Dallas, TX
UNT Dallas gets $10 million for new law enforcement training center
The University of North Texas at Dallas will receive $10 million for its new law enforcement training center, a yearslong construction project aimed at improving training facilities for police.
The Communities Foundation of Texas’ grant marks the largest philanthropic gift in the university’s history and helps pave the way for a new Dallas police academy by 2027, officials announced at a news conference Thursday. CFT is also the fiscal sponsor of The Dallas Morning News’ community-funded endeavors.
The new academy is meant to improve the Dallas Police Department’s training experience and boost recruitment and morale, particularly in light of steady drops in police staffing numbers in recent years. City officials have repeatedly decried the worn-down state of the current academy, which houses about 300 police recruits.
“This new facility will let our officers know that they are seen, that they are valued and that they are appreciated for their noble sacrifice and service,” Dallas police Chief Eddie García said.
García said the new academy represents an investment “into the heart and soul” of the department. The current academy is housed in a rented industrial space in the Red Bird neighborhood and has been used by the department since 1990, although it was originally only intended to be temporary, García said.
The chief said officers’ needs have tripled the last three decades and the academy doesn’t have enough room for showers and bathrooms for recruits. In the City Council’s public safety meetings, elected officials have criticized the academy’s mold and odor from decades of sweat and lack of locker space.
“It is embarrassing and it is not indicative of who we are,” García said. “They deserve better. Our city deserves better.”
The new center is set to be located next to a park on 5 acres of UNT Dallas’ campus, officials said. It will feature more communal spaces and classrooms, expanded gym facilities, outdoor running paths and virtual-reality training technology. The facility will also serve as a regional training center for other police departments in the area.
The project was projected to cost about $150 million, police officials previously said.
The state legislature committed $20 million last year, and the city of Dallas hopes to allocate an additional $50 million through this year’s bond package, which the city council will vote on next week. If approved, residents will vote on it in May. The city hoped to obtain the rest through private funds and charitable grants.
Bob Mong, president of UNT Dallas, said the initiative reflects a commitment to attract more local youth and adults to careers in law enforcement. He said he saw the state of the academy about five years ago, which “was enough to shock me and enough to stir my own determination to get this thing pulled together.”
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said the project has been “years in the making” and can set a new standard for law enforcement training nationwide as well as “turn the tide” in recruiting.
Dallas police have struggled to replenish ranks amid high attrition rates, even with the introduction of new incentives and programs in recent years to retain and recruit officers. The department has about 3,000 officers, down from the 3,500 to 3,600 it had in 2014 before hundreds left during a pension crisis in 2016-17.
Wayne White, CFT’s president and CEO, said their grant builds upon a first-of-its-kind partnership between the philanthropic organization, academia and law enforcement.
“Dallas is second to none when it comes to generosity and public-private collaboration,” he said.
Dallas, TX
Viral East Dallas coffee shop fears major sales drop amid six-week road closure
Construction plans disrupt business in East Dallas. Just a few days ago, the owners of Juju’s Coffee off La Vista Drive in Dallas were informed by Oncor that the street on which their shop is located will be closed.
One of the owners, Nick Rocha, said the closure will last six weeks, but if there are any delays, it could be extended until October.
The coffee shop, which opened in 2023, has recently gained a lot of popularity. One of their drinks, called the “do-si-dos,” has gone viral, and now they have lines out the door on a regular basis.
“It’s a peanut butter milk latte… We probably doubled our sales or more if I had to be honest,” said Rocha.
Since the drink’s release in April, the flow of customers has been nonstop.
“We were like, ‘We’ll go viral and then we’ll die out.’ Then we’re like, ‘Well, when is it going to be over, because we’re just getting slammed?’ We were both doing like 60- to 70-hour weeks… And it just kept going, and it turned from like, ‘Okay, we’re scared of it,’ to, ‘Okay, we can do this,’” said Rojas.
Rojas says that just as they were adjusting to the new normal, the notice from Oncor came.
“They were just like, ‘Yeah, so we’re going to close the street, sorry.’ That was tough… because we’re in the middle of dreaming and vision casting for what’s coming and what’s next,” said Rojas.
