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July 17, 2021July 17, 2021

Dallas Monkeypox Case

A Dallas monkeypox case was reported by Dallas County Health and Human Services, but their spokesman says the confirmation of monkeypox infection in the city is “rare,” but “not a reason for alarm.”

DCHHS confirmed the infection in a person who traveled from Nigeria to Dallas and arrived at Love Field on July 9th. Health officials said Friday the person is currently isolated at a Dallas hospital, believed to be the Parkland Hospital Infectious Disease unit, to prevent the spread of the virus and is said to be in stable condition.

The case is the first known case of monkeypox in a Dallas resident. Dallas has been a Hot Zone for COVID19 and other infectious diseases because of its multiple international airports.

Dallas Monkeypox Background

The first human cases of monkeypox were recorded in 1970 in Africa, specifically the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the time there was an intensified effort to eliminate smallpox.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research, hence the name ‘monkeypox.’

In humans, the symptoms of monkeypox are similar to but milder than the symptoms associated with smallpox.

Monkeypox begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion.

The primary difference between in symptoms between smallpox and monkeypox is monkeypox will cause lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy). Smallpox does not have cause lymphadenopathy.

The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 7−14 days but can range from 5−21 days. The illness begins with:

Fever
Headache
Muscle aches
Backache
Swollen lymph nodes
Chills
Exhaustion

July 16, 2021July 17, 2021

US News: Dallas Down To 37

Dallas Down To 37 in Best Cities To Live per US News and World Report, falling out of the Top 25.

The US News reports says “the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area has an interesting mix of Texas pride and cosmopolitan offerings,” but dropping out of the Top 25 Best Cities must hurt that pride more than a little.

It is not clear how much city council and city hall dysfunction played into the rankings.

Dallas Down To 37 As City…And Texas Is In Wrong Top 10

According to a study conducted by CNBC, the “Great State of Texas” isn’t. Per their study Texas is second on the list of America’s worst places to live in 2021.

The study found that Texas’ weaknesses include inclusiveness, health, voting rights, and public health funding.

CNBC’s review said, “For all its strength as a place to do business, Texas keeps trying to outdo itself when it comes to laws and policies that are seen as exclusionary.”

The city itself isn’t the only thing falling. Locally, schools have been dropping from previous number one national positions.

July 13, 2021March 22, 2022

Texas Rangers RBI For Underserved Or Prep Select?

Is the Texas Rangers RBI program for the underserved or just another prep select program is a question some are asking.

This weekend during All Star play at the West Dallas complex one team mate seemed to have a leg up as his mother is the Vice President for the Texas Rangers Foundation and a local select baseball player.

The Returning Baseball to Inner (RBI) Cities program is supposed to help increase minority participation in baseball, but it appears it is being used to defray costs for wealthy families connected to the team.

Jackson Morris is playing for the Texas Cannons baseball club in addition to his time with the Texas Rangers RBI program which provides him free equipment.

It is unclear if this counts against IRS rules for public charities to provide personal benefits, but neither the Texas Rangers nor the Texas Rangers Foundation would return phone calls requesting comment about the program.

Texas Rangers RBI Program

The program itself has not had much success getting out of the RBI playoffs and some blame the program’s director Juan Garciga for building a group of coaches who can neither teach well or push their players beyond natural talent.

The program was also hit recently by allegations one of their coaches was being investigated for masturbating to a young girl.

July 10, 2021July 11, 2021

CPAC Day One – No Surprises

The Conservative Political Action Conference – CPAC – had no surprises just one day after a local reporter said QAnon was alive and well in Texas. They lived up to their reputation of bringing out conspiracy theorists, grifters, and the far right.

The Dallas conference comes just a little over one month after Michael Flynn, Trump’s fired National Security Advisor, called for a Myannmar style coup in the United States.

So far this Dallas Convention Center conference has not mentioned another coup attempt on the United States, but there has been plenty of red meat for a conservative base that suffered a loss to Joe Biden and had numerous down ballot problems too in the city CPAC is being held. Trumpian tactics did not work locally in 2021 city council races, but some candidates appear to be ready to try them again.

