Dez Bryant has been out of football for a long time. He’s only 31, but he last played — for the Cowboys — in the 2017 season. He signed with the New Orleans Saints a couple of months into the 2018 season, but then he tore his achilles tendon two days later, in practice, not even making it into a game, and that seemed like that.

Bryant has since actively campaigned to get back on the Cowboys’ roster, but I think the closest that has come to happening is Jerry Jones making some noncommittal remarks about wishing Bryant well. I personally never thought he would play football again.

But, it looks like he is at least in the vicinity of that happening. If all goes well, Bryant will be joining the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad. And with the craziness of this current NFL season, who knows what might happen after that?

The #Ravens plan to sign veteran WR Dez Bryant to the practice squad if his workout goes well and he passes a physical, source said. Baltimore previously worked out Bryant in August, so this is more of a check-in. He should land in Baltimore, finally.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2020

Also, it was a catch, and we all know that.

Barring some sort of tectonic political shift, the City Council will next week approve — likely unanimously or close to — the new master plan for Fair Park. The Council was briefed on the plan Wednesday afternoon and it received unanimous approval from the Park Board in June. Most on Council had no concerns about the merits of the plan or the ability of the nonprofit Fair Park First to raise $58 million to complete the first phase.

“It won’t be an issue for them,” said Councilman Adam Bazaldua, who represents Fair Park and the surrounding areas, after I asked him what happens to the project if that money isn’t raised. “I have full confidence in seeing the vision executed.”

I dug into the plan in detail a few months back after the Park Board OK’d it, and it doesn’t seem like there were any changes to report. The broad strokes include transforming 800,000 square feet of surface concrete into green space, building a community park accessible to the public year round, adding a few new pocket parks around the edges, looping trails that guide you through the property and connect with the surrounding neighborhoods, a new parking structure, a hotel with surface-level retail and restaurants, an overhaul for the areas near the existing venues and the Cotton Bowl, and a greening of the land that will help curb a heat island effect that makes the grounds 45 degrees warmer on summer days.

The fundraising will be overseen by a consulting group called Rise 360 that helps nonprofits raise money. Last month, Bill Lively, a man who has been described as a “master fundraiser,” volunteered to advise the capital campaign. He oversaw a $334 million campaign to build the AT&T Performing Arts Center and helped generate $280 million in donations as the director of the campaign for SMU. He also served as head of the Super Bowl Host Committee, bringing in $25 million ahead of the 2011 event.

“We all know Dallas has a lot of good causes, and that there is a lot of competition for philanthropic funding, but we’re very confident because it’s Fair Park, because of its history, and because of its potential and vision we have with Fair Park First and its mission that we can make it among the top priorities in the community,” said Ben Casey, a consultant with Rise 360.

It’s broken up into three phases, the final of which will take up to 20 years to complete. The city wants the first one done in five years.

Dallas City Council Gets First Look at New Fair Park Plan. Reps from Spectra, Fair Park First, and the Dallas Park and Recreation department briefed council members yesterday, presenting an updated plan for the 277-acre property that includes a 2-acre music green, parking deck, and 14-acre community park that’s been likened to Klyde Warren Park. The first phase of the project is expected to cost $58 million; $2 million has been raised so far. Council member Adam Bazaldua, who represents the Fair Park area, called the plan a “big win” for District 7 and the city as a whole, while also acknowledging longstanding community concerns: “Fair Park has symbolism in this city as segregation and racism and a systemic reason for why a lot of the surrounding communities and constituents of District 7 have their guard up and want to make sure this park is something that belongs to them.”

Arlington ISD Reports 34 Active COVID Cases in the Past Week Alone. Since in-person instruction started on September 28, there have been 166 positive cases reported district-wide. The past week’s new cases include 20 staff members and 14 students. Meanwhile, Dallas County cases also continue to rise. Yesterday’s totals include 523 new confirmed cases and two deaths. Dr. Fred Cerise, the president and CEO of Parkland Memorial Hospital, told The Dallas Morning News that he was concerned about the upward trajectory. “While not at the same level as our peak in mid-July yet, we are well on our way,” he told the paper. “The number of COVID patients at Parkland has tripled in just over a month, and the cases we are seeing today reflect community activity from two weeks ago. I have seen nothing in the past two weeks to make me think the curve we are on now will imminently flatten.”

Dallas Police Make Arrest for Murder of Air Force Reservist. Rashad Rayford surrendered himself to the Homicide Unit yesterday and was charged with the murder of Nick Slaughter, who died from a gunshot wound in the early morning hours on Monday. The shooting is believed to be related to an earlier incident involving an active shooter in a parking lot next to the Chocolate Lounge on South Lamar Street. Slaughter’s family believes he may have been hit by a stray bullet.

