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Dec. 31 -- East Texas water authority focus of scrutiny: LUFKIN, Texas -- In Texas, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner could be paraphrased to, "Water, water, not quite everywhere nor any drop to drink."

Dec. 31 -- Families sue over contaminated water: AUSTIN (AP) -- Three families are suing the city of Austin after they were sickened by a potentially deadly parasite when 170,000 gallons of sewage spilled into a creek.

Dec. 31 -- Octuplets' mom goes home from hospital: HOUSTON (AP) -- Weak but radiant with pride, the mother of the Houston octuplets went home from the hospital Wednesday, saying the pain and fear of her pregnancy gave way to wonder and gratitude the moment she gazed upon her eight babies. (See photo)

Dec. 31 -- Police kill driver; passenger shoots self after Interstate 30 chase: DALLAS (AP) -- Two people are dead after a 25-mile police chase on Interstate 30 between Dallas and Fort Worth.

Dec. 31 -- Cop whose cross put him out of uniform not reinstated: ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- A former Arlington police sergeant -- fired for wearing a pin in the shape of a cross on his uniform -- has lost a bid for reinstatement.

Dec. 31 -- Family patriarch charged with sexual assault: For more than three generations, some members of the Cortinez family hid the darkest of secrets.

Dec. 31 -- Legislators tackle hot issue with utilities again: AUSTIN (AP) -- Advocates of breaking up the state's utility monopolies contend it will lower the cost of electricity by as much as 30 percent, reduce pollution and improve service. Or it could do just the opposite, said Tom "Smitty" Smith, state director of consumer group Public Citizen.

Dec. 31 -- Arsonists hit wrong house, fire marshal says: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- When arsonists torched a three-bedroom house, they may have had the wrong address, a fire investigator said.

Dec. 31 -- Houston police to crack down on New Year's Eve gunshots: HOUSTON (AP) -- Houston police say they will not tolerate the firing of guns by people wanting to celebrate on New Year's Eve.

Dec. 31 -- School district punishes officials suspected of manipulating TAAS scores: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Austin school district punished several high-ranking officials, including four principals, suspected of manipulating TAAS results to improve their schools' ratings.

Dec. 31 -- Movie revives forgotten part of Texas history: BASTROP, Texas (AP) -- This may be Chewbacca's first movie, but the 2,000-pound, 7 1/2-foot-tall camel has nailed artistic temperament. After just two hours "of standing there and looking cute," he needed a four-hour break. (See photo)

Dec. 30 -- Abortion bills spark debate: AUSTIN (AP) -- Some 5,500 girls aged 17 and under had abortions in 1997. Under Texas law, none of their parents had the right to know about it.

Dec. 30 -- Octuplets' mother could leave hospital Wednesday: HOUSTON (AP) -- Doctors announced Tuesday that the seven remaining octuplets had passed one of their most important medical tests so far and that their mother, Nkem Chukwu, could leave the hospital Wednesday for the first time in three months.

Dec. 30 -- Firefighters recover bodies of sailors killed in fire: GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- Firefighters on Tuesday recovered the bodies of two sailors killed when a cargo vessel erupted in flames while anchored at the mouth of Galveston Bay.

Dec. 30 -- Authorities say man jailed in Louisiana has confessed to Texas killings: HOUSTON (AP) -- A man being held in Louisiana on rape charges has signed a statement concerning four Texas slayings dating back to 1979, including the icepick killing of a Harris County woman, authorities say.

Dec. 30 -- Woman finds a home with compassionate acquaintance: HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- By now, many Huntsvillians have become acquainted with the figure wandering about town. She often carries with her a shoulder bag, her blond mane mussed and her face red from the beating it takes from the elements -- the summer heat, the whipping wind and bitter winter cold.

Dec. 30 -- Blind agency to settle federal anti-blind-bias complaint: WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Texas Commission for the Blind has agreed to provide its visually impaired employees with Braille and large-print versions of its manuals and other printed materials to settle claims the agency failed to provide reasonable accommodations to blind employees.

Dec. 30 -- Capital Briefs

Dec. 29 -- Two missing after fire erupts on cargo ship: GALVESTON (AP) -- Fire erupted Monday in the engine room of a cargo ship anchored near Galveston Bay, forcing 23 crewmen to flee the burning vessel. Two sailors were missing.

Dec. 29 -- Seven surviving octuplets remain stable: HOUSTON (AP) -- Under the care of a hovering corps of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists, the seven surviving Houston octuplets remained stable Monday.

Dec. 29 -- Holiday highway death toll placed at 30: AUSTIN (AP) -- At least 30 people were killed on Texas highways during the 78-hour Christmas holiday period.

Dec. 29 -- Referee's call sparks multiple shooting; one dies: HOUSTON (AP) -- Police searched Monday for a man suspected of shooting five spectators at a soccer match after a referee's call sparked a commotion. One victim died and three others remained hospitalized.

Dec. 29 -- Mexican Indians arrested in killing of U.S. correspondent: MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Philip True, Mexico City correspondent for the San Antonio Express-News, was killed by two Huichol Indians because they didn't want their picture taken, officials said Monday.

Dec. 29 -- Legislators may be surprised to find only $2 billion: AUSTIN -- Analysts and lawmakers predict the session will be dominated with fights for the surplus -- state money that wasn't spent in the past two years.

Dec. 29 -- Judge calls state's clemency process 'poor': AUSTIN (AP) -- A federal judge lifted stays of execution for two Texas death row inmates Monday but criticized the state's clemency process as "extremely poor and certainly minimal."

Dec. 29 -- Death row fence under investigation, station reports: DALLAS (AP) -- A federal grand jury in Austin has reconvened an investigation into the purchase of a security fence that failed to stop the Thanksgiving escape of a convicted killer, a television station reported Monday.

Dec. 29 -- Legislator, advocates push for fewer FOI appeals, better enforcement: CORPUS CHRISTI (AP) -- If a state senator and open records advocates have their way, the 76th Texas Legislature could help remove obstacles to releasing public information.

Dec. 28 -- INS trying to balance border and interior enforcement responsibilities: DALLAS (AP) — The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service plans to change its law enforcement efforts to target immigrant smuggling rings and document fraud in the nation’s interior, The Dallas Morning News reported in Sunday’s editions.

Dec. 28 -- Legislature ponders surplus, schools: AUSTIN — Divvying up a budget surplus, funding public schools and preparing Texas for the next century are statewide issues expected to dominate the upcoming legislative session.

Dec. 28 -- Smallest octuplet dies week after birth: HOUSTON — A week after she was born weighing just 10.3 ounces, the smallest of the octuplets born this month to a Texas couple died Sunday from heart and lung failure.

Dec. 28 -- First-ever Republican lieutenant governor discusses future: AUSTIN — Texas’ first Republican lieutenant governor — who has been a Democrat, House member, farmer, fighter pilot and Aggie yell leader — is preaching the politics of inclusiveness as he prepares to lead the state Senate.

Dec. 28 -- Angleton police stop courteous drivers: ANGLETON AP) — Stop! You’re obeying the law! Police are surprising townspeople by pulling over good drivers. Instead of giving tickets, they are handing out congratulatory letters and gift certificates to local restaurants.

