Sources say Berkner High School went on lockdown this morning just one day after a gunman in Uvalde, Texas murdered more than twenty including nineteen elementary students.
Per one tweet a gunman was detained at the North Dallas area high school earlier this morning.
A school district spokesman said both the high school and Springridge Elementary were put on the lockdown status because of reports of an armed man in the neighborhood.
Berkner High School Details
The incident was initially described as an active shooter by some on social media, but that appears to have been completely false with no reports of gunfire or injuries.
Reportedly two armed individuals were walking into a local store near the campus which prompted the lockdown.
Richardson Police has not revealed any information about suspects or information on the person or persons detained. There is no word on change to school schedules in light of these events or those in South Texas.
Dallas ISD dead end is becoming more than amoniker thrown at students in the city ISD, but is statistically becoming more true.
Dallas ISD high school graduates immediately seeking secondary education has declined.
This comes despites millions being poured into postsecondary options, testing, and preparation. These results also come with a superintendent who consistenty begs for more money.
New Superintendent Elizalde has been quick to request new dollars for expensive plans that never work.
Most school systems suffered some learning loss after COVID19, but Dallas ISD seemed to excel in this area.
Dallas ISD Dead End Predictable?
The response from Board of Trustees members immediately after the coronavirus pandemic was to lower standards.
In January 2021, a learning loss town hall occurred with these exact results predicted, but Dallas ISD glossed over the issues.
Overall DISD graduates who enrolled into college immediately after high school slid from 58% to 46%.
Brian Lusk complained about “summer melt” when students chose other paths, but had no answers other than more advisors and more money, not more teachers.
It is unclear why a sitting city council member felt the need to run for Precinct Chair, but the results are disastrous per one local elections watcher.
“Baz just told everyone he can be beat in his own precinct. He just opened the floodgates of new candidates who are going to challenge him.”
One former supporter surmised Tracy Dotie Hill probably did something causing offense to Bazaldua so he decided to take her out of office only to find he couldn’t even win the most local of elections.
Note, final results are not in, but based on Early Voting there is no clear path for Bazaldua to win this seat.
Adam Bazaldua Problems Beginning?
Bazaldua may have a new ethics issue to follow on last year’s regarding his party filing.
The city charter expressly states “A member of the city council shall forfeit his or her place on the council if he or she becomes a candidate for nomination or election to any public office other than a place on the city council or if he or she becomes a candidate for election to any different place on the city council that requires taking office prior to the end of his or her elective term.”
Precinct Chairs are elected positions requiringin a place on a party primary ballot, an affidavit, and are elected by the public. It is unclear how Bazaldua’s filing for Precinct Chair does not violate the city charter.
Breaking news is reporting on the Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary in South Texas.
In response to a post from Mayor Eric Johnson’s Twitter account, Community Police Oversight Board member Dee Wadsworth (D12) blamed teenage white boys for mass shootings.
We did not notice a similar expression of concern for the multiple shooting events here in Dallas including Deep Ellum or the nonpermitted concert that off duty Dallas Police officers were assigned to protect through their security protection racket that injured ten.
Ms. Wadsworth also made no mention of the serial attacks on Asian businesses in Dallas – an area she theoretically has oversight – or the race of the suspect arrested during that investigation.
We are attempting to get more information on the breadth of Ms. Wadsworth’s racial views as they relate to policing in Texas, but she has multiple tweets on gun violence . None of the tweets we viewed appear to mention of accountability for the criminal.
Uvalde Shooting Details
While this event is outside Dallas and not normal for Other Side Dallas to report, we will note that the shooter has been identified as a Hispanic male, not a caucasion, and that in multiple recent Dallas shootings white teenagers were not involved raising the question does Ms. Wadsworth have a racial viewpoint that might not be open to facts.
We have reached out to District 12 City Council Member Cara Mendolsohn for comment and will update once she responds.
Today is the day for a number of candidates as primary runoff voting 2022 happens today! Voting locations are open from 7:00AM to 7:00PM.
