🌱 Dallas ISD Suing Commissioner + Man's Death Ruled A Homicide

Hello, everybody. Nicole Fallon-Peek here with your Tuesday edition of the Dallas Patch newsletter, filled with all the community information you need to know right now.

But first, today's weather:

More sun than clouds. High: 93 Low: 70.

From our partner:

Apple announced some big news at Tuesday's "Wonderlust" event! Click here for all the details.

Here are the top three stories today in Dallas:

1. The Dallas Independent School District (ISD), along with numerous other Texas districts, is suing Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath over recent changes to the A-F rating system. These changes demand higher scores for schools and districts to maintain their current grades, causing concerns about a sudden and unfair drop in ratings due to the late delivery of these alterations. Dallas ISD Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde emphasized the need for clear expectations and rules, as the updated system threatens to lower ratings despite the district's recent improvements. (88.9 KETR)
2. A man's death in nearby Pleasant Grove, where his body was discovered in a wooded area near Scyene Road last week, has been officially ruled as a homicide by the police. Despite this determination, the cause of death has not yet been disclosed by investigators. The man remains unidentified, and efforts are underway to establish his identity through fingerprint analysis by the Medical Examiner's office. (KRLD)
3. The jury trial for Antwan Franklin, a suspect in the killing of former Oklahoma University football player Du'vanta Lampkin at a Dallas Airbnb, has been delayed as Franklin is accused of cutting off his ankle monitor and has been missing for two months. Franklin, along with two other suspects, was charged with capital murder in Lampkin's slaying, who was found dead with a gunshot wound to the chest in May 2022. A recent law enacted in Texas makes cutting off an ankle monitor a crime in response to incidents involving parolees who removed their monitors and committed other serious offenses. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

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Today in Dallas:

Tuesday, September 19

• Pairing Parties At The Westin Dallas Downtown (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Dallas Park and Recreation Department is holding a Park Board meeting on Thursday, Sep. 21, at 10:00 a.m. Those interested in speaking at the meeting can register here, with the deadline for speaker registration being Wednesday, Sep. 20, by 12:00 p.m. (Dallas Park and Recreation Department via Facebook)
• New homes have been listed for sale in the Dallas area! Get all the property details at the link. (Dallas Patch)
• Dallas police have located a woman who was previously reported missing after she was last seen downtown. An update from the police on Sunday confirmed that she has been found safe, although no further details have been provided at this time. (WFAA.com)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (September 19)
• Zoom meeting regarding HVAC cleaning in Dallas (September 29)
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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.