Mother Nature gave the over 100 volunteers picking up trash and debris throughout DeSoto the perfect weather, not too hot and not too cold. Keeping the city clean is important for several reasons, including keeping debris out of area waterways. Surveys show homeowners, realtors, and business owners believe litter significantly decreases a property’s value and deters visitors.

Individual residents, families, community organizations, and numerous City officials took part in clean-ups in and around seven key locations in DeSoto and collected a total of more than 700 pounds of trash.

DeSoto’s Saturday Citywide Trash Pick-Up Day was coordinated by Keep DeSoto Beautiful, DeSoto Parks & Recreation, the City of DeSoto, and the DeSoto Independent School District.

To learn more about helping to Keep DeSoto Beautiful visit https://www.ci.desoto.tx.us/278/Keep-DeSoto-Beautiful

Saturday’s Citywide Clean-Up Locations:

Clean Up Site A – 200 S. Polk St., DeSoto, TX 75115

Clean Up Site B – 1421 N. Beckley Ave., DeSoto, TX 75115

Clean Up Site C – 250 N. Elerson Rd., DeSoto, TX 75115

Clean Up Site D – 1415 N. Cockrell Hill Rd., DeSoto, TX 75115

Clean Up Site E – 620 S. Westmoreland Rd., DeSoto, TX 75115

Clean Up Site F – 610 W. Wintergreen Rd., DeSoto, TX 75115

Clean Up Site G – 229 S. Hampton Rd., DeSoto, TX 75115

Please remember you can help reduce litter by ensuring your trash is secured with lids on your trash bins, collecting debris when walking, and securing loose items around your home.

Nominated for the second time in three years, Ms. Pamela Dawson received the 2023 Grammy Music Educator Award.

DESOTO, Texas — Pamela Dawson is the director of DeSoto High School’s choir program.

In her 16-year tenure, she’s always put her students first.

But this year, the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum put her first.

After being nominated for a second time, Dawson has won the 2023 Grammy Music Educator Award.

The award, according to a district press release, recognizes educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field, and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives.

The award is a testament to the hard work, dedication and mentorship Dawson’s provided over the years, the district said.

“I believe that the Grammy Foundation did a thorough research of what we’ve provided as far as qualifications to be a finalist,” said Dawson about her nomination submission this go-around.

“What I spoke about what I pour into my kids, especially this year dealing with mental health, was a deciding factor in me getting this award. I am so honored that the Grammy Museum and The Recording Academy for finding me worthy of receiving this honor.”

Dawson built the choir program into a national powerhouse, the district added, having traveled and won numerous competitions around the world.

The students have performed at Carnegie Hall and at the Southwestern American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA) national honor choir.

Locally, the district said, her choirs have been a regular feature for the Dallas Black Dance Theater’s Dance Africa event.

Some of her former students, the district said, are even on Broadway.

But Dawson has always remained humble.

“What I think my students really realize now is that what I’ve been doing has always been for them and not about me,” she said when asked about her prestigious award.

DeSoto, the district said in its statement, is one of the top-rated school systems in the Dallas/Fort Worth area according to recent Texas Education Agency accountability ratings. The district’s last three graduating classes have obtained roughly $15M in college scholarships on average — the result of expansive Career and Technical Education, STEM and early childhood education programs rooted in developing literacy and numeracy skills in young learners.

“DeSoto ISD is proud to acknowledge the work of Pam Dawson in her attainment of this recent achievement,” DeSoto ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Usamah Rodgers said in a statement.

“Her commitment to excellence and positive impact to students’ lives is demonstrative of what makes this such an amazing school community — the embodiment of the DeSoto difference.”

Dawson is a native of Detroit, and in addition to her duties as a teacher, vocalist and musician, is also a proud mother and grandmother.

ARLINGTON — Vandegrift will try and win its first state championship in football when it faces DeSoto for the Class 6A Division II title Saturday at 3 p.m. at AT&T Stadium. The Vipers, from the Leander school district, began varsity play in 2010 under current head coach Drew Sanders and qualified for their first state title game with a 38-35 win over Katy last week.

More:Overlook him if you dare: Size no factor when Vandegrift's Coleman has game in his hands

DeSoto, a single-high school district just south of Dallas seeking their second state title, are coached by Bartlett native Claude Mathis, one of the top high school players in Austin-area history and a member of the Texas State athletic hall of honor. The Eagles beat Denton Guyer 47-28 last week and boast a star-studded lineup that includes Texas Longhorn commits Tre Wisner at running back and Johntay Cook II at receiver.

Follow along for live updates from today's game.

More:Photos: Vandegrift battles DeSoto for 6A Region II State Title

Final: DeSoto 42, Vandegrift 17

In its first appearance in a state championship football game, Vandegrift falls to a tough and talented DeSoto squad. Texas recruits Tre Wisner and Johntay Cook helped DeSoto to more than 600 yards of offense and give Claude Mathis, a Bartlett native and former LBJ head coach, his first state title as a head coach.

