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April 30 -- From glass eye to shrimp boat, volunteers gather lots of trash: AUSTIN (AP) -- Volunteers in this year's spring beach cleanup gathered nearly 138 tons of debris -- everything from a glass eye to a stolen shrimp boat.

April 30 -- Seven hurt in school bus wreck: ROCKWALL, Texas (AP) -- A school bus struck a car almost head-on today, injuring two students on their way to classes as well as a woman and four passengers in the vehicle.

April 30 -- Governor: Texas high-tech future bright and flat Compaq profits no cause for concern: HOUSTON (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush said Wednesday he was not concerned about recent flat earnings and workforce reductions at computer giant Compaq Corp. because he's confident the overall explosion of high-tech jobs in Texas will continue.

April 30 -- Man hauling load of marijuana killed in head-on collision: FABENS, Texas (AP) -- A man hauling more than 200 pounds of marijuana in his car was killed in a head-on collision he apparently caused as he sped along a two-lane rural road, a sheriff's official said Wednesday.

April 30 -- Morales' decision brings cries of protest: AUSTIN (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales' announcement that he won't appeal the Hopwood anti-affirmative action court ruling is drawing fire from civil rights leaders.

April 30 -- Couple in custody after six children found in squalor: CENTERVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A couple remained jailed without bond Wednesday on felony charges related to the discovery of six undernourished, filthy children two weeks ago. Authorities believe two of them were shackled for months at a time.

April 30 -- Residents: Inmates massacred oak trees: GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- Residents in northwestern Galveston County are upset about what they consider their local "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

April 30 -- Bomer allows less coverage on roofs in Dallas, Fort Worth area: AUSTIN (AP) -- Homeowners struggling to find affordable insurance in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are being given a new option. But Insurance Commissioner Elton Bomer is warning homeowners to carefully weigh their choices.

April 30 -- Smith introduces bill increasing visas for high-skilled foreign workers: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Heeding appeals from the computer industry, the chairman of the House immigration subcommittee on Wednesday proposed a temporary increase in the annual visa quota for high-skilled foreign professionals.

April 30 -- East Texas sheriff recalls tragic encounter with a troubled man: HEMPHILL, Texas -- Michael Severino wanted to die. But for whatever reason, he couldn't do it himself.

April 30 -- TAAS preparation is big business: HOUSTON (AP) -- Many students and educators hate the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills, but there's a whole cottage industry that simply loves it.

April 30 -- Bell County teacher arrested after showing loaded gun at school: WACO, Texas (AP) -- A middle school teacher faces a felony charge of unlawfully carrying a weapon on school premises after displaying a loaded handgun in a classroom in front of several of her colleagues.

April 30 -- Tarrant County man executed for 1988 fatal stabbing: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Condemned killer Frank McFarland was executed Wednesday evening for the rape-slaying of a Tarrant County woman who was stabbed 79 times in an attack 10 years ago.

April 29 -- Austin's new airport on schedule: AUSTIN (AP) -- Construction of Austin's new, $690 million airport is on time a year before the first passenger flights are scheduled to arrive.

April 29 -- Austin voters to decide on buying land, protecting water: AUSTIN (AP) -- A bond proposal that Austin officials say will protect water quality by buying land and development rights to 15,000 acres is drawing fire from critics who say the $65 million plan doesn't hold water.

April 29 -- American's changes include stepped up baggage-claim security at DFW: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- American Airlines is stepping up security at its baggage claims areas at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after airport police broke up what the say was an ongoing baggage theft operation.

April 29 -- More than 1,000 remember Tejano star Eloy Bernal: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Part concert, part revival, the funeral for Tejano star Eloy Bernal drew more than a thousand fans and family members.

April 29 -- Supreme Court rejects appeal, clears way for Wednesday execution in Tarrant County slaying: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected appeals for death row inmate Frank McFarland, clearing the way for Wednesday evening's execution of the Tarrant County man for the rape and fatal stabbing of a woman 10 years ago.

April 29 -- INS district director leaving strife-torn office, says move voluntary: DALLAS (AP) -- An Immigration and Naturalization Service district director is transferring from an office where infighting and accusations of discrimination have triggered a federal investigation, but says his move is voluntary.

April 29 -- Unemployment claims becoming a phone call away: AUSTIN (AP) -- Beginning Friday, unemployment benefits could be just a phone call away for some Texans.

April 29 -- Senator: Change lottery prize payout -- again?: AUSTIN (AP) -- Lottery officials told them it wouldn't work. But Texas legislators cut overall prizes last year as a way to increase the state's share of revenue from the numbers games.

April 29 -- Officer says Kentucky man ran toward them with crowbar: AUSTIN (AP) -- A crowbar-wielding man who had wandered away from a treatment facility was shot by Austin police after he kept advancing toward them, despite their warnings.

April 29 -- Marshall the heart of radio soul in Texas: MARSHALL, Texas -- Cruising the highways of East Texas, music lovers can experience a sound unheard in any other rural area of the state.

April 29 -- Hopwood plaintiff pushes for passage of national legislation: WASHINGTON (AP) -- A man whose lawsuit helped end the use of race in Texas university admissions was on Capitol Hill Tuesday to lobby for legislation that would prohibit the use of race-based admissions policies on campuses nationwide.

April 29 -- Testimony begins in case of man accused of strangling 6-year-old: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A police officer testified Tuesday that it is highly unlikely an intruder broke into a Gainesville home through a window to rape his estranged wife and kill his 6-year-old stepson.

April 28 -- 'Solid' attendance means First Thanksgiving festival will return: EL PASO, Texas (AP) - It looks like El Pasoans will be able to look forward to celebrating "Thanksgiving" for years to come. Thousands attended last weekend's Quadricentennial Festival commemorating the 400th anniversary of the so-called First Thanksgiving in America.

April 28 -- Secret millionaire leaves thousands to civic institutions: DALLAS (AP) - Mildred Alford once sent her maid back to the store because she forgot to use a 5 cent coupon when she bought a can of her favorite chicken noodle soup. "She didn't care that she would spend more money paying for her housemaid's gas to drive back to the store," said longtime neighbor Marian Norvell. "It was the spirit of being frugal that she mostly cared about."

April 28 -- Texas lawmakers powerless to resolve rail problems: AUSTIN (AP) - Texas lawmakers are powerless to address congestion problems stemming from the Union Pacific-Southern Pacific rail merger that some estimate are costing the state's economy $100 million per month.

April 28 -- Colonia could receive $1.9 million: AUSTIN (AP) - El Cenizo, a colonia 16 miles outside of Laredo, would get more than $1.9 million for housing and street improvements under an agreement that still must be approved by a bankruptcy court.

April 28 -- South Texas company agrees to $136,000 in OSHA fines: LOLITA, Texas (AP) - A South Texas plastic company has agreed to pay $136,000 in penalties for safety violations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Monday.

April 28 -- Group finds 1,000 little-regulated pollution sources across state: AUSTIN (AP) - More than 1,000 industrial plants in Texas produced unregulated air pollution in 1995, accounting for at least one-third of all industrial air pollution that year, a coalition of environmental groups said Monday.

April 27 -- Border agents wanted: Must like working outdoors, 100-degree weather: McALLEN, Texas (AP) - Border patrol agent Dave Grainger has a boast his police friends back home in Illinois can't match. "I don't know how many guys can say 'I seized 1,500 pounds of cocaine,' " he says. "They get excited when they catch a couple of ounces." That's one of the reasons Grainger thinks he's got one of the best jobs in law enforcement.

April 27 -- Houston affirmative action director quits over 'midget' remark: HOUSTON (AP) - The city's affirmative action director, already serving a three-day suspension for laughingly referring to a city councilman as a "midget," announced her resignation Sunday.

April 27 -- Trio of Brownsville teens found shot to death on backroad: BROWNSVILLE (AP) - Police are investigating the shooting deaths of three teen-agers found in a car parked along a trash-strewn backroad in east Brownsville.

April 27 -- Plane crash near Kerrville kills three: KERRVILLE (AP) - Three men died when their twin-engine airplane crashed two miles north of Kerrville Saturday night, officials said.

