Dallas ISD parents are being asked for their opinion about how they want their children to return to school for the 2020-2021 school year per a post on the Townview Magnet Foundation website.
Parents can let Dallas school administration know what you think by filling out a survey for each of their children. You will find a video explaining the latest plans the district is considering and links to the survey for each school by visiting www.dallasisd.org/parentsurvey2020.
Donald Trump’s recent decadent Dallas fundraiser was hosted by long term State Senator Royce West business partner, Brint Ryan. West is currently seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge US Senator John Cornyn in November.
Royce West Partner Raising Money For Donald Trump
Brint Ryan is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ryan LLC – an indirect tax firm – which specializes in lowering tax payments in the areas of property, sales, and Value Added Taxes. Sen. Royce West is a forty percent owner in the firm which rakes in half a billion dollars annually and contributes regularly to Republican causes.
In 2016, Ryan donated more than $80,000 to the Republican National Committee and in 2017 was campaign treasurer for Lisa Luby Ryan’s failed campaign against State Representative John Turner. Lisa Luby Ryan beat moderate Jason Villalba in a contentious Republican primary before giving the seat away to Democrats just a few months later making a majority in the Texas State House of Representatives possible in 2020.
Ryan was also appointed by Lt. Governor Dan Patrick to a business task force to improve the Texas economy, but much of the Ryan LLC website focuses on their expansive work exporting jobs overseas to Hyderabad and the United Kingdom.
Ryan is also known as the 2009 candidate who ran the most expensive Dallas City Council campaign in history. The race was not only expensive, but perhaps one of the vilest in history also ending in a now-settled libel and slander suit.
Ann Margolin ran a campaign on her long-time civic volunteer experience at city hall and on the Parkland Hospital board. Ryan ran as a successful businessman and outsider – sound familar – who was the “perfect candidate.”
Brint Ryan was also instrumental in bringing Donald Trump Jr to the University of North Texas for a business speaker series. That speech included a $100,000 honorarium.
Donald Trump In Dallas
On June 11, 2020, President Donald Trump, spoke in Dallas describing his administration’s policy response to issues raised by George Floyd protests nationwide. He was quoted as saying that some police officers who abuse their power are “bad apples,” but cautioned against “falsely labeling” many Americans as racist.
These remarks were before the Brint Ryan fundraiser for his reelection effort that cost more than $500,000 per couple and was expected to net $10 million.
While light on details, Trump said his plan centered on economic development in black and Latino communities — going “above” the federal Opportunity Zones program — but without real details. He also said his administration was investing “substantial sums” in medical institutions that serve communities of color. He added he was finalizing an executive order that would encourage police departments nationwide “to meet the most current professional standards for use of force, including tactics for deescalation.”
Senate Primary Runoff
The news of Royce West’s connection to Donald Trump made some Democrats livid.
One local Democrat supporting Royce West lashed out at MJ Hegar for a lack of feminist credentials because she had accepted contributions from a corporate lawyer who had defended a “serial predator in Hollywood.”
Others were more circumspect and concerned it was one more issue with Senator Royce West whose son recently received a no bid contract from a state agency Senator West oversees. Details of the Department of Transportation contract have still not been released, but it would allow him access to prime real estate near downtown Dallas near I-45.
The runoff election is scheduled from June 29, 2020 to July 14, 2020.
Tennell Atkins appointee to the Permit and License Appeal Board may be appealing a dismissal soon.
Michael Clark Smotherman, the District 8 representative to the Dallas Permit and License Appeal Board has some issues it appears.
In multiple Facebook and Twitter posts it appears he is not only pushing back on Black Lives Matter, but is also asking for assault against peaceful protestors, not unlike Philip Archibald, who was recently arrested and indicted by the US Attorney’s Office.
Tennell Atkins Appointments
Council Member Atkins has yet to respond for comment. Other Atkins appointees can be found here.
Masks for COVID19 prevention are back! Friday morning, Dallas County commissioners voted to mandate that businesses in the county require customers to wear a mask to contain the spread of novel coronavirus.
Dallas County Commissioners passed the order 3-2 after an emotional debate. Commissioners Elba Garcia and Theresa Daniel voted with County Judge Clay Jenkins in favor of the mask requirement. Commissioners J.J. Koch and John Wiley Price voted against.
Businesses that don’t comply face up to a $500 fine.
COVID19 In Texas
The order comes as Dallas and Tarrant county see COVID19 related infection spikes. This includes 413 confirmed cases in Dallas County on Wednesday.
Bexar County issued similar rules and Gov. Greg Abbott did not object to Bexar County’s new rule. In an interview he said: “Just like they can require people to wear shoes and shirts, these businesses can require people to wear face masks if they come into their businesses. Now, local officials are just now realizing that that was authorized.”
Governor COVID19 strikes again. State legislators were informed Thursday morning in a conference call that Texas students will be returning to public schools in person this fall.
Per a Texas Tribune article: “It will be safe for Texas public school students, teachers, and staff to return to school campuses for in-person instruction this fall. But there will also be flexibility for families with health concerns so that their children can be educated remotely, if the parent so chooses,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.
The TEA is expected to release additional guidance for school districts next Tuesday, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) standards are clear.
This is another poor decision by a Governor and his team that is seeing massive growth in COVID19 numbers as he mangles the response to the disease.
Centers for Disease Control COVID19 Standards
The more people a student or staff member interacts with, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. The risk of COVID-19 spread increases in school settings as follows:
Lowest Risk: Students and teachers engage in virtual-only classes, activities, and events.
More Risk: Small, in-person classes, activities, and events. Groups of students stay together and with the same teacher throughout/across school days and groups do not mix. Students remain at least 6 feet apart and do not share objects (e.g., hybrid virtual and in-person class structures, or staggered/rotated scheduling to accommodate smaller class sizes).
