City News Roundup

VisitDallas catches us up on emo and screamo and more Dallas news

VisitDallas is down with Shot Topic.

Courtesy photo

This week's roundup of Dallas news includes some updates, some with happy endings, some unresolved. That includes Dallas' classical music station and the subject of redistricting. Monkeypox has landed in Dallas, and there's wacky stuff on the VisitDallas website.

Here's what happened in Dallas this week:

Latest on redistricting
The Dallas City Council was supposed to vote on the new redistricting map that was approved by the Redistricting Commission, redrawn to address shifts in population since the 2020 Census. Eight possible amendments were proposed to address various concerns, such as not splitting up neighborhoods and making sure there were Hispanic districts. But none of the amendments were approved. The council postponed making a decision until its next meeting on June 22.

WRR -> KERA
The Dallas City Council predictably approved the hand-off of the city-owned classical music station WRR 101.1 FM to KERA, Dallas' NPR partner.

This is an extremely popular and feelgood measure. People love it because WRR is practically 100 years old. And it's classical, which makes everyone feel artsy and cultured. We are such an artsy city! Like other big cities. The Park Cities is very onboard with keeping WRR afloat. But how many people actually listen to WRR?

Selfish jerk
A Dallas man brought monkeypox to town after vacationing in Puerto Vallarta. Mexican health officials said the man checked in to the hospital in Vallarta, where doctors told him to isolate himself. Instead, the man, who they have not identified but whom we'll call "the selfish jerk," took a flight back to home.

Can you imagine being on a flight with the selfish jerk and then getting sick?

Dallas County Health Director Phillip Huang said that the selfish jerk is now in isolation, and won't face legal charges. Officials are tracking down people who were on the flight.

South Dallas Fair Park Opportunity Fund
The South Dallas/Fair Park Opportunity Fund (SDFPOF) provides loans and grants of up to $100,000 to promote economic development in neighborhoods surrounding Fair Park. Nonprofit organizations who do programs or services that benefit residents of South Dallas Fair Park are invited to apply for funding.

Proposals should be submitted online by July 8 at 5 pm.

Those interested in learning more about the program can email regina.onyeibe@dallascityhall.com or attend one of the following meetings:

June 15 from 6-7 pm, at Martin Luther King Jr. Center 2922 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Bldg A – Activity Room B, hosted by Diane Ragsdale
June 21 from 6-7 pm, at Salem Institutional Baptist Church 3918 Crozier St, hosted by Pastor Todd Atkins

How to be emo
Visit Dallas, the embattled organization that promotes Dallas as a business and tourist destination, has had criticism levied at its website, for boo-boos like having info that's out-of-date, or worse, hyping businesses not located in Dallas. For example: Their current "Things To Do" page counts Del Frisco's Grille in Plano as one of its top restaurant recommendations.

But one thing you might never have anticipated seeing on Visit Dallas is a post titled How to Be Emo, Screamo, and Punk in Dallas This Summer. Hey hey, what's going on down at VD, covering screamo, a subgenre of emo from the '90s that wiki says emphasizes willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics.

The post suggests you'll be surprised how much of a "throwback city" Dallas can be, before going on to list festivals, concerts, cover bands, and punky throwback hangouts such as Shot Topic.

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One hot dog

DFW Airport pup sniffs out victory in TSA’s cutest canine contest

Photo courtesy of Transportation Security Administration

Say "cheese," Bolt!

The next time you fly through Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, you might bump into the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s new top dog.

No, we’re not talking about the TSA’s top boss. We’re talking about a doggone cute canine.

Bolt, a three-year-old, brown-coated German shorthaired pointer, just won the TSA’s annual Cutest Canine Contest. All entrants in the contest were TSA bomb-sniffing dogs.

Travelers voted on social media for the agency’s most precious pup, choosing from among four finalists in different regions of the U.S. TSA canine handlers at U.S. airports initially nominated 85 dogs. Agency employees then voted online to whittle the list to four finalists.

Bolt bomb-sniffing dog Bolt is a three-year-old, brown-coated German shorthaired pointer.Photo courtesy of TSA

Bolt’s handler, Daphne Wang, describes him as “such a character and a hard-working little guy.”

“He absolutely loves his job and coming to work,” Wang says in a release.

“I am so happy he gets to show the world his quirky personality. It’s definitely an adventure working with Bolt every day,” she adds. “There is nothing ordinary about him. He works hard and plays even harder. He is always in working mode, even at home. He is never short on energy and is always 1,000 percent excited to go to work.”

WebMD describes German shorthaired pointers like Bolt as a “loyal and loving breed” known for its hunting prowess.

“They’re intelligent and full of energy, so they won’t be happy lazing about all day,” says WebMd.

TSA canines like Bolt and their handlers move through groups of people to sniff out the odor of explosives. A handler learns to notice subtle changes in their canine’s behavior if an explosive device appears to have aroused the dog’s senses.

“Explosives-detection canine teams are one of TSA’s most effective and visible layers of security,” says TSA Administrator David Cummins. “These highly trained dogs and their handlers help detect threats in dynamic transportation environments, deter potential attacks, and give travelers confidence that TSA is using proven, adaptable capabilities to protect the traveling public.”

Bolt TSA dog Bolt moves through groups of people to sniff out the odor of explosives. Photo courtesy of TSA

Photo courtesy of Transportation Security Administration

Say "cheese," Bolt!

TSA canines and handlers undergo training at a facility in San Antonio.

The federal government launched canine training in 1972. The training program came under TSA’s control following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

TSA-led bomb-sniffing teams began by screening air cargo in 2008. Three years later, the agency expanded the program to include passengers.

“Canines are an essential part of our team at TSA,” says Ha Nguyen McNeill, the agency’s deputy administrator. “As cute as Bolt and our other canines are, the work they do is vital for TSA’s national security mission.”

animals tsa dogs dfw airport airport