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May 31 -- Box of bullets could force Vidor man to serve out 5-year Mexican jail term: VIDOR, Texas (AP) -- A box of 203 bullets in Tommy Bean's truck during a trip across the Mexican border has landed the 59-year-old man in jail.

May 31 -- Blind student jumps 10,000 feet: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Shutting his eyes didn't help Robert Dittman after he had jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet.

May 31 -- Officials warn that dry conditions could ignite fires: AUSTIN (AP) -- As smoke from south of the border finally clears, Texas faces the prospect of more of its own fires.

May 31 -- By-the-numbers learning raises test scores for kids in poor school: HOUSTON (AP) -- The sound of morning lessons echoes down the halls of Mabel B. Wesley Elementary School like cheers at a basketball game.

May 31 -- Gastelum to remain in jail awaiting extradition on murder charge: McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- A Mexican who in 1986 allegedly paid a hit man to kill his wife's lover will remain in the Hidalgo County Jail while awaiting extradition to Mexico, a U.S. magistrate has ruled.

May 31 -- Numbers show frequency of youth crime at schools: McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- Police and school officials in a seven-county region of south Texas took more than 360 guns and other weapons from students during the 1996-97 school year, education officials reported Friday.

May 31 -- Mountain lion threat forces closure of two trails: BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas (AP) -- Two popular trails at Big Bend National Park remained closed Saturday after a mountain lion attacked a woman.

May 31 -- Two from DA's office forced out: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- After accusations that five prosecutors drank beer and acted inappropriately during a softball game, two of the attorneys were forced to quit while three others were disciplined.

May 31 -- JFK's staff photographer reminisces about president's assassination: DALLAS (AP) -- While history was developing around him, Cecil Stoughton was worrying about getting his flash to work.

May 31 -- Tanker truck spill injures three, jams Interstate 45 for hours: CONROE, Texas (AP) -- A tanker truck struck a parked car, rolled several times and spilled about 8,800 gallons of unleaded gasoline Saturday, injuring three and causing traffic along Interstate 45 north to back up for hours, authorities said.

May 31 -- Bush, spokeswoman owe tribe apology for drug-dealer, attorney says: AUSTIN (AP) -- An attorney for the Tigua Indian tribe has demanded an apology from Gov. George W. Bush and spokeswoman Karen Hughes, saying Ms. Hughes compared the tribe's casino operations to drug dealing.

May 30 -- Jamail statements filed in federal court as part of tobacco lawsuit: DALLAS (AP) -- Joe Jamail, listed in 1995 as Forbes magazine's highest paid trial attorney in the nation, was that same year offered the position of lead counsel in Texas' lawsuit against the nation's tobacco companies.

May 30 -- Plea bargain offer disputed in backyard bone case: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Nearly a year after human bones were found behind his home, the husband of a missing woman is disputing police claims that he offered information in the case in exchange for a lenient sentence.

May 30 -- Famous Bizet opera "Carmen" taking on an MTV look in groundbreaking outdoor production: THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) -- In the 123 years since Georges Bizet debuted his masterpiece at the Opera-Comique in Paris, "Carmen" never has been seen the way the Houston Grand Opera is readying one of the world's most famous operas.

May 30 -- Central Texas farmers in critical time: Think the lottery's a gamble? Try farming.

May 30 -- Heavy rains cause flooding in northeast Texas: TEXARKANA, Texas (AP) -- Towns along the Texas-Arkansas line were drying out Friday from heavy rains that flooded roads and forced people from their homes.

May 30 -- Two classmates are the entire graduating class at Big Bend High: STUDY BUTTE, Texas -- First, there were six. A classmate's fatal fall from a cliff during their junior year, then the dropping out of another at the start of 12th grade left four. Then the Rodriguez twins ended up a few points short on the state TAAS exam.

May 30 -- Beanie Babies used to lure victim, police say: GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) -- Police are looking for a convicted child molester they believe assaulted a 10-year-old girl after using Beanie Babies to lure her into a house across from her school.

May 30 -- Lawyer pleads guilty in murder solicitation, police union kickback scheme: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A lawyer accused of trying to pay a hitman to kill his ex-wife pleaded guilty Friday to mail fraud, money laundering and attempted murder-for-hire.

May 30 -- Judge sets bribery retrial for September: HOUSTON (AP) -- The retrial of five city leaders accused of taking or distributing bribes to influence a 1996 City Council vote will begin in September, a federal judge has ruled.

May 29 -- Documents claim AG solicited money from attorneys in tobacco lawsuit: DALLAS (AP) -- As Attorney General Dan Morales assembled the state's legal team to fight the nation's tobacco companies, documents filed Thursday in federal court say he asked private attorneys for millions of dollars to create a legal defense fund for himself.

May 29 -- Lawmaker, Bush scoff; Morales continues legal attack: AUSTIN (AP) -- Another of the seven state legislators against whom Attorney General Dan Morales is taking legal action in the tobacco case on Thursday scoffed at the attorney general's challenge.

May 29 -- Federal prosecutors target loan defaulters: HOUSTON (AP) -- In a crackdown on deadbeat debtors, the U.S. attorney's office has rounded up 14 Houston health-care professionals and ordered them to pay outstanding school loans dating back to the 1980s.

May 29 -- Anti-abortion protester claims she was arrested on bogus suicide tip: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- When anti-abortion activist Judy Kreller was approached by police in the midst of a demonstration at a Planned Parenthood office, she expected to receive the routine quiet-down-and-go-home speech.

May 29 -- Parole revoked for convicted killer Miller: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Convicted killer Wesley Wayne Miller, called the most watched parolee in Texas, returned to prison Thursday after his parole was revoked by the state.

May 29 -- Former president agrees to help Houston snag 2012 Olympics: HOUSTON (AP) -- Former President George Bush has agreed to serve as an honorary member of a committee attempting to bring the 2012 Summer Olympics to his adopted hometown.

May 29 -- Federal agency will settle turf fight between Texas organ banks: DALLAS (AP) -- Organ-transplant groups in Dallas and Fort Worth are feuding over who will control the way donated organs are allocated in North Texas.

May 29 -- State lifts health alert: AUSTIN (AP) -- State officials Thursday lifted a public health alert more than two weeks after smoke and air pollution from fires in Mexico and Central America sparked the warning.

May 29 -- Police sharpshooters form a special team: WACO, Texas -- Good guys don't always wear white and carry shiny six-shooters. For officers Clayton Williams and Kenneth Zacharias, black fatigues and .308-caliber rifles will do just fine.

May 29 -- Lawmakers scrutinize TDCJ operations: AUSTIN (AP) -- State lawmakers expressed concern Thursday about a rising number of crimes being committed by ex-convicts. They also warned Texas Department of Criminal Justice Director Wayne Scott to take better fiscal control of industries involving prison labor.

May 29 -- Tribe offers to cut state in on gambling revenues: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- The Tigua Indians, facing legal action over gambling, offered the state a compact Thursday that would legitimize their casino in the eyes of Texas and cut the government in on the revenues.

May 29 -- Bobby Wayne Woods sentenced to death: LLANO, Texas (AP) -- Bobby Wayne Woods was sentenced to death Thursday for the abduction and murder of 11-year-old Sarah Patterson last year.

May 28 -- Bush calls Morales lawsuit 'frivolous': AUSTIN (AP) -- Republican Gov. George W. Bush on Wednesday accused Democratic Attorney General Dan Morales of filing a "frivolous" lawsuit after Morales took legal action against the governor and seven state legislators.

May 28 -- Four children die on highway just weeks after five other fatalities: KOUNTZE, Texas (AP) -- Just weeks after five teen-agers were killed in a traffic accident on an East Texas highway, four more children have died following another collision just two miles down the road.

May 28 -- The state's estray laws will be enforced by Wichita County: WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) -- The Wichita County sheriff's department wants out of the business of cattle-corralling.

May 28 -- Some Farm Bureau members disgruntled with group's leadership: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- For Texas Farm Bureau member Jim Haley, voting for farmer-turned-politician Rick Perry has become as regular as planting wheat before heavy spring rains.

May 28 -- McCallum ousted as head of Heritage Foundation: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Board members have removed P.W. McCallum as chief executive officer of the Grapevine Heritage Foundation, accusing him of altering results at the annual wine tasting festival sponsored by the foundation.

May 28 -- Bush, Kickapoos meet: AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush, who's being sued by one Texas Indian tribe after criticizing its gambling operations, has met with the chairman of another tribe to discuss its casino.

May 28 -- New lottery numbers game has first drawing Friday: AUSTIN (AP) -- With sales slumping, the Texas Lottery is breaking out "Texas Million," a new numbers game that has its first drawing Friday night.

