Frigid forecast, Cook Children's has alarming COVID-19 data: Your Thursday evening roundup

Also, more business forecasts for 2022 and another Texan of the Year finalist  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [Morning roundup]( [NEWS]( | [BUSINESS]( | [SPORTS]( | [HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS]( | [ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT]( | [FOOD]( |[STATE OF THE CITY]( | [THINGS TO DO]( | [OPINION]( | [GAMES AND PUZZLES]( 12/30/2021 By Todd Davis Good evening! Here is a look at the top headlines of the day. 🔎 Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Dallas Police Chief Eddie García at Dallas Police headquarters in September.(Elias Valverde II / Staff Photographer) CRIME [Year-end Dallas stats show an impressive drop in violent crime. How did Chief Eddie Garcia do it?]( Columnist Sharon Grigsby writes: Dallas police Chief Eddie Garcia, a smooth politician who knows how to stay on offense -- and off defense – swears that he deserves little credit for the dramatic 2021 drop in violent crime in his newly adopted hometown. "It’s on the back of our men and women," he told me repeatedly over coffee a few days ago. "We’re not where we want to be. There will be challenging times ahead." But this top cop, a blue-collar kind of chief with a cheerleader-like enthusiasm that belies his 30 years of experience, knows [he’s had a strong rookie season in Dallas](. [More crime stories]( | [Crime newsletter]( ADVERTISEMENT [TOP NEWS]( [Chance of severe storms, cold snap will kick off the New Year in Dallas-Fort Worth]( [Gas shut off to building at southeast Oak Cliff apartments that were site of September explosion]( [Two doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine slashes omicron hospital stays]( [American Red Cross has responded to nearly 1,800 disasters in its North Texas Region during 2021]( [What are the symptoms caused by the omicron variant?]( ADVERTISEMENT CORONAVIRUS [‘A vertical climb’: COVID-19 positivity rate among children quadruples at Cook Children’s]( [Here are the symptoms to expect from the omicron COVID-19 variant based on your vaccination status]( [Here’s what Texas universities are planning for the spring semester as new COVID variant spreads]( [More Coronavirus stories]( | [Coronavirus newsletter]( BUSINESS [2022 look ahead: Will airline hiring keep pace with travel demand and circumvent more meltdowns?]( [Dallas-area shopping was a mixed bag the week leading up to Christmas]( [2022 look ahead: Will hospital staffing be sufficient to deal with the next COVID variant surge?]( [More business stories]( | [Business newsletter]( OPINION [Garland slayings point to our nation’s quiet epidemic]( [Carl Leubsdorf’s political predictions for 2022]( [Bird rescuer Ben Jones is a 2021 Texan of the Year finalist]( [More opinion]( | [Opinion 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