April 27 -- Hungry blackbirds plaguing Texas Gulf Coast rice growers: COLLEGEPORT, Texas (AP) - Twice a day like clockwork they swoop in to feed by the thousands in the hour or so just after sunrise and then in the hour or so before sunset.

April 27 -- An Appreciation: Norma Young's vision helped found regional theater: DALLAS -When Norma Young died recently at age 69, we lost the last of the great female pioneers of the Texas stage.

April 27 -- Spirit of boy in bubble lives on at school: THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Schools have been named after legendary scholars, renowned scientists and shuttle astronauts who ventured into the world to leave their mark.

April 27 -- Immune researchers inspired by David's spirit: THE WOODLANDS, Texas - Kathy Crews remembers meeting David Philip Vetter, a spunky 4-year-old in a plastic bubble who preferred chatting with her brother about baseball.

April 26 -- Helicopters clearing storm-ravaged forest: BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) -- Officials say that most of the storm ravaged trees in East Texas can't be saved by an ongoing East Texas helicopter airlift, but the operation might keep their loss from being in vain.

April 26 -- Judge weeds out grass suit: DALLAS (AP) -- A judge has mowed down a grass farmer's bid for protection under the state's "veggie libel law."

April 26 -- Harrelson to get hearing in bid for new trial in August: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Convicted hitman Charles Harrelson will get a hearing in Colorado in his bid to receive a new trial for the first contract murder of a federal judge in U.S. history.

April 26 -- Insanity plea works a second time for man charged with murder: HOUSTON (AP) -- For the second time in his life, a Houston man has escaped conviction for another person's death by pleading insanity, this time for shooting a woman in a grocery store.

April 26 -- Study: Minorities attending state universities other than Texas A&M, UT: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Minority students in Texas are still going to college in about the same numbers even though fewer are heading to the state's top universities, a study by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has found.

April 26 -- Missing atheist's Austin home up for sale: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Austin home of missing atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair is up for sale-- three years after she disappeared with her family.

April 26 -- Bill White says he won't run for re-election: AUSTIN (AP) -- State Democratic Party chairman Bill White announced Saturday he won't seek re-election in June, opening the door for the daughter of former Gov. Ann Richards to run for the post against former Republican Molly Beth Malcolm.

April 25 -- As airlines mingle marketing into mega-carriers, passengers may pay: DALLAS (AP) -- Some of the nation's largest airlines are aligning with one another in hopes of cutting costs at a time when Internet technology is letting travelers haggle over ticket prices.

April 25 -- Art from public school students brightens up blank-walled agency: AUSTIN -- As 9-year-old Max Kuehlem inspects a sculpture made from scrap metal, he can pick out its components: This piece looks like an old spring from a car, that segment resembles something from his go-cart, another could be a magnet.

April 25 -- Tejano superstar singer Eloy Bernal dies in bus crash: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Tejano superstar Eloy Bernal, a giant in the Hispanic music community, is dead after a traffic accident that injured his son and daughter.

April 25 -- Judge: former cadet's written confession admissible: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A former Air Force Academy cadet's written confession he shot and killed a high school classmate at his girlfriend's insistence can be admitted as evidence in his capital murder trial, a state district judge ruled Friday.

April 25 -- Ecotourism means big bucks for state, Rio Grande Valley: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- They're the kind of visitors who swoop in and swoop out, barely leaving a trace -- except for a nice wad of cash.

April 25 -- DA subpoenas jailhouse interview between writer, inmate who committed suicide: HOUSTON (AP) -- The Harris County district attorney's office has subpoenaed taped jail interviews between an Austin free-lance writer and a murder suspect who later committed suicide.

April 25 -- Politicians fear new NAFTA highway could divert trade: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Two of the city's top political leaders are looking warily at a provision in the federal highway bill that authorizes a study for a new West Texas NAFTA highway corridor that bypasses El Paso.

April 25 -- Walker Railey remarries in California: DALLAS (AP) -- Shortly after finalizing his divorce from the woman he was accused of choking nearly to death, an ex-minister who was acquitted in the attack has remarried.

April 25 -- Donna police investigate murder suspect's link to alleged satanic activities: DONNA, Texas (AP) -- Police investigating possible motives in the killing of a 12-year-old are even looking into the main suspect's link to alleged satanic activities.

April 25 -- Tribal leader denies reports of boycott; festival gets underway: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Reports the Tigua Indians are boycotting the city's Quadricentennial Festival are blowing the situation "all out of proportion," the tribe's governor said as the event got underway Friday.

April 25 -- Senator calls voucher idea a sham: AUSTIN (AP) -- A $50 million program to allow low-income students in a San Antonio school district to attend private schools was denounced by a state lawmaker Friday as a declaration of war on public education and an invitation for people to open unaccredited private campuses.

April 25 -- Extortionist executed for killing banker's wife in 1985: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Condemned Texas inmate Lesley Lee Gosch, who twice avoided the executioner's needle by winning last-minute reprieves, was executed Friday evening for killing a San Antonio-area banker's wife in a botched extortion attempt more than 12 years ago.

April 24 -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says United States wants something for nothing: HOUSTON (AP) -- The United States' reluctance to pay its United Nations tab is destroying trust with other nations, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday.

April 24 -- Rio Grande Valley wildlife refuge catalogs migrating birds: BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- A white eyed vireo is untangled from the net and brought to a shaded table at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge.

April 24 -- Nine banks pledge $1.5 billion to Southern Dallas: DALLAS (AP) -- Nine banks have pledged $1.5 billion to long-neglected southern Dallas for new home and business development and renovation efforts.

April 24 -- Insurance system needs fixing, commissioner says: AUSTIN (AP) -- In the last traffic jam you suffered through, as many as one of four motorists around you was illegally driving without insurance. Texas Insurance Commissioner Elton Bomer believes the number can be slashed.

April 24 -- Gov. George Bush briefly does Hollywood: BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Texas Gov. George W. Bush met with conservative Hollywood actors and executives Thursday, but still won't say if he's running for president in 2000.

April 24 -- Dallas County jail official fired over sexual misconduct allegations: DALLAS (AP) -- A top-ranking official of the Dallas County sheriff's department has been fired over allegations of sexual misconduct.

April 24 -- Rash of lotto winners keeping jackpots, sales down: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas Lottery workers are sort of torn these days.

April 24 -- Ranchers sue to stop trans-Texas gas pipeline: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Eight ranchers have sued to stop construction on a trans-Texas pipeline that would carry gasoline from the Gulf Coast to El Paso until an environmental impact study can be conducted.

April 24 -- Protest follows rape allegations: SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) -- Southwest Texas State University's handling of rape allegations against three black athletes is drawing protests from black students who say they face a hostile environment on campus.

April 24 -- Scouts chase, chop chickens for dinner: DALLAS (AP) -- Feathers flew as hatchet-wielding Boy Scouts caught, killed and dressed chickens for a campout dinner. Now the leaders of Troop 890 are being roasted for staging the slaughter.

April 24 -- 'Midget' remark earns suspension for Houston affirmative action director: HOUSTON (AP) -- Mayor Lee Brown suspended the city's affirmative action director Thursday for referring to a city councilman who is a dwarf as a "midget" and laughing about it during an appearance at a national mayors' conference.

April 23 -- Squabble over tobacco legal fees persists: HOUSTON (AP) -- Texas Attorney General Dan Morales remained convinced Wednesday that the state's $15.3 billion tobacco settlement would be in jeopardy if a dispute over the lawyers' fees was separated from the agreement.

April 23 -- Justice of the Peace election decided by coin toss: KINGSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- After a primary election, a runoff and a recount, the fate of two justice of the peace candidates came down to a tough decision -- heads or tails.

April 23 -- Man holds hand of dying girl after fiery crash: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- When Joel LeDon realized he couldn't save a 17-year-old girl who was trapped in her burning car, he did the only thing he could. He held her hand.

April 23 -- FCC pulls license of Texas station: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators ordered a Texas radio station's license revoked Wednesday, upholding a federal judge's finding that the license holder "engaged in a pattern of outright falsehoods, evasiveness and deception."

April 23 -- Democrat would appeal Hopwood ruling: DENTON, Texas (AP) -- Saying that race should be one -- but not the sole -- factor in college admission, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Garry Mauro wants to appeal an anti-affirmative action court ruling.

April 23 -- Adult businesses claim county law can't touch them in disputed 'city': EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- Two adult businesses raided by the sheriff are fighting back with an unusual claim that they are located in an obscure city -- one most people didn't know existed -- and are exempt from county laws.

April 23 -- Lawyers beat ex-clients to the punch in filing lawsuit: EDINBURG, Texas (AP) -- A group of lawyers apparently beat their ex-clients to the punch by filing a lawsuit against them before the ex-clients filed suit against the lawyers.

April 23 -- Kids recreate memories of historic theater: BEAUMONT, Texas -- Pressing an ear against the cold cement walls backstage, it's easy to hear the phantom that lives in the passageways twisting beneath the Jefferson Theatre.

April 23 -- Preliminary autopsy results show five women drowned: GIDDINGS, Texas (AP) -- Five residents of a home for mentally retarded women who died when a collision sent their van into a stock pond were drowned, according to preliminary autopsy results.

April 23 -- Texas students get $50 million voucher pledge from private group: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A private foundation went to one of the poorest parts of the city Wednesday to launch a $50 million school voucher program for low-income students to attend private schools.

April 23 -- Texas congressman proposes end to support for bilingual education: AUSTIN -- Texas Hispanic leaders on Wednesday attacked House Majority Whip Tom DeLay's plan to end federal support for bilingual education nationwide.

April 23 -- Texas executes killer condemned at age 17: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Joseph Cannon, condemned to die when he was 17, was executed Wednesday for the murder of a San Antonio attorney and mother of eight.

April 22 -- Bell takes long distance entry argument to PUC: AUSTIN (AP) -- Now is the time for Texans to have another choice among long distance companies. Or not.

April 22 -- Defense wants confession thrown out: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Lawyers for former military cadet David Graham argued Tuesday his statement about the 1995 death of a 16-year-old girl was obtained illegally.

April 22 -- Playful cats resemble toy leopards: BEAUMONT, Texas -- A leopard can't change its spots, but through several generations of breeding and a little tweaking of the genes, it can alter its size, color and its very disposition.

April 22 -- Dillard department stores founder receives lifetime achievement award: DALLAS (AP) -- William T. Dillard, who built his small Arkansas store into one of the nation's largest retail chains, was honored Tuesday with the first-ever lifetime achievement award from the Newspaper Association of America.

April 22 -- Execution set for Wednesday for Texas man convicted of murder at age 17: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Seventeen-year-old Joseph Cannon already was no stranger to trouble when Anne Walsh, a San Antonio attorney whose brother had represented Cannon, agreed to let him live at her home in September 1977 while on probation for burglary.

April 22 -- Fungus caused death of patient at famed cancer center, lawyer says: HOUSTON (AP) -- There's no way to tell where a common fungus that killed an M.D. Anderson Cancer Center patient originated, meaning the hospital shouldn't be held liable, a lawyer for the famed cancer center said.

April 22 -- Editor says there's hope for Jan Reid to escape paralysis: AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- There's hope that a Texas journalist shot in Mexico won't be paralyzed from the waist down as feared, a friend said Tuesday.

April 22 -- Companies fined for child labor say Labor Department gave them tough choice: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- Rio Grande Valley companies recently fined for child labor violations said Tuesday that the Department of Labor gave them a tough choice -- pay up or lose money on their onion crop.

April 22 -- Property owners allege malpractice: EDINBURG, Texas (AP) -- Property owners who won a $25 million settlement from Fina Oil and Chemical Co. two years ago, have turned the tables and sued their own attorneys, accusing them of malpractice.

April 22 -- Customs agents target illegal smuggling of ancient relics: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Just as illegal drugs make their way across the Texas-Mexico border, ancient relics dating to Aztec, Maya and other pre-Columbian civilizations are being smuggled into the United States.

April 22 -- Morales files brief against federal telecom act: AUSTIN (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales on Tuesday joined attorneys general from Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and South Dakota in a legal argument against portions of a federal law considered a barrier to Southwestern Bell's ability to sell long distance services.

April 22 -- Five dead in van accident: GIDDINGS, Texas (AP) -- Five residents of a group home for mentally retarded women died Tuesday when a collision with a car sent their van plunging into a stock pond, where it submerged upside down.

April 21 -- Ex-cadet accused of capital murder enters plea of innocence: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - A former Air Force Academy cadet accused of killing an ex-lover at his girlfriend's request pleaded innocent today to capital murder charges.

April 21 -- Students demand appeal, meeting with Morales; leave without one: AUSTIN - Two dozen University of Texas students marched to Attorney General Dan Morales' state office building Monday to demand an appeal of an anti-affirmative action court ruling, staged a brief sit-in and left without the meeting they sought with him.

April 21 -- Lottery faces December trial: AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Lottery lost its battle Monday to prevent a New Jersey police officer from claiming a $10 million lotto jackpot.

April 21 -- Dallas-area man wins award as the 'real Hank Hill': DALLAS (AP) - It's the same Hank Hill who drinks beer and mows his lawn, but he's not a cartoon character on TV. He's living in a Dallas suburb.

April 21 -- Former Houston mayor gets tough assignment: AUSTIN (AP) - Running the nation's fourth-largest city may have been a piece of cake compared with former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier's latest assignment.

April 21 -- Authorities report finding small bills stuffed into board games: HOUSTON (AP) - The U.S. Customs Service has a message for someone expecting a Contintental Airlines shipment in Colombia on Monday: Do not pass GO, do not collect $1 million.

April 21 -- Students prohibited from wearing cartoon show garb: PLANO, Texas (AP) - An elementary school has banned T-shirts and hats advertising the animated cable TV show "South Park" after a counselor's concern about violence on the program.

April 21 -- Member newspapers celebrate AP's 150th anniversary: DALLAS (AP) - Member publishers and editors marked The Associated Press' 150th anniversary at the news cooperative's annual meeting today with a progress report by president and chief executive officer Louis D. Boccardi noting improved services and the strengthening of the AP news report.

April 21 -- Border theater bucks multi-screen trend: MISSION, Texas - Javier Vega, the projectionist at Mission's Border Theater, negotiates the steps from the front row of the balcony to the door of the film projection booth as if he could see in the dark.

April 20 -- Area residents basking in booming economy, survey shows : HOUSTON (AP) - A prospering local economy has Houstonians feeling flush about their job prospects, a survey found.

Apriol 20 -- Preacher with flair for dramatic leads armed followers to East Texas: FORT WORTH (AP) - An armed ministry has settled in East Texas, led by a controversial preacher who has battled the state over church-run schools.

April 20 -- City's goal: Stop killing adoptable pets: AUSTIN (AP) - The way Jim Collins sees it, it's just not right to round up and kill animals bred to be people's friends and companions simply because they're homeless.

April 20 -- Sterilization key to controlling unwanted animal population: AUSTIN (AP) - Those working to find homes for abandoned dogs and cats say the key is stopping more from being born. Their animal-sterilization effort will get a financial boost from the state if enough drivers buy "Animal Friendly" license plates.

April 20 -- Composer is lively presence in Houston's musical community: HOUSTON - On one side of Edith Gutierrez's homey kitchen is an informal coffee bar, with an ever-present pot of brewed coffee - ready for piano students, wayward musicians and composers or anyone else who might knock on her door.

April 20 -- Dr. John puts on the Big Scare: WACO, Texas - Haunting guru John Anderson doesn't scare easily these days - at least in the world of fantasy.

April 20 -- Spanish explorer's arrival meant more than first Thanksgiving: EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Spanish explorer Juan de Onate did more during his travels in the Southwest 400 years ago than just give people a reason to party.

April 20 -- Celebration marks Thanksgiving quadricentennial; Pilgrims need not apply: EL PASO, Texas (AP) - The perilous desert crossing had taken a heavy toll on the weary band, leaving the Spanish travelers starved, parched and desperate by the time they finally spied the long-sought river.

April 19 -- Islamic group hires former congressman as lobbyist: DALLAS (AP) -- Former Dallas congressman John Bryant has been hired by an Islamic foundation to counter accusations that the organization helps finance the Hamas terrorist group, The Dallas Morning News reported in a copyright story in Saturday's editions.

