| 04/13/2001 One fatality in single-engine plane crash in Matagorda County
BAY CITY, Texas (AP) – Authorities today were investigating the crash of a single-engine aircraft 10 miles north of the Bay City Airport in Matagorda County. Four escape from Union County jail
EL DORADO, Ark. – Four Union County Jail inmates, including a man charged with capital murder, used a hacksaw to escape this morning, authorities said. UT regents, state lawmakers face off over excellence fund
AUSTIN – University of Texas System regents normally don't spend hours at the Capitol negotiating with lawmakers, especially over $16 million – pocket change in terms of higher education funding. But in recent weeks, some regents have been attempting to do just that, trying to get the UT System's smaller schools included in a bill that would provide $16 million for research at other state universities. Well rig blows out, injures three men
CARLSBAD, N.M. – A towering oil rig that erupted in flames, critically injuring three workers, burned for a second day today and could spew fire for another day, authorities said. Baseball, Aggies and award for Gorbachev but no hot dogs
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Getting a taste of Texas, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev took in a high school baseball game, spoke to students at Texas A&M University and picked up an award from fellow elder statesman George Bush. President returns to Texas after hectic week
WACO, Texas – His first foreign policy test behind him, President Bush and his family returned to their central Texas ranch for an Easter weekend of relaxation. Central Texas police crack 13-year-old murder case
SAN ANTONIO – More than a decade had passed since a fatal drive-by shooting, with the investigation stalled until Central Texas law officers received a tip. Texas energy company owed hundreds of millions in California
HOUSTON – Texas-based-Enron Corp.'s executives say financially troubled utility Pacific Gas & Electric Co. owes them $570 million, according to a letter to the utility's bankruptcy trustee. Park Service to ban jet skis
WASHINGTON – Only two more summers for jet skis in the national parks. The personal watercraft are to be banned in all national parks and recreation areas by Sept. 15, 2002, unless the Park Service can prove the machines don't harm the environment on a site-by-site basis. Bill aims to cover defense workers exposed to beryllium
SAN ANTONIO – Evidence that workers at Kelly Air Force Base handled beryllium has prompted a San Antonio lawmaker to craft a bill that would help Defense Department workers receive compensation if they become ill from exposure to nuclear materials. Web company sues to show execution
WASHINGTON – An Internet purveyor of sexually explicit material wants to provide a pay-per-view broadcast of Timothy McVeigh's execution, offering a live Web feed for $1.95. McVeigh says '97 report of confession is accurate
In a newly released book about the Oklahoma City bombing, Timothy McVeigh affirms the accuracy of a 1997 Dallas Morning News article that quoted a defense document in which he took credit for the crime. Bomb survivors praise plans for execution on TV
WASHINGTON – Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday that he decided to permit the closed-circuit telecast of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh's execution next month to help victims of the 1995 blast "close this chapter in their lives." Evaluation of student writings is sought
The University of Texas System is slowly moving forward with plans to test students on what they know before they graduate and could begin judging writing next spring, UT regents said this week. Beads of sweat, devotion
HULBERT, Okla. – The Cherokee bead-makers work without looking up. They've got a journey to document, and there are miles to go. For some kids, school might just have to wait
AUSTIN – Children who turn 5 after May 31 would not be eligible to start school in the fall beginning in 2002 under a bill awaiting debate in the Senate. Bill would tidy up record transfers
AUSTIN – When Rick Perry got a new job in December, he cleaned out the records at the lieutenant governor's office and transferred everything to his new office as governor. Hopes are high for airport plan, but will state let it fly?
