The last 12 months have been… interesting for North Texas. You could even say that 2024 was a year for the unexpected. So we’ve 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 has been accused of having an affair with a former city employee and directing campaign funds to that employee’s company. The complaint came to light 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 surprised Mayor Johnson at their home – with another woman. Learn 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 proposals 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 to how Dallas police officers apply and use cannabis as evidence of probable cause. Learn more.

In Texas politics, residency for candidates is “a state of mind”

This seems obvious. If you are running for local or state office in Texas, you must be a resident of the district you wish to represent.

But this primary election season, at least two North Texas candidates were battling accusations that they lived elsewhere. KERA’s Miranda Suarez found that the definition of “residency” in Texas law is flimsier than one might think. Learn more.

Honorable mention: A Dallas school board candidate’s home is about to be demolished – is she still eligible?

Thousands of Texas voters are being ‘suspended’ – and a KERA reporter found out she was one of them

KERA reporter Caroline Love has spent much of the year reporting on politics and elections. While examining a concerted effort to remove thousands of Texans from the voting rolls, she discovered that she was part of it. Learn more.

Courtesy

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Dallas City Planners

Without a car in Dallas? This Dallas resident wants you to ditch the car and try public transportation

Hexel Colorado advocates for better walkability, more public transportation and parking reform in Dallas. He documents what it’s like to live here without a car using the social media handle Dallas City Planners. He sat down 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. Learn more.

Miranda Suarez

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KERA News

North Texas adoption lawyer 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 custody in Tarrant County, according to sheriff’s and court records. the prison.

Jody Hall, 68, was booked into the Hays County Jail on 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 records. Learn 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 had a significant impact on music culture.

“I think of it as an archive club of sorts,” Spence said. “Because CDs are sort of archival items, it’s just about preserving culture and art.” Learn more.

A ‘truly special place’: Arlington leaders begin preparing historic cemetery to sell new plots

Arlington Cemetery is the resting place of many recognizable names from the city’s early days. With the passage of HB 2371,
Arlington residents will once again be able to purchase plots in the historic cemetery.

“We have people who are trying to plan for this part of their lives,” said Sarah Stubblefield, Arlington’s manager of strategic initiatives. “They’re really interested in being a part of the history here and I can’t blame them, honestly, for that. I think it’s also a really special place. Learn more.