Dallas' 200 murders, TCU receives NCAA penalties, NorthPark penguins: Your Friday evening roundup

A panel of lawmakers voted against pursuing any further criminal prosecution of Dennis Bonnen  [Evening roundup]( 12/20/2019 By Todd Davis Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( Sontravia Elder, second from right, is hugged while she and other family members gather to remember her daughter, Brandoniya Bennett, who was shot this summer. (Lynda M. Gonzalez / Staff Photographer) CRIME [Dallas has had 200 murders in 2019. Here’s what that means]( The city’s first homicide in 2019 happened a few hours into the New Year. Since then, the fatal violence on Dallas’ streets has unfolded with grim regularity, drawing attention only when crime has been too shocking to ignore. On Friday, [Dallas police reported 210 homicides in the city]( a number not seen in more than a decade, and one that is both staggering and needing context. Also: [Former Fort Worth officer Aaron Dean]( was indicted on a murder charge in the shooting of Atatiana Jefferson. And: [The driver]( of a vehicle involved in a minor crash was stabbed by someone in another vehicle Friday morning in northwest Dallas, police said. ADVERTISEMENT  POLITICS [Lawmakers say Dennis Bonnen could have violated bribery laws but won’t be prosecuted]( A panel of lawmakers voted not to pursue criminal prosecution of House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and one of his top allies over a meeting in which they tried to coordinate with a conservative activist to target 10 fellow Republicans in next year’s elections. [The decision Friday by the House General Investigating committee]( likely brings to an end a political controversy that brought down Bonnen, the third most powerful man in Texas politics, at the height of his power.  Commentary: [House Democrats]( have passed lots of bills that the do-nothing Senate refuses to consider, writes Carl P. Leubsdorf.  SPORTS [NCAA places TCU on probation after athletes were paid for work they didn’t do]( The NCAA has fined TCU nearly $50,000 and placed the school on probation for one year after it ruled TCU had a number of student-athletes being paid for work they didn’t actually do. [A Division I Committee on Infractions decision was released on Friday]( ruling that a total of 33 TCU student-athletes in three sports were paid for work they did not perform as campus summer employees.  'We love being in Dallas’: [Sonny Dykes]( signs contract extension to stay at SMU.   Also: [The]( playoff hopes]( hinge on their No-Award Defense beating the Eagles’ depleted offense.  ADVERTISEMENT (Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer) PHOTO OF THE DAY Rabbi Yaakov Green (right) and fellow judge Sarah Rosen celebrate as they announce the winning team in a competition of middle school students making traditional Hanukkah potato latkes at Akiba Yavneh Academy on Friday, Dec. 20, 2019, in Dallas. The school's Hanukkah Carnival and Latke Wars competition marked the last day before winter break and the start of Hanukkah, which begins at nightfall Sunday. Welcome to Dallas-Fort Worth where holiday lights shine bright. But which holiday lights shine the brightest? It's up to you to decide. Click the button below to cast your vote for the home with the best holiday lights in D-FW. The decorated home won’t be the only winner. One lucky voter will receive a shining prize presented by [Highland Park Village]( and The Dallas Morning News. [VOTE NOW]( The idea behind [Curious Texas]( is simple: You have questions, and our journalists are trained to track answers. Subscribe to this weekly newsletter for the latest answers to reader questions, featured Curious Texans and more delivered straight to your inbox. [SIGN ME UP]( EDITORS' PICKS - Championship weekend: Follow [SportsDayHS]( for live scoring, photos and more as the UIL crowns its 2019 football champions this weekend. - Aviation: [American Airlines]( is adding nonbinary gender options for those buying tickets. - Letter to the editor: The University of Texas at Austin president [Gregory L. Fenves]( responds to us on a professor's pedophilia writings. FINALLY... [What happened to the penguins at NorthPark Center?]( For more than five decades, NorthPark Center’s decorations have taken center stage alongside its extravagant shopping experience. During the holiday season, NorthPark patrons can browse the festive displays or recite their wish list to jolly old Santa. Back in the mid-'90s, the displays featured a different kind of holiday icon: live penguins. [Curious Texas looks into their disappearing act]( 👋 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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