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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-08-27 Euless Articles Tarrant County will make it easier to vote, but here’s the key to a smooth transition BY THE FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM EDITORIAL BOARD AUGUST 14, 2019 05:02 AM, UPDATED AUGUST 14, 2019 04:08 PM At a time when you can order almost any product in the world from your phone, somehow, voting hasn’t gotten much easier. That’s why we were encouraged that Tarrant County officials voted Tuesday to spend $11 million on new voting technology that will enable voters to cast a ballot at any designated county site, not just their neighborhood polling place. The switch to so-called voting centers won’t fix all the problems in our elections. But adding more convenience is a good step forward. We applaud Elections Administrator Heider Garcia for leading Tarrant County to this change. But it’s a big switch for both elections workers and voters. Garcia’s staff needs to take several steps to ensure voters are ready. For one thing, the county should do everything possible to get the new system in place by November, when Texans will vote on constitutional amendments and various local offices and issues. This is a low-turnout affair, ideal for working out the bugs. That will decidedly not be the case when the next election day rolls around — the March primaries. Texas will attract national attention as one of the biggest prizes in the Democratic presidential contest, and turnout is certain to be robust. The vendor’s ability to deliver thousands of machines in time will be the biggest factor in getting the system online by November. But Garcia should keep the pressure on the company, Hart InterCivic. To be clear, voting centers won’t fix all the problems in our democracy. But they are unquestionably more convenient for voters, cheaper in the long-term for the county and reduce the need for provisional ballots cast by voters who show up at the wrong precinct. Recent research from two University of Houston political science professors indicates they can help increase turnout in elections that tend to draw less interest, like constitutional amendment votes, though the effect fades over time. For Tarrant County officials, getting the transition right is crucial. Too many voters simply won’t hear about the change, and some will inevitably turn up at a precinct where they may have voted for years. State law outlines steps the county must take to implement voting centers. Particular attention must be paid to making sure that the overall number of sites is adequate and spread throughout the county. It’s important for counties with large numbers of minority voters to consult with civil rights organizations to ensure their communities’ concerns are addressed. A robust education campaign is a must, with extensive outreach to voters through media and mail. Problems and missteps are inevitable, which is why it’s best to start this kind of change with a low-turnout election. County officials deserve credit for choosing this path. Now, they need to work hard to get it right for voters. These are the easiest places to sell a home in North Texas By Bill Hethcock – Senior Reporter, Dallas Business Journal Aug 14, 2019, 1:40pm EDT You're in luck if you are a home seller in Euless, Haltom City, Seagoville or Mesquite, based on an analysis of how long North Texas houses are spending on the market before selling. But expect a wait if your house is in Fate. That's the takeaway of a new study ranking the easiest places to sell a house in North Texas, according to personal finance website SmartAsset. Euless tops the list, which is based on the number of days houses spend on the market before selling. Homes take an average of 36.8 days to sell in Euless. Euless is followed by Haltom City, Seagoville and Mesquite, where homes sit on the market an average of 38 days, 40.9 days and 42.7 days, respectively, before selling. Bedford, where houses take an average of 43.2 days to sell, rounds out the top five. Fate, where houses are taking a whopping 208.4 days to sell, is at the bottom of the list. To see the seller dwellers, click here. Nationwide, the list of easiest places to sell is topped by Lancaster, Penn., where homes sell on average in just five days. In last year’s study by SmartAsset, Seagoville ranked as the easiest place to sell a home in North Texas. Homes are clearly taking longer to sell than they were a year ago, when houses in each of the 10 top DFW-area cities spent less than a month on the market before selling. The rankings are part of SmartAsset's overall study of the country's healthiest housing markets, which was calculated using four factors: stability, affordability, fluidity and risk of loss. Another recent report indicates that home prices and sales continue to rise across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but they’re not accelerating at the pace they were in recent years. Broadly, homes in the North Texas real estate market are appreciating at a lower rate than any other major Texas market, according to the Texas Quarterly Housing Report. Median prices in North Texas rose 1.9 percent in the second quarter of 2019 compared to the same quarter last year, reaching $280,000. Active listings across DFW rose 13.7 percent to 28,412, according to the housing report. The 1.9 percent price rise in Dallas compares to increases of 3.1 percent in Austin, 3.8 percent in Houston and 4.3 percent in San Antonio, according to the report released last month by Texas Realtors. The median price statewide rose 2.9 percent year-over-year to $245,000 in the second quarter. Broadly, homes in DFW spent an average of 3.4 months on the market in the second quarter, up 0.5 months from the same period in 2018, according to the housing report. Statewide, homes spent an average of 55 days on the market in the second quarter, up one day from the second quarter 2018. Looking at other big cities, homes in Austin sat on the market an average of 2.7 months in the second quarter, while it was 4.4 months in Houston and 3.9 months for San Antonio homes, the quarterly report says. 2 people shot in Euless, police say; assailant left scene in a sport utility vehicle BY EMERSON CLARRIDGE AUGUST 20, 2019 06:25 PM, UPDATED AUGUST 20, 2019 11:25 PM Two people were shot Tuesday afternoon at a Euless apartment building, police said. The victims were shot about 2 p.m. in the 1000 block of East Ash Lane, Lt. Brenda Alvarado said. The victims are adults who suffered injuries that are not life-threatening, Alvarado said. They were taken to a hospital. Alvarado did not release the victims’ sex or names. Two people were shot Tuesday at a Euless apartment building, police said. COURTESY: MCCLATCHY CO. Two Injured in Euless Shooting; Nearby Elementary School 'Lock Out' Lifted Published Aug 20, 2019 at 2:57 PM | Updated at 6:25 PM CDT on Aug 20, 2019 Two people were hurt in a shooting at a Euless apartment complex that prompted a short-term lock-out of a nearby elementary school Tuesday. Lt. Brenda Alvarado, with the Euless Police Department, confirmed two people had been injured but wasn't aware of a motive for the shooting. Alvarado added that not much was yet known and that the investigation was ongoing. From Texas SkyRanger a white sedan was seen stopped in the parking lot of the Woodchase Apartments on the 1000 block of East Ash Lane. Several bullet holes were visible in the driver's side window. Euless police investigate a shooting on Aug. 20, 2019. Photo credit: NBC 5 News A second scene at the apartment complex involved a blue Honda parked in the parking lot. That car was also surrounded by crime scene tape and several evidence markers were visible on the ground. A blue pickup truck was also being investigated at the scene. Lakewood Elementary, about 1.5 miles to the west on West Ash Lane, was put on lock out for a short time while the report was investigated. By 2:45 p.m., the lock out had been lifted.