CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates

If you were by the John F. Kennedy Memorial on Thursday, October 16th, chances are you got to see the life-size cut outs of children holding signs that read, “My CASA is always there for me”, “We all have the highest potential” and “8 foster homes”; There were 850 cut outs to be exact.

The display, coordinated by Dallas CASA, was hosted in an effort to show what a day in Dallas County foster care looks like. The reality of the situation however, is far more dramatic. On average, Dallas County foster care sees nearly 2,000 abused or neglected children, many unable to return home because of unfit living conditions.

The event was held to rally people to Stand Up for Abused Children, a campaign geared to bring awareness to the community and provide information about how to become a Dallas CASA volunteer. Opening remarks were made my Dallas County Judge Jim Foster with additional remarks by Supreme Court Justice Harriett O’Neill and Juvenile Court Judge Cheryl Lee Shannon.

Please click here for more images of the ceremony.

Interchange Closure

The Interchange at Collins Road/SH 352 and US 80 will be closed due to the replacement of the two lane asphalt with a six lane concrete road.

Closures will occure between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and they include:

• Wednesday, 9/24: Eastbound and westbound main lanes closed
• Thursday, 9/25: Eastbound and westbound frontage road lanes closed
• Sunday, 9/28: Eastbound and westbound main lanes closed

When frontage road lanes are closed, traffic will detour to the main highway lanes, and vice versa.

Demolition should be completed and normal traffic flow restored by 5 a.m. Monday, weather permitting.

For more information, please visit: District 2 – C/T or The Texas Department of Transportation

A Dedication to Founders Plaza

September 23, 2008 – Guests and elected officials alike gathered in Founders Plaza early Tuesday morning for a ceremony held to recognize the restoration made to the Plaza in downtown Dallas.

Founders Plaza, located in the west end of downtown Dallas, was renovated in an effort to make it a more sought out historical marker for those interested in learning about Dallas’ rich history. A newly landscaped outdoor plaza and an underground parking now adorn Founders Plaza; A few renovations made to accommodate the public visiting the Plaza as well as The Sixth Floor Museum and Old Red Courthouse.

The plaza also includes a water feature that sits between John Neely Bryan’s cabin and the John F. Kennedy memorial.

In attendance was Judge Jim Foster, Commissioner John Wiley Price, Commissioner Mike Cantrell, Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, Honorable Lee Jackson, Honorable Jim Jackson, Honorable Pauline Medrano and State Representative Dan Branch’s staff who attended in his place.

Please click Photo Gallery for more images of the event.

Criminal Justice Forum

June 23, 2008 – On June 23, 2008, the Dallas County Criminal Justice Planning and Advisory Committee met for the first time to discuss Vision 3 of the Strategic Plan, its origin and the next steps Dallas County needs to take in order to realize that vision over the next decade.

In attendance was Dallas County Judge Jim Foster, Commissioner Mike Cantrell, Commissioner Maurine Dickey, Commissioner Ken Mayfield, Sheriff Lupe Valdez, District Attorney Craig Watkins, Dallas Police Department Chief David Kunkle, United States Attorney Richard Roper as well as more than 30 federal, state and local law enforcement and criminal justice members.

The meeting was held in an effort to identify existing opportunities and challenges Dallas County faces in order to synergize public safety programs and services throughout the County. As a result, opinions and perspectives were expressed in more of a collaborative structure rather than on a city-to-city basis.

The forum gave law enforcement officials an opportunity to express what they found daunting about controlling crime in Dallas County, but it did however yield possible direction for the war on crime as well. Suggestions such as concentrating on juveniles currently in the system, rehabilitation and/or implementing a re-entry, second chance program for offenders were all ideas proposed during the meeting.

The Criminal Justice Planning and Advisory Committee will reconvene in 90 days to establish a planning/execution strategy to the forum in order to maximize effectiveness of Dallas County’s criminal justice resources.

Archives »»