Dallas, TX

Letters to the Editor — Texas A&M, preservation program, Dallas City Council, sheriff race

Published

2 years ago

April 15, 2024

Letters to the Editor — Texas A&M, preservation program, Dallas City Council, sheriff race

Bonfire wrong memorial

Texas A&M University is unique for many reasons. Its distinctive culture permeates every aspect of its existence. At the core of its culture is the courage to always do what is right regardless of opinion or consequences. While traditions are revered at A&M, those traditions can never supersede the dignity we accord every member of our community.

The effort to reinstate the bonfire tradition would disparage the memory of those students who lost their lives, including those who suffered enduring injuries, and it would tarnish the culture of Texas A&M University.

What is the appropriate memorial for the loss of 12 young, brilliant lives? Perhaps in this case, it is declaring that no amount of time erases that loss. Redemption is a powerful force, but must have a powerful purpose. Simply reinstating a symbol of sports rivalry does not carry that power; in fact it trivializes those 12 tragic deaths and deprives them of their basic dignity and the meaning of what they would have accomplished had they lived.

The reinstatement of the traditional Thanksgiving football game between the University of Texas and A&M is rousing, but the game can be played without demeaning our values and disrespecting those we’ve lost.

Don Powell ‘21 (graduate school), Amarillo

Former chairman of the board, Texas A&M University System

Officials must support preservation

Re: “Preservation gets fresh look — City Council to vote on proposal this week,” April 7 Metro story.

Kudos to Kate Singleton, who assumed directorship of the city’s preservation program and managed to turn it around. Nevertheless, it is with trepidation that I applaud this “fresh look.”

Under the previous director, the four historic preservation planners at that time (myself included) fought for additional staff, resources for community support, funds for translating materials into Spanish, money for educational outreach and resources for developing historic districts in underserved communities.

None of this was deemed important, and no one with authority supported us — not the former director, current mayor, departing city manager, nor most of the Landmark commissioners or City Council members. All stood by as our office imploded.

Upon realizing the futility in trying to advance the city’s preservation program, all four planners eventually left, determined to make a difference elsewhere and maintain their professional integrity. When an entire staff of dedicated, professional employees leaves, it is a huge red flag, but apart from one assistant city manager, no one raised an eyebrow.

My point is that no “fresh look” will succeed without the support of higher officials, Landmark commissioners, and City Council. Hopefully, a lesson has been learned. Dallas’ history and culture are too important to ignore.

Marsha Prior, McKinney

Pay officials for sacrifice

Re: “Money Can’t Buy a Better City Council — Dallas officials must recognize work as public service, not a career,” April 7 editorial.

In an era of significant challenges and demands to and on government, particularly local government, public “service” is more important and valuable than ever. In general, the ongoing exodus of experienced representation from such roles is hampering cities’ abilities to meet the needs of the day and effectively prepare for tomorrow.

It is high time to consider paying and/or increasing compensation to such individuals. Public service often requires great sacrifice on multiple fronts — every day, including weekends.

The public at large often misunderstands the complexity of public sector roles and the amount of commitment, effort, grit, tenacity and time to perform such jobs, let alone to perform them well.

An increase in pay would likely result in council members being better able to perform their roles as the full time jobs they actually are. This would benefit the communities they serve. Some City Council members must maintain full-time jobs while serving the public. This is almost impossible.

Dallas needs the most competent, available leaders possible in every seat — at all times. What happens in Dallas impacts North Texas, and sometimes you get what you pay for.

Mike Grace, southwest Dallas

GOP already capitulated

Re: “Don’t capitulate, GOP,” by William Pritchard, Wednesday Letters.

Pritchard exhorts Republicans not to capitulate to the Democrats’ immigration policies. He encourages them to back “a compromise that effectively controls immigration and grants amnesty to DACA individuals,” and then in the next sentence states that “Democrats seem dedicated to no compromise at all.”

He has evidently not been reading or watching the news recently, where we have all seen the collapse of a bipartisan immigration reform bill produced after months of work by a group of Democratic and Republican senators. After the House speaker declared that he would never allow that bill to reach the House floor for a vote, Republican senators “capitulated” and refused to support the bill, all of which happened at the behest of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who wants no immigration reform unless he can take credit for it.

Democrats are willing to compromise; Trump and his Republican sycophants are not.

Karen Rosenthal, Irving

No more cutting taxes

There seems to be so much need in our country, in many areas. I am just a retired teacher, not an economist, but I have a novel idea. For years, the emphasis has been on cutting taxes. What about the very unpopular idea of increasing taxes and eliminating loopholes as well as cutting the fat in government?

We must try to help save democracy here and around the world. Poverty and homelessness are heartbreakingly prevalent. Teachers can’t live on their income. The border needs funds as well as ways to eliminate the causes of mass exodus from other countries.

It is going to take sacrifice from all of us to climb out of our herculean debt while caring for those who desperately need help.

Carol McNatt, Athens

We welcome your thoughts in a letter to the editor. See the guidelines and submit your letter here. If you have problems with the form, you can submit via email at letters@dallasnews.com

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Dallas, TX

DAL@PIT Postgame: Glen Gulutzan | Dallas Stars

Published

5 hours ago

March 29, 2026

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DAL@PIT Postgame: Glen Gulutzan | Dallas Stars

DallasStars.com is the official Web site of DSE Hockey Club, L.P. The Dallas Stars primary logo is a registered trademark and the Stars name and secondary logos are trademarks of the Dallas Stars. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 1999-2025 DSE Hockey Club, L.P. and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

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Cowboys Showing Significant Interest in Son of Philadelphia Eagles Legend

Published

17 hours ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Cowboys Showing Significant Interest in Son of Philadelphia Eagles Legend

Getty

LB Josiah Trotter had a Top 30 visit with the Dallas Cowboys.

Former Missouri linebacker Josiah Trotter is working out for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, according to his March 27 Instagram story.

If Dallas selects the 20-year-old linebacker, who is the son of Philadelphia Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter and the brother of current Eagles LB Jeremiah Jr., it would put two brothers on opposite sides of one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries.

Jeremiah Sr. spent the best years of his 12-season NFL career in Philadelphia, earning four Pro Bowl nods, a first-team All-Pro nod and induction into the Eagles Hall of Fame. Jeremiah Jr. was a fifth-round pick by the Eagles in the 2024 draft and won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie.

Now, a third member of the family is about to enter the league, and it’s clear the Cowboys have a close eye on him.

Add Missouri LB Josiah Trotter to the Cowboys’ 30 visit list

More on Dallas Cowboys Having LB Josiah Trotter in for a Top 30 Visit Ahead of NFL Draft

GettyThe Dallas Cowboys are bringing LB Josiah Trotter in for a Top 30 visit ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Trotter’s college career was brief but sharply ascending. He signed with West Virginia in 2022 and redshirted the 2023 season after tearing his ACL during spring practices — a significant setback that delayed his debut but did nothing to diminish his trajectory.

When he finally got on the field in 2024, Trotter immediately established himself as a tone-setter. He finished the season with 92 tackles, four tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and two passes defended, earning Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the Football Writers Association of America freshman All-American team.

Looking for a bigger stage, Trotter transferred to Missouri, and the move to the SEC only elevated his game. Playing in the tougher conference, he finished with 84 tackles (13 for loss), 2.0 sacks and a pass defended in 2025, earning first-team All-SEC recognition. Across two seasons as a starter, Trotter compiled 176 tackles and 2.5 sacks while playing for two different programs — a testament to his ability to step in and produce regardless of scheme.

Trotter also met with Dallas at the scouting combine, so the Cowboys’ interest is clearly there.

#Missouri LB Josiah Trotter, son of former Eagle Jeremiah Trotter and younger brother of current Eagles Lb Jeremiah Trotter Jr., had 18 formal interviews with teams. Has one with the #Saints later today, and others with the #Cardinals, #Colts, #Broncos, #Cowboys, #Bucs, #Ravens,… pic.twitter.com/6mfqBMxKOS
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) February 25, 2026

A Closer Look at the Cowboys LB Room Heading Into 2026 NFL Draft

Dallas’ linebacker room was arguably its weakest position group in 2025. DeMarvion Overshown, their most talented option at the position, has now suffered season-ending knee injuries in back-to-back years, including a torn ACL, MCL and PCL in December 2024 that cost him the first 10 games of the 2025 season. He returned in Week 11 but went down again with another serious knee injury in Week 16.

Overshown enters 2026 in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Cowboys have not committed to an extension. Dallas released veteran Logan Wilson this offseason, and Kenneth Murray departed after a relatively underwhelming year-long stint.

Drafting Josiah would mean a Trotter lining up on both sides of the NFC East’s nastiest rivalry — one brother anchoring the middle for the Eagles, the other doing the same in Dallas.

Considering new defensive coordinator Christian Parker is installing a 3-4 base defense that puts a premium on physical, smart players over the middle, there’s little doubt Dallas will be adding to the position in the draft. The only question is which LB(s) they’ll wind up with.

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Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says he trusts latest City Hall repair estimates

Published

1 day ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson says he trusts latest City Hall repair estimates

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, in a CBS 11 interview, talked about City Hall, ongoing discussions to keep the Mavericks and Stars in the city and his trust of the latest cost estimates to repair the nearly 50-year-old seat of Dallas government.

In a 16-minute interview published Friday, Johnson directly responded to criticism about his focus as the city’s top elected official, insisting he is “fully engaged in everything that goes on around here.”

“I just know what I do every day, which is I wake up early in the morning, come to [City Hall] and give this city everything I have,” Johnson said in the interview.

Johnson said he accepted the latest City Hall repair estimates, including a $1 billion price tag over 20 years, calling the current building “not a great place to work” for employees.

He dismissed skepticism about the numbers, arguing the firms providing them are reputable and no better alternative exists.

He noted the City Council recently authorized City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert to explore all options — staying, repairing, or relocating — before making a final decision. His priority, he said, is doing “the best thing for the taxpayers.”

Johnson insisted the process has been “the definition of transparent,” citing public meetings and independent studies as proof.

While he respects the opinions of former mayors Mike Rawlings, Ron Kirk, and Tom Leppert, who argue relocating City Hall could revitalize downtown, Johnson said he won’t defer to their views.

He said he won’t commit to a scenario without seeing more data and the city manager’s report on private development interest in the City Hall site in May.

“I want the city manager to go through the exercise of actually exploring what private development options there would be, what interest would there be in this site,” the mayor said. “And if there are really great economic development opportunities for the city that would be unlocked by us leaving this site, I would be very, very compelled by that.”

Johnson confirmed active negotiations are underway to try to keep the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars in the city but declined to share details, citing the need to protect Dallas’ leverage in economic development deals.

He expressed confidence the city will “work this out” to retain both teams. The mayor shrugged off Plano’s reported discussions with the Stars, calling it competition that doesn’t concern him.

“I welcome anybody’s effort to compete with us,” Johnson said. “But I feel good about what we are going to be able to offer and what we’re able to do to keep our teams here.”

Council members respond

Council member Adam Bazaldua, one of six elected officials who have been pushing to revisit repair estimates, responded to clips from Johnson’s interview online.

“We owe it to our taxpayers to get a third party opinion and scrutinize the assessment. Anything less is subpar leadership,” Bazaldua posted it on X.

Bazaldua also highlighted a Mar. 26 post where council member Cara Mendelsohn questioned engineering firm AECOM’s repair cost estimates Wednesday.

In her post, Mendelsohn shared a 2023 Dallas Morning News article about the engineering firm having to pay a $11.8 million settlement for filing false claims to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that increased the price tag of repair and construction of schools in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“No matter what it is, how old it is, how well it functions, their estimate on city hall includes complete replacement and upgrades of every system, pipe, wire, window, floor, fixture, toilet, sink, because some folks want fancier government offices and want to build it to a Class A brand new standard,” Mendelsohn said in her post.

Council member Paula Blackmon told The News she agreed with Johnson that the city wants to keep the Stars and Mavericks in Dallas, but still wanted to have another review of City Hall’s condition and another set of revised estimates.

“I don’t trust that information and I will continue to ask to validate those numbers,” Blackmon said. “I don’t deny these groups put in the work, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t ask for a deeper understanding of how we got there.”

City Hall emails

In the CBS 11 interview, Johnson said he wouldn’t address a series of articles in The Dallas Morning News reviewing 5,000 pages of City Hall emails, which revealed undisclosed alternative City Hall site tours, AT&T’s criticism of city leadership and instances where business leaders struggled to reach him.

Johnson dismissed the articles, saying he “can’t spend time going back and forth with any media outlet about some emails.”

It’s at least the second time the mayor has refused to publicly discuss what came from the cache of emails. In his weekly newsletter to residents on March 15, he called coverage of news from the emails “tabloid-style articles” that were trying to frame routine city business as “scandalous revelations.”

A News review of 5,000 pages of emails exchanged over the past year among city officials, consultants, and others involved in City Hall’s future uncovered several key findings, including:

City officials arranged private tours of at least 15 potential City Hall relocation sites — including Founders Square, The Epic and Red Bird Mall — for a select group of council members, without public disclosure.
Before announcing a move to Plano, AT&T CEO John Stankey questioned Dallas’ “effective governance”, signaling concerns as the company explored suburban options.
Emails reveal Scotiabank’s CEO couldn’t reach Mayor Johnson to thank him for the company’s Dallas headquarters deal, forcing city staff to intervene before a callback.
Oak View Group, Fair Park’s former operator, is seeking $5 million from Dallas, alleging the city breached its contract after terminating their agreement.
City leaders feared WFAA-TV might leave downtown after Dallas moved to seize the station’s parking lot for convention center expansion.
The Dallas Economic Development Corp.’s CEO clashed with city staff over the group’s role in business recruitment, with emails exposing tensions over strategy and influence.

Staff writer Devyani Chhetri contributed to this report.