April 19 -- Woman killed after school bus, car collide in Garland: GARLAND, Texas (AP) -- A mother died and her 6-year-old daughter was injured Friday after a school bus crushed their car. Several students on the bus received minor injuries.

April 19 -- Police stop Home Depot robbery attempt; kill one gunman: HUMBLE, Texas (AP) -- A daring early-morning robbery of a Home Depot store by three armed bandits was quickly quashed by police Saturday, who killed one of the masked gunmen, then combed the 100,000-square-foot store for the others, who apparently escaped.

April 19 -- Wildlife officials downplay threat of white spot epidemic: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- State wildlife officials say white spot, an exotic disease that has ravaged farm-raised shrimp, now has been reported in native wild shrimp.

April 19 -- Social Security commissioner fields questions from Austin citizens: AUSTIN (AP) -- Social Security commissioner Kenneth Apfel challenged fears that the retirement system is in crisis Saturday, saying reform now could divert disaster.

April 19 -- Girl making gains after she was found among rats, human waste: AUSTIN (AP) -- A 10-year-old girl found living in a rat-infested home last fall is making progress, though she still cannot speak, state officials reported to a district judge.

April 19 -- Waco survivors plan museum: WACO, Texas (AP) -- Sheila Martin thinks there should be more to commemorate the deadly Waco standoff than the burned rubble of the Branch Davidian compound.

April 18 -- House leader says economy doesn't excuse personal misconduct: KINGSPORT, Tenn. (AP) -- House majority leader Dick Armey said Friday that Americans should not allow a strong economy to excuse allegations of adultery by President Clinton.

April 18 -- Lawsuit deal a rip-off, consumer group says: AUSTIN (AP) -- Southwestern Bell customers who bought a questionable service are being offered questionable compensation, according to a consumer group.

April 18 -- Mexican official begins hunger strike to protest Texas nuke dump: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A Mexican official and a small group of supporters have set up camp on an international bridge and launched a 30-day hunger strike to protest plans for a West Texas radioactive dump.

April 18 -- Hair found on slain Friendswood girl belongs to another murder victim: HOUSTON (AP) -- Hair found on a dead Friendswood girl's hand during her autopsy belonged to another murder victim, throwing another curve in the investigation into the 12-year-old's disappearance a year ago.

April 18 -- Cisneros says he's at peace, working, spending time with family: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros says he's coping with the distraction of a federal investigation and the prospect of going to prison, but that he's at peace with himself.

April 18 -- Morales files notice of appeal in Hopwood case: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas Attorney General Dan Morales hasn't decided to appeal a court decision in a case that's left state universities unable to consider race in admissions or financial aid, so Hispanic and black groups are trying to get the go-ahead to do so.

April 18 -- Labor assesses civil penalties against Valley growers tied to child labor violations: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Farm labor contractors illegally employed children as young as six to pick onions in the Rio Grande Valley earlier this month, the Labor Department said Friday, announcing $34,200 in civil penalties against six growers.

April 18 -- Mad cows and Oprah: Cattlemen hope for better luck in new lawsuit: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- If Oprah Winfrey grew homesick for Chicago while spending six weeks in an Amarillo court, wait until she gets a load of Dumas.

April 18 -- One dead in post office shooting: DALLAS (AP) -- A 15-year postal service veteran was shot to death after an argument in a post office break room Friday, and police arrested an armed co-worker shortly afterward.

April 18 -- Morales announces suits against nursing homes: AUSTIN (AP) -- The state announced lawsuits Friday against two nursing homes, including one in Mount Pleasant accused of ignoring a patient's suicide threat before he hung himself with a wire.

April 18 -- Survey: Thirty-four percent of teachers hold outside jobs, 40 percent may leave: AUSTIN (AP) -- More than one-third of Texas teachers hold outside jobs to make ends meet, double the national average and the highest figure since a state teacher group began surveying educators in 1980. Then, 22 percent of teachers moonlighted.

April 18 -- Attorneys general lining up against telecom act: AUSTIN (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales is arguing against a federal court ruling that struck down part of the country's 1996 telecommunications law. He's also arguing for it.

April 18 -- Burglary from cars a growing problem: AUSTIN (AP) -- In these days of laptop computers and portable phones, crooks are more sophisticated in their tastes. And they are stealing more items from autos, airports, hotels and other public places than they are cars.

April 18 -- Man who traded $30 million jury award for employer's safety promise wants money back: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- An injured former drilling rig worker who traded part of a multi-million-dollar jury award for a company's promise to improve safety is back in court to reclaim the money.

April 17 -- CPS handling of boys' case causes questions: DALLAS (AP) -- Six times over six years, a West Dallas home was visited by Child Protective Services caseworkers who found bare cupboards and two young brothers living without beds or a stove.

April 17 -- State judge throws out ban: AUSTIN (AP) -- A judge threw out a ban on state agency investments in companies with artists whose songs promote violence or denigrate women, saying Thursday the Legislature didn't get to debate its merits because it was slipped into the state budget.

April 17 -- Parole chairman says board will listen to proposed changes: AUSTIN (AP) -- The chairman of the state parole board says he's willing to listen to proposals to change the clemency system after the outcry over the execution of ax-murderer Karla Faye Tucker.

April 17 -- Naturalists try to count one thousand species in one day: SANTA ANA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, Texas (AP) -- For New England naturalist Peter Alden, bird-watching is like a drug addiction.

April 17 -- Boy's wish to become organ donor fulfilled: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A few months ago, when Gary Brigman was only 12 years old, he told his grandmother that when he died he wanted to donate his heart and other organs to save lives.

April 17 -- Court: scientific evidence objection must be made early: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Supreme Court, shaping its standard on the use of scientific evidence, upheld an $8.6 million judgment for a man injured by pesticide exposure because the majority said the company he sued didn't object to his evidence in time.

April 17 -- Paula Jones to appeal dismissal of lawsuit against the president: DALLAS (AP) -- Her voice breaking as she pronounced the word "appeal," Paula Jones said Thursday she will ask an appeals court to reinstate her lawsuit and force President Clinton to stand trial for sexual harassment.

April 17 -- Kids create city by recycling in museum exhibit: McALLEN, Texas -- Kid Rio City looks like one dumpy town.

April 17 -- Scholar says business, academia can learn from armed forces: AUSTIN (AP) -- Fifty years after President Harry Truman ordered the U.S. armed forces integrated, the military still offers a blueprint for private industry and universities, a Texas scholar says.

April 16 -- Administration announces more than $14 million in Texas airport grants: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Texas airports will receive more than $14 million in federal grants to keep them running smoothly and safely, the Clinton administration announced Wednesday.

April 16 -- Even police shocked by toddler's assault: DALLAS (AP) -- Police say the unimaginable act played out beside a West Dallas creek lined with lush grass and buttercups: three boys ages 11 and younger beating and sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl.

April 16 -- Kimberly-Clark raising prices on diapers, wipes: DALLAS (AP) -- It's time for a change in diaper prices, Kimberly-Clark says.

April 16 -- Cornyn takes GOP attorney general nomination: AUSTIN (AP) -- John Cornyn, who won the Republican nomination for attorney general in a rancorous runoff, hardly had time to catch his breath before Democrat Jim Mattox was throwing jabs his way.

April 16 -- Paula Jones and lawyers hold last-minute meeting about appeal: DALLAS (AP) -- In a series of meetings with her lawyers and financial backers, Paula Jones contemplated Wednesday whether to ask a federal appellate court to revive her sexual harassment suit against President Clinton.

April 16 -- Henry Cisneros' ex-mistress reports to prison: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The former mistress of former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros on Wednesday began serving her 3-1/2-year prison sentence, part of a plea agreement signed in January.

April 16 -- Legislator dogged by corruption allegations loses in runoff: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A two-term state legislator dogged for weeks by allegations of sexual harassment and kickbacks has found his constituents willing to grant him only a temporary reprieve.

April 16 -- Minister convicted in sex-for-diploma deal: DALLAS (AP) -- Jurors took just over 20 minutes Wednesday to find a minister described by prosecutors as "a poster child for the word perversion" guilty of having sex with a teen-ager.

April 16 -- Sharp, Perry release returns: AUSTIN (AP) -- Lieutenant governor candidate Rick Perry, responding to charges from opponent John Sharp that he became a millionaire in state office through insider deals, Wednesday defended his record as ethical and estimated his net worth at $674,733.

April 16 -- Republic of Texas separatists convicted of fraud: DALLAS (AP) -- A founder of the Republic of Texas separatist movement faces life in prison and $25.25 million in fines for issuing more than $1.8 billion in worthless checks he claimed were backed by State of Texas assets.

April 16 -- Woman, two sons found dead in apparent murder-suicide: HOUSTON (AP) -- A mother and her two young sons were found dead in their condominium Wednesday in what police said appeared to be a murder-suicide.

April 16 -- Texas fugitive commits suicide as police close in: MIAMI (AP) -- A Texas fugitive wanted for gunning down his girlfriend and his father on Easter Sunday in Texas fatally shot himself Wednesday in the dense mangroves of the Florida Keys as police closed in.

April 16 -- Secretary of state wonders: too many elections?: AUSTIN (AP) -- Early voting for yet another election began Wednesday, just one day after only 3.07 percent of Texas' 11.1 million registered voters bothered to cast ballots in the primary runoffs.

April 16 -- Cancer patient goes one-on-one with Olajuwon: HOUSTON (AP) -- Fourteen-year old Valerie Wheeler, her white bandana set firmly around her bald head, ignored the towering presence of her hero, Hakeem Olajuwon, and calmly sank the free throw.

April 15 -- Governor touts sexual abstinence program: AUSTIN (AP) -- Ben Yiapan expects a chuckle from fellow high school students when he tells them he has pledged to abstain from sex until he is married as part of a program called True Love Waits.

April 15 -- State agency removes patients from rehab center: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Rehabilitation Commission has removed four of six patients from a central Texas rehabilitation center and will not refer new patients to the facility after allegations of abuse.

April 15 -- Bomer issues, withdrawals approval of cash-value option: AUSTIN (AP) -- Less than an hour after approving a new, limited homeowners insurance option for Texans in the Dallas-Forth Worth area Tuesday, Insurance Commissioner Elton Bomer put his approval on hold.

April 15 -- Texas clerk's actions results in arrest of Michigan man: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The suspicions of a registration clerk at a Texas campground have led to the arrest of a Michigan man wanted on warrants charging him with kidnapping and criminal sexual assault.

April 15 -- Mine-detecting dolphins participate in Navy exercises: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- The U.S. Navy is getting some help from mine-detecting dolphins as part of a large fleet exercise in the Gulf of Mexico this week.

April 15 -- Prison officials say parole unlikely for molester McQuay: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Convicted child molester Larry Don McQuay claims he likely will be paroled soon and that he almost assuredly will assault more children if he is not surgically castrated.

April 15 -- Clinton tours Johnson Space Center, reaffirms commitment to space program: HOUSTON (AP) -- President Clinton reaffirmed his commitment to space exploration and got a taste of an astronaut's life -- food and all -- during a tour of Johnson Space Center on Tuesday with the nation's newest and oldest astronaut.

April 15 -- Ex-prison chief pleads innocent to bribery, fraud charges: HOUSTON (AP) -- The former chief of the Texas prison system has pleaded innocent to charges he took thousands of dollars in kickbacks to approve a contract for meat substitute fed to prisoners.

April 15 -- New water system dream come true for colonia residents: ALAMO, Texas (AP) -- For El Nopal colonia residents, finally taking a sip of fresh water from the tap and taking stain-free laundry out of the washer is a dream come true.

April 14 -- Albany sustains memory of pioneer cattleman Watt Matthews: ALBANY, Texas (AP) - Diminutive pioneer rancher Watt Matthews was a giant whose boots will never be filled. But folks around his beloved Albany are determined to do their best.

April 14 -- Washington sent Texas $88.9 billion last year: WASHINGTON - The dollars flow to Texas from Washington in the form of Social Security and welfare payments, salaries for military personnel, dollars to build highways and repair bridges or develop next-generation weapons systems.

April 14 -- Low turnout seen as likely in Tuesday's runoffs: AUSTIN (AP) - Pssst. It's Election Day, again. Pass the word. Primary election runoffs are being held in Texas, but state elections officials Monday said they aren't expecting too many of the state's 11.5 million registered voters to bother casting ballots.

April 14 -- More money, warmer welcome for teachers as national shortage looms: On one poster, a tree sprouts dollar bills. On a second, a fist holds a bulging bag of coins. At first glance, the advertisements look better aimed at gamblers than teachers. The posters boldly list bonuses for teachers who sign up with the Fort Worth Independent School District: $500 for those who earned high grades in college, $1,000 for those who speak two languages, $2,000 for those who sign contracts before June.

April 14 -- New president says UT salaries may cost $30 million: AUSTIN (AP) - Making University of Texas salaries competitive - at a potential cost of $30 million - and ensuring minority students know they're welcome are top priorities for new UT-Austin President Larry Faulkner.

April 14 -- Houston's blind hear the funnies over the radio: HOUSTON - Hagar the Horrible is having a day that lives up to his name. But Ted Pfister is having a good time with Hagar's woes.

April 14 -- Judge seals insurance records called proof of redlining by consumer advocate: AUSTIN (AP) - Texas auto insurers don't have to tell consumers the number of vehicles they cover - and the prices they charge - in each of the state's ZIP codes, a state district judge decided Monday.

April 14 -- Dallas researchers: New test could offer early detection of cancers: (AP) - A highly sensitive new blood test could help doctors find tumors sooner and improve monitoring of treatment, researchers say. "The idea is to detect cancers earlier, when they're more treatable," said Dr. Jonathan Uhr of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

April 14 -- Texas Legislature among 11 cited for censorship: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - The Texas Legislature received one of 11 tongue-in-cheek Jefferson Muzzle Awards on Monday for barring investment of state money in record companies with artists whose songs promote violence or degrade women.

April 13 -- Cultural ideas shape political battle over education: BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Ask a politician, an educator or a concerned parent about bilingual education and you'll get an earful these days.

April 13 -- San Antonio Police and Fire radios fail for two hours: SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Police and fire officials are trying to determine what caused emergency dispatch radios to fail for both departments and EMS for more than two hours Saturday.

April 13 -- Cornyn, Williamson battle into runoff; does anyone notice? More than 11 million Texans are registered to vote. But only 200,000 or so likely will bother to cast ballots in Tuesday's runoff election, and the surviving Republican candidates for attorney general are scrambling for every one.

April 13 -- Residents disgusted by 10 years of dumping: DALLAS (AP) - Tracy Haltom was "mad dog angry" the first morning she stood on her rickety wooden porch and saw the usually open field behind her house littered with garbage.

April 13 -- Cousins had different experience with bilingual education: BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Going to school in Fremont, Ohio, was a daily torment for Karina Ramos. Besides her, only a handful of other children of migrant workers were Hispanic.

April 13 -- Bishop T.D. Jakes' services enlighten, enthrall thousands weekly: DALLAS (AP) - Summer Barton closes her eyes, raises her palms to the heavens and sways, her lips moving the entire time. At first, she whispers. But as the gospel music gets louder, so does her voice, finally revealing the mantra she has been saying over and over: "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus."

April 12 -- Fannie Lou Spelce, Texas folk artist, dies at 89: AUSTIN (AP) -- Folk artist Fannie Lou Spelce, known for capturing detailed scenes of Americana, died of heart failure at her Austin home Saturday. She was 89.

April 12 -- Officers board bus full of children to arrest chaperone: HOUSTON (AP) -- Several parents are demanding the city take action against a police officer who drew his gun aboard a school bus full of children and told a suspect, "I'll blow your head off."

April 12 -- DEA investigates witness in bribery case: HOUSTON (AP) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration is investigating allegations that the key witness in the City Hall bribery trial impersonated a federal agent, according to a Houston Police Department memorandum.

April 12 -- Cache of drugs seized after agent posed as trucker: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Federal drug agents are trying to determine which international drug cartel was behind the attempted shipping of 1-1/2 tons of cocaine seized last week.