AUSTIN – Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, has his own pilot program for the city of Austin. It would force the reopening of the city's old airport. 04/12/2001 Survivors, victims' families pleased with Ashcroft's decision
OKLAHOMA CITY – Survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing said today they are thankful they will be able to see Timothy McVeigh's execution on closed-circuit television and that seeing it as a group will allow them to support each other. Rig blows out, injures three
CARLSBAD, N.M. – An oil rig blew out this morning south of Brantley Lake State Park, bursting into flames and injuring three workers, one critically. Survivors, victims' relatives to watch McVeigh execution through close-circuit telecast
WASHINGTON – Attorney General John Ashcroft said today survivors and relatives of the Oklahoma City bombing victims will be allowed to watch Timothy McVeigh's execution on closed-circuit television. He said he wanted to help them "close this chapter of their lives." Life plus 50 years for rape, attempted murder
BENTON, La. – A man charged with raping an elderly Bossier City woman and later nearly killing a jailer during an escape was sentenced to life in prison plus 50 years Wednesday. Louisiana faces intense Texas rivalry
NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana is falling behind its major Texas rival in the race to capture the spoils of an approaching trade boom with Latin America, Port of New Orleans President Ron Brinson warned Wednesday. Man held without bail in estranged wife's burning
HOUSTON – A prosecutor says the man accused of tying up his estranged wife and setting her ablaze is on parole for a previous attack on her. Four arrested in vandalism to predominantly black church
TYLER, Texas – East Texas law officers have arrested four teenagers in connection with vandalism to a predominantly black church. More than two tons of marijuana found at border checkpoint
McALLEN, Texas – Border patrol agents found nearly 2 1/2 tons of marijuana hidden in a trailer full of watermelons ands onion that was traveling through a checkpoint. Boy's body found; teenager dies
GALVESTON, Texas – Deaths of a Houston boy and a Hitchcock teenager are the first drownings of the 2001 season for Galveston Island and peninsula, law officers say. Former Soviet leader talking to Aggies
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Two elder statesmen will renew acquaintances today when former President George Bush welcomes former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Texas A&M University, where Bush has his presidential library. Ashcroft to OK telecast of McVeigh execution
WASHINGTON – Attorney General John Ashcroft has decided to allow Oklahoma City bombing survivors and victims' families to watch the execution of Timothy McVeigh on a closed-circuit telecast, a government official said Wednesday. Noses are red
Achoo! If you're bugged by allergies, Houston isn't the best place to call home. State industries get a little cleaner
Industries' toxic pollution jumped 5 percent nationwide in 1999 but fell in Texas, federal officials said Wednesday. The government released its annual Toxics Release Inventory report, which lets the public track industries' chemical releases into the environment. Authorities raid video-slot parlors
TYLER – Nine video-slot parlors were raided Wednesday in Henderson County, capping a three-month undercover investigation that accuses the operators of paying off in illegal cash prizes. Perry: State should spend estate tax for now
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry said Wednesday he agrees with President Bush that the federal estate tax is unfair but said the state should keep spending its share of the tax while the law is in place. Texas executions: Is a stay in store?
AUSTIN – Executions could be halted for two years while a study is conducted of the death penalty process in Texas, under a proposal a Senate committee passed on Wednesday. Insurance bill starts small
AUSTIN – Nearly 160,000 employees in small school districts would be included in a state health insurance plan, while another 400,000 from larger districts would receive state money to help pay insurance bills and other medical expenses under a House measure unveiled Wednesday. Under the Dome
• Drivers: Senate OKs bill aimed at gasoline thieves
• Health: Lawmaker seeks better pay at nursing homes
• Education: Panel backs bill raising tuition at universities
• Babies: Senate OKs registry that screens sitters Bill would keep felons from crime profits
AUSTIN – Felons would be unable to make a profit on their crimes by selling memorabilia and other items related to the crime under legislation the Senate passed Wednesday. Judge criticized for DA role retires
A longtime West Texas judge who had been a subject of recent criticisms for allowing prosecutors in his district to help arrange defense attorneys for poor people accused of crimes has abruptly retired. Ecstatic Texas families await released sons' homecoming
HOUSTON – Tilda Young screamed with happiness when she answered the phone about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and heard her son's voice: "Hey, Mom ..." 04/11/2001 Clearing skies, wind in store after early storms rake D-FW area
Storms that passed through the Dallas-Fort Worth area early today should be gone by lunch time, the National Weather Service said. Three die as car hits bus stop in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO – Three people died Tuesday when burglary suspects fleeing police at speeds exceeding 96 mph smashed through a city bus stop then careened into a parking lot, hitting another vehicle, police said. His words carry weight
The key to becoming a Lone Star icon, says Sonny Ray Stolz, is to listen to your inner Tex. "Big Tex has been inside me all my life, wanting to get out," he said. Ashcroft leaning toward telecast of McVeigh execution for survivors
OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft signaled Tuesday that he favors allowing survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing and victims' relatives to witness Timothy McVeigh's execution by closed-circuit television. Indigent defense bill passes Senate
AUSTIN – The Senate, seeking to bolster legal representation for the poor in Texas, embraced a bill Tuesday to set statewide standards for court-appointed attorneys and provide nearly $20 million over the next two years to help counties pay for indigent defense. DPS joins video-slot battle
State law enforcement officials have begun working with Dallas County authorities to stem the spread of illegal video slot parlors. Capitol Gallery: Relationship is based on sex, drugs and fairness
AUSTIN – Put it in the strange bedfellows category: One of the most conservative House members has joined with one of the most progressive in the name of contraceptive equality. And you can chalk it up, all tittering aside, to Viagra. Senate OKs drug plan
AUSTIN – Nearly 750,000 senior citizens across Texas may be able to buy prescription drugs at lower prices under a measure passed Tuesday by the Senate. House passes budget, but issues unresolved
AUSTIN – The House passed its $109.7 billion version of the state's next budget on Tuesday but left decisions on tough fiscal issues to be resolved later in a conference committee. House members batted around the proposed state budget for three hours before passing the plan without signifigant changes. Securing broadcast would be a priority
WASHINGTON – If Attorney General John Ashcroft permits a closed-circuit broadcast of Timothy McVeigh's execution for survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, someone out there may attempt to break through the government's security and hack into the broadcast signal. 04/10/2001 Houston man is new voice of Big Tex
Sonny Ray Stolz, 54, a media/marketing consultant from Houston, will be the new voice of Big Tex when the State Fair of Texas opens Sept. 28. Senate passes bill setting indigent defense standards
AUSTIN – Court-appointed attorneys in Texas would have to be appointed within a week and meet minimum statewide standards under a bill approved today by the state Senate. The Texas Fair Defense Act would also for the first time set aside up to $19 million to help counties pay for the legal representation of poor defendants. Three killed in San Antonio bus stop accident
SAN ANTONIO – A car containing burglary suspects crashed into a bus stop south of downtown after police tried to get the car to pull over today, killing two pedestrians and the car's driver, police said. Attorney General Ashcroft meeting with bombing victims
OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said today a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial has improved his understanding of the nation's worst terrorist act, and he pledged to honor the victims. About 250 survivors and victims' relatives want to see Timothy McVeigh die by injection for the bombing. Commission adopts new pipeline safety measure
AUSTIN – The Texas Railroad Commission unanimously adopted a pipeline integrity testing rule today that strengthens the state's pipeline safety program. The rule applies to intrastate natural gas transmission lines, intrastate hazardous liquid lines and jurisdictional gathering lines. Taxi driver accused of capital murder found dead of a heart attack
AUSTIN – An Austin taxi driver who faced two capital murder charges has died in his Travis County jail cell, authorities said Monday. A medical examiner determined Wayne Lambert Jr., 54, who was charged last year in the deaths of two customers, died after suffering a heart attack. Pipeline giant to pay $20 million in pollution case
CORPUS CHRISTI – Oil pipeline giant Koch Industries Inc. agreed Monday to pay $20 million in exchange for the federal government dropping all environmental charges against the company. Koch pleaded guilty to a new charge of falsifying a document filed by subsidiary Koch Petroleum Group. Under the dome Convicted murderer's sentence commuted by Oklahoma governor
OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Frank Keating commuted the death sentence of convicted murderer Phillip Dewitt Smith on Monday to life in prison without parole. It was the first death-row commutation in 35 years in Oklahoma. Mr. Smith had been convicted of the 1983 beating death of Matthew Taylor at Mr. Taylor's apartment in Muskogee. Bill targets rooms-by-the-hour
BATON ROUGE, La. – Cheap hotels that play host to prostitutes and drug abusers may soon be prevented from renting rooms by the hour. A House committee on Monday approved a bill by Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, requiring that hotels and motels rent rooms for no less than 24 hours at a time. Vandals sought in racist graffiti at church
ATHENS, Texas – The FBI and the Henderson County sheriff's office are trying to determine who vandalized the predominantly black Mount Moriah Baptist Church over the weekend. A new flag flap: Should LSU fly Taiwan colors?
BATON ROUGE, La. – A fight over whether Taiwan's flag should hang on the campus of Louisiana State University has pitted Chinese students against Taiwanese students and the school's administration. Around Texas and Southwest
• Texas: Racist graffiti painted on church near Athens
• Oklahoma: McVeigh will be allowed bid for appeal in last hours
On top of her cursework
TEMPE, Ariz. – Network executives and World Wrestling Federation officials swear by this Arizona student. But if they do, she will most assuredly bleep them out. Senate ponders teacher insurance
AUSTIN – Public school employees would have fully funded individual health insurance and be offered up to five levels of coverage under the preliminary draft of a teacher health insurance bill unveiled Monday. Rising welfare rolls concern state
AUSTIN – The days of ever-shrinking welfare rolls have come to an end.
After years of decline, the number of welfare caseloads in Texas is rising. 04/09/2001 Committees present draft insurance plans for school employees
AUSTIN – Legislators are trying to iron out the details of two distinct statewide health insurance plans for public school employees. Government drops all environmental charges against Koch Industries
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – All federal environmental charges against petrochemical giant Koch Industries Inc. were dropped Monday as both sides agreed to a new obstruction charge and a $20 million settlement, a company spokesman said. Families of Texan spy plane crew members wait for word
HOUSTON – The second week of the standoff between China and the United States over a spy plane and its 24 crew members brought neighbors of a Texas detainee closer together. 'Everyone has a mission'
TULSA, Okla. – When she was 6, Anita Marie Boyd saved her three younger brothers from a burning house. She carried the youngest, a baby, and led 2-year-old Paul and 4-year-old Dale to a neighbor's house as flames tore through their Tulsa home. Police: Shots interrupted meal, briefly
COVINGTON, La. – A man shot another customer in a St. Tammany Parish restaurant, then continued eating breakfast, police said. William King, 58, was arrested at the Dianne's Grocery and Deli near Covington on Saturday morning. Manuel "Manny" Lloyd, 49, was lying on the floor nearby with a gunshot wound to the chest. Stakes high in American suit
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It's a court case involving seven lawyers, dozens of assistants sitting in court in rows behind them, with millions of dollars at stake. In the scheme of civil litigation, Nancy Chu's case against American Airlines is big. David McLemore: Letting the air out of wild tubers
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – This summer, you can still plan on enjoying a cold beer as you float down the Guadalupe on an inner tube. But plan on being on your best behavior. And please, put that cigarette out. Under his watchful eye
AUSTIN – The older man with gray hair and spectacles sits at the far end of the House quietly watching the whirlwind around him with the confidence of a grandfather at a family reunion. Hardly anyone goes by Rep. Paul Moreno without shaking his hand, patting him on the back or kissing him on the cheek. Often there are whispers, followed by hearty laughs. Law clerk bills go two ways
AUSTIN – Lawmakers paid attention when an Austin prosecutor warned that law clerks for Texas Supreme Court justices might violate the bribery statute by accepting hiring bonuses – up to $35,000 – from firms with cases before the court. Suit over fatal hogtying goes to trial in Houston
HOUSTON – Darryl Robinson spent his last moments more than six years ago hogtied, his ribs broken, outside a Dillard's department store after an altercation with a store manager, security guards and Houston police. Hip-hop class a hit at A&M
COLLEGE STATION – The last place one might expect a course about hip-hop culture is Texas A&M University. But English professor Finnie Coleman has taken his love of the musical genre and transformed it into a course that debuted this spring. His is among the most ethnically diverse classrooms at A&M, where the majority of students and faculty are white. 04/08/2001 Merger failed, but FPL executives keep merger bonuses
NEW ORLEANS – FPL Group's failed merger with Entergy Corp. was a bust for the Florida utility's shareholders, but FPL's top executives exited the deal like lottery players who just hit the jackpot. Third trial in American Airlines crash continues
LITTLE ROCK – Seven lawyers, dozens of assistants sitting in rows behind them, and millions of dollars at stake. In the scheme of civil litigation, Nancy Chu's case against American Airlines is big. As the Little Rock plane crash victim's trial enters its second week, it is difficult for the ordinary person to find a seat amid the rows of law firm employees using laptop computers and other high-tech gizmos. Around Texas & Southwest
• Texas: Rare book missing from UT turns up in auction
• Texas: Death-row inmates held an average of 10 years
• Louisiana: Dallas woman admits running down husband
• Texas: INS faulted for not protecting workers from TB
• Texas: San Antonio air base cuts 2,000 workers Oklahoma 1st lady launches race
TULSA, Okla. – Oklahoma first lady Cathy Keating pledged to mix bedrock Republican ideals with a personal desire to help others in announcing Saturday that she will run for Congress. Court to rule on retrial request
BEAUMONT, Texas – An appeals court will deliberate for several weeks on whether to grant a new trial to Shawn Berry, who was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the June 1998 dragging death of James Byrd Jr. in Jasper County. Making a whirl of difference
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – Andrea Rivard kicked off her open-toed heels, rolled up her boot-cut jeans and asked Margaret McKee to dance. Just a quick lesson, Andrea said, on how to waltz. Ms. McKee could teach her. Much-canceled gambling cruise finally floats
GALVESTON – After eight canceled cruises, Talisman Cruise Lines' gambling ship finally made it out of port on its maiden voyage. Judges don't always rule
AUSTIN – Even the harshest critics of Texas' indigent defense system find a kind word to say about the way attorneys are appointed in Travis County. What sets the Travis County system apart from other Texas counties is that although judges still have input, the appointment process has been removed from their direct control. DA-judge setup adds fire to defense debate
LAMESA, Texas – Ricky Smith not only prosecutes people accused of crimes, he also arranges attorneys for defendants who can't afford one. The district attorney and his staff routinely contact lawyers to notify them of defendants who need representation and ask if they will accept the assignment. Legislators make case for system reform
State lawmakers are considering bills that would improve legal representation for poor people accused of crimes, but advocates for reform caution that the measures are not an overhaul of a system that has sometimes been the laughingstock of the nation. Sam Attlesey: Gutter ball already rolling in governor's race
AUSTIN – Smear campaigns. Private eyes. An anonymous threatening letter. Gay bashing and questions about group sex. Oh, boy. The 2002 governor's race is off and running and in the gutter from the get-go. Warplane rises again from ashes
TYLER – A retired pilot and two crewmen have refurbished – for the second time – a World War II plane that burned last year in a Hawkins hangar. The 1943 Catalina flying boat, known as a PBY-5A, is headed to a museum in Australia after a fire nearly obliterated the aircraft that took nearly three years to restore with the help of crew members Edwin Haire and Ernie Smith 700 tribes to powwow in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– Nearly 3,000 Indian artists, dancers and singers from the United States and Canada will converge on Albuquerque this month to celebrate the culture and history of the continent's oldest inhabitants. The Gathering of Nations is expected to attract more than 100,000 people at the 18th annual powwow April 26-28. Spring's promise
MORRILTON, Ark. – The tiny purple, white and yellow wildflowers sprouting among the tree trunks blackened by last summer's wildfires serve as a sign that Petit Jean State Park is ready for spring visitors. "We are definitely ready for business," said park interpreter Steven Dunlap. "It's really starting to change." Waning onion king still seeking power
McALLEN, Texas – Onion king, church deacon, legendary boss of one of the fastest growing cities in the nation – Othal Brand used to have it all. Now, at 81, his giant produce empire shrunken, his church-building days behind him, he wants at least one title back: mayor of McAllen. Louisiana plant to burn last of napalm-based fuel
BATON ROUGE, La. – The last loads of a napalm-based fuel will be burned at a Baton Rouge plant next month, about two years after an environmental dispute erupted over using it to fire boilers. The Rhodia plant near Southern University burns the waste in its sulfuric acid recycling business. Bills would control video in nursing homes
Thor Hallen suspected his mother was being abused in an Austin nursing home but couldn't prove it. So he hid a camcorder in Maurine Hallen's room and caught staffers on tape throwing the 88-year-old woman into a chair and cursing at her. Using video cameras – visible or hidden – is not prohibited by Texas law, but some nursing homes routinely prohibit them in their admissions contract or discharge residents caught using them. Island blossoms with fresh water
GRAND ISLE, La. – Barbara Wellman no longer has to save the water that drips from her air conditioners to water her garden anymore. Such drudgery is a memory for Ms. Wellman and her neighbors one year after Grand Isle turned on the tap to its 2 million-gallon waterline, ending years of seasonal water shortages and forced rationing. Fresco dream
The Rev. Malcolm Neyland, pastor of two small Catholic churches in West Texas, went to Rome for the first time 13 years ago. He marveled at the treasure trove of historic artwork inside the world-famous Vatican Museums. Almost immediately, an improbable dream swept over him. He would persuade the formidable Vatican bureaucracy to release some of the museum's riches and allow him to bring them to the High Plains of Texas for an exhibition in Lubbock. Waning wildlife habitat worries raptor tracker
McALLEN, Texas – A scientist who tracks bird migrations through the Rio Grande Valley with Doppler radar says he believes that some species are in decline because of wildlife habitat destruction in South America. Almanac facts 04/07/2001 Austin Police officer injured
AUSTIN – An Austin police officer who responded to a domestic violence call at a home in northeast Austin was injured Saturday. Woman faces 40 years in prison for running down husband
MANSFIELD, La. – A Dallas woman who ran down and killed her husband on Interstate 49 faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Lalette Johnson, 26, entered the plea Friday before State District Judge Steve Beasley. She had been scheduled to stand trial Monday. Final cut of 2,000 jobs at Kelly will leave skeleton crew of 200 until base closes in July
SAN ANTONIO – Kelly Air Force Base cut 2,000 jobs today in the fourth and final slashing of workers, leaving a skeleton crew of 200 to act as caretakers of the 85-year-old facility until it closes. Kelly, which served the country during five wars, will close July 13. Man accused of raping 4-year-old at day-care center
COVINGTON, La. – A Slidell man has been accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl at a day-care center his mother operates out of their home, sheriff's investigators said. Winston Baker, 19, was booked late Friday on a charge of aggravated rape and jailed in lieu of $500,000 bond. Under Louisiana law, rape of a person under the age of 12 can be punished by death. Oklahoma's first lady announces congressional bid
TULSA, Okla. – Oklahoma first lady Cathy Keating pledged to take bedrock Republican principles to Congress in announcing today that she will run for the 1st Congressional District seat. Mrs. Keating said her experience as first lady and as a former business owner, community volunteer, wife and mother qualified her for the job. Liftoff: Mars Odyssey en route to Red Planet
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Mars Odyssey spacecraft rocketed away today on a 286 million-mile journey to the Red Planet and what NASA hopes will be a mission of redemption. It is the space agency's first launch to Mars since a pair of humiliating failures in 1999.< Police tighten security at Black Springbreak 2001
BILOXI, Miss. – Police blocked roads and increased their patrols around Biloxi and Gulfport as students began arriving for an event known as Black Springbreak 2001. After complaints about loud and unruly crowds at last year's event and the police shooting of a 20-year-old man during a struggle over a gun, police officials contacted their counterparts in Daytona Beach, Fla., Galveston, Texas, and Atlanta for advice on spring break crowd control. Cruise ship for gamblers finally sets sail
GALVESTON, Texas – After eight canceled cruises, Talisman Cruise Lines' gambling ship finally made it out of port on its maiden voyage. It took more than two years to get the ship on its way, said Talisman senior partner Francisco Tejeda. Island resident Sandra Oates won $600 playing slot machines. Oklahoma, Texas feel punch of strong storms
Strong storms blew through parts of the Texas Panhandle, North Texas and western Oklahoma Friday evening, prompting tornado warnings and causing some damage as they moved rapidly to the northeast. W. Texan's road sign ruled protected speech
AUSTIN – There's no silencing Pat Barber, at least not on his property. The West Texas lawyer won a round in his free speech fight with Texas officials this week when an appeals court ruled that forcing him to remove a sign from private property along a highway violated his First Amendment rights. Call the swat team
Texas scientists who track mosquitoes are issuing a call to arms ... and legs ... and necks. Those bug doctors say now is the time to break out the can of insect repellent because those pesky bloodsuckers are back – with a vengeance. Around Texas and Southwest Tycoon's space ride may be rescheduled
HOUSTON – Even as a dispute persists over Russian plans to fly a millionaire tourist to the International Space Station, NASA and Russian flight controllers have agreed on steps to avoid conflict between their flight and an upcoming U.S. space shuttle mission, officials said Friday. Bodies to be exhumed in hospital-deaths inquiry
WICHITA FALLS – The bodies of an unknown number of people will be exhumed from Montague County and elsewhere as part of an investigation into what authorities have called an unusually high number of deaths at a North Texas hospital. Global warming tips all around, researcher says
COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M University climate researcher Gerald North offered two reasons Friday to take global warming forecasts seriously: Dallas in 2000 and Galveston in 1900. Outside review concurs with prisons' escape study
Authorities released two independent reports Friday on Texas prisons, repeating the findings of an in-house study on the escape of seven convicts and suggesting security changes. Houston blood banks feel squeeze
HOUSTON – Tony and Sissy Boase can't understand why Houston-area blood banks are nearly running on empty. Businessmen: Less is more
HOUSTON – The government-imposed plan to clean Houston's air is based on questionable science and should be changed to achieve clean air while doing less damage to the local economy, business and industry experts told a group of congressmen Friday. State help urged to battle slots
Dallas County legislators, concerned about the lack of prosecutions against illegal gaming parlors, are asking the state attorney general to help combat the spread of video slot machines. |
