Are you aware that Dallas will soon complete a 50-mile loop of paved trails around the city? Cleverly enough, it’s called The Loop. Philip Hiatt Haigh’s job, as the new executive director of the Circuit Trail Conservancy, is to get the thing finished. Before you listen to this episode of the nationally recognized EarBurner podcast, you should probably read this story I wrote about cycling to work. Haigh mentions how funny and important it is. If reading it doesn’t change your life, it will at least increase your enjoyment when you listen to this episode, which will probably win another major award.

Wind power has been on a tear in Texas. It’s difficult to argue with that conclusion considering that in mid-November, on a day of steady breezes in West Texas and the Panhandle, wind generation made up more than 40 percent of power produced on the state’s grid. The average across the year was roughly 17 percent, up from less than 1 percent in 2002.

Renewable energy sources, the vast majority of which was wind power, lowered wholesale prices for energy on the Electric Reliability Council of Texas grid by $855 million in 2017, according to an industry-backed study by the consulting firms TXP and IdeaSmiths. The benefits have been spread statewide, with costs to consumers lowered by 3 to 8 percent between 2010 and 2017.

Texas produces more wind energy than Iowa, Oklahoma, and California combined. Because its fuel costs nothing and wind technology has steadily advanced, wind energy has become the cheapest form of electric power on the Texas grid, when costs are calculated over the life of the generating station.

Companies such as General Motors, which announced in October that its Arlington assembly plant now operates on 100 percent wind energy, say they expect to save millions of dollars by sourcing wind power through long-term contracts.

So how did fossil fuel-rich Texas become a leader in clean, renewable wind energy? Through a pragmatic mix of free-market and government-led policies.

The crowded Dallas mayoral race has lost a contender. This morning, former city attorney Larry Casto announced he’s dropping out, citing a desire to focus on “changing the law and finding new ways to address old problems.” He is endorsing candidate Mike Ablon, the developer known for his work in the Design District. Casto’s statement:

“This is about Dallas.  I would have loved to serve as the Mayor of Dallas.  I love this City and its people.  I am proud of my accomplishments as City Attorney and as Legislative Director.  I will be even prouder when we come together as a community to make the changes necessary for this City to continue to grow, to be a safe and prosperous place for families to raise their children, own a home, find meaningful work and enjoy unique, cultural amenities.”

His decision follows this week’s release of a first round of campaign finance reports from candidates who filed to run in 2018. That included Casto, and his haul came in at $30,500, showing he’d fallen behind in gathering money to bolster his campaign. Philanthropist Lynn McBee announced her candidacy around the same time and has already banked about a quarter million dollars. Oak Cliff businessman Albert Black has, too, although he’s been able to raise money since he announced all the way back in July.

The candidates are piling up in this pivotal race to be Dallas’ next mayor. Half of them announced bids before we ticked over to 2019. Due to campaign finance reporting requirements, that means that this week, we got a first look at how some candidates are faring in their efforts to raise money. Let’s have a look.

Albert Black, businessman from Oak Cliff
Started raising money: July 1
Raised: $277,643
Spent: $138,070.44
In the bank: $131,322.56

Mike Ablon, developer known for work in the Design District
Started raising money: November 21
Raised: $104,450
Spent: $65,836.12
Loaned himself: $100,000
In the bank: $138,613.88

Planned Parenthood Takes a Blow: A 2017 ruling had protected the healthcare organization by saying the state couldn’t ax it from Medicaid. But a federal appeals court overturned that decision on Thursday, ruling that U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks applied an incorrect standard. Sparks will take another look now. This is the case that involves unflattering undercover footage from a Houston Planned Parenthood clinic in 2015, which Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claims makes the organization unqualified to be a Medicaid provider.

Arlington Police Release Video from Shooting: 20-year-old Treshun Miller was shot and killed on January 11 after he ran from police during a traffic stop in a Tom Thumb parking lot. An officer was shot, as well, but survived the incident, and police say Miller fired at officers first while lawyers for Miller’s family maintain dash and body cam footage released Thursday is inconclusive. If you have a stomach for it, the relevant portion here begins at about 18:40.

School Bus Goes Off I-30 in West Dallas: It happened at around 4 p.m. yesterday and involved four vehicles. Nine of the 10 students on board, plus the bus driver, had to be taken to the hospital for treatment, although none of the injuries are considered life-threatening.

If you haven’t been following along to this point, you’ve got some catching up to do. VisitDallas, the nonprofit convention and visitors bureau for Dallas, did not fare well in a recent audit. Commingling taxpayer funds, slipshod accounting of expenses, spendthrift CEO, violating state law — that sort of thing. I began a week ago drilling down into a $35,000 loan made by the nonprofit to that CEO, Phillip Jones. It has been difficult, because VisitDallas’ media guy, Frank Librio, won’t return my phone calls and emails. I tried him again this morning. No luck. But Librio did tell real estate blogger Candy Evans that the loan, made in 2015, was “tied to a private family issue” with the Joneses’ adult son, who is disabled either because he has Lyme disease or in addition to having Lyme disease, an illness that Jones feels so passionate about curing that he traveled to Hawaii to compete in the Ironman World Championship, presented by GoPro.

It’s exhausting. Not the Ironman World Championship. I mean, I’m sure that is exhausting. But I’m talking about trying to figure out what’s going on over at VisitDallas without help from Frank Librio. And I’m not done yet. Yesterday I got some new information.