April 12 -- Jury convicts former union president of embezzlement: HOUSTON (AP) -- The former president of a local Teamsters union has been convicted of using $179,000 in union money to pay for personal items ranging from long underwear and monogrammed luggage to a satellite dish.

April 12 -- Sierra Club to weigh in on immigration: DALLAS (AP) -- Sierra Club members who argue that immigration has an ill environmental effect on the United States have forwarded a proposal asking the group to take a stand in favor of slowing the flow of immigrants.

April 12 -- Charges dropped against Austin state trooper in cocaine trafficking conspiracy: AUSTIN (AP) -- Charges that a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper conspired to distribute cocaine in the Austin area have been dropped while federal investigators gather more evidence.

April 12 -- Despite complaints, few Texas judges punished: AUSTIN -- Hundreds of complaints are filed each year against Texas judges ranging from sexual misconduct to abuse of power.

April 12 -- Commission sanctions more than 50 judges since 1988: AUSTIN -- Four Texas judges were booted from office since late 1997 after state officials found they were guilty of misconduct. Q & A on complaints about judges

April 11 -- Retiree returns to wife's grave, dies: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Houston retiree Robert Hasty and his wife are finally together again, two years after her death.

April 11 -- Fatigue from long day may be factor in Brenham school bus wreck: HOUSTON (AP) -- The driver of a truck that slammed into the rear of a Brenham school bus this week, seriously injuring two girls, may have suffered fatigue from working more than 12 hours straight.

April 11 -- Lottery to keep GTECH contract: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas officials have decided against renegotiating GTECH Corp.'s contract to operate the lottery.

April 11 -- Holliday city government shaken after mayor leaves town: HOLLIDAY, Texas (AP) -- The mayor of Holliday remains on holiday.

April 11 -- City ready with bid in effort to land Republican National Convention: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The city is moving ahead with efforts to bring the Republican National Convention here in 2000 by preparing a $17.4 million bid to persuade GOP officials to select San Antonio.

April 11 -- Republic of Texas jury breaks for weekend: DALLAS (AP) -- Jurors in the Republic of Texas fraud trial broke for the holiday weekend Friday afternoon without reaching a verdict.

April 11 -- Rubella outbreak spreading; alert issued: AUSTIN (AP) -- Those traveling south of the border during the Easter holiday, especially pregnant women, are being warned about an outbreak of rubella in Mexico blamed for more than two dozen cases in Texas.

April 11 -- Texas teens puff away despite new anti-smoking law: HOUSTON (AP) -- Despite a new state law to stamp out underage smoking, it appears no one is in a hurry to enforce it, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday.

April 11 -- Girls get tattoos removed after getting in trouble at school: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Two Boerne girls hope the prom and high school graduation again will be on their social calendars now that they've had provocative tattoos removed from their ankles.

April 11 -- Officials hope $50,000 reward will lead to arrests in turtle deaths: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Fishing industry organizations, animal welfare groups and government agencies have upped their offer for information on who's killing or mutilating sea turtles off the Texas coast.

April 11 -- Wrecked ship linked to La Salle: AUSTIN -- Encrusted cannon balls, muskets and iron bars have been found on a wrecked ship linked to former French explorer La Salle near Matagorda Bay.

April 11 -- Lobbyist indicted on tax evasion, other charges: WASHINGTON -- A Washington lobbyist for the Port of Corpus Christi was indicted Thursday on charges of tax evasion and other charges, but port officials said they have no plan to alter their contract with her.

April 10 -- Proposed regulations deadly for industry, insurers say: AUSTIN (AP) -- Proposed regulation of credit property insurance would effectively prevent Texans from buying the protection, industry officials complained Thursday.

April 10 -- Anne Frank's diary returned to school shelves: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- A book about the world's best-known Holocaust victim is back on the shelves of a middle school where two parents complained it was pornographic.

April 10 -- Escape mastermind gets by parole board with faked illness: HOUSTON (AP) -- On paper, Steven Jay Russell was a dead man. The inmate with a Texas-sized reputation for creative escapes, was dying of AIDS.

April 10 -- Alligator wrestled from river near downtown restaurants: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A 3-1/2-foot alligator found swimming upstream along a popular stretch of the San Antonio River Walk has been wrestled out of the water by animal control officers.

April 10 -- Bomer considers lower coverage for lower cost: AUSTIN (AP) -- Farmers Insurance has promised to offer more homeowners policies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area if the state will allow the company to limit the amount of money it would be forced to pay for hail damage to roofs in the area.

April 10 -- Rare minnow latest threat to West Texas water authority: PLAINVIEW, Texas (AP) -- Just when the 11 West Texas cities that comprise the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority thought they'd have flowing taps for decades, along swam the Arkansas River shiner.

April 10 -- DPS starts phasing in six-year driver's licenses: AUSTIN (AP) -- Beginning this week, Texans should be making fewer trips to driver's license offices and, in the future, find shorter waits when they get there.

April 10 -- Report: Nearly half school districts raised tax rates: AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush remains committed to increasing the state's share of public school costs, his office said in the wake of a newspaper report that found many school districts had raised property tax rates.

April 10 -- Deliberations continue for Republic of Texas members: DALLAS (AP) -- Jurors who heard more than a month of testimony against Texas separatists are now deciding their guilt or innocence on charges they tried to defraud banks, retailers and others of almost $2 billion.

April 10 -- Former football hero, high school sweetheart involved in crime spree: PANHANDLE, Texas (AP) -- When Shannon Ludington ran away in February as her high school basketball team was preparing for a playoff showdown, her coach and teammates were puzzled.

April 9 -- Morales: Finalize deal fast: AUSTIN (AP) -- Wednesday's announcement that cigarette makers will fight proposed national anti-tobacco legislation shows why Texas needs to wrap up its $15.3 billion court settlement fast, Attorney General Dan Morales said.

April 9 -- Fatigue might have caused school bus accident, trooper says: HOUSTON (AP) -- Fatigue might have caused a trucker to drive his rig into a crowded school bus, ripping a gash in the back of the bus and leaving two youths hospitalized with serious injuries, authorities said Wednesday.

April 9 -- Texas fugitive 'King Con' caught in Florida: MIAMI (AP) -- A Texas fugitive nicknamed "King Con" and "Houdini" for shrewdly escaping four times from custody -- once by impersonating a judge -- has been captured in Florida while strolling to his car.

April 9 -- Mother under investigation in children's deaths loses custody of infant: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A mother under investigation in the deaths of two children and the severe injury of another has had her newborn boy taken away from her and placed in state custody.

April 9 -- Lawmaker refines proposal for sentencing 11-year-olds to death: AUSTIN (AP) -- A state lawmaker who proposes allowing 11-year-olds to be sentenced to death for capital murder said Wednesday those bound for execution should be held in juvenile facilities until the sentence would be carried out -- at age 17.

April 9 -- Jackson visits woman on Texas death row who had volunteered to die: GATESVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Erica Sheppard, one of seven women on Texas' death row, met Wednesday with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the man her mother credited with changing Ms. Sheppard's mind about volunteering to be put to death.

April 9 -- Health officers warn of disease-carrying insects, rodents: BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) -- El Nino has another unpleasant surprise for Texans this year: lots of disease-carrying insects and rodents.

April 9 -- Two girls suspended for tattoos deemed pornographic by school officials: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Two senior girls have been suspended and ordered to attend alternative classes for the rest of the semester because they have tattoos deemed pornographic by school officials.

April 9 -- UT student starts rickshaw business in downtown Austin: AUSTIN -- Rosie Sanchez, 24, takes a break from bar hopping Friday night to gobble down a fajita in front of a dance club.

April 9 -- Closing arguments begin for Republic of Texas members: DALLAS (AP) -- They were charlatans who tried to defraud banks, retailers and others of nearly $2 billion through worthless checks, or they were patriots trying to reclaim assets rightly belonging to an independent Republic of Texas.

April 9 -- Missing Selena records might have been found after 2-1/2 years: HOUSTON (AP) -- Financial records that disappeared during the 1995 Selena murder trial might have been found at long last.

April 9 -- El Paso state senator at odds with Texas Tech over funding: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- The way Texas Tech funds its medical school in El Paso is inequitable, especially considering the resources allocated to the system's home base in Lubbock, an El Paso state senator said.

