Student becomes ninth festival fatality, Dallas OKs new deck park plans, Cowboys' injury news: Your Thursday evening roundup

Also, North Texas musicians fail to strike a chord with CMA voters  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Morning roundup]( [NEWS]( | [BUSINESS]( | [SPORTS]( | [HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS]( | [ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT]( | [FOOD]( |[STATE OF THE CITY]( | [THINGS TO DO]( | [OPINION]( | [GAMES AND PUZZLES]( 11/11/2021 By Todd Davis Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. United States Army veteran LaNeika Johnson, shown with her 5-year-old daughters Laiya (left) and Laila, was a medic in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Kuwait. (Steve Hamm / Special Contributor) NEWS [Crushed by the effects of PTSD, veterans find lifeline in Wounded Warrior talk program]( Even now, LaNeika Johnson blanches at loud noises. The Fort Worth mother flees crowded grocery stores, scans rooms for the closest exit and still wakes up some nights, enmeshed in nightmares. Johnson, 43, who was a medic in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Kuwait, has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder for nearly 20 years. When the pandemic hit, Johnson’s anxiety and depression swelled. Flooded by memories of war, she struggled to get out of bed, shower or play with her twin daughters. "I experienced so much isolation," she recalled. "I was barely holding on, barely functioning." [Johnson found a lifeline at the end of 2020](. Her sister, who is also a veteran, told her about Wounded Warrior Project’s Talk program, which connects veterans to the charity’s staff members for weekly emotional support phone calls. Wounded Warrior Project launched the program long before the pandemic in 2014, but it has proven particularly well-suited to the circumstances of the past year and a half. ADVERTISEMENT [TOP NEWS]( [State suspends license of former Dallas Fire-Rescue paramedic seen kicking homeless man]( [Dallas approves deal for design, construction of I-35E Oak Cliff deck park]( [Texas A&M student injured at Astroworld festival dies, bringing toll to 9]( [North Texans strike out at CMA Awards, a rare bust for locally bred talent]( [Texas AG Ken Paxton will raise campaign cash with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago next month]( ADVERTISEMENT CRIME AND COURTS [Record $16 million worth of meth seized in Tarrant County in recent weeks]( [Dallas County jury sentences man to 37 years in prison in 2019 murder of Black transgender woman]( [Violence down about 7% in Dallas as police focus on next phase of crime plan, holiday strategies]( [More crime stories]( | [Crime newsletter]( BUSINESS [Medical City’s new partnership re-creates hospital care in patients’ living rooms]( [Family offices for ultra-wealthy with $100 million or more explode in Dallas and the U.S.]( [Dallas approves millions in economic incentives for new CBRE tower and jobs]( [More business stories]( | [Business newsletter]( SPORTS [2021 UIL high school football predictions: Best first-round games, championship winners and more]( [As Mark Cuban pours millions into practice facility upgrades, Mavs’ future at AAC is in question]( [DE Randy Gregory (calf) being placed on injured reserve is a devastating blow to Cowboys’ pass rush]( [More sports stories]( | [Sports newsletter]( 👋 That's all for this afternoon! 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? Submit your thoughts, questions, praise and corrections to[the newsroom.]( Looking for more? The Dallas Morning News has even more newsletters to keep you informed and inspired. [View the complete list](. ADVERTISEMENT [Free Newsletters]( | [Account Login]( | [Help Center]( | [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( The Dallas Morning News, 1954 Commerce Street, Dallas, TX 75201, United States © Copyright 2021