Faring best economically

Black residents thrive most in this diverse Dallas suburb, study shows

Grand Prairie ties with Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the place where Black Americans fare best economically.

Photo courtesy of Austin Board of Realtors

By at least one measure, Grand Prairie ranks as the best U.S. city for Black Americans.

In a study released February 5 in conjunction with Black History Month, personal finance website SmartAsset puts Grand Prairie in a tie with Virginia Beach, Virginia, as the place where Black Americans fare best economically. SmartAsset took into account six factors in analyzing 129 of the largest U.S. cities: median Black household income, Black homeownership rate, share of Black adults with a bachelor’s degree, share of business owners who are Black, Black participation in the workforce, and Black poverty rate.

“Nationwide, when it comes to wealth and personal finance success, Black Americans have struggled more compared to the rest of the population. ... In some parts of the country, however, economic outcomes for Black Americans are more favorable,” the study says.

According to the study, Grand Prairie boasts the fourth highest Black workforce participation rate (79.9 percent) and the lowest Black poverty rate (less than 5 percent) among all 129 cities in the study. Additionally, more than one-third of Black adults in Grand Prairie hold a bachelor’s degree (ranked sixth out of 129), and the median Black household income exceeds $63,000 (ranked 10th out of 129).

Close to 23 percent of Grand Prairie’s nearly 195,000 residents — or more than 44,000 people — identify as Black, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Statewide, almost 13 percent of residents are Black. Niche.com ranks Grand Prairie as DFW’s sixth most diverse suburb.

Among the top 25 cities in the SmartAsset study, Dallas-Fort Worth claims six spots. The other DFW city in the top 10 is Garland, ranked seventh.

SmartAsset says the Black homeownership rate in Garland is the fifth highest in the study (50.98 percent), while the Black workforce participation rate comes in at No. 11 (75.8 percent). It also ranks in the top 15 for median Black household income ($60,030) and the share of Black adults with a bachelor’s degree (32.5 percent). However, Garland’s poverty rate for Black residents (23.7 percent) is the worst of any city in the top 10.

Nearly 15 percent (about 36,000) of Garland’s roughly 240,000 residents are Black, the Census Bureau says.

The four other DFW cities in the top 25 are:

Arlington, No. 11. Its Black homeownership rate (32.74 percent) far surpasses that of Plano (20.54 percent) and Irving (17.91 percent).
Plano, No. 12. Among the top 25, it nabs the highest share of Black adults with a bachelor’s degree (48.4 percent).
Irving, tied for No. 14 with Nashville. Of the DFW cities in the top 25, it ranks third for Black household income ($60,672).
Fort Worth, No. 25. At 24.8 percent, Cowtown exceeds the national average (22.5 percent) for Black adults with a bachelor’s degree.

Outside DFW, only one Texas city appears in the study’s top 25 (El Paso, at No. 16).

rankings

Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

Facebook

Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."