Roy Oliver jury deliberation, Trump's NAFTA revamp, Jerry Jones' NFL schedule plan: Your Monday evening roundup

August 27,  2018 By Wayne Carter Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Former Balch Springs police officer Roy Oliver stands as his defense team makes its closing arguments Monday at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas. (Rose Baca/Staff Photographer) Crime and courts Dallas County jury deliberating in murder trial for ex-cop who killed 15-year-old Jordan Edwards Jurors are deliberating [whether a former Balch Springs officer committed murder]( when he fired a rifle into a car full of teenagers, killing a 15-year-old boy. The deliberations began after prosecutors and defense attorneys on Monday presented vastly different portrayals of 38-year-old Roy Oliver during closing arguments. Prosecutors described Oliver as a bad cop who was "out-of-control," while defense attorneys called him a "protector." Jurors can consider convicting Oliver of murder or a lesser manslaughter charge. The jury is also considering two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant for shooting into the car. Cold case: A Fort Worth man has confessed to [beating to death his nephew, who went missing in Mansfield in 1981.]( At large: Frisco police were searching for a suspect [after a man was shot Monday outside a home.]( Business President Trump signs off on new trade deal with Mexico to revamp NAFTA President Donald Trump on Monday announced a breakthrough in long-stalled talks with Mexico over the North American Free Trade Agreement, [saying the U.S. had come to terms on a bilateral trade deal with its southern neighbor.]( The president, long a critic of NAFTA, hailed the nascent accord as "very special" for American workers, manufacturers and farmers. "It's a big day for trade," he said in a hastily arranged appearance in the Oval Office, where he patched in Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto by phone. "It's a big day for our country." HQ2: This week in Amazon-o-mania, [a Dallas rival touts a massive site for Seattle-styled urban renewal.]( Home front: The Dallas area's hot housing market [appears headed for a slowdown.]( life Can your HOA stop you from composting and saving water? What to know about a little-known law change With record-breaking heat and drought conditions, gardening in North Texas is a challenge in itself. But in some neighborhoods governed by homeowners associations, gardeners have faced additional constraints when attempting to save water and drought-proof their landscapes. Seasoned gardeners accustomed to Texas summers and city-imposed watering restrictions might turn their attention to the water-saving practices of rainwater harvesting or the sustainable gardening practice of composting, but in some of the stricter HOAs, [these practices weren't allowed.]( 'Fight like Jacob': A boy's brave cancer battle [spurs on this Texas triathlete.Â]( Lost in translation: Are conchas "sweet brioche-like rolls"? [This Mexican baker says no.]( (Lawrence Jenkins/Special Contributor) Photo of the Day Tiffany Malkowski uses an Alpha Dominche Steampunk machine to brew tea [at Leaves Book and Tea Shop in Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood.]( “Overall our vision is about creating a space where you can just pause and disconnect and take a breath,” says Leaves owner Tina Howard. “Both the books and tea culture support that very nicely.” editors' picks - Buses vandalized: Four people were arrested [for causing damage that resulted in delays Monday morning](for some Keller ISD students. - Lake search: [Divers were searching Lake Lewisville Monday]( for a 25-year-old man who fell from a personal watercraft. - Editorial: Property taxes are crushing Dallas homeowners, [not that the City Council has noticed.]( - Road rage case: A woman faces a manslaughter charge [in the shooting death of a Haltom City woman.]( - Burn, baby, burn: Natural gas is cheap, [a]([nd Texas drillers are flaring more of it.]( - Bread-new dining option: Jon Smith Subs [has chosen Fort Worth for its first foray into Texas.]( - Commentary: Texas' timing in releasing its first A-F ratings[is a gut punch for low-scoring schools](, writes Wesley Edwards. Finally... The NFL preseason is broken. Here's how Jerry Jones wants to fix it SportsDay columnist Tim Cowlishaw says Jerry Jones [might be able to sell NFL players on a new scheduling format:]( After enduring the unwatchable Sunday night — a 27-3 eight-turnover defeat that had the Cowboys and Cards playing in front of mere pockets of fans late in the fourth quarter — it should come as no surprise that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a solution to the preseason blues. An 18-game regular season. The league did not come close to convincing the players association this was a worthy idea the last time it was pitched. But Jones said an 18-2 plan can be sold on two fronts, one being possibly reducing concussions. But the big one? [“It would provide more than $1 billion to the players,’’]( Jones said. [Subscribe to our Real Estate newsletter]( 👋 That's all for this evening! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! 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