Dec. 27 -- Doctors address first serious complications for week-old octuplets: HOUSTON (AP) -- Doctors treating the week-old Louis octuplets reported the first notable medical setbacks for the tiny infants Saturday, a respiratory problem for the first-born boy and abdominal surgery for one of the six girls.

Dec. 27 -- Bills would change clemency procedures: AUSTIN (AP) -- A federal judge calls the state's secretive clemency process "appalling" and the outgoing attorney general said it should be changed.

Dec. 27 -- Some question Dallas aquarium's plan to care for two manatees: DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas World Aquarium wants to rescue two endangered manatees from a small pen in Venezuela and care for them until people in their native country can build them a larger home.

Dec. 27 -- More Harris County judges allowing defense attorneys to plead for life in prison: HOUSTON (AP) -- Lawyers probably could have done little to save Franklin Dewayne Alix, who seemed to unsettle jurors with noisy tantrums during his capital murder trial in August, from the death penalty.

Dec. 27 -- Mister Rogers sues to stop sale of T-shirts that show him holding a gun: PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The last image Fred Rogers wants children to see is a picture of himself toting a pistol.

Dec. 27 -- Texas cities turn to lobbyists for upcoming legislative session: DALLAS (AP) -- Dozens of Texas cities are planning to pay private lobbyists millions of dollars to present hometown concerns to their own state lawmakers next year.

Dec. 27 -- Lawmaker wants to rewrite rules for replacing governor: AUSTIN (AP) -- If Gov. George W. Bush decides to run for president in 2000 and wins, one Texas lawmaker says he wants the state to be prepared to fill the governor's shoes.

Dec. 26 -- Christmas came early for octuplets' family: HOUSTON (AP) -- It's been Christmas all week for the parents of the world's only living octuplets, with the history-making births and the shower of donations that followed.

Dec. 26 -- Christian group prepares people for Y2K: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Church leaders from across the city are banding together to spread the good word. Their gospel: get ready for Y2K.

Dec. 26 -- Holiday travelers pack clearing roads: DALLAS (AP) -- Icy remnants of a brutal winter storm that hit Texas like a surprise left jab on Wednesday have almost disappeared. Roadways are clear in most parts and the sun is expect to shine today.

Dec. 26 -- Baby dubbed Nicholas goes home with foster parents on Christmas morning: HOUSTON (AP) -- An abandoned baby who was cared for this week in the same nursery as the world's first octuplets spent Christmas in a foster home.

Dec. 26 -- Former strip club now a Pentecostal church: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Strippers used to work the room for tips. But now, worshippers' dollars are landing in collection plates instead of G-strings.

Dec. 26 -- Survey: Houston companies' boards lag in diversity: HOUSTON (AP) -- Females and minorities are hard to find at board meetings of Houston's top 50 public companies.

Dec. 25 -- Death toll from freezing weather hits 16: DALLAS (AP) -- The death toll blamed on slick, icy road conditions reached 16 today as temperatures well below freezing left state roadways treacherous during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

Dec. 25 -- Father offers glimpse into Nigerian heritage, community bond: HOUSTON -- When the father of the world's only living octuplets introduced himself to the world Thursday, he also offered a glimpse into the family's background and a closer look at their Nigerian heritage.

Dec. 25 -- South Texas federal courts busy with more criminal cases: HOUSTON (AP) -- Federal prosecutors say that just because South Texas courts had nearly 1,300 more criminal cases than last year, that doesn't mean crime is on the rise.

Dec. 25 -- Report advises cutting 1,500 jobs from state agency: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas could save an estimated $626 million over the next two years by making changes in its laws and at state agencies, including cutting 1,500 jobs at the Texas Department of Human Services, according to a draft report by Comptroller John Sharp's staff.

Dec. 25 -- Couple flooded with donations to help Russian girl: BEDFORD (AP) -- Hundreds of people are offering to help a 9-year-old Russian girl to travel to the United States for a potentially life-saving operation to remove a brain tumor.
 Dec. 24 -- Heat out at San Angelo State School: SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — The heat was back on Wednesday at the San Angelo State School after a blustery night with temperatures dipping into the teens.

Dec. 24 -- Two die in highway pileup in Austin: AUSTIN (AP) — Austin police who thought they were headed to two minor accidents on opposing sides of an icy Interstate 35 overpass instead found themselves confronted with two pileups involving 59 vehicles and two fatalities.

Dec. 24 -- Post office answers boy’s letter to Santa Claus a year later: DALLAS (AP) — Anthony McKinney wrote a desperate letter to Santa Claus asking for some winter clothes, a couple of toys and maybe a way to cook dinner.

Dec. 24 -- Houston octuplets get their names; their father named in assault charge: HOUSTON — On the day the world’s only living octuplets received their names, Houston police revealed that their father has been named in a different way, in an assault charge.

Dec. 24 -- Flaw in rail, communication lapse suspected in Amtrak derailment: ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — An Amtrak train may have derailed because of poor communication concerning a kink in the track, according to federal officials.

Dec. 24 -- DeLay urges Senates to review evidence, avoid a censure deal: WASHINGTON (AP) — After refusing to allow a censure resolution in his chamber, House Majority Whip Tom DeLay said today that votes to remove President Clinton might materialize “out of thin air” if senators read the evidence.

Dec. 24 -- Texas cattle producers ask for federal investigation: AUSTIN (AP) — A group of Texas cattle producers said Wednesday they are being hurt by unfair cattle imports from Mexico and Canada and support a federal investigation into the allegations.

Dec. 23 -- Bomer orders reduction in rates for high-risk drivers: AUSTIN -- High-risk drivers using the state's auto liability insurance program will see an average rate reduction of 27.4 percent, Insurance Commissioner Elton Bomer said Tuesday.

Dec. 23 -- Bill would lower DUI blood alcohol level: AUSTIN (AP) -- The maximum blood alcohol level considered safe to drive would be lowered from .10 to .08 under a bill filed Tuesday by Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr., D-Galena Park.

Dec. 23 -- Testimony continues in clemency appeal: AUSTIN (AP) -- The state's secretive clemency process is "appalling," a federal judge said Tuesday, admonishing the Board of Pardons of Paroles, while deciding whether it works constitutionally.

Dec. 23 -- Frozen Texans cope with cold--sometimes unsuccessfully: DALLAS (AP) -- A 38-year-old man with multiple sclerosis burned to death as bitter cold sent North Texas temperatures plummeting below zero in the first days of winter. Related story: Cold spell and slick roads will stick around: Freezing temperatures and dangerous driving conditions are expected to continue across parts of Texas for at least two more days.

Dec. 23 -- Octuplets: how many is too many children at one time?: HOUSTON -- While doctors try to ensure the health of the world's first surviving set of octuplets, some in the medical community fear the remarkable births could threaten infertility programs. Related story: Surprise octuplets attracting generosity despite parents' seclusion: HOUSTON -- Unlike in Carlisle, Iowa, where a happy public conspiracy of silence and then a media crush preceded the births of the McCaughey septuplets, few outside the Texas Medical Center in Houston knew history was in the making while Nkem Chukwu was pregnant with octuplets.