10:37 4Q: DeSoto 42, Vandegrift 17

Vandegrift is playing some future Longhorns, and the Longhorns are winning. RB Tre Wisner, who splits out wide often, hauls in a 62-yard TD catch. He has 6 catches for 132 yards ad 3 TDs along with 79 yards rushing on five carries. Want some more UT comps? How about Eric Metcalf.

End 3Q: DeSoto 35, Vandegrift 17

Vandegrift just punted the ball back to DeSoto, and things look bleak for the Vipers. DeSoto has 514 yards of offense and has run 19 more plays than the Vipers. Can Vandegrift get a few stops?

1:22 3Q: DeSoto 35, Vandegrift 17

Deondrae Riden Jr. gets number three, and is that too much for Vandegrift to overcome? The sophomore runs in from 5 yards out to give DeSoto what may be an insurmountable lead. Johntay Cook, the Texas pledge, hauled in his third catch on the drive and now has 103 yards receiving. He's a downfield threat who plays a bit like Xavier Worthy, to these eyes.

6:04 3Q: DeSoto 28, Vandegrift 17

Deondrae Riden Jr. answers that Vandegrift TD with his second touchdown of the game, this one from 6 yards out There's a reason the 5-10, 190-pound sophomore has offers from schools such as LSU and Texas A&M; a workhorse with breakaway speed, he has 28 carries for 169 yards.

9:30 3Q: DeSoto 21, Vandegrift 17

Vandegrift gets exactly what it needed on the opening drive of the second half. Alex Witt, who has rushed for 129 yards on 14 carries, rips off a 20-yard TD run to pull the Vipers within four points. Can Vandegrift's defense somehow slow down potent DeSoto?

Halftime: DeSoto 21, Vandegrift 10

Vandegrift has to be satisfied down just 11, considering that DeSoto has moved the ball at will. The Eagles have more than 300 yards of offense, including 73 yards rushing, 66 yards receiving and a TD from Texas RB pledge Tre Wisner and two catches for 48 yards and a TD by Texas WR pledge Johntay Cook. Vandegrift has 133 yards of offense, led by 78 yards rushing and a TD from Alex Witt.

3:20 2Q: DeSoto 21, Vandegrift 10

DeSoto RB Deondrae Riden Jr. makes up for his fumble on the previous possession and bulls in from the 4-yard line. That's an impressive sophomore running back. DeSoto offense is in high-octane mode; running a fast tempo, the Eagles have 270 yards of offense and Vandegrift needs to catch its breath on defense.

6:40 2Q: DeSoto 14, Vandegrift 10

Another fumble by DeSoto inside Vandegrift's 10-yard line, and it's Oliver Yndo of Vandegrift on the recovery at the 2-yard line. The Vipers' defense has two takeaways in the shadow of their own goal line, and that's keeping Vandegrift in the game

8:41 2Q: DeSoto 14, Vandegrift 10

Vandegrift answers, and this game is heating up. Alex Witt takes a snap from the wildcat and plows in from 1 yard out. Witt set up his score with a 57-yard run down the right sideline. Both offenses getting untracked.

9:19 2Q: DeSoto 14, Vandegrift 3

And DeSoto takes advantage of the review! Tre Wisner, another Texas pledge, takes a pass from Darius Bailey 10 yards for the score. Vandegrift fans may not be happy but Texas fans are; the two DeSoto recruits for the Longhorns have combined for 150 yards and two TDs.

9:43 2Q: DeSoto 7, Vandegrift 3

Did Vandegrift QB Brayden Buchanan fumble on a sack, or is that an incomplete pass? The UIL uses booth review instant replays in just the state title games, and replay overrules the call on the field of an incomplete pass. The first turnover by Vandegrift has DeSoto set up deep in Viper territory.

11:03 2Q: DeSoto 7, Vandegrift 3

Johntay Cook! There's the playmaking ability that drew countless offers from colleges across the state - including Texas. The 4-star Longhorns pledge takes a pass out in the flat, makes one move, and flashes his elite speed while racing into the end zone for a 42-yard touchdown catch.

11:56 2Q: Vandegrift 3, DeSoto 0

Hayden Arnold nails a 36-yard field-goal attempt to give the Vipers the lead. The senior has had an all-Centex type of season, and it continues in Arlington.

End 1Q: Vandegrift 0, DeSoto 0

Miles Coleman gets loose for a 31-yard gain to move Vandegrift deep into DeSoto territory, but the drive bogs down at the DeSoto 19. It's fourth down for Vandegrift, and might we see kicker Hayden Arnold come on for a 36-yard field-goal attempt? He's had a brilliant year so far and could produce the first points of the title game.

1Q 2:28: Vandegrift 0, DeSoto 0

DeSoto has 122 yards compared to 24 for Vandegrift, but the Vipers' defense has forced back-to-back punts.. The DeSoto secondary is good; so far, dynamic Vandegrift receiver Miles Coleman has had little space,

1Q 6:02: Vandegrift 0, DeSoto 0,

Both defenses have forced punts, and the Vipers get the ball back for the second time. They went 3-and-out on their first drive; let's see how they adjust to a fast, physical DeSoto defense.

