Dallas, TX

New housing option for former homeless opens in Northeast Dallas

Published

1 day ago

October 29, 2024

New housing option for former homeless opens in Northeast Dallas

The next major piece in addressing homelessness is now open in Northeast Dallas, as an old hotel remodel is creating new opportunities for those who call it home.

Anthony Armstrong has seen a lot of situations.

“This is my first time being in this type of situation, whatever this situation is.”

The self-described Iraq war vet says he left his job at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Denver during the pandemic after suffering from complications from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“It kind of just threw me into like this mental spiral, and so, I quit working for about two years,” Armstrong said.

He arrived in Dallas earlier this year with no place to live but with plenty of faith.

“If you need it, just ask, and it will be provided,” Armstrong said.

After a few months in a downtown shelter, Armstrong is now a month and a half into living at St. Jude Center – Vantage Point, just south of I-635 near Greenville Avenue, which celebrated its grand opening on Tuesday. Residents like Armstrong began moving in earlier this year.

It’s a former hotel that the city of Dallas and Dallas County combined to purchase for $7 million in 2023 and turn into permanent supportive housing.

Dave Woodyard is CEO of Catholic Charities Dallas, which operates as property management at what is now the third St. Jude Center in Dallas. All three centers have the same mission.

“The only requirement to be is to be formerly homeless,” Woodyard said.

The facility creates a single-site solution: a safe, quiet place to call home, paid for through federal housing vouchers combined with access to mental health services, transportation, and job placements in one location.

“Many that come here are seniors, veterans and others that have experienced some horrible traumas in their life and it’s a long road to recovery,” Woodyard said. “It’s not an easy step out, if you will. So, this gives them that safe environment.”

A fourth St. Jude Center is set to open late next year or early 2026 in Oak Cliff.

Woodyard adds that about 700 neighbors who previously stayed in shelters or on the streets have found housing so far, and the need continues to grow.

“The numbers going forward are really hard to predict,” Woodyard said. “Right now, we could have another ten St. Jude centers, and it would make a huge dent, but it wouldn’t be the total solution.”

For Armstrong, he adds if life is like a movie, he’s just in a new scene.

“You want to see a couple of downs to see how that person works out of it. So, I’m getting ready for my biopic,” he says. “I just have faith that things will work out for me.”

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Dallas, TX

What are Dallas Cowboys’ odds of making playoffs after 8 weeks of NFL’s regular season?

Published

4 hours ago

October 31, 2024

Press Room

What are Dallas Cowboys’ odds of making playoffs after 8 weeks of NFL’s regular season?

Eight weeks of the NFL’s regular season have passed, meaning the playoff picture is clearing up for a few teams. For the Dallas Cowboys, things are still pretty murky.

The Cowboys currently sit at 3-4, holding third place in the NFC East after back-to-back losses to the 49ers and Lions. With a Week 9 battle against the Falcons approaching, Dallas doesn’t have favorable odds to make a postseason push.

According to DraftKings sportsbook, current odds are suggesting there’s an 80% chance Dallas will miss the playoffs (-400). That figure aligns with other well-known projections. After Sunday’s loss to San Francisco, ESPN is giving Dallas a 12% chance to clinch a playoff spot.

Why are oddsmakers picking against the Cowboys at this point? A tough upcoming stretch of games could be a factor.

In the next four weeks, the Cowboys will test their luck against teams with winning records. Atlanta (5-3), Philadelphia (5-2), Houston (6-2) and Washington (6-2) could give Dallas some trouble before Thanksgiving arrives.

It’ll be a pivotal stretch for a Dallas team hoping to regain its physical identity. The Cowboys haven’t missed the playoffs since 2020, winning 12 games each of the last three seasons.

Despite a quiet offseason, the team was still considered among the NFC’s best before the 2024 campaign kicked off. Oddsmakers had listed Dallas at +1600 to win Super Bowl LIX, tying with Houston for the sixth-best odds.

That’s shifted considerably after seven games, with DraftKings listing the Cowboys at +8000 to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Can the Cowboys turn things around before it’s too late?

Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.

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Dallas, TX

City council considers dropping experience requirement to become a Dallas police officer

Published

12 hours ago

October 30, 2024

Press Room

City council considers dropping experience requirement to become a Dallas police officer

DALLAS – The city of Dallas is considering reducing the qualifications to become a Dallas police officer.