Dec. 23 -- DOT rules that local flight restrictions affecting Love Field don't apply: WASHINGTON -- The Transportation Department moved Tuesday to permit wide-ranging nonstop flights out of Dallas Love Field, ruling that decades-old flight restrictions agreed to by the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth cannot override federal law.

Dec. 23 -- Grand jury declines to indict officers in shooting: HOUSTON (AP) -- Seven Houston police officers have been cleared in the death of a suspect who was shot 14 times after a car chase.

Dec. 23 -- Two men accused of state sodomy violations file new appeals: HOUSTON -- A challenge to the state's 119-year-old anti-sodomy law headed to a state appeals court Tuesday after a judge denied motions to quash the charges against two men convicted of homosexual conduct.

Dec. 23 -- Part of Dec. 12 lotto jackpot claimed: AUSTIN (AP) -- A Rio Grande Valley family has claimed $6.7 million in winnings from the Texas Lottery, one of two winners of a Dec. 12 drawing.

Dec. 22 -- Hutchison calls on Clinton to drop 'harsh, partisan rhetoric': WASHINGTON -- The Senate is searching for a fair way to deal with President Clinton -- one that could fall short of conviction in an impeachment trial -- but the White House must cease its attacks on the impeachment process and congressional Republicans, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison warned Monday.

Dec. 22 -- Octuplets still hanging on; doctors guarded about prognosis: HOUSTON -- The tinest weighs just 10.3 ounces and can fit inside a woman's hand. The largest doesn't measure up to the littlest of the McCaughey septuplets. But the Chukwu octuplets were hanging on Monday, a day after seven were delivered to join a sister born Dec. 8. Related story: Houston woman sticks to faith, liquid diet: HOUSTON -- Confined to bed and a liquid diet, Nkem Chukwu tried anxiously to sleep in a near upside down position for nearly three weeks. Related story: Donations begin to roll in for newborn octuplets and family: HOUSTON -- Before Nkem and Iyke Chukwu even had time to nail up eight tiny Christmas stockings, companies and individuals already were lining up donations Monday for the family of the world's only octuplets. List of The Babies

Dec. 22 -- Federal regulators issue decision in Union Pacific case: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators declined Monday to order Union Pacific Railroad to divest itself of some assets in the Houston-Gulf Coast area, to the dismay of customers and rivals alike of the nation's largest railroad.

Dec. 22 -- Missing persons called home: AUSTIN -- C. H. and Suzy Cain have always believed Christmas to be a time of joy and hope. But while they approach the upcoming holiday with a glimmer of hope, they say they are bereft of any joy.

Dec. 22 -- Bush appoints first black person to rail commission: AUSTIN (AP) -- Michael L. Williams, to be sworn in next month to the Texas Railroad Commission, is Juvenile Probation Commission chairman, State Republican Executive Committee general counsel and a former federal prosecutor who has worked in civil rights.

Dec. 21 -- Fort Bliss troops get notice to stand down: FORT BLISS -- Some troops that had been ordered to the Middle East for Operation Desert Fox won't be going after all, and others who arrived last week will remain indefinitely, military officials said Sunday.

Dec. 21 -- Woman gives birth to first known surviving octuplets: HOUSTON -- A woman on Sunday become the mother of the first known surviving set of octuplets, giving birth to five girls and two boys. The eighth child was born on Dec. 8.

Dec. 21 -- Boy, 16, braves brain tumor to become Eagle Scout: FRIENDSWOOD, Texas -- A year ago, 16-year-old Brian Stone was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor. But although the tumor developed at a rapid rate, Brian has remained active.

Dec. 21 -- Morales says changes needed in death-penalty process: DALLAS (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales says Texas needs to administer the death penalty more publicly and more fairly.

Dec. 21 -- Study being conducted on seat belts in school buses: LAREDO (AP) -- Federal officials are conducting a two-year study that could result in seat belts being installed on school buses.

Dec. 21 -- Scientists aim to genetically alter disease-carrying mosquitos: AUSTIN (AP) -- Scientists are trying to create a mosquito whose buzz is worse than its bite.

Dec. 20 -- On surreal day, Texans split largely along party lines to impeach Clinton: WASHINGTON (AP) -- On a stunning day rendered all the more shocking by House Speaker-elect Bob Livingston's abrupt resignation, Texans in Congress wrestled Saturday with twin dilemmas of the president's impeachment and uncertainty anew in Republican leadership ranks.

Dec. 20 -- Texans react to impeachment vote: HOUSTON (AP) -- As the House of Representatives impeached President Clinton on Saturday, Jim Hodges Jr., J.J. Guajardo and Elias Sanchez-Perez recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Dec. 20 -- Troops, state officials wonder if latest attacks will end Iraq threat: FORT BLISS, Texas (AP) -- As stone-faced troops from across Texas continued to board planes and head to the Middle East Saturday, state politicians and military officials questioned how effective the latest attacks would be.

Dec. 20 -- Atheist posts his reason for the season: WEATHERFORD, Texas (AP) -- Don't bother wishing Dick Hogan a Merry Christmas. The self-professed atheist says it's a holiday for the greedy.

Dec. 20 -- School voucher supporters try, try again: AUSTIN (AP) -- Would a limited program of taxpayer-funded vouchers for private school tuition in Texas provide an opportunity to save students who can't otherwise escape low-performing public schools?

Dec. 20 -- Imports hurt U.S. steel companies but help ports: HOUSTON (AP) -- The surge in steel imports has been bad for domestic steel companies but good for ports like Houston and for workers from longshoremen to truck drivers.

Dec. 20 -- Pilot reported failing instruments before crash into Lake Ponchartrain: DENTON, Texas (AP) -- The pilot of a single-engine airplane that crashed into Lake Ponchartrain in April said thick fog and failing instruments disoriented him, according to a transcript of his conversation with air-traffic controllers.

Dec. 20 -- Teacher to resign after leading field trip in which student died: DALLAS (AP) -- A Dallas teacher who led a field trip in which a student accidentally died plans to resign.

Dec. 19 -- More Texas troops prepare for massive deployment: Their things packed and prepared for war, nearly 800 troops from Fort Bliss said their goodbyes Friday and readied themselves for deployment to the Middle East.

Dec. 19 -- Somber, historic debate on impeachment takes place in House: WASHINGTON (AP) -- On a somber and surreal Friday in the nation's capital, the House debated for only the second time in history the impeachment of a president even as American missiles rained down on Baghdad.

Dec. 19 -- Chemical spread on roads by TxDot may have caused seven accidents: AMARILLO, Texas (AP) -- A chemical spread on Amarillo roads to make them safer for drivers may have had the opposite effect, causing at least seven wrecks that sent six people to the hospital.

Dec. 19 -- Workers' injuries lowest in seven years: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas employers in 1997 reported the lowest rate of worker injuries and illnesses in seven years, the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission said Friday.

Dec. 19 -- Vandals disturb grave of dragging death victim: JASPER, Texas (AP) -- A metal nameplate on the grave of dragging death victim James Byrd Jr. has been missing for more than a month and police said Friday the theft was probably the work of a souvenir hunter.

