How fentanyl got to North Texas, Paxton's Plano speech, more Dallas inmate deaths

Also, reactions to Deion Sanders’ Colorado debut vs. TCU. [WEEKEND ROUNDUP]( [The Dallas Morning News logo](   Happy Sunday, North Texans. This is Maggie Doheny with the weekend roundup. North Texans have barely seen a drop of rain all summer, but relief could be heading our way sooner than you might expect. Today, the weather forecast for the area includes a [chance of spotty showers and thunderstorms.]( Stay safe and enjoy the holiday weekend! More news is heading to your inbox Tuesday morning.   [Several small crosses stick out from the dirty in Denton, Texas next to a memorial wall of photos for North Texas Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.]( Ashleigh Calvert of Dallas reattaches a fallen photo to a memorial wall erected at the North TX Overdose Awareness Day event outside Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum on Aug. 31. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer) NEWS [How fentanyl crept into North Texas and who is at risk from the deadly drug]( A Plano cheerleader. A 21-year-old Dallas Army veteran. A Carrollton eighth grader. A Frisco grad working two jobs. A young Fort Worth man who was proud to be a mama’s boy. They are among the [more than 1,100 North Texans who have died since 2021]( from the deadliest drug threat in American history — fentanyl. Since its conception in Belgium in 1959, fentanyl has become one of the most useful opioids for pain management in hospitals because of its fast-acting abilities. By the turn of the millennium, a focus on patients’ pain spiraled into a glut of pills — the first wave of the U.S. opioid epidemic. [READ MORE](   And: more inmates have [died at Dallas County Jail](   Also: Emmitt Smith, Patrick Mahomes and others [react to Deion Sanders’ Colorado debut vs. TCU](   ADVERTISEMENT   [DYK? NEWS QUIZ]( [.]( A crew member holds a clapperboard in front of former Dallas Cowboys player Darren Woodson as he films a commercial at Choctaw Casino and Resort in Durant, Okla.(Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer) [Question 2 of 5]( [In addition to Troy Aikman and Darren Woodson, who is Choctaw’s newest player at the Casino?]( - [Dirk Nowitzki]( - [Shaquille O’Neal]( - [Pudge Rodriguez]( - [Emmitt Smith]( [Start the quiz by choosing your answer.]( AROUND THE SITE - Crime: A [20-year-old man was arrested]( in the slaying of a 19-year-old man - Sports: 5 takeaways from [Texas’ 37-10 win against Rice]( Saturday - Arts & Entertainment: In a triumphant return, [Kevin Von Erich regales fans]( with stories from his wrestling career   ADVERTISEMENT   FINALLY... [Bracing for impeachment trial, Ken Paxton defiant, united with wife during Plano speech]( Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday lambasted the Republican-led Texas House of Representatives that voted to impeach him as he braces for [the trial that will determine his political future.]( Appearing at a Labor Day picnic hosted by the Collin County Republican Party three days before the start of his impeachment trial Tuesday, Paxton said he “would love to talk about what’s coming up for me in the next couple of weeks” but acknowledged a gag order prevents him from talking about the proceedings. [READ MORE](   ADVERTISEMENT   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Account Login]( | [Help Center]( [Terms of Service]( | [Manage Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe]( The Dallas Morning News 1954 Commerce Street Dallas, TX 75201 © Copyright 2023