Plano recall canceled, Balch Springs cop on trial, Cruz and O'Rourke vist D-FW: Your Wednesday morning roundup

August 15,  2018 By Carla Solórzano Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌤️ Weather: Partly cloudy, hotter, and humid. High of 95 degrees. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Plano City Council member Tom Harrison listens during a council meeting on Monday, April 23, 2018 at Plano City Hall. (Ashley Landis/Staff Photographer) Local politics The recall is off: Plano council member spared election after judge finds city operated under wrong charter [The first recall election in Plano's history will be canceled]( after evidence in a day-long hearing Tuesday revealed the city has used a flawed copy of its charter for nearly 50 years. District Judge Mark Rusch's ruling puts to an end a saga that began in February, when City Council member Tom Harrison's anti-Islam social media post prompted a call for his resignation and a recall petition filed by more than 4,400 voters in April. Voters were expected to decide in a special November election whether Harrison should go. But Harrison filed a writ with the Texas Court of Appeals in Dallas, arguing the city used the wrong number of signatures to certify the recall petition. Rusch ruled Tuesday that Harrison was correct; the number of petition signatures fell short, based on the wording in the official city charter, and the recall election cannot be held. Meanwhile: [The expected go-ahead for the $1.1 billion Cotton Belt commuter rail line plan was delayed](, giving Dallas Area Rapid Transit board members two more weeks to resolve a dispute over a North Dallas station. And: [Farewell to Eli Davis, a Dallas political operative and public servant]( who made a difference. Courts and crime Jury won't hear about road rage case at murder trial for Balch Springs cop who killed Jordan Edwards Two weeks before he shot and killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards, a former Balch Springs officer allegedly pointed a gun at someone else — [but a Dallas County jury likely won't hear about that incident](. Prosecutors argue that Roy Oliver's defense of his behavior after an off-duty fender bender matches his justification for fatally shooting the teen. In both case, he said he feared someone would be run over by a vehicle and used that to explain pulling a gun. State District Judge Brandon Birmingham on Tuesday denied prosecutors' request to allow the traffic accident to be discussed at the murder trial for Oliver, which is set to begin Thursday. In April 2017, Oliver shot into a car full of teenagers while on duty, killing Jordan. He was fired and charged with murder and four counts of aggravated assault by a public servant. And: Fort Worth police have arrested a man they say beat a woman [after kidnapping her in a Target parking lot earlier this year](. Also: Police are looking for a woman who they believe [stole several credit cards and used them to blow through $7,000 at Target]( last month. National Ted Cruz, Beto O'Rourke use retail politics, town halls to woo voters in battleground of N. Texas [Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke brought their Senate campaigns to North Texas on Tuesday](, looking for support in a key battleground area that could determine the outcome of the race in November. Cruz, the incumbent Republican, was at The Pantry in McKinney and Babe’s Chicken Dinner House in Arlington, holding classic retail meet and greets, urging conservatives to support his re-election bid and stem the predicted blue wave that could propel Democrats and his rival. O'Rourke was hosting big town hall meetings in Richardson and DeSoto, areas that offer him opportunities to woo persuadable voters, while mining the traditional Democratic base. His morning town hall in Richardson drew an estimated crowd of 2,500, with attendees spilling into overflow rooms. Tuesday was the first time Cruz and O'Rourke campaigned at the same time in the same area. Historically, general election campaigns kick into gear after Labor Day, but Cruz and O'Rourke have been traversing the state at a torrid pace for much of the year. Cruz has been somewhat hamstrung in August because of his duties in Washington, while O'Rourke, a congressman from El Paso, is on recess and in the middle of a statewide campaign tour. Also: Classes were canceled after [adults threatened 'open hunting seasons' on a 12-year-old transgender Oklahoma girl](. And: [Southwest Airlines announced new rules for passengers traveling with support and service animals](, becoming the latest U.S. carrier to try to put a leash on the rapidly growing number of critters being brought on planes. Advertisement Around The Site - Robert Wilonsky: [One of this city's oldest buildings will be given a "major overhaul,"]( but more than 50 artists who work out of the Continental Gin Building have to move out in the next six months. - Real estate: If you want to live like an all-star ballplayer [you'll need to pony up millions to make a bid for Michael Young's Park Cities estate](. - Opinion: As a pediatrician, I am alarmed by [the number of Texas public schoolchildren who do not get vaccinations](. - Film: 'Crazy Rich Asians' is a typical romcom -- [and that's why it matters](. - Personal finance: Americans have $6 trillion in home equity. [But don't blow it before you really need it](. - Television: [']([The Real Housewives of Dallas' is back for a third season]( and it premiers tonight. Bishop Charles Grahmann left a legacy in Dallas marked both by spectacular growth and spectacularly embarrassing scandal. (DMN File) Obituary Former Dallas Bishop Charles Grahmann, whose tenure was marked by scandal, dies at 87 Former Dallas Bishop Charles Grahmann, whose tumultuous tenure was tainted by scandals that divided the diocese until he stepped down in 2007, has died. He was 87. Grahmann, [the sixth bishop of the Dallas Diocese, died Tuesday afternoon in San Antonio](, where he had been suffering from ill health. Born in Hallettsville, Lavaca County, as a son of German immigrants, Grahmann was ordained as a priest in March 1956 in San Antonio. He became an auxiliary bishop to the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1981 and was appointed the first bishop of the Diocese of Victoria the following year. In 1990, he was named bishop of the Dallas diocese, where he became known for his outreach to minorities and the poor. AdVERTISEMENT 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. Do you have feedback? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). STAY CONNECTED WITH US  [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [Tumblr]( [Google]( [Reddit](  [OTHER NEWSLETTERS]( [SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS]( [Unsubscribe](  |  [Manage Preferences](  |  [Privacy Policy](  |  [Contact](  |  [Advertise]( You received this message because you signed up for this Dallas Morning News newsletter or it was forwarded to you. Copyright 2018 - [The Dallas Morning News]( | [1954 Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75201](#)