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.

The Dallas Cowboys suffered their third straight loss with a 27-21 final score in Atlanta. On top of it all, both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb had potentially serious injuries that could impact their availability moving forward. There were a ton of big, impactful plays in this one, but these five deserve special attention for how they sum up the game and season: a general lack of detail.

Zack Martin misses huge block on screen pass

The Cowboys defense got off to a good start in this one, forcing a punt on the opening drive of the game. In turn, the offense came out scorching too, with Dak Prescott completing all five of his passes and quickly getting into scoring range.

After a first down run to Rico Dowdle, Dallas moved just inside the red zone at the Atlanta 19. On second down, Prescott hit Dowdle on a screen pass, but he was tackled immediately for a loss of four. Linebacker Kaden Elliss made the tackle after blowing right by Zack Martin, who completely whiffed on his block.

On the replay, the missed opportunity set in. Dowdle had a wide open field in front of him and very likely would’ve scored a touchdown if Martin had made his block. But on third and 12, Dallas was unable to move the chains and had to settle for a field goal. This was an early four-point swing in a game that was ultimately decided by six points.

Kaden Elliss left unblocked on fourth-down attempt

Credit where it’s due, as the Dallas defense did their best in this one despite being down so many key players. After recovering a strip sack, they set their offense up to retake the lead down 7-3, but miscommunication on a third-down run set up fourth and short.

Dallas opted to go for it, and the Falcons were loading up the middle of the defensive line. Dak Prescott appeared to make an audible at the line, and he brought CeeDee Lamb in motion for a jet sweep handoff. However, Kaden Elliss got to him right away and held him up for a turnover on downs.

The replay pointed out how few defenders were over on the side of the field that Lamb was running to. Had Elliss been blocked at all – no Cowboys player even touched him at the snap – Lamb would have easily had the first down and possibly even scored. Once again, the little things doomed Dallas here.

Trevon Diggs missed tackle sets up Falcons touchdown

Following the failed fourth down from Dallas, the Falcons took over right at midfield and had a chance to go up by two scores. They quickly started driving, but a holding call erased a big third-down conversion and instead set up third and 14.

Taking a shotgun snap, Kirk Cousins quickly hit Kyle Pitts for a catch-and-run. Trevon Diggs came up to meet Pitts at the 42-yard line, but opted to go for a big hit instead of wrapping up for the tackle. Pitts easily evaded him and picked up an additional six yards.

He still came up short of the first down, but Atlanta was now looking at fourth and three instead of fourth and nine. That made all the difference, as the Falcons went for it and ultimately scored a 36-yard touchdown after Diggs got caught up in traffic. However, that play likely never even happens if Diggs goes for a more sound tackle on third down.

Terence Steele false start kills drive before it even starts

The Cowboys got the ball to start the second half and things were somewhat trending their way. The defense had been solid, the offense was starting to gain traction, and they were only down 14-10. A touchdown to start the third quarter would put them in the lead.

Before they had even snapped the ball, and before a second had even come off the clock, Dallas found a way to go backwards. On first down, Terence Steele moved early and was promptly hit with a false start penalty. Pre-snap penalties are hard to stomach in general, but they’re especially inexcusable on the first play of the half right out of the break.

The penalty backed Dallas up five yards, starting them out behind schedule. They ended up punting after three plays, but they came up just two yards shy of the first down. They picked up 13 yards on plays where they actually snapped the ball, but the penalty from Steele ensured that it wouldn’t be enough and squandered their chance at retaking the lead.

KaVontae Turpin can’t stay in bounds on punt return

After Dak Prescott was ruled out for the game, Cooper Rush came in and predictably struggled, with the Cowboys punting. But the Falcons were also forced to punt, and that’s when KaVontae Turpin ripped off a solid punt return.

Turpin got outside to the edge and started tiptoeing down the sideline, picking up 16 yards in total before going out of bounds. The heartbreak came on the replay, when a wide open field was visible. If Turpin had managed to keep himself in bounds on the sideline, he very well could have scored on this return.

Down 27-13 with just under eight minutes left in the game, that play could’ve changed everything. The Cowboys were going to need some big plays to make a comeback with Rush under center, and a Turpin house call would certainly have fit the bill. As it turned out, though, Dallas ended up turning it over on downs on that drive, leaving everyone with thoughts of what could’ve been. And in that sense, it summed up a thematic throughline for this entire season as the team dropped to 3-5.

Morrissey’s Dallas concert took a chaotic turn on Nov. 2 when an unexpected rush of fans forced the singer to abruptly cancel his show.

The incident unfolded at Fair Park Music Hall, where Morrissey was performing “First of the Gang to Die” as an encore to an enthusiastic crowd when a single fan managed to get onstage to embrace him. While the singer initially appeared unfazed, security stepped in to guide the fan away.

Things soon spiraled out of control as other audience members began following suit and rushed the stage. As additional concertgoers attempted to join the impromptu meet-and-greet, security struggled to contain the crowd.

According to footage obtained by TMZ, at least one guard appeared to lose balance amidst the scuffle, reportedly injuring their leg in the commotion. Morrissey was quickly whisked offstage by his team, leaving the audience without further explanation. He’s yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.

It’s far from the first time Morrissey has walked off stage mid-performance. His career is peppered with similar exits, often for reasons ranging from vocal issues to environmental concerns and confrontations with fans.

In 2009, Morrissey famously left the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California due to the smell of burning meat from nearby food vendors. Disturbed by what he perceived as the scent of “burning flesh,” he commented, “I can smell burning flesh, and I hope to God it’s human,” before ending his set abruptly.

In 2014, he also ended his San Jose show prematurely after multiple audience members rushed onstage. While Morrissey initially seemed amused, he was forced to leave when a few overly eager fans inadvertently knocked him to the ground.

That same year, he cut short a concert in Warsaw, Poland, after just 25 minutes following an incident with a heckler. Although the exact nature of the heckling was unclear, it was enough for Morrissey to leave the stage without returning.

In 2017, he ended a performance in Tucson, Arizona, after only six songs, citing voice issues. The pattern repeated in 2022 at Los Angeles’s Greek Theatre, where he departed just 30 minutes into the show, leaving his band to inform the audience that the concert was over without any explanation.