Dallas Bond Rating Lowered. Fitch, one of the three big credit rating agencies, on Thursday downgraded the city government from AA+ to a mere AA due to concerns over the unfunded liabilities of the Police and Fire Pension. The change could mean it will cost more than expected for taxpayers to borrow money through the next bond package, which is anticipated to appear on the ballot next May. The City Council has already been wrangling over whether to make that package smaller or even delay it while attempting to stabilize the pension fund.
Backpage.com CEO Arrested. Carl Ferrer, who heads the Dallas-based online classified ad site, was taken into custody on California warrants for pimping a minor, pimping, and conspiracy to commit pimping. The site’s two controlling shareholders, Michael Lacey and James Larkin, have also reportedly been charged with conspiracy to commit pimping. “Backpage and its executives purposefully and unlawfully designed Backpage to be the world’s top online brothel,” said California attorney general Kamala Harris. The arrest warrant alleges that 99 percent of Backpage’s revenue comes from adult services. You may remember that Backpage was split off from Village Voice Media (owners of the Dallas Observer, among other alt-weeklies) in 2012. At that time Backpage accounted for one-seventh of Village Voice’s total revenue, but bad publicity for their association with thinly veiled prostitution services made the situation untenable.
“Mastermind” of Dentist’s Murder Returned to Dallas. Brenda Delgado has been on the run from police since September 2015, when she was accused of having hired a gunman to murder her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, a dentist named Kendra Hatcher, in an Uptown parking garage. Delgado fled to Mexico and was booked into Dallas County Jail last night.
It’s Up to Yu. Texas Rangers starter Cole Hamels didn’t have his best stuff in the opening game of the American League Division Series in Arlington on Thursday, which resulted in a 10-1 blowout loss at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. The pressure is on Yu Darvish to deliver a stellar performance in game 2 to help keep the team from falling behind 0-2, which would put them on the brink of elimination in the series. Game time is 12:08 p.m.
