Elm Thicket's transformation, SMU student-body president inspires hope: Your Friday evening roudup

We're looking for a food critic  [Evening roundup]( 01/24/2020 By Todd Davis Good Evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here.]( A woman wears a mask as an employee works to prevent a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 24, 2020. (AP Photo / Ahn Young-joon) PUBLIC HEALTH [Baylor University student being tested for possible case of coronavirus]( The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District is investigating a possible case of the new coronavirus in a Baylor University student who had recently traveled to China, the university confirmed Friday. The university said [the student is being kept in isolation]( in a room on campus as a precaution, and that his dorm room was thoroughly cleaned. And: [American Airlines is ready]( to take ‘aggressive actions’ to combat the spreading of the coronavirus. Also: [Three]( flu deaths]( were reported in Dallas County, health officials say. ADVERTISEMENT  POLITICS [OK, boomers, SMU's student body president shows his generation might fix politics]( columnist Sharon Grigsby writes: OK, this boomer decided — as another nasty election cycle tempts me to cower under my bed until 2021 — instead I would seek out the opinion of someone who’s about to cast his first vote in a presidential primary. What young person would want to wade into this pigsty? I asked Darian Taylor, a senior at Southern Methodist University. [With a smile that lit up the room, he responded, "Yes, that’s me."]( This 21-year-old African American, elected student body president of the predominantly white SMU, is hopeful, but not naïve, about the state of affairs in both Dallas and Washington.  Also: Forget Hunter Biden, Bolton and Mulvaney. [Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert wants the alleged whistleblower]( as an impeachment witness.   Commentary: Texas could put a Democrat over the top, but [presidential candidates]( are still focused on early contests, writes Gromer Jeffers Jr.  REAL ESTATE [Homes, history are vanishing as development swallows Elm Thicket]( columnist Robert Wilonsky writes: Behind the wheel of his black Hummer, Jonathan Maples drove slowly down streets he has known his whole life that are beginning to feel foreign, unrecognizable. We spent more than an hour without ever leaving his neighborhood, which is no bigger than 2 square miles, traversing quiet streets where new houses shaped like boxes tower over modest wood frames. Even the vacant muddy lots are decorated with real estate agents’ for-sale signs. "The poor man’s Highland Park," the 54-year-old Maples said of this place called Elm Thicket-Northpark. The area — bound by Lemmon Avenue, West Lovers Lane, Inwood Road and West Mockingbird Lane — was once a black neighborhood. [Now, it’s the color of money.](  Also: More [homeowners are opting for fix-ups]( over moves.   And: Now, it’s an empty building in Fair Park, but [it may become a long-awaited Museum of Texas Art](.  ADVERTISEMENT (Godofredo A. Vásquez/Houston Chronicle via AP) PHOTO OF THE DAY [A massive explosion at a Houston manufacturing plant Friday morning killed at least two people]( shook the entire region and destroyed multiple homes. The blast occurred around 4:15 a.m. at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in northwest Houston, fire and police officials said. According to officials, two employees seen running from the plant said they smelled gas just before the explosion occurred. EDITORS' PICKS - Crime: [A former gymnastics coach]( in North Texas and Oklahoma gets 50 years for sexually abusing young girls. - Food and drink: [A legendary Finnish ‘long drink’]( makes its Texas debut. - Education: [Dallas ISD trustees]( choose to renovate and not rebuild Thomas Jefferson High School. FINALLY... [Food matters here: Why we’re searching for a new Dallas restaurant critic]( Dallas is — undeniably — a dining city. We’re the birthplace of the frozen margarita, the home of the first Chili’s and the cradle of influential Southwestern and Modern Texas cuisines. In 2018, GQ named Dallas the Next Best New Food City, and in 2019, Dallas was named Restaurant City of the Year by Bon Appetit magazine, an accolade that highlighted the vibrant, independent food scene that has been simmering under the radar for years. And that’s why [we’re announcing a search for our next restaurant critic]( to make sense of it all, to provide thoughtful and compelling analysis of what we’re eating. 👋 That's all! 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? Send your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to [newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com](mailto:newsletter-feedback@dallasnews.com?subject=). STAY CONNECTED WITH US [Unsubscribe]( | [Free newsletters]( | [Dallasnews.com]( | [Subscriber login]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact us]( Copyright 2020 - [The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States](