Dec. 19 -- Tech, UTEP announce plans to pursue building a border health institute: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Funding for a proposed $130 million border health institute is sought by Texas Tech and the University of Texas at El Paso, which agreed to strategies in settling a longtime squabble.

Dec. 19 -- Mowbray sues Cameron County, husband's family: BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A woman who spent nine years in prison for her husband's murder before being acquitted on retrial has sued prosecutors, officers, and her late husband's family in federal court here.

Dec. 19 -- Medical examiner says angry workers 'staged' body stacking photos: HOUSTON (AP) -- Harris County's chief medical examiner acknowledges that the improper practice of stacking bodies has occurred at the county morgue, but said it appears to have been the work of disgruntled employees violating official policy.

Dec. 18 -- U.S. likely to unleash B-1 B bomber in Iraq attack: WASHINGTON -- The B-1 B bomber, faster than the speed of sound and brimming with ground-shaking bombs, is about to get its chance to shed a reputation as something of a brittle brute.

Dec. 18 -- All but one Texan in House supportive of troops resolution: WASHINGTON (AP) -- They marched to the House well Thursday, Democrats and Republicans speaking forcefully with one voice in support of the American troops now deployed in the Persian Gulf. Related story: More Texas troops headed overseas: More Texas troops prepared Thursday to leave for the Persian Gulf region in support of U.S. air strikes on Iraq.

Dec. 18 -- State prison officials say Robertson unit not at fault in prison attack: Days after a female prison guard was dragged into an inmate's cell and allegedly raped, prison employees demanded to know how the inmate opened his cell door and why Warden Tim Morgan negotiated for the guard's release for two hours instead of using force.

Dec. 18 -- Bills aim to open up government: AUSTIN (AP)-- After hearing from citizens around the state, Sen. Jeff Wentworth says he expects the 1999 Legislature to consider several proposals to help make sure the public's business is done in public.

Dec. 18 -- Missing San Antonio Express-News reporter was strangled: MEXICO CITY (AP) -- An American reporter found dead after disappearing on a hike in the remote mountains of western Mexico was strangled, a coroner said today.

Dec. 18 -- Police chief sentenced to 10 years on drug charges: CORPUS CHRISTI AP) -- Former Premont Police Chief Robert Sanger has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being convicted on drug and corruption charges.

Dec. 18 -- Texans warned against drunken driving: AUSTIN (AP) -- E. C. Sherman gets a little apprehensive during the holidays. As a supervisor for the Texas Department of Public Safety, he faces an immense task: Helping keep the highways safe for holiday traffic.

Dec. 18 -- Ex-lottery director sues Gtech over his dismissal from post: DALLAS (AP) -- A former executive director of the Texas Lottery Commission has sued the Rhode Island firm that runs the lottery, claiming the company planned his ouster.

Dec. 18 -- Texas unemployment rate lowest in 18 years: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas reached its lowest November unemployment rate in 18 years, the Texas Workforce Commission said on Thursday.

Dec. 18 -- Archaeologists to inspect submerged 17th century wreck: AUSTIN -- A buried treasure -- possibly French explorer La Salle's flagship l'Aimable -- lies about 18 feet below murky water in Pass Cavallo, near Port O'Connor.

Dec. 18 -- Lady Bird exhibit to open Dec. 22: AUSTIN (AP) -- Love letters exchanged with Lyndon B. Johnson, White House china decorated with her beloved wildflowers and a replica of the 1964 campaign's "Lady Bird Special" caboose platform help showcase Lady Bird Johnson's life in a new exhibit at the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum.

Dec. 17 -- Stenholm ponders, Reyes announces on impeachment: WASHINGTON (AP) -- The telephone calls, e-mail messages and faxes keep pouring into Rep. Charlie Stenholm's office, where aides have been busily fending off entreaties from reporters and TV bookers anxiously vying to land the West Texas Democrat. Related story: Stenholm watching, waiting for Iraq developments: WASHINGTON -- Area lawmakers were assessing the U.S. military strike against Iraq Wednesday and deciding to delay the scheduled impeachment debate until the bombing subsides.

Dec. 17 -- Missing San Antonio Express-News reporter found dead: MEXICO CITY (AP) -- The body of a missing reporter for the San Antonio Express-News was found Wednesday in a ravine in the western part of the country, a U.S. consular official said.

Dec. 17 -- Family of victim disappointed that killer doesn't mention him: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Relatives of a slain armored car van driver were disappointed that James Ronald Meanes made no mention of his victim in the final words he spoke before he was executed.

Dec. 17 -- Whip DeLay helps guide House toward Clinton impeachment: WASHINGTON -- As undecided House Republicans fall relentlessly in line behind impeaching President Clinton, Democrats say they detect the work of the man called "The Hammer."

Dec. 17 -- Court of appeals upholds five death sentences: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday upheld convictions and death sentences for five death row inmates, including the case of the only former lawman sentenced to die in Texas.

Dec. 17 -- Hundreds of thousands of gallons spilled from plant: FORNEY, Texas (AP) -- Hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemical solutions have escaped into a Northeast Texas creek, but a spill team said no residents are in danger.

Dec. 17 -- Bradley U. president to head Trinity in San Antonio: PEORIA, Ill. (AP) -- Bradley University President John Brazil will leave next year to become president of Trinity University in San Antonio.

Dec. 17 -- Hundreds turn out to honor former mayor Strauss: DALLAS (AP) -- It was only fitting that former Mayor Annette Strauss be remembered at Morton H. Myerson Symphony Center. An avid supporter of the arts, Mrs. Strauss helped get the center built.

Dec. 17 -- Austin to end 27 years of busing: AUSTIN (AP) -- Twenty-seven years after launching the program designed to integrate schools, Austin school district trustees have decided to stop busing.

Dec. 17 -- Susie Mowbray requests $10 million from Cameron County for wrongful conviction: HARLINGEN (AP) -- Susie Mowbray, who spent nine years in prison for her husband's murder only to be found innocent at a retrial, has asked Cameron County for $10 million in a demand letter.

Dec. 17 -- Plane involved in crash is locked up: TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) -- The wreckage of the corporate jet that crashed and killed businessman Jim Yates is in Lancaster, Texas, awaiting further inspection by National Transportation Safety Board officials.

Dec. 17 -- Bill would give green light to photos of red light runners: AUSTIN (AP) -- A state lawmaker wants to slam the brakes on motorists who run red lights.

Dec. 17 -- Let the buyer beware on the Internet: AUSTIN -- Murray Forseter is willing to bet 1998 will be remembered as the year consumers opted to wait online rather than in line to tie up their holiday shopping.

Dec. 16 -- Texas executes James Meanes for 1981 Houston slaying: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A 42-year-old man was executed Tuesday for the 1981 slaying of a Houston man during a $1.1 million armored car heist.

Dec. 16 -- Child support should stay right where it is, commission reports: AUSTIN (AP) -- The attorney general's office should continue oversight of the state's child support collections for two years to see if it can improve the program, the Sunset Advisory Commission recommended Tuesday.

Dec. 16 -- List of Texans uncommitted on impeachment is waning: WASHINGTON (AP) -- As lawmakers braced for a momentous vote later this week on President Clinton's future, the number of Texans in Congress who have yet to reveal their position on the impeachment vote continued to dwindle Tuesday.

Dec. 16 -- Senator proposes tougher exit test: AUSTIN (AP) -- Students would have to pass a tougher test to get a high school diploma under a proposal by Senate Education Committee Chairman Teel Bivins, who said lawmakers owe it to the people who pay for public schools to spur continued improvements.

Dec. 16 -- Union Pacific's critics urge regulators to impose new conditions on the railroad: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Anxious to fend off bids designed to break Union Pacific's grip on the rail-dependent Houston and Gulf Coast region, railroad officials cautioned government regulators Tuesday that forced sale of assets and granting of new track access to competitors could instead cause new problems.

Dec. 16 -- Railroad Commission urges governor and lawmakers to help revitalize oil and gas industry: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Texas Railroad Commission on Tuesday urged Gov. George W. Bush and the Legislature take steps to help revitalize the state's oil and gas industry.

Dec. 15 -- Two from Texas are among Democrats who may impeach: WASHINGTON -- In rural Texas, voters generally support only two types of Democrats: conservative and very conservative.

Dec. 15 -- Security firms see profit in death-row inmate's escape: DALLAS (AP) -- While last month's escape of a death row inmate was an embarrassment to Texas prison officials, some security companies see it as something very different: a business opportunity.

Dec. 15 -- Judge to rule later on venue change, media restrictions in dragging death trial: JASPER, Texas (AP) -- An East Texas judge will wait until at least Tuesday before deciding whether the trial of one of the white men accused of dragging a black man to death will be moved from Jasper.

Dec. 15 -- Former Houston officials found guilty in City Hall bribery trial: HOUSTON (AP) -- Seven months after a hung jury forced a mistrial, two former Houston political figures were found guilty Monday of cooperating with FBI operatives in a bribery sting.

Dec. 15 -- Former Dallas Mayor Annette Strauss dead at 74: DALLAS -- Annette Strauss was remembered Monday as someone who improved Dallas through four decades of civic work and as the city's only elected female mayor.

Dec. 15 -- Astronauts pack to come home but weather doubtful: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Still aglow over their space station handiwork, Endeavour's astronauts were in a holiday mood Monday as they packed for the trip home.

Dec. 15 -- Toxic leak sends ten to hospital: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- Ten workers were hospitalized, and six remained in an intensive-care unit late Monday after a leak of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas at a Coastal Refining Company plant.

Dec. 15 -- Study reinforces need for speedy treatment of heart attacks: DALLAS -- Quick treatment of heart attacks not only helps the patient live long enough to leave the hospital but also increases the chances of surviving for 10 years, according to a study published Monday.

Dec. 15 -- Bill would help poor counties pay for costly trials: AUSTIN -- The state would provide funding to help counties with "extraordinary costs" of trying capital murder cases under legislation proposed Monday.

Dec. 14 -- Patients say Gammagard treatment gave them hepatitis: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- The 18-year-old woman is fighting two diseases. She can expect at least two liver transplants in the next two decades and might never be able to have children.

Dec. 14 -- Astronauts set station loose and fly away: SPACE CENTER, Houston -- After successfully joining and outfitting the first two pieces of the international space station, Endeavour's astronauts set the seven-story complex loose Sunday and then flew away.

Dec. 14 -- 'Body stacking' among latest accusations against medical examiner's office: HOUSTON (AP) -- Photographic evidence of corpses lying atop one another in the Harris County morgue is the latest revelation at an turmoil-plagued office which has been the focus of at least three criminal investigations.

Dec. 14 -- Texas Ranger alleges investigation 'stifled': SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A Texas Ranger who investigated the killing of an 18-year-old goatherd during a Marine Corps surveillance mission contends the military obstructed an inquiry into the death and says he wants a grand jury to consider the case a third time.

Dec. 14 -- Sale signs and specialty stores draw holiday shoppers: DALLAS (AP) -- Rhetta Messick finds holiday shopping quite amusing -- now that she's finished.

Dec. 14 -- One juvenile reform school escapee caught in Houston; five still loose: HOUSTON (AP) -- One of 11 teen-age escapees from a state reform school near Bryan was arrested Sunday when his mother turned him in after he showed up at the family home, a Texas Youth Commission spokeswoman said.

Dec. 13 -- Satisfaction difficult to find in all aspects of Texas death penalty experiences last week: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- On each of the four days there were tears.

Dec. 13 -- Solution to domestic violence: Recruit health care workers: AUSTIN -- It is a familiar statistic: More and more families nationwide are torn apart by domestic violence with each succeeding year. In Texas alone, families were marred by violence a reported 181,773 times in 1997 -- up 300 incidents from 1996.

Dec. 13 -- Tobacco case lawyers awarded mutibillion-dollar fee for settlement: DALLAS (AP) -- An arbitration panel has awarded a record $8.16 billion to lawyers who negotiated multibillion tobacco settlements for Texas, Florida and Mississippi, setting off a firestorm of criticism from the tobacco industry and others.

Dec. 13 -- Astronauts make third and final spacewalk to finish station work: SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) -- A pair of spacewalking astronauts made a third and final excursion out into Endeavour's open cargo bay Saturday to finish their share of space station construction work.

Dec. 13 -- Postal worker convicted for discussing plans to 'go postal': LAREDO -- A U.S. Postal worker is facing up to five years in prison for sending a short e-mail to a co-worker in which he said he was going to "go postal," triggering a "shootout at the O.K. Corral."

Dec. 13 -- Authorities search for juvenile offenders who fled state reform school: BRYAN, Texas (AP) -- Officials at a state reform school near Bryan said Saturday they could be a step closer to finding six escaped teen-age inmates.

Dec. 13 -- Second police officer on leave in shakedown investigation: DALLAS (AP) -- A second Dallas police officer is under investigation regarding thefts of thousands of dollars from drug dealers and undocumented Mexican immigrants, according to a published report.

Dec. 12 -- Bush rips fees to state's tobacco case lawyers: AUSTIN (AP) -- The awarding of some $3.3 billion in legal fees to the state's private lawyers for work on the tobacco lawsuit drew fire Friday from Gov. George W. Bush.

Dec. 12 -- Pakistani seamen, stranded off Texas coast, want to go home for Christmas: ABOARD THE PILOT V (AP) -- The Delta Pride, a 740-foot cargo ship whose original colors have long been obscured by red and orange rust, sits off the South Texas shore near Port Isabel, looking ready to be towed in and scrapped for parts.

Dec. 12 -- Missing fugitive played Texas hustler role to hilt: DALLAS (AP) -- Walter Humbert Cushman III considered himself a model citizen of the Lone Star State, and was fond of saying so.

Dec. 12 -- Sierra Blanca finally, officially dumped: AUSTIN (AP) -- West Texas' Sierra Blanca is officially dumped as a radioactive waste dump site.

