The proposed Loop 9 roadway system would pass through the Cities of Cedar Hill, Ovilla, Glenn Heights, and Red Oak

The proposed Loop 9, Segment A project includes the construction of a six-lane new location frontage road system between United States 67 (US 67) and Interstate Highway 35 East (IH 35E) through Dallas and Ellis counties, Texas, and is approximately 9.4 miles in length. The proposed Loop 9 roadway system would pass through the Cities of Cedar Hill, Ovilla, Glenn Heights, and Red Oak. The proposed project right-of-way (ROW) would include a median that would accommodate the future construction of an ultimate access-controlled mainlane facility. Construction of the ultimate access-controlled mainlane facility would be based on projected traffic and funding and would require additional environmental analysis prior to construction.

The new location Loop 9 frontage road system would include an eastbound and westbound frontage road facility, each consisting of three 12-foot lanes, an 8-foot inside shoulder, and an 8-foot outside shoulder for bicycle accommodations within the rural section of the proposed roadway. The proposed project ROW would include a median (358 to 512 feet wide) that would accommodate the future construction of an ultimate access-controlled mainlane facility.

The proposed project would construct intersections at eight (8) major cross roads as follows: Tar Road, future Clark Road, S. Joe Wilson Road, S. Duncanville Road, S. Cockrell Hill Road, S. Westmoreland Road, S. Hampton Road, and Uhl Road. The proposed project would also construct a grade separation at the BNSF Railroad. In addition, the western limit of the project would tie into a grade separation at US 67 which would be constructed under a separate project prior to the construction of Loop 9, Segment A. The eastern limit of the project would tie into a grade separation at IH 35E, which would be constructed under a separate project prior to the construction of Loop 9, Segment A.

The proposed Loop 9 frontage road project, from US 67 to IH 35E, would likely be constructed in two phases based on traffic needs and project funding. A logical sequence for staging the various elements for the construction of the new location frontage road system could be as follows:

Phase 1 – Construct only one two-way frontage road while purchasing the entire proposed ROW for the ultimate facility.

Phase 2 – Construction of the three-lane frontage road in each direction, which would include the conversion of the two-way frontage road built in Phase 1 to a one-way operation. Grade separations at specific high-volume intersections would also be constructed during this phase.

Phase 3 – Construction of the ultimate access-controlled mainlane facility.

In-person public hearing Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Alan E. Sims Cedar Hill Recreation Center 310 E. Parkerville Road Cedar Hill, TX 75104

In-person public hearing Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The Hamptons Event Venue 196 N. I-35E Red Oak, TX 75154

Virtual public hearing Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022 5:30 p.m. through Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Public Hearing for Loop 9, Segment A Note: This is not a live event

Dallas (Feb. 6, 2023) – The North Texas Auto Show is known as the best opportunity for consumers to view the newest vehicle models and comparison-shop multiple brands, but there is more to do than just admire automotive beauty. This year’s additional features go beyond the vehicle, includes a miniature golf course, pet adoptions, an electric vehicle test track, and even commemorates Carroll Shelby’s 100^th birthday. During the North Texas Auto Show February 16 through February 19 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center at 650 S. Griffin Street be sure to check out:

The North Texas Auto Show, produced by the North Texas Automobile Dealers, is a longstanding Dallas tradition for attendees to see the latest in vehicle technology, performance and design. Guests will enjoy the traditional elements of new vehicles along with luxury brand, motorcycles and plenty on ancillary attractions.

Show Hours are:

Feb.16, 2023, 10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.

Feb.17, 2023, 10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.

Feb.18, 2023 10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M.

Feb.19, 2023, 10:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.

Tickets are available online at www.NTXAutoShow.com or at ticket kiosks at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center during the Show.

DESOTO – After over an hour of deliberation at a Monday night Special City Council meeting, Council voted 4-2 in favor of naming former DeSoto councilmember Patricia Ledbetter to fill the unexpired term left open by Kay Brown-Patrick.

