Pro-Cruz group airs "Open Borders O'Rourke" ad, remains in missing Texas toddler case found: Your Thursday morning roundup

November 01,  2018 By Carla Solórzano and Dom DiFurio Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌦️ Weather: A few stray morning showers are possible. Decreasing clouds, breezy, and cool in the afternoon. High of 60. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (left) and U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke. (Daniel Carde and Rose Baca/Staff Photographers) politics Pro-Ted Cruz group airs ad accusing ‘Open Borders O’Rourke’ of enticing migrant caravan Just in time for Halloween, a wealthy donor group that supports Sen. Ted Cruz has unleashed a TV ad barrage that complains Democratic Senate hopeful Rep. Beto O'Rourke [is too welcoming of a so-called caravan of Central American migrants](. "Running for Senate, pushing free health care, even lawyers for illegals. Fighting deportation," says the new ad by Texans Are, a pro-Cruz super PAC. "Against background checks for refugees from terrorist hotbeds -- that's Open Borders O'Rourke," it says, calling the El Paso congressman "recklessly radical" and wrong to dismiss concerns about the caravan. Brandon Rottinghaus, a University of Houston political scientist, said "it's outrageous to believe that O'Rourke would have anything to do with the caravan, aiding and abetting it." But the ad, which began running Tuesday, stokes fears, he said. Meanwhile: Dallas Republicans [filed a lawsuit challenging some mail-in ballots](. Democrats see it as an attempt at a "distraction." And: Sen. Ted Cruz [got in on the Zodiac killer joke]( for the second time Wednesday on Twitter. Advertisement [( texas Police find remains of small child in search for missing Texas toddler Police [found the remains of a small child during the search for a missing 2-year-old girl]( whose clothing was found in the trash near the College Station park where her mother said she disappeared Sunday. College Station Police Chief Scott McCollum said at a news conference that the remains were found Wednesday and it would take weeks to positively identify them, The Eagle of Bryan-College Station reported. College Station is about 100 miles from Houston. The child's mother, Tiaundra Christon, told police she left her daughter in a stroller at Gabbard Park in College Station while she walked to her car to get a bottle for the child. When she returned, 2-year-old Hazana Anderson was gone from her stroller, she said. Also: [Arlington has declared an emergency in anticipation of possible flooding]( because of erosion around Prestonwood Lake Dam. And: [How likely is it that a tornado will hit a large urban area](? Curious Texas investigates. commentary Why Oncor hasn't yanked out those 100 trees along the Dallas North Tollway at Forest Lane — yet By Robert Wilonsky God bless 'em, [the neighbors refused to give up their green without a fight](, which is worth keeping in mind the next time a utility company comes storming into your neighborhood without explaining what's what. That's the bright side of this story about trees, which I learned in elementary school help us breathe and keep us cool. Until the residents, led by Bonnie Brown and her husband, Richard, pushed back, Oncor officials never told anyone what they were up to — including City Council member Jennifer Staubach Gates, who represents the area. Initial notices sent to residents warned only of an "upgrade" to the existing transmission line and said nothing about taking an ax to those trees. Now we know better. Sharon Grigsby: Ghosts in Plano? Here are [some of the ghoulish tales that give life]( to a changing city. Advertisement [( EDITORS' PICKS - Elections: For the general election in 2016, 5.6 million Texans went to the polls, punched Republican or Democrat and then left the voting booth. [But you won't be able to vote straight-ticket after this election. Â]( - Funding schools: Here's why Richardson ISD's longtime CFO has a ['vote no' sign in his yard opposing the district's school tax increase election](. - Fort Worth: [A woman jogging was attacked in the Chadwick Farms neighborhood Monday](, the latest assault on a runner in North Texas. - Watch: A Dallas man studying in Italy [has captured some of the historic flooding in Venice on camera](. - Business: The two-level Sears store in Lewisville's Music City Mall[has been sold to a Korean grocer from California with some big plans](. - Traffic alert: The main lanes of [State Highway 360 will be closed in both directions at Abram Street]( in Arlington this weekend. Ezree Dsouza crawled through the aisles at Smith Public Library in Wylie before a Halloween costume contest. The festivities included trick-or-treating at the reference desks and a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt. (Nathan Hunsinger/Staff Photographer) Finally... Enjoy these photos of tiny babies at Methodist Dallas and other kids in costume for Halloween We sent a few of our wonderful photographers out to shoot Halloween photos this past week and while we can only run a few in print, [we thought we'd share some of their work online in this post](. They covered everything from fall festivals to library costume contests to show how our communities celebrate Halloween. [We hope you enjoy them](. 👋 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? 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