This roundup of news around Dallas includes updates on a massive inner city park, the trash situation, plus news about candidates for Dallas City Council, plus an immersive exhibit in downtown Dallas for MLK Day.

Here's what happened in Dallas this week:

Fair Park park
Fair Park First has unveiled new renderings for a new 18-acre community park complex at Fair Park. It's a partnership between Fair Park First and the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board. The space it'll go into is currently a parking lot. Amenities will include wifi, water play, an outdoor stage, dog park, oudoor cafes, exercise equipment, and playgrounds.

City Council races
City Council candidates are starting to announce their campaigns including two new ones for District 1, which covers North Oak Cliff and is currently held by Chad West. West is re-running for his third term and two others are running against him: Mariana Griggs, longtime Oak Cliff resident whose ex-husband Scott Griggs represented the district from 2011-2019; and Albert Mata, a third-generation Oak Cliff resident who is on the board of Somos Tejas, a group that advocates for the Latino community. Current District 7 council member Adam Bazaldua will launch his campaign with a party on January 19 from 5:30-7:30 pm at Whiskeys, 835 Exposition Ave.

DCAD still down
The website for Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD), the agency that appraises property to determine what we pay in property taxes, is still down due to a ransomware attack, and as Candy's Dirt notes, it's causing frustration for residents and businesses alike - exacerbated by the fact that tax season is looming. The website went down November 8, disrupting all online services.

Trash collection
Dallas changed trash routes in early December for the first time in 10 years, with workers' schedules changed to 5 days a week with shorter days rather than 4 days a week with longer days. But the change has not gone as smoothly as hoped, with some areas not getting their trash picked up. A number of factors were in play, including drivers not adjusting as quickly as they could have; a shortage of sanitation trucks; the arctic blast that caused some workers to not show up; and the increased amount of trash from Christmas parties and presents.

MLK Day Weekend
Dallas will mark MLK Day Weekend in partnership with the AT&T Discovery District at 208 S. Akard St. in an exhibition called The Mount Experience, which seeks to uncover America's buried past through a combination of photography, augmented reality, audio recordings, and visual installations created by Black Dallas artists. The Mount Experience will transform the lobby of AT&T Headquarters into the piney woods of East Texas, with an immersive cemetery entrance powered by Samsung and an overview of uncovered lineage and tombstones. In addition to Ghanaian American photographer Kwesi Yanful’s photography, complementary works from Dallas-based artists T’Ria Hurd and Trevor Donaldson and educational research will also be on display. It'll be free and open to the public seven days a week until Tuesday, February 21.