With schools in action, restaurants open, and COVID-19 fatigue settling in, new COVID-19 cases in Dallas-Fort Worth are on the rise. Projections by UT Southwestern, which have been accurate throughout the year, are predicting a terrifying winter. The latest models show that without a change in the effectiveness of disease abatement efforts, there could be 2,500 new cases each day by January. 

DFW’s case increase mimics the national pattern, where cases have increased by 73 percent in the last five weeks, with more than 60,000 new daily cases across the country this week. The U.S. has followed European Union patterns, which has seen a rapid increase in new cases over the last couple weeks. Hospitalizations statewide have risen from fewer than 3,500 in early October to more than 4,500 on Oct. 20. 

Last week, Dallas County raised the threat level back to red, advising residents to limit in-person gatherings and avoid anything but essential activities. In North Texas, hospitalizations have risen 77 percent since late September and are now 85 percent higher than in May. In the next two weeks, UTSW says COVID-19 numbers will return to the way they were in early August. In Tarrant County, COVID-19 hospitalizations are higher than in Dallas, even though Tarrant has about 500,000 fewer residents.

College Student Flies Home to Vote. When Bradley Bain, a 23-year-old  senior at Pomona College in California, failed to receive confirmation that his absentee ballot was received by the Dallas County Elections Department, he booked a flight back to Dallas to cast his vote in person. Bain joins record numbers of early voters in Texas — 4.6 million as of Tuesday morning.

The Daily COVID Update. Dallas County reports 472 new cases and 4 deaths. What does that mean? The bad news is that the total number of cases is increasing, and there is evidence of a nationwide surge. The good news is that the rising number of cases has not corresponded with a significant increase in deaths. That could be because we’re testing more, new cases are affecting less vulnerable populations, treatments are improving, or all of the above. But doctors aren’t sure yet. The takeaway: don’t be like these establishments that lost their liquor licenses for failing to follow simple social distancing and mask guidelines. Be a nice neighbor and wear your mask.

Science, Young People Will Save the World. Looking for some hope? Meet Anika Chebrolu, the 14-year-old high school freshman from Frisco who was named America’s Top Young Scientist and won a $25,000 prize for discovering a potential COVID-19 treatment that could dramatically reduce the rate of COVID-19 infection.  “Science is the basis of life and the entire universe and we have a long way to go to understand it fully,” she said.

Domestic Violence Up During COVID-19 Lockdowns. There have been multiple domestic violence killings during the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence cases are up nationwide, and shelters are overwhelmed. Add this trauma to the many mental health risks young people are facing during the pandemic. More reasons to wear masks and social distance so we can get back to a new normal.

Highland Park Phenom Wins World Series Opener. The first time I heard the name Clayton Kershaw, I was writing for Park Cities People in the mid-2000s and this HP Scots pitcher struck out every single batter in a perfect game (oh, and he also hit a grand slam in that game). Kershaw, of course, went on to become one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball, and last night he led the Dodgers to a World Series game one victory in a brand new Arlington stadium that, despite outward appearances, is a great place to watch baseball.

One year ago today, the Dallas Cowboys easily beat the Philadelphia Eagles, the State Fair of Texas was shutting down for 2019, and thousands of residents in Preston Hollow and Northwest Dallas and Richardson were rushing to find shelter as an EF-3 tornado bore down on them. Miraculously, no one was killed. The property damage was pegged at over $2 billion, an amount the Federal Emergency Management Agency declined to help cover.

Thomas Jefferson High School is still gutted. It will take years to fix the damage sustained by Walnut Hill Elementary School and Cary Middle School. The Home Depot on Forest Lane that took a direct hit finally reopened. Northway Church, just east of Forest Lane, is still damaged, its George Dahl-designed sanctuary of Noah’s Ark claimed by the force of the storms. The warehouses and small businesses along Harry Hines, like the textile wholesalers that make up Fabric Alley, still haven’t come back. When you cruise through Preston Hollow, blue tarps are still covering up roofs.

Yesterday H-E-B’s president over Central Market, Stephen Butt, presented Dallas ISD a $1 million donation to help fix the district’s schools that were damaged in the disaster. He did so in the Preston Royal shopping center, standing outside the shell of Central Market. The company says the store is being redesigned and renovated.

But here is was what it was like inside that store a year ago, as one of the 10 tornadoes that ripped through North Texas destroyed the shopping center. Note the shoppers being shuttled into walk-in freezers.