Dallas News

Dallas County commissioners have taken the first step in considering renovations or new county jail construction by allocating more than half a million dollars to study their options. The Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved an exploratory committee to review the current county jail facility on West Commerce Street in an effort to meet state standards. Dallas County’s jail has failed …

New ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas, whose contract the Public Utility Commission approved Tuesday, could easily rake in more than $2 million a year, according to his contract. Vegas’ base salary to lead the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the state electricity grid, is $990,000 a year. Already that is nearly twice what his outgoing predecessor, interim CEO Brad Jones makes. …

Dallas College is establishing a workforce training center at the former Red Bird mall that’s undergoing nearly $200 million redevelopment. The move aims to meet employment needs in the southwest Oak Cliff area and surrounding neighborhoods by training residents in skills for high-demand jobs. “In an increasingly competitive educational landscape, it’s vital that we have a strong presence in the …

An energy executive from Ohio will lead Texas’ main electric grid operator, the ERCOT board of directors announced Tuesday morning. Pablo Vegas, chief operating officer of Ohio utility NiSource, was named chief executive of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which operates the Texas grid. He replaces Brad Jones, who led the organization as its interim-CEO following the February 2021 winter storm, when …

One person was killed after a minor accident turned into a deadly shooting early Monday, Fort Worth police said. Authorities responded to a call about an accident at the intersection of the southbound lanes of South University Drive and Interstate 30 at about 2:45 a.m. Police said when officers arrived they learned that a man had been shot after an …

Last week, in Chautauqua, N.Y., author Salman Rushdie was about to give a lecture when he was attacked by a man who stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. Rushdie was taken off a ventilator Saturday, and was able to talk and joke, according to a friend. His agent later said the author was on the long road to recovery. Rushdie’s accused attacker, Hadi Matar, …

WASHINGTON – One year after the collapse of Afghanistan’s U.S.-backed government, House Republicans led by Austin Rep. Michael McCaul put a harsh spotlight Monday on the decision to withdraw all U.S. forces. “It has been an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions,” McCaul said on CNN, blasting President Joe Biden. “This is going to be a stain on this president and …

Built in 1893, Arlington’s Mineral Well once served as a gathering spot for the town’s rallies, parades and cotton sales. Mineral water, thought to have medicinal powers, flowed from lion head sculptures perched on the sides of a fountain. But in 1951, Arlington demolished the fountain and capped the well at Main and Center streets to accommodate booming vehicle traffic. …

A Dallas man who was convicted of killing a real estate agent inside a McKinney model home in 2006 is once again asking to be spared death on the eve of his execution. Kosoul Chanthakoummane, 41, has already successfully halted his execution twice, citing questionable forensic techniques that helped send him to death row. But the state has opposed any …

Apprehensions of migrants by the U.S. Border Patrol along the entire southwest border decreased 6% in July, but annual total is on pace to exceed 2 million. Migrants were caught about 182,000 times in July, compared with 193,000 in June. Fiscal year 2022 has already exceeded the previous year with Border Patrol catching migrants 1.8 million times with two months left in …