May 28 -- Court reverses bail order for accused killer: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed a lower court's order that a Houston man awaiting trial for the murder of his wife be released on bail.

May 28 -- Investigation: Police officer did not shoot bystanders: TERRELL, Texas (AP) -- An internal affairs investigation found that the shots that hit two bystanders outside Spain's Chicken restaurant Sunday did not come from the gun of Terrell police officer Michael Godfrey.

May 28 -- More seniors pass test: AUSTIN (AP) -- More than 7,750 high school seniors didn't pass the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills needed for their diplomas, state education officials said Wednesday. That's about 3.7 percent of the Class of 1998.

May 28 -- Boy arrested for threatening to shoot classmates, school staffers: BANQUETE, Texas (AP) -- A 13-year-old boy accused of threatening to shoot students and school staffers on Monday after he was suspended from school now faces criminal charges.

May 28 -- Convicted killer Miller says parole 'too strict'; board decision expected: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Convicted murderer Wesley Wayne Miller, the most watched and supervised parolee in state history, is complaining that his release requirements are too tough.

May 28 -- Some 239,000 fewer Texans on the welfare rolls: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Texas has pared its welfare caseload by more than a third since 1996 when Congress enacted sweeping changes to the nation's welfare policies, the Clinton administration and congressional Republicans said Wednesday as they hailed declining caseloads nationwide.

May 27 -- Woman celebrates, reminisces over 104 years of memories: McALLEN, Texas -- She's an oldie, but a goody. Hazel Wynn Peery celebrated her 104th birthday with six family members and a fiesta Sunday at Briarcliff Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in McAllen, her home for nearly two years.

May 27 -- Homeless woman who was burned, beaten, stabbed forced to panhandle: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A homeless woman who escaped from a boyfriend she accused of setting her on fire faces extensive surgery for her burns following attacks that also included stabbings and beatings.

May 27 -- Dry county had highest youth-DWI rate, records show: AUSTIN (AP) -- Armstrong County Sheriff Carmella Jones has a problem. Her small Panhandle county, home mostly to people over 65, had the state's highest rate of DWI arrests of young drivers in 1996, according to research by The Associated Press.

May 27 -- Deposits to public school fund top $7 billion: AUSTIN (AP) -- Deposits to the 144-year-old state fund that helps pay for public schools in Texas have topped $7 billion, officials announced Tuesday.

May 27 -- Data does not support ranchers' fears, Air Force says: DALLAS (AP) -- There is no data to substantiate concerns expressed by West Texas landowners that proposed low-level flights by combat jets will decrease property values or harm range management, an Air Force official says.

May 27 -- Committee discusses Hopwood: AUSTIN (AP) -- Unless the U.S. Supreme Court rules that Texas should be freed from the anti-affirmative action decision known as Hopwood, the state can take only incremental steps to help increase minority enrollment at Texas institutions of higher learning, a key lawmaker said Tuesday.

May 27 -- Designer, upscale magazine battle over 'Polo' name: HOUSTON (AP) -- Designer Ralph Lauren's company has sued to force the 22-year-old magazine of the U.S. Polo Association to drop the name Polo.

May 27 -- Morales seeks $25 million in sanctions against Bush, lawmakers: AUSTIN (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales has asked a federal judge to fine Gov. George W. Bush and seven lawmakers $25 million for what he calls their interference with the state's $15.3 billion tobacco settlement.

May 27 -- Texas health officials extend public health alert: DALLAS (AP) -- With new waves of smoke from south of the border, a public health alert was extended through Friday by Texas officials who predicted the gloomy haze could worsen before U.S. firefighting efforts kick in.

May 27 -- Work replaces neighborhood as school site: HOUSTON (AP) -- If Ashley Lyon or Teka Nicholas has a problem at school, Mom is close by.

May 27 -- Starr County sheriff and jailers sentenced: McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- Former Starr County sheriff Eugenio "Gene" Falcon Jr. was sentenced to two years in federal prison Tuesday after quietly apologizing in court for his role in a bail-bond kickback scheme.

May 26 -- Black family fights for custody of their own child against white lawyer: HOUSTON (AP) - Suzanne Howard was 31 and living at a drug rehabilitation center when she learned she was pregnant with her third child. The news was not welcomed.

May 26 -- Exacting standards needed for historic preservation tax breaks: HOUSTON - Hal Fairbanks and his colleagues plan to renovate the old Humble Oil office building in downtown Houston, but only if they can persuade federal regulators to set aside their usual distaste for parking inside a restored building.

May 26 -- Decade-old debate rages on over economic designation for Valley: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - The way some Rio Grande Valley leaders see it, having the area designated as one economic region would lead to more businesses and more money for everyone involved.

May 26 -- 5-year-sentence leaves families of victims, accused upset: BEAUMONT (AP) - A judge has sentenced a man to five years in prison for intoxication manslaughter in a boat crash that killed his wife and two others.

May 25 -- Texas church arson suspects linked to fires in Shreveport area: MARSHALL (AP) - Two men and a 15-year-old accused of burning down a historic black church in East Texas have been linked to several grass fires and one set at a vacant house in the Shreveport area.

May 25 -- Police officer, three others shot outside chicken restaurant: TERRELL (AP) - A bullet-proof vest saved a police officer from serious injury early Sunday in gunfire that erupted outside a chicken restaurant, wounding the officer and three other men.

May 25 -- Smoke continues northerly flow from Mexico: AUSTIN (AP) - More smoke from fires in Mexico is headed toward Texas, and it's expected to move across the eastern two-thirds of Texas over the next several days.

May 25 -- Central Texans remember 27 victims who died in tornado one year ago: JARRELL, Texas (AP) - Terri Haley's soft voice breaks and her blue eyes well with tears just moments after she begins talking about the tornado that killed 27 people in her hometown a year ago. She's not crying for the dead. Her tears are out of joy for the living, specifically the daughter she was pregnant with when the twister hit on May 27, 1997.

May 25 -- Monument dedicated as memory for those who died in Jarrell tornado: JARRELL (AP) - A granite monument was dedicated Sunday in memory of those who died in the tornado that hit this Central Texas town a year ago.

May 25 -- Houston police officer shot to death in front of his wife when he approaches motorist: HOUSTON (AP) - Investigators are looking for a man who fatally shot one of their own - an off-duty police sergeant who tried to question a driver for throwing something at his windshield.

May 24 -- Baby sitter gets seven years in prison for shaken baby death: HOUSTON (AP) -- A baby sitter has been sentenced to seven years in prison for fatally injuring a 3-1/2-month-old girl in her care.

May 24 -- Survey finds horned lizards disappearing from East Texas: AUSTIN (AP) -- The popular Texas horned lizard has "essentially disappeared" from the eastern part of the state, the Parks and Wildlife Department says.

May 24 -- Morales rejects Jamail's characterization: HOUSTON (AP) -- Texas Attorney General Dan Morales is denying a Houston attorney's claim that Morales proposed "legally questionable and suspect" conditions for representing the state in the anti-tobacco lawsuit.

May 24 -- Six Flags' water park reopens after riot: ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Six Flags' Hurricane Harbor opened on time Saturday morning, just hours after an end-of-school-year party turned into a melee with rioters smashing windows and looting a gift shop.

May 24 -- Planned art exhibit sparks protests by Vietnamese expatriates: PLANO, Texas (AP) -- The rich oils and watercolors and sinuous figures in an exhibition called "A Winding River: The Journey of Contemporary Art in Vietnam" mask a pro-communist message that has no place on U.S. soil, some protesters say.

May 24 -- River businesses hoping for big holiday weekend: NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (AP) -- Guadalupe River outfitters were prepared for a busy Memorial Day weekend -- and are hoping for the same all summer.

May 23 -- TNRCC says more smoke may be headed toward Texas: AUSTIN (AP) - With a public health alert still in effect, and state environmental officials say more dense smoke from Mexican and Central American fires could move into the state this weekend.

May 23 -- Airports brace for busy travel weekend: GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) - Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was crowded Friday morning, but Nicole Duff found room enough to put her feet up as she waited for a flight to San Antonio.

May 23 -- Judge refuses to order removal of front-yard sex offender sign: McKINNEY, Texas (AP) - A judge says the "sex offender" sign in Coy Evans Walton's front yard has to stay.

May 23 -- Watched killer Miller refuses counseling, jeopardizes parole: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Paroled killer Wesley Wayne Miller might be headed back to prison for refusing to attend a mandatory sex offender therapy session.

May 23 -- Texas among 10 states chosen for National Guard anti-terrorism teams: WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon has chosen 10 states including Texas to station specially-trained National Guard units to help local and state officials respond to potential terrorist attacks with chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons.

