City News

Old Parkland installs a 9/11 memorial statue and more city of Dallas news

The sculpture is called "Non Sibi," which is Latin for "not for self."

Courtesy photo

In this week's wrap-up of Dallas news, the mayor returns for another decking, a 9/11 statue is erected, and COVID-19 numbers have mostly declined.

Here's what happened in city news this week:

Mayor strike two
One week ago, Mayor Eric Johnson suffered a big defeat when he tried to get an amendment passed by the Dallas City Council to cut salaries of city staff. In an unprecedented move, his amendment was defeated unanimously. And yet this week, he returned, bringing up the amendment one more time at city council's meeting on September 9.

Nothing changed: He was outvoted again, with the council choosing instead to cut $7 million in police overtime.

During the meeting, Johnson went off on the council, accusing them of playing a "cat & mouse game" and calling the vote an "exercise in theatrics."

The Dallas City Council will take a final vote on the $3.8 billion budget on September 23.

COVID-19 unit closes
Due to a recent drop in the number of cases, Parkland Hospital has closed its COVID-19 unit.

The Tactical Care Unit inside the hospital was serving as the epicenter for treating coronavirus patients, but the space will now revert back to surgical services.

Cases dropped in August although they're starting to climb slightly in September.

Southern Dallas sculpture garden
Dallas' Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Department of Code Compliance Services (CCS), was awarded a $15,000 project grant from the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) Summer 2020 Innovation and Implementation Fund.

The money will be used on a pilot project called Re: Imagine Vacancy, which will transform an abandoned lot in southern Dallas into a temporary sculpture garden. The majority of the grant will pay the artists and youth who work on this project. GARE is a national network of governmental jurisdictions working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all.

9/11 statue
In honor of the heroes on United Airlines Flight 93, Old Parkland has erected a specially commissioned bronze statue commemorating 9/11.

The monument by artist Chas Fagan stands at the new Freedom Place building in the Old Parkland campus, and features four statues representing Todd Beamer, Jeremy Glick, Mark Bingham, and Tom Burnett who stormed the cockpit of Flight 93, plus a fifth statue symbolizing all who were aboard the flight. A plaque with the statue lists the names of all the passengers.

Rock the Vote class
As part of a new Legacy West University activation, Legacy West is hosting a "Democracy Class," in partnership with Rock the Vote and local attorney Jessica Vittorio. Class will be in session at Neighborhood Goods on September 15 and September 22 from 6-8 pm. This is a free nonpartisan event, open to all ages, but registration is required via Eventbrite, as spots are limited.

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E-Cigarette News

Dallas City Council places restrictions on vaping in public

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Man vaping

Vaping will now be banned exactly like smoking, thanks to a new ordinance from the Dallas City Council.

At their December 11 meeting, the council passed an ordinance to ban vaping in all the same areas where smoking is not allowed. It'll go into effect on December 11, 2025 — giving everyone a year to get into compliance.

Proposed by City of Dallas Environmental Commission (EVC) and the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability (OEQS), the ordinance amends the definition of “smoking” in the Dallas City Code to include the use of vaping devices.

The ordinance does not ban vaping — it only bans where you can vape: no vaping in all indoor and enclosed spaces; within 15 feet of building entrances; and on park property. The ordinance also bans marijuana smoking in those same places.

In addition, the amendment requires restaurants, hotels, fitness centers and other businesses to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and electronic smoking devices are prohibited.

The ordinance already earned widespread support from health organizations such as the Dallas County Health and Human Services, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association. These organizations, along with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Surgeon General, have all raised concerns about the health risks of direct and second-hand exposure to vaping aerosols, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.

Dallas is not the first city to impose such a ban: San Antonio enacted a similar ban in October. Theirs goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

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