Dallas officials talk preparation plans ahead of snowy weather forecast ... and more news

It will be mostly sunny but chilly today with a high of 42. Clouds will move in this evening with a low of 30 expected. Of course the focus is really on tomorrow’s weather with a wintry mix of snow and sleet forecast for North Texas and temperatures hovering around the freezing mark all day. Dallas officials urged residents to stay off city streets once wintry weather hits North Texas as soon as late Wednesday and focus on protecting their pipes, pets, plants and people. Officials overseeing roads, public safety, homelessness response and other city infrastructure say preparations for snow and ice began Sunday amid frigid temperatures and are expected to ramp up starting Wednesday. ERCOT, the electrical grid operator for most of Texas, has issued a weather watch scheduled to last through Friday “due to forecasted cold weather across the ERCOT region, higher electrical demand, and the potential for lower reserves.” In other news, the U.S. Department of Justice has expanded its lawsuit over price fixing in the rental housing market, accusing a Dallas-based apartment management firm and five of the nation’s largest landlords of participating in algorithmic pricing schemes that drove up rents. And Jay Hartzell didn’t set out to leave the University of Texas’ flagship campus for a smaller private college in Dallas. But after SMU board members began aggressively recruiting him for their soon-to-be-vacant president job, Hartzell listened.  He will take over at SMU in June, capping the 30-year tenure of R. Gerald Turner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices