City News Roundup

Meetups begin with city council candidates and more Dallas news

Remember Dwaine Caraway? How could you forget. He's back.

Dwaine Caraway/Facebook

We'll get an awesome chance to meet candidates running for the Dallas City Council over the next couple of weeks. The police and fire pension fund won a small settlement. And State Senator Don Huffines was caught being Don Huffines on a video.

Here's what happened in Dallas city news this week:

Pension settlement
The Dallas Police and Fire Pension (DPFP) board won a $2 million settlement against their former real estate fund advisor, CDK Realty Advisors. The Dallas Morning News published a copy of the settlement, which includes $800,000 from CDK principals, Kenneth Cooley, Jon Donahue, and Brent Kroener, plus the firm's interest in a building it shared with the fund that is valued at $1.2 million. "Of course, the settlement falls slightly short of the $320 million in losses allegedly caused by CDK, but a win's a win, right?" asks Zerohedge.com.

Hey Huffines
State Senator Don Huffines, who represents a strip above Dallas that runs from Coppell in the west to Sachse in the east, makes a fantastic impression in a conversation with students about school choice that was captured by a Richardson parent on video. When a student questions the value of vouchers to poor students, Huffines goes off.

"Do you want me to give them $15,000?" he asks. "Is that what you want? So they can all go to Hockaday, so they can all go to St. Mark's? You want to give them a full tuition? That is the most selfish thing I've ever heard."

After the video was made public, a spokesman issued a half apology, stating that the policy was right, but "Senator Huffines' tone and delivery today did not live up to the level of civil discourse that he always expects of himself and others."

Meet the candidates
It's never too soon to brush up for the May 6 election in Dallas when citizens will be voting on races for the City Council. On the next two Mondays, you'll get an opportunity to meet many candidates at once, when the Dallas Examiner hosts two "Meet the Candidates" events at the African American Museum at Fair Park.

On March 6, it'll be candidates for District 3, including incumbent Casey Thomas, and two challengers: Joe Tave and Sandra Crenshaw; and also candidates for District 7, with incumbent Tiffinni Young, and challengers Adam Bazaldua, Marvin Crenshaw, Kevin Felder, Tammy Johnson, and James Clyde Turknett.

On March 20, it'll be District 4, with Carolyn Arnold and Dwaine Caraway; and District 8, with incumbent Erik Wilson, plus challengers Tennell Atkins, Moctezuma Seth Gonzalez, Gail Terrell, and Eric Williams. That same night will include DISD board race District 6, with incumbent Joyce Foreman and challenger Phelesha Hamilton.

West Dallas protection
Working with Dallas City Council member Scott Griggs, Texas State Rep. Eric Johnson has filed a bill to protect West Dallas residents from involuntary displacement. HB 2480 would set aside 20 percent of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds for affordable housing, property tax relief, and infrastructure spending to ensure affordability and equitable redevelopment. Many large words there, but Griggs says it in English: ""What happened in West Dallas and the collateral damage to many families living in HMK properties is not acceptable," he says.

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Fight This Fly

Wildlife officials warn Texans to keep eye out for new invasive worm

U.S. Department of Agriculture/aphis.usda.gov

The the New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasite that turns into a fly.

An invasive species is crawling towards Texas and wildlife officials are warning Texans to keep an eye out: It's called the New World Screwworm, and it's been detected in Mexico, with a trajectory headed north.

According to a release from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a worm was found in a cow at an inspection checkpoint in the southern Mexico State of Chiapas, close to the border with Guatemala — following its progressively northward movement through both South and Central Americas.

As a protective measure, officials are asking those along the southern Texas border to monitor wildlife, livestock, and pets for clinical signs of the New World Screwworm (NWS) and report potential cases immediately.

Clinical signs may include:

Irritated or depressed behavior
Loss of appetite
Head shaking
Smell of decaying flesh
Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds
Isolation from other animals or people

They are called screwworms because they screw into the flesh, worsening injuries and causing a painful condition called NWS myiasis. Flies lay eggs in open wounds or orifices such as nostrils, eyes, or mouth. These eggs hatch into parasitic larvae. The maggots burrow or screw into flesh with sharp mouth hooks. Wounds can become larger, and an infestation can often cause serious damage or death.

After feeding, larvae drop to the ground, burrow into the soil and emerge as adult NWS flies. Adult NWS flies can fly long distances and the movement of infested livestock or wildlife can increase the rate of spread.

NWS primarily infests livestock but can also affect humans and wildlife including deer and birds.

This is not the screwworm's first rodeo. The parasite was last eradicated from the U.S. in 1966, with costly efforts by federal and state animal health officials, livestock producers, and veterinary practitioners. Eradication efforts have continued in Central America, but the pest is widespread in Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and South American countries.

Travelers to those areas should clean and cover all wounds and use insect repellent on outdoor clothing.

Anyone who suspects signs in wildlife of NWS should report their findings immediately to a local wildlife biologist. Reports about livestock should be directed to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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Brianna Caleri contributed to this story.

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