TxDOT prepares roads for bad weather, life in an Amazon fulfillment center: Your Wednesday evening roundup

December 12,  2018 By Todd Davis Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. Prefer the online view? It's [here](. (DMN File / 2017) weather With a rain-snow mix possible in Dallas-Fort Worth, TxDOT treats major roads TxDOT began treating Dallas-Fort Worth roads Tuesday ahead of a chance of wintry precipitation on Thursday and Friday. Rain could start falling as early as Wednesday evening, but as a cold front moves through North Texas on Thursday, temperatures will drop and create the potential for snow that afternoon into Friday morning, said National Weather Service meteorologist Patricia Sanchez. “We’re tracking how the system is moving,” she said. “Depending on where the low-pressure system is, that will determine the area that will definitely be impacted.” [The weather service issued a winter storm watch for counties west of Dallas-Fort Worth, where there's a higher chance for snow](. Mineral Wells, Jacksboro and Stephenville could see 2 to 5 inches. Let it close, let it close, let it close: When it snows, [this is how North Texas school districts decide to close](. business How Amazon delivers holiday gifts from the buy button to your door A couple of weeks before Christmas, the inside of an Amazon Robotics fulfillment center near DFW International Airport looks more industrial than anything having to do with holiday shopping. As Amazon customers hit the “buy” button over and over again, workers, scanners and robots are set in motion across the sprawling 1-million-square-foot facility in a real-time display of software engineering The newest of Amazon's local fulfillment centers, [located in Coppell on airport property on West Bethel Road](, is one giant assembly line operated by 2,000 full-time employees. They work 10 or 12 hours a day, four days a week. Three different day shifts and two night shifts keep the center operating 24/7. Conveyor belts look like roller coaster tracks in a place that is big enough to fit 28 football fields and made up of enough steel to construct two Eiffel Towers according to Amazon spokeswoman Brenda Alfred. Also: [A 280-room hotel](and new retail stores are on the way near Dallas' Love Field. And: A building that once housed [Braniff International Airways' 'hostess college']( goes on the market. Politics Julian Castro edges toward 2020 bid, with O'Rourke casting Texas-size shadow WASHINGTON — Julián Castro announced Wednesday that he is forming a presidential exploratory committee, giving the former Obama housing chief and San Antonio mayor a head start in a crowded field of Democrats eager to challenge President Donald Trump. "Americans are ready to climb out of this darkness," he says in a 4-minute video laying out his likely candidacy. Nearly two dozen Democrats are eyeing a 2020 run. There's no clear front-runner. But [with Castro and El Paso Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the field may end up with two Texans]( -- a remarkable turn of events from a state that hasn't elected a Democrat statewide since 1994. Commentary: In a White House meeting, [Nancy Pelosi shows why the Democrats need her as speaker](, writes Carl P. Leubsdorf. And: [Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen]( gets 3 years in prison for covering up 'dirty deeds' (DMN File / 2014) Photo of the Day Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki and guard Vince Carter celebrate Carter's game-winning 3-pointer in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against San Antonio in Dallas during the 2013-2014 playoffs. Monday night brought us the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade last tango, with the Lakers' James guarding former Miami Heat teammate Wade as the latter missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer. [We could witness a similar scene tonight at American Airlines Center](, thanks to the upgrading of Dirk Nowitzki's playing status from out to questionable for the Mavericks' game against Atlanta. editors' picks - Editorial: Collin County college's plan to train armed staff is [a necessary progression of campus carry](. - Crime: [A Nike shoplifting spree]( at a Dick's store in Fort Worth triggers 25-mile chase. - Indictment: An ex-boyfriend of a woman who founded Deep Ellum's Anger Room is [indicted in her death](. - A problem to stump Hamilton:[ 'Can dueling theaters work together in Dallas](?' asks the editorial staff. - Unbridled: [SMU's all-time leading passer Ben Hicks]( to transfer, a source says. - Courts: [A Fort Worth ex-pastor]( gets 10 years for sexually assaulting underage parishioner, violating probation. Finally... Families trying to move on with new Santa after death of beloved 'Big Guy' Metro columnist Sharon Grigsby writes: Last year’s death of The Big Guy left a big hole in the Christmas spirit in our northern suburbs.  The charming Santa was beloved by thousands of adults and children, for whom the holiday wasn’t complete without their annual photo with him at Fairview Town Center. Every parent I’ve talked to north of LBJ Freeway this month knew about last December's medical emergency. [Now they are trying to protect jolly old St. Nick’s traditions while still honoring the legacy of a one-of-a-kind Santa](. The special bond between The Big Guy and the many who adored him strikes me as part of a larger parenting story: The almost obsessive desire to create magic and keep it alive as long as possible — especially in a world where magic seems in short supply. And Christmas enchantment is much easier to sustain if you see the same Santa every year, especially if he is as genuine and personable as The Big Guy. But what happens when you can’t visit that Santa? [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](#)