Starting July 20, La Vista Drive will be closed, sidewalk accessibility will be difficult, and street visibility will be too. Rojas believes the impact could drop their sales by about 50%. He says they’ve had meetings with the city and Oncor, but says there’s nothing they can do, and now their only plea is to their customers.
“Anybody that comes in and supports, it’s a genuine gratitude from us,” said Rojas.
Dallas, TX
3 unanswered questions before training camp: Dallas Cowboys edition
For the Dallas Cowboys and their owner, Jerry Jones, the hope is always that the changes made will improve the product on the field. Every team heading into training camp will have questions to answer, and the Dallas Cowboys are first on our list with 3 of the biggest ones. This will be an ongoing series for the next couple of weeks until camp starts, and answers start to reveal themselves in real time.
Another season of change for the Dallas Cowboys. Will it make a difference this time around to end the drought? Jerry Jones sure hopes so. Dallas hasn’t had a title in 30 years, and Jerry Jones promised to look in the mirror and make much-needed dramatic changes. The 34-year-old Christian Parker, who has no defensive coordinator experience, must embody the change upfront. Veterans were added, and Dak Prescott is back and healthy, running a new scheme. We shall see.
I wouldn’t worry about whether CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens can coexist long-term. I’m more concerned about whether you can keep them happy with the culture and get them to commit long-term. They declined to negotiate with Pickens and instead slapped him with the franchise tag. If Dak Prescott continues to spread the ball around, he should be able to keep them happy, but it comes at a cost: winning in the playoffs or a Super Bowl title.
Tight end Jake Ferguson’s role could diminish during the upcoming season. Even after signing a four-year, $52 million extension, former undrafted free agent Brevyn Spann-Ford is a better blocker and could have a major impact on the Cowboys’ offense in 2026.
Dallas, TX
Dallas weather: Widespread thunderstorms bring flash flood risks and brief heat relief
Dallas weather: July 12 morning forecast
An active weather pattern brings widespread storms, isolated flooding risks, and a welcome cooldown into the low-90s through mid-week for the Red River region.
DALLAS – A wave of scattered thunderstorms is expected to bring heavy rain, localized flooding risks, and brief relief from the July heat to North Texas and the Texoma region starting Sunday afternoon.
Severe weather risk
The Storm Prediction Center has placed the entire region under a low-level risk for severe weather. Forecasters warn that while widespread severe conditions are unlikely, any strong storm cells that develop could produce localized flooding, small hail, frequent lightning, and damaging wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph.
We have a lot of moisture on hand. The atmosphere is primed for highly efficient rainfall. This is where the isolated flash flood threat starts to come in. If these areas get another round of rain through the overnight hours, of course, then that threat starts to elevate.
Timeline:
The weather system began moving through Sunday morning with an initial cluster of storms focused heavily near Sherman in Grayson County, alongside isolated pop-up showers stretching east toward Delta and Red River counties. The broader Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex remained largely dry early in the day, with temperatures hovering in the late 70s to low 80s.
However, conditions are expected to shift rapidly as daytime heating pushes temperatures into the mid-90s.
Sunday Afternoon (3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Storm coverage will become more scattered and widespread across North Texas.
Sunday Evening & Overnight: Pockets of heavy, intense rainfall are projected to stall over parts of the region.
Monday Morning Commute: Lingering showers and light rain are expected to persist through sunrise, threatening to create slick roadways and slow down the Monday morning rush hour.
Live Radar
Temperature Outlook and Drought Relief
Despite the storm threat, the rain will be welcomed. The rainfall is expected to help alleviate the onset of the typical mid-summer drought conditions North Texas experiences this time of year.
The accompanying cloud cover and rain will provide a temporary break from intense summer heat. While Sunday’s forecast high of 95 degrees sits exactly at the mid-July average, temperatures will dip slightly below average to 93 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.
A gradual drying and warming trend will begin mid-week as the low-pressure system slowly slides out of the area. Rain chances drop to 30% by Tuesday and will continue to taper off through Thursday. By Friday and next weekend, the typical July weather pattern is expected to return, bringing hot and dry conditions back to the region.
7-Day Forecast
The Source: Information in this article is from the FOX 4 weather team.
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