Tree dedication for late Star-Telegram reporter Mitch Mitchell is Friday

The tree dedication ceremony for late Star-Telegram reporter Mitch Mitchell is scheduled for noon Friday at the New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church, where Mitchell’s fig tree sits in an urban garden.

Mitchell, 63, died in October 2020 following a brief illness. He worked for nearly 22 years at the Star-Telegram, covering crime and social justice stories with a focus on the victims.

The church’s Senior Pastor Kyev Tatum said the point of the fig tree is to honor Mitchell, and — along with the garden — raise awareness of health disparities with Black residents in Fort Worth. In the 76104 ZIP code, the life expectancy is 66.7 years, the lowest in Texas, according to a report from UT Southwestern.