Breaking Dallas News – Page 54 – The Other Side Dallas

May 19, 2021May 19, 2021

Coin Operated Candice Quarles Campaigns For Democratic Chair

Candice Quarles is campaigning for Dallas County Democratic Chair just a year past allegations surfaced she took a Disney World vacation – mostly on the taxpayers dime.

A few months ago the Dallas County Democratic Party showed they had poor internal financial controls as an organization. It is unclear what has been done to overcome the shortcomings in that report.

Candice Quarles History on Desoto City Council

Dallas Business Journals recently honored Quarles as a Leader in Diversity, skipping over her ties to a forensic audit showing her family profited over $140,000 from her family’s connection to Desoto city leadership. Her husband, Jeremiah, served as economic development chief previously.

During that time, Quarles had thousands of dollars in local memberships and sponsorships paid for by a city credit card. These include the Urban League of Greater Dallas Young Professionals, a group Candice Quarles led.

Desoto Independent School District has also had recent issues with credit card spending by leadership leading to takeover talk early last school year.

One Dallas Democratic Party Precinct Chair exasperated said, “this is more of the same.”

The South Dallas representative continued, “While the party should be winning races across the board, we give too many away with pie in the sky candidates or we elect grifters.”

May 18, 2021May 18, 2021

Supreme Court Won’t Hear N-Word Case

The United States Supreme Court will not hear N-Word Case in local labor case.

The nation’s highest court said Monday it would not take the case of a former Parkland Hospital employee who said he was subjected to a hostile work environment due to graffiti in one elevator that used the N-word. The court did not comment in turning away the case. It was one of many the court rejected Monday.

N-Word Case Background

Robert Collier said that during the seven years he worked as an operating room aide at Parkland, white nurses called him and other Black employees “boy.” He also said management ignored two large swastikas painted on a storage room wall. He sued the hospital after he was fired in 2016.

More recently Parkland lost several thousand dollars in a COVID19 test theft and the taxpayer funded hospital has had numerous cost issues with its recent construction.

May 2, 2021May 2, 2021

Keep Dallas Safe Unable To Protect Eric Johnson

Keep Dallas Safe (KDS) failed in spectacular fashion at protecting the political strength of Eric Johnson as polls closed on the Dallas City Council election.

While not directly linked, observers noted that KDS was pushing candidates supportive of Eric Johnson’s agenda including pushing out current city council incumbents Jaime Resensez (D5), Adam Bazaldua (D7), and Paula Blackmon (D9).

They sent multiple mailers which some described as “klanlike” and direct from “MAGA World” – a reference to previous support for Donald Trump.

In District 5, Mayor Johnson supported Yolanda Williams who came in third missing the run off, and in District 7 he supported Donald Parish Jr., who also had the endorsements of Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson and State Senator Royce West.

(West has ties to a prominent Trump financial backer and was pushed by potential opponent John Cornyn in his runoff with MJ Hegar.)

Keep Dallas Safe – Another North Dallas Astroturf Operation?

Earlier this year, Dallas Observer noted Daniel Taylor was linked to a similar astroturf operation in New Orleans where actors were paid to attend public meetings.

In the Dallas City Council elections, Keep Dallas Safe also opposed Paula Blackmon who easily cruised to re-election against two opponents avoiding a run off in Elections 2021. They also chose to attack Jaynie Schultz in D11.

It is unclear how active KDS will be involved with run offs in District 7 and District 11. The other major winner was Chad West who also won his re-election easily.

One campaign staff member stated they were already gearing up for his mayoral run in two years. West has been increasingly outspoken including taking exception with staff over COVID19 vaccine rollouts. Given Johnson’s recent record, there are rumors he may not run for re-election.

April 21, 2021April 21, 2021

Richardson Police Admit Illegal Quotas

A Richardson Police Department officer admitted the department was engaging in an illegal quotas practice under the guide of productivity. The practice of quotas is illegal under Texas Transportation Code Sec. 720.002.

The full video can be viewed here:

The officer’s allegations have significant importance to both the department’s own compliance with federal and state law and an ongoing lawsuit against the City of Richardson.

Richardson Police and Texas Transportation Code 720.002

Richardson Police Also Face Federal Police Brutality Lawsuit

In 2018, Neco Bonham, who is Black, was pulled over for a broken tail light which was later proveb false. In that case, the Richardson officer’s body cam video showed Officer Parker Winn escalating the situation fifteen seconds into the incident.

Bonham is now suing the two white police officers as well as the city of Richardson in a federal civil rights lawsuit, alleging racial profiling and excessive force. He claims Winn contrived a bogus reason to stop him in order to search the pickup for drugs simply because he was a “young Black man with a hoodie.”

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot has complained that some police continue to improperly use “pretext stops” against minority motorists searching for marijuana.

This testimony in open city council working session indicates police issues exist outside just the City of Dallas and Reneé Hall.

April 19, 2021April 19, 2021

Molina Baseball Repeating Bad History?

The Dallas Independent School District Molina Baseball Jaguars may be repeating bad local sports history on the baseball diamond. The program head coach was ejected in the first inning of a contest against the Sunset Bisons this past Saturday. Reports Sunday, say the game was forfeit when the Molina Head Coach Henry Smith refused to leave the field.

The initial issue is not clear, but three sources at the game said umpires declared the game a forfeit. Per high school rules, played under the National Federation of High Schools, a game may be forfeit when a team “delays more than a reasonable amount of time in resuming play, or in obeying the umpire’s order…”.