April 9 -- Former tribal leader indicted in theft of sacred artifacts: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A former Tigua Indian war captain has been indicted for taking a sacred drum and other artifacts amid a dispute that caused a rift in the tribal leadership.

April 8 -- Watchdog group criticizes congressman's fund-raising tactics: WASHINGTON -- When Rep. Bud Shuster, the chairman of the powerful House Transportation Committee visited Corpus Christi in May to review local road projects, he didn't leave empty handed.

April 8 -- Williamson's campaigning at trial draws fire from opponent: AUSTIN -- Campaigning to prospective jurors at a murder trial got Republican attorney general hopeful Barry Williamson sent out of the room by the judge and criticized by his runoff opponent.

April 8 -- Burning body identified as 15-year-old boy abducted from home at gunpoint: DALLAS (AP) -- A witness told police that a 15-year-old boy pleaded, "Please don't shoot me, please don't shoot" as he was abducted from his Dallas residence.

April 8 -- Armey describes President Clinton as 'shameless': COPPELL, Texas (AP) -- House Majority Leader Dick Armey said President Clinton is too "shameless" to resign despite sexual misconduct allegations against him.

April 8 -- Former TCU player apologizes for bar fight: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - A former Texas Christian University football player apologized Monday for assaulting another student during a 1996 bar fight.

April 8 -- Gramm: IRS Overhaul bill could pave way for flat or consumption tax: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm said Tuesday that a bill to overhaul the IRS could pave the way to eliminating the current income tax system in favor of a flat or consumption tax.

April 8 -- American Legion hall used for capital murder trial: LLANO, Texas (AP) -- More than 280 potential jurors filed into a temporary courtroom on Monday for jury selection in the trial of Bobby Wayne Woods of Granbury, who is charged with last April's kidnapping and killing of 11-year-old Sarah Patterson of Granbury.

April 8 -- State targets specialty credit insurance for regulation: AUSTIN (AP) -- When Texans use credit to purchase big-ticket items, state insurance regulators want them to know exactly what they are paying for.

April 8 -- Former White House aide: Clinton 'was reckless' if Lewinsky allegations are true: HOUSTON (AP) " President Clinton "was reckless" if he had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky and then urged her to lie about it, says former Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos.

April 8 -- North Texas artist recreates memories in bronze: DENTON, Texas -- Half-finished wax sculptures, rodeo clown clothes, chaps and other memorabilia from days gone by surround Albert Hammons in a small studio behind his house in Denton.

April 8 -- Survey: Texans skeptical about Social Security policy: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texans have little confidence that policy makers understand their concerns about the Social Security system, and even less faith that they care, according to a new opinion poll.

April 8 -- Union Carbide sues Union Pacific: PORT LAVACA, Texas (AP) --Union Pacific Railroad Co.'s continued delays have held a Union Carbide Corp. plant in Texas hostage, hurting the chemical maker's business, a lawsuit charges.

April 7 -- Death penalty discussed by lawmaker, Amnesty International: AUSTIN - Children as young as 11 could be sentenced to death for capital murder under a proposal by a state lawmaker whose son is just that age.

April 7 -- UT develops groundbreaking military research at Army-funded institute: AUSTIN - In the early 21st century, electricity won't just run the television, computer and hair dryer. It will form shields like those on "Star Trek" around ground combat vehicles, power high-technology guns and run super-quiet engines.

April 7 -- State health officials kick off 'whistle-stop' public health tour: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - As he helped kick off a series of events commemorating 170 years of public health in Texas, state health commissioner William R. Archer III said Monday his agency needs more funding flexibility to protect future generations.

April 7 -- Lawmaker says open records loophole needs closing: AUSTIN (AP) - Legislation is in the works for next year to close a loophole in Texas law that allows governmental bodies to settle some lawsuits without telling taxpayers how much it cost, a state senator says.

April 7 -- The Tuna Guys return with another show on small-town Texas life: GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - Even offstage, Jaston Williams can't hold his tongue when it comes to politics or a bad hairdo. And sometimes, the two just go hand in hand.

April 7 -- Report: Most minorities getting science doctorates are from other countries: DALLAS (AP) - For at least 10 years, most minority students earning doctoral degrees in science or engineering in the United States have been from other countries.

April 7 -- Crash survivor says she "did a lot of dog paddling": DENTON, Texas (AP) - The lone known survivor of a private plane's crash into Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain says she "did a lot of dog paddling" to survive 12 hours in the water before her rescue.

April 7 -- Report: Texas losing top grad students: AUSTIN (AP) - In the high-stakes competition to attract the country's smartest graduate students, the University of Texas is losing to top public and private schools that offer bigger financial awards and free tuition, according to a newspaper report.

April 7 -- Republic of Texas members convicted, sentenced to prison: FORT STOCKTON, Texas (AP) - A Texas separatist has been sentenced to life in prison and his wife to 30 years after both were convicted for a military-style raid that led to an armed standoff in the mountains.

April 7 -- 13-year-old detained in 8-year-old's death: AUSTIN (AP) - A 13-year-old boy who reportedly purchased a handgun for $25 was ordered to remain in custody Monday in the shooting death of an 8-year-old companion.

April 6 -- Houston mayor's cautious demeanor frustrates critics, supporters: HOUSTON (AP) - The former Clinton drug czar who is now mayor of the nation's fourth-largest city is moving slowly since taking office in January, both critics and supporters told the Houston Chronicle in Sunday's editions.

April 6 -- Emus running wild in Wichita Falls neighborhood: WICHITA FALLS (AP) - A neighborhood on the northeastern edge of downtown Wichita Falls is turning into safari country after markets for emus and other animals have turned sour.

April 6 -- Fisherman catches small fry's treasures: WICHITA FALLS, Texas - You can catch a lot of things fishing in these parts. Of course, you can catch fish - bass, crappie, catfish, perch. You can catch a scolding for being out on the lake too long. You can catch a cold.

April 6 -- Board game is a matter of conscience: WACO, Texas - When talk turns to sex, drug abuse, prejudice - hot topics all - parents and their youngsters sometimes contract laryngitis. A board game called "Conscience" seeks to remedy this standoff in a way so fun that players don't mind swallowing the medicine.

April 6 -- Migrating hawks making spring appearance in South Texas: McALLEN, Texas - Heading north from their seasonal stay in South America, hawks are once again making their spring appearance in the skies above the Rio Grande Valley.

April 5 -- Ex-lawmaker says new Bush appointee made obscene calls to his wife: HOUSTON (AP) -- A former state senator says a Galveston labor leader recently appointed by Gov. George W. Bush to a state board made obscene telephone calls to his wife more than 20 years ago.

April 5 -- Gramm pushes for competitive bidding in Medicare: AUSTIN (AP) -- Medicare is throwing away millions of dollars on medical equipment that would be cheaper through competitive bidding, U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm said Saturday.

April 5 -- Texas prison inmates build house for Habitat For Humanity: MISSOURI CITY, Texas (AP) -- George Mason is not just another volunteer helping Habitat For Humanity build a home for a low-income family. He's also a convicted murderer, hoping this, his fourth trip to a Texas prison, will be his last.

April 5 -- Man who killed two in drunk driving crash gets probation: BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A man with a history of drunken-driving convictions received probation after he was convicted of causing a crash that killed two people.

April 5 -- Ranching industry as risky as the stock market, ranchers say: DALLAS (AP) -- Predicting the beef industry is about as simple as predicting Texas's tumultuous weather, said ranchers attending the Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association's School for Successful Ranching Saturday.

April 5 -- Parents of slain Tejano singer pay $600,000 in back tax settlement: The parents of slain Tejano singer Selena have agreed to pay the Internal Revenue Service nearly $600,000 to settle a lawsuit over underpaid taxes, records show.

April 5 -- Area schools resisting children-at-work day: AUSTIN (AP) -- Spending a day with Mom or Dad at work may be a good learning experience for children, but it is not important enough to warrant losing class time which could be spent preparing for the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills test, according to many state educators.

April 4 -- Fewer minorities receive admission offers at A&M: COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Fewer blacks and Hispanics were offered admission to Texas A&M University for the upcoming fall semester despite a new law intended to boost minority enrollment at the state's colleges and universities.