In one session, Rep. Madison Cawthorn said President Joe Biden was trying to distribute COVID19 vaccines door to door so that he could steal Bibles and guns.

CPAC Doesn’t Surprise – But Perhaps Donald Trump Jr. Does

The CPAC event itself may not have been a surprise, but one shock came whent he former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., came on stage and said Texas was only a “top 25” conservative state.

His attack on the state’s conservative credibility seemed aimed at Austin, but it was not clear if his comments were pointed at their city council or Governor Greg Abbott. Already Abbott has two rivals for the party nomination including former state senator Don Huffines who spoke at the conservative conference also.

In June, Huffines came out attacking Abbott for his lack of executive ability over the power grid – a major issue for suburban voters in Dallas and other cities.

Trump Jr’s appearance also fueled rumors that he was abusing illegal or prescription drugs in what appears to be a drug fueled mania while he took shots at Hunter Biden.

“I totally understand addiction. It’s terrible. We all know people that have suffered from it. It doesn’t absolve you from being a total piece of garbage in every other aspect of your life,” said Donald Trump Jr.

Former President Donald will be in Dallas on Sunday, July 11, 2021 to close out the conservative conference.

July 10, 2021July 10, 2021

Voting Rights Hearings

Two voting rights hearings are taking place later today in Austin, Texas in legislative hearings on Senate Bill 1 (SB1) and House Bill 3 (HB3) during the Texas legislature’s Special Session.

HB3 will be heard starting at 8AM in Capital Room E1.030. The Senate bill being heard today will start in committee at 11AM in Capital Room E1.004.

It is unclear in what order committees will take up legislation so activists expect a long day of hearings.

The state legislature is taking up legislative funding, voter fraud, but general political corruption seems to be missing despite the recent federal conviction of Ruel Hamilton.

Voting Rights Hearings Open To Public Comment

Persons wishing to speak on either bill in person can do so through this link. You may only register from a personal device if you are connected to the Capitol Public WiFi inside the Capitol, Capitol extension or John H. Reagan Building.

The state house of representatives allows speakers to submit comments electronically. Comments for or against the legislation can be submitted here.

The state senate does not allow online comments.

July 9, 2021March 22, 2022

Rangers Coach Caught With Pants Down

Local officers recently chased a male suspect away fron a preteen girl who appears to be a Rangers coach caught with his pants down and masturbating per police insider.

The youth coach with the MLB RBI program was not at the West Dallas sports complex, but the insider tells Other Side Dallas he was viewing an underage girl approximately seven or eight years old in the vicinity of local security officers who broke a surveillance operation to warn him away from the area.

Edward Taylor Rangers Coach Caught Masturbating Per Report To Rangers

Major League Baseball and Texas Rangers officials were notified earlier this week. As of Thursday they had not responded for comment. The coach, alleged to be Edward Taylor, was identified when he was named in a press release and a neighbor called in the tip.

Rangers Coach Caught With Pants Down – Not The First Incident

The Texas Rangers are hosting a regional Major League Baseball RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner cities) tournament this weekend, but the allegation against one of their coaches is not the first problem this year at the complex.

Earlier this year a head coach was ejected after refusing to leave the field and umpires had to leave the field due to violent behavior by coaches at the Mercy Street Complex.

There areat least two other incidents where coaches threatened one another or acted dangerously during the RBI season.

Issues have been ongoing for years according to one softball coach who refused to be named.

She states every year the Rangers program director, Juan Leonel Gárciga, has to bring up the topic of on field violence, but he never handles it until after an incident and he almost always rewards coaches friendly to him.

In a previous year an umpire on the field told a high school student to “shut the fuck up” per a source employed by the Rangers so behavior control goes beyond coaching and staff, but is more widespread.

July 8, 2021July 8, 2021

QAnon In Texas Politics

QAnon in Texas politics says Steven Monacelli during a broadcast today of Texas Standard.

In the interview, Monacelli says “QAnon believers have either won office or aggressively sought it” in several jurisdictions including three Congressional campaigns.

