Wesley Mathews sentencing, Allen project approved, NRA TV unplugged: Your Wednesday evening roundup

Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day  [Evening roundup]( 06/26/2019 By Wayne Carter Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Lead prosecutor Jason Fine cross-examines Wesley Mathews on Wednesday during the punishment phase of Mathews' trial in the death of Sherin Mathews, his adopted daughter. (Tom Fox/Staff Photographer) CRIME [Richardson father gets life in prison for death of 3-year-old adopted daughter]( A Richardson father was sentenced to life in prison for doing nothing as his adopted 3-year-old daughter choked to death on the milk she didn't want to drink. Jurors spent about three hours deliberating the punishment of Wesley Mathews, who was originally charged with capital murder in the October 2017 death of Sherin Mathews. But before his trial began Monday, Mathews pleaded guilty to a lesser charge: injury to a child by omission. On Wednesday, [he said he accepted whatever decision the jury came to for his punishment]( even if it were a life sentence. "I'm more than happy to take it," he said Wednesday morning. Fatal shooting: Dallas police are searching for two men [accused in a robbery that left a man dead in a pickup]( Tuesday night at a Red Bird apartment complex. Also: [A man was charged with murder]( after a fatal stabbing at a downtown Dallas DART station. ADVERTISEMENT OPINION [Dallas' newly minted Mayor Eric Johnson sits for a short interview, and it’s a surprising ride]( From The Dallas Morning News Editorial Board: "Drinking from a fire hose." That’s one of the first lines Eric Johnson, Dallas’ newly sworn-in mayor, laid on us as we walked into his office this week to ask about his vision for the city and what he is planning for his first few months in office. His comment was a stab at humility. He noted that when a new mayor takes office in Dallas, that mayor likely starts with a clean slate that includes not only reading up on a variety of city business but even finding furniture for an office that’s been stripped to the carpet. In the long run, such details won’t frame Johnson’s tenure in office, but they should help paint an accurate picture of the human side of how our government functions. The truth is that nothing happens — even basic things — unless someone does them. To be mayor is to have a tremendous opportunity to serve, but to be mayor also entails revving up the machinery of government so that it functions for the people. Johnson’s start-up plan involves delving deep into the details. [We had just a few minutes with him, so we only briefly covered two topics.](   Commentary: Free college is [a gift to the privileged paid for by ordinary taxpayers]( writes Alexander William Salter.   Commentary: America, [we are not a nation]( that allows little girls to drown silently in our streams, writes Jason Villalba, former member of the Texas House of Representatives.  BUSINESS [Allen approves huge mixed-use project on key U.S. 75 corner]( Allen officials unanimously approved plans for the city's largest new real estate project Tuesday night — the 261-acre Monarch City development. The mixed-use project is at the southwest corner of North Central Expressway and State Highway 121 in Collin County, [and the plans call for 10 million square feet of office, residential, retail and hospitality construction.]( "This is a very special project and a perfect fit for Allen," Allen Mayor Stephen Terrell said in a statement. "Monarch City will enhance the family-friendly environment that makes Allen one of the most sought-after places to live in North Texas while providing quality jobs to fuel our growth as a regional economic center." Plans by architect Omniplan show high-rise buildings along the highways with a park and water feature in the center of the development.  Money to spend: Crescent Real Estate [plans $4 billion in property buys]( with its second investment fund.   Also: [Fort Worth-based]( 1 Imports]( weaker results, as it struggles to stabilize its business.  ADVERTISEMENT (Ben Torres/Special Contributor) PHOTO OF THE DAY Rainbow tuna poke with yellowfin tuna, cucumber, furikake, jalapeño, watermelon, radish, edamame, wasabi ponzu, avocado mayo, cauliflower rice and shredded kale is among the dishes available at Hatchways Cafe, the first phase of an expansive new coworking project in Dallas' Victory Park. When the rest of Hatchways opens next month, the two-story space will become [the first coworking facility anywhere in the country to boast a chef-driven restaurant]( says dining critic Michalene Busico. EDITORS' PICKS - Help wanted: Starting Thursday, Fort Worth is looking to hire 1,300 people [to fill jobs at the new Dickies Arena.]( - Tragic ending: The Salvadoran father and daughter whose drowned bodies were photographed Monday along the shores of the Rio Grande [were heading to Dallas]( the BBC reports. - School setting: A substitute teacher in a southern Texas town was fired [after allegedly filming pornographic videos after-hours in a classroom.]( FINALLY... [Dallas-based NRA TV shuttered as gun-lobbying organization cuts ties with controversial spokeswoman]( National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch is out of a job, and NRA TV — the Dallas-based broadcasting arm of the juggernaut gun-lobbying organization — is going away. The move comes [as the NRA decided to sever ties with advertising firm Ackerman McQueen]( which employs Loesch, the longtime, sometimes combative spokeswoman for the NRA. "Many members expressed concern about the messaging on NRATV becoming too far removed from our core mission: defending the Second Amendment," NRA Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre said in a statement released to NRA members and quoted in The New York Times. "So, after careful consideration, I am announcing that starting today, we are undergoing a significant change in our communications strategy. We are no longer airing 'live TV' programming." Over the past year, the NRA reported steep financial losses as it has become involved in several lawsuits and congressional investigations. It also fought an internal battle over its leadership that resulted in the ouster of Oliver North as its president. 👋 That's all for this afternoon! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. Share the love! 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