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, TX
Viral East Dallas coffee shop fears major sales drop amid six-week road closure
Construction plans disrupt business in East Dallas. Just a few days ago, the owners of Juju’s Coffee off La Vista Drive in Dallas were informed by Oncor that the street on which their shop is located will be closed.
One of the owners, Nick Rocha, said the closure will last six weeks, but if there are any delays, it could be extended until October.
The coffee shop, which opened in 2023, has recently gained a lot of popularity. One of their drinks, called the “do-si-dos,” has gone viral, and now they have lines out the door on a regular basis.
“It’s a peanut butter milk latte… We probably doubled our sales or more if I had to be honest,” said Rocha.
Since the drink’s release in April, the flow of customers has been nonstop.
“We were like, ‘We’ll go viral and then we’ll die out.’ Then we’re like, ‘Well, when is it going to be over, because we’re just getting slammed?’ We were both doing like 60- to 70-hour weeks… And it just kept going, and it turned from like, ‘Okay, we’re scared of it,’ to, ‘Okay, we can do this,’” said Rojas.
Rojas says that just as they were adjusting to the new normal, the notice from Oncor came.
“They were just like, ‘Yeah, so we’re going to close the street, sorry.’ That was tough… because we’re in the middle of dreaming and vision casting for what’s coming and what’s next,” said Rojas.
Starting July 20, La Vista Drive will be closed, sidewalk accessibility will be difficult, and street visibility will be too. Rojas believes the impact could drop their sales by about 50%. He says they’ve had meetings with the city and Oncor, but says there’s nothing they can do, and now their only plea is to their customers.
“Anybody that comes in and supports, it’s a genuine gratitude from us,” said Rojas.
Dallas, TX
3 unanswered questions before training camp: Dallas Cowboys edition
For the Dallas Cowboys and their owner, Jerry Jones, the hope is always that the changes made will improve the product on the field. Every team heading into training camp will have questions to answer, and the Dallas Cowboys are first on our list with 3 of the biggest ones. This will be an ongoing series for the next couple of weeks until camp starts, and answers start to reveal themselves in real time.
Another season of change for the Dallas Cowboys. Will it make a difference this time around to end the drought? Jerry Jones sure hopes so. Dallas hasn’t had a title in 30 years, and Jerry Jones promised to look in the mirror and make much-needed dramatic changes. The 34-year-old Christian Parker, who has no defensive coordinator experience, must embody the change upfront. Veterans were added, and Dak Prescott is back and healthy, running a new scheme. We shall see.
I wouldn’t worry about whether CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens can coexist long-term. I’m more concerned about whether you can keep them happy with the culture and get them to commit long-term. They declined to negotiate with Pickens and instead slapped him with the franchise tag. If Dak Prescott continues to spread the ball around, he should be able to keep them happy, but it comes at a cost: winning in the playoffs or a Super Bowl title.
Tight end Jake Ferguson’s role could diminish during the upcoming season. Even after signing a four-year, $52 million extension, former undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford is a better blocker and could have a major impact on the Cowboys’ offense in 2026.
Dallas, TX
Dallas weather: Widespread thunderstorms bring flash flood risks and brief heat relief
Dallas weather: July 12 morning forecast
An active weather pattern brings widespread storms, isolated flooding risks, and a welcome cooldown into the low-90s through mid-week for the Red River region.
DALLAS – A wave of scattered thunderstorms is expected to bring heavy rain, localized flooding risks, and brief relief from the July heat to North Texas and the Texoma region starting Sunday afternoon.
Severe weather risk
The Storm Prediction Center has placed the entire region under a low-level risk for severe weather. Forecasters warn that while widespread severe conditions are unlikely, any strong storm cells that develop could produce localized flooding, small hail, frequent lightning, and damaging wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph.
We have a lot of moisture on hand. The atmosphere is primed for highly efficient rainfall. This is where the isolated flash flood threat starts to come in. If these areas get another round of rain through the overnight hours, of course, then that threat starts to elevate.
Timeline:
The weather system began moving through Sunday morning with an initial cluster of storms focused heavily near Sherman in Grayson County, alongside isolated pop-up showers stretching east toward Delta and Red River counties. The broader Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex remained largely dry early in the day, with temperatures hovering in the late 70s to low 80s.
However, conditions are expected to shift rapidly as daytime heating pushes temperatures into the mid-90s.
Sunday Afternoon (3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Storm coverage will become more scattered and widespread across North Texas.
Sunday Evening & Overnight: Pockets of heavy, intense rainfall are projected to stall over parts of the region.
Monday Morning Commute: Lingering showers and light rain are expected to persist through sunrise, threatening to create slick roadways and slow down the Monday morning rush hour.
Live Radar
Temperature Outlook and Drought Relief
Despite the storm threat, the rain will be welcomed. The rainfall is expected to help alleviate the onset of the typical mid-summer drought conditions North Texas experiences this time of year.
The accompanying cloud cover and rain will provide a temporary break from intense summer heat. While Sunday’s forecast high of 95 degrees sits exactly at the mid-July average, temperatures will dip slightly below average to 93 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.
A gradual drying and warming trend will begin mid-week as the low-pressure system slowly slides out of the area. Rain chances drop to 30% by Tuesday and will continue to taper off through Thursday. By Friday and next weekend, the typical July weather pattern is expected to return, bringing hot and dry conditions back to the region.
7-Day Forecast
The Source: Information in this article is from the FOX 4 weather team.
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