State Fair of Texas attendance dropped to its lowest in years ... and more news

Fair officials acknowledged the decline in a release on Sunday. More detailed numbers Wednesday revealed this year’s fair attendance is the lowest over the past eight years. The drop has implications for the city of Dallas as well as the State Fair. A fair spokesperson said that several factors likely contributed to the drop in attendance. In other news, millions of Texans could lose food benefits at the end of this month if the government shutdown continues. In a letter to states this month, the U.S. Agriculture Department warned the federal government will have insufficient funds to pay for the Supplemental Food Assistance and Nutrition Program, known as SNAP, if the shutdown continues past next Monday; the Dallas City Council agreed Wednesday to pay Dallas County for jail services after a monthlong delay and approved an $8.7 million annual contract for housing and processing people arrested by Dallas police. The decision follows weeks of debate over performance measures and city concerns about delays in the jail intake process; and Big Tex needs a new pair of boots. The Big Tex Boot Design Contest, presented by Lucchese Bootmaker, opened Wednesday morning. To enter, draw, paint or illustrate the design on the sheets provided on the State Fair Design My Boots page and submit it with the entry form. Contest entries are due by Jan. 31, and the winning design will be announced March 2, next year.  All entries must be original works of art with no copyrighted material and include the Lucchese brand logo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices