Sherin Mathews inspires law proposal, twist of the knife-maker, Dallas sports woe, Your Monday's morning roundup

February 05,  2018 By Todd Davis Good morning! Here is a look at the top headlines as we start the day. 🌧️ Weather: Highs in the mid-50s by the afternoon with a 40 percent chance of rain tonight. Super Bowl LII: [Eagles 41, Patriots 33]( Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Todd Begg poses for a photograph at his shop where he crafts knives in Dallas. (Rose Baca/Staff Photographer) texana One of America's best knife makers came to Texas to restart life and fight for his art Over the past three decades, 46-year-old Todd Begg has slowly built his reputation within the exotic world of custom knife-making, a culture that values longevity and a unique artistic vision over mass-produced merchandise. Begg will spend hundreds of hours hunched over just one of his creations, working at it until it's just right. He decided to team up with his half-brother, Skaggs, and another partner in a business based outside San Francisco called Pride in Making Products. The partnership fizzled, and a year ago, Todd Begg decided to strike out on his own again. [In November, the Dallas craftsman filed suit in federal court in the Northern District of California](. At stake is the rights to his own name, Todd Begg, and the brand long associated with his work: Todd Begg Knives. “It’s sad. The whole situation is sad,” Begg said. "It’s heartbreaking.” Unpacking history: Beautiful, weird and rare books from [The DMN's Texana collection](. Curious Texas: [What's with all the 'Barton' names in Texas?]( You can trace it to the man some called "The Daniel Boone of Texas." Give it a rest: Why do Texans love Buc-ee's? [5 reasons haters should come around]( SPECIAL OFFER [Get unlimited digital access for $2.99 a week]( crime Sherin Mathews 'may have been alive today' with law proposed by D-FW duo Stung by the tragic death of Sherin Mathews, two North Texas women want to make it a felony for a parent — and in some cases, any adult — to go more than an hour before reporting that a child is injured, missing or dead. [Reena Bana and Shanna Poteet Rivera said they hope their proposed legislation — which they call "Sherin's Law" — will prevent deaths like Sherin's](. Authorities say the 3-year-old Richardson girl died of "homicidal violence," and her parents face charges in connection with her slaying. "What this is going to do is keep people on their toes," Bana said. "This is giving people more accountability to take action, and it's helping out cases like this from happening more often." Why no murder charge? When a child dies, there is often a public outcry for the maximum charge, but[in some cases, it doesn't fit](. Find more: [See all of]([The Dallas Morning News]([' coverage]( of the disappearance and death of Sherin Mathews. Nicolasa Sandoval votes at precinct 4069 in Winnetka Elementary School in Dallas on Nov. 8, 2016. (Nathan Hunsinger / Staff Photographer) education Conservative group casts wide net to find Texas school districts that get political One of the state’s most influential conservative groups has fired the latest salvo in the battle on how much a school district can do to mobilize voter turnout among its students and employees. [The group, Empower Texans, mailed letters to school district employees across Texas last week](, asking for them to become “whistleblowers” against districts that overstepped their bounds to “accomplish political objectives.” “Alert!” the letter from Empower Texans’ counsel Tony McDonald began. “Some school districts across the State of Texas are vowing to illegally misuse school district recourses [sic] to electioneer for liberal candidates in upcoming elections.” Teacher advocates labeled the letter “ridiculous” and “offensive,” calling it the latest in an effort to suppress voter turnout among the state’s educators. Getting the word out: [AÂ]([Baptist preacher's crusade]( against 'sinful' school vouchers steps on Texas GOP leaders' toes. Texans, get ready to vote: What you need to know about [the March primary elections](. Advertisement People look at You Make My Heart Sing by Maia Pizarro on Feb. 3, 2018. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News)aption Photo of the Morning El Corazón, an annual tradition at the Bath House Cultural Center, is an art exhibition honoring the human heart in a variety of concepts and styles. The 2018 presentation continues through March 17. Around The Site - That sick feeling: [White Rock Montessori School will be closed]( Monday and Tuesday for sanitizing after multiple reports of the flu. - Crook strikes 12: [A dozen Dallas police squad cars]( were smashed by a suspect with sledgehammer in Deep Ellum, officials say. - But can we ski on it? State's [first new reservoir in 30 years]( will supply water to rapidly growing North Texas. - Anything left? The Rangers are in talks with [pitcher Bartolo Colon]( about a minor league deal for what could be his 22nd season. - Food for thought: [Layne's Chicken Fingers](, famous among Texas A&M students, now open in Allen/Plano area. - Missing man: He was last seen without shirt or shoes in Southeast Dallas and could be a danger to himself, [police say](. - Obituary: [Richard Wainscott](, the electrical technician who became the 'voice of railroad collection,' dies at 66. The Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) gestures after hitting a 3-pointer in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. The Rockets won, 104-97. (Louis DeLuca / Staff Photographer) Finally... Dallas, we have a problem: Rockets, Astros leave Rangers, Mavs in the dust Does it feel like the balance of sports power in Texas has suddenly shifted south? From the looks of the standings, it sure looks like Houston's ahead these days, [writes columnist Kevin Sherrington](. The Astros didn't just win a World Series, they gave every indication it might get to be a habit. The lineup is lousy with young, exciting two-way players. And remember back in 2014, when Mark Cuban clashed with the Rockets' Daryl Morey in what the New York Post called a "nerdy NBA rivalry," and we wondered which geek genius would win? I'm no built-from-the-bottom-up billionaire, but it sure seems like the Rockets' plan beats the Mavs'. The good news for Dallas, I suppose, is that the Cowboys are still better than the Texans, FC Dallas is better than the Dynamo and we have a hockey team. AdVERTISEMENT 👋 That's all for this morning! For up-to-the-minute news and analysis, check out [DallasNews.com](. 💖 Share the love! If you like this newsletter, please forward this email to a friend and [check out our other newsletters here](. 📧 Do you have feedback? 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