Latest news with #DallasFire-Rescue
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
A reason for hope, at a time of deep division
As we approach America's 250th birthday, our country faces complex challenges. A 2025 Marist survey found that Americans are concerned — 77 percent say the issues that divide us are a serious threat to the future of our democracy. Yet our common humanity is much deeper and more powerful than our differences. It's important to recognize that, as a nation, we are stronger because we are able to express and debate different points of view respectfully. As the executive directors of two presidential centers — one Republican, one Democratic — we have found inspiration through hundreds of leaders who have come together, across partisan lines, to learn from each other and make a difference in their communities. Ten years ago, Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush teamed up with the LBJ Foundation to create the Presidential Leadership Scholars — a program aimed at developing leaders who work with, not against, those with different perspectives and beliefs to make a positive, lasting impact in the United States and around the world. Throughout the program, scholars encounter bold examples of presidential collaboration: President Johnson uniting an unlikely coalition to pass landmark civil rights legislation. President George H.W. Bush bringing together both parties to end discrimination through the Americans with Disabilities Act. President Clinton working across the aisle to balance the budget for the first time in a generation — reducing the national debt and leaving the country with a record surplus. President George W. Bush rallying bipartisan support for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which has saved more than 26 million lives. These examples give scholars insights into how, even amidst division and disagreement, we can work together to create something better. A decade later, the program has nearly 600 alumni. While they are of different political affiliations, work across different sectors, and are from various parts of the country, these leaders share a common trait: their desire to work across divides to make positive change. The most critical piece of this program is a charge for these leaders to develop personal leadership projects that address a challenge and make a difference in their communities. Jon Bennion, a 2018 alum of the scholars program, built a program that brings Republicans and Democrats from the Montana state Legislature together for a literal 'sausage-making' event — creating an opportunity to build trust and relationships that can help elected leaders reach consensus on divisive issues. Steve Lopez, a 2023 Scholar, discovered the shortage of mechanics was threatening Dallas Fire-Rescue's ability to quickly respond to emergency situations. Inspired by a program started by a fellow Scholar, Lopez led an overhaul of the mechanic recruitment and training process and is building a school-to-work pipeline to bring students into the field. From last year's class of scholars, Keely Cat-Wells developed a talent acquisition and learning platform for disabled professionals. Cat-Wells became disabled at age 17, and through her new platform, she has already supported more than 3,000 disabled people and connected employers with a highly qualified and often-overlooked talent pool. President Johnson once said, 'There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.' At a time of great division, the Presidential Leadership Scholars program gives us hope and inspiration that our common humanity can prevail, and the next generation can come together to solve problems in ways that will bring us together, not tear us apart. David J. Kramer is executive director of the George W. Bush Institute and Stephanie S. Streett is executive director of the Clinton Foundation.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Seven Injured, Two Critically, In South Dallas Shooting
Seven people were hospitalized, two in critical condition, after a shooting in the historic Wheatley Place neighborhood of South Dallas on Thursday night. Police responded to a call around 8 p.m. at a neighborhood convenience store at the corner of South Malcolm X Boulevard and Lenway Street. Upon arrival, officers found seven victims with gunshot wounds. A preliminary investigation revealed that an unknown suspect shot multiple people at the scene. Dallas Fire-Rescue dispatched five ambulances, transporting four men and one woman, aged 35 to 48, to a nearby hospital. Two additional victims, in their 20s and 30s, were taken to the hospital via private means. Police initially reported eight victims but later corrected the total to seven, with two in critical condition. A reporter on the scene described a white Mercedes at the store parking lot as being covered in blood. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims or any information regarding suspects, arrests, or the motive for the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.
