The state’s Commission of Education, Robert Scott This morning, Dallas Independent School District spokesman Jon Dahlander confirmed for me that Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott has appointed a special monitor to straighten out the Dallas school district’s academically unacceptable high schools. Dahlander didn’t know about the Texas Education Agency’s…
View Larger Map Two things that stunned me as I read this story about the closing of the Metro Diner: It’s closing? On Saturday?!?! W. T. F? Haven’t been in a couple of months, but it’s my son’s favorite breakfast spot — my father’s too, after we convinced him to…
Starr Spangler, which is her real name — swear I know, shocking that the DFW would land yet another resident on a reality show; those things are littered with locals. Still, CBS’s The Amazing Race is probably the most watchable of the lot — and it just got a little…
Armadillo Aerospace The artist’s conception of the so-called “Quad” layout vehicle, which Armadillo entered in the X Prize Cup 2006. In February 2007, Time magazine ranked id Software’s John Carmack high on its list of space cowboys with a legit shot at getting into space, which, as I’ve always understood…
A small pond hidden in the midst of the Great Trinity Forest This morning’s meeting of the city council’s Trinity River Corridor Project Committee looks interesting all the way around: They’re talking Trinity River Park Design Guidelines (which we covered here and here), the Gateway Projects in the Trinity River…
Dallas Fed prez Richard Fisher Following yesterday’s stock slide — down to 11,479.39, a 1.6 percent drop — more hold-your-breath news this a.m., concerning both housing starts (dismal) and commodities. But as Dallas Fed president Richard Fisher told Dallas’ Only Daily on Sunday: “I expect us to have a rough…
It wasn’t your fault, dude. Smile. Or not. Not that the Rangers made him out to be a scapegoat. And not that the move shouldn’t have been made. But since firing pitching coach Mark Connor the Rangers’ pitching is somehow even worse than terrible. Connor was canned Aug. 1. In…
Over the weekend, Pete Oppel sent me this link to an item he wrote about — hang on, hang on — Jenny the elephant. Insists the former News-man, Paul Dyer, director of the city’s Park and Recreation Department, has come up with an option for the elephant that doesn’t involve…
Looks like Mr. Funny Guy’s done the serious business of clarifying Friday’s Dallas Morning News story about the Dallas Independent School District’s homework’s-for-suckers policy that isn’t, not really, kinda-sorta, maybe just a little? For now, then, a deep, though also deeply suspicious, sigh of relief amongst those of us with…
Brian Harkin Luis Yanez On Saturday night in Beijing, the dreams of Olympic gold fizzled for Duncanville boxer Luis Yanez. Today there was an interesting piece on Yanez in The New York Times that suggests the tension between Yanez and his Olympic coaches is emblematic of the problems on Team…
This is what PETA wants you to see just before hitting the head at DFW International. No, for reals. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals today shot Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport’s CEO Jeff Fegan a money-making proposal. The organization would like to help the airport, currently in the…
Wake me up when the Cowboys lose to the Redskins. I’ll make you a bet. On the morning of Dec. 14, hours before the Cowboys host the New York Giants, you won’t be able to recall even two of the opponents on Dallas’ preseason schedule, much less any of the…
Joanne Jacobs is a former education-beat reporter at the San Jose Mercury News who left the paper to write the 2005 book Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea, and the School That Beat the Odds, about a charter school in San Jose hellbent on educating…
T. Boone Pickens T. Boone Pickens has himself a new acquisition this a.m.: the McCommas Bluff Landfill on Youngblood Road, which the City of Dallas owns and plans to shut down in 2042. Actually, to be more specific, Pickens’ Clean Energy Fuels, which distributes natural gas for transportation in the…
Interesting headline on the front page of The Wall Street Journal: “Price-Fixing Makes Comeback After Supreme Court Ruling.” Which is bad news for retailers and, you’d think, consumers. But turns out, yes, manufacturers are indeed allowed to set minimum prices for their goods after nearly 100 years of being told…
Just a tip: The best time to get yourself killed in the City of Dallas is between 6 p.m. and midnight on a Wednesday, if I’m reading my January-July YTD homicide statistics right, and I’d like to think that I am. (So you can forget what I wrote in May,…
The council’s Economic Development Committee will also talk “supergraphics” today — you know, those building-sized billboards. Dunno what, precisely, is the point of the meeting, except to come up with some uniform guidelines for the signage, down to how to measure the percentage of text allowed on the billboards. (Right…
The city council’s Economic Development Committee will deal this morning with how to best tear down Reunion Arena: slowly but surely. Should be a nine-month-long, $6-million affair, and it’ll look to begin with the removal of asbestos from the old arena — itself, a three-month job, which begs the question,…
This photo is not — I repeat, not — of Josh Howard and CW33 reporter Sandra Hernandez. Spent my Saturday afternoon down in DeSoto at the first annual Josh Howard Foundation celebrity charity softball game. I wish I could report that Josh is sorry for his recent arrest in North…
Told you it was forthcoming: Criterion Collection’s blow-out edition of Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket, the best movie ever made in Dallas, damn right. Turns out, though, it’ll be available in November and not October, as was originally announced. The company’s finally posted all the details concerning the add-ons found on…
Who knew the Olympics’ Golden Girls live just north of here? As usual, I didn’t make time to watch the Olympics last night. But I heard we have another “home-grown” golden girl. What Carly Patterson did for Allen, Nastia Liukin will apparently do for Parker. Which prompts two responses on…
It’s not the best quality, which is putting it mildly, but here’s a little bit of Jessica Simpson performing her song about Tony Romo at the Indiana State Fair. I’d transcribe the lyrics, but, seriously, my head’s killing me and life’s just too short. –Robert Wilonsky…
