Keep It Green

Sundance Square vows to save billions of CO2 pounds with clean energy

Saving the earth, one block at a time.

Photo courtesy of Sundance Square

Locals and visitor alike know that Sundance Square is one of Fort Worth's best places to go for top-notch restaurants, trendy shopping, and tons of family-friendly activities.

But what most people don't know is that the entirety of Sundance Square — all 35 blocks and 42 buildings of it — is powered by 100 percent renewable energy thanks to Green Mountain Energy.

This partnership first began in 2008, and in 2017 Sundance Square upgraded from 50 percent to 100 percent. It's currently contracted to run through 2024, though its massive success makes it likely to continue long after that.

"As companies seek out environmentally friendly developments for new retail and office spaces, Sundance Square is at the top of the list," says Sundance Square CEO and president Johnny Campbell. "We have created a business, entertainment, and residential district that focuses on being a good steward of our environment, and Green Mountain Energy has been a big part of this endeavor."

While the 100 percent part certainly sounds impressive, the program's impact is even greater. It allows Sundance Square to avoid approximately 8.4 billion pounds of carbon dioxide through 2023, which is like planting more than seven million trees.

In addition to cleaner energy, the Square also works hard at its recycling efforts. Plastic bottles, aluminum cans, copy paper, cardboard boxes, newspapers, and other materials are recycled throughout the development.

With 42 buildings in Sundance Square and nearly four million square feet of retail, residential, and office space, that amounts to approximately 750 tons of waste being recycled every year.

"Green Mountain Energy is excited to continue our partnership with Sundance Square as we celebrate 20 years of providing homes and businesses with the choice of clean electricity," says Mark Parsons, vice president and general manager of Green Mountain Energy. "Sundance Square is the perfect showcase for the impact a business can have when they choose renewable energy, and we hope others in the region are inspired by them to protect our environment."

Sundance Square remains Texas' largest green power purchaser in the real estate industry. Since its founding 1997, Green Mountain Energy customers have collectively helped avoid more than 59.6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

promoted sustainability

Death Penalty

Tarrant County man gets death for murder of convenience store owner

Tarrant County Sheriff's Office

Christopher Turner

A man received the death penalty for his 2020 cold-blooded execution of a convenience store owner.

According to a release from the office of Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a Tarrant County jury sentenced Christopher Karon Turner, 48, to death on November 20 for executing convenience store owner Anwar Ali during a robbery. Tarrant County Assistant District Attorneys Charles Boulware and Allenna Bangs represented the state.

On March 27, 2020, at around 6:15 am, Turner, a convicted felon, wore a surgical mask and a glove and entered the Super Big Country Mart in an unincorporated area of Tarrant County south of Fort Worth. There, he held a gun to the back of Anwar Ali, the 62-year-old store owner, and walked him through the store.

Ali did everything Turner demanded, including opening the cash register to give him money. And yet Turner forced Ali into the bathroom and onto his knees, and shot him in the neck. Ali was discovered, dead in the bathroom, about an hour later.

Turner fled the store in Ali's Toyota minivan with the money from the register and Ali's wallet. In the van, he found more than $50,000 cash in a black bag. Over the next few days, Turner went on a shopping spree, buying cars, jewelry, drugs, clothes, and more. He and others used cash and a credit card that belonged to Ali.

Turner fled to Colorado where U.S. Marshals arrested him. On his body they found a firearm which was determined to be the murder weapon.

"This was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder," Boulware told the jury. "From the moment he was charged with this crime, he has tried to escape responsibility."

Bangs noted that before this trial began, Turner obtained the names of jurors and their telephone numbers, and gave them to an inmate charged with murder. At the trial on November 20, as Bangs addressed the jury, Turner tried to hold up a sign to the jury but was handcuffed by Sheriff's deputies who removed him from the courtroom, while he yelled out "she lied."

Ali came to the United States from Pakistan decades ago to pursue the American dream. Ali's son, Hussein, spoke in the courtroom after the death penalty was announced. "Thank you for giving us justice," Ali said. "I hope there are no more devils like this person."