The holiday weekend plans of lake-goers in North Texas might be affected by recent rainfall, as some lakeside parks are experiencing flooding and subsequent closures. DFW Airport has recorded over 21 inches of rain, causing several North Texas lakes to reach or exceed capacity levels. Consequently, some lakeside parks have been forced to close to the public. One such park …

A former Dallas police officer faces a murder charge in the shooting of her neighbor in Fort Worth. 43-year old Cathryn “Cat” Lafitte was booked into Tarrant County jail Aug. 15. She faces one murder charge and one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Dallas Police Department officer Cat Lafitte painted one of the pillars in Deep Ellum …

The additional remains of Arlington Seaman 1st Class George Coke Jr. were interned at a memorial service on Dec. 7, which commemorates the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Coke’s remains are interred at the Parkdale Cemetery in Arlington, where the sailor’s first set of remains was buried in 2017. The family worked with the Arlington Historical Society and others in the …

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House gave final approval Thursday to landmark legislation expanding protections for same-sex and interracial marriage after months of debate and negotiations. The Respect for Marriage Act is now en route to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. “Today, Congress took a critical step to ensure that Americans have the right to marry the …

A fire extinguishing system at the Dallas Morning News facility in Plano went off unexpectedly Thursday evening, leading to the evacuation of dozens of employees. Around 6:30 p.m., emergency crews were notified of a structure fire at the Dallas Morning News printing plant, located in the 3900 block of West Plano Parkway in Plano, about 22 miles north of downtown …

A Richardson man accused of storming the U.S. Capitol building in January 2021 and threatening Democratic lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on social media entered a guilty plea Thursday to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges. Garret Miller, 36, was arrested in the weeks following the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. According to a federal complaint, Miller shared videos on social media …

AUSTIN — House Democrats on Wednesday selected a new leader for the first time in six years, tapping 10-session veteran Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio to head the party’s caucus in the chamber. Fischer’s selection as chairman came a day after the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, a mostly Democratic group of House members, elected Rep. Victoria Neave Criado of Dallas as its …

A 19-year-old man was fatally shot late Monday in Mesquite, police said Wednesday. Officers responded about 11:20 p.m. Monday to the 1200 block of Mulberry Lane, near Pioneer Road and Sierra Drive, where they found a vehicle in the street with the driver’s door open and bullet holes in one of the doors. Police found a shooting victim in the …

AUSTIN — Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is noncommittal on whether the Legislature should add rape and incest exemptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban. “I am not saying no, but we’d have to see a real groundswell of Republicans in the House and Senate to say yes,” Patrick told Spectrum News’ Capital Tonight in an interview. The state’s restrictive abortion law was …

Dr. George Keaton Jr., a fourth-generation Dallasite who dedicated his life to preserving Black history and culture in the city he called home, died overnight Tuesday. Keaton was best known as a community organizer and passionate local historian who founded and served as executive director of Remembering Black Dallas Inc. He was 66. Remembering Black Dallas shared the news of …

DART announced plans Wednesday to extend its discounted pass pilot program until the end of 2024 for riders enrolled in qualifying federal and state assistance programs. The transit agency launched the Discount Go Pass Tap Card, a reloadable fare payment system, in 2019 as a two-year pilot program to assist people who receive help from social service programs. It allows …