Dec. 12 -- Winter mix sweeps across Texas, brings record snowfall to Midland: Rain and snow swept through much of Texas on Friday, causing travel hazards, power outages and shortened school days.

Dec. 12 -- Judge to consider Mount Carmel claim: WACO, Texas (AP) -- More than five years after David Koresh's Mount Carmel headquarters went up in smoke, the dispute over ownership of the 77 acres in Central Texas continues to smolder.

Dec. 12 -- Authorities search for juvenile offenders who fled state youth detention center: BRYAN, Texas (AP) -- Five escaped juvenile offenders were recaptured Friday while six others remained at large, authorities said.

Dec. 12 -- Women's underwear, teeth found in suspect's former home: LEAGUE CITY, Texas (AP) -- Ski caps, human teeth and women's underwear were among items confiscated from the former home of a man charged with murdering one woman and attacking two others, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday.

Dec. 11 -- Supreme Court delays Texas execution of Canadian: HUNTSVILLE (AP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court delayed Thursday night's scheduled execution of a Canadian, saying it needed more time to consider the condemned man's claims that his rights were violated under international law.

Dec. 11 -- Carrollton drops ban on restaurant smoking: CARROLLTON (AP) -- Restaurant patrons can once again smoke in restaurants in this Dallas suburb.

Dec. 11 -- Author Larry McMurtry sells papers to Rice: HOUSTON (AP) -- Former Rice University English professor Larry McMurtry has sold the school 44 boxes of papers and documents mostly related to works he wrote since winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 for "Lonesome Dove."

Dec. 11 -- Astronauts swing open doors, flip on lights of 'fantastic' new home: SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) -- Six astronauts jubilantly swung open the doors to the new international space station and flipped on the lights Thursday, becoming the first guests aboard the 250-mile-high outpost.

Dec. 11 -- Untermyer becomes next state education board chair: AUSTIN (AP) -- The next chairman of the State Board of Education, Charles G. "Chase" Untermeyer of Houston, is a former state lawmaker and Harvard graduate who served under two U.S. presidents -- including the governor's father.

Dec. 11 -- Black man sues over mall Santa job: AUSTIN (AP) -- A black man who says he was repeatedly frustrated in his attempts to get work as a mall Santa has filed a lawsuit claiming racial discrimination and breach of contract.

Dec. 11 -- Toddler rescued from septic tank in Silsbee: SILSBEE, Texas (AP) -- A toddler who was rescued from a septic tank by his hair was recovering Thursday at a Beaumont hospital.

Dec. 10 -- Neville sentenced to die for torture killing: FORT WORTH (AP) -- A man who confessed to killing a developmentally disabled woman and said the death penalty was "what I deserve" was sentenced Wednesday to lethal injection.

Dec. 10 -- State survey of those diverted from welfare finds 55 percent working: AUSTIN -- More transitional financial help and training for a high-school equivalency diploma are key needs of people diverted from welfare, according to a state survey that found 55 percent of those who could be contacted and were willing to answer questions were working.

Dec. 10 -- Judge blocks execution of Canadian convicted of murder: AUSTIN (AP) -- A federal judge Wednesday blocked the execution of a Canadian whose cause has won backing from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Dec. 10 -- Details of FBI investigation into Border Patrol shooting revealed: HARLINGEN (AP) -- The police officer-father of a man who gunned down two Border Patrol agents outside the officer's home did not let the agents into the house and was ready to use his own weapon when the gunfight began, according to an FBI report.

Dec. 10 -- Bullock released from hospital: AUSTIN (AP) -- Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock has been released from the hospital a week after being admitted for treatment of pneumonia, his office said Wednesday.

Dec. 10 -- Green sues CBS over '48 Hours' story: The ex-wife of one of the Roby Millionaires is suing CBS over a "48 Hours" story that reported she falsely accused the man of sexually assaulting a child in a scheme to obtain his lottery winnings.

Dec. 10 -- Santa key part of anti-drunken-driving campaign: AUSTIN (AP) -- The effort to curb holiday-fueled drunken driving is getting some high-powered help. Red suit. White beard. Keeping a list.

Dec. 9 -- Roden autopsy points to heart disease:BIG SPRING -- Preliminary autopsy results indicate former Branch Davidian leader George Roden died of heart disease, Howard County Justice of the Peace China Long said Tuesday.

Dec. 9 -- Burglar executed for 1979 killing of Texas A&M student: HUNTSVILLE -- A former air conditioner repairman from Minnesota was executed Tuesday evening for the rape-slaying of a Texas A&M University student more than 19 years ago.

Dec. 9 -- Security lapses led to death row escape, inmates contend: HUNTSVILLE -- A Texas death row inmate escaped because of security lapses and now the other inmates who had special privileges as part of a work program are being punished unfairly, several condemned prisoners say.

Dec. 9 -- Report: Lobbyists claim they had to meet fund-raising quotas for Perry: HOUSTON (AP) -- A fund-raiser for Lt. Gov.-elect Rick Perry's campaign told three lobbyists they were expected either to contribute $50,000 or raise that amount from their clients, the lobbyists have told the Houston Chronicle.

Dec. 9 -- Lubbock city councilman calls for investigation of coaches' arrests: LUBBOCK (AP) -- The Texas Rangers or the Justice Department could be asked to investigate the arrests last month of two Hampton University basketball coaches by Lubbock police.

Dec. 9 -- Endeavour gives new space station a safe but shaky lift: SPACE CENTER -- With the bulk of their construction work behind them, Endeavour's astronauts gave the new up-and-running space station a safe but shaky lift to a higher orbit on Tuesday.

Dec. 9 -- Seven police officers relieved of duty with pay pending steroid investigation: HOUSTON (AP) -- Seven police officers have been relieved of duty with pay pending an internal investigation into whether they obtained controlled substances from an unlicensed provider, a department spokesman said Tuesday.

Dec. 9 -- Poorer Texans must buy more expensive insurance, report says: AUSTIN -- Residents in rural and low-income areas are systematically rejected by large auto insurance companies, forcing Texas' poorest residents to buy more costly insurance elsewhere, a report released Tuesday shows.

Dec. 9 -- Lawmaker pushes scholarship program: AUSTIN -- Texas high school students would have access to $250 million more in financial aid for higher education under a bill proposed Tuesday by a lawmaker who said its price tag is an investment in the people of the state.

Dec. 8 -- Texas executes Daniel Corwin for 1987 slayings: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A serial killer who blamed uncontrollable "pressures in my head" for his violent sprees was executed Monday for murdering three Southeast Texas women during a nine-month period of 1987.

Dec. 8 -- Death penalty opponents plead for Canadian's life: AUSTIN (AP) -- An international delegation of death penalty opponents asked Gov. George W. Bush on Monday to halt the execution of a Canadian citizen whose cause has won backing from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Dec. 8 -- Texas legislators ponder impeachment vote: WASHINGTON (AP) -- As the House inches toward completion of an investigation of President Clinton dominated by partisan skirmishes, some Texas Democrats still are weighing what may be the most important vote they will ever cast: Whether to impeach a president.

Dec. 8 -- Canceled prayer creates controversy: HOUSTON (AP) -- Religious freedom in the Astrodome became an issue over the weekend when a Katy High School student was prevented from leading spectators at a high school quarterfinals game in prayer.