The Dallas Baseball Umpires Association did not answer questions about the incident or provide background on their umpire crew, but a Dallas ISD Athletics representative on background said “we don’t want adult actions to interfere with kid’s games.” Principals from both Moises Molina and Sunset High Schools did not respond to emails seeking comment.

Dallas ISD Molina Coach Henry Smith also teaches for US Baseball Academy, a program claiming a “commitment to quality instruction at an affordable price. Each location promises the same proven itinerary of drills, a low player-coach ratio, and a teaching staff of top high school and/or college coaches from your local area.”

Playoff Ejections Not A First For Molina Baseball

In 2017, Molina had similar issues when every player on the team was ejected for leaving the dugout during a bench clearing incident. Other Dallas ISD incidents have tended to focus in other sports.

It is not clear if or how UIL will take action on this local sports news, but Other Side Dallas is waiting on responses from several official sources associated with Dallas ISD and Molina baseball.

Two parents complained that Dallas ISD is protecting Molina players despite bench jockeying before, during, and after the game including taunting a disabled spectator.

February 18, 2021February 18, 2021

Two Officers Shot

Dallas Police Department had two officers shot at an apartment off Bonita per one source. So far Dallas Police PIOs have not confirmed this information as it is an active incident.

Sources state that the two officers are in “stable condition.”

Officers Shot – SWAT On Scene

Dallas SWAT is on scene and more than twenty units had formed up at a Command Post.

This follow an incident where officers were shot at earlier in the month leading to the discovery of three dead. In November, officers were attacked near the city border with Mesquite.

February 17, 2021February 17, 2021

Thank You DFW Response Community

We hope everyone will join us in saying thank you DFW response community for all their hard work these past few days.

The parent of Other Side Dallas, the George Dealey Leadership Institute Foundation, is asking for your contributions so we can buy gift cards from local shops to say thank you to DFW first responders (police, fire, and EMS) along with their healthcare partners and road crews.

As we get through this storm we know they have given their all for us twenty-four hours a day.

Thank You DFW Contributions

Your tax deductible contribution can be made here. Let’s all make sure our local first responders know they are our heroes as we get through this storm together.

February 10, 2021February 10, 2021

Chief Eddie Garcia: Drug Houses A Detriment

Chief Eddie Garcia came out swinging saying drug houses a detriment to our neighborhoods in a tweet just two days after a Dallas City Council Public Safety committee meeting focused on drug arrests.

Drug houses are a detriment to our city. Today, Dallas SWAT served a warrant at a high risk location. 6 people were arrested for narco. But, it was the 10th time in 3 yrs we’ve hit this location. My message to landlords: Be warned, be responsible or we WILL hold YOU accountable.

On Monday, new Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia halted a resolution to stop arrests for small amounts of marijuana at his very first Public Safety Committee meeting.

A City Council resolution against arrests for less than two ounces of marijuana has been under review for months since Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot began refusing to prosecute those cases.

Drug Houses A Detriment To More Than Neighborhoods

During the meeting Garcia noted, “The real victims were those businesses in that area that have to struggle with drug dealers posting up in front of their business and having a 24-hour weed sale in front of their businesses. That is something that certainly affects our city.”

Dallas Police Monitor Tonya McClary, who runs the Officer of Community Police Oversight, said 6,000 misdemeanor cases last year, including many for small amounts of marijuana, unfairly targeted African Americans. She complained these arrests leave them with harmful criminal records.

Garcia said you can not arrest your way our of crime and that he intends to have a new violent crime plan by April.

Garcia has been on the job for only one week, but faces an uphill battle with three dead this weekend in an apartment shooting. He is also not following in the steps of his predecessor, Reneé Hall, who was cozy with violent criminals leading to her leaving early after it was disclosed.

February 7, 2021February 7, 2021

Three Dead In Northeast Dallas

Tonight three dead in Northeast Dallas after Dallas Police Department officers responded to a reported active shooter.

Dallas Police had been called to the active shooter incident in the 9800 block of Summerwood Circle at 4:30 p.m.

As officers approached the scene, one of their vehicles were hit and they retreated to safety and activated SWAT.

Officers entered the scene after 7:00 p.m. finding two dead women and a dead man at the incident. Per reports, Dallas Police did not fire their weapons.

Three Dead In Northeast Dallas – Hard Start For Eddie Garcia’s Tenure

Chief Garcia was introduced to Dallas in late December after his selection and he has been on the job for less than a week. Reducing violent crime was task number one for the new chief after his predecessor saw crime rates skyrocket.

February 3, 2021February 3, 2021

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, State Senator Royce West Endorsements

United States Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and State Senator Royce West endorsements came down yesterday in the City Council race for D7 and they didn’t go as expected. Rev. Donald Parish Jr. – the Sports Preacher – received their support for his D7 campaign leaving incumbent Adam Bazaldua wondering what happened.

In addition, Mel Renfro and his wife Liz, have agreed to be co-chairs of Parish’s campaign for City Council.

Royce West Endorsements For Parish Jr.

Parish Jr. is also known as the sports preacher is a regular contributor to Dallas ISD programming for African American youth across the city, but particularly in South Dallas and has worked alongside other notable Dallas Cowboys including Greg Ellis.

It is suspected Bazaldua will also lose the support of local police unions after being out front on defunding police programs this summer and standing by Chief Reneé Hall during the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge debacle.

Bazaldua has often been an aggressive voice at city council meetings speaking over colleagues and in open warfare with Mayor Johnson over a host of issues.