May 23 -- Judge upholds county commission race decided by coin flip: ANAHUAC, Texas (AP) - After voters deadlocked in a error-filled April primary election for a Chamber County commission seat, a state district judge has upheld the coin flip that determined the winner earlier this month.

May 23 -- Self-described filmmakers arrested in art-for-drugs scheme: EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Two filmmakers have been arrested after attempting to trade a 17th Century painting stolen just after World War II for 300 kilograms of cocaine, the FBI says.

May 23 -- Booming job market, technology explosion has companies vying harder for grads: EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Opportunity didn't just knock for Christian Nichols - it pounded on the door. Months before Nichols was to graduate from the University of Texas-El Paso with a degree in computer information systems, Exxon was already courting him with a stay in a posh hotel and meals in fine Houston restaurants.

May 23 -- 14 Texas schools receive federal recognition: AUSTIN (AP) - Fourteen public middle schools and high schools in Texas were named Blue Ribbon Schools on Friday by the U.S. Department of Education.

May 23 -- Texas Digest: Bush: gambling at Indian casino is illegal ... Cisneros lawyers want judge to throw out secretly recorded phone tapes ... House enlisting military in war on drugs, illegal immigration

May 22 -- Confessed killer threatens families: DALLAS (AP) - One of two men accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing a mentally challenged Arlington woman claims that if he gets the death penalty or has to serve more than 30 years in prison, members of at least four families will be injured or killed.

May 22 -- Jury awards $16.9 million to Houston boy who lost toes in escalator: HOUSTON (AP) - A jury has awarded $16.9 million to a Houston boy who lost three toes after getting caught in a downtown escalator. Punitive damages could drive the award higher.

May 22 -- Memorial Day projection is 30 highway deaths; seatbelt use urged: AUSTIN (AP) - Thirty Texans are expected to lose their lives over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. But many of them would live if they just buckled their seat belts, public safety officials said Thursday.

May 22 -- TAAS scores improve for fourth year: AUSTIN (AP) - Texas students have made gains on the statewide academic skills test for the fourth year in a row, state education commissioner Mike Moses announced Thursday.

May 22 -- Judge orders jurors to keep deliberating after they claim deadlock in bribery trial: HOUSTON (AP) - Jurors considering the fate of five city leaders accused of trading votes for bribes said Thursday that they could not reach a verdict, but a federal judge ordered them to continue their deliberations.

May 22 -- Austin commuter rail plan stalling: AUSTIN (AP) - A year after the Legislature approved a bill allowing for creation of a district to bring commuter trains from Round Rock to San Antonio, the plan may be stalled.

May 22 -- Lawmakers seek structure, financing for children's insurance program: AUSTIN (AP) - State legislators began working Thursday on a plan to attract nearly $3 in federal funds for every $1 Texas spends to provide health insurance to its poorest children. According to estimates, there will be some 1.3 million Texas children without health insurance in 1999.

May 22 -- Pastor's protest against library books on gays prompts donations: WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) - Instead of ridding public library shelves of "Heather Has Two Mommies" and "Daddy's Roommate," a Baptist minister's protest will end up putting more copies in circulation.

May 22 -- Texas authorities still pursuing charges against man who abandoned family: GALVESTON, Texas (AP) - An Ohio man sentenced to four years in prison Thursday for abandoning his family and starting a new life in this coastal city could face additional jail time for Texas probation violations.

May 21 -- Man bows out of district attorney race: DENTON, Texas (AP) -- The Democratic nominee for Denton County's top prosecutor job has pulled out of the race.

May 21 -- Heart autotransplant patient heads home to recover: HOUSTON (AP) -- Three weeks after his heart was removed, repaired and replaced in a historic operation, Guy Altmann headed home Wednesday eager to resume life as a normal 20-year-old college student.

May 21 -- Reviewers say there was 10 minutes' warning of Jarrell tornadoes: AUSTIN (AP) -- Despite some shortcomings in interpreting weather patterns last May 27, residents of Jarrell, where 27 were killed by tornadoes, had adequate time to prepare and take safety precautions, a team of national weather experts said today.

May 21 -- Meat tracing system to be tested: HOUSTON (AP) -- Ever wonder where the cow was born that ended up being your steak? The Texas Beef Council may soon be able to answer that question.

May 21 -- Unitarian minister convicted of trespassing at Baptist church: BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) -- A Unitarian minister has been sentenced to six months' probation for trespassing in a Baptist church during an anti-occult seminar.

May 21 -- Indian casino lawsuit studied: AUSTIN (AP) -- The attorney general is doing research before deciding whether to pursue a lawsuit against an El Paso Indian tribe that runs the state's largest casino, according to the governor's office.

May 21 -- Safety board blames dispatcher, Union Pacific for crash: WASHINGTON (AP) -- A dispatcher's mistakes and a lack of company workload-management policies caused a Union Pacific railroad crash in Texas last year that killed four people, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled.

May 21 -- More black, Hispanic freshmen headed to UT this fall: AUSTIN (AP) -- Slightly more black and Hispanic students are slated to be in the fall 1998 University of Texas freshman class compared with last year.

May 21 -- Amnesty, immigrant rights groups decry abuse by INS: McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- Armando DeLeon teared up when he recounted his son's two-day ordeal to get home after he was deported to Mexico despite being a U.S. citizen.

May 21 -- Morales sees Texas getting $2 billion more: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas could receive about $2 billion more from the tobacco industry under negotiations now taking place, Attorney General Dan Morales said Wednesday.

May 21 -- Pager users use fallback methods when high-tech fails: DALLAS (AP) -- In the backyard of national pager companies struggling with a satellite outage, pulmonary fibrosis sufferer Ralph Griffith sat at home Wednesday, afraid to miss the phone call that would notify him of an available lung for transplant.

May 20 -- San Antonio woman fights back from brain injury, mother's murder, son's kidnapping: AUSTIN -- Last July, Alison Kennedy left Austin's HealthSouth rehabilitation hospital in triumph, with staff applauding, media clamoring, a glowing prognosis on the horizon.

May 20 -- Congressman to press investigation into West Texas teen's death: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A Texas congressman said Tuesday he plans to subpoena Justice Department officials for information in the fatal shooting of a border teen-ager by a U.S. Marine on a drug patrol.

May 20 -- Congressman accuses Justice Dept. of stonewalling investigation (Scripps-Howard): WASHINGTON -- Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, Tuesday accused the Justice Department of stonewalling his investigation of the shooting of a teenage goat herder in Redford, and threatened to subpoena the Justice Department for witness statements.

May 20 -- Copeland Ministries cancels annual biker rally after girl's death: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Organizers have canceled an annual Christian bike rally eight months after a 12-year-old girl at the event was accidentally hit and killed by a speeding motorcycle.

May 20 -- Continental plans flights from Love Field: DALLAS (AP) -- The competition is heating up at Love Field, where Continental Airlines announced today that it is launching service from Dallas' in-town airport.

May 20 -- 13-year-old saves 4-year-old brother from house fire: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) -- A 13-year-old boy has been credited with saving the life of his 4-year-old brother when their home was destroyed by fire.

May 20 -- Judge says trial to focus on trespassing, not religion: BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) -- Legal, not religious, issues are at the heart of a trial in which a Unitarian minister is accused of trespassing in a Baptist church to protest claims that his followers are devil-worshipers, a judge has told jurors.

May 20 -- Police report access hot topic at Public Information Hearing: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- Police reports from home burglaries and traffic accidents should be restricted to protect victims from people trying to make a quick buck off them, two officials testified Tuesday before the Texas Senate's Interim Committee on Public Information.

May 20 -- U.S. sends firefighting aid to Mexico: WASHINGTON -- The United States has sent one helicopter and is preparing to send four more aircraft and a 20-member fire management team to Mexico to help fight hundreds of fires in Southern Mexico, U.S. officials announced Tuesday.

May 20 -- Health alert continues through Memorial Day weekend: DALLAS (AP) -- The haze from Mexican forest fires is thinning, but the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission has extended its health alert through Memorial Day weekend as a precaution.

May 20 -- Defense fund: Two-thirds of endangered Texas plants in decline: DALLAS (AP) -- True to their designation, most endangered plants in Texas have poor prospects of surviving despite federal safeguards, according to an Environmental Defense Fund study.

May 20 -- Texas executes man on death row nearly 21 years: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A man who had been on Texas' death row nearly 21 years was executed Tuesday for the rape and beating death of a 19-year-old college student.

May 19 -- Texas joins national effort to get missing children: AUSTIN (AP) - Texas is only the second state to join a national database that posts pictures of missing children on the Internet. Gov. George W. Bush was on hand Monday to applaud the move that he and others predict could revolutionize the way missing children are found.

May 19 -- Texas haze impossible to predict, forecasters say: DALLAS (AP) - Fires have blazed across Mexico for five months, but forecasters say there was no way to predict they'd send smoke billowing across the border to Texas in the past week.

May 19 -- Court rejects appeal in Texas case of birth defects and judicial insult: WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court today rejected an appeal in a double-barreled Texas dispute over a morning-sickness drug that allegedly caused a birth defect and a lawyer who insulted the state's highest court by, among other things, calling its judges "nine nutty professors."

May 19 -- Amnesty International to release report on border abuses: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - Amnesty International will release its first-ever report this week on human rights abuses by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents on the U.S-Mexico border.

May 19 -- Jurors begin first full day of deliberations in bribery trial: HOUSTON (AP) - A jury spent its first full day Monday deliberating the fate of five political figures accused of taking or giving bribes in exchange for favorable votes.

May 19 -- Texas to ask for more under tobacco settlement: AUSTIN (AP) - Attorney General Dan Morales told the tobacco industry Monday that Texas wants modifications to its $15.3 billion settlement to bring it in line with a similar settlement in Minnesota.

May 19 -- Experts testify shoe prints, tire treads match: LLANO, Texas (AP) - Shoe prints found near the body of a murdered 11-year-old girl matched shoes discovered in the car used by the man accused of killing her, a forensics expert testified Monday.

May 19 -- Years of work on giant cargo aircraft come to end at Kelly AFB: SAN ANTONIO (AP) - In a huge Air Force hangar, where workers wearing earplugs and toting hydraulic tools once swarmed over rows of C-5 Galaxies, it is so quiet the chirping of birds can be heard.

May 19 -- Justices upholds ruling to turn over assassination records: WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court today refused to lift an order requiring New Orleans' district attorney to surrender records on a 1960s investigation into the assassination of President Kennedy.

May 18 -- Coalition of cities fighting state plan to expand air quality standards: SHERMAN, Texas (AP) -- State regulators' move to require rural areas north of Dallas-Fort Worth to follow tougher air quality standards could force new area manufacturers to locate in Oklahoma, according to Texas city officials.

May 18 -- A&M donkeys are ready to race: COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Don't try to convince Willie, Waylon and Tammy this is honky-tonk heaven. Any jackass can see it's just a rutted gravel road out by the pig barn.

May 18 -- Valley citrus industry drying up: MISSION, Texas -- "For Sale" signs on drought-parched orchards and fields have become the beacons of expansion and economic growth in the Rio Grande Valley. But before the freezes of 1983 and 1989, which destroyed local crops and sent the local economy into a spin, grapefruit and oranges were a common sight.

May 18 -- DNA doesn't sway appeals court; man denied bid for new trial: HOUSTON (AP) -- The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has rejected a judge's recommendation that a man convicted of rape receive a new trial because of DNA tests that allegedly support his innocence.

May 18 -- Two longtime death row inmates facing execution this week: HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- The lives of two of the state's longest-serving death row inmates could come to an end this week with the scheduled executions of Robert Anthony Carter Monday evening and Pedro Cruz Muniz 24 hours later.

May 18 -- Haze returns, health alert continues: DALLAS (AP) -- As a hazy veil of smoke from deadly Latin American fires returned Sunday to much of Texas, state officials extended a health alert until noon Wednesday.

May 18 -- Astronomers: Impact 'when, not if': AUSTIN (AP) -- At least one University of Texas astronomer finds the latest asteroid disaster movie not so farfetched.

May 18 -- School principal turns to nutty scheme to clean up messy cafeteria: CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) -- OK, so the idea was a little nutty. Cleveland High School Principal Roger Clifton, upset that his students consistently left the school cafeteria a mess, thought a menu change might improve their sloppy ways.

May 18 -- Airlines relying on older jets: DALLAS (AP) -- Federal regulators say airlines are pushing the useful life of their jets to new limits -- prompting a need for even more careful oversight.

May 18 -- Lawmakers consider parole for aging inmates: HOUSTON (AP) -- Vernice "Joe" Hobbs seems as helpless as can be. At 71, he suffers from emphysema and weighs just 92 pounds. He uses a wheelchair equipped with an oxygen bottle, and says all he dreams of is sitting on a porch and drinking coffee.

May 18 -- Tomatoes and jobs are sprouting in Big Bend: MARFA, Texas (AP) -- Two long, low greenhouse complexes don't make much of an impression on the hilly countryside between Fort Davis and Marfa, but they have made a mark on the local economy.

May 18 -- School at heart of Valentine fading: VALENTINE, Texas -- As the last giddy days of another school year play out, this one will be long remembered by the students, teachers and families of the Valentine School District.

May 17 -- Drug czar says U.S.-Mexico border needs military technology, not troops: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The fatal shooting of a Texas teen-ager by a U.S. Marine patrolling the border was a "terrible tragedy" that raised important questions about using ground troops in the war on drugs, White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey said Saturday.

May 17 -- Texas fruit growers look forward to a sweet year: HOUSTON (AP) -- It should be a sweet year for Texas fruit growers.

May 17 -- Judge won't stop DPS raids for gambling machines: DALLAS (AP) -- A state district judge has refused to order the Texas Department of Public Safety to stop its raids on operators of eight-liner gambling machines.

May 17 -- Haze could be bad news for Valley cotton: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- People and plants are both starved for sunshine in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

May 17 -- U.S. pledges to speed firefighting help to Mexico: DALLAS (AP) -- After some initial confusion last week, U.S. and Mexican officials showed a united front Saturday in their efforts to douse the wildfires that have sent smoke billowing north of the border.

May 17 -- Three die including former S&L scandal figure: VERNON, Texas (AP) -- All three people aboard a private plane, including one of the first savings and loan executives convicted in the 1980s scandals, died Saturday when the twin-engine aircraft crashed in North Texas.

May 17 -- Dillard's settles wrongful death suit for $1 million: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The family of a Mexican businessman who died after a struggle with a department store security guard has settled a wrongful death suit against Dillard's for $1 million, his family said.

May 17 -- United Way asks group to return money: AUSTIN (AP) -- United Way of America is asking a nonprofit group to return more than $7,400 in grant money that allegedly was misused.

May 16 -- Super collider lab sold by state: AUSTIN (AP) -- A major part of the old Superconducting Super Collider project in Ellis County has been sold for $10 million.

May 16 -- Ambassador says nations responding to U.N. statement against India tests: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A United Nations statement urging India to sign an international nuclear test ban treaty already is having an impact worldwide, U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson said Friday.

May 16 -- All Texas put under health alert: AUSTIN (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush urged Texans to consider limiting their physical exercise as the entire state was put under a health alert Friday due to smoke from fires in Mexico and Central America.

May 16 -- Pianist Cliburn OK after collapsing during concert: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Renowned pianist Van Cliburn was discharged from a hospital early Friday and apparently will be OK after collapsing on stage before a packed house in his hometown.

May 16 -- Plaintiffs who sued Dallas Catholic Diocese over molestation can seize assets: DALLAS (AP) -- Plaintiffs who won damages from the Catholic Diocese of Dallas for sexual abuse by a former priest are now legally entitled to begin seizing churches and schools, but some observers consider such an action unlikely.

May 16 -- Texas A&M cadet challenges school's Confederate flag ban in federal court: HOUSTON (AP) -- A Texas A&M University cadet on Friday challenged the school's ban on the Confederate battle flag, filing suit against the school after being forced to remove a rebel flag sticker from his foot locker.

May 16 -- Woman seeks $38 million over HIV misdiagnosis: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Khristol Watson says she's not in it for the money but for a chance to get some healing, some growth and to get her message out.

May 16 -- Convicted killer released to begin heavily monitored parole period: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Wesley Wayne Miller, convicted 16 years ago of killing a former high school classmate, was released from state prison early today to begin seven years on parole that will be the most intensely monitored in Texas.

May 16 -- Two pit bulls to be put to death for attack: HOUSTON (AP) -- A judge has ordered two pit bulls who attacked and seriously injured a neighbor to be put to death.

May 16 -- Teen-agers compete for high-dollar grants at huge science fair: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- As a first grader, Jonathan Wu couldn't understand why he kept seeing tiny hairs when he looked through his brand-new, plastic microscope.

May 16 -- Texas, neighbors brace for smoky weekend: GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- Much of Texas and other states to the north and east appear destined to spend the weekend shaded under a smoky canopy, a byproduct of fierce Latin American wildfires that remain out of control.

May 15 -- Texas immigrant groups want Bush to weigh in on immigrant food stamp debate: WASHINGTON (AP) -- A coalition of Texas immigrant advocacy groups is calling on Gov. George W. Bush to weigh in as Congress debates whether to restore food stamps for some of the 935,000 noncitizens who were dropped from the federal rolls last year.

