🌱 New Water Utility Phone Scam + Monitoring For New Subvariant

Hello and happy Monday. I'm back in your inbox this morning with everything you need to know about what's happening locally.

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First, today's weather:

Hot. High: 105 Low: 83.

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Here are the top three stories today in Dallas:

1. The City of Dallas is warning residents of a new phone scam. The fraudulent calls are impersonating Dallas Water Utilities employees while claiming that customers' bills are overdue. The scammers threaten to turn off water utilities unless the bill is paid over the phone. The utility reminds customers that possible disconnection notices are always sent through the mail. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
2. The Dallas Police Department is currently searching for a suspect in a fatal auto-pedestrian incident that occurred Friday night. The crash occurred in the 13400 block of Esperanza Road just after 9:30 p.m. Anyone with information on the suspect is directed to contact the department immediately. (FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth)
3. North Texas health officials are monitoring the steady rise of COVID-19 infections. The monitoring announcement is a result of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's announcement last week of the newest subvariant - BA.5. According to the agency, the new subvariant accounts for almost 54 percent of the country's latest infections. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)

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Today in Dallas:

• Jobseeker Support At The Mesquite Public Library (All Day)
• Book Babies At The Benbrook Public Library (10:30 AM)

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From my notebook:

• Sibling rivalry seems universal. The Dallas Zoo shares a photo of Saambili coveting his sister's raw kale. Click to view the interesting wildlife photo. (Dallas Zoo via Facebook)
• The SPCA of Texas announces a BOGO half-off sale on an unlikely animal - donkeys. Click to learn more about the offer. (SPCA of Texas via Facebook)
• Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center has a number of wonderful dogs available for adoption - completely free! The shelter is at capacity and will need to euthanize if capacity is not lowered. Click to view the full list. (Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday. I'll see you around!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.