Franchise Opportunities in Dallas, TX

José Ramírez hit a run-scoring double to tie for the major league RBIs lead, Shane Bieber pitched neatly into the fifth inning before a long rain delay and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Texas Rangers 4-0 Wednesday night.

Ramírez went 2 for 4 with a stolen base and his 54th RBI of the season, matching Mets star Pete Alonso.

Andrés Giménez had two doubles and an RBI, and Josh Naylor and Steven Kwan each singled twice as the Guardians moved back to .500 for the second time this week.

Bieber recorded his 700th career strikeout by whiffing Mitch Garver in the fourth. The right-hander reached the milestone in his 93rd game, matching the second-fewest appearances to do so behind Yu Darvish’s 87.

The Guardians led 4-0 in the fifth when crew chief Alfonso Marquez called for the tarp after Nathaniel Lowe’s one-out single. Bieber repeatedly cursed while walking off the field when play was halted -- two outs shy of an official game -- for 1 hour, 52 minutes.

The nine-inning game, which was delayed 15 minutes at the start, was completed in just 2:07, matching the total time of the two delays.

Bieber allowed three hits, struck out six and walked none in 4 1/3 innings.

Eli Morgan (2-1) worked 1 2/3 perfect innings when play resumed for the Guardians, including a pickoff of Adolis Garcia at second base before he threw a pitch.

Dane Dunning (1-4) gave up four runs and nine hits in four innings, extending his winless streak to seven starts. He is 1-10 in his career on the road.

García and Lowe had two hits apiece for Texas, which has lost six of its last eight. The Rangers only advanced one runner past second base against five Cleveland pitchers.

The Guardians have had seven games postponed due to weather at Progressive Field this year. Cleveland has played four home doubleheaders and has five twin bills remaining.

The Monday game was rained out, forcing the teams to play a doubleheader Tuesday. Texas won the nightcap 6-3 after losing the opener by the same score.

“The two words I’m tired of are ‘Lake effect (rain)’, but we haven’t figured out a way to beat it,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “It seems like everybody likes to throw that in there when the weather doesn’t go according to plan.”

NBC 5 Investigates has learned former Dallas County Schools superintendent, Rick Sorrells, has been moved from prison to home confinement, after serving only about one-third of his seven-year sentence behind bars.

Sorrells took millions of dollars in bribes in a scheme that cost taxpayers a fortune and ultimately shut down DCS, the special school district that once operated student transportation in Dallas and many surrounding communities.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons tells NBC 5, that Sorrells was transferred to home confinement in March under a COVID-19 policy designed to reduce the number of inmates in federal prisons.

For security reasons, prison officials won't say if Sorrells is at home or in a halfway house. But, two sources familiar with his movements told NBC 5 that Sorrells is living at a private home located in Dallas County.

DCS EMPLOYEES DISAPPOINTED IN SORRELLS MOVE

News of Sorrells move to more comfortable quarters angers some former DCS employees, who see this as a big break for a man who inflicted major damage both on taxpayers and on workers who lost jobs after voters elected to close the agency in the wake of the scandal. In recent weeks, some in the community have reached out to NBC5 Investigates asking if we could confirm rumors, and even reported sightings of Sorrells in the Dallas area.

“He had caused a lot of grief,” said Delna Bryan, a former union leader who once represented workers including school bus drivers at DCS.

Uncover. Reveal. Expose.

Bryan can’t believe Sorrells prison stay was so short.

After just 30 months of an 84-month sentence, The Federal Bureau of Prisons moved Sorrells to home confinement instead.

“Can he look himself in the mirror every day and say that justice is being done? I don't think so,” said Bryan.

In 2019, Sorrells was sentenced to seven years behind bars.

At the time, Federal Judge Barbara Lynn deemed Sorrells the "most culpable" for the bribery scandal that destroyed DCS, the 171-year-old agency that provided school bus transportation for nine districts.

In court documents, Sorrells admitted taking more than $3 million dollars in bribes. Federal prosecutors told the judge it might be the largest known bribe amount ever paid to a United States official.

According to prosecutors, Sorrells spent some of the cash on a Maserati and a fancy apartment in New Orleans where NBC 5 Investigates found him in 2017.

The apartment, we discovered, was next door to one belonging to Robert Leonard, the school bus camera company CEO who later admitted bribing Sorrells in exchange for contracts that ultimately cost Dallas County taxpayers an estimated $125 million dollars in losses.

“One of the basic elements of why we even sentence people to long sentences is to punish them,” said Jay Dewald, a former federal prosecutor who was not involved in the DCS case.

Dewald says, in the past, federal inmates could only serve about the final 10% of their sentence at home.

NEW PRISON POLICIES MAKE SORRELLS MOVE POSSIBLE

But a new Bureau of Prison’s COVID-19 policy has made more inmates eligible for early transfers along with a 2018 federal law called the First Step Act, which was designed to move more non-violent offenders to home confinement or even give them the opportunity to earn reduced sentences.

Dewald says the recent changes have opened the door, even for corrupt public officials to serve more of their time at home.

“Now it's benefiting some folks who I think everyone would generally agree, do not deserve that kind of benefit of getting out early,” said Dewald.

Court records show Sorrells began asking for home confinement just seven months into his sentence.

He first petitioned the prison warden saying he was at "high risk" of "severe complications" from COVID-19 because he is in his 60s and has chronic health conditions.

In January, Sorrells then wrote to a federal judge asking for "compassionate release" saying the prison never responded to his request.

Sorrells told the judge he had a "mild case of COVID" in prison in 2020 and then had a "severe allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine" preventing him from being fully vaccinated.

"I am asking that my sentence not be a death sentence," Sorrells wrote.

Before the judge could rule on that request, the Bureau of Prisons transferred Sorrells to home confinement.

In 2019, a group of former DCS employees pleaded with the government to give Sorrells the maximum prison time possible and hold him accountable for paying back millions of taxpayers lost.

“We all worked so hard to make people proud of Dallas County Schools and then we find out he's a crook,” said former DCS employee, Mike Williams, in a 2019 NBC 5 report.

Williams recently told NBC 5, "I am disappointed that Rick Sorrells will not serve his entire sentence in prison. Moreover, I am appalled that restitution to the taxpayers of Dallas County has not been completely paid."

QUESTIONS ABOUT STATUS OF SORRELLS RESTITUTION

Federal prosecutors declined to say how much Sorrells still owes in restitution.

Court records show in 2020 he had only paid about $500 dollars of the $125 million in restitution he's been ordered to pay along with two other defendants convicted in the case.

In January, records show Sorrells received credit for about $50,000 from the sale of property the FBI seized during the investigation.

Beyond that $50,000, it’s not clear how much Sorrells has paid.

Meanwhile, court records show Sorrells has continued to receive a $5,000 per month state pension from his job at DCS but prosecutors have been working to garnish a portion of those checks.

Jay Dewald expects the U.S, Attorney's office will keep pursuing Sorrells for more payments to prevent him from living a life of luxury, even if he's no longer behind bars.

“I think I think they're going to stay on top of it having been there, having seen it, I have that level of faith in their in their commitment and their resolve,” said Dewald.

“I want it paid back and every penny of it paid back for all the harm that he has done, said Bryan, the former union leader.

NBC 5 Investigates made several attempts to reach Rick Sorrells. Through an attorney, he declined to comment.

Sorrells apologized when he was sentenced in 2019 saying he made a mistake and begged the judge for forgiveness.

At the time, Judge Lynn acknowledged that the $125 million in restitution would likely never be paid in full.

The Bureau of Prisons did not elaborate on why it decided to release Sorrells to home confinement but pointed to its policy for increasing the use of home confinement under COVID-19. A spokesman also declined to say what sort of restrictions Sorrells is under while he is in home confinement.

The National Association of Realtors found institutional investors bought 52% of homes in Tarrant County and 43% of homes in Dallas County in 2021

DALLAS — A new report shows Texas is by far the top location for institutional investors buying homes, including roughly half of homes sold in Tarrant and Dallas counties.

