Connect with us

Dallas, TX

Public intoxication gets a humane response at Dallas’ Sobering Center

Published

on

Public intoxication gets a humane response at Dallas’ Sobering Center


It’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend, time for green beer, revelry and, unfortunately for some, arrest for public intoxication.

But in Dallas, some of those arrestees will be diverted away from the steely holding cells of the City Detention Center and to its more compassionate Sobering Center dorm.

Established three years ago, the center gives some noncombative intoxicated people a safe place to sober up and be counseled by understanding caseworkers about any underlying problems such as homelessness, alcoholism or mental illness. By agreeing to go there, they avoid being charged and saddled with lifelong criminal records.

Now the city is considering whether to divert other low level “quality of life” crimes there, too, Dallas City Marshal David Pughes told us. Those could include sleeping in public, prostitution and other Class C misdemeanors, he said.

Advertisement

Opinion

Get smart opinions on the topics North Texans care about.

That’s a good idea. The Sobering Center frees up municipal courts and patrol officers, while thwarting further crime by linking people with the help they need. We caution the city, however, not to overburden the center with more cases than it has the resources to handle.

Pughes said his office has begun working with Dallas police, the city attorney’s office and municipal court judges to identify other crimes that could be diverted. He expects to submit a proposal to the Dallas City Council’s public safety committee next year and give a general update of center activities to the committee next month.

Years ago, public intoxication suspects were often taken to the city jail, charged, brought before a magistrate and released with a court date. But too many didn’t show up. So the city in 2021 set up the Sobering Center as a more practical and compassionate way to deal with some of those cases.

Advertisement

To be eligible for diversion, a person must be 17 or older, nonviolent, and experiencing no serious medical problems. That person also must not be suspected of any crime other than public intoxication, or been a “client” at the center more than twice before in the same calendar year. Clients run the gamut, from homeless people to Uptown partiers to, yes, St. Patrick’s Day paradegoers. The center is particularly busy during Texas-OU weekend.

Once sober, usually after 4 hours or so, clients are interviewed individually with a caseworker, asked about their lifestyle and sometimes offered a referral to an outside agency. Of 7,712 clients so far, 1,292 have agreed to services. Some are given clean clothing if they need it.

Interview rooms have fresh paint, murals and calming “inspirational decor,” a city document reads. Program manager Kristen Kubat told us the whole point is “to give a little grace to humanity here.” That’s a worthwhile endeavor, and one we’d like to see carefully considered extending to other low-level crimes.

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



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dallas, TX

Triggered Fire Alarm Evacuates Dallas Love Field, Disrupts Flights And Security Screening

Published

on

Triggered Fire Alarm Evacuates Dallas Love Field, Disrupts Flights And Security Screening


Dallas Love Field airport in Dallas, Texas | Image by Markus Mainka/Shutterstock.

A triggered fire alarm forced the evacuation of Dallas Love Field on Tuesday afternoon, disrupting air traffic, halting security screening, and causing widespread flight delays.

According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, crews responded around 2:09 p.m. after a fire alarm was activated in the airport’s main terminal. The first arriving engine company reported “overheating equipment,” which officials later identified as a malfunction involving an HVAC unit. Fire officials said there was no fire, smoke, or injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ground stop for Dallas Love Field shortly after 2 p.m., which was lifted later in the afternoon. According to FlightAware, at least 87 flights were delayed during the disruption.

Advertisement

Dallas Love Field acknowledged the incident publicly as crews were responding.

“Dallas Fire Rescue is responding to a fire alarm at DAL. For your safety, please follow the airport staff’s instructions. We will provide updates as they become available from DFR. Thank you for your understanding,” the airport’s official account posted on X at 2:24 p.m. on January 13.

Airport officials later said the alarm had been cleared and that security screening was reopening, though passengers were warned to expect continued delays as operations normalized.

“UPDATE: Dallas Fire-Rescue has cleared the alarm, and the TSA screening queue is reopening. The cause of the alarm is under investigation. Passengers may experience delays during security screening, so please be patient. Thank you for your understanding,” the airport X account posted on X at 2:56 p.m. on January 13.

As the evacuation unfolded, travelers turned to social media seeking information about flight status and diversions. One user said their flight had been diverted and asked when aircraft would be allowed to land again. The airport account responded by directing passengers to the FAA’s ground stop status page.

Advertisement

Videos posted online appeared to show long lines of passengers waiting both inside and outside airport facilities as the evacuation and re-screening process played out. As of Tuesday evening, some departing flights — including Southwest Airlines flights scheduled to major hubs such as New York and Atlanta — were still listed on FlightAware as delayed or delayed but en route, though it was not immediately clear whether all of those delays were directly caused by the alarm.

Dallas Fire-Rescue officials said the HVAC issue was left to airport maintenance, and units remained on scene while the situation was assessed, according to a local television report.

