/a-tale-of-might/
“World’s Largest Rubber Duck Coming to Fort Worth” by Samantha Calimbahin: We were slightly perplexed to find out our No. 1 online article for the year was about the world’s largest rubber duck making its way to the Fort. But whatever makes you happy, readers. https://fwtx.com/culture/world-s-largest-rubber-duck-coming-to-fort-worth/
July:
“Stay Gold” by Brian Kendall: In an exclusive interview, Leon Bridges talked his new record, “Gold Diggers Sound;” his songwriting process; and recent collaborations. https://fwtx.com/culture/stay-gold/
"Different Animals" by Jessica Strange: Sure, the quadrupeds get all the glory at the Fort Worth Zoo, and we get it. But, for our July cover story, we focused on the unsung humans who make our local zoo one of the best in the nation.
August:
"Best New Burgers" by Malcolm Mayhew: Our head food writer, Malcolm, might've put on a few extra pounds while researching our August cover story. https://fwtx.com/eat-drink/best-new-burgers/
September:
“It’s Go Time” by John Henry: In June, now-Mayor Mattie Parker took the reins from the decade-long-serving Betsy Price as mayor of Fort Worth. So, naturally, journalist John Henry secured an exclusive interview and wrote a 5,000-word profile. https://fwtx.com/news/go-time/
October:
“Moving the Needle,” by Brian Kendall and Samantha Calimbahin: Of the 20 most populated cities in the United States, Fort Worth has the second lowest vaccination rate. And, in October, we took the city to task. https://fwtx.com/news/health/moving-the-needle/
November:
"Music City Rising" by Shilo Urban: For our November cover story, we took a deep dive into the our city's burgeoning music scene. https://fwtx.com/culture/music-city-rising/
“Fort Worth Zoo Welcomes Baby Elephant, Brazos” by Samantha Calimbahin: Yet another popular piece that forced our server to put in some overtime. ‘Cause, you know, baby elephants. https://fwtx.com/culture/fort-worth-zoo-welcomes-baby-elephant/
December:
"To Kill an Evil" by Brandi Addison: Two years ago, a man opened fire at West Freeway Church of Christ, killing two parishioners. Six seconds into the attack, Jack Wilson gunned down the active shooter. In an exclusive interview with the magazine, Wilson speaks at length about the day he "killed an evil." https://fwtx.com/magazines/fort-worth-magazine/to-kill-an-evil/
“On the Set with Eric Nelsen” by Samantha Calimbahin: The set of “1883” left Fort Worthians starstruck. In an exclusive Q&A, local resident and series regular, Eric Nelsen, gave us all the tea on Sam Elliot and Tim McGraw. https://fwtx.com/culture/1883-actor-eric-nelsen-talks-tim-mcgraw-s-on-set-antics-film/