The report from the National Association of Realtors looked at deeds and found corporations, companies or limited liability companies (LLC) and found 28% of homes sold in Texas in 2021, far above the national average of 13%.

“The very things that make Texas very attractive to people moving here and wanting to be homeowners themselves are the exact same factors that make it attractive as an institutional investor,” Chris Kelly, the president and CEO of realtor company Ebby Halliday, said. “You are one of many, probably, who are going to be competing for that same property.”

The NAR report found North Texas was a focus for investors. 52% of homes bought in Tarrant County and 43% of homes in Dallas County went to institutional investors. The other targeted counties were Johnson County (48%), Rockwall County (45%), Denton County (39%) and Kaufman County (38%).

The homes aren’t always being flipped and sold again. Often, they’re being rented out instead.

Investors are targeting areas with high growth in the number of households, a high share of Black households, high-rental areas, areas with a large concentration of millennials and where housing prices have risen the most, according to the NAR report.

Kelly says while the typical first-time home buyer may pay far above asking price for a ‘dream home’, investors are disciplined, sticking to a clear price range but paying all in cash, closing quickly and usually not bothering to look at or even inspect the homes they buy.

“It’s the speed at which it can be done, and, ‘oh, I don’t have to worry about all these other hassles’,” Kelly said.

While they’re not bidding higher prices, investors can still push up home values by reducing the supply of homes and keeping a steady demand. Kelly thinks the true number of investor purchases in DFW is closer to 25%, but much higher around the median home price or below, so the homes can be rented out easier.

“They are very focused on a very specific price point,” he said. “That’s why it’s having a more dramatic effect on first-time home buyers.”

Home inventory is already about half of what it was pre-pandemic, according to Kelly, and the percentage of sales going to investors has roughly doubled. He’s noticed that investor buys have cooled off somewhat from 2021 but remain a significant factor, especially for first-time buyers.

His advice to making the homebuying journey less stressful is simply having patience.

“Be ready to act quickly. Have your pre-qualifications, your loan approvals already ready to go so that when you that when you do come to the seller, you look like a very confident and secure buyer,” he said. “There is still plenty of opportunity, especially in our marketplace.”

DALLAS – May 8, 2022 – With just over 100 days until the State Fair of Texas opens, Big Tex is looking to hire thousands of seasonal Tex Team members. Seasonal job applications are now available online for a variety of departments. Known for celebrating all things Texan, seasonal team members are essential to welcoming folks from all over to the most Texan place on Earth.

The Fair provides more than 7,000 seasonal job opportunities every year, with approximately 2,200 people employed directly by the State Fair of Texas. The starting wage for job openings paid by the State Fair of Texas in 2022 is $15.21/hour, raised nearly 19% from the previous $12.38/hour in 2021.

Applications for State Fair seasonal positions can be found online, with opportunities available in the following areas: coupon sales, creative arts, games, gates, guest services, livestock, maintenance, and plumbing.

To apply for a seasonal position at the State Fair of Texas, please visit BigTex.com/Jobs. The Fair has partnered with several local organizations that will be opening their computer facilities or providing access to the internet for those wanting to fill out our online job application.

In addition to these locations, the Fair also encourages applicants to visit their local public library to utilize internet access. For more information on the library locations, please visit DallasLibrary2.org.

Please see below for details on the participating locations:

Cornerstone Baptist ChurchHours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.1621 South Blvd.Dallas, TX 75215(214) 426-5468

Martin Luther King Branch Library Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.;Thursdays – 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Dallas, TX 75215(972) 670-0344

Park South YMCA Hours: Mondays through Thursday, 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.2500 Romaine Ave.Dallas, TX 75215(214) 421-5301

The Senior Source Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.3910 Harry Hines Boulevard Dallas, Texas 75219(214) [email protected]

TR Hoover Community Development Center Hours: Tuesdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.5106 Bexar St. Dallas, TX 75215(214) 421-2420

West Dallas Public Library Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Thursdays – 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.2332 Singleton Blvd. Dallas, TX 75212(214) 670-6445

Evictions are on the rise across North Texas.

Skyrocketing rent, inflation and rising gas prices are putting the squeeze on family budgets. There's concern it could only get worse.