Dallas County Elections reminds voters that if they did not vote in the primary election in March the voter is eligible to vote in either runoff.
If a voter participated in a party primary election, they are only eligible to vote in that runoff.
Primary Runoff Voting 2022 Races Of Interest
The following are some of the races we will be following tonight after returns start coming into local election offices.
TX30
In TX30 – a reliably blue district – we will find out who will replace Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, likely for decades.
Jasmine Crockett nearly won the primary outright, but since then has faced a host of charges showing she took money from Trump supporters offshort and has had a number of ethical challenges.
Her opponent, Jane Hope Hamilton has meanwhile been lining up support from the traditional black community including endorsements from Sen. Royce West and a number of state house representatives.
TX32
The Democratic side of the ballot is handled as Rep. Colin Allred will represent Democrats on the November ballot, but the GOP side is still up in the air between Antonio Swad and Justin Webb.
Insiders are predicting an easy win for Swad, but a wild card exists in Brad Namdar.
Namdar who placed fifth out of six candidates in March was the subject of a Dallas Morning News expose stating he had visited an escort for purposes of sex. He denied these allegations until recently when Current Revolt published a piece outlining his admission and then recant of the admission.
Current Revolt was able to obtain video of Namdar with the escort in question.
Several people have come forward to say Brad Namdar is being investigated by law enforcement at this point which makes the post above from yesterday odd. We reached out to Justin Webb’s campaign to ask if Namdar was endorsing him and if so, why wasn’t he announcing it.
His opponent, Swad, has recently received the endorsement of two of his challengers, Darrel Day and Nathan Davis.
In recent weeks we have had several “persons” reach out to Other Side Dallas to defend Namdar all with different names, but with the same IP signature – indicating not only the same location, but same device.
Neither Swad nor Webb’s campaigns returned emails seeking comment on Namdar’s most recent post.
HD114
Democrats in the new HD114 will choose before former Congressman John Bryant and former Republican Alexandra Guio.
Bryant was known for getting things done and a progressive member of Congress whereas Guio is only known as a former Republican and the city redistricting commission appointee of Paula Blackmon before ghosting her and her staff after announcing her run for HD114.
Commissioners Court 2
The Dallas County Commissioner’s Court race for Democrats has gotten spicy also as charges exist that Andrew Sommerman essentially bought endorsements by donating to other candidates.
Sommerman claims he is a voting rights attorney, but there is no evidence of him taking voting rights issues to trial and at least two sources indicate Sommerman attempted to remove his female opponet from the ballot.
Youth ball in Richardson took an ugly turn this weekend as Spring Valley athletic antisemitism took the field at Spring Valley Elementary this past weekend.
Other Side Dallas has independently watched video of a baseball game at the Richardson Independent School District campus where parents of a youth baseball team stated “1/2 the [other] team needs to be put in ovens” referring to a youth baseball team with a number of Jewish players.
Youth sports has increasingly become dangerous for youth to participate in as adults push themselves into games.
Other Side Dallas has reached out to both Richardson schools and Spring Valley Athletic Association for comment who leases the fields from the North Dallas suburb.
Some parents have said they are shocked that this happens in the open, but others said this is what happens when bullies are allowed to act with impunity.
Officials will not get in the middle of these events and are too timid to address racism or other hateful language directly.
One parent was particularly blunt saying, “they can barely handle their job with eight year olds. they’re not going to take on adults too.”
Spring Valley Athletic Antisemitism More Bad Baseball In North Texas
There has been an uptick in local sports violence including players attacking one another and assaults on youth sports fields.
The video above is from the North Central Texas College/Weatherford baseball game which did not have racial or other hate overtones, but demonstartes poor game management by officials and school site administrators.
These same issues plague recreational and travel sport events across the country and are becoming more common both in Dallas, but also across the country.
That move was described as a budgetary gimmick by some.
Since that time though violent crime has skyrocketed in Dallas making it more dangerous than other cities on a per capita basis.
City Budget Input 2022 Hearings
The City of Dallas holds public hearings to provide residents of Dallas the opportunity to speak on the upcoming year’s budget.