 

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

Eagles Sign TE With Dallas Goedert’s Future Up In Air

Published

on

Eagles Sign TE With Dallas Goedert’s Future Up In Air


In typical Philadelphia Eagles fashion, the franchise has been busy, transaction-wise, over the last few days.

The Eagles were knocked out in the Wild Card Round by the San Francisco 49ers and have started getting ready for the long offseason ahead. That already includes a lot. The Eagles signed eight to reserve/futures deals on Monday. That’s not even close to all, though. On Tuesday, the Eagles announced that the franchise has removed Kevin Patullo as the team’s offensive coordinator after a roller coaster of a season offensively.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.

Advertisement

On top of that, the Eagles announced three more futures deals on Tuesday. Philadelphia announced that it has signed tight end E.J. Jenkins, offensive tackle John Ojukwu, and running back Carson Steele to reserve/futures deals. Of this group, Jenkins arguably is the most interesting.

The Eagles were busy on Tuesday

Advertisement

Oct 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of the Philadelphia Eagles helmet before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Advertisement

“The Eagles signed three players to future deals: tight end E.J. Jenkins, tackle John Ojukwu, and running back Carson Steele,” the Eagles announced. “Philadelphia has now signed 11 players to future contracts after inking eight on Monday. TE E.J. Jenkins. Jenkins signed with the Jets after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2023. The tight end first joined Philadelphia’s practice squad in 2023 and spent the entire 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Eagles. He has played in 10 games for the Birds, two this past season, taking his only NFL catch for a touchdown.”

Philadelphia’s tight end room is completely up in the air heading into the offseason. Dallas Goedert is a pending free agent after spending the last eight seasons with the team. Goedert was third on the team with 60 catches, to go along with 591 yards and a team-leading 11 touchdown receptions.

The tight end on the team with the next-closest number of receptions was Grant Calcaterra with nine for 76 yards and a touchdown. Kylen Granson had seven catches for 40 yards. The Eagles don’t have a long-term solution in place at tight end. Calcaterra and Granson are also free agents this offseason, like Goedert.

Jenkins is 27 years old and has just one catch for seven yards and a touchdown while appearing in 10 games for Philadelphia. He’s likely not the long-term answer either, but with Goedert, Calcaterra, and Granson all heading to free agency, keeping at least one potential option with the team throughout the offseason is positive.

Advertisement

Tight end arguably is the position to watch for Philadelphia this offseason.

Advertisement

More NFL: Eagles’ Dream OC Option Is Sitting Right There



Source link

Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

FC Dallas Opens Preseason as Eric Quill Sets the Tone

Published

on

FC Dallas Opens Preseason as Eric Quill Sets the Tone


FC Dallas officially opened preseason this week, with manager Eric Quill beginning his second full season in charge of the club. On Monday, players and coaches took to the training pitch at the Toyota Soccer Center for the first time in 2026 as preparations for the upcoming MLS season got underway.

“It feels like you’re a kid again. Even as I coach, I don’t touch the ball, but to be able to touch the grass and see the youthful exuberance, energy, and the guys getting back with their chemistry, it’s really fun,” said Quill. “It’s a lot of fun; the hour goes by fast. I’m just looking forward to the whole season.”

For players like forward Logan Farrington, there was a relief to be back on the pitch after a couple of months away from Frisco.

“The first day, I think everyone is happy to be out there on the grass with one another,” said Farrington. “The weather was great today, the ball was flying around. There were a couple of loose touches, but that was to be expected. It feels great to be back and have everyone around here.”

Advertisement

In 2025, the club struggled to find consistency in the opening months of the season before turning things around over the final two and a half months of the regular season en route to a playoff appearance. Quill is hoping to take those final two months and expand on that positive momentum into the new season.

Don’t miss out: 2026 is here and with that we need your support more than ever! By upgrading your subscription, you are allowing local independent media to continue to go out and cover the team you support.

⚡️ $15 annual subscription ⚡️

Advertisement

“Last year we were trying to set a foundation, which I think we did,” said Quill when comparing his first preseason last year to this year’s. “Now it is about how we evolve in year two. That is the goal, in the ways we need to evolve and execute that evolution every day.”

Dallas will train in Frisco this week ahead of a trip to Portugal next week, where the club will play a trio of matches before returning home for games against MLS opposition in February — a stretch Quill has emphasized as critical to building cohesion early.

“Every day matters,” stated Quill. “Every day that you walk through the building matters. Also, self-reflect and be your own worst critic, and how you want to get better and improve. How we grow these relationships with all of the new faces, you rely on a lot of leadership to connect the dots of that locker room tightness. As we grow in preseason, it is all about how fast we can become a team.”

For FC Dallas, the message from day one is clear: the work for 2026 has already started, and there’s no time to waste.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending