Dallas officers shared 'car full of laughs,' synagogue cherishes new torah, Cowboys draft wraps up: Your weekend roundup

April 29,  2018 By Holly Rusak and Wayne Carter Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines of the weekend so far. 🌞 Weather: Mostly sunny. High: 86 degrees 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Dallas police Officers Crystal Almeidan and Rogelio Santander Home depot shooting Dallas officers shared 'car full of laughs' as partners and best friends Dallas police Officers Rogelio Santander and Crystal Almeida were just rookies, but even veteran cops were envious of their chemistry. [The best friends were inseparable as they patrolled the streets of northeast Dallas in one squad car](. Santander did most of the driving. Almeida took the lead on writing reports. "It was a car full of laughs every day," said Senior Cpl. John Arnold, their class adviser and fellow northeast patrol division officer. The partnership ended Tuesday afternoon, when police say a suspected shoplifter with no history of violence shot them and a Home Depot loss-prevention officer as they tried to arrest him. Santander, 27, died on Wednesday. Almeida and Scott Painter, both 26, remained in critical condition but were improving and surprising doctors with their recovery. Funeral services: [Officer Santander will be laid to rest this week](. New charges: The 29-year-old man accused of killing a Officer Santander also [shot at police during the car chase]( that came hours after the shooting, arrest records show. Complete coverage: [Get the latest updates and information]( on the Lake Highlands Home Depot shooting. Advertisement CAdina Weinberg (left) and Jordana Weinberg, daughters of Rabbi Stefan Weinberg, carry a torah made in honor of their mother, Wende Weinberg, into the Anshai Torah synagogue on April 15 in Plano. (Ron Baselice/Staff Photographer) Faith Congregation honors its teacher by creating a sacred scroll Stefan and Wende Weinberg made the walk together thousands of times. A half-mile, straight from their Plano driveway to the synagogue, every Friday night and Saturday morning for Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath. He was the rabbi. She was the Jewish educator. They worked side-by-side, living their dream professions. The Friday after her death, the rabbi still made the walk. He was joined by a friend, Farzin Bakhshian, who promised he would never make the trip alone. Together, they wondered how they could commemorate Wende’s imprint on the community. One day on their walk, Bakhshian found the answer. It was an idea so grand it would take a year, thousands of dollars and the entire congregation’s support. [The synagogue would commission a torah in her honor](. Faith: In a majority Christian state, [one Jewish school's basketball powerhouse is shaping perceptions](. 'I've come closer to God in my running': [How fitness and faith give us strength](. Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, owner Jerry Jones and Executive Vice President Stephen Jones and other club officials wait to make the team's first pick in the 2018 NFL Draft Thursday in the war room at The Star in Frisco. (Ashley Landis/Staff Photographer) Cowboys draft How Dallas' draft all connects back to QB Dak Prescott The draft had taken on a decidedly defensive bent for Dallas the previous four years, with 24 of the 35 players selected on that side of the ball. Not this time around. A team that cut ties with receiver Dez Bryant and anticipates cornerstone tight end Jason Witten will depart for a job in TV devoted six of its nine picks to offense. It used one of its three sixth-round picks to acquire Tavon Austin from the Los Angeles Rams. Austin brings an explosive element to the Cowboys offense that's currently lacking and should get most of his touches as a receiver out of the backfield. The thrust of the past three days was to provide quarterback Dak Prescott with added protection up front and more diverse weapons, [says SportsDay's David Moore.]( Plugging along: Tim Cowlishaw ponders [whether the Cowboys' draft strategy will lead to a better record]( than last year's 9-7 mark. Wheeling and dealing: Dallas [sent a draft pick to the Rams for Tavon Austin]( on Saturday, then [sent Ryan Switzer to the Raiders]( for a defensive end. Day 3 takeaways: [A game-changing player, a need that was filled, and a curious decision.]( Best of the rest: Find out which undrafted free agents Dallas [has signed or invited to rookie minicamp.]( get great deals Today's print edition of The Dallas Morning News includes $472.46 worth of coupons. Pick up your copy today! (Steve Hamm/Special Contributor) Photo of the weekend Colorful umbrellas shade fans from the sun during the [Class 6A Region l]( and [Class 5A Region ll]( track and field meet Saturday at UT-Arlington's Maverick Stadium. Around The Site - Update: A girl brought to Texas from a West African village as a child [spent 16 years working in forced servitude for a well-off Southlake couple who abused her](, kept her from attending school and didn't once celebrate her birthday, authorities say. - Presidential visit: [President Donald Trump has invited members of the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs](, the site of the deadly mass shooting in November, to the White House on Thursday. - Commentary: Dallas' 1980s [video-arcade legend rises to the defense of his dear friend](, the fallen king of Donkey Kong. - Safety measure: Prompted by a Texas tragedy, the U.S. House approved a bill [requiring medical checks for hot-air balloon pilots.]( - Lawmaker arrested: A Brownsville state representative was arrested in a DWI accident [after vowing to "take care of everything."]( - Hoofin' it: A Texas deputy's dash camera [recorded him dodging a charging cow]( while investigating a wreck near Houston. Opinion roundup - Not there: A trip to Texas Civil War Museum shows [why Dallas should never send its Robert E. Lee statue there](, writes City Columnist Robert Wilonsky. - Editorial: Irving case shows [sex trafficking happens in our backyards](, and why we must use every tool to stamp it out. - Never forget? As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, [Florence Shapiro is alarmed that our country is forgetting the genocide](. - Lessons to learn: [What Reagan can teach Trump about negotiating nukes](, writes Carl P. Leubsdorf, former Washington Bureau chief. - Editorial: Dallas partnering with the district attorney to [create homeless diversion court makes sense](. - Get educated: [We cannot afford to be snobs about community college](, writes contributor Betheny L. Reid. - The loss of an officer: An officer friend texted a phrase to Fr. Joshua J. Whitfield after the shooting [that describes us all — low sick](. Teacher Karol Henderson (left) and 7-year-old Maxwell Cowles dance with Milo. (Jason Janik/Special Contributor) Finally... Milo the robot helps students with autism learn new social and emotional skills The newest instructor at Tom C. Gooch Elementary is unlike any others there. Milo, who started at the northwest Dallas school a month ago, looks like his fellow co-workers and some of his students in many ways. He sports a spiky brown hairstyle, smiles when he's happy, frowns when he's sad, and asks students about their interests. But he's also less than 2 feet tall, possesses blue arms and legs, and has a small screen in the middle of his chest. That's because [Milo, a doll-like robot, was designed to help young students with autism learn new vocabulary, calming techniques and other coping skills](. Advertisement 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 💖 Share the love! 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