West Nile + Special Session Opens + Dallas Rent & Mortgage Relief

Rise and shine, Dallas! It's Thursday, July 8.

Today's Headlines: The city wants you to know that they're still spraying neighborhoods to get rid of mosquitos carrying West Nile virus. There's a different kind of buzz surrounding the legislature's Special Session that starts today, and find out how the city is still trying to help people with their rent and mortgage payments in the wake of the pandemic.

First, today's weather: Humid throughout the day. High: 94, low: 75.

Among the top stories in Dallas today:

1. 'More Can Be Done': Gov. Abbott directs Public Utility Commission to improve Texas' electric reliability now. (Patch)
2. CDC: Delta Variant now makes up more than half of coronavirus cases in U.S. (Patch)
3. Texas leaders among those pressuring Biden Administration to lift restrictions at U.S. borders. (Patch)
4. Dallas honors 5 fallen officers “Unafraid of Darkness” on 5th Anniversary of police ambush. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
5. Dallas waiters, managers and baristas share why they're leaving the food service biz. (Dallas Observer)
6. Best things to do in Dallas July 7-13. (Dallas Observer)
7. Sanitation Spat: With trash piling up, workers point the finger at City of Dallas. (Dallas Observer)
8. Three dead, three injured after Independence Day shooting in Dallas’ Hamilton Park. (FOX 4 Dallas)
9. Kidnapping suspect accused of killing Dallas 4-year-old to undergo competency evaluation. (FOX 4 Dallas)
10. Dallas' denim experts want you to mend your hole-plagued jeans. (D Magazine)

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Today in Dallas

• #DSWSeries: Capital & Funding Track (4 p.m.)

Dallas Patch Notebook

• Dallas Police Department: "Chief Garcia Remarks on Memorial." (Facebook)
• Dallas Museum of Art: " Opening May 14, 2022: “Cartier and Islamic Art: In Search of Modernity” Bringing together over 400 objects." (Instagram)
• Dallas Police Department: "2021 Dallas Police Memorial Day Service." (Facebook)
• DBU Baseball: "Did you know...Dominic Hamel just completed one of the most decorated seasons in Patriot history. " (Instagram)
• DFW Airport: "Blessing your timeline with a 777 in honor of 7/7. Anyone else feeling lucky today?" (Facebook)
• Dallas Farmers Market: "SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS + STORIES: This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Dallas Farmers Market." (Instagram)
• City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture: "Art League Houston is celebrating Vicki Meek as the 2021 Texas Artist of the Year as an artist, curator." (Facebook)
• Dallas Mavericks: "Dallas County has officially declared July 6th as Luka Doncic Day." (Instagram)
• SPCA of Texas: "Our group of fosters are funny, sweet, and they are making the animals feel so loved. We love this precious photo." (Instagram)
• The Dallas Arboretum: "A huge thank you to @housebeautiful for naming us as one of 'The Country's Most Gorgeous Botanical Gardens!'" (Instagram)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Free Estate Planning & Living Trust Workshop Live Q&A Friday 5PM (July 9)

Gigs & services:

• Pressure Washing 15 percent off! (Details)

You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around! If you're into these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to read along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Kevin Phinney

About me: Kevin Phinney has lived and worked as a writer and editor in Austin, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle and New York City. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and was raised in El Paso. Phinney attended college in Austin. He has done television work as a reporter and commentator, and is a former host of a weekday drive-time radio show called "Kevin & Kevin in the Morning" on KGSR-FM (now known as Austin City Limits Radio). He is also the author of "Souled American, " a book tracking race relations in America through music. It was published by BILLBOARD Books, and is often used in college classrooms across the country.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Dallas Daily? I'm all ears. You can contact me at kevin.phinney@patch.com.