Cruz rolls through Rockwall, patriotic Deep Ellum mural painted over, elderly veteran's bank account restored: Your Thursday morning roundup

July 05,  2018 By Carla Solórzano Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌦️ Weather: Today is expected to be partly cloudy and humid with a 20 percent chance of storms. High of 95. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz waves at the crowd during Wednesday's Fourth of July parade in Rockwall. The city celebrated Independence Day with the parade and fireworks. (Carly Geraci/Staff Photographer) Politics Ted Cruz rolls through Rockwall celebrating the Fourth, 'love of freedom' A Greenville woman went to Wednesday's Fourth of July parade expecting to see plenty of flags and floats. [What she wasn't expecting to see at the event was Sen. Ted Cruz](. The Republican lawmaker waved to a cheering crowd as he rode on his float — the red convertible Chevelle, dubbed the  "Texas Cruzer" — through downtown Rockwall. "It was a wonderful surprise," said Barbara Terrill, a lifelong Republican who jumped up to greet the car and was given her own Cruz campaign sign. Cruz was joined in the parade by congressman John Ratcliffe; state Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood; state Rep. Justin Holland, R-Rockwall; and members of the Rockwall City Council. "It is wonderful being with the good people of Rockwall," Cruz said. "I'll tell you, Texans across our state, there's a commonality that ties us together, [and it's] a love of freedom, an understanding that if you get the government off our backs, then Texans can accomplish everything. And that spirit was reflected powerfully along the parade route." Also: A Tyler congressman [claims the Department of Justice has been spying on him]( but has offered no evidence to back up the allegation. Commentary: Ghosts of the 2016 election are resurfacing, and [Democrats are trying to strike back at Trump](. A Dallas-based real estate group has yanked an offer to repay artists after it painted over a patriotic mural in Deep Ellum last week. (Preston Pannek) Around Dallas Property company won't pay to repaint patriotic mural it covered up in Deep Ellum after all A Dallas-based real estate group has [yanked an offer to repay artists after it painted over their patriotic mural in Deep Ellum last week](. The artists installed the mural, an air-brush painting of a photograph of U.S. Marines against the backdrop of an American flag, in April outside the Green Room pub on Elm Street. The property's manager agreed to the project if it was “temporary in nature,” said Joe Beard, president of Westdale, the firm that manages the property. Westdale Real Estate Investment and Management is a subsidiary of Canadian firm Westdale and is one of the biggest and longest-standing property owners in Deep Ellum. Beard said he approved the mural for 30 days. A spokeswoman for the lead artist, Preston Pannek, said that he was never notified by Westdale that the mural would be allowed only on a temporary basis. Education: According to estimates from the Texas Education Agency for the 2018-19 school year, [25 D-FW school districts are expected to surrender $539 million back to the state through recapture](. Dallas City Council: Pedestrians and pedalists should be using the Margaret McDermott Bridge by now, but [currently it's not clear when that side of the bridge over the Trinity River will open](. World War II veteran Richard Overton, 112, of Austin had his personal bank account emptied and his identity stolen. (2017 File Photo/Ashley Landis) Crime Bank restores stolen funds to 112-year-old Austin resident, oldest living WWII veteran [Bank of America has restored funds stolen from 112-year-old veteran Richard Overton]('s account, his family said. Overton, a World War II veteran who lives in Austin, learned his bank account had been drained Friday, his third cousin Volma Overton said. Volma Overton said the family was shocked when the bank called and asked them to come in and sign for the restored funds. A Bank of America spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday that the bank was investigating the issue and had credited Overton's account. Austin police were also investigating, along with federal authorities. Also: The wife of Fort Worth chef Grady Spears, who told police he had hit her, [said in a Facebook post that his medication was to blame](. And: Criminal charges are expected in a case where [20 horses were seized from a Dallas County property in late June](. Advertisement (Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer)  Photo of the Morning Did you step outside to see some fireworks last night? These FC Dallas fans paused in the parking lot to watch fireworks explode over Toyota Stadium after their club's 3-2 win over Atlanta United Wednesday night in Frisco. Around The Site - Curious Texas: "What is the citizenship of the people attempting to cross the border into the U.S.?" [We investigate in another installment](. - Plano: A pedestrian was injured [when he was struck by a vehicle]( Wednesday evening, police say. - Commentary: President Donald Trump is the unlikely leader of a [global fight against Chinese tech dominance](. - Corpus Christi: A South Texas woman is accused of [selling her 7-year-old son to two men and trying to sell two other young children](. - Grapevine: A 19-year-old [who fell from a sailboat Tuesday night on Grapevine Lake]( has not been located, according to the fire department. - Editorial: By making strides in efficiency, [Parkland Memorial Hospital is changing the landscape of health care](. - ICYMI: [Take a look at some of the highlights of Kaboom Town](: the air show, the fireworks and more. Finally... 'Fake News' from Wise County brought UFO believers to Aurora — eventually "Fake news" may seem like a modern concern, but people have been printing tall tales since the early days of newspapers. On April 17, 1897, Wise County resident S. E. Haydon reported in The Dallas Morning News that [an airship had crashed in the small town of Aurora](, a full six years before the Wright brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk. The story was fake, of course, but as Haydon told it, an unknown man was killed when his "airship" collided with Judge Proctor's windmill. The windmill, as well as the judge's flower garden, were reportedly destroyed. The resulting "fake news" made the pages of the paper. The pilot was supposedly buried in the Aurora Cemetery, though all that remains to remember him is a historical marker commemorating the "legend." Many believed fervently in the story of the martian, however. [Why would S.E. Haydon risk his own reputation as a frequent contributor to local papers by telling such a tall tale](? 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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