🌱 Dallas ISD's $2 Billion Budget + New Fentanyl Bill Helps Save Lives

Hello all. It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening locally.

But first, today's weather:

Warm; breezy in the afternoon. High: 99 Low: 79.

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Here are the top three stories in Dallas today:

1. On Thursday, Jun. 22, Dallas Independent School District's board of trustees officially approved a $2 billion budget for the next fiscal year. A budget of this size will help to increase a variety of initiatives including increasing teacher compensation, introducing new student transportation options, and installing more community service programs. The new budget is a 7 percent increase compared to last year's, but will decrease opportunities for staff development, social work, and food services. (Dallas News)
2. Recently, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a few new fentanyl-related bills that will go into effect by the beginning of September. These bills will soon require emergency medical services personnel to share data with law enforcement when it comes to overdoses, so they can allow more opportunities for overdose mapping. According to Dallas officials, a law like this is a major milestone for the city and could ultimately lead to saving hundreds of lives down the line. (Dallas Observer)
3. After working in the stifling heat all day, a Texas postal worker collapsed and died earlier this week in Dallas. According to recent reports, Eugene Gates Jr. was going to door to door delivering mail when he collapsed in someone's front yard and a nearby homeowner tried to perform CPR, but the man eventually died. His official cause of death has not yet been released, but the heat index reached its highest point in the area since 1980, which many think could have caused this devastating incident. (MSN.com)

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Today in Dallas:

Saturday, June 24

• So What Music Festival at Fair Park (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• If you know an aspiring young entrepreneur, the Dallas Arboretum is looking for kid-owned and kid-focused businesses to participate in Back to School Night on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The event will be for members-only, so contact the Membership Department at membership@dallasarboretum.org if your child is interested in becoming a vendor. (Dallas Arboretum)
• Looking for a new furry friend to bring home just in time for summer? The SPCA of Texas has a variety of animals ready for adoption, including 5-month-old kitten Marbles. She's eagerly awaiting to find her forever home, so stop by anytime this weekend to meet her in person. (SCPA of Texas)
• Ice Cube's Big3 basketball league officially begins this Sunday and will officially be making a stop in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Six of the Big3 games will be hosted at the American Airlines Center before they travel to New York, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, and more. (CBSNews.com)

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You're officially in the loop 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.