Adding to the issue, COVID-19 relief money that was helping people with rent during the pandemic is running out. Some programs like Dallas and Fort Worth have stopped accepting new applications so they can use what money they have to help those already in the system.

According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, this trifecta is causing a spike in eviction filings across the country.

Texas cities are among those in the nation with the highest amount of filings in just the last week. Between Dallas, Houston and Fort Worth, nearly 3,000 evictions have been filed in the past seven days.

The North Texas Eviction Project breaks it down more locally.

There have been more than 86,000 filings since January 2021 across Dallas, Tarrant, Denton and Collin counties.

The latest news from around North Texas.

In the past week, more than 1,100 families have been affected by evictions.

Experts say these numbers are going past pre-pandemic levels and are expected to get worse.

"So during COVID, we had a lot of relief, we had federal assistance, we had the stimulus checks – we had all of that contributing and helping people out with their monthly rental payments,” said Marc Moffitt, a licensed realtor, broker and professor of real estate at the University of North Texas G. Brint Ryan College of Business. “Now that those are gone, the assistance programs are beginning to dwindle. Cost inflation is hitting people in the pocketbook and it's becoming more and more difficult to pay that rent. I think what we're going to see here is, we're going to continue to see evictions climb."

In the DFW area, rent is going up more than it ever has before as more people moving to North Texas demand housing.

"Previously, we predicted double-digit gains in rent price. But it has exceeded our expectations and how we thought the market would react,” said Moffitt.

With low inventory, high home prices and rising interest rates, buying a home is also far from being an option for many renters.

"Renters are in a very difficult situation right now because the two options that they have are to face higher rents or to go out and buy a home," said Moffitt. "And right now the housing market here, at least in the Metroplex, has seen anywhere between 15% to 30% gains in market value. Along with the increase in interest rates, the ability to afford monthly housing payments and then compete in the open market is becoming very challenging."

As a landlord himself, Moffitt said one of the best things tenants can do is communicate with their landlord.

"Most property owners and managers don't want to go to court. They want to try to work things out. They just want to be paid. So if you could stay in communication and you can pay something and keep them apprised of what's going on, generally speaking, that's going to work out better for you."

But that isn't always the case for tenants. That's where local organizations come in to either provide rental and utility assistance or legal help through the eviction process.

There are dedicated groups out there who can help families in need:

"This is really pushing a lot of people over the edge. Historically, we've got a significant number of people in Dallas that spend between 50% and 70% of their net income on rent alone,” said Dallas EAC founder and attorney Mark Melton. “That only leaves a small amount for all of the other things that you need to survive and raise a family. So with all of these different prices going up, it is just extending budgets to the breaking point. And people are falling behind as a result.”

Melton has offered more than 2,500 hours of his own pro bono work to help people win their cases.

"We're ready to help as many tenants as we possibly can," Melton said. "Quite frankly, I think some of the needs that really are unaddressed at this point -- is with rising prices, people are really going to need to apply for other government assistance like WIC or SNAP. So a lot of people are confused by that, they don't know how to apply or what the process looks like. Hopefully, we can identify some agencies that are willing to take that on, because there needs to be some pretty massive education on what resources are available through government entitlements and how to apply for them."

"The cost to state and local and federal governments for one homeless person per year is around $40,000 a year, according to HUD. So you can imagine if we're going to spend $40,000 a year -- it's taxpayers to provide medical, jails, shelters, food, all the other interventions that are required to deal with a homeless person at $40,000 a pop," explained Melton. "There are other interventions that we can spend significantly less money to keep people housed where they are. Because what we found during the pandemic was these rent assistance programs worked and they were significantly cheaper than having had to deal with the other side when the interventions are so much more expensive."

Melton says the Dallas Housing Authority is also anticipating getting millions more in new funding for rental assistance, with an application portal that should be opening up soon.

Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center is currently looking for several more lawyers willing to help the cause – especially Spanish-speaking lawyers – as the situation becomes more dire.

Those interested in helping Dallas EAC with pro bono work can contact [email protected] or visit www.dallaseac.org.