Protest News

Majority of arrestees at Dallas protests were from the suburbs

The majority of arrests were for obstructing a highway.

Photo courtesy of NBC/YouTube

At least 60 people have been arrested in the Dallas protests that took place across central neighborhoods, including downtown and Deep Ellum, from May 29-31.

According to a release from the Dallas Police Department, the majority of those arrestees were from North Texas, including 17 residents from Dallas. Only one was not from Texas.

Hundreds protested in Dallas over the weekend, part of a national set of rallies to protest the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died on May 25 in Minneapolis following an encounter with police officers.

The protests in Dallas began peacefully on May 29 with a solidarity rally and march that gathered outside Dallas Police Headquarters.

The rally eventually escalated into violence, with vandalism against businesses and police deploying tear gas.

On May 30, another round of protests that began peacefully in the afternoon escalated again into more violence.

On May 31, the city instituted an overnight curfew in the central areas of Dallas.

The protests have generated a number of conspiracy theories, including the idea that the protestors are outside agitators who are coming into town apparently to hijack peaceful gatherings.

Of the 60 people who were arrested, one came from outside Texas: Antonio Johnson from Lake Wiley, South Carolina.

The majority were from various deep suburbs surrounding Dallas, which could also be considered another planet. Those included:

Seven from Fort Worth
Five from Arlington
Five from Garland

Two residents each came from Wylie, McKinney, Lewisville, Grand Prairie, and Plano.

The cities of Sachse, Carrollton, Athens, Selma, Melissa, The Colony, Euless, Denton, Bridgeport, Heartland, Murphy, Northlake, Keller, Irving, Forney, and DeSoto had one arrestee each.

There were also two homeless.

Of the 60 arrests, the offenses were as follows:

30 for Obstructing a Highway
22 for Riot Participation
4 for Disorderly Conduct
3 for Burglary of Building
2 for Evading Arrest

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Shopping news

First Walmart Supercenter in booming Celina sets opening date

Photo courtesy of Trademark

Walmart Supercenter is opening in Celina.

Another sure sign that Celina, Texas is a boomtown: It's about to get a Walmart Supercenter. The retail giant's first store in the city will open at the Shawnee Trail development on April 29, according to a release.

Announced a year ago, Walmart will serve as the anchor tenant for Shawnee Trail, a 150-acre master-planned mixed-use project at corner of Preston Road and the Collin County Outer Loop.

Walmart Celina promises to be "one of the retailer's most elevated and contemporary store formats yet," the release says, and will include an updated format with a fulfillment center and support for drone delivery. A Walmart fuel station on the site will open before the doors to the store open, on April 15.

Shawnee Trail, led by Trademark Property Company and G-Man Development, a subsidiary of Celina-based Glendenning 1887, will be a mixed-use complex with retail, restaurants, entertainment, office space, parks, and residential components. The first phase of the larger development is scheduled to break ground in 2027.

“Walmart’s opening is the first of many milestones for Shawnee Trail, where we are integrating neighborhood and community-oriented retail into a vibrant mixed-use environment that puts experience at the center,” says Terry Montesi, CEO of Trademark, in the release. “Our development roadmap going forward emphasizes quality design, a focus on the pedestrian, green space, and vibrant placemaking. As we head towards a 2027 groundbreaking, our vision for a best-in-class destination is growing for the Celina community.”

Celina, one of the fastest-growing cities in North Texas, has seen rapid residential and commercial expansion in recent years. In fact, according to a recent U.S. Census report, it is once-sleepy suburbs like Celina, Melissa, Anna, and Princeton that are fueling a major population boom in Collin County. It's attracting businesses galore, including DFW's newest Torchy's Tacos, opening Wednesday, April 15.

Trademark and leasing partner Shop Companies are marketing the project, with more than 300,000 square feet of prospective tenants expressing interest, according to the developers.

“Celina’s incredible population growth is giving way to significant demand that is being funneled directly to Shawnee Trail,” says Matthew Kiran, real estate broker at REX Real Estate and Glendenning 1887. “With Walmart’s upcoming opening and the groundbreaking for our mixed use development in sight, Shawnee Trail is now tangible, and retailers are letting us know they want to be a part of this community and unlock the long-term opportunities available here.”

Walmart is at 1771 N. Preston Rd., Celina. A grand opening and ribbon cutting with local officials will take place at Walmart from 7:30-9 pm April 29.

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