India Today
04-06-2025
- Climate
- India Today
Deadly floods and tornado hit Texas, Kansas; dozens rescued in storm chaos
Severe weather swept through the central United States this week, bringing heavy rain, flash flooding, and at least one confirmed responders in Dallas, Kansas, and Missouri were activated as extreme weather created hazardous roadways and flooded Man Dies in Flooded Underpass According to Associated Press, a Dallas man died on Wednesday when his car became trapped in floodwaters under an Interstate 635 bridge. Two vehicles were trapped under the bridge, and one driver was rescued, while Dallas Fire-Rescue responders later found the second victim's body. His identity was not released by Rescued in Kansas Flash FloodsFirefighters in and around Wichita, Kansas, conducted about 70 water rescues after heavy rain. Parts of Sedgwick County saw as much as seven inches of rain between Monday and Tuesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Robb County's emergency management director, Julie Stimson, urged people not to try to drive through areas that are flooded. "Turn around, don't drown," she said. Rescue workers used boats to assist stranded Overflow and Streets Flood in El DoradoAbout 30 miles east of Wichita, El Dorado experienced severe flooding when the Walnut River overflowed. Resident Michelle Yerge described fleeing waist-deep waters: 'We were pretty much swimming to get out,' she told local Touches Down Near Kansas CityA tornado touched down in Independence, Missouri, on Tuesday, destroying a tractor-trailer and property adjacent to the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals stadiums. Weather service crews were checking to see if the twister also touched down at the stadium complex itself. No serious injuries were Governor Laura Kelly issued a disaster emergency, mobilising state assistance. Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers' NBA Finals travel was delayed by heavy rain, forcing their plane to be diverted due to adverse was short-lived, with forecasters warning that waterlogged ground could lead to renewed flooding even with light rainfall in the days ahead.
Associated Press
23-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
AirMatrix Deploys Libra in Texas
04/22/2025, Toronto, Ontario // PRODIGY: Feature Story // AirMatrix has successfully deployed Libra in Texas in order to provide situational awareness to drone operators and state-level agencies. It expanded real-time visibility across low-level airspace to support the growing demand for scalable drone operations occurring in Texas. The Dallas–Fort Worth area alone accounts for an estimated 15% of national commercial drone flight hours, logging over 75,000 BVLOS missions in 2024 across delivery, inspection, and public safety use cases. This deployment, in partnership with local drone operators, marks a key milestone in advancing the North Texas corridor—one of the most active regions for commercial drone activity in the United States. Texas ranks among the top three states for commercial drone registrations. Drone adoption is not limited to commercial players. Texas agencies operate hundreds of drones across law enforcement, fire rescue, and infrastructure inspection programs. Dallas Fire-Rescue flew over 3,500 drone-assisted response missions in 2023, while the Texas Department of Public Safety regularly conducts aerial patrols and accident assessments using drones. Despite this growth, stakeholders across Texas—ranging from drone operators to city planners, public safety teams, and local residents—are asking the same question: What's in our skies, and how do we manage it? The DHS has called for a combined system to manage UAS traffic akin to existing air traffic control systems. The Government Accountability Office has also highlighted the necessity of a drone traffic management system to integrate drones into the national airspace. 'As drone operations scale across Texas, cities and agencies need tools that offer both visibility and control,' said Bashir Khan, CEO of AirMatrix. 'Libra gives stakeholders—from operators to zoning teams to concerned residents—a real-time, trusted view of what's happening in the sky within milliseconds. This deployment is a foundation for smarter, safer airspace management across the state.' AirMatrix coverage will be expanding beyond Dallas into Houston over the coming months. This marks the fourth new deployment of Libra in the government sector this year. Contact Information: Dustin Sirios | COO | AirMatrix | [email protected]| Source published by Submit Press Release >> AirMatrix Deploys Libra in Texas
CBS News
22-04-2025
- CBS News
Alleged 2024 Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooter to attend plea hearing
The alleged teen gunman in a 2024 shooting at Dallas ISD's Wilmer-Hutchins High School will appear in court on Tuesday. Ja'Kerian Rhodes-Ewing, who was 17 years old at the time of the shooting on April 12, 2024, will appear at 9 a.m. in a Dallas County courtroom for a plea hearing where he will plead guilty or not guilty. He allegedly shot another student in the leg with a Pink Lady 38 revolver inside a Wilmer-Hutchins High School classroom after a dispute. A witness quoted in the affidavit told Rhodes-Ewing to leave the classroom and the building "to prevent further harm to the victim and others." No other injuries were reported from the shooting. Rhodes-Ewing fled from the campus and was later found on Langdon Rd., near Wilmer-Hutchins Athletic Stadium. Police found the revolver hidden in a semi-wooded area nearby. The now 18-year-old remains in the Dallas County Jail with one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlicensed carrying a weapon in prohibited places. His bond is set at $200,000. Dallas ISD said it had strengthened security measures since the shooting . Several people were hospitalized after a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas on April 15, authorities said. According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, there were a total of five victims - four directly from the shooting and the fifth indirectly impacted by the incident with anxiety-related symptoms. Tracy Haynes Jr. is currently being held in the Dallas County Jail on six counts of aggravated assault mass shooting. Five charges are for $500,000 and one charge is for $600,000. His total bond is $3.1 million, according to Dallas County court records.