DeSoto councilmember’s Place 3 Nicole Raphiel and Place 5 Dinah Marks both voted against the appointment.

Last week at the winter retreat, Council agreed to implement an application nomination process allowing residents in Place 2 the chance to run for the unexpired term. The quick turnaround for the applications resulted in five candidates interested in taking the vacant seat.

Each candidate had to be sponsored by a councilmember for their name to be nominated at this week’s meeting.

Brown Patrick nominated two candidates for her former seat but was told she could only select one. She chose Emmanuel Johnson. Pierette Parker who has filed an application to run for the Place 2 seat in May was nominated by Raphiel, Jean Green Frazier was nominated by Mayor Pro Tem Andre Byrd and Ledbetter was nominated by Proctor.

This was the second time Ledbetter was nominated. There was a long discussion at the previous council meeting about appointing Ledbetter to the seat. At that time, it was determined that if the seat could not remain empty until May’s elections, a proper procedure should be put in place for nominating council members being named to unexpired terms when necessary.

From the beginning of the discussion last week, Marks was adamant she was not in favor of appointments and never has been. She was in favor of leaving the seat open since the May election is only three months away.

She added “We cannot right now try to start a process.”

Marks also said she did not see a need to have someone in that seat just to have a person in that seat.

Raphiel said at last week’s meeting “This is our opportunity to establish better processes.”

She believed that there needed to be a process to allow all Place 2 residents to have the chance, if interested, to fill the seat for the unexpired term.

She said the council needs “a transparent process in place. Our custom is to allow people to vote for those boards and commissions. As a council for those very important ones, we interview that person, particularly for the DeSoto Economic Development Corporation. The collective has not had the opportunity to interview the candidate who is being proposed tonight.”

It was said by Proctor at the initial council meeting when Brown-Patrick resigned “As we work to appoint someone to fill the short remainder of the term for Place 2, it will be important to me that it is someone who commits to not run for the permanent seat in May.”

It was later noted that council could not tell someone they could not run for the open Place 2 seat if they met the residency requirements such as length of time living in the City and in the Place 2 district.

Raphiel had even said at last week’s meeting the city attorney would have to let council know if they can even ask someone who is appointed not to run for the seat to fill Place 2 in the May election.

Kay Brown-Patrick had suggested at last week’s council meeting that in her opinion Ledbetter was not the best choice since she had lost the last election for the same seat to Brown-Patrick.

As of tonight two candidates have filed applications to run for Place 2 in the May election, Gilbert Graim, Jr. and Pierette Parker.

Place 4 is also on the ballot this May, Andre’ Byrd, Sr. (incumbent) has filed to run.

Project description

The proposed Loop 9 project includes construction of a six-lane new location frontage road system between US 67 and IH 35E through Dallas and Ellis counties, Texas. The approximately 9.4-miles system would pass through the communities of Cedar Hill, Midlothian, Ovilla, Glenn Heights, and Red Oak. The proposed project right of way would include a median that would accommodate future construction of an ultimate access-controlled mainlane facility. Construction of the ultimate access-controlled mainlane roadway would be based on projected traffic and funding and would require additional environmental analysis prior to construction.

The new location Loop 9 frontage road system would include an eastbound and westbound frontage road, each consisting of three 12-foot lanes, an eight-foot inside shoulder, and an eight-foot outside shoulder for bicycle accommodations within the rural section of the proposed roadway. The proposed project ROW would include a median that would accommodate the future construction of an ultimate access-controlled mainlane roadway.

The proposed Loop 9 project would likely be constructed in three phases based on traffic needs and project funding. A logical sequence for construction of the new location frontage road system could be as follows:

Purpose and need

The project is needed to address transportation demand resulting from population and economic growth in the region, system linkages, and connectivity among the existing roadways. It would provide a direct link from US 67 to IH 35E, serving residents and businesses in the area. The purpose of the proposed project is to develop a facility that would help address the regional growth, transportation demand and system linkage within the study area by increasing capacity, mobility and accessibility; efficiently linking suburban communities and major roadways; and accommodating population growth.

