Willis Johnson

Willis Johnson and KKDA Were Booted Off the Air Yesterday to Make Way for a Korean Radio Station

The writing's been on the wall, one supposes, since KKDA-AM, a.k.a. Soul 73, abruptly laid off Bobby Patterson and most of the rest of its on-air staff, but the terse announcement posted to the station's website yesterday still comes as a shock: "Soul 730 KKDA is no longer broadcasting on the radio ... More >>

R.I.P. KKDA-AM: The Dallas Soul Station Goes Off the Air Permanently

It was one thing for KKDA-AM to replace most of their on-air staff last year with an automated computer. That was sad, but the great tunes kept playing and Willis Johnson kept his morning show. So it's incredibly sad (and infuriating) to see KKDA-AM go completely off the air. If you turned on AM 7 ... More >>

As KKDA Automates, a Community Loses its Voice

It was probably inevitable, what with the decades-long trend from AM to FM, from DJ to computer, but that didn't lessen the shock when KKDA abruptly laid off most of its on-air staff. We mourned it at the time on our music blog as a loss for Dallas radio, now devoid of the unique blend of old-school ... More >>

Let's Be Honest, Dallas's Minority Contracting Mess Didn't Come About by Accident

​If you start reading the lead editorial today in The Dallas Morning News, you're going to think at first that the editorial writers have done a good job explaining what has gone wrong with minority subcontracting in Dallas -- a central theme in the ongoing FBI Dallas political corruption prob ... More >>

The Perots Gave Willis Johnson's Wai-Wize Its Start, and It's Been Hot Ever Since

​Digging back through old files, I can see some patterns emerging that I missed back in the day. For example, the connection between Willis Johnson, the luckiest radio host in the world, and Ross Perot Jr. Johnson is a close personal and political associate of Dallas County Commissioner John ... More >>

Willis Johnson and JWP: Friends With Benefits, But Can the Feds Prove the Benefits Bogus?

​It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that string. Now everybody's talking about Willis Johnson. But nobody's got the connection. Last week Brett Shipp of Channel 8 reported on contracts between the county and Southern Dallas political consultant Willis Johnson, and over the weekend The Dal ... More >>

Price Investigation's Royal Pains

"Queens for a day" could be a sign that feds are getting really ambitious.

Where's Willis? Maybe He's Out Looking for That Secret Stash of County Satellite Gear.

​If you missed Brett Shipp's Willis Johnson story on WFAA-Channel 8 last night, you need to go give it a gander here. I also have a column in this week's paper version of Unfair Park talking about Johnson, a radio host who is a crucial but mysteriously low-profile figure in the affairs now be ... More >>

Mike Rawlings Vowed to Clean Up Dallas, But the Feds Are Spilling Dirt Everywhere

To keep his promise, Dallas' new mayor will have to distance himself from the city's political machine. Good luck with that.

Hot or Not: Are You on Feds' JWP List?

Photo by Sam MertenWillis Johnson​Looks like at 11:18 this morning, John Wiley Price attorney Billy Ravkind, or someone in his office, faxed to Channel 5 the search warrant issued on June 24 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Stickney. It's a seven-page catalog of everyone and everything with whom the ... More >>

No One Seems Terribly Interested in Confirming or Denying Feds' Search at Parkland Wednesday

​Part of what we do in the reporting biz is look for the anomalous response. I emailed Parkland Hospital earlier this afternoon asking about information I received that the FBI showed up there last night with search warrants related to the Commissioner John Wiley Price investigation.Candace White ... More >>

Some SALT to Season Those Subpoenas

​So, the feds want Pettis Norman and Jon Edmonds to appear before a grand jury on July 20 -- can't imagine why. Oh, wait. My bad. And speaking of the Inland Port, for those who knocked off early for the Christmas holidays in '08, after the jump is a doc you might want to read (or re-read) this mor ... More >>

Watch Carefully as The Dallas Morning News Tippy-Toes Away from John Wiley Price

​If you are a regular reader of The Dallas Morning News, Dallas's only daily newspaper since 1991, and if you are following the federal corruption investigation of John Wiley Price, the county's most powerful black politician, then from here on out you need to put on your magnifying specs and ... More >>

