Kelli Smith
@kellixsmith
Reporter covering criminal justice, healthcare, housing and more at The Lab Report Dallas. @dallasnews alumna. El Paso raised. 📩 [email protected].
🧵 Life news!: I’m leaving @dallasnews after 4.5 great years, but I’m not going far. I’m thrilled to announce I’m joining @SharonFGrigsby and @goodmoine at The Lab Report Dallas, an independent newsroom powered by the Child Poverty Action Lab. labreportdallas.org
Since last June, a surprising number of D-FW churches have weathered a scandal related to sexual abuse or misconduct. Can churches learn from this year of reckoning? @dallasnews dallasnews.com/news/faith/202…
DallasNews Corp. Board says its reviewing offer from Alden to buy The Dallas Morning News. Robert Decherd, DallasNews Corp. controlling shareholder says he favors moving forward with deal that allows Hearst to buy the company | @dallasnews: dallasnews.com/news/2025/07/2…
The full website goes live in the fall. We’ve hired @KellixSmith, one of Dallas' best reporters, as a staff writer. Email newsletters go out every Wednesday. We want to help Dallas understand what’s working, what’s not, and why. Join us! (Also it’s free.) labreportdallas.com/subscribe
🧵Fourish months ago, @SharonFGrigsby and I holed up in essentially a glass-doored closet and talked at each other until we could see the shape of a new publication. The Lab Report has a ways to go—website (the design rips), social accounts (yikes)—but we’re now running stories.
My Lab Report colleague @kellixsmith highlights in this thread the journalism we've begun to produce. I hope you'll sign up so you're among the first to see our exception—and free—work.
🧵Our first stories are out at The Lab Report Dallas! Leading up to our website launch, we're publishing a new piece every Wednesday to offer a look at the solutions-based journalism you can expect from us. These first two by @SharonFGrigsby and @goodmoine are must-reads. 👇
New: The FBI has arrested an 11th person in connection with July 4th attack at the ICE Detention center in Prairieland, Texas. 10 of the 11 people are being charged with attempted murder of federal officers. None of the suspects have been indicted dallasnews.com/news/crime/202…
NEW: For eight years, Kerr County sought help from Texas officials to pay for a $1 million early flood warning system. Twice, they were rejected. The third time the state agreed to chip in just 5% of the cost. With @keribla houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
59 people now confirmed dead from flooding in Kerr County, including 38 adults and 21 children. @dallasnews dallasnews.com/news/weather/2…
For my last @dallasnews story, I sat down with new Chief Daniel Comeaux and community and police leaders to ask how the ex-DEA leader can succeed amid a torrent of challenges here. “Dallas is gonna have to deal with me because I’m not going anywhere.” dallasnews.com/news/public-sa…
A bullet shattered a Dallas teacher’s glasses. Picking up the pieces has upended her life. Our @dallasnews story on how Columbia Renix is trying to figure out what comes next for her family after the Wilmer-Hutchins High School shooting: dallasnews.com/news/education…
Our team @dallasnews worked hard to publish a new (front-page!) story every day of the June 8-11 Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Dallas this year. Here's a round-up — and if you have been, thanks for following our work.