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High-tech trash cans land in downtown Dallas

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High-tech trash cans land in downtown Dallas


You’ve heard of smart TVs, fridges and vacuum cleaners, now get ready for smart trash cans.

Though you may not have noticed them, a set of high-tech garbage bins has appeared in downtown Dallas through a pilot program carried out by the city, Downtown Dallas Inc. and the Child Poverty Action Lab.

The pilot is funded by CPAL and will run for a year, said Mike Hunter, chief of Parks and Public Space at DDI. The goal is to assess the cans’ effectiveness for improving sanitation efficiency. Full steam ahead to finding out, we say.

Three cans are placed in the area southeast of City Hall and another three are at sites around Dallas Area Rapid Transit’s West End station and West Transfer Center, city documents show. Those are high foot-traffic areas and should serve as great test locations.

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But how could a trash can make sanitation more efficient, you ask? These monitor their own trash level and keep sanitation workers informed about when they need to be emptied.

In the core of downtown, there are sanitation workers who go from can to can by foot, checking on them during the day, Hunter said. The Central Business District alone is home to more than DDI 50 cans, he said.

The new cans are likely to help most in the further-flung areas of downtown, where supervisors currently have to drive trucks to each bin to check on them, Hunter explained. The smart bins notify DDI by text or email when they are 80% full, hopefully making it possible to avoid unnecessary trips, saving valuable time that can be used for other sanitation efforts, he said.

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There are other desirable features too. The tank-like cans have a fully enclosed design, preventing wind and weather from sending rubbish flying, and keeping rummaging hands and paws out of the bins.

DDI’s sanitation teams already do a good job keeping downtown’s street trash under control. Just spend a few minutes in the Central Business District and you’ll see them hard at work. If these swanky cans can make their jobs easier, the pilot goes well and the cost makes sense, we say go for it.

Surely it’s wishful thinking, but could we be forgiven for hoping just a little bit that residents and visitors will be more likely to throw their own trash into a fancy bin? DDI does great work, but we can all do better cleaning up after ourselves.



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Dallas, TX

Dallas, Mesquite police investigate double murder-suicide

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Dallas, Mesquite police investigate double murder-suicide


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.

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Dallas, TX

Dallas-Fort Worth might see some sunshine on Sunday. Will the coming week be cloudy?

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Dallas-Fort Worth might see some sunshine on Sunday. Will the coming week be cloudy?


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.

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Participants share their experience as BMW Dallas Marathon weekend begins.

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Participants share their experience as BMW Dallas Marathon weekend begins.


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.

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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.

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“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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