🌱Irving Man Swindled Out Of Money For Home + Fusion at Heritage Park

Hello Irving. Top of the morning to you all. I’m Merlin Douglass, your regular guest curator, and here’s what I’ve got for you today.

First, today's weather:

Thunderstorms in the morning. High 75 Low: 55

Here are the top five stories today in Irving:

1. Irving is one of four North Texas school districts being celebrated by nonprofit Children At Risk as state leaders in the fight to end child hunger. One measure of success in the area is the number of children who participate in the school lunch programs. Irving has a 54% enrollment rate for lunch, with 52% of kids enrolled in the breakfast program as well. The other school districts honored included Garland, White Settlement and Mesquite. (Dallas News)
2. The City of Irving celebrated Community Development Week April 11 - 15. Community Development Block grants have enabled Meals on Wheels to be delivered to Irving’s 65 homebound elderly as well as the renovation of neighborhood parks, expansion of affordable housing and the preservation of local historical landmarks. Block grants also helped provide $117,000 in rental assistance and another $250,000 helped homeowners rehabilitate their homes. (Irving Weekly)
3. An Irving man was swindled out of $40,000 in a scheme to defraud home buyers. Manish Sharma received email instructions that he thought came from the title company to wire the funds for the down payment and closing costs as he attempted to close on the house he and his family had selected, but the money was directed to an unrelated party. The bank was able to rescue 60% of the funds but the rest is gone, leaving Sharma devastated financially. (NBC)
4. Irving is the top rental spot in the nation according to reports. For every renter to move out of the Irving area last year, more than three renters moved in. Rental prices are at an all-time high right now and rents are going up faster than the national average. (NBC)
5. Police in Garland say they have arrested a man for stealing a trailer with $30,000 in furniture from a Garland business early Saturday. Someone called police at about 1 a.m. to report they were watching a person in a pickup truck stealing a cargo trailer live on video. Police attempted an unsuccessful traffic stop of the vehicle and later the subject was spotted by a drone hiding on the roof of a home after fleeing on foot and was apprehended. (WFAA)

Today in Irving:

• Make the most of your Sunday with a Pound Fit class at the Texas Lottery Plaza at 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Drumsticks are provided. It’s free to attend but donations are accepted.
• Have some fun at the Reservoir at Toyota Music Factory with the Fly Queens Drag Brunch at 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. today. The event reoccurs every third Sunday and features local drag queens. Tickets are $20.
• Listen to music in the evening with Three Fools on Three Stools at Big Daddy’s Ship Store, 2500 Oak Grove Loop South in Grapevine at 5 p.m. Doc Wesson, Jim Richmond and Kerry Williams play music, make jokes and generally have a great time. If that weren’t enough there are contests, games and prizes to boot.

From my notebook:

• Coming up May 7, the City of Irving is presenting Fusion at Heritage Park from noon to 6 p.m. It’s a celebration of the diversity of music, dance and food locally available. Best news is there is free admission and free parking. (City of Irving)
• Centennial Park, 444 West Second street, celebrates the first 100 years of Irving’s existence. As you enter through Arrival Plaza, you can see the statues of Irving’s founders and read about the early days. Inside there are walking and running trails that are lit at night as well as ample parking, plenty of restrooms and places to have a BBQ. (City of Irving)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Free Covid Testing LLC — (Visit website)
• Soldiers-4-Christ Ministries International Headquarters —
• Add your business here

Gigs & services:

• Relax and Rejuvenate with Parkway Therapy (Details)
• Add your gig or service

Loving the Irving Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link so they can subscribe
• Get your local business listed in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at ash.the.copyartist@gmail.com.

That’s all I have today Irving. Come back tomorrow morning when Ash DeMello, your regular curator, will dazzle you with all the news you need to start your week.

— Merlin Douglass