🌱 National Hispanic Heritage Month + ISD Joins Lawsuit

Hello all. It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here's what you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Periods of sun with a t-storm. High: 87 Low: 69.

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 in Dallas today:

1. National Hispanic Heritage Month began yesterday, Sep. 15, and there will be many festivals, events, and programs throughout Dallas to mark the occasion. The month-long celebration commemorates how Hispanic individuals and communities influence and contribute to American society at large. The month of events kicked off with a "VIVA DALLAS!" Mexican Independence Festival at City Hall yesterday, and will continue with events such as the free Latinidad Festival 2023 on Sep. 23 featuring family fun and entertainment. (City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture)
2. On Thursday, Sep. 14, the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees unanimously voted to join dozens of other Texas school districts in a lawsuit filed against the Texas Education Agency. The suit addresses the substantial changes made to the state’s accountability ratings system, including the new state A-F refresh program. Dallas ISD and the other schools filing suit allege that the lack of advance notice of the new rating criteria, as well as the methods used, would cause significant harm to students, staff, families, and the community. (Dallas ISD News Hub)
3. Yesterday, a Dallas man was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the human trafficking of minors in Smith County. The verdict came following a four-day hearing, during which two victims testified before a jury. The suspect was a target of an inter-agency investigation into human trafficking, undertaken by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Public Safety, and the Tyler Police Department. (CBS19.tv KYTX)

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Today in Dallas:

Saturday, September 16

• Hispanic Heritage Month Family Movie: "Rio 2" At Pleasant Grove Library Branch (1:00 PM)
• Tim Meadows At Hyena's Dallas (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• This weekend, the Dallas Arboretum presents its 18th annual "Autumn at the Arboretum" celebration. The event will include a Pumpkin Village, a hay bale maze, live music, food, and plenty of special events. 100,000 pumpkins, gourds, and squash as well as 150,000 beautiful fall blooming plants will be scattered throughout the Arboretum, contributing to the Fall flair. Get your tickets today! (Culture Map Dallas)
• Students and families, take note: the Dallas ISD is incorporating a Fall Break this school year, from Thursday, Oct. 12 to Tuesday, Oct. 17. Click the link to learn more and hear about the plans in your specific school. (Dallas ISD via Instagram)
• North Texas Giving Day will take place on Sep. 21, and as part of the event, the North Texas Food Bank is hosting its first-ever 24-hour Volunteer-A-Thon. Click the link to learn more about all the events occurring on Sep. 21, and how you can get involved. (North Texas Food Bank via Instagram)

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Featured events:

• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Fresh Perks Every Week (September 19)
• Zoom meeting regarding HVAC cleaning in Dallas (September 29)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll catch up with you soon with your next update!

— 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.