DMN Morning Debrief: North Texas heat, a Methodist lawsuit, alleged racial profiling at a Michelin-star restaurant, and death doulas

This is the Dallas Morning News. This episode is brought to you by Facebook. So you were scrolling on Marketplace, and there it was, the bike you'd been searching for. You sent a message, and it turned out the seller was super chatty, kind of funny, and an avid cyclist. The next thing you know, you're in a cycling crew, well, a community cycling group. The thing about Facebook, you might find more than what you're looking for. From a browse to a bike ride, this summer find more on Facebook. Welcome to the DMN morning debrief. Everything you need to know about what's going on across North Texas. I'm Samantha Guzman. Coming up on the debrief, the day's top stories and Britna Savarise talks openly about an experience most of us spend our lives avoiding. Death. Older generations didn't want to talk about death dying, don't want to make the plans. They're like, I'm going to be gone, so you deal with it. People are more willing to talk about it now because they're seeing the harm. It's causing their parents. But first, the weather and today's headlines. This next segment is read by an AI voice. North Texas stays sunny, breezy, and very hot today, with a high near 102 and heat index values around 105 by early afternoon. South winds could gust as the region dries out, raising the fire threat in Dallas Denton, Colin, and Tarrant counties. Take breaks, hydrate and use extra caution outdoors, or around anything that could spark a fire. This weather report is compiled using information from our news partner KXASTV NBC5. In today's headlines, the Horizon Texas annual conference is suing Highland Park United Methodist Church, alleging Dallas church leaders changed governing documents without properly notifying the congregation or the conference. The conference is the United Methodist Church's regional body for a broad swath of Texas and the DFW area, and it oversees budgets, ministry, and clergy. The lawsuit says the church filed state documents in 2022, changing its name to Highland Park Methodist Church, removed United Methodist references from its rules, and did not hold a member vote on the amendments. The dispute matters because Highland Park United Methodist is a prominent North Texas church with more than 15,000 members, and the conference says the changes threaten its United Methodist identity. The complaint asks a court to affirm the original documents. Bishop Ruben Gallego Sayan said many members may not have known about the changes, and the church did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, a viral TikTok video has put Maroma, a coastal Mexican restaurant in Dallas Design District, at the center of conflicting accounts over whether four black diners were racially profiled on August 8th.

Andrea Brim told the news a manager stopped serving her group alcohol after saying there was a strong smell of marijuana, and Brim said she believed the group was singled out because they were the only people of color dining there. A representative for Maroma denied race played any role. Alexander Urunaga, Chief Operating Officer of Big Dill Hospitality, said staff stopped alcohol service after complaints about odor and observations that one guest appeared under the influence. The video has drawn more than 17 million views, and both Brim and the restaurants say they have received harassment or threats. Texas law bars licensed businesses from selling alcohol to an intoxicated person, though it does not say marijuana odor alone proves intoxication. Urunaga said Big Dill hospitality is working on a protocol for similar situations. In Oak Cliff, residents of the Bonney apartments have been ordered to leave after a gas explosion destroyed the neighboring Clyde apartments this year. A letter dated Friday, August 7th, told tenants to remove belongings and return keys within three days. It also said they could not return after repairs because the blast made the Bonnie unusable for housing. The Dallas City Attorney's Office said the owner filed the notice because of outstanding code violations. City staff said eviction filings were postponed until the end of the month, and officials were working with non-profit partners on housing help. Tenant Leslie Esther said residents had no warning, and Faustino and Maria Ibarra said they still had no place to go. The Bonnie advertised rents from $775 to $995 a month. A report found Dallas had just over $47,000 in 2023, down from more than $98,000 in 2021. The May 28th explosion killed three people and injured at least six, and a preliminary federal report said the gas line hit by a drill rig had not been marked as required. The investigation remains ongoing. Hi, it's Samantha again, and it's time for today's debrief extra. Families who are looking for help navigating the emotional and practical realities of dying are turning to deaf doulas for help. The Dallas Morning News is Joe Snell reports on one woman finding joy as she helps others navigate death. Most coffee shops are filled with conversations about work, family, and friends. At Union Coffee in Dallas, people come to talk about something else. Death. Once a month, the terminally ill, grieving families, funeral directors, and people simply preparing for the inevitable, sit down to talk about the one experience most of us spend our lives avoiding.

We're about to get started. Can I get anybody any more cake or anything? And at the center of those conversations is Britna Severis. People say when they go to other deaf cafes, they don't laugh as much. Here at Union, we have the best cake and the best conversation. So that goes very good. Severis is a death dula, a non-medical guide who helps people navigate the emotional and practical realities of dying. She helps families make difficult decisions. like who should receive treasured belongings, and even who will care for a beloved pet. Older generations didn't want to talk about death dying, don't want to make the plans. They're like, I'm going to be gone, so you deal with it. People are more willing to talk about it now because they're seeing the harm. It's causing their parents, dealing with their grandparents. The death cafe is only part of Savarese's work. Most of it happens here. So we've tapped into hospice. What else has been going on? Not in telling people. I talk to my sisters. I talk to my friends in Chicago, so they're coming to visit. I have my old boss who I worked with for 20 years that I'm having coffee with tomorrow. The last year, Janine Blair was diagnosed with rectal cancer, and treatment requires multiple surgeries. Blair decided not to get surgery due to quality of life concerns. She's not preparing for what's ahead, for herself, and for the people she'll leap behind. I can't even get like 10 towels. Once I've just kind of explained like this is, you know, someone helping me through the process and not having to carry a lot of the burden that, you know, my family has carrying on. top of that and helping with the education and all of that. The people who have had more experience with losing loved ones understand it more than the people who haven't. Janine's a, she's a unique one. She's really been a joy to work with. She is such a refreshing outlook on her impending death, just facing it with a lot of joy despite the fear and all of that. Between visits, the work continues. You never know what is going to be talked about. Things that will be said. You just never know. My simple pleasures in the morning is doing my pourover. I'm going to sleep when I'm dead and I'm going to start drinking coffee when I'm dead. I'm reminded of how much joy there is in living. Before, I was constantly looking for these big moments of joy and almost felt like my life was lacking. And then now, every little thing brings me joy. I see a beautiful hummingbird go by and I just stop for a moment and think, wow, life is beautiful. This story was produced by Joe Snell. Thanks for listening. Find more reporting and today's stories at DallasNews.com. This digest was partially generated by AI and then reviewed and edited by our newsroom staff. We welcome your thoughts, questions, and feedback at audience at DallasNews.com.