The hearing will be held at Dallas City Hall in the Council Chambers on May 25, 2022 as part of the regularly scheduled City Council meeting, which begins at 9:00 AM.
The deadline to register to speak is Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 5:00PM.
Additionally, the Office of Budget and Management Services is conducting a Budget Priorities Survey, which is available online in English and Spanish from May 2 to July 2, 2022.
Paper copies are also available at select Dallas Public Library and Recreation Center locations. Please visit the survey website here for more information.
Red power ranger PPP fraud has kids and parents wondering aloud what happened to the Small Business Administration program that was supposed to get businesses back on their feet during COVID19.
“What is it with you hero types?”
That is a common phrase for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but there may be a new phrase for Jason Geiger, who goes by the stage name Austin St. John, soon.
Red Power Ranger PPP Fraud
Geiger is the North Texas man who once played the Red Power Ranger on the iconic 1990s television show.
He was among eighteen people arrested in a federal Paycheck Protection Program fraud case.
According to federal prosecutors, the McKinney actor and others from both North Texas and Florida “executed a scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program” out of millions of dollars.
The list of those arrested includes fourteen North Texans:
Michael Lewayne Hill, a/k/a Tank, 47, of Mineral Wells;
Andrew Charles Moran, 43, of Lewisville;
Peter Keovongphet, a/k/a Lil’ Pete, 34, of Ft. Lauderdale, FL;
Ty Alan Burkhart, 34, of Frisco;
Jason Geiger, a/k/a Austin St. John a/k/a the Red Power Ranger, 47, of McKinney;
Eric Reed Marascio, a/k/a Phoenix Marcon, 50, of Allen;
Christopher Lee McElfresh, 43, of Frisco;
Cord Dean Newman, 44, of Homosassa, FL;
Elmer Omar Ayala, 45, of Midlothian;
Gregory Fitzgerald Hatley, Jr., 38, of Allen;
Alexander Eric Cortesano, 52, of Dallas;
Arthur Atik Pongtaratik, 33, of Carrollton;
Miles Justin Urias, 34, of Richardson;
Fabian C. Hernandez, 44, of Lake Alfred, FL;
Daniel Lee Warren, 33, address unknown;
Rajaa Bensellam, 49, of Allen;
Hadi Mohammed Taffal, 50, of Allen; and
Jonathon James Spencer, a/k/a Spence, 33, of Rowlett
Hill is alleged to have recruited people to use existing businesses or create businesses to apply for PPP funding. Morgan then helped with the paperwork and fabricated documents.
“Once in receipt of the fraudulently obtained funds, the defendants did not use the money as intended, such as to pay employee salaries, cover fixed debt or utility payments, or continue health care benefits for employees. Instead, the defendants typically paid Hill and Moran, transferred money to their personal accounts, and spent the funds on various personal purchases,” a news release states.
“There’s going to be documents that will show the bank account being open, the money coming out, the money going out. All of that will be well documented,” former federal prosecutor John Helms said.
The defendants, including Jason Geiger, aka Austin St. John, are accused of misusing at least $3.5 million from at least 16 fraudulent loans and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
PPP Fraud and Extorted Minority Applicants
In September 2021, we reported on persons extorting money from minority SBA loan applicants, but to date neither the Small Business Administration nor the US Attorney’s Office has taken any action.
Contractors and staff of SBA extorting minority applicants per phone calls and screen shots. Staff members of the Small Business Administration Region 6 have refused multiple requests for comment at the time.
In one partial screenshot, a staff member releases information to a third party “finder.” The finder then offers to broker the application with SBA for fees of ten percent to the SBA staff member and five percent to the finder.
Goree and other staff have refused multiple requests for comment as to why staff members are heard asking for kickbacks. They have also not responded to multiple requests for comment on process or how information is contained.
There has been at least one local suicide secondary to PPP fraud and SBA’s non responsive civil service staff.
It appears Andrew Sommerman paid for endorsements in his campaign for County Commissioner 2.
