Dallas, TX
Letters to the Editor — State Fair, Dallas Mavs, religious freedom, CBS, school funding
Lower State Fair prices
Re: “Ending on a down note — Officials say ICE fears, weather may have hurt attendance,” Thursday news story.
I took my 5-year-old granddaughter to the State Fair of Texas this year and was appalled at the cost of rides on the midway. One kiddie ride was $6, multiply that by three kids and it’s $18 for one ride. Families cannot afford to attend. Plus, what child is satisfied with one ride?
The State Fair of Texas must do better if they want to serve our middle-class population.
Theresa Francis, Dallas
Park free for Minnesota fair
As a former Texan for 60-plus years who recently moved to Minnesota to be closer to our immediate family, I’d like to offer how the state fair here in Minnesota helps residents afford attending.
The fair is open only two weeks but offers free parking and transportation from over 15 locations in the Twin Cities. Local churches and other nonprofits staff and get paid to allow residents to park free and board free buses for transportation to the fair. Buses leave every 15 to 20 minutes. Returning home is just a matter of boarding a bus.
Our local church staffed our parking lot from 8 a.m. to midnight. We received around $6,000 from the fair. A win for our church and fairgoers.
Jon Johnston, St. Paul, Minn.
Put Mavs’ home in Fair Park
As someone who’s grown up in the city of Dallas, I’ve been a lifelong Mavs fan and currently have season tickets. Similar to other Dallasites, the State Fair has been another constant presence in the city. It’s been challenging to see the struggles Fair Park has experienced as a pillar of the city’s history and culture.
I can’t help but notice the significant amount of similarities between what the Mavs are looking for in a new arena site and “entertainment district,” and what Fair Park has been desperately needing for years.
With seemingly ample space for all the needs and opportunities of Fair Park that have been highlighted by The Dallas Morning News’ recent stories covering it, I’ve been surprised Fair Park hasn’t been raised as a legitimate contender as a potential choice for the Mavs.
I’m sure the complexities of such a development are immense, and buy-in from the community is paramount, but I can’t think of a more Dallas site for the Mavericks than Fair Park.
Bobby Ladtkow, East Dallas
Center fights religious persecution
Re: “Baptist confab seeks to inspire action — Religious persecution is a worldwide problem; what can we do from Dallas?” by Randel Everett and Knox Thames, Oct. 19 Opinion.
The work of the Center for Global Religious Freedom is extremely important, and I support it wholeheartedly. While the persecution of Christians around the world is real, it can overshadow the suffering of people of other religions in their home countries.
The center is right to have the attitude that Christians are not really free if their non-Christian neighbors are not. In India, the non-Hindu minority religions of Islam, Christianity, Sikhism and others are harshly persecuted, causing loss of places of worship, mob violence and death. Some Hindus oppose this treatment. The persecutors are not free if they maintain the “superiority” of their religion by force. They are slaves to violence and religious hatred.
To work for the religious freedom of all, not just those of our own religion, is what loving our neighbor is all about. In the United States, Indian Americans are working together, regardless of their religion, to educate and end religious persecution in India, as neighbors.
Paula W. Keeth, southeast Dallas
Opening journalism’s doors
Re: “Is new CBS News boss a counterbalance or a thumb on the scales?” by John McCaa, Oct. 19 Opinion.
Hope rises again! I’ve been a supporter of the Free Press since its beginning and can report that the style and content Bari Weiss provides is not only refreshing in the topics covered, but liberating in its openness.
Weiss, through the Free Press, has also hosted several debates on burning cultural issues in major cities, including Dallas.
Hopefully CBS will be open to free thinkers and will open wide the doors of journalism and reporting. If it does, every Fourth Estate outlet worth its salt should take notice and follow suit.
There is wisdom in the totality of wide-ranging public opinion. Media should listen and learn.
Betsy Whitfill, Dallas/Lakewood
Prop 16 on IDs not needed
Regarding Proposition 16, Texas already has voter ID requirements. What would an additional law do to ensure the voter is a lawful voter when: the minimum requirements to vote in person in Texas are to present one of the following forms of photo ID: Texas driver’s license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety, a Texas election identification certificate issued by DPS or a Texas personal identification card issued by DPS?
Steven Chavez, Dickinson, N.D.
Fund by school enrollment
It’s time to rethink how Texas funds its schools. Right now, school districts are funded based on average daily attendance rather than total enrollment. This system unfairly penalizes schools for factors often beyond their control — illness, transportation challenges, family hardships and more.
Attendance-based funding disproportionately impacts districts serving lower-income families, where absences are often tied to health, housing instability or caregiving responsibilities. Schools with higher needs should receive more support, not less.
Switching to an enrollment-based funding model would create stability, allow districts to plan effectively and better serve students. Texas children deserve a fully funded education regardless of whether they are present every single day. Punishing schools for absences only widens inequities and shortchanges the very students who need help most.
Lawmakers should act now to ensure that every school has the resources to educate every child — attendance should never dictate opportunity.
Kate Baltau, Frisco
The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
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Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
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