City News Roundup
Trump puts Dallas in national spotlight and other news of the city this week
It was an action-packed week in Dallas, with lots going on, some of it not just local but of national import. We hit the national spotlight, wheee. Here's what happened in Dallas this week:
Trump stump
Presidential candidate Donald Trump brought his bad combover to Dallas for a rally at American Airlines Center, an event that gave the Dallas Morning News the opportunity to use the word "regaled." You need to grab that opportunity any time it comes along. According to Trump, all 17,000 tickets that were offered were claimed, but the actual number was estimated at 15,000, with the upper level of the arena mostly empty.
A video of the entire speech is posted on YouTube; the primary entertainment is the people in the audience behind him, who take selfies and watch themselves on the monitor — including Jake Byrd, a "performance artist" in a cowboy hat whose appearance served as a segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Ahmed and his clock
Irving student Ahmed Mohamed brought a homemade clock to school, was detained, then released. An uproar ensued, over whether or not the clock looked like a bomb, and whether or not he was singled out because his named was Ahmed Mohamed. He's since received invitations to visit the White House, Facebook, and Google, and his brand new Twitter has 102,057 followers. He's received a scholarship for Space Camp USA, an internship offer from Twitter, and a random invite to make music from NeYo.
Another Dallas DA fire
Another employee in the Dallas County District Attorney's office was fired: administrative chief Cindy Stormer. Messina Madson, filling in for DA Susan Hawk, who is on an unpaid leave, told WFAA that Stormer's dismissal was "performance based." But Stormer says she was fired after spotting financial irregularities, including Hawk's alleged use of public funds. She has worked for the District Attorney's office for seven years.
Uber strike
Uber Dallas has a protest on its hands following its new rule ordering UberBlack drivers — the ones who drive SUVs and town cars — to pick up any passenger, even those who only want to pay the cheaper UberX rate.
Library two cents
The Dallas Public Library is hosting a series of community forums to hear residents thoughts and ideas about the library of the future. There are seven events in the next week, including one at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library on September 24. Go to the City of Dallas website to find the full list of forums.