May 15 -- Centro Alameda becoming affiliate of Smithsonian Institution: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The Smithsonian Institution and the Hispanic cultural organization Centro Alameda Inc. on Thursday celebrated their plans to jointly promote Latino arts, music and education.

May 15 -- College class helps lawmakers with constitutional proposal: SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) -- It's finals week at Angelo State University. But the real-life exam for the 16 students could come in 1999.

May 15 -- Key lawmakers ready to take next step: AUSTIN (AP) -- Students in Allen Independent School District use computers to do research when the library's closed, learn math through a baseball game, participate in forums with students around the country and send e-mail to pen-pals in Alaska and Hawaii.

May 15 -- DNA used to identify dog in mauling of 77-year-old woman: CANYON LAKE, Texas (AP) -- Investigators have used DNA testing to identify a dog believed to have mauled and severely injured a 77-year-old woman earlier this year.

May 15 -- DPS offers electronic information on convicts: AUSTIN (AP) -- People seeking information about those convicted of crimes in Texas can now turn to the Internet.

May 15 -- Feds give Texas, other states funds to reimburse for criminal alien incarceration: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Texas and 48 other states will share $492 million in funds from Washington to help defray their costs for incarcerating illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in the United States.

May 15 -- Mexican smoke wafts further into state: GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- There's no end in sight for the intensifying blanket of smoke that wafted farther over Texas on Thursday, irritating eyes, canceling activities and leaving millions longing for sunshine.

May 15 -- Governor says offers of Texas aid to fight Mexican fires stuck in international diplomacy: HOUSTON (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush said Thursday he was willing to send state forestry experts to Mexico to help fight fires that have blanketed much of Texas with smoke but that any offer was stymied in diplomatic channels involving the U.S. State Department and the government of Mexico.

May 15 -- Morales OKs Hopwood appeal: AUSTIN (AP) -- The University of Texas will be allowed to appeal the anti-affirmative action court decision that school officials say puts Texas at a disadvantage in attracting minority students.

May 15 -- Morales says no Microsoft lawsuit yet: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas will take part in national negotiations over Microsoft, but it won't be suing the company right now because the state's high-tech industry leaders say they don't need the help, Attorney General Dan Morales' office announced Thursday.

May 15 -- Fish excluding devices now required for shrimpers in federal waters: ARANSAS PASS, Texas (AP) -- Shrimpers and federal officials continued to square off over bycatch reduction devices Thursday -- the day a federal regulation made the devices' use mandatory.

May 15 -- Indicted mother to have visits with children restricted: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A woman diagnosed with a disorder causing mothers to injure their children to get attention won't be spending weekends alone with her newborn baby after all.

May 15 -- Texas prisons avoid overcrowding: AUSTIN -- Texas prison officials have built low-security dormitories, turned laundry rooms into jail cells and began building new prisons for high-security inmates to avoid overcrowding.

May 14 -- Bomer proposes higher surcharge threshold: AUSTIN (AP) -- Drivers who cause minor fender-benders would not face surcharges on their insurance premiums under a proposal pending before the Texas Insurance Department.

May 14 -- Democrats push child care plan: AUSTIN (AP) -- Child care in Texas should be more accessible, more affordable and of higher quality, Democratic state legislators said Wednesday in announcing plans to try to meet those needs.

May 14 -- Catholic diocese, insurance companies spar over coverage in sex-abuse case: DALLAS (AP) -- A state district judge is considering whether two insurance companies must pay part of a $119.6 million judgment against the Dallas Catholic Diocese for sexual abuse by suspended priest Rudolph "Rudy" Kos.

May 14 -- Falcon Dam reports lowest level since 1957 drought: McALLEN, Texas (AP) -- Drought conditions in South Texas have Falcon Dam at its lowest point since 1957, forcing farmers to pick and choose which crops they can afford to irrigate.

May 14 -- UT regents vote to appeal Hopwood ruling: ODESSA, Texas (AP) -- University of Texas regents, saying the school has been placed at competitive disadvantage by a landmark ruling that dismantled affirmative action programs, voted unanimously Wednesday to seek an appeal.

May 14 -- Morales says A&M affiliation with South Texas College of Law is illegal: HOUSTON (AP) -- In his first written opinion on the subject, Texas Attorney General Dan Morales has filed court papers calling the affiliation between Texas A&M University and South Texas College of Law void.

May 14 -- Eleven schools poor in income but high in success studied: AUSTIN (AP) -- Eleven public schools where students succeed even though many are economically disadvantaged and limited in English are being asked to participate in a study to see whether they have things to teach other Texas schools.

May 14 -- Judge throws out lawsuit over policy that would tie grade promotion to TAAS scores: WACO, Texas (AP) -- The question of whether the Waco school district can use TAAS scores to fail students is on its way to the Texas Education Agency after a judge threw out a lawsuit filed by parents.

May 14 -- San Antonio insurer testing ride service to get older drivers out of their cars: HOUSTON (AP) -- USAA, the insurance company for the military, is testing a new program to get older drivers out of the car and into taxis, Texas Journal of the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

May 14 -- UT staff decries handling of pay studies: AUSTIN (AP) -- Pay studies by the same consultant have brought raises for some University of Texas executives but not for lower-paid staff members, and UT staffers are asking why.

May 13 -- American Airlines plans 14 daily Austin flights from Love Field: DALLAS (AP) -- American Airlines, which has vehemently opposed new service at Love Field, has asked permission to begin 14 daily flights to Austin from the airport, only five miles from downtown Dallas.

May 13 -- Morales to meet with computer company officials: AUSTIN (AP) -- Attorney General Dan Morales said late Tuesday he'll meet with the heads of Texas-based computer companies before deciding whether or not to sue Microsoft over antitrust issues.

May 13 -- Audit finds no phony classes for graduate students at University of Houston: HOUSTON (AP) -- An audit of graduate-level courses at the University of Houston shows no students enrolled in so-called dummy classes and no state money received by the school based on such classes.

May 13 -- Lawmakers consider more regulation of genetic information uses: AUSTIN (AP) -- Information gathered from genetic research is giving scientists more hope of preventing, treating and curing numerous diseases.

May 13 -- AG: Public may see HMO care complaint records: AUSTIN (AP) -- Most information contained in HMO complaint files at the State Department of Insurance is public record, the attorney general's office says.

May 13 -- Baptist proposal urges husbands to be leaders in the home: DALLAS (AP) -- A proposed change in a core document of the Southern Baptist Convention asks husbands to "provide for, to protect and to lead" the family.

May 13 -- Lawsuit claims church camp hired convict who molested boy: DALLAS (AP) -- An 18-year-old man and his parents sued the Assemblies of God and the church's ranch for troubled youths Tuesday, claiming the youth was molested by a counselor at the center two years ago.

May 13 -- Former nurse hid medication for patients, hospital says: DALLAS (AP) -- A former nurse at St. Paul Medical Center who claims he was too busy to deliver medication to scores of patients is being investigated by Dallas County authorities.

May 13 -- Valley woman convicted in murder-for-hire trial: HOUSTON (AP) -- A federal jury on Tuesday convicted a Brownsville woman in the murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of her daughter's ex-boyfriend.

May 13 -- Mexican, Southern American fires causing health threat in Texas: AUSTIN (AP) -- Smoke and air pollution from fires in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala prompted Texas officials to issue a health warning to residents in more than 50 counties Tuesday.

May 13 -- Committee looks at sexual predators: AUSTIN (AP) -- His crimes include aggravated sexual assault of a child, he's described as seething with anger and physically threatening to others, his prognosis for change is poor -- and he's just stepped out of prison.

May 12 -- Report: Texas antitrust action expected against Microsoft: AUSTIN (AP) - A spokesman for Attorney General Dan Morales said Monday the office continues to investigate Microsoft amid reports that Morales is ready to file an antitrust lawsuit that threatens to delay release of the company's Windows 98 operating system for personal computers.

May 12 -- Central, South Texas Methodists collecting underwear for charity: AUSTIN (AP) - Methodists in central and south Texas are dropping their drawers at church. Actually, its not their own underwear they are exposing, but new T-shirts, socks and underwear to be donated to children across the state.

May 12 -- Texan spends year researching state's Hispanic culture: AUSTIN - The history and culture of South Texas are virtually unknown outside the region and schools rarely teach about Tejanos who helped build Texas. Lupita Bryant wanted to change that.

May 12 -- Students talk with astronaut: AUSTIN (AP) - How many hours a night does an astronaut sleep? Do medications work differently in space? How does it feel to look down at the earth?

May 12 -- South Texas man becomes a U.S. citizen at 99: MERCEDES, Texas - His steady footing, full head of hair and quick wit belie his 99 years. But Asencion Martinez's leathery, wrinkled skin hints at the 54 years he toiled in the cotton, citrus, corn and carrot fields of South Texas.

May 12 -- Go-between in alleged murder-for-hire testifies: HOUSTON (AP) - The middleman in the alleged murder-for-hire of a Brownsville student testified Monday he found the killers at the request of his folk healer, who already has said the mother of the victim's spurned girlfriend financed the slaying.

May 12 -- Rail service to be limited south of San Angelo: SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - Customers along a 300-mile railroad route slated for abandonment say they'll be hurt if they lose the line and hold out hope that NAFTA and future prospects will make it pay off.

May 12 -- Thousands of acres scorched in South Central Texas: CAMP WOOD, Texas (AP) - Firefighters Monday battled stubborn brush fires that have scorched thousands of acres in South Central Texas, threatening a housing subdivision in the rugged hills.

May 12 -- Storm damage estimate rises to $30 million: DALLAS (AP) - Damage estimates have climbed to at least $30 million after North Texas storms destroyed more than a dozen dwellings and injured five people.

May 12 -- Bush wins backing of retiring lawmaker: AUSTIN (AP) - A Democratic state lawmaker, who's retiring from the Legislature, has endorsed Republican Gov. George W. Bush for re-election. Democratic candidate Garry Mauro's campaign was unimpressed.

May 12 -- State jail proposals add substance abuse space; cut private jail costs: AUSTIN (AP) - Eleven state jails would add programs to provide substance abuse treatment to some 3,000 inmates a year under a proposal awaiting approval from the Texas Board of Criminal Justice.

May 11 -- Critics say IRS problems need to remain in spotlight: HOUSTON (AP) - Houston's IRS district may have escaped a second round of Senate hearings largely unscathed last month, but critics warn the local office still takes the phrase "leaner and meaner" to a new level.

May 11 -- Walker Railey returns to lavish lifestyle: DALLAS - Walker Railey sure doesn't look like someone who declared less than two months ago he could barely afford $337 a month to help support the near-comatose woman soon to be his ex-wife.

May 11 -- Anthology addresses women's power: AUSTIN (AP) - A witch becomes mayor, and the budget magically balances. A city dweller imagines lingering in the dark without fear. A woman laughs as she holds a child. A construction worker at a prison taps into her inner strength.

May 11 -- Small-town police department takes aim at gang-related tattoos: BANDERA, Texas (AP) - Christopher Marchini worries he'll be killed for having tattoos removed from his shoulder blade and arm.

May 11 -- Sea-going boot camp helps juvenile offenders: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 12 mph wind blew sea spray across the front of the Sea Breeze, where a 16-year-old boy with a shaved head held on tight and said he had been busted for illegal possession of a firearm.

May 11 -- Crack case: Residents, not just police, tackling cocaine problem: TERRELL, Texas (AP) - Alarmed by a rash of crack-related robberies and other drug-related violence, Terrell police worked undercover with a law enforcement task force for more than two years to file several cases.

May 10 -- Two officers suspended after pulling gun on school bus: HOUSTON (AP) -- Police Chief C.O. "Brad" Bradford has suspended two officers who arrested a suspect at gunpoint in front of a school bus full of young children.

May 10 -- Lubbock couple found dead after house explosion; police searching for man: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Authorities found a couple's badly burned remains Saturday after part of their home was obliterated in a suspicious early-morning explosion. Police are seeking one man for questioning.

May 10 -- Court rules doctor not responsible for two deaths: AUSTIN (AP) -- A Houston doctor was not to blame for the 1991 deaths of two hospital employees who died trying to subdue one of the doctor's patients, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled.

May 10 -- Vonnegut: "If this isn't nice, what is?": HOUSTON (AP) -- Money, life and happiness -- not the Texas heat -- were on Kurt Vonnegut's mind Saturday in the novelist's first commencement address since an Internet hoax attributed a supposed two-word graduation speech to him.

May 10 -- City of Houston ordered to pay interest to tycoon's former mistress: HOUSTON (AP) -- A judge has reduced the amount of money the city of Houston has to pay a former model partially paralyzed in an attack more than a decade ago.

May 10 -- Kenneth Starr reveres truth in address to Texas Tech School of Law: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Whitewater Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr told law school graduates Saturday that truth is the foundation of their profession and that "lies and half-truths corrode our system of justice."

May 10 -- Routine traffic stop nabs man with 122 outstanding warrants: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- There were plenty of reasons -- 122, to be exact -- for Central Texas police pulling over a teen-ager besides a routine traffic stop.

May 10 -- UT President asks for $9.5 million for staff pay hikes: AUSTIN (AP) -- University of Texas President Larry Faulkner has agreed to dedicate $9.5 million to increasing staff salaries -- less than half the $21 million recommended by an advisory committee.

May 9 -- Supreme Court upholds Austin's development law: AUSTIN (AP) -- Strict building guidelines designed to protect water quality in Austin are legal, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday.

May 9 -- Governor touts value of volunteers in helping lives of children: HOUSTON (AP) -- Gov. George W. Bush touted Friday the value of volunteers around Texas as contributing individual small efforts that lead to huge societal improvements.

May 9 -- Board moves slowly on charter schools: AUSTIN (AP) -- The State Board of Education will wait until September to consider new applications for independent charter schools, which are publicly funded but free of many state regulations.

May 9 -- Appeals court rules against Houston nightclub with velvet Elvis paintings: HOUSTON (AP) -- It's not blue suede but black velvet that was the center of a trademark infringement suit filed by Elvis Presley Enterprises and reversed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

May 9 -- Fraternity sued over alleged hazing: AUSTIN (AP) -- A University of Texas freshman is suing Kappa Alpha fraternity and three of its members, alleging they violated the state's anti-hazing law.

May 9 -- George Bush Library attracting large numbers of visitors: COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Officials at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum are ecstatic about the number of visitors packing the place.

May 9 -- Bank robbery, chase leaves gunman shot in Texas: LONGVIEW, Texas (AP) -- Fingerprints have helped authorities identify a bank robbery suspect wounded at the end of a 66-mile chase.

May 9 -- Anti-terrorism training center to be based at Texas A&M: COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- An agency at Texas A&M University is being tapped to operate a first-of-its-kind national anti-terrorism training center.

May 9 -- Suspect withdrew $5,000 eight months before $3,000 hit was carried out: HOUSTON (AP) -- The summer her youngest daughter was spurned by an 18-year-old boyfriend, a woman accused of hiring his murder withdrew $5,000 from a certificate of deposit account, bank records revealed Friday.

May 9 -- Supreme Court: lesbian partner has no right to child visitation: AUSTIN (AP) -- A lesbian has no right to seek visitation with her ex-lover's child, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday.

May 8 -- Dallas restaurant owner admits he didn't kill deer: AUSTIN (AP) -- State wildlife officials Thursday cheered a Dallas restaurant owner's admission that he didn't kill a trophy white-tailed deer and filed false documents claiming he did.

May 8 -- Burnett, Cliburn, von Stade preview Bass Hall opening: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- Carol Burnett promised her famous Tarzan yell, singer Frederica von Stade promised a lot of laughs and pianist Van Cliburn promised a classic "Star-Spangled Banner" in a light-hearted preview of Friday night's gala opening of the Bass Performance Hall.

May 8 -- Defense: Case should be tossed because suspect did not talk to consulate: EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- A Mexican woman who confessed six times to a shooting has pushed her murder case into murky legal territory as she argues police violated her rights by not telling her she could call her consulate.

May 8 -- Families, defendant face the tragedies of murder (Death in Texas, Part 6): WAURIKA, Okla. (AP) -- More than a year after the murder of Heather Rich, network cameras have come to rural Oklahoma to remove whatever regional obscurity surrounded her story.

May 8 -- Growth slowing, but factors still strong: DALLAS (AP) -- Despite basically strong economic conditions in Texas, there are signs the state's growth rate is slowing, the Federal Reserve System notes.

May 8 -- Two inmates recaptured after separate East Texas prison escapes: RUSK, Texas (AP) -- A convicted murderer from Harris County was recaptured Thursday about five hours after he fled from a prison work detail at the Skyview Hodge Unit in Cherokee County in East Texas.

May 8 -- Low-wealth school districts ask court to throw out breaks: AUSTIN (AP) -- A group of poor school districts claimed Thursday that rich districts are reaping some $500 million from financial breaks that violate court-ordered standards for fairness in public education funding.

May 8 -- Democrats vow to repeal Hutchison rider on oil royalties: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Angered by the oil industry's successful campaign to derail changes in the government's method of collecting royalties for oil pumped on federal lands, a group of Democratic lawmakers pledged Thursday to roll back Big Oil's gains.

