Rex Tillerson Can Come On Back to Denton County. President Trump, as he is wont to do, fired the secretary of state with a tweet this morning. Which means the North Texan and former Exxon CEO can return home and retire peacefully. Or get back to gas drilling.
Two Victims In New York Helicopter Crash Were From Dallas. This one is so strange and tragic—on Sunday, a chartered helicopter went down in the East River. Inside were Dallas firefighter Brian McDaniel and journalist Trevor Cadigan, both 26. Neither survived. McDaniel was stationed at Dallas Fire Rescue’s Station 36, off Hampton Ave. in West Dallas. Cadigan went to SMU and interned at WFAA-TV and Dallas Morning News’ GuideLive entertainment vertical. His dad, Jerry, has worked at WFAA for more than 40 years in the production department and is one of the nicest human beings you’ll ever meet. Both of the victims are graduates of Bishop Lynch High School. Some of Jerry’s colleagues have started a memorial fund to help cover expenses.
The District Attorney’s Office is Investigating Voter Fraud. Apparently, 1,200 mail-in ballots didn’t pass the sniff test. The News reports that a county board that watches for such things flagged 459 from the same area that attracted a fraud investigation in last year’s municipal elections. Apparently, the ballots in question were filled out in September or October of last year and submitted for a mail-in ballot in January and February. Also, four of the voters are dead.
Dallas Cops Aren’t Happy. That won’t be news to a lot of folks, but this Sharon Grigsby piece makes some good points. Among them: A reminder that Dallas is at 34 percent of its September hiring goal for police officers, and low morale isn’t going to help the city get there. The cops she talked to seemed beaten down by the bureaucracy they’re governed by—the chief’s recent demotions, a perceived lack of support at City Hall, and the still-hurting wound of the failed pension system.