April 4 -- Morales orders 50 tobacco billboards removed: AUSTIN (AP) -- Calling them clever attempts to lure young people to smoking, Attorney General Dan Morales on Friday ordered four tobacco companies to remove 50 billboards around Texas.

April 4 -- Border Patrol Chief announces enhancement to Operation Rio Grande: McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- More border patrol agents will be heading south to join the eight-month-old Operation Rio Grande, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gustavo De La Vina announced Friday.

April 4 -- Hutchison exasperated with Mexico's duty-free shopping limit: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Southwest border state senators expressed renewed frustration Friday over Mexico's refusal to raise the limit on duty-free goods that can be purchased by its citizens in U.S. border towns.

April 4 -- Only 60 percent of Texas men register for draft at 18: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Too few good men are signing up, draft officials say.

April 4 -- Project to let Texas students learn from 'Our Mothers Before Us': AUSTIN (AP) --Susan B. Anthony's protest to Congress, asking it to remove a $100 fine against her for voting illegally, is there.

April 4 -- Dallas lender agrees to minority loans: WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Dallas-based mortgage lender has agreed to make $2.1 billion in loans to minorities and low- and moderate-income applicants over the next three years to settle housing discrimination complaints, officials said Friday.

April 4 -- North Texas towns to hold 50-mile long garage sale: VERNON, Texas (AP) -- It's a bargain hunter's dream: a garage sale that extends for 50 miles across several towns.

April 4 -- Judge orders suspect to submit dental impression: HOUSTON (AP) -- A man police consider the prime suspect in last year's kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old Friendswood girl was ordered Friday to submit a dental impression to be compared with a marking found on her body.

April 4 -- Symposium considers future of Spanish language: AUSTIN (AP) -- Despite attacks against it, the Spanish language is an asset that should be promoted and encouraged in the United States, according to participants at a University of Texas symposium.

April 3 -- Chiropractic company, telemarketer sued for alleged illegal solicitation: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales has sued a chiropractic company and a telemarketer, accusing them of improperly soliciting patients, including students involved in school bus accidents.

April 3 -- Senate OKs low-level radioactive waste compact: WASHINGTON (AP) -- An agreement allowing Maine and Vermont to ship their low-level radioactive waste to Texas is a step closer to reality now that the Senate has signed off on the controversial deal.

April 3 -- A&M finds cancer-fighting chemical in Texas grapefruit: AUSTIN (AP) -- Having a Texas Rio Red grapefruit for breakfast may be good in more ways than one.

April 3 -- Woman becomes first fatality of hepatitis A outbreak: MOULTON, Texas (AP) -- A woman in her 70s has become the first person to die of hepatitis A in Lavaca County, where 65 cases have been confirmed and 21 more cases are suspected.

April 3 -- It's another vigil for Kathleen Rohm: HOUSTON (AP) -- A Houston woman is back at the traffic intersection where she recovered her lost dog after an eight-day vigil. This time, she's gathering signatures to stop Harris County from selling pound animals for medical research.

April 3 -- One year later, problems with autopsy of murdered 12-year-old surface: FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (AP) -- Bob and Gay Smither are convinced their daughter's killer is behind bars, exactly one year after she was abducted from their street and murdered. So is Friendswood Police Chief Jared Stout.

April 3 -- Appeals court orders arrest of court employee in Routier case: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has asked the Texas Rangers to arrest a Dallas court stenographer for not filing on time the official transcript of the 1997 capital murder trial of Darlie Routier.

April 3 -- South Orient Railroad eyes quitting San Angelo-Presidio line: SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) -- The South Orient Railroad is considering abandoning its 300-mile line from San Angelo to Presidio, the railroad has told federal regulators.

April 3 -- State Democratic Party chairman undecided on another run: HOUSTON (AP) -- A top state Democratic Party official says Chairman Bill White is undecided on whether to continue in the job after his current two-year term expires in June.

April 2 -- Study of blood substitute halted after more patients die than anticipated: HOUSTON (AP) -- A clinical trial to test a blood substitute in emergency room patients has been halted because more people died than expected, but the tests are continuing with elective surgery and overseas patients.

April 2 -- Officials contain chemical leak at Texas City plant: TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) -- A line at a Sterling Chemicals Inc. plant ruptured Wednesday, releasing benzene and other chemicals into the air and forcing 40,000 residents to seek shelter indoors until the leak was contained about an hour later.

April 2 -- Suspended priest gets life imprisonment in sex assaults on altar boys: DALLAS (AP) -- Suspended priest Rudolph "Rudy" Kos was sentenced Wednesday to the maximum punishment of life imprisonment for sexually assaulting altar boys in hundreds of attacks that earlier produced a record monetary judgment against the Dallas Catholic diocese.

April 2 -- Brazoria County students warned after student dies of meningitis: CLUTE, Texas (AP) -- A high school senior has died from bacterial meningitis, but no other cases have been reported in Brazoria County, officials said Wednesday.

April 2 -- Mother sentenced in sex abuse case; one daughter charged with perjury: DALLAS (AP) -- A woman who had her daughter fitted with a contraceptive device to conceal her stepfather's sexual abuse has received prison time in the attacks.

April 2 -- Insurance commissioner extends discounts to metal roofs: AUSTIN (AP) -- Homeowners with metal roofs now can enjoy similar insurance discounts as other homeowners, but they could have to give up some protection under an order from the Texas Department of Insurance Wednesday.

April 2 -- Dentist gives Siberian tiger a root canal: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Corpus Christi dentist Haysam Dawod has had patients growl at him before, but never like this.

April 2 -- Regulators' Union Pacific action gets mixed reactions: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Industry insiders are reacting with a mixture of optimism and skepticism to federal regulators' willingness to revisit aspects of their 1996 decision allowing the merger of Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads.

April 2 -- UT offers admission to fewer blacks for fall semester: AUSTIN (AP) -- Fall admission figures released by the University of Texas show the continuing fallout from the federal court decision known as Hopwood that resulted in the dismantling of affirmative action programs at state colleges.

April 2 -- Mitchell Energy offered settlement to end well violation problems: DALLAS (AP) -- Mitchell Energy & Development Corp. was extended a record-setting $1.12 million offer from Texas regulators on Wednesday to settle administrative complaints involving natural gas wells that landowners claim have fouled their water for decades.

April 1 -- Freer High School students punished for alcohol found on school trip: FREER, Texas (AP) -- Some parents of high school seniors caught with alcohol on a school trip think alternative school is a just punishment.

April 1 -- Prosecutors announce indictments in Mexican prescription drug ring: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- A multistate ring for distributing Mexican prescription drugs across the country was targeted Tuesday in federal charges unsealed against 23 people.

April 1 -- Senator: Compassion may be smart in prison: AUSTIN (AP) -- Compassion may be the smartest way to deal with some Texas inmates, the head of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee said at a Tuesday hearing on medical and mental health treatment in prison.

April 1 -- Call to Texas cousin helps FBI snare father, return son to mother: NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- After eight months on the run, a sudden desire to visit a cousin in Alvin, Texas, led to the capture of a man accused of abducting his son from New Jersey, the FBI said Tuesday.

April 1 -- Utility Commission IDs companies with most complaints: AUSTIN (AP) -- State utility regulators are trying to give Texans more power over their phones and lights.

April 1 -- Defendant was acting as soldier, attorney says: FORT STOCKTON, Texas (AP) -- A separatist on trial for storming a neighbor's home became agitated Tuesday as one victim described the assault.

April 1 -- Court won't resolve dispute over troubled school districts in Texas: WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to resolve a dispute over sanctions in Texas for troubled school districts, saying the state's lawsuit against the federal government was premature.

April 1 -- Former Texas prison chief indicted in VitaPro investigation: HOUSTON (AP) -- The state's former prison chief has been indicted on charges he took thousands of dollars in kickbacks to approve a contract for meat substitute fed to prisoners.

April 1 -- Texans snag $463 million in highway earmarks in House bill: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Texas Congressman Ron Paul votes against spending bills, tax measures and other legislative proposals so often that he's earned the nickname "Doctor No" on Capitol Hill. Requested projects