May 8 -- Burger joint gets makeover: DALLAS (AP) -- Did somebody say McDeco? When Lee and Ed Bailey decided to make-over one of their 23 McDonald's franchises, they let the location be their inspiration.

May 8 -- Man accused of abusing and neglecting six young children had stolen identity, police say: CONROE, Texas (AP) -- An Oregon prison escapee is jailed in Texas and accused of abusing and neglecting six young children after assuming the identity of a 12-year-old boy killed in a traffic accident north of Houston 34 years ago.

May 8 -- Taxi driver gets new car, vacation for helping save heart attack victim: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A Texas cab driver who helped save the life of a Tennessee man has been given a new Cadillac and a resort vacation.

May 8 -- Jury hears police tapes made in murder-for-hire investigation: HOUSTON (AP) -- A jury Thursday read translated transcripts while listening to grainy, Spanish conversations secretly taped by authorities in their effort to solve an alleged murder-for-hire of a Brownsville youth.

May 7 -- School districts want to re-open funding battle: AUSTIN (AP) -- A group of school districts with low property wealth wants to re-open the court battle over the way Texas funds public education.

May 7 -- NTSB investigates accident: ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) -- National Transportation Safety Board investigators removed event recorders similar to an airplane's "black box" from an Amtrak train involved in a fatal collision with a garbage truck.

May 7 -- PUC approves third codes in Houston, Dallas areas; split of 512 area code: AUSTIN (AP) -- The Houston and Dallas areas are getting new area codes -- again. And Corpus Christi is getting a change as well.

May 7 -- Families face the tragedies of murder (Death in Texas, Part 5): WAURIKA, Okla. (AP) -- Cherese Bagwell was furious with the capital murder conviction and life sentence of her son Josh in the slaying of Waurika High School honor student Heather Rich.

May 7 -- Veterans official warned about use of bus for gambling trip: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A veterans official has received a warning for allowing a group of employees to borrow a VA bus for a gambling trip to Shreveport last year.

May 7 -- Morales: Gangs growing, moving to smaller towns, cities: AUSTIN (AP) -- Criminal gangs are growing and moving into smaller cities and towns, but many law enforcement agencies don't rate gangs as their biggest problems, according to Attorney General Dan Morales.

May 7 -- Professor nominated for defense post has focused his career on nuclear issues: AUSTIN -- Although he'll be 69 in June, Hans Mark isn't thinking about retirement.

May 7 -- Hutchison seeks to bring troops back from Bosnia: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fresh from a tour of Bosnia, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Wednesday introduced legislation that would draw down the number of U.S. troops taking part in a NATO peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslav republic.

May 7 -- Department of Public Safety to begin monitoring polluting commuters: HOUSTON (AP) -- Forget speedtraps. Commuters shuttling into Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston next year had better watch out for "smogtraps."

May 7 -- Confederate sticker on cadet's foot locker stirs debate: COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- A Confederate flag sticker on the foot locker of a Texas A&M cadet has sparked a campus debate over whether or not the school can specifically ban the rebel flag.

May 7 -- Fortuneteller takes the stand in murder-for-hire trial: HOUSTON (AP) -- A Brownsville woman asked her fortuneteller to find someone to kill her daughter's ex-boyfriend after "the cards" revealed he would not marry the girl, the spiritualist testified Wednesday.

May 7 -- Five hurt in well accident: BALSORA, Texas (AP) -- Five men were hurt -- two of them critically -- when an oil well they were plugging exploded and caught fire Wednesday in Wise County, officials said.

May 6 -- Archer urges Clinton to use surplus for tax cuts: WASHINGTON (AP) -- A top House Republican urged President Clinton to use a share of the budget surplus for tax relief, saying the president set a precedent by tapping the surplus for purposes other than rescuing Social Security.

May 6 -- DPS: Crime down in 1997: AUSTIN (AP) -- The number of crimes in Texas dropped 2.5 percent in 1997, the Department of Public Safety reported Tuesday.

May 6 -- Friends face one another in courtroom climax ("A Death In Texas" Part 4): WAURIKA, Okla. (AP) -- Across the Red River in Texas, the capital murder trial of Josh Bagwell was nearing its pivotal moment in District Judge Roger Towery's courtroom.

May 6 -- One killed when train, garbage truck collide: ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) -- The driver of a garbage truck was killed Tuesday after his truck was hit by an Amtrak train carrying 104 passengers. Eleven other people were taken to hospitals with injuries, including a train engineer.

May 6 -- Drive-in movie wrecking crew comes upon own youthful memories: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Most workers at a demolition this week have vibrant drive-in memories they made at the same site. Now their job is to raze tangible reminders of that past.

May 6 -- Commission weighs limits on nine generic drugs: AUSTIN (AP) -- A proposal pending before the state Board of Pharmacy would make it more difficult -- and more expensive -- for Texans to get nine types of generic prescription drugs, according to opponents of the measure.

May 6 -- Jeb Bush proud he and Florida GOP getting big bucks from Texas: TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Jeb Bush defended his fund-raising work in Texas, where his brother is governor, saying Tuesday he needs to raise more money because he won't accept public matching funds for his gubernatorial campaign.

May 6 -- Fibers on victim's clothing fail to match alleged attacker's truck: HOUSTON (AP) -- Fibers found on the clothing of a topless dancer do not match the upholstery of her alleged abductor's pickup truck, a state forensics expert testified Tuesday.

May 6 -- Pemelton Farms ordered to pay $9,600 for child labor violations: HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) -- A Rio Grande Valley produce company that vowed to fight charges of employing children in onion fields will now pay a $9,600 fine and sign an agreement to comply with federal child labor laws.

May 6 -- Study: Texas has one of nation's highest literacy needs: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Because of limited literacy skills, millions of Texans have trouble performing basic reading tasks such as locating a street intersection on a map or understanding an article in the newspaper, according to a recent national study.

May 6 -- Jury find therapist not responsible for patients false memories: HOUSTON (AP) -- A therapist accused of helping a woman to falsely believe she murdered babies and engaged in cannibalism is not responsible for the patient's mental anguish, a jury has ruled.

May 6 -- Murder defendant arrested after paying fortuneteller: HOUSTON (AP) -- A Brownsville woman accused of using a fortuneteller to arrange the murder of her daughter's ex-sweetheart paid the spiritualist $500 one month after the slaying, a former sheriff's investigator testified Tuesday.

May 6 -- Judge rules lawyer must wait to examine documents on disciplinary action: HOUSTON (AP) -- A prominent Houston attorney and his associate have been told they can't examine State Bar of Texas documents until disciplinary proceedings against them resume.

May 5 -- A stunning reversal changes the case ("A Death in Texas" Part III): WAURIKA, Okla. (AP) - On Oct. 2, 1997, precisely one year after Heather Rich's disappearance, jury selection began in the capital murder trial of Curtis Allen Gambill, the troubled dropout who first incriminated his two buddies in Heather's murder.

May 5 -- Texas governor announces joint efforts with Mexico to fight TB: MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican and Texan officials will step up efforts to fight a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis found on both sides of the border, Texas Gov. George W. Bush announced Monday.

May 5 -- DPS planning more gambling raids: AUSTIN (AP) - State police will conduct more raids on eight-liner gambling machines, the Texas Department of Public Safety warned Monday.

May 5 -- Speaker Newt Gingrich touts GOP, questions Clinton in Dallas visit: DALLAS (AP) - Continuing his criticism of President Clinton, U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Monday "this country looks terrible in the world."

May 5 -- Thousands of Texans in line for higher rate cuts: AUSTIN (AP) - Nearly a quarter of a million Texans will get deeper-than-announced cuts to their auto insurance premiums after negotiations between their insurers and the Department of Insurance.

May 5 -- GOP candidate for appeals bench contrite about racial notes: DALLAS (AP) - A Republican appeals court nominee made racial comments to his bailiff, according to handwritten notes pulled from a wastebasket and kept more than 10 years by a critic of the judge.

May 5 -- Historic Galveston ice cream company cranking up again: GALVESTON, Texas - Purity Ice Cream Co. is cranking up the freezers again, just in time for its 110th birthday next year.

May 5 -- Judge tries his hand at running a Web page: CONROE, Texas (AP) - Justice can now be found online, thanks to state District Judge Mike Mayes. Mayes has constructed his own Internet page and is now operating it daily in his 410th District Court in Conroe. The site includes his latest rulings and allows lawyers to e-mail their requests for court appearances to the judge's court coordinator.

May 5 -- Mother accused of killing daughter's ex-boyfriend goes back on trial: HOUSTON (AP) - A woman once convicted of using a fortuneteller to arrange the murder of her daughter's ex-boyfriend went back on trial today in federal court.