But some Dallas City Council members are pushing back on the idea.

Right now, to become a Dallas police officer, one needs either college credit, experience in the U.S. Armed Forces or a TCOLE peace officer license.

Under the new proposal, there would be no experience required.

For eight years, the Dallas Police Department has struggled to recruit and retain police officers.

The latest strategy recommended by the city’s civil service board is to allow high school graduates or those with GED to apply with no college credit or experience necessary.

“We are competing for limited talent with limited interest in a sworn position,” said Jarred Davis with the city’s civil service department. “It’s like sales; the more you put in the funnel, the better results you will have hiring quality candidates on the back end.”

Right now, there are several paths to becoming a Dallas police officer:

one can transfer from another department
must have three years of service in the armed forces
have 45-60 college credit hours, depending on age, with a 2.0 GPA

“To me, it is not what you are studying, but are you maturing? Having other experiences? You have to show up, earn your grades, work with the instructor,” said Councilwoman Gay Donnell-Willis.

While applicants can transfer from another department with no college credits, Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn said their experience with that department would be their qualification.

“I’m just going to say it. I don’t like this proposal at all,” she said. “I don’t want us to lower our standards for police officers.

While Austin and San Antonio only require a high school diploma or GED, cities like Arlington and Plano require a bachelor’s degree.

“This is what the civil service board has supported, and we think this would be a step in the right direction for expanding our reach for recruitment,” Davis said.

Mendelsohn disagreed.

“We are not talking about any kind of job here that is anyone off the street doing a file clerk job,” she said. “We are giving someone a gun and the ability to kill other people. I won’t support lowering it.”

The public safety committee said there were still too many questions to move the proposal forward to the full city council for a vote. There will be another briefing likely in December.

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Dallas, TX

Cowboys vs Falcons: Week 9 matchups to watch for Dallas

Published

19 hours ago

October 30, 2024

Press Room

Cowboys vs Falcons: Week 9 matchups to watch for Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys once again hit the road in Week 9 to take on the NFC South division leader, the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has been a much different team this season with QB Kirk Cousins in command of the offense. This is someone Dallas should know quite a bit about dating back to his time in Washington, even though that was years ago.

Sadly, this is yet another game that’s shaping up to be a tough one for the Cowboys. Offensively, Atlanta has several weapons who could be matchup problems for Dallas’ defenders. On the flipside though, Dak Prescott and Company could find some success against the Falcons middle-of-the-road defense, who are giving up 24.4 points per game.

While the Cowboys haven’t proven themselves capable of beating good teams, and the Falcons definitely classify as a good team, this is very much a game they can win if they can get the better of a few key matchups. If not, losing this game could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, all but ending any hope for a successful 2024 season.

WR CeeDee Lamb vs. Falcons’ secondary

CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott finally synced up for the first time this season to the tune of 13 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns. While it’s going to be difficult to repeat that type of production week in and week out, these two definitely need to continue connecting if the Cowboys want any chance of winning. No. 88 is sadly Dallas’ best and only chance of being successful offensively in the passing game. Nobody else has really stepped up this season, so wins and losses will probably come down to how these two play moving forward.

S Donovan Wilson vs. TE Kyle Pitts

In back-to-back games the Cowboys have allowed two TDs and two explosive plays over 40+ yards to opposing tight ends (Sam LaPorta, George Kittle). While Donovan Wilson isn’t solely responsible for those blunders, he was largely to blame for Kittle’s 128 receiving yards last week. Dallas may want to rethink putting Wilson in the same position this week against Kyle Pitts, who is coming off a 91-yard game with two TDs. Pitts is more of a big WR than traditional TE and should probably be treated as such by the Cowboys this week.

Cowboys’ run defense vs. RBs Bijan Robinson/Tyler Allgeier

The Cowboys run defense got a pretty good taste of what a dynamic RB duo can do when they played the Lions earlier this season and unfortunately failed to measure up. Bijan Robinson (4.7) and Tyler Allgeier (5.2) are another dynamic RB duo who are both averaging close to 5.0 yards per carry this year. This two-headed monster could be a problem for Dallas’ front seven. Don’t be surprised if Mike Zimmer once again tries to stack the box like he did against the 49ers to try to contain these two. Whatever the case, they spell trouble.

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