Fundraiser could be issue for Botham Jean witness, police and fire groups target Laura Miller: Your Tuesday morning roundup

Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day.  [Morning roundup]( 02/19/2019 By Mallorie Sullivan and Carla Solórzano Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌧️ Weather: Cloudy and cold with an 80% chance for widespread rain. High of 40. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [her]( Amber Guyger (left) and Botham Jean. (Mesquite police and Instagram) CRIME [Is a witness in the Botham Jean case less credible after raising $30K on GoFundMe?]( A woman who recorded video in the moments after an off-duty police officer fatally shot Botham Jean has raised more than $30,000 in contributions after she said publicizing her evidence led to her being threatened and fired. But [legal experts say her fundraising could undercut her credibility as a witness]( in the murder trial of the now-fired officer, Amber Guyger, and the federal civil trial against Guyger and the city of Dallas. Ronnie Babbs, 29, recorded her video in a stairwell down the hall from Jean’s apartment as paramedics rushed him down the hallway on a gurney. The video shows Guyger, still in uniform, frantically pacing while she was on the phone. "I was brave enough to come forward with information that has helped the DA charge a police officer who murdered an innocent black man in his own home when nobody else would," Babbs wrote in her appeal for money on GoFundMe.com. "I was hesitant as I knew the consequences could affect me greatly. I put my own life at risk and decided to help." Also: Police released a sketch Monday of [one of two men]( in the shooting death of a Lewisville convenience store clerk](. And: [A McKinney Fire Department employee has been suspended without pay]( after his arrest on a child sex abuse charge, the city said Monday. ADVERTISEMENT DALLAS CITY HALL [Police and fire groups blast former Mayor Laura Miller as she runs for council]( Nearly a dozen years have passed since Laura Miller left City Hall, but time has not healed the emotional wounds of Dallas police and firefighters. Miller on Friday [became police and fire associations’ top target in the May elections]( after her surprise announcement Friday that she will challenge incumbent City Council member Jennifer Staubach Gates. In 2002, Miller won the associations’ support in her race for mayor. But after she took office, she faced down a $95-million budget shortfall and pushed against big raises for public safety workers. "For her to do that first thing in her tenure as mayor was a severe morale killer," said Dallas Police Association President Mike Mata, who had about seven years on the police force at the time. Also: A Dallas police squad car [was involved in a crash with two other vehicles]( Sunday night in Deep Ellum. SPORTS [How Mason Greer, son of a former Ranger, used his diagnosis to become a role model]( Coiled up in more layers than an onion, one of the most popular players in Rangers history is nearly indistinguishable from the other Colleyville Heritage dads decorating cold bleachers on a drippy, dreary Saturday. Only the freckles give him away. Rusty Greer, a portable heater at his feet, holds up a phone to record a player's at-bat. Does Mason like to go back and analyze his swing? "He don't like to analyze it," Rusty says, as Alabama as ever. "He just likes to see himself on video." On that point, anyway, Mason isn't different from any kid. He's not the only Panther going D-1, either. Seven have signed letters. For that matter, Mason isn't the only son of a former Ranger. Bobby Witt Jr. is projected as the top pick of the draft. Here's what makes Mason different from his teammates and most people in general: [Type 1 diabetes, not that you could tell](. Also: Since Kyler Murray has picked football over baseball, [questions have shifted to his NFL measurements](. And: Tony Romo [has received a sponsor's exemption]( to play in the AT&T Byron Nelson tournament. Become a retail insider. Don't miss our coverage of one of the biggest concentrations of U.S. retail companies and places to shop. Stay up to date with [D-FW Retail News]( sent to your inbox, every Saturday morning. [SIGN UP HERE]( EDITORS' PICKS - Watchdog: [Here are 11 new scams and schemes readers want you to know about](. - Weather: Dallas-Fort Worth will be chilly and rainy Tuesday — [but not cold enough for snow](. - Here we come: A group of Texas business leaders is traveling this week [to the state's favorite place to poach companies]( California. Clyde Greenhouse, owner of Kessler Baking Studio, hands out samples to patrons on the Soul of Dallas Bus Tour at his Oak Cliff shop. (Clarence Hodrick III/Special Contributor) FINALLY Soul of Dallas bus tours combine food and restaurants with black history A good food tour is never just about the food. It’s about the people, and the sights, smells and flavors they create that really make a neighborhood hum. Add a helping of local history and you have a recipe for a true community connection. Dalila Thomas and Deah Berry Mitchell of Dallas [launched the Soul of Dallas food and black history bus tours last year]( which combine visits to black-owned restaurants -- where tour-goers can sample food -- with historical stops like museums, shops, landmarks, cemeteries and even entire neighborhoods. "I think food is a good connector of people," Mitchell says. "At the end of the day, it’s all food that brings us together to one table. Everyone loves it. Everyone is able to recall a specific memory tied to food." 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 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