Dec. 8 -- Former Branch Davidian leader Roden found dead: BIG SPRING, Texas (AP) -- Former Branch Davidian leader George Roden, who had been in state care since he was declared insane in 1989, turned up dead Monday outside the mental institution he was trying to escape.

Dec. 8 -- Hampton University coaches hire O.J. Simpson defense lawyer: HAMPTON, Va. (AP) -- Hampton University women's basketball coach Patricia Bibbs, her husband and an assistant coach have hired O.J. Simpson defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran.

Dec. 8 -- Gas additive spills over into Texas: HOUSTON (AP) -- A proposed state rule could increase the use of a lead-replacing gasoline additive over the eastern third of Texas, bringing a heated national debate to the region in the process.

Dec. 8 -- Sentencing begins for Neville after capital murder conviction: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Jurors have two options before them as they ponder the fate of convicted killer Robert Neville Jr. -- life in prison or death.

Dec. 7 -- Criminal and civil trials about to start for crash that orphaned young girls: DALLAS (AP) -- Last year, two young girls suddenly became orphans when their parents died in a highway crash.

Dec. 7 -- Researchers look to protect wildlife from fire ants: LUBBOCK -- While others worry about the damage fire ants do to livestock, some Texas Tech researchers are studying whether the pests are reducing the state's wildlife population.

Dec. 7 -- West Texas is broke but stronger oil and gas prices could fix it: DALLAS -- To mix Texas metaphors, the oil patch is pulling in its horns.

Dec. 7 -- Former leader of Branch Davidians escapes from mental hospital: WACO, Texas (AP) -- Former Branch Davidian leader George Roden is on the loose again.

Dec. 7 -- Convicted serial killer facing execution this evening: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to halt this evening's scheduled execution of convicted serial killer Daniel Lee Corwin.

Dec. 7 -- Plan for a trade terminal drawing attention in Houston: HOUSTON (AP) -- Mexican businessman Miguel Pedraza plans to build a cargo terminal at the border that he says would take many of the shipping headaches out of trade between Mexico and the United States.

Dec. 7 -- Federal changes in welfare force Texas to catch up: DALLAS (AP) -- When the Legislature convenes in January, it will face the task of updating state welfare laws to conform with recent federal reforms, according to some lawmakers.

Dec. 6 -- Ingleside magazine aims at deaf and hard-of-hearing: INGLESIDE, Texas (AP) -- Paula Bonillas is keeping hearing-impaired people on the cutting edge.

Dec. 6 -- Conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats hope for bigger voice in upcoming Congress: WASHINGTON -- Mindful of the old adage that every dog has his day, the conservative House Democrats known as the "Blue Dogs" hope the changed political landscape on Capitol Hill will give them greater power in the new Congress.

Dec. 6 -- Secret Society asks: Are you happier than you admit you are?: DALLAS -- If you're happy and you know it -- shhh!

Dec. 6 -- Man's dreams of a new life end in violence: DALLAS (AP) -- An immigrant who dreamed of building a new life for his family in Texas was gunned down last month next to land he had bought, and authorities are still searching for a motive.

Dec. 6 -- After abundance and tragedy, woman donates $1.1 million to school: DALLAS (AP) -- In July, Elaine Gabbert underwent brain surgery. In August, her mother and husband both died.

Dec. 6 -- Court of Criminal Appeals judge accused of violating UT ticket sales policy: AUSTIN (AP) -- A Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge is accused of criminal trespass for allegedly trying to sell two football tickets to last week's Texas-Texas A&M game on the UT campus.

Dec. 6 -- Judge weakens cities' lawsuit against Houston utility: HOUSTON (AP) -- A judge has thrown out a big part of a $523 million lawsuit 50 Texas cities filed against Houston Lighting & Power Co.

Dec. 6 -- Struggling Latin American economy hurting Port of Houston: HOUSTON (AP) -- The Port of Houston, the nation's leader in foreign tonnage, is struggling under the weight of a weak Latin American economy that is causing some ships to leave harbor half full.

Dec. 5 -- Autopsy shows death row inmate drowned: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Condemned killer Martin Gurule drowned shortly after breaking out of the Texas death row a week ago, an autopsy determined Friday.

Dec. 5 -- Backers say constitutional rewrite is a worthy long shot: AUSTIN (AP) -- Rewriting the Texas Constitution to give the governor broad power to appoint judges and other officials is a long shot -- but one worth taking, two lawmakers said Friday.

Dec. 5 -- Prosecutor in dragging death believes that fair trial is possible in Jasper: HOUSTON (AP) -- A prosecutor about to try the first of three white men accused of dragging a black Jasper man to death says he believes 12 impartial jurors can be found without moving the case.

Dec. 5 -- Some retailers hope cooler weather warms up sales: DALLAS (AP) -- While Texans enjoy an unusually warm end to an unusually warm year, some stores owners would prefer cold hard cash.

Dec. 5 -- Education commissioner proposes changes to state testing system: AUSTIN (AP) -- Education Commissioner Mike Moses proposed significant changes to the TAAS testing system Friday, including moving the exam students must pass to graduate from the 10th to 11th grade.

Dec. 5 -- Safety group: Texas tops nation in big rig fatalities: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Texas tops the nation in truck crash fatalities, with 454 people dying last year on the state's highways in collisions with big rigs, a safety advocacy group said Friday.

Dec. 5 -- Neville found guilty of capital murder: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man who said he and a friend tortured and killed a developmentally disabled woman "for the adrenaline rush" was found guilty Friday of capital murder.

Dec. 5 -- Police 're-evaluating' murder-for-hire accusations against gymnast's father: HOUSTON (AP) -- Police are taking a second look at accusations that the father of Olympic gymnast Dominique Moceanu was involved in a possible murder-for-hire plot, officials said Friday.

Dec. 5 -- Low oil prices hurting university endowment: AUSTIN (AP) -- Cheap oil prices are good news for consumers but bad news for a Texas university endowment that earns money from selling oil and gas leases.

Dec. 5 -- Corps of Engineers seeks comment on controversial river project: TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- A massive federal project to divert salt from the Red River has come to a standstill while engineers re-evaluate its merits and potential harms.

Dec. 4 -- Body of escaped death row inmate found in Trinity: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Death row inmate Martin Gurule, the subject of a massive manhunt since he escaped the Ellis Unit on Thanksgiving night, was found dead in the Trinity River about a mile away Thursday.

Dec. 4 -- Legislators introduces bill to deregulate electric utility market: AUSTIN -- Lawmakers would revisit deregulating the state's electric utility market under a bill introduced Thursday.

Dec. 4 -- Retired teachers' health-care system in danger of bankruptcy: AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush pledged Thursday to work with the Legislature to make sure Texas' program to pay health-care costs for more than 100,000 retired public school employees doesn't go bankrupt.

Dec. 4 -- Canadian convicted of selling machine guns: HOUSTON (AP) -- A Canadian-born local businessman was convicted Thursday on four counts of selling machine guns and one count of witness tampering by a federal jury.