In Dallas, there have been a number of clubs hosting speakers on human trafficking and highlight conspiracies around the idea.

Q is an abbreviation for QAnon and a screen name for the anonymous creator of the cult movement.

The Q movement along with other right wing nationalists have popularized a number of social media hashtags including #thegreatawakening and #wwg1wga – which stands for “where we go one, we go all.” These are found frequently on Facebook and Twitter. They are also highlighted in federal court document surrounding the January 6th insurrection attempt at the US Capitol.

QAnon In Texas Featured Prominently In June

The “For God and Country Patriot Roundup” conference in June featured major Republican speakers including former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who called for a Myannmar style coup in the United States, and Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX01), from Tyler, Texas.

July 7, 2021July 7, 2021

Old School New Group at Harry Stone?

Old school new group action at Dallas ISD‘s Harry Stone Montessori?

Last week we reported on a large percentage of teachers leaving Dallas ISD’s South Dallas Montessori campus. That resulted in dozens of calls and emails that show teachers are leaving due to campus assaults by students of staff members.

A second Zoom was held last night where Trustee Maxie Johnson stated he thinks parents are racist for bringing up assaults against teachers. We have reached out to Mr. Johnson for comment repeatedly without success.

To date, he has not spoken substantively about the campus assaults, teachers leaving, or other relevant issues, but he has now accused a parent of racism for wanting his child to be in a safe school environment.

Old School New Group Cliques Continue

One source says the school continues to be run by the Blackburn family who delete posts out of the Facebook group that brings any negative attention. Lew Blackburn is on the school Site Based Decision Making Committee and Tes Blackburn is the President of the PTA.

The Blackburns were also accused of deleting all posts, but Facebook archived older posts.

We have run through three years of posts and do not find any post about current events or past topics such as misappropriation of bus funds which led to parents creating a Trust so that student fundraising dollars could not be misappropriated.

July 7, 2021July 6, 2021

Faithful Fallen Five Year Memorial

The Dallas Police Department will hold services honoring the Faithful Fallen – the officers who lost their lives on July 7, 2016 – while performing their duties.

The City of Dallas is says everyone is encouraged to join the ceremony on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 10:00AM.

A March to the Memorial will start at 10:00AM at Griffin at Young Street and continue to the memorial location, 500 South Akard Street.

The memorial is expected to include several members of Dallas City Council who just thirteen months ago were proposing to defund DPD.

District 4 Council Member Carolyn King Arnold expressed her “heartfelt sentiments for the commitment of all law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty” and sends her condolences to the families of these brave officers.

Faithful Fallen Assailant

Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed a group of Dallas Police Department officers shooting and killing five officers and injuring nine others. Two civilians were also wounded. Johnson was also an Army Reservist who served in Afghanistan.

Johnson was “loosely affiliated” with several groups including South Dallas’ Muhammad Mosque No. 48, which is run by members of Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and ADL label the organization as an anti-Semitic hate group.

July 6, 2021July 6, 2021

Bazaldua Ethics Meeting

The Bazaldua ethics meeting discussed last week has started to a rocky start with Adam Bazaldua seeking to delay the Ethics Advisory Commission evidentiary hearing. He is not present for a meeting that he was aware of June 10, 2021.

“I deserve equitability,” said Dr. Pamela Grayson during the public comment hearing.

Ultimately the Ethics Advisory Commission chose to delay the meeting per a motion from Grant Schmidt.

Bazaldua Ethics Meeting Background

Adam Bazadula, City Council Member for District 7, was accused by Pamela Grayson that he violated city ethics code by making personal attacks against Grayson on Facebook. He also removed his co-sponsorship of an Earth Day event she was organizing.

Grayson’s complaint says Bazaldua had park rangers and police waiting on vendors who were arriving at the event. The complaint states Bazaldua was overheard saying that he does not come to South Dallas because “the risk outweighs the reward.”

Grayson argued Bazaldua’s actions are in violation of Dallas code of ethics rules stating council members must act with integrity and treat others with respect and must be responsible with taxpayer resources.