The Mansion
Lee Hancock of The Dallas Morning News has been telling the stunning saga of 88-year-old Mary Ellen Bendtsen's decaying mansion, which resembles a set out of "Sunset Boulevard," and the two men who were determined to get it from her. "Mary Ellen's Will: the Battle for 4949 Swiss" is a terrific story of grandeur and greed, of family and fading fortunes. In the end, Hancock gives us important insight on the growing trend of financial exploitation of the elderly. Part of what makes this story interesting is that it has footnotes you can click on to find out how the information was sourced. My thanks to Morning News copy editor Anna Holland for the tip.
Another story from The Morning News worth looking at is "Billionaire Backs Youth Teams" by Brad Townsend. It describes how Dallas billionaire Kenny Troutt pays to have his sons' third- and fifth-grade basketball teams stay in luxury hotels, flown around the country in private jets and tended to by a staff of eight.