Give her a chance. That’s what I’ve been telling clients and friends since the Dallas City Council named Kimberly Bizor Tolbert the new city manager. Most of these people are surprised that I’m cautiously optimistic. Those calling are mostly City Hall insiders, even employees and elected and appointed officials. They know I’m critical of most things coming out of Marilla Street, and that the city has serious problems — unhappy citizens, a poor debt rating, homelessness, aging infrastructure and high taxes, to name just a few.
So why am I optimistic?
Because Tolbert works. Hard. She puts in long hours. She actually comes into the office — something her predecessor T.C. Broadnax didn’t do.
In many ways, she reminds me of Mary Suhm, who started her career as a librarian. Suhm learned from the ground floor up and worked hard as the city leader. She earned her spurs, gaining wide levels of expertise across many city departments. Most important, she had institutional knowledge. She combined this with an admirable work ethic.
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Effort counts, and ability begins with availability. So far, so good with Tolbert.
My optimism has increased after seeing that rank-and-file city employees began filling the council chamber as the agenda item to name her came closer. They filled the place. They were excited that someone from the ranks would lead them. I also believe they know that she works, not just presides.
I believe these people will work for her and be willing to make the changes she promotes.
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I am hopeful she will not allow employees to hide, coast or provide poor customer service. It’s become a norm in the building. Calls and emails go unanswered. Plans go unreviewed. Most galling, employees boast about their side hustles, a dynamic facilitated by work-from-home policies.
The Broadnax years featured managers that wanted to make employees happy. I hope Tolbert empowers directors and their assistants to hold employees accountable and help them improve.
Other cities treat people like customers and know they are competing. I’ve been concerned that Tolbert uses platitudes — that Dallas is winning, and keeping the city at the top. I’m hoping that is just excited rhetoric, because it’s not true.
In my experience, the city of Dallas is the most dysfunctional, siloed, political, expensive and rude place to do business in the region — by a wide margin. This must change quickly for Dallas to even begin to be competitive.
Tolbert is going to lead from out front. I worried it might be more from the Broadnax playbook. So far, I was wrong — and I’m happy to admit it. She crawled out of the wreck of the good ship Broadnax and got to work repairing the damage, while many others scurried to his new ship in Austin.
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I believe Tolbert is going to make different choices and run a different and more accountable government. She is willing to be graded. Only someone confident they will do the job behaves that way.
She’s not waiting for leadership from the council; she’s leading. She’s asking for input, not instructions.
She’s certainly not waiting on the mayor to provide inspiration or insight. The next expected sighting of the mayor, predictable like a comet, is in 2026, when he will take full credit for the World Cup games and be out and about in a new cowboy hat.
Tolbert has worked outside City Hall enough to know what the real world is like. More important, she started at the lowest level inside City Hall and made it to the top. Tolbert has had a variety of mentors during her career.
There’s no honeymoon for Tolbert. There’s no time for it, and too much to do. I’m optimistic, but I’m watching for backsliding. She’s got two and a half years to get things headed in the right direction, so when the city has a mayor willing to lead, the pace can quicken. The City Council must make explicit that she must blaze this path swiftly.
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Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings point guard and WNBA Rookie of the Year, took the spotlight in women’s basketball this year. The 24-year-old arrived in Dallas after being the No. 1 selection in the WNBA draft in April, capping off an impressive collegiate run where she helped the University of Connecticut win a national championship title.
Bueckers represents the best of our star athletes. The energy and determination she brings to the game and her dedication to her teammates and community make her a finalist for 2025 Texan of the Year.
Born in Edina, Minn., Bueckers started playing basketball when she was around five years old. Her father coached her until middle school, and by the time she reached Hopkins High School, she was the No. 1 recruit in the country for the 2020 class. At the University of Connecticut, she became the face of a storied program, returning from injury to help deliver the Huskies their 12th NCAA title.
When she arrived in Dallas, the question wasn’t whether she’d make an impact — it was how quickly. The answer came fast. She was a starter in all 36 appearances for the Wings and averaged 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals this season. Her 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks set a WNBA record for the highest single-game scoring performance by a rookie.
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She’s making Wings games must-watch basketball. At home games, the stands are filled with fans wearing Bueckers’ No. 5 jersey and young girls sporting face-framing braids and a ponytail to match her signature game-day hairstyle.
Ahead of their August showdown with the Indiana Fever, the Wings moved the game from their usual home court in Arlington to the American Airlines Center due to high demand for tickets to see the matchup between Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. The Wings didn’t make it to the playoffs this year, but Bueckers gave the city something to cheer for.
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But more than her athletic ability and impressive jump shots, Bueckers has shown a humility we wish was more common among stars like her. In interviews, she’s quick to give credit to her teammates, coaches and God. In 2021, at the ESPN ESPYS, after being recognized as the best college athlete in women’s sports, she used her acceptance speech to celebrate and honor Black women and their contributions to the sport.
In Dallas, Bueckers has teamed up with Verizon and Dick’s Sporting Goods to coach a youth clinic and exhibition game, eager to give back to the community and make the city feel like home while she’s here. And when she’s not training, she’s probably at another Dallas game — popping up at Stars and Cowboys games, a Trinity FC match and the Mavericks.
From her stylish game day tunnel outfits to TikTok videos dancing with her teammates to her smooth, disciplined basketball, it’s a pleasure to watch her — and we can’t wait to see what she does next.
Beginning today, we are running our Texan of the Year finalists in a countdown to naming the 2025 honorees on Sunday, Dec. 28. You can follow all of the finalists as they are published at dallasnews.com/opinion/texanoftheyear.
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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
