Dallas could be next for drone-first 911 response ... and more news

Five years ago, the body of 28-year-old Christopher Whiteley was found near a wooded creek bed in Hood County, about 55 miles outside of Fort Worth.Deputies theorized a cougar had killed him. Texas wildlife experts said that was impossible. So what really happened?From its earliest moments, an investigation by The Dallas Morning News found the examination into Whiteley’s death was riddled with false assumptions and errors that forensics and wildlife experts say left too many unanswered questions.Now, the fourth season of The Unforgotten podcast from Free Range Productions in association with The Dallas Morning News examines Whiteley’s story in a six-part series entitled “Kill Site.” The series is hosted by Free Range’s Wes Ferguson, a former Texas Monthly editor based near Austin. The podcast draws from a 2021 investigation by former News staff reporter Charles Scudder, who is a contributor on the show.We’re dropping a new episode each week here in your Dallas Morning News podcast feed.This is episode 3: “The showdown” — The dispute over Christopher Whiteley‘s cause of death turns hostile as medical examiners pivot to a different theory.This series contains mature subject matter and strong language, listener discretion is advised.Read The News’ 2021 report on Whiteley’s case, complete with maps, timelines and visuals: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/investigations/2021/09/23/authorities-say-a-hood-county-man-was-killed-by-a-cougar-texas-wildlife-experts-say-its-impossible/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Officials say the drones can reach volatile calls faster than patrol cars, stream live video and reduce risks for officers and civilians by showing what officers are walking into — or whether they need to go at all. Dallas’ police chief has said the city may take part in a “drone first responder” program, as it looks for ways to cut emergency response times. That promise of speed using drones is what worries civil liberties and privacy advocates, who say the technology could normalize routine aerial surveillance. In other news, as President Donald Trump’s administration has pushed forward with his mass deportation campaign, one of the consequences has been policy changes that affect individuals who have pending applications for victim-based immigration benefits; DFW Airport told The News last week that it expects nearly 5 million passengers to pass through between Dec. 18 and Jan. 6, officials said. That’s more than a 3% increase in traffic compared to last year, the airport said. Love Field expects more than 500,000 travelers between Dec. 18 and New Year’s Eve, a slight decrease from last year when the airport saw more than 560,000 travelers; and the Powerball jackpot has soared to $1.7 billion with the next drawing set for this evening. If someone wins Wednesday, it would be the fourth-largest prize in the game’s history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An 18-year-old member of the South Oak Cliff football team was arrested early Sunday after accidentally shooting a teammate. In other news, more than 3 million package thefts with a value in excess of $159 million were reported in North Texas just this year. Dallas-Fort Worth ranked sixth among the 10 worst major metro areas for package theft; a man died during a house fire in Dallas’ Singing Hills neighborhood Sunday. Firefighters responded around noon to reports of a fire at the one-story house in the 1200 block of Whispering Trail; and Anthony Davis had a dominant double-double of 35 points and 17 rebounds, but the Mavs lost 119-113 on Monday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By virtue of the Eagles’ win in Washington on Saturday night, the Cowboys found themselves playing the role of lame ducks in their home finale Sunday. The Cowboys went scoreless in the second half in a 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium. In other news, Texas A&M won its first NCAA volleyball championship, sweeping Kentucky 3-0 on Sunday. The Aggies accomplished the rare feat of defeating three No. 1 seeds en route to their national title. They defeated Nebraska and Pittsburgh earlier in the tournament and they did not drop a set in the Final Four; a 72-year-old woman was critically injured Sunday morning after her husband allegedly shot her in their Rockwall home; Pilot Point police are investigating the deaths of two bicyclists who were fatally struck by a vehicle Saturday morning. and are you feeling lucky? The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dallas Morning News food team shares the best things they ate in 2025, many of which you can find in Dallas-Fort Worth. The team also shares one of its ultimate restaurant industry pet peeves, a restaurant that is lowering its prices, closures, and more, set against the backdrop of a holiday tea. Please note Eat Drink D-FW is taking a break for the holidays. It will return on Jan. 9, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, Angela, have agreed to unseal their divorce case after media organizations pressed to make the records public as Paxton campaigns for the Senate. In other news, East Dallas sports bar High Fives will close in early January after serving cocktails for more than a decade near a fast-changing Henderson Avenue. High Fives’ Dallas-based parent company is focused on growing the Burger Schmurger restaurant brand; American Airlines is in the midst of a consequential transformation and executives at Skyview, the Fort Worth carrier’s headquarters, are aware of the need for urgency; and WFAA meteorologist Mariel Ruiz, who revealed a breast cancer diagnosis in July, has been recovering from surgery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new version of the common flu is spreading globally, and health officials are monitoring this evolving strain of influenza A which has been increasingly detected worldwide. In other news, It’s official: McKinney National Airport has its first airline. Avelo Airlines, the Houston-based budget carrier, signed a five-year use and lease agreement, the airport said Tuesday evening; Dallas Mavericks owner and casino magnate Miriam Adelson urged President Donald Trump to run for a third term in 2028; nd Romeo Santos and Prince Royce will perform together for the first time in Dallas next spring as part of their “Mejor Tarde Que Nunca” tour. In Dallas, they will perform on Saturday, May 9, at American Airlines Center. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Dec. 19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SportsDay Insiders Kevin Sherrington, Evan Grant and Joe Hoyt discuss [00:15] the Cowboys’ plight after a miserable game against the Vikings virtually eliminated them from the playoffs. Is their primary need at OT? Safety? Linebacker? Good thing they’ve got extra picks, Joe says. And they may need more.[20:33] Evan breaks down the Rangers’ additions and wonders what else Ray Davis might pay for. [34:05] Evan and Kevin also analyze the CFP hopes for Texas A&M and Oklahoma this week and what gives Texas Tech an advantage in the long run. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nearly a decade ago, a pension crisis in the police and fire retirement system put Dallas in a precarious financial position, making the city a national cautionary tale. The city’s worst years in the past decade were 2016 and 2017, when Dallas had a $528 million deficit amid an exodus of police officers stemming from the pension crisis. Thirty-two year old Matthan Lough of Crandall was arrested last week after Mesquite police obtained a warrant on child grooming charges after investigators received a report in October about possible child grooming at the Christian Center of Mesquite. Lough worked as a teacher and coach at Pioneer Technology and Arts Academy, a charter school, in Mesquite; an office tower in Dallas’ Arts District has traded to a new owner. An affiliate of TRT Holdings, a Dallas-based investment firm that owns the luxury Omni Hotels & Resorts chain, purchased St. Paul Place from Pacific Elm Properties. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Talmage Boston interviews journalist and biographer Jonathan Eig about his biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. titled King: A Life. This episode, from the archives, was recorded in Dallas in October 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices