EDIT (7/25/2010): Tom Benning confirmed that the DMN article is unclear. The meal count is in fact a daily count, so Dallas ISD serves about 176,000 meals or snacks per day, or 31,680,000 per academic year. Assuming 180 school days, this is about $2.62 per meal or snack served. The article's title was corrected to reflect this new finding.

Dallas Morning News reporter Tom Benning reports that Dallas ISD will spend $83,000,000 on its school food program for the 2010-2011 school year, delivering "120,000 lunches, 46,000 breakfasts and 10,000 after-school snacks" to schoolchildren.

While a professional reporter would use a bunch of words, this reporter will lay out the bare math: $83,000,000 ÷ (120,000 + 46,000 + 10,000 meals) = $454.55 per meal served.

Is Dallas ISD really spending $454.55 for each of my son's school lunches?

Mr. Benning has been contacted, and we'll update you once we get a response.

Texas State Representative Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) recently hit the spotlight after accepting gifts from a firm that has reaped millions of dollars in contracts from the State of Texas.

The most prominent gift was her 2010 Mercedes ME550 Sedan purchased by Durable Enterprises--a maker of red light cameras.

Harper-Brown sits on the Transportation Committee and was a vocal advocate for red light cameras.

Read LindaHarperBenz.com

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez is in the spotlight for, apparently, consorting with a felon and disciplining a deputy who tried to collect a debt from him.

Dallas business owner Kevin Dewayne Pate has a lengthy criminal history ranging from theft to indecent exposure.

A deputy charged that Pate failed to pay them for working off-duty security at Pate's Value Giant--a contributor to her annual Christmas toy drive.

Valdez sided with Pate and demoted the deputy.

Read the Story at the Dallas Morning News

UPDATE: POLICE REPORT ATTACHED
UPDATE: NOT THE ONLY QUESTIONABLE TASER INCIDENT FOR EL RENO

According to a lawsuit filed in Federal Court in Oklahoma City, El Reno Police officers Thomas Duran, Frank Tinga and Joseph Sandberg are about to become famous.

Duran, Tinga and Sandberg are at the center of a tasering incident involving 86-year old Lona Varner, a bedridden grandmother.

According to court documents, Varner's grandson called 9-1-1 to summon medical help for his grandmother in December, 2009. Instead of paramedics, "up to a dozen" police officer showed up.

The police have a slightly different version. The police report [attached below] says police were called to the scene of a "suicidal subject who had taken unknown medication."

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Albuquerque is asking for the public's help in locating fugitive Nicholas Crespin. Crespin is believed to be in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Crespin is 19 years old, 5'1", 120 lbs., brown eyes.

Crespin is wanted for federal firearms violations and drug trafficking.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Albuquerque Crime Stoppers line at 505-843-STOP or 505-843-7867

According to a story in the Dallas Morning News the County Commissioners are targeting the Constables' traffic enforcement units for termination.

The Commissioners, faced with a $43 million dollar shortfall, are trying to find programs to eliminate to close the budget gap. The traffic units don't generate revenue for the County.

Constables, in Texas, are supposed to serve civil process (small warrants, subpoenas, etc.). However in recent years they've been doing much more than that and some have been coming under fire for doing so.

CBS 11 TV ran a story calling the Constable's scope creep into question.

And the clever/tasteless ad of the week award goes to Spirit Airlines for it's "check out the oil on our beaches" ad campaign mocking the B.P. oil spill!

A crowd of fans breaks in and loots a local restaurant after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals.

Police report broken windows, fires and injuries in connection with the violence overnight.

More at the LA Times

Angela Armstrong is proud to be a teacher and never thought twice about making references to her profession on her Facebook page.

But those online remarks could get her into trouble under a recent proposal presented to the Lewisville school district. It would prohibit employees from criticizing the district or even affiliating themselves with the school on social networking sites.

Read the story at The Dallas Morning News

I just read about the $23 million dollar savings experienced by Dallas ISD which will perhaps turn into $60 million in the not too far off future.

I wonder if the savings was due to lack of air conditioning and heating in some school buildings. This year, especially, I have never been so hot or so cold as in other years, although in previous years there has also been a great deal of discomfort.

by Mike Millican, President, Dan D. Rogers PTA

Through the years 2009 through 2010, I was privileged to have served as El'Presidente of the Dan D. Rogers PTA.

Through the hard work by their wonderful principal and expert staff, Dan D. Rogers now stands as an equal in it's school peer group and will continue to rise in it's future.

They now serve as a reminder to everyone as Socrates did; that standing true in the face of a popular vote against it, truth can never be anything less than it is, that Plato's bewitchment of languages can be bridged through the hard work of free will and that dancing has a value that shows anyone can be a winner, only if we cooperate together in a meaningful way.

On a more personal note:

You know, one of these days, I'm going to hack in something Javascriptish to do live updates and automatic refreshes. Someday.

This is going to be a long meeting. Warning you now.

It's 5:57 and a quick recap of what happened:

Eric Cowan was sworn in replacing Jerome Garza.

Here is the slate of new officers:

• President - Adam Medrano
• First V.P. - Lew Blackburn
• Second V.P. - Carla Ranger
• Secretary - Bruce Parrott

Each of the four was nominated and ran unopposed. Maybe we're actually achieving Board unity? They're all going to get along! One big happy family! Nah. The more things change the more they stay the same! Congratulations to all the newly elected Board officers.

Best Tacos So Far: Tacos El Guero, 4500 Bryan Street

It's the end of a long journey through the Texas Ethics Commission's complaint process for Dallas School Board Trustee Bruce Parrott.

Last Fall, I complained to the Commission that Bruce failed to turn in a campaign finance report--and that there were some technical issues with the report he filed.

A technical violation of Texas Election laws. A "parking ticket." Big fat hairy deal. Just pay the fine and be done with it, right?

Not Bruce. In January, he told the Dallas morning News that he'd beaten the rap. This Spring, Bruce reportedly had Texas Ethics Commissioner Jim Graham in his back pocket. Things weren't looking good for my complaint.

But in end it did him no good. According to Bruce his "fine was so small one could have bought tacos at a taco bell and still had money left over…"

So the verdict is in: $200 or 233 tacos with 74 cents left over, after tax, assuming Bruce bought the cheapest tacos on Taco Bell's menu--the Crispy Potato Soft Taco.

But Bruce doesn't look very much like a Crispy Potato Soft Taco sort of guy, at least to me. Though I have never had tacos with Bruce (and I don't think I have to worry about doing so), he strikes me as more of a Double Decker Taco Supreme sort of guy like me (except I'm putting on weight and Bruce seems to be losing weight).

At $1.59+tax per taco, that's 107 tacos with 36 cents left over.

What, you thought we weren't going to check this out? Weren't going to do our homework?

He could buy 46 "Three Crunchy Soft Taco" Meals (with drink) and have 32 cents left over; 207 Beefy 5-Layer Burritos and have 57 cents left over; 155 "Volcano Tacos" with 33 cents left over!

All this talk of tacos has made me hungry and, let's face it, Taco Bell sucks. Well, sort-of unless you're really, really hungry.

So let's take a little time and explore tacos in Dallas. I've always wanted to do this anyway--Bruce notwithstanding. There have been a few places I've heard about and I love a good taco!

Geez. I'm supposed to be on a diet.

First up: Rusty Taco for breakfast...

City Manager Mary Suhm just announced she was appointing First Assistant Chief David Brown to the top spot.

"Given [Brown's] educational background, experience, and proven track record with the City of Dallas and it's residents, [Brown will become chief] effective May 5, 2010," said Suhm's memo.