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MLK Save-A-Lot Closing Feb. 16, Plunging South Dallas Deeper into Food Insecurity

DALLAS WEEKLY NEWS — While the loss of local Save-A-Lot stores deals a blow to the community, the MLK store’s poor performance over the last year has already offered the first bitter taste of its absence. South Dallas’ increasingly rampant food insecurity has a direct correlation with various other statistics, such as poor educational performance and poor health. As South Dallas residents have among the lowest median income in the city, food and housing infrastructure will continue to crumble until the city provides greater support.
The post MLK Save-A-Lot Closing Feb. 16, Plunging South Dallas Deeper into Food Insecurity first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

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Who Owns South Dallas?

By Brianna Patt | Dallas Weekly Newspaper

As Moran Foods, LLC. has announced the closure of the Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Save-A-Lot, poorer residents of Dallas are seeing dwindling grocery options in areas with already scarce access to resources. As current city and state politics foster greater economic divides, history shows us the issue will get worse before it gets better.

South Dallas’ food insecurity issue is about to get a lot worse.

In a press release last Monday, Urban Harvest Food Co. and Shekinah Legacy Holdings announced that Moran Foods LLC. has ended talks of a partnership and has decided to close the MLK Save-A-Lot store on Feb. 16. The store has been a community staple for affordable groceries for over two decades, but its operation has been rendered unstable since 2020 when Moran made the decision to transition to a wholesale business model. Employees were reportedly told by Moran Foods that the “landlord wanted them out” despite the business voluntarily leaving the lot.

“The store has never been doing ‘that great,’ but it was an option,” Nicki, a resident of South Dallas said of the closure. “Now you go up the street, things are double, triple the price at Fiesta. Where am I supposed to get food? Closest other stores are in Pleasant Grove.”

Scottie Smith of Shekinah Legacy Holdings was quick to voice his disapproval, stating that previous dealings with Moran Foods suggested there was more time to prove the viability of the store.

“The abrupt announcement of the closure by Moran Foods is a blow to South Dallas,” Smith said in the press release regarding the decision. “For half a year, we were in active negotiations to take over the store’s operations, intending to ensure the area’s sustained access to essential food supplies[…] Their sudden decision to shut down, bypassing a community-inclusive solution, demonstrates a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of South Dallas residents.”

Prior to talks with Smith, Moran Foods had established its standard contract agreement with independent owner, Yellow Banana LLC., a DC-based company focusing on making low-cost groceries accessible in food deserts across the country. As Yellow Banana reportedly did not meet contractual obligations in operating the store, with residents and employees citing extremely low stock of products, Moran Foods terminated the partnership.

Now, despite previous promises of a gradual closure, Moran Foods is shut down grocery operations at the building on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on Feb. 16.

“I mean, [if the economy] keeps getting worse, then the city is going to have to do something right?” South Dallas Local Darrien says. “People can’t live without food, and one grocery store for this neighborhood isn’t gonna cut it.”

While Yellow Bananas handling of the MLK Save-A-Lot was just another flop on the LLC’s already lackluster record of providing viable options to inner-city residents, the company’s poor management contributed to the location’s mounting economic failures. Now, as the company prepares to close its doors permanently, residents of the neighborhood are now forced to rely on the Fiesta Food Mart of Fair Park as the sole low-cost grocer in the area.

Residents have called for the city to provide greater food options to the area. But as the office of District 7 Councilmember Adam Bazaldua has previously stated, the commission of additional grocers “would be based on the income levels of an area and the viability of the stores.”

Food pantries have similarly become less common in South Dallas, with operations steadily decreasing since 2020.

Like all lower-income Texans, poorer residents living in areas like South Dallas pay a higher percentage of taxes than higher-income Texans. As sales tax has been found as the most regressive tax policy, taking higher percentages of smaller incomes, residents of South Dallas pay proportionally more while having less access to adequate resources.

Food insecurity has been rampant in South Dallas for years, however, the city has not been successful in implementing a significant improvement to options in the area. As we interviewed the City of Dallas last year in covering this issue previously, the city does not consider an area for the commission of grocers if the investment can not be proven to be economically viable. However, efforts have been taken on to make grocery items more accessible further south, closer to Red Bird and Cedar Crest.

South Dallas/Fair Park’s employed population accounts for over 22,000 of the workforce in Dallas. Variably, 35% of workers of the entirety of Southern Dallas County are in the blue collar sector and a separate 28.7% work in an industry working with the public, such as education, health, and social sectors.

Additionally, South Dallas/Fair Park holds a child population of around 8,000, raising concerns of poor diets for students in the area. Adults are also worried about the disillusionment youth of the neighborhood feel about their living standards.

“We have high school students across the street come and ask me for a job,” says Eric Patt, current manager of the store. “As someone in this community, a manager of a business in South Dallas, I try to play a positive role. Now this business is shutting down and it doesn’t do a lot for these kids.”

While the loss of local Save-A-Lot stores deals a blow to the community, the MLK store’s poor performance over the last year has already offered the first bitter taste of its absence. South Dallas’ increasingly rampant food insecurity has a direct correlation with various other statistics, such as poor educational performance and poor health.

As South Dallas residents have among the lowest median income in the city, food and housing infrastructure will continue to crumble until the city provides greater support.

The post MLK Save-A-Lot Closing Feb. 16, Plunging South Dallas Deeper into Food Insecurity first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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1 week ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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1 week ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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