The last 12 months have been … interesting for North Texas. One could even say 2024 was a year for the unexpected. So we have compiled our top stories that no one expected to report on this year.
Report: Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson accused of having affair with former City Hall staffer
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson was accused of having an affair with a former city staffer and directing campaign funds to the staffer’s company. The claim came out during Johnson's divorce hearings and first reported by D Magazine in February 2024.
According to the report, Nakita Johnson, the mayor’s wife, testified during the divorce hearing that she caught Mayor Johnson in their home — with another woman. Read more.
Dallas voters say 'yes' to marijuana decriminalization and more police on election night
Dallas voters approved a marijuana decriminalization measure and two controversial city charter propositions that could significantly change how local government operates.
Accountability reporter Nathan Collins reported on Proposition R, which decriminalized up to four ounces of marijuana in the city and also mandated other changes in how Dallas police officers enforce and use cannabis as evidence for probable cause. Read more.
When it comes to Texas politics, residency for candidates is ‘a state of mind’
It seems obvious. If you're running for local or state office in Texas, you must be a resident of the district you want to represent.
But this primary election season, at least two North Texas candidates were fighting accusations they live somewhere else. KERA's Miranda Suarez found out that the definition of “residency” in Texas law is squishier than anyone might think. Read more.
Honorable mention: A Dallas school board candidate’s house is set to be demolished – is she still eligible to run?
Thousands of Texas voters are 'suspended' — and a KERA reporter discovered she was one
KERA reporter Caroline Love spent much of the year reporting on politics and elections. While looking into a concerted effort to remove thousands of Texans from voter rolls, she discovered she was one of them. Read more.
Carless in Dallas? This Dallas resident wants you to ditch the car and try public transit
Hexel Colorado is an advocate for better walkability, more public transit and parking reform in Dallas. He documents what it's like to live here without a car using the social media handle Dallas Urbanists. He talked with growth and infrastructure reporter Pablo Arauz Peña to talk about how he gets around Dallas, tips for going car-free, and why Dallas wasn’t actually built for cars. Read more.
North Texas adoption attorney arrested for allegedly trying to buy pregnant inmates' babies
An attorney and executive director of a North Texas adoption agency was arrested in July on felony charges for allegedly trying to buy the babies of pregnant people in Tarrant County detention, according to the sheriff and jail records.
Jody Hall, 68, was booked into Hays County Jail July 23 on two counts of sale or purchase of a child, a third degree felony. Hall is an attorney and owns Adoptions International, a nonprofit founded in 1996 and currently based in Richardson, according to public filings. Read more.
CDs? in 2024? Dallas CD club creates space and belonging for music lovers
CD Club is a social group founded by Dallas-based DJ Keiva “Kilo Posh” Spence. KERA's Zara Amaechi reports that once a month, the club invites music lovers to have meaningful conversations about albums that have made a significant impact on music culture.
“I think of this as like an archive club in a way,” Spence said. “Because CDs are kind of archival items, so it's just preserving culture and art.” Read more.
A 'really special place': Arlington leaders begin preparing historic cemetery to sell new plots
Arlington Cemetery is the resting place for many recognizable names from the city's early days. With the passage of H.B. 2371,
Arlington resident will be able to buy plots in the historic cemetery once again.
“We have people who are trying to plan for that part of their life,” said Sarah Stubblefield, Arlington's strategic initiatives manager. “They’re really interested in being a part of the history that’s here and I can’t blame them, honestly, for that. I think it’s a really special place as well.” Read more.