Covid Cases Spike. Yesterday’s sharp decline in new cases was, indeed, a fluke. New testing brought the daily numbers back up to the 1,700-1,800 range with seven additional deaths. Among the victims, a 70-year-old nurse named Iris Meda who came out of retirement to teach nursing students during the pandemic. And yet, despite the sacrifice of our healthcare workers, one Highland Park parent group is calling contract tracing efforts a “witch hunt,” and local high school football coaches warn that spread of the disease during playoff season could be “catastrophic.” Meanwhile, hotels are predictably suffering, the CDC wants you to cancel your Mexican getaway, and our local daily is deploying its depressingly limited reporting resources to cover deep questions like why pickles are sold at movie theaters — at a time when no one should be going to movies.
Community Calls for Removal of State Troopers. After Gov. Greg Abbott, at the request of the Dallas Police Department, sent state troopers to Dallas to assist in the city’s response to the increase in violent crime, a coalition of faith and community leaders pushed back yesterday, calling on the mayor and the governor to remove the troopers and instead deploy new resources to support the underserved communities that are the loci of much of the recent crime. The faith leaders and activist coalition are part of a political movement that has risen out of the George Floyd protests over the summer.
Police Arrest Suspect in Beating Death. This is an odd one: a 57-year-old man was arrested for beating to death 60-year-old Daniel Slusser, who was found last Friday morning in a strip mall in Oak Cliff, near Stevens Park. No word on motive. Slusser’s death is one of the year’s 220 homicides.
Dallas Experiences Home Price Boom. The residential real estate market grew at its fastest rate since 2014, following a nationwide trend that has seen buyers seeking out new and larger homes during the pandemic. On the commercial real estate side, things are less rosy.
After Tornado Warnings, Storm Damage Limited. For about 10 minutes last night, as the sirens blared and the local news warned of possible tornados touching down in my neighborhood, I was ready to drag the mattresses off the beds and hide in the bathtub. Then it rained and got chilly.
