Dallas, TX
Dallas to cut greenhouse gas emissions with new battery-powered and automated equipment
Dallas has unveiled about $250,000 of new fully battery-powered and automated maintenance equipment.
City officials from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and the Parks, Trails and Environment Committee previewed the equipment, which includes movers, trimmers and blowers, at Kiest Park on Monday.
“It’s inspiring to see Dallas taking meaningful steps, not only to enhance our city’s beautiful green spaces but also to prioritize sustainable practices,” said Kathy Stewart, District 10 council member and Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee chair.
The equipment will help the city reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize environmental impact through quieter, cleaner and more efficient operations as part of the Dallas Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan, Stewart said.
Dallas City Council members unanimously approved the plan in 2020. It was created to establish protocols to adapt to the challenges of climate change. The plan’s goals include making the city carbon neutral by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030.
City officials in 2022 estimated it would cost $6.5 million to fully convert more than 5,400 pieces of gas-powered, city-owned equipment to electric and battery-powered, The Dallas News reported previously.
“The big factoid of the day, according to Edmunds [the online resource for automotive information], using a two-stroke leaf blower for just 30 minutes produces the same amount of hydrocarbon emissions as driving a Ford Raptor from Texas to Alaska,” said Carlos Evans, director of the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area does not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ground-level ozone, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Ozone levels in the Metroplex are the highest they’ve been in the past three years, with an average of 83 parts per billion from 2022 to 2024, according to data collected by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
That’s up from the 81 parts per billion of ozone calculated for 2021 to 2023. Levels ranging from 71 to 85 parts per billion of ozone are considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Ground-level ozone contributes to increased asthma attacks and other respiratory health issues, especially for children, older adults, and those with breathing problems, according to the EPA.
Evans said switching to battery-powered equipment protects the health of residents and lawn care operators from respiratory and heart problems, cognitive impairment and even cancer and premature death.
The city Air Quality Program inspects and monitors the regulated industry to ensure compliance with and enforcement of the federal and state regulations governing air quality.
Dallas is also part of the initiative Air North Texas, the regional public awareness campaign and partnership that seeks to improve air quality in North Texas by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.
Most of the equipment is from the German manufacturer Andreas Stihl AG & Co.
According to Renee Johnson, assistant director of the Dallas Park and Recreation Department, the new electrical equipment will be used exclusively at the 48-acre Kiest Softball Complex.
DALLAS – A Dallas Police investigation into a double homicide continues after the suspected gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Mesquite, authorities announced.
Double murder-suicide investigation
What we know:
Dallas officers responded to a shooting call in the 15800 block of El Estado Drive in Far North Dallas at 2:40 p.m. on December 11, 2025. The preliminary investigation determined that two people had been shot.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Arlina Sander, who died at the scene, and 27-year-old Darvilease Washington, who was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
Detectives quickly identified a possible suspect and a suspect vehicle registered in Mesquite. As Dallas detectives prepared an arrest warrant, they were notified by the Mesquite Police Department about a shooting in that city.
Suspect found dead in Mesquite
The suspect in the El Estado homicides was found dead in the 1000 block of Craig Drive in Mesquite, having suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect’s vehicle was found in the driveway.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner has identified the man as 44-year-old Jonathan Lakill Mantoy Jones. His time of death was just after 5 p.m., according to the M.E. report.
What we don’t know:
The motives and circumstances surrounding the offense are still under investigation.
Dallas Police ask anyone with information to contact Detective Paul Johnson at 469-271-6328 or via email at paul.johnson@dallaspolice.gov.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas Police Department.
After a gloomy Saturday, cold temperatures moved through Dallas-Fort Worth through the evening, though the area is expected to see some sunshine on Sunday.
Temperatures are forecast to reach a high near 43 on Sunday with early morning wind chills in the 20s or lower for parts of North Texas, according to the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office.
Nighttime temperatures are likely to drop to a below-freezing 28, with wind gusts calming down in the evening after reaching as high as 30 mph during the day.
The coming week is expected to be somewhat sunny, barring some cloud cover during the night.
Starting Tuesday, the weather is supposed to get warmer with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s.
The latest Dallas weather forecast from KXAS-TV (NBC5):
SUNDAY (HANUKKAH BEGINS): Partly sunny, breezy and much colder. High: 44. Wind: N 10-20 mph.
MONDAY: Mostly sunny and chilly. Low: 28. High: 53. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
TUESDAY: Mixture of sun and clouds, mild. Low: 43. High: 63. Wind: S 10-15 mph.
WEDNESDAY: Partly sunny and warmer. Low: 53. High: 71. Wind: S 10-20 mph.
THURSDAY: Plenty of sunshine, warm. Low: 56. High: 71. Wind: N 5-10 mph.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Low: 47. High: 67. Wind: SE 5-10 mph.
The BMW Dallas Marathon is in full swing this weekend. Events started Friday night and will run through Sunday.
Saturday morning included a 10K, 5K, and the kids’ 100-meter dash, but Sunday is the big day so many runners have been training for.
From young runners to older runners, thousands participated in Saturday’s events, including one of Santa’s elves.
“Santa made me work today,” said John Schmidt, who participated in the 5K dressed as Santa’s finest.
Myrna Besley came from Colorado to jog the BMW Dallas Marathon 5K on Saturday morning, pushing her grandson along the way.
“My daughter is a runner, we do this to go along with her, she’s way ahead of us, and she’ll be running in the marathon tomorrow,” Besley said.
Teachers Caroline Menzia and Emma Gayle took a break from the classroom to hit the pavement.
“We work hard every day in our job, and I don’t know, we wanted to push ourselves outside of our work, to do something for us that we can accomplish,” said Menzia.
Organizers said while a lot goes into planning this event, it’s important for runners to enjoy the journey it’s taken to get here.
“Have some fun, smile, it’s hard, getting to the finish line is not easy,” Jason Schuchard, president of the BMW Dallas Marathon, said. “But just relax, trust your training, and just remember to smile.”
If you’re one of the thousands of runners running on Sunday, organizers said to arrive early, stay hydrated, and stay warm.
“Come early, park early, make yourself comfortable, you don’t want to stress out,” said Dr. Logan Sherman, chairman of the BMW Dallas Marathon. “It’s going to be cold, so bundle up and any clothes or any items you want to discard before you get to the start, please know that you can discard it on the side of the corral right before you’re about to take off.”
There will be many road closures in Downtown Dallas on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit: https://dallasmarathon.com/.
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