Highest Risk: Full sized, in-person classes, activities, and events. Students are not spaced apart, share classroom materials or supplies, and mix between classes and activities.
COVID-19 is mostly spread by respiratory droplets released when people talk, cough, or sneeze. It is thought that the virus may spread to hands from a contaminated surface and then to the nose or mouth, causing infection. Therefore, personal prevention practices (such as handwashing, staying home when sick) and environmental cleaning and disinfection are important principles that are covered in this document. Fortunately, there are a number of actions school administrators can take to help lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure and spread during school sessions and activities.
Monthly bulk waste and brush standards are changing effective July 1 for the City of Dallas. The quantity of a monthly brush and bulky trash set out for residential Sanitation customers may not exceed ten (10) cubic yards.
Brush Regulation Changes
Ten (10 ) cubic yards is roughly the equivalent of 10 household ovens. Once per year a residential customer is allowed an oversized collection of up to twenty (20) cubic yards, provided notification is made to the City the week in advance of the scheduled collection by contacting 3-1-1.
10 Cubic Yards Visual Representation
Waste/Sanitation Department Webpage
Dallas Sanitation has a webpage up – Curbside Manners – with a detailed FAQ and other information for city residents.
TexasCOVID and Governor Greg Abbott became a Twitter trending social media topic on Tuesday. In comments June 16 he criticized younger residents of his state for what he said was the reason in the coronavirus spike.
Abbott specifically called out young people.
“What we’re seeing there is that people of that age group, they’re not following these appropriate best health and safety practices,” he said in an interview Monday with Lubbock’s KLBK-TV. “They’re not wearing face masks, they’re not sanitizing their hands, they’re not maintaining the safe distancing practices. And as a result, they are contracting COVID-19 at a record pace in the state of Texas.”
Abbott provided no data to back up his assertions that TexasCOVID infections were increasing among 20-somethings faster than any other group.
The state of Texas began its phased reopening plan at the end of April. Bars were allowed to open May 22 with limited capacity and Abbott announced on June 3 that Texas would enter its third phase of reopening, meaning that restaurants could increase capacity to 75%.
The Governor said: “”We believe that a lot of people have let down their guard,” the governor said. “The summer’s here. Things are opening up. They feel like they can go out without having to wear a face mask.”
Abbott must have forgotten his own role in letting his guard down though. He alone took responsibility for reopening Texas as Scott Braddock noted back in April when the Governor removed the traditional authority centers, county judges and city mayors, from the decision making process.
There has been a steady rise in cases since the state moved into the third phase, Texas saw another new peak Tuesday, reporting 2,622 new cases and 2,518 Texans who have tested positive for the coronavirus are currently hospitalized.
A group of Texas mayors asked Abbott to require face coverings in public. Even with overwhelming scientific data that we are still in the first phase of TexasCOVID, Abbott has refused to require face coverings.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins in a press release stated he had no desire for an argument with the Govenor or for jailing the non compliant, but “he was “calling on the Governor to either require masks through gubernatorial action or allow local governments to make the decusion for their communities.”
Dallas Galleria had a shooting Tuesday evening and the suspect remains at large per Dallas Police.
Authorities are searching the mall for the shooter, police said. The victim was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in an unknown condition, police said.
Officers were called to a shooting in the 13300 block of Dallas Parkway about 6:45 p.m.
Dallas Galleria
Stores at the mall are currently open to fifty percent of normal capacity due to COVID19 precautions.
Witnesses heard screaming and could smell the odor of “gunpowder.”
North Dallas has had an abnormal uptick in gun violence in the past week with six shootings in one day late last week. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.
Philip Russell Archibald, 29, of Lancaster, was charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Coconspirator Danielle Bocanegra, 30, of Lampasas, was also charged.
“The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate the peddling of steroids in our community. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners for helping us dismantle this steroid trafficking ring,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.
According to the complaint, Mr. Archibald, a self-proclaimed bodybuilder and personal trainer, allegedly ran a steroid distribution ring that spanned across north Texas.
At Mr. Archibald’s detention hearing, prosecutors argued that the defendant posed a threat to the community, noting that the defendant, who has been tied publicly with the anti-government Boogaloo movement, used his social media accounts to advocate vigilante “guerrilla warfare” against the National Guardsman patrolling Black Lives Matter protests. In a recent Facebook post, he claimed to be “hunting Antifa” and threatened to “kill” looters. The Court granted the government’s motion and ordered Mr. Archibald detained pending trial.
Dallas ISD families can receive a free food benefit. Dallas ISD offers free meals to all its students making all families eligible to receive the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), a one-time benefit provided by the State of Texas for eligible families to buy food.
The P-EBT of $285 per child is available for families that may have temporarily lost access to free and reduced-price meals because of school closures due to COVID-19. The amount is based on the average number of days schools are closed for the remainder of the school year.
More On Dallas ISD Free Food Benefit
Families who received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, in March of 2020 will have the benefit deposited into their account. Those families who are not receiving SNAP benefits but whose children attend Dallas ISD schools will have to fill out an application to receive the funds. You can apply for this benefit by visiting https://yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT.
The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program, authorized through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, provides states a critical opportunity to provide support, efficiently and comprehensively, to families that rely on free or reduced-price school meals when school is open. Through P-EBT, states can issue eligible households an EBT card with the value of the free school breakfast and lunch reimbursement rates for the number of weekdays that schools are closed due to COVID-19 (estimated to be around $5.70 per day).
Eligible households include those with children certified to receive free or reduced-price school meals and children who attend schools that offer free school meals to all students. Schools must be closed for five or more consecutive days for families to participate.