1Q 10:24: Vandegrift 0, DeSoto 0,

An immediate turnover! DeSoto driving inside the 10-yard line, but DE Daemian Wimberley forces a fumble by RB Jaden Trawick, and Isaiah Thompson recovers for the Vipers. Vandegrift forces the game's first turnover.

1Q 12:00: Vandegrift 0, DeSoto 0

Let's kick things off. Vandegrift in road whites with silver and black trim and the silver "V" on the black helmet. DeSoto in home green and gold with a green and silver eagle on the golden helmet. DeSoto will get the ball first, and the Vipers defense will immediately see that explosive DeSoto offense.

DeSoto coach Claude Mathis and three of his sons lead the football team. They face Vandegrift in the 6A-D2 state championship.

DESOTO, Texas — DeSoto senior Johntay Cook has his sights set on making history.

"I keep looking up there because that was the last time," explained Cook, a five-star recruit committed to Texas and, pound-for-pound, one of the best high school receivers in America.

Cook's future appears bright. But on a Tuesday afternoon at Eagle Stadium, he's focused, literally, on a banner hanging next to the press box.

"2016," Cook continued, the first (and so far, only) time DeSoto football has won a state championship.

Six years later, the Eagles are back in the state final.

On Saturday at 3 p.m., DeSoto will play Austin Vandegrift in the Class 6A Div. II championship game from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.

"We got one more team in our way until we get those rings," Cook asserted, while glancing upward again, as if to manifest a second championship banner.

One last game for the senior class, including Cook and his good friend Caimon Mathis.

"It means a lot knowing this is my last time playing with them ever again," admitted Mathis, a cornerback committed to the University of North Texas. "We're gonna leave it all out on the field together."

The DeSoto program is a tight-knit group. A brotherhood of teammates, many of whom have known each other since pre-K.

Mathis has known a couple of them since birth.

Caimon's twin brother, Crimson, is a receiver for the Eagles. And their younger brother, Canden, is a sophomore on the squad, too.

Oh ... and this is the part where I tell you the father of all three boys is Claude Mathis – DeSoto's head coach.

"My oldest son, Champ, won state [at Desoto] in 2016," Claude Mathis recalled. "I have two [championships] as a player [at Bartlett High School]. And now my three younger boys have an opportunity to go win one. Hopefully, that will come true."

According to Caimon Mathis, their mother, Lori, also won a state championship in high school as a volleyball player in Pecos, Tex.

Claude Mathis, however, has never won a state title as a head coach.

"The twins told me, 'We'll get you there, dad,'" Claude Mathis smiled.

Should DeSoto prevail on Saturday, the family tradition of winning state championships will continue in the Mathis household.

When asked what his mom and the rest of the family will be doing during the game?

Caimon looked up and said, "Oh, they're gonna be going crazy."

More Texas headlines:

DeSOTO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — On Monday afternoon, DeSoto's Ernie Roberts Park was filled with an array of parents, grandparents and children.

It was a display of ethnic and racial diversity—a community centerpiece to gather families on the nation's holiday commemorating the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The very presence of these families side by side may offer a symbolic example of Dr. King's vision, known worldwide as "The Dream."

From the Alabama bus boycotts of the 1950s to the 1968 sanitation workers' strike in Memphis, Dr. King advocated for the end of racial segregation and discrimination afflicting the nation's African-American population.

The pastor used protests and boycotts to ensure legal remedies against job, housing and education bias.

In the midst of the civil rights era, DeSoto was a small town just southwest of Dallas. The town followed the tenets of Jim Crow laws. By the 1980s and 90s, the migration of Black families started to be seen in the southern Dallas County communities of DeSoto, Duncanville and Cedar Hill.

"When I think of the history of this community...there were mostly whites only. Really, it's changed, a positive change," DeSoto resident Craig Lester said.

Lester and his wife now raise their five children in DeSoto. As an African-American family, they are part of the town's racial majority. DeSoto's median income, according to the United States Census Bureau, sits at $79,000. The town's median home value is listed at $359,000.

The racial and ethnic diversity among the town's neighborhoods, city government, and business development reflect the "dream" Dr. King envisioned, according to Lester and others.

"I can remember being the only African-American student in many of my classes when [I] attended school in DeSoto ISD," DeSoto Mayor Rachel Proctor said. She says that she now believes the city fully embodies Dr. King's dream.

Proctor points to the city's expanding middle class, housing stock and education programs—both public and private—as examples of opportunity and accessibility urged and pushed for during Dr. King's advocacy for civil rights.

And it's not just a DeSoto thing, she says.

"I think it's being seen in many great southwest Dallas County communities. I think it's a dynamic affecting more than DeSoto."

Steve Pickett

Steve is an Emmy Award-winning journalist. He has been recognized nationally for his coverage of Public Education and his reports from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina garnered the "Best News Story" Katie Award from the Press Club of Dallas.

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