You remember Shannon DeMerse, right? No? She’s the former Ivy Jane employee who somehow managed to steal $1.9 million from Ivy Jane, the clothing company that, at the time, was owned by council member Dave Neumann and his wife Frances (though now it’s all Frances’s following the couple’s divorce). Anyway.Allen…
Worries about groundwater contamination from hydraulic fracturing around the Barnett Shale got a fresh wave of attention yesterday — first with a pair of federal suits filed in Dallas, and then with the Town of Flower Mound’s denial of a request to drill near to Grapevine Lake. Keystone Energy was…
Put down your Angry Birds Seasons, it’s time for the City Plan Commission public hearing! Today the big item on the agenda is the rezoning of Lower Greenville into a Planned Development District that would require businesses to obtain specific use permits if they want to remain open past midnight…
Like I wrote yesterday, Sam was at that council briefing during which they back-and-forthed over those three themes for the new-n-improved Love Field. Sam shot me a few texts during the meeting, including some funny quotes from council members as they pro-and-conned the options. But when he got back, he…
After this morning’s post about Keep the Dollars in Dallas’s attempt to intervene in the lawsuit contesting the results of the November 2 wet-dry election, several Friends of Unfair Park wondered: When is the judge slated to rule on Andy Siegel’s request to halt the presently ongoing permitting process while…
Sam’s at City Hall for the council’s Love Field briefing, but he got there in time for the 1:30 announcement of the city’s new “graffiti czar,” attorney John Barr. Only, Barr told Sam in their post-announcement chat, “Don’t write that I’m a czar.” Whoops. My bad.Anyway. You remember Barr, right?…
We mentioned this yesterday: The City Plan Commission will hold a public hearing tomorrow to discuss Angela Hunt and Pauline Medrano’s proposed ordinance requiring businesses on Lower Greenville to get a specific use permit if they plan on staying open past midnight, among other proposed regs. Andrea, but of course,…
Grocery stores all over town — certainly, those in dry-for-now North Dallas — are making space for beer and wine sales; what you see above is but a bit of the empty fridge awaiting product in the Preston Forest Tom Thumb. But, as you no doubt recall, on Friday attorney…
No? Shame. No matter: He or she will be named tomorrow! From the city, this just in:Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert will announce a new initiative to fight graffiti in Dallas at the Wednesday, December 15th City Council briefing. He, along with District 1 Councilmember Delia Jasso will discuss the new…
For the past several months, Angela Hunt and Pauline Medrano have been touting the proposed ordinance that would turn a huge swath of Lower Greenville Avenue into a so-called Planned Development District. Among the requirements contained within the ordinance: Any venue hoping to stay open past midnight, including restaurants and…
It was but one week ago we revisited, after some time off, the legal brouhaha between the Museum of the American Railroad and the City of Dallas, which sued to remove the museum from Fair Park almost a year ago. For those not keeping score: The museum said in early…
Last week, Robert passed along the news that omnipresent North Oak Cliff lawyer and activist Scott Griggs would be stepping up to challenge Dave Neumann for his city council seat in District 3 — but Griggs waited till today, on the afternoon of his 36th birthday, to make it official…
Afternoon, Friends. Thanks for tuning into today’s liveblog of the Transportation and Environment Committee meeting up here in City Hall, during which we’ll hear about plans to market the Dallas Executive Airport and Dallas’s Complete Streets Initiative.Things kicked off late because the Quality of Life Committee meeting ran overtime –…
Meant to get to this a few days ago, when a Friend of Unfair Park directed our attention to Walmart’s Fighting Hunger Together website. Long story short: Walmart, in conjunction with the Food Research and Action Center, is doling out $1.5 million to food banks nationwide. But it’s handing out…
Before it takes off on its holiday break, the city council will, on Wednesday, take a look at the three themes consultant Gensler is proposing for the new-n-improved Love Field Airport’s terminals. Gensler, which has experience from Jackson Hole to JFK International, lays out its case for each in this…
After the death of Lauren Huddleston in October, when a cyclist crashed into the jogger along the Katy Trail, and a car-and-cyclist collision two weeks later, council member Angela Hunt wrote that she’d met with city staff and Friends of the Katy Trial to “address trail safety for all users.”…
Both of you who followed along with yesterday’s liveblog of the Animal Shelter Commission will remember that former ASC member and animal rights bigwig Jonnie England wondered during the public comment: Why is Tyrone McGill, the former Dallas Animal Services manager who has been indicted on charges of animal cruelty…
Yesterday, in the comments to the item about the city’s new-and-improved panhandlingsolicitation ordinance, longtime Friend of Unfair Park Syd Nancy wondered: “Will this affect the JFK Conspiracy Guy who sells stuff down by the Depository?” Syd’s referring to Robert Groden, who’s currently involved in a legal tussle with the city…
Yesterday in Dallas County District Court, attorney Andy Siegel — who, from the very beginning, has contested the citywide off-premise sale of beer and wine — filed an amended version of his November complaint. It reads much the same (he says city called election without enough valid signatures to do…
Back in March 2009, the Office of the City Auditor released that damning report about the state of the Dallas Municipal Court. To which Angela Hunt, chair of the council’s Judiciary Committee (for now), responds with this update, which says, long story short: “Over the last year and a half,…
If you’re not familiar with the Dallas Development Fund, well, neither were we until we discovered it would be spending this afternoon in the basement of City Hall discussing developer Jack Matthews’ boutique hotel project adjacent to South Side on Lamar, a proposed mixed-use development near the Dallas Veterans Affairs…
Operation Crackdown is rumbling along through Dallas today, as the Texas National Guard continues knocking down abandoned buildings all over the city — dilapidated havens for drug use and prostitution, few, if any, with Christmas decorations to mark the season. Dwaine Caraway told us on Monday afternoon that they’d already…