Mike Rawlings Clobbers Ron Natinsky and David Kunkle in Mayoral Fund-Raising Effort

Photos by Sam MertenWe're guessing this was Rawlings's reaction when he received bills from his consultants.​Former TracyLocke CEO Mike Rawlings easily outpaced the field of mayoral candidates by raising a whopping $1.03 million -- nearly three times the combined haul of Ron Natinksy and David ... More >>

Mayoral Circus 2011: Not the Greatest Show on Earth, but Pretty Fun Anyway

​I gotta say: The coming mayoral election season already smells like a holiday for mediatoids. Things are rockin' and rollin' early. Looks to me like the money just tilted way away from North Dallas city council member Ron Natinsky, who thought he had the money. Meanwhile the campaign of for ... More >>

Willis Johnson's Latest Piece of the Action

Sam MertenWe're trying to imagine how the conversation between Willis Johnson (right) and Ryan Evans (left) went as Johnson, one of the mayor's close advisers, lobbied Evans on behalf of his wife's company. ​Thanks to Mayor Tom Leppert's push for a lobbyist registration ordinance, we're now pr ... More >>

Talkin' Love Field Concessions With the Mayor

​Ken Carter, a consultant working for Dallas Love Field Airport food and beverage concessionaire Gilbert Aranza, sent us word yesterday afternoon that the city council's seven minority members are expected to appear at noon today inside City Hall's lobby along with other community leaders for ... More >>

Minority Council Members Blast Mayor For Not Supporting Love Field Contract Extensions

Photos by Sam Merten"Enough is truly enough," said Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway at today's press conference before explaining why he and Mayor Tom Leppert are on opposite sides.​The Dallas City Council's seven minority council members launched a counterattack this afternoon against Mayor Tom L ... More >>

The Battle Over Airport Contracts Opens a Rift Between the Mayor and Minority City Council Members.

Are Vonciel Hill and Carolyn Davis About to Call Out the Mayor? (Update: Apparently Not.)

Sam MertenDMN'er Rudy Bush thought I was taking a picture of him walking into the meeting, but I assured him I was merely capturing City Manager Mary Suhm with a smile on her face, which he agreed is rare these days given the city's $130 million budget shortfall.​The second meeting of the city ... More >>

When It Comes to Doing Deals in Dallas, Leppert Must Remember That History Never Forgets

Patrick Michels​For most people, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert's campaign to open up the bidding process for concessions at the city airport must seem open and shut. He wants the bidding to be open. But the door is shut because the concessions are in the hands of politically connected people. For insid ... More >>

Concessions Company Insists No Way, No How Is It Going After Business at Love Field

​At this very moment, Sam's at the inaugural meeting of the Love Field Concessions Committee, and never have so many been so concerned about the selling of food, drink and magazines at an airport. That said, I finally spoke with Sylvia Ross, the vice president of compliance and contracts at Conces ... More >>

Willis Johnson Responds to Caraway's "Bullcorn" Statement, And Why We Should Read Betty Culbreath's Blog More Often

Sam MertenWillis Johnson (right) sits with a giddy Ryan Evans at the groundbreaking for the convention center hotel. Johnson serves as a consultant for H.J. Russell, which landed a construction contract for the hotel.​As we told you yesterday, Willis Johnson is lobbying Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Carawa ... More >>

Mayor Insists He Had No Idea Willis Johnson's Lobbying for Concessions Company

​Patrick Michels​Shortly after I posted this morning's item about the Love Field Concessions Committee meeting, I got an e-mail from a Friend of Unfair Park that contained what you'll see after the jump: an Official City of Dallas Lobbyist Registration Form submitted on April 13 by Willis Johnso ... More >>

"Bullcorn!" Mayor Pro Tem Caraway Says He Most Definitely Didn't Meet With Mayor's Consultant About Airport Concessions.

Patrick Michels​So. Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway just called. Like, just.Said he just sat down to read Unfair Park and noticed that item wherein Mayor Tom Lepperts's consultant Willis Johnson says he met with Caraway a few weeks ago to discuss concessions at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport ... More >>

Who the Hell is Clay Jenkins, And Why Am I Being Told to Vote for Him for County Judge?