Dec. 4 -- Judge again rules Rwandan pastor to be sent to U.N. tribunal: LAREDO, Texas (AP) -- A federal judge again has ordered an elderly former Rwandan pastor to be handed over to a United Nations war crimes tribunal to face charges that he led a slaughter of hundreds of people.

Dec. 4 -- Bush says killers shouldn't get away with murder: AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush said Thursday that all the rights of condemned killers in Texas are respected, but he said foreigners shouldn't expect to get away with murder.

Dec. 4 -- Man catches state-record 98-1/2-pound catfish: FLINT, Texas (AP) -- Here's one that didn't get away. An East Texas man has caught a state-record 98-1/2-pound catfish in Lake Palestine, just south of Tyler.

Dec. 4 -- Illness brought West Texas artist a sharper focus: CHRISTOVAL, Texas -- The artist lives in an old stone cottage on a tree-covered hill in a quiet corner of this little town just south of San Angelo in Tom Green County.

Dec. 4 -- San Antonio's Indian center extends a hand to forgotten minority: SAN ANTONIO -- Two years ago, Nelson Brown and his wife, Diane, packed up the car and left the Navajo reservation in Chinle, Ariz., to come east in pursuit of a new life.

Dec. 4 -- West Texas poet writes about 'what kills us, what keeps us alive': LUBBOCK, Texas -- Walt McDonald never sets out to write about Vietnam -- his poems just end up that way.

Dec. 4 -- Unearthly license plate gets woman arrested: ATHENS, Texas (AP) -- Heaven was on her license plate, but jail was her destination.

Dec. 4 -- Appeals court says AG has power to sue nursing homes: AUSTIN (AP) -- The attorney general has the power to sue nursing homes for civil penalties and fines in cases of negligence when asked to step in by the state Department of Human Services, an appeals court ruled Thursday.

Dec. 4 -- Prosecutors can't show jurors graphic photos, judge rules: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Jurors in the capital murder trial of a former grocery worker will not be allowed to view autopsy photos of the retarded victim's torture and slaying scene, the trial judge ruled Thursday.

Dec. 3 -- Appeals court denies request to halt Thursday execution: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has denied an appeal from Texas death row inmate Andrew Cantu, leaving only the U.S. Supreme Court between him and the Texas death chamber Thursday evening.

Dec. 3 -- Court denies three death-row appeals: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday rejected appeals by three death-row inmates, including one case where an attorney didn’t file an appeal on time.

Dec. 3 -- Hepatitis warning issued by blood center: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Blood possibly contaminated with hepatitis C may have been used in transfusions up to a decade ago, the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center warns.

Dec. 3 -- Trial to begin in torture slaying of mentally challenged woman: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man accused of killing a retarded woman after using her for target practice went on trial Wednesday, with the biggest piece of evidence expected to be a video of his buddy saying they "busted out laughing" as the victim died.

Dec. 3 -- Spurs press on with arena plan despite school district’s hesitation: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs are offering a multimillion-dollar incentive package to a school district if it will go along with the team’s plan to build a new tax-financed arena.

Dec. 3 -- INS works with immigrant groups on release of Central Americans: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- Federal officials are looking to immigrant rights groups for help as they prepare to release thousands of Central Americans whose deportations have been delayed because of Hurricane Mitch.

Dec. 2 -- Farmers vote to create legal defense fund, investigate crop insurance: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Farm Bureau members voted Tuesday to create a legal defense fund, increase agricultural education in schools and investigate new ways for farmers to insure their crop at the group’s 65th Annual Convention.

Dec. 2 -- Fugitive’s codefendant talks about break: DALLAS (AP) -- The girlfriend of condemned killer Martin Garule says he had nothing to lose by breaking out of prison.

Dec. 2 -- Trial begins in third sex trial: DALLAS (AP) -- A teen-age girl said Tuesday that an East Texas constable threatened to shoot her if she fled following an alleged sexual assault in a Dallas-area motel.

Dec. 2 -- Widow saves veteran's ashes for burial at new national cemetery: DALLAS -- Herbert Coburn died four years ago. He’ll be buried next September.

Dec. 2 -- In wake of felon’s new sex crimes, congressman vows to reintroduce anti-crime bill: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Outraged that a Texas rapist who underwent chemical castration has been convicted of sex crimes in Virginia, a congressman vowed Tuesday to reoffer anti-crime legislation next January.

Dec. 2 -- Albright calls for stay of Canadian’s execution: WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is asking for a 30-day stay in next week’s execution of Canadian Stanley Faulder.

Dec. 2 -- Cornyn says courts should not be removed from support enforcement: AUSTIN (AP) -- Any changes to be made in the state child support enforcement division should not include removing the role of the court system, Attorney General-elect John Cornyn said Tuesday.

Dec. 2 -- Germans reject U.S. jurisdiction over training flights: ODESSA, Texas (AP) -- The German air force says the United States has no court jurisdiction to restrict its Luftwaffe pilots from low-level training missions in West Texas.

Dec. 2 -- Senators: Children’s health a top priority: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas should spend up to $151 million annually in state funds to expand its health insurance program for low-income children who don’t have coverage, a Senate committee recommended Tuesday.

Dec. 2 -- Judge rules she has jurisdiction over law school affiliation: HOUSTON (AP) -- Texas A&M University is one step closer to getting a law school in Houston.

Dec. 1 -- Man carrying gun inside school arrested after confrontation: DALLAS (AP) - A man who took a loaded handgun into an elementary school over an apparent love-triangle dispute with a school worker was captured today by authorities who said no shots were fired.

Dec. 1 -- Farm Bureau leader chides members for breaking ranks: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Farm Bureau president Bob Stallman today criticized members who voted against Farm Bureau-endorsed candidates in this year's elections and called for greater solidarity at the opening session of the group's annual convention.

Dec. 1 -- Burying the Past: Slave descendant lets ex-master's kin use cemetery: PRAIRIE LEA, Texas -- Two men, one black and one white, stand sentry-still, lost in reflection as they contemplate the fading name on a granite tombstone in a backroads cemetery.

Dec. 1 -- Transportation Department ruling favorable to Love foreseen: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Federal regulators are leaning toward allowing wide-ranging nonstop flights out of Dallas Love Field, according to Fort Worth leaders and attorneys familiar with the issue.

Dec. 1 -- Pock-marked dirt, fence repair, all that remains of death row escape scene: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- It was daring. And so far, it’s been successful. Under intense lights, video cameras, armed guards and rows of fences topped with coils of razor wire, Martin Gurule four days ago was among seven condemned killers attempting to flee from the Texas death row.

Dec. 1 -- Study shows 700,000 Texas youths use tobacco: AUSTIN -- Nearly 700,000 Texas youths are lighting up cigarettes, cigars and pipes or chewing tobacco, according to a new report released Monday.

Dec. 1 -- Three dead in apartment blaze: BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) -- Investigators believe a cigarette dropped on a couch kindled a fire that killed three residents of a small apartment complex.

Dec. 1 -- Couple found slain: GREENVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Police were looking for a woman who lived with a couple whose bodies were found at the mini-warehouse complex the woman managed.