Botham Jean's family plans lawsuit, Texas officials have Trump's ear: Your Wednesday evening roundup

September 26,  2018 By Tommy Cummings and Wayne Carter Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Allison (left) and Bertrum Jean (center) embrace at the burial of their son, Botham Jean, Monday in Castries, St. Lucia. Dallas attorney Lee Merritt said Wedneday that the family plans to sue the city of Dallas and former police officer Amber Guyger. (Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer) Botham jean case Slain man's family plans to sue the city of Dallas and Amber Guyger, attorney says The family of 26-year-old Botham Jean plans to sue the city of Dallas and the former Dallas police officer who shot him in his own apartment earlier this month. Attorney Lee Merritt said Allison and Bertrum Jean [plan to file a federal lawsuit claiming excessive use of force by Amber Guyger.]( The city will be named as a defendant because Guyger was operating "under the color of state authority" even though she was off the clock, Merritt said. Legal experts have said Dallas could be held liable for Jean's death if attorneys can convince a court that Guyger was acting in the scope of her employment when she killed Jean. Also: [Botham Jean's family feared he could die in the U.S.]( — but not in his own home. Editorial: Sometimes leadership is [firing a cop who shouldn’t have used deadly force .]( Timeline: [How the case has unfolded]( since Dallas officer Amber Guyger killed Botham Jean. Politics From Austin to D.C., Texas officials have had the ear of the Trump Administration A review by The Dallas Morning News of Texas officeholders’ official schedules shows [Gov. Greg Abbott has had scores of interactions with top brass in both the administration and on Capitol Hill]( since Trump took office in January 2017. Close ties between a Republican governor and a Republican president and a Republican-run Congress are not a major surprise, particularly with Texas’ outsize role in shaping public policy. But the deep connections between Abbott and the Trump administration could be significant ahead of the November election against former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, given that Trump is a divisive figure capable of motivating base supporters in both parties. Also: Greg Abbott, Lupe Valdez [spar over governor's close working ties to Donald Trump.]( Opinions: Rosemary Curts says young people will vote if [early voting locations are put in schools](. Mark Zeske says [let them vote online](. College student Brian Curran says he doesn't vote, [and here's why.]( DEVELOPMENT Cedar Hill City Council throws it in reverse, approves Fuel City and its tacos CEDAR HILL — In a course reversal that stunned and angered dozens of residents, the [Cedar Hill City Council voted unanimously late Tuesday night to allow Fuel City]( to come to U.S. Highway 67 and Joe Wilson Road Popular for its locations in downtown Dallas and other suburbs, Fuel City looked like it might not rise in Cedar Hill. The company had found city Plan Commission opposition to its mega gas station, convenience store, tacos, car wash and livestock menagerie. The proposed Cedar Hill location also faced united ire from residents of the Shady Brook subdivision immediately north of the 8-acre site. Because the Plan Commission had voted against Fuel City in August, any two of seven council members could have turned the retailer away — and appeased the two dozen who spoke against Fuel City in the three hours of debate. [But none of the council members saw a reason to block the taco-centric roadside attraction.]( Suburban rating: Which Tarrant County community does realtor.com say is 'hottest?' [Hint: It's a millennial magnet.]( If you own ... : Dallas-area [homeowners have gained more than $13,000 on average in home equity]( since last summer. If you rent ... : Dallas residents are getting [less of a bite from rising apartment rents.]( 2018 Election 13 days left until the Oct. 9 deadline to participate in the Nov. 6 elections Design best-practices suggest a large font size for easy readability both on desktop and mobile devices. The stakes are high for Democrats and Republicans as Texans head to the polls this November to decide this year’s midterm elections. Do your part to have a say in what happens next in your town, your state and your nation. [Find more on the process]([, what's up for you to consider and if you're eligible with our primer on voting in the midterm elections.]( (Shaban Athuman/Staff Photographer) Photo of the Day The Vander Esch Express rolls into Seattle, carrying rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch's friends and family to watch the Dallas Cowboys' Sept. 23 game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Darwin Vander Esch, Leighton's dad, originally bought the bus three years ago on eBay to transport supporters the three hours from Riggins, Idaho, down to Boise State to watch Leighton, a former walk-on, play on the school's famed blue turf in person. SportsDay's Kate Hairopoulos rode along on the Express' 400-mile journey from Riggins to Seattle, [the first pilgrimage to see Leighton play in the NFL as a Dallas Cowboy.]( editors' picks - Victims sought: Irving police are searching for potential victims of a [man accused of luring a date to his apartment and sexually assaulting her.]( - Fight leads to shooting: A fight at a Denny's in Far East Dallas [ended in a shooting that left three people wounded and the suspect at large](. - Hit-and-run driver sought: Fort Worth [police are trying to identify the driver who fatally struck a pedestrian]( in a hit-and-run last week. - German conductor back: Passionate conductor [Claus Peter Flor returns to Dallas Symphony for a program]( of Wagner and Strauss. - Citizenship strategy: Local leaders hope [staying ahead of questions about the 2020 U.S. Census]( will ensure a full count. - Beef recall: More than 130,000 tons of [ground beef sold nationwide has been recalled because of fears of E. coli]( contamination. - Immigration sweep: [Federal agents arrested 98 people, including 49 in North Texas](, in an operation that ended Sept. 21. Finally... From a lynching to a pistol whipping, this map documents human rights abuse in Dallas From Metro columnist Sharon Grigsby: It’s an audacious goal: To make human rights a part of everyday conversation in Dallas, to make it as much a water-cooler topic as sports or reality TV. The team building the Human Rights Dallas map wants nothing less. The SMU-based researchers hope their online tool, unveiled this week, will give everyone a better understanding of both the good and ugly of our city’s history. Visit [humanrightsdallasmaps.com]( and you’ll find a dozen stories pinned to a digital map of locations across Dallas County. Even if you’ve heard these narratives of injustice before, it’s urgently important that we think about them anew, given what’s gone on in our city of late. Perhaps these history lessons will give us a bit more understanding of the pain and anger our fellow citizens feel in 2018. [These are just a few of those stories.]( [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! If you like this newsletter, please [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=Evening%20Roundup%20Feedback).[Dennis Jansen](mailto:djansen@dallasnews.com?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) STAY CONNECTED WITH US  [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [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](#)