Social Media Tools: Once Again, Why Did Leppert Hire D.C. Dude to Run Web Site?

Laura Reed Martin, who manages the Issues and Crisis Division at The Reeds, PRC.​As we told you at the end of Monday's item about Mayor Tom Leppert's new Web site, consultant Laura Reed Martin was supposed to get back with us about the decision to hire Washington, D.C.-based Stan Olshefski to ... More >>

Top 10 Mayor Tom Photos of '09

Mayor Tom Leppert isn't an easy interview to snag these days. At least, not for us here at the Observer. But that doesn't stop us from catching a glimpse of the man whenever we get the chance, and, of course, capturing snapshots along the way. Yup, we've developed quite a fondness for the unique and ... More >>

Before She's Required to Disclose Her Lobbying Efforts, We Take a Look-See at What Carol Reed's Banked From Mayor Leppert

Mark GrahamSure, Woodlief's Allyn Media has brought in about seven times the amount Reed has from Tom Leppert-related campaigns, but Reed remains the queen of consulting.As the city council continues to discuss ethics reform in the aftermath of 23 guilty verdicts in the Dallas City Hall corruption t ... More >>

Richard Allen brings jobs to the black community.That makes him racist?

Leppert Potentially Jeopardizes Tax-Exempt Status of Two South Dallas Churches By Telling Audience Members to Vote No on Props 1 and 2

Sam MertenMayor Tom Leppert did not mince words Sunday: "Vote no on Proposition 1. Vote no on Proposition 2."Mayor Tom Leppert and wife Laura spent yesterday worshiping at churches in South Dallas, where services were interrupted so the mayor could give his convention center hotel sales pitch and in ... More >>

Mayor Tom Leppert Seeks Amen on Convention Center Hotel from South Dallas Churches

Patrick MichelsWhen Mayor Leppert needs help in South Dallas, Willis Johnson's got his back. Literally.Despite Mayor Tom Leppert and the city council's plans to begin construction on the convention center hotel April 1 and rush to sell bonds on the project to quash the May 9 referendum, it's still ... More >>

Skunked! C'mon, John Wiley Price, Jim Schutze Does Not Smell That Bad.

Last night, after that town hall meeting, I spotted Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price standing alone outside the Harold Wendell Lang Middle School. I approached him, because the commissioner had been ducking my calls and e-mails for a couple months, and I had some business to transact with ... More >>

Oh, So Now Tom Leppert's the "Education Mayor." Right.

Alexander FloresIf Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert doesn't mention his ideas for taking over the Dallas school system at his town hall meeting Thursday at Harold Wendell Lang Sr. Middle School, you can bet somebody in the audience will bring it up. In fact, it sounds to me like people will be there at 6:30 ... More >>

A Dash of SALT, or: Inside the Infamous Inland Port Proposal

Santa came to my desk a day early. I have been papering City Hall with public-records requests for several weeks, and today, just in time, I finally got the one document I was hoping for: the written proposal to developer Richard Allen from three businessmen who wanted to be his Southern Dallas con ... More >>

Congresswoman Calls Out John Wiley Price for Shaking Down Development Deal

Local pols back off a master plan that would have put the squeeze on a major southern Dallas development

After Their Murder-Suicide, Questions About Rufus and Lynn Flint Shaw's Shady Dealings Haunt Dallas

Shame on Us, as Usual|A Slice of Pie, Please

Mayor Tom is Accessible

"Tom Makes His Own Schedule."

Death in the Inner Circle

Apparent murder-suicide cuts to the heart of the mayor's southern Dallas advisors

Lynn Flint Shaw's "Inner Circle"

Sinking Ship? What Sinking Ship?

DART's Outside Auditor Seems Too Inside to Expose Secrets

We're over the game of hide the ball with Deloitte Touche

DART Made a Billion-Dollar Goof

New DART lines to cost $1 billion more than promised

Where's Angela Hunt's Slow Jam?

The Choir Boy Mayor

What Tom Leppert's campaign tells you about Tom Leppert

Slow Out the Gate

Don Hill's late decision to run for mayor could benefit other candidates

Somebody say amen!

The Rev. Sheron Patterson brings the word to black singles