Why was everyone so quick to jump on the T.O. Suicide Reports?  Exactly why would this brother...(I LOVE ME SOME ME), decide to take his own life?  Now anyone, can do anything, but it just didn't make sense from the jump. But if someone else said it, then it must be true.  It's sad in the media age how quickly the lines between fact and fiction are distorted.

Last night, on a national stage, the New Orleans Saints christened a refurbished Superdome with a 23-3 victory over Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons.  The game is being hailed as a milestone in the rebuilding process of the Crescent City. A little over a year ago, the Superdome (along with the New Orleans Convention Center) was a symbol of the failed response to the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina.  The building was ravaged by the storm, and citizens were left there with dwidling food and water supplies as chaos reigned. But last night, football was the order of the day, and the problems we saw last month in Spike Lee's documentary were nowhere to be found.  Native New Orleanians that I spoke with here in Dallas were less than impressed with the spectacle, and their mood could be summed up as apathetic at best.How many residents of the Lower Ninth do you suppose were at the game last night?  Seventy percent of the 9.8-acre roof that covers the Superdome was damaged last summer by the hurricane.  Yet with the infusion of $186 million, the stadium was ready for football ahead of schedule. And parts of New Orleans are still littered with all matter of debris, and 3 foot tall stretches of mud that have become new streets.  ...

Just want to make sure everyone is up to speed on the Copper Theft epidemic that has become all too familiar in the Dallas area, especially the south.  Please view the above link to see a recent story in the Dallas Morning News on this subject. Copper thieves are stealing wires and pipes from any source that they can get their hands on.  Vacant houses have become easy targets, as they are ripping out plumbing, as well as air condition units and coiling.  Electrical wiring has also become a poplular target.  I've seen investors with older homes robbed, as well as new homes that builders are making ready for new owners.  Even street lights and stop lights have been vandalized for their wires. The police can't keep up with the calls, so there will have to be something worked out with the Metal Recycling Facilities, to whom these people are selling thier stolen goods.  This is an issue that won't seem to go away.

I had a chance to interview Carter High School Head Football Coach Allen Wilson this week.  Coach Wilson is in his 5th season at Carter, where his team is 2-0 for the 2006 football season.  Prior to becoming football coach/athletic director at Carter, Coach Wilson spent 11 successful seasons at Tyler John Tyler High School.  At John Tyler, Wilson's 1994 team culminated an undefeated season by winning the Class 5A state title.  Wilson began his head coaching career in Paris, Texas, leading Paris High School to a Class 4A state title in 1988. Carter faces Plano Senior High Friday night at Plano. DSB:  Coach Wilson, you face the toughest pre-district schedule you have had since moving to Carter.  Is that to get you prepared for a playoff run? AW:   I think so.  This is a chance to play some good football teams.  Hopefully we will come through these game injury free entering district play. DSB:  What is the difference in the players you coach today versus those that you coached in the 80's and 90's. AW:   Football is not as important to them.  It's a different time.  There are so many other things.  In the 70's you had what...2 or 3 channels?  Now they ...

I moved to Dallas-Ft.Worth 9 years ago.  It made sense for a guy from Paris, Texas who had just graduated from Texas A&M University to make a move to Big 'D'.  I quickly settled into apartment living in Irving, which was a great place for a new start in life.  So many young professionals end up in Irving, Valley Ranch, or Las Colinas upon their arrival to DFW.  It wasn't long before I realized that if I wanted to buy a house, I'd have to look elsewhere.Even back then, in the late '90's I started whispering to my friends that I was going to move to Oak Cliff.  The initial reaction was always laughter, followed by a doubting look, and the words "yeah right."  I was however, dead serious, though I never was sure how it would all come together.  Then there was selling my wife on the idea.I mean, who ever says they are moving to Oak Cliff?  Not Kessler Park or Kidd Springs; but Oak Cliff (where you can tell the raff from the riff).  Where would you buy a house?  Where would your kids go to school?  Where do you do your shopping?  Go to the movies? Go to the ...

Former Texas Governor Ann Richards has died at the age of 73 following a legthy battle with cancer.  She brought so much energy and flare to Texas politics, all the way up to her last days.  She was a Texas original, and will be missed.

A while back, I blogged about the Shifting Black Political Scene in Dallas.  And as I mentioned then, Ft. Worth has already seen young leaders step to the forefront in the area Civic Service.  The Dallas Weekly highlights some of the new faces of Ft. Worth Politics in this week's edition.  Take a look at the article written by Andrea Conley, which focuses on Donavan Wheatfall, 30 year-old City Councilman, and 34 year-old Councilwoman Kathleen Hicks. The Weekly also has an insightful look at the current conditions of New Orleans, in a piece written by Dallas Municipal Judge C. Victor Lander.  Judge Lander spent 3 days in New Orleans as part of a volunteer group that helped clean out areas of New Orleans' 9th Ward.

Dallas South Blog has been dogged by technical difficulties over the last couple of weeks, but we are back up and running.  Be on the lookout for more great info in the days to come.  Thanks for your patience.  Shawn