Public involvement

Effective public involvement provides opportunities for the public to provide input into TxDOT’s decision-making processes. Initially, public scoping meetings were held in July 2019 to provide the public with preliminary information about the project and to ask for feedback, including the identification of environmental constraints and/or issues that need to be addressed during the environmental analysis. In February 2020, a public meeting was held to present an additional alternative (Alternative 4) and provide status of the proposed project.

Anticipated timeline

Downloads

Aug. 8, 2019 Loop 9, Segment A project agency scoping meeting materials

Related links

For project history, including the Corridor Feasibility Study and prior public involvement, please click here.

The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal Environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) dated December 9, 2019, and executed by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and TxDOT.

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- A new study links obesity with 21 Alzheimer’s disease-related genes.

This may help explain why Alzheimer’s is often more frequent among adults who experienced obesity in midlife, according to researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

To study this, the investigators used data from more than 5,600 participants in the long-running Framingham Heart Study to analyze 74 Alzheimer’s-related genes.

Of those genes, 21 were either underexpressed or overexpressed in obesity, the research team found. Gene expression refers to the process by which information encoded in a gene is turned into a body function.

The researchers found that 13 Alzheimer’s-related genes were associated with body mass index (BMI), an estimate of body fat based on height and weight. Eight genes were associated with waist-to-hip ratio.

“Several of the genes were more strongly related to obesity in midlife versus in late life, and also to obesity in women versus men,” said the study’s corresponding author, Claudia Satizabal of the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio.

These findings are similar to past research that also suggested midlife obesity may be a factor in women's Alzheimer’s disease risk, Satizabal said.

People who develop dementia tend to lose weight about five to 10 years before the onset of the disease. It’s possible this is an unhealthy weight loss driven by the disease.

“We think it is more important to address obesity and begin healthy weight loss in midlife, in one’s 40s and 50s, when obesity may be impacting expression of the genes we studied,” Satizabal said.

While BMI is the classical marker for obesity, some studies suggest that waist-to-hip ratio or belly fat is a more sensitive marker of biochemical abnormalities. Obesity is among the chief risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

The 21 genes that were associated with obesity in this study were implicated in neuro-inflammation, programmed cell death and deposit of amyloid-beta protein in neurons, said study first author Dr. Sokratis Charisis, a resident physician at UT Health's Long School of Medicine.

Eighty-five percent of U.S. adults are projected to be overweight or obese by 2030, the study authors noted in a university news release. Dementia will affect an estimated 131 million people by 2050, so researchers said it’s crucial to understand the link between brain health and body weight.

The authors noted that most of the participants in the Framingham Heart Study are white people.

“We think the associations between Alzheimer’s-related genes and obesity might be even more relevant in Hispanics, who have a higher prevalence of obesity, but that is yet to be tested,” Satizabal said. “We need to increase the sampling of diverse populations to find more genetic markers related to dementia.”

Researchers plan to expand the biobank at the Biggs Institute.

"We are collecting information and following people over time,” Satizabal said.

Co-author Dr. Sudha Seshadri, a director of the Glenn Biggs Institute and a longtime Framingham researcher, expressed gratitude to participants.

“I am so grateful for the altruism, the time and the trouble taken by our volunteer research participants in Framingham and in San Antonio,” Seshadri said. “They are truly selfless champions helping us uncover the dark secrets of dementia, understand how lifestyle factors change dementia risk, and find new ways to prevent and treat it.”

The study findings were published Feb. 22 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association.

More information

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has more about health and being overweight or obese.

FRIDAY, Feb. 24, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The price of insulin has increased in the United States, with the burden of out-of-pocket (OOP) costs rising considerably among uninsured individuals, according to a study published online Feb. 7 in the Journal of Diabetes.

