Channel 8 is reporting that Erika Perdue, a University Park woman who lives directly across from the Coffee Park playground, has been accused of collecting and distributing child pornography since 1999. Anybody know this woman? A Park Cities mom tells me that Channel 8′s headline describing her as a “socialite” is quite a stretch, despite Perdue’s reported screen name: “Classy Bitch.”

University Park’s annual Dive-In Movie series returns this summer, with The Smurfs kicking things off July 6.

Zookeeper will head to the Holmes Aquatic Center July 27, and the series concludes with The Muppets August 17.

In my spare time/when Dan lets me off the leash, I review movies for FrontRow. I would stack The Muppets up against almost any movie from the past year, so maybe save me a pool raft?

Admission is free, and the movies start at 9:15 p.m. For more info, check out the city’s website.

Just saw this on the police scanner’s Twitter:

RESCUE (Dallas) DFD Rescue Team working a rescue at a home in the 5600 blk of Stonegate. Scanner indicating child stuck in a laundry chute.

— DFW Police Scanner (@DFWscanner) May 31, 2012

More on it as we find out, but this is about a half-mile away from the Dallas-University Park border.

UPDATE: Andrew and Chris headed out, but missed the action. Here’s a photo of the scene, from DFW Scanner.

Back east, my favored mode of city-to-city transportation was bus. For $10 or $15 each way, I could get from DC to New York, Baltimore to Philly, whatever.

Originally, the Chinatown bus system was the only low-cost purveyor of bus travel. With those low costs came a shifty safety record, speed freak bus drivers forced to do four DC-NY runs in a day, and the occasional chance that you’d get left at the Molly Pitcher Rest Area off I95.

Then MegaBus came along with its European attitude and free wi-fi, then Greyhound subsidiary Bolt Bus, with its fancy “leg room” and “clean bathrooms.” The buses still arrived in the strange alleys of the East Coast’s Chinatowns, but I didn’t leave with a searing yearn for a tetanus shot.

Now, all of this can be yours. MegaBus announced Dallas service today, with routes to Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Del Rio, and San Angelo, as well as out-of-state stops in Memphis, Little Rock, and Norman. Oh, and the best thing? Routes start at $1 each way.

The sewer lines are old in Highland Park. Like, older than most of its residents. Some date back to World War II.

And that’s a problem, because old pipes are cracked pipes and cracked pipes leak sewage into yards, streams, and other places you don’t want to see sewage.

In an effort to find those holes and cracks, the town will implement a “smoke testing” procedure, beginning June 18. A company will come to Highland Park, fill the lines with smoke, and see where the smoke leaks out. From the town:

The method consists of blowing large volumes of smoke and air through a section of sewer line. Access to these sewer lines are granted by way of opening and entering sanitary sewer manholes and clean outs in streets, alleys, and easements. The smoke follows the path of least resistance to escape the sewer line which may come from various locations both indoor and outdoor.

The smoke should not enter your home unless you have defective plumbing or dried up drain traps. If you have seldom-used drains, such as unused bathrooms, guest house plumbing, up stair laundry drains, please pour water in them to fill the trap, which should prevent smoke from entering. Since building’s sewer plumbing is connected to Town’s main, some smoke will come out of your house’s roof vents. It is non-toxic, creates no fire hazard, and leaves no visible residue.

At no point will the company’s technicians have to enter your home or business. For more info, check out the town’s website.

This is a grill. It most likely did not cost $7,500.

Since its town hall renovation project came in nearly $4 million over budget, Highland Park officials have stuck their brains together, trying to figure out ways to drop that cost.

On Tuesday afternoon, officials presented a list to councilmembers of “modifications” that, if implemented, would reduce the cost. Ready for some fun?

Upon first glance, there’s a lot of technical stuff that might change: $230,000 cranes, standard in lieu of custom wood moldings, the elimination of a conference room. We’ll get to that stuff. First, though, let’s talk about outdoor patios.

Jump with me, if you want to live:

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Dallas Summer Musicals president Michael Jenkins doesn’t live in Oak Cliff — he’s in Turtle Creek — but the Oak Cliff Lions Club has just given him big kudos anyway, as recipent of this year’s Bill Melton Humanitarian Award. The title recognizes outstanding service, which in this case includes Jenkins’ efforts to give thousands of Dallas schoolchildren their first taste of live theater. He’s also worked with the Dallas Police Department to introduce high-risk kids to the world of performing arts.

Ebby Halliday, Tom Landry, Liz Minyard, Raymond Nasher , and T. Boone Pickens are some of the award’s past recipients — so in short, it’s no small thing.

Congrats!

Chris Young makes his season debut on Thursday. (Photo: San Diego Padres)

Former Highland Park two-sport star Chris Young’s road back to the majors will take another step forward on Thursday morning when the big right-hander starts for Buffalo, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets, against Columbus.

Young, a former Texas Ranger and San Diego Padre, is coming off shoulder surgery last May. He has been on the disabled list for the first 33 days of the season. He also celebrated his 33rd birthday just five days ago.

Young is 49-34 for his career with a 3.74 ERA and 675 strikeouts.

Lee Dell Thomas Jr., who fell to his death after an almost 15-hour standoff, has been identified as the suspect who took a box truck by knifepoint at the Adolphus Hotel in the 1300 block of Commerce Street  at 2:33 a.m. on Memorial Day.

Police said yesterday in a press conference that Thomas fell as SWAT approached him in the operator’s cabin of the crane. As he leaned out the window to spray officers with lubricant found in the cabin, he ended up with both legs outside of a window he had busted out earlier in the day. Before officers could get past the barricaded door of the cabin, Thomas was hanging from the crane and fell soon after.

SMU posted a statement yesterday about the aftermath of the incident. Here’s the leading sentence:

“While SMU is relieved that the situation involving a man occupying a crane at the Residential Commons site is resolved and that the threat of danger has passed, we are saddened by the loss of life that occurred.”

— SMU

Edit: The original title referred that the man jumped, when police stated he fell after spraying SWAT officers. Also, the actual location was at the Adolphus Hotel, not in Deep Ellum, as originally believed.

The Friends of the Lost Boys’ 5K Jambo fun-run is Thursday, and until 11:59 or so tonight, tickets are available at a discount ($25) online.

The race, which kicks off at SMU, will weave through University Park. Extras include a post-run picnic, live music from Highland Park High School trio JAW, face-painting, massages, and a raffle.

Need more details? Bradford Pearson talked the other day with Friends of the Lost Boys co-founder Deanna Charles about the nonprofit, the 5K, and the many young men it will benefit.