City News Roundup

Winter storm watch issued for North Texas and more Dallas news

Ice and wintry weather is forecast for the next three days.

Photo courtesy of Oxygen Concentrator

In this roundup of Dallas news, DFW is girding itself for an imminent winter weather event, condemning a brutal death in Memphis, banning TikTok, and waving goodbye to an old-school technology.

Here's what's happening in Dallas this week:

Winter weather
The weather is going to be bad this week. A Winter Storm Watch has been issued across North Texas, beginning Monday January 30 through Wednesday February 1. They're predicting freezing rain, sleet, and ice, with roads becoming most hazardous on Tuesday January 31. TxDOT has already begun pre-treating the roads, and the National Weather Service recommends avoiding travel unless necessary.

Tyre Nichols RIP
Police departments in North Texas and across the U.S. released statements condemning the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old man who was beaten by five Memphis police officers following a traffic stop on January 7; Nichols died in the hospital three days later. The Memphis PD released videos of the encounter on January 27. Demonstrations were held across the country including a vigil outside Dallas City Hall. The Atlantic posted a story about the ways that public officials have managed the aftermath to reduce violence. The five officers — Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith — have been fired and charged with second-degree murder, assault and kidnapping.

TikTok ban
DISD has banned TikTok. Dallas students, teachers, and visitors can no longer access TikTok from school district devices and networks. A DISD official issued a statement said the move is in response to cybersecurity concerns that said “experts believe the cybersecurity risk stems from the belief that TikTok’s parent company tracks data from users — including when, where and how a person uses the internet — that could be used to share sensitive information and ultimately harm our IT infrastructure."

DISD joins a number of Texas universities who've also banned TikTok, including UT Dallas, UNT, UT Arlington, and UT Austin. In 2022, Gov. Greg Abbott banned state employees from downloading or using TikTok on government-issued devices, joining a growing number of states.

Landlines going away
Old-school landline phones are on their way out. In August 2022, the FCC ended a requirement for companies to provide copper landline services. Among major cities, Dallas has the least number of landlines, found in 16 percent of homes. Their demise is anticipated to affect small business owners, people over 65, people with Parkinson's disease who can’t use a smartphone, or people who need a back-up phone.

Homeless News

Downtown Dallas homeless service Stewpot lands bigger better space

The Stewpot

It's official: The Stewpot, a community program that serves the homeless, has a new home. According to a release, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas — the organization that oversees the Stewpot — has acquired the CitySquare Community Center building at 1610 S. Malcolm X Blvd. where the StewPot will soon reside.

“This new facility will allow us to better deliver our programs and continue to support the 12,000 people served annually by CitySquare’s Neighbor Resource Center and Food Pantry programs,” said Brenda Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot.

The Stewpot is a community ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Established in 1975, it began with a concerned group of church members who started preparing lunch for the congregation's homeless and hungry neighbors.

It serves those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Its programs have tripled in size in recent years, and the ministry has outgrown its current space at 1835 Young St. across from the church.

When CitySquare announced earlier this year that it would cease operations and sell its property by the end of the year, First Presbyterian leaped in to make a bid on the space. Members voted on Sunday, December 8 to approve the acquisition. The closing is scheduled for Friday, December 13. The Stewpot will begin moving into the new space later this month.

As a part of the acquisition, The Stewpot will continue two of CitySquare’s core programs: its Food Pantry and its Neighbor Resource Center, which helps people with housing options, SNAP, WIC, healthcare, financial assistance, and mental health services.

The property is a mile from The Stewpot’s current facility on Young Street, across the street from the church. With this acquisition, The Stewpot will move its operations and offices, while continuing to serve more than 1,000 meals daily at The Bridge downtown.

charity downtown