Yilu Lin, Ph.D., M.P.H., from Tulane University in New Orleans, and colleagues extracted data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 2009 to 2018 to document trends in expenditure for insulin among people with diabetes. The total expenditures and OOP spending per person were examined for insulin and noninsulin glucose-lowering medications in insured and uninsured populations.

The researchers found that although insulin usage was stable, the total expenditure for insulin almost doubled per person per year after the Affordable Care Act (ACA), irrespective of insurance status. For the uninsured population, the OOP cost of insulin increased from $1,678 to $2,800 per person per year in the pre- to post-ACA period. Uninsured people had $403.96 and $143.64 more in OOP costs than those with public and private insurance, respectively, after enactment of the ACA.

"It is imperative to slow down the increasing expenditure trend by reducing insulin costs," the authors write. "Additionally, more supportive policies should be implemented for the uninsured diabetes population to get enough necessary insulin usage."

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IRVING – Weather permitting, the following closures are scheduled as part of the ongoing Irving Interchange improvement project:

Signed detours will be in place, and drivers should plan ahead for extra travel time in these corridors. Be alert to various lane closures on frontage roads in these areas throughout the week.

This work is part of the ongoing $301 million Irving Interchange project reconstructing the interchanges at SH 183, SH 114, Loop 12 and Spur 482. The project is anticipated for overall completion in spring 2024, weather permitting.

TxDOT urges motorists to use caution in the work zone. Visit www.DriveTexas.org for the latest road closures on this project and others.

When the fleet company delivered a 2023 Cadillac Escalade premium luxury edition, brightly shining in Radiant Red Tintcoat for my test vehicle in December, it was like receiving an early Christmas present. There’s nothing like driving an Escalade to make you feel special, even when it’s only yours for a week.

The premium luxury trim is one of five different trims available on the 2023 Escalade. Trims start with the luxury and graduate to premium luxury, sport, premium luxury platinum, and sport platinum trims. My test vehicle came with all-wheel-drive capability, and operated seamlessly on its 6.2 liter V8 engine with 10 speed automatic transmission. The Escalade sat tall on 22 inch 14-spoke polished aluminum wheels.

A 16.9 inch diagonal OLED infotainment screen featured navigation and voice recognition, while a 14.2 inch reconfigured cluster display and 7.2 inch control panel featured additional driver info and controls. I especially appreciated the additions of Head Up display, wireless device charging, and passive remote entry and adaptive remote start. My longtime favorite driver assistant, OnStar® was also included.

Escalade’s Standard Features

Illuminated door handles, a panoramic sunroof, and hands-free automatic lift-gate were other features that made driving the Escalade more enjoyable. The cabin’s interior was elegant with a number of luxury touches including black Mulan leather seats with second row bucket seats and third row 60/40 power fold seats.

Adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert, and lane change alert with enhanced auto parking assist were standard safety features. HD surround vision, forward collision alert, and front/rear pedestrian alert were also standard.

The MSRP for the 2023 Cadillac Escalade AWD Premium Luxury test vehicle was $89,595. The manufacturer had added options priced at $16,420, which brought the price for the Escalade to $106,015. These options included an AKG studio reference 36-speaker surround sound system ($4,300); and a performance package ($2,700) focused on trailering which this driver didn’t test.

Optional Features

An added touring package ($2,550) brought an interesting feature that’s found in several luxury vehicles I’ve tested recently. The soft close/cinching door closing is great once you’ve figured out what’s going on, but after years of slamming doors shut, it takes a minute to learn to trust letting the door close itself. A Night Vision package ($2,000); rear seat entertainment system ($1,995); and power retractable steps ($1,750) were also added.

Fuel economy for the 2023 Escalade AWD was estimated at 14 mpg in town and 18 mpg on the highway, for a combined average of 16 mpg.