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Open Board Seats for 2025 – Join Our Board of Directors!

Are you passionate about serving your community and looking to make a difference? The DeSoto Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking motivated individuals to fill open board seats for the 2025 term.

Position: Board Member
Term Duration: January 2024 - December 2026 (Three-Year Term)

Qualifications:

• Must be a member in good standing (current on annual membership dues).

Board Member Duties:

• Attend monthly Board of Directors meetings.
• Participate in chamber-sponsored signature events (State of the City, State of the District, Annual Golf Tournament, Chamber Gala, First Responders’ Events, and Taste of DeSoto).
• Attend the City of DeSoto Sponsored events.
• Attend chamber ribbon cuttings, networking events, and other chamber activities.
• There is no financial obligation to sit on the board, but we encourage you or your business to sponsor 1-2 chamber events annually through financial contributions, door/raffle prizes, or volunteering.

Interested?
To be considered, please submit a letter of interest, a short biography, and a photo by September 13, 2024.

Email all documents to: president@desotoareachamber.org
No phone inquiries, please.

Join us in making a positive impact on our community!

A male suspect is dead following an early morning fatal officer-involved shooting in DeSoto.

Police were initially called to the 1100 block of Greenbriar Drive shortly after 4:00 AM Sunday after the unidentified armed suspect, a Hispanic male who was carrying a small child and was accompanied by two women, began knocking on random residential doors and trespassing through their front and back yards.

When police arrived, they encountered the male suspect who was armed with a handgun and was holding a small child. The man then threatened to shoot any police officer he encountered. Officers tried to talk to the man and deescalate the situation but the group fled into a creek behind the homes where police temporarily lost visual contact. Police formed a perimeter and encountered the group about 30 minutes later in the 1200 block of Springbrook Drive. They continued to talk to the man who was holding the gun in his hand and tried to get him to drop his weapon and let the small child go but he remained uncooperative.

Fearing for their safety and that of the child, one officer who was armed with a rifle fired on the suspect striking him. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by DeSoto Medical Personnel.

Police are still working to identify the deceased male. The two women who were with the suspect were taken in for questioning but were not successful in helping the police identify the suspect. The child was turned over to family members.

The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave per departmental policy. Grand Prairie Police are the outside agency investigating the officer-involved component of the shooting. The Public Integrity Unit of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office was also notified and responded to the scene. The involvement of both agencies is routine after an officer-involved shooting and is designed to ensure an objective outside investigation.

The post BREAKING NEWS: Suspect Dead After Early Morning Officer-Involved Shooting in DeSoto appeared first on Focus Daily News.

DESOTO—Last week, Kim Britton, Deputy Executive Director of Star Transit, presented an update to the DeSoto City Council regarding the company’s services. Antonio Harris, the company’s Transportation Director, also attended the meeting.

During the presentation, Britton highlighted the increasing trend of monthly trips for demand-response services. In 2024, there were 5,762 trips compared to 4,886 in 2023. The presentation also noted a significant rise in ridership for same-day services, with a total of 10,329 trips reported. These rides included activities such as shopping, visits to senior centers, and medical visits.

Britton started by providing information on the services offered by Star Transit in DeSoto, then proceeded to discuss the budget for Fiscal Year 2025 and service improvements.

She mentioned that Star Transit does not have a dedicated sales tax but does receive grant subsidies.

Star Transit currently operates in DeSoto in a Demand Response Dial-a-ride format, offering service from Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Rides can be booked up to two weeks in advance.

Since 2018, rides can go anywhere in DeSoto or the service area, and even outside that parameter for medical services. The service area includes the Glenn Heights UNT Station, the Social Security Office, the DART Redbird Transfer and the Redbird Health Complex, as well as Glenn Heights Park and Ride and Cedar Hill or Duncanville.

Star Transit’s fares are based on distance and range from $1 to $12.

Service efficiency was measured using the information provided regarding the introduction of the STARNow app. Same-day service has improved rider experience, leading to 96% positive reviews. The average wait time for rides has decreased from 24 minutes in 2021 to approximately 15 minutes in 2024.

Star Transit also offers staff that can help riders with disabilities, however, staff does not go into the home or to doctor’s appointments.

This ride does not cost riders. These are part of the grant funds program.

Britton also reminded Star Transit offers promo codes for discount rides for trips like job fares or voting.

Over the last few years, Star Transit has been working with TxDot and NCTCOG on grants and ways to improve services.

Star Transit is now receiving grants and last year they received 60% of the cost of $539,125 from federal subsidies for 323,475 in DeSoto Star Transit costs. That left 40% of the city’s portion at $215,650 to be paid breaking down to a monthly amount of $17,971.

Currently, Britton said DeSoto operates 38 hours of service every day with Star Transit, and the company charges per hour. Every year, the Board of Directors determines the cost of service per hour. Last year, it was $55, and this year, FY 2025, it will be $56.75.

Britton mentioned the company’s Lyft Pilot Impact, which launched in DeSoto in December 2022. The Lyft pilot program has resulted in shorter wait times, reduced costs per trip, and better control over monthly expenses. The current service model now includes UberX Share as an option, enhancing service delivery, and Britton said it will go into the company’s service portfolio and will no longer be just a pilot program.

Councilmember Place 3 Nicole Raphiel asked Britton about the current capacity compared with demand.

Britton said it depends on the demand response threshold of 10%, which would be the case before they would come to the city and say they needed to add capacity.

Britton emphasized, “We ca