Here’s some of KERA’s most impactful stories of 2024

KERA’s journalists spent 2024 doing some great journalism. From the NRA convention in Dallas to exploring homelessness encampments, here are some of the most powerful and impactful stories we brought to light.

State watchdog finds medical neglect, other violations at private prison that houses Tarrant inmates

KERA journalist Miranda Suarez broke the story in January that the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility in Garza County did not meet the state’s minimum jail standards. Though the private prison was four hours west of Fort Worth, Tarrant County still spent $40 million to the Darby facility to house some of its prisoners. Some of the violations listed included inadequate medical care, missed mandatory safety training by staff, and inadequate checks on prisoners.

A month after KERA’s initial report, Tarrant County chose to end its contract with the Dalby Facility. Then in September, Dalby announced it would shut down once the contract officially ended.

The NRA’s Dallas convention center deal: $5k to rent space, a $482k discount and a $445k subsidy

The National Rifle Association’s annual convention was held at Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchison Center in May, but the City of Dallas refused to release the contract for the convention. KERA’s Nathan Collins pushed the city for the contract. When it was finally released, KERA discovered the NRA received a $482,000 discount off the full rental price for $931,990, in addition to a $445,000 subsidy. That meant the NRA only paid $5,000 to rent out the space.

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Jennifer Brown, a city spokesperson, told KERA in an email that “attracting large events with incentives is standard industry practice for destination marketing organizations.”

Some DART board members may have taken personal trips at taxpayer expense

In June, KERA reporter Pablo Arauz Peña reported that one Dallas Area Rapid Transit board member spent more than $50,000 of agency funds for trips — including to Spain and Canada, and she allegedly approved some of those trips for herself. A second DART board member used agency funds to travel from a second home in Denver.

The details personal travel at taxpayer expense came to light in a report obtained through an open records request. DART revised its travel policy in March.

Affluent North Texas school districts grapple with a growing problem: a rise in homeless students

In July, KERA reporter Caroline Love reported that affluent communities like Plano have seen an increase in students experiencing homelessness. For Plano ISD, officials recorded 1,365 students “living in transition” in the past school year, up from 1,001 the previous year.

In Dallas ISD, officials identified 4,700 students experiencing homelessness, which was also an increase from the previous year. However, the district lost $100,000 in state funding for those students.

A PAC funded by North Texas billionaires targets ‘soft on crime’ judges with questionable claims

The 2024 election year saw a deluge of election advertisements for most everyone — and a lot of them seemed to come from one particular political action committee.

KERA reporter Toluwani Osibamowo reported in October that the Judicial Fairness Political Action Committee was spending money supporting Republican judicial candidates across the state. The PAC’S ads criticized decisions of “soft-on-crime” Democratic judges, but the PAC’S actual targets were mostly appellate court judge candidates, who have no role in deciding bail or presiding over criminal cases. Experts said these candidates would be able to rule on cases that impact big business.

It also came to light that Elon Musk donated $2 million to the PAC. And once the results of the elections were tallied, Republicans won 75% of the state’s appeals court seats.

First Black-owned bookstore in Farmers Branch closes doors after months of harassment

In November, KERA reporter Zara Amaechi reported that the small bookstore BlackLIT in Farmers Branch was going to close its doors after two years of opening. Founder and CEO Nia-Tayler Clark said the closing was due to months of harassment from a neighbor and ongoing issues with building management.

Without the store, Clark faces an uncertain future. She’s considering moving back in with family while she plans the next chapter for her businesses. Her commitment to creating spaces for Black literature and culture remains strong, even as she searches for a new location.

Texas approves Bible-infused curriculum for public schools

In November, KERA reporter Bill Zeeble reported that the Texas State Board of Education approved a controversial new elementary curriculum that, according to critics, privileged Christianity over other religions. The board voted 8 to 7 in favor.

Schools would not be required to use the new curriculum, but those that do will receive financial incentives from the state.

A New Way Home

In October, KERA journalists Christopher Connelly and Yfat Yossifor released a yearlong project called A New Way Home. The seven-part project followed the clearing of a homeless encampment in East Dallas, as volunteers and housing advocates moved the people living in the encampment to permanent housing.

Earlier approaches to encampment closure largely focused on clearing and fencing off areas in which unhoused people gathered and lived. This often left residents traumatized, worse off, and with nowhere to go but another encampment. They’re sharing what they discovered on this new process as it played out at the East Dallas encampment from start to finish. They stayed in contact with several people in the encampment, as well as the outreach workers who put in long hours to build trust and break down barriers.

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