According to Texas Ethics Commission reports Andrew Sommerman has given generously to a number of candidates who all seem to endorse him shortly thereafter.
In April we reported on internal emails where Sommerman begged for endorsements from local figures and then he and his staff trashed those same individuals in private.
Clay Jenkins figures prominently in Sommerman’s campaign after trying to steer $250,000 in legal fees to Sommerman’s firm over a lawsuit against Governor Abbott and coronavirus response.
Locally, Jenkins has ordered a low warning order over COVID19 despite rapidly rising cases at both Parkland Hospital and Childrens Medical Center Dallas. Additionally, it appears county officials have suggested not testing all patients despite these rapidly rising cases as Jenkins tries to get his candidate across the finish line to November.
Sommerman Paid For Endorsements And Gave Generously To Republicans
Additionally, Sommerman and his firm donated more than $20,000 to GOP candidates including a judge in Abilene that has no impact on Dallas, unless your law firm is practicing in front of that judge. Judge Jeffrey Probst received $500 just two years ago.
Sommerman is also lining up with former Republican Alexandra Guio in HD114. Significant in that race is Guio’s appointment to the City Redistricting Commission she was appointed to shortly before ghosting her appointing authority Paula Blackmon.
The full TEC report for Sommerman can be viewed below.
One Democratic Precinct Chair in Commissioners Court 2 said, “Andrew Sommerman looks more and more like the used car salesman who sells you a defective car, but then turns into the ambulance chasing lawyer once that car causes an accident.”
That Precinct Chair continued, “Buyer beware. Do we really need another old white guy representing Dallas County? Sommerman is half a step away from Joe Manchin in his dealings with GOP.”
It is unclear if Sommerman is trying to knock on doors to win the race or simply buy the office.
On Wednesday night, Other Side Dallas received and published a Brad Namdar defense comment about the story published Monday morning in which a video surfaced of Namdar with a sexual escort named Belle. The full story can be read here.
The comment we received from Gary Loftin, a self described Blue Dog Democrat, is below.
We would not normally write a post about specific comments, but do so in this case because Mr. Loftin’s response has an IP address that matches another comment from several weeks ago, but in that case from a Greg Rancin.
Both comments were defenses of Brad Namdar. In Mr. Ranchin’s case he claimed we had engaged in “wall to wall” coverage of Mr. Namdar despite us not publishing anything about him since February 2022.
It was actually his comment – also approved – which had us look for why there were protests about coverage of Mr. Namdar when no one was writing about him.
Brad Namdar Defense Needed?
As noted in the article Monday, Mr. Namdar has an interesting candidate history when you juxtapose his public statements versus his private actions.
Namdar vehemently denied the allegations he sought an escort when he went on Mark Davis’ radio show in February 2022. Additionally, he admitted to the crux of the facts in the Current Revolt story we referenced.
Moreover, when we published about him in February we were contacted by two separate families about alleged inappropriate behavior when he was a coach with Dallas Independent School District. We believe these two individuals are in addition to a third who made a complaint to the school.
Other Side Dallas was accused by “Mr. Loftin” of “trying to hurt a newly married couple” in his lengthy comment.
The timing of his wedding versus his actions with ‘Belle’ make the timeline somewhat unclear, but for the record, Other Side Dallas did not at any time encourage, solicit, or approve of Mr. Namdar seeking the companionship of an escort.
We do not know if Pia Namdar is aware of these issues or if she approves of them.
We do know the Brad Namdar defense is to deny allegations after he admitted to them in his conversation with Current Revolt.
One local Republican said of Bardia Namdarkhan, “He gave me the creeps from Day One…How he bamboozled PCRW is a mystery, except that they are PCRW and apparently easily duped. Pia seems decent, and I have a hard time seeing what she sees in the candle magnate.”
The statement above was made months ago prior to any Brad Namdar defense statement on his behavior or campaign. Officially, Other Side Dallas is grateful for the investigative push of both “Greg Ranchin” and “Gary Loftin” for encouraging us to further investigate Bardia Namdarkhan.
