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Blind Spots in Code Compliance Leave Complex Residents Vulnerable to Poorer Living Standards

NNPA NEWSWIRE — With a combination of low accessibility of 311 services and tenant law that has been long established with no updates despite new factors arising in various contexts, gated complexes effectively privatize their physical spaces. As porters and office associates employed by apartment and housing complexes handle facilities such as trash, maintenance, and parking, this further isolates tenants from protections and services they could potentially attain in the public sphere.
The post Blind Spots in Code Compliance Leave Complex Residents Vulnerable to Poorer Living Standards first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2 years ago

April 23, 2024

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By Sam Judy | Dallas Weekly Magazine

Dallas housing complexes and apartments are often inaccessible to code compliance officers, allowing residential companies to circumvent responsibilities in maintaining city code. One complex resident’s peaceful enjoyment is actively threatened by poor trash management and illegal towing. Even worse, as Redbird is currently undergoing ‘economic redevelopment,’ some residents allege that mistreatment may be a method of displacement within larger gentrification efforts.

Flordeisha Moore is a resident at Hickory Trace Townhomes in Redbird. After about three years of living at the complex, she began facing issues with bulk trash piling up around the central dumpster just a few steps outside her residence.

For over a year, Moore has been complaining about excessive trash and has alleged retaliation from her complex for doing so. Since her initial complaint, issues have begun to compound.

“I made a request to have the trash removed, and also for something to be done to fix it. There’s several dumpsters in this complex, but for some reason all of the bulk trash goes here,” Moore says. “After I talked to the property manager, my car was illegally towed.”

Moore cites communications with both her residential manager and HighMark, the real estate company that owns Hickory Trace, as examples of either hostility or indifference to issues she’s expressed living at the property.

Bulk trash surrounds the dumpster, usually overflowing directly toward Moore’s garage door. Additionally, the recycling containers lining the outside of one of three walls housing the dumpster have been filled with non-recyclable trash, some of which has been there for more than two years. According to Moore, custodians at the complex have scraped the top of the bins to keep them from overflowing. However, some trash still remains, going as far back as late 2021.

Waste management in charge of hauling garbage has previously told the complex that the trash in the recycling bins must be emptied into the dumpster for collection. Workers handling custodial services at Hickory Trace refused to provide comments.

Following a discussion with her property manager, but prior to the return of her car, Moore states the manager showed up with a camera at her front door, seemingly intending to provoke or antagonize Moore.

“She wanted me to respond so that she could put me out.”

As Redbird has undergone huge changes as a result of development and gentrification in the area, all while slowly pushing out longtime residents, apartment and townhome complexes are becoming a more frequent fixture in the area. With almost twenty complexes holding vacancies in Redbird, with more either at-capacity or in-development, residential neighborhoods are becoming overrun with multi-home properties.

Highmark Residential, the property management company that owns Hickory Trace, is one of the largest in the US with over 300 housing complexes across the nation and over 30 years in the housing business.

Poor management of basic services like waste, coupled with situations like Flordeisha’s, has some residents under the impression that they are being intentionally pushed out.
“Service here has definitely suffered,” a resident who requested to remain anonymous says. “Maintenance requests mostly. And my rent is controlled from living here a few years ago. Sometimes I wonder if that’s [the reason].”

Housing complexes also present a distinct obstacle in maintaining code compliance across residential areas, as the complex itself is typically responsible for upholding regulations without supervision by code enforcement.

While code issues can be reported by residents living within a gated housing complex, many violations potentially go unseen and unreported due to confusion regarding the rules of the complex, the responsibilities of management, and general inaccessibility by city entities.

Retaliation from a property manager or landlord is a similarly complicated issue to address. While you may file a complaint with the Fair Housing Office if you think your rights are being violated, the Department of Housing and Urban Development overall is notoriously difficult to contact about a complaint. Dallas Weekly was unable to get a hold of anyone from the department for this article. Regardless, it’s important to cover your bases legally by keeping physically written correspondence with your property manager/landlord via certified mail.

“People experiencing health or safety issues, they need to request a repair or remedy,” said Farwah Raza, an attorney working with Legal Aid of Northwest Texas. “Everything must be put into writing, so tenants will need to send out a certified letter to the landlord outlining what needs to be done. This is to show that you’ve been contacting them and have given them sufficient time to complete the repairs. As written in the specific code applying to this, you need to make the repair request at the place you pay your rent. There, you’d outline whatever the problem you’re having is.”

While residents citing issues threatening their peaceful enjoyment of their property may face retaliation from residential management, proof of retaliation is more often utilized as evidence showing wrongdoing as a supporting factor in an action or a defense than the primary allegation in a lawsuit.

“Retaliation is not something you can necessarily sue for. It’s more commonly used as a defense, say, in an eviction.” “That way, if you’re sued for a lease violation or unpaid charges – in the case that your landlord hiked up your rent – you can provide the judge a more full perspective of the situation.”

While retaliatory actions have lessened, Hickory Trace’s trash and waste management services have still not disposed of old garbage and continue to pile bulk trash at the dumpster directly outside Flordeisha’s residence.

“Same story, different day,” Moore says. “[I had] Halloween trash, Thanksgiving trash, and Christmas trash for another year.”

With a combination of low accessibility of 311 services and tenant law that has been long established with no updates despite new factors arising in various contexts, gated complexes effectively privatize their physical spaces. As porters and office associates employed by apartment and housing complexes handle facilities such as trash, maintenance, and parking, this further isolates tenants from protections and services they could potentially attain in the public sphere.

Development in Redbird continues. Ambitious projects, like the new Red Bird Mall undertaken by local real estate mogul Peter Brodsky, exist primarily by design to draw middle-class residents to the neighborhood. And while residential complexes continue to sprout up to accommodate a newer, more privileged community in the area, this slice of Southern Dallas is undergoing a transformation that leaves less affluent residents at the behest of private entities.

The post Blind Spots in Code Compliance Leave Complex Residents Vulnerable to Poorer Living Standards 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

2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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2 weeks 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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