May 5 -- UT research stays on trail of controlling fusion heat: AUSTIN (AP) - When two University of Texas fusion researcher's 1996 prediction that a planned $11 billion fusion reactor would fizzle was published in the journal Science, some physicists balked.

May 5 -- Dancing ban is long gone, but dancers few at Baylor: WACO, Texas (AP) - They're not exactly two-stepping the night away at Baylor University. A little over two years ago, university officials captured national headlines by lifting an unwritten 151-year ban on dancing.

May 5 -- Celebrities gather for Reid fund-raiser: AUSTIN (AP) - A group of Texas authors and other celebrities will gather Saturday for a dinner, silent auction and special readings to benefit Austin writer Jan Reid, who was seriously injured in a Mexico City robbery two weeks ago.

May 4 -- Investigators close in on suspects in 'unthinkable' murder ("A Death in Texas" Part II) WAURIKA, Okla. - To prosecutor Tim Cole, the murder of Waurika sophomore Heather Rich was more than tragic. It was unthinkable.

May 4 -- Woman claims Virgin Mary statue delivered message, moved: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) - On Thursday, a weathered statue of the Virgin Mary reportedly raised its arms and delivered a message.

May 4 -- Dispute over children's shelter latest clash in historic district: SAN ANTONIO (AP) - In the King William historic area, where residents take pride in restoring old homes and promoting neighborhood tranquility, it's battle time again.

May 4 -- Houston mayor's appointment of gay liaison brings mixed response: HOUSTON (AP) - Gay and lesbian leaders have praised Mayor Lee Brown for fulfilling a campaign promise so quickly with the recent appointment of a special liaison to their community.

May 4 -- Troopers, DPS haggle over difference between "quotas" and "goals": HOUSTON (AP) - Two state troopers were involuntarily transferred from their Houston-area office after they questioned what they perceived to be traffic-ticket quotas, the Houston Chronicle reported.

May 4 -- New prison program helps combat illiteracy: DALLAS (AP) - The illiteracy rate in the Texas prison system, estimates Elvis Hightower, senior warden at Hutchins State Jail, "has to be at least 85 to 90 percent."

May 4 -- Cards mislead, universities say: DENTON, Texas (AP) - Parents of high school students across Texas have received letters making available for $25 a debit card that purportedly is required to receive discounts on books and meals at colleges across the United States. Officials of several universities in Texas say it sounds like a rip-off to them.

May 4 -- Cowboy cooking runs in the family: CROWELL, Texas - When pastures turn green, patches and stretches of wildflowers bloom and mesquites leaf out, cowboys start rounding up cattle and chuckwagon cooks come into their own.

May 4 -- Rodeo fans not so sure they want to see the third coming of Tuff Hedeman: FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - In a sport known for tough people, three-time world rodeo champion Richard "Tuff" Hedeman might darn well be the toughest.

May 4 -- 'Elmerisms' capture West Texas' essence: SAN ANGELO, Texas - Someone once said that Elmer Kelton uses West Texas "sayings" and stories in his writing the same way a good cook uses salt: just enough to season, but not enough to distract.

May 3 -- Saga of youthful murder and intrigue straddles the Red River ("A Death in Texas" Part I): WAURIKA, Okla. - Homecoming 1996 at Waurika High School was tinged with heartache and horror. Word swept through the classrooms and hallways and into the cafes and shops downtown that the weeklong search for a missing 16-year-old sophomore had come to an ugly conclusion.

May 3 -- UT finalizing deal on year-round club inside stadium: AUSTIN (AP) -- The University of Texas is near a deal with Club Corp of America to open a year-round club in the renovated football stadium.

May 3 -- Coin flip decides Houston-area commissioners' race: ANAHUAC, Texas (AP) -- A coin flip has broken the 669-669 deadlock between two Chambers County commission candidates, although the race might not be over yet.

May 3 -- Attorney general sues Wade Cook Seminars over financial advice: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas Attorney General Dan Morales has sued Wade B. Cook and Wade Cook Seminars, alleging that customers were overcharged, denied refunds and misled about sales contracts relating to Cook's financial seminars.

May 3 -- Texas State Tech students developing firewall for fireants: WACO, Texas (AP) -- One group of students at Texas State Technical College hopes to take the financial sting out of fire ant attacks on electrical transformer boxes.

May 3 -- UT Law faculty urge appeal: AUSTIN (AP)--University of Texas law faculty have issued a petition urging the board of regents to appeal the anti-affirmative action Hopwood court ruling.

May 3 -- INS added to lawsuit alleging sexual harassment: BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A sexual harassment lawsuit filed by former guards at the INS' detention center near Bayview will be delayed and probably moved to federal court, lawyers say.

May 3 -- Sparks orders new trial after bailiff's racially charged remarks: AUSTIN (AP) -- A federal judge has ordered a new trial in the civil rights lawsuit accusing Austin police of using excessive force on teen-agers at a Valentine's Day party.

May 3 -- Capelo wins race to succeed Berlanga; Dallas bond election passing: Democrat Jaime Capelo won a landslide victory Saturday in the special election to succeed longtime Texas state representative Hugo Berlanga.

May 2 -- Former Klansman, state legislator debate affirmative action: SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) -- Former Louisiana legislator David Duke attacked affirmative action Friday as a violation of the human rights of white Americans.

May 2 -- Doctors remove and reimplant heart after cutting out tumor: HOUSTON (AP) -- Three months after Guy Altmann had a tumor removed from his left shoulder, his surgeons took another look and came face to face with a death sentence.

May 2 -- Anti-tax activist making bid for Lubbock mayor: LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Mikel Ward has become a political force here without ever winning an election. That qualifier is something she wants to change Saturday.

May 2 -- Texas pregnancy rate down but still high: DALLAS (AP) -- Texas' teen pregnancy rate remains the second-highest in the nation, even though more teens are abstaining and practicing safe-sex methods.

May 2 -- Shell Oil announces it will sell Washington refinery to San Antonio-based Tesoro: HOUSTON (AP) -- To clear the way for a Shell-Texaco joint venture, Shell Oil Company on Friday announced it would sell its capital stock of Shell Anacortes Refining Co. to Tesoro Petroleum Corp. for more than $237 million.

May 2 -- This just in: Texas is a part of the United States: WASHINGTON (AP) -- Cartographers won't have to redraw their maps after all: Texas was, is and shall remain part of the United States.

May 2 -- Romanian ship remains docked in Texas: FREEPORT, Texas (AP) -- With no food and little money, 26 stranded Romanian sailors are still searching for a way to return home.

May 2 -- Prisons lose again in VitaPro fight: AUSTIN (AP) -- Texas prison officials, for the second time, have been ordered to a Huntsville courtroom in their unsuccessful fight to cancel a controversial $33.7 million contract for the food supplement VitaPro.

May 1 -- Residents recall excitement, heartbreak of Israeli independence: DALLAS -- Somehow, the washed out black-and-white photo already is 50 years old.

May 1 -- McDougal death ruled as natural, despite abnormal Prozac level: DALLAS (AP) -- Imprisoned Whitewater figure James B. McDougal had an abnormal amount of the antidepressant drug Prozac in his system, but he died last month of natural causes, a medical examiner said Thursday.

May 1 -- FDA: Houston doctor's cancer data shows treatment has little effect: HOUSTON (AP) -- For more than a decade, Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski has claimed his alternative treatment is effective in treating fatally ill cancer patients.

May 1 -- 58-year-old blood donor says donations saved his life: IRVING, Texas (AP) -- A career blood donor who survived a heart attack is convinced that his regular contributions saved his life.

May 1 -- Mauro says five of six HMOs don't offer access to certified cancer centers: AUSTIN (AP) -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Garry Mauro says 21 of 25 health maintenance organizations that list cancer-care providers with the state don't offer general access to Texas' two top treatment centers.

May 1 -- Teacher's pet bites student, trial to continue: AUSTIN (AP) -- An Austin teacher's show-and-tell lesson has reached back and bit her.

May 1 -- Mayor and attorney up for Berlanga's Texas house seat: Texas representative Hugo Berlanga's exit from the Legislature has left Corpus Christi-area voters with two options for filling his shoes -- a Yale-educated Corpus Christi attorney and the mayor of Robstown, who also happens to be a pastor.

May 1 -- Woman accused of endangering two sons: SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Cynthia Martinez Lyda went to court trying to regain custody of the month-old son that child welfare officials took away from her at his birth.

May 1 -- Thousands more seniors still need to pass TAAS to graduate: AUSTIN (AP) -- More than 11,000 Texas high school seniors still must pass the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills before they can receive a diploma with their class this spring.