03/03/2010

Trusty slips out of Sugar Land prison, makes cigarette run to Walmart
A convicted burglar slipped out of his prison unit to buy cigarettes, then returned unnoticed a short time later, authorities said, eventually leading to a contraband search and further criticism of Texas prison security.

Hatred toward IRS nothing new
AUSTIN – Michelle Lowry knows first-hand how much people hate the Internal Revenue Service.

Arkansas girl shot in getaway car dies of injuries
ROLAND, Okla. – A 1-year-old Fort Smith, Ark., girl who was shot while riding in a getaway car after a robbery has died, authorities said Tuesday.

Analysis: Hutchison failed to make compelling case for change

TOM FOX/DMN

Kay Bailey Hutchison concedes at Eddie Deen's Ranch in Dallas Tuesday night.

The senator had many reasons to believe she'd beat Rick Perry for governor. But the anti-Washington wave swept them all away. Late Tuesday, she lost her bid to force Perry into a runoff amid the whipsaw politics of the Tea Party movement.
For Hutchison, an 'abrupt end to dream'
Bill White, Rick Perry win Texas governor nominations
Editorial: Perry, White must hone messages for November

Texas, southwest briefs
Death row inmate loses appeal in '96 case

For Hutchison, an 'abrupt end to dream'
Right to the end, virtually until the polls closed, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison kept a game face as her yearlong quest to oust a sitting governor came to a head.

Chavez-Thompson wins Democratic lieutenant governor nomination over Earle
Former labor leader Linda Chavez-Thompson, buoyed by support from labor and Hispanic groups, defeated her two opponents Tuesday in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

03/02/2010

Ratliff tops McLeroy in tight Texas ed board race
Mount Pleasant Republican Thomas Ratliff narrowly beat veteran State Board of Education member Don McLeroy in the GOP primary for the board seat that represents Collin County and much of Northeast Texas.

Rick Perry swears in military recruits, goes for a run as primary votes are cast
Perry capped a long slog for his party's blessing to stay put, to remain in the office he's been in for nine years, with quintessential Perry events Tuesday.

Mansfield couple gains ground after latest ruling on defective house
When a jury ruled against Houston homebuilder Bob Perry this week in the long legal battle with a retirement-age Mansfield couple with a defective house, it was more than a judgment.

Texas' U.S. House members win in primary election
The anti-incumbent sentiment presumably aimed at Congress isn't costing any Texas congressional members their jobs -- for now.

Conservative Christian wins GOP nomination for District 5 State Board of Education seat
Ken Mercer defeated Austin attorney Tim Tuggey on Tuesday night and will face one of four Democrats vying for his District 5 seat in November.

Starving longhorns placed in care of SPCA
More than 60 starving longhorns were formally placed with the SPCA Tuesday afternoon by a Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace who said the animals had been cruelly treated.

GOP governor's race tops Texas primary

KYE R. LEE/DMN

North Texas voters hit the polls today to choose their parties' nominees in several local primaries. But the main event remains the hotly contested GOP primary for governor.
Photos: Light turnout | Twitter: Election chatter

Mad emu attacks deputies in El Paso
A mad emu gave deputies a Texas-sized hard time. El Paso authorities say the big bird was running loose Tuesday, snarling rush-hour traffic near Interstate 10 and attacking deputies trying to restrain it.

Slater: Verdict in Bob Perry case was a message about court system
AUSTIN — When a jury ruled against Houston homebuilder Bob Perry this week in the long legal battle with a retirement-age Mansfield couple with a defective house, it was more than a judgment.

Gov. Rick Perry surprises military recruits at Dallas enlistment ceremony
Texas Gov. Rick Perry surprised two dozen military recruits in Dallas this morning as he showed up to administer their oaths of enlistment.

Museum to open at Austin home of Alamo survivor Susanna Dickinson
The legacy of Susanna Dickinson, "The Messenger of the Alamo," who survived the battle that killed her husband and then carried news of the mission's fall to Sam Houston, will be marked today, Texas Independence Day, with the opening of a museum in Austin.

Disaster money will help Galveston repair Hurricane Ike damage
GALVESTON – Galveston will rebuild its main wastewater treatment plant and repair other infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Ike with help from $107 million in federal disaster money.

Food banks to handle assistance applications
AUSTIN – A federal waiver that took effect Monday will allow food banks in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth to handle food stamp applications directly.

Perry signs posthumous pardon for Fort Worth man
Gov. Rick Perry signed a posthumous pardon Monday for a Fort Worth native who was wrongly convicted of rape and died in state prison in 1999.

03/01/2010

Secretary of State won't forecast Tuesday turnout for Texas primary
Hope Andrade's office said Monday that recent surges in early voting haven't necessarily coincided with huge increases in turnout.
Voter Guide: Compare candidates
Find your Tuesday polling location
DMN Editorial Board recommendations
Election stories recap
Blog: Politics

Texas death row inmate set to die for murder of Brazilian couple in Plano
Michael Sigala killed Kleber and Lilian Santos in August 2000 while he was on probation and was allowed to leave a Dallas-area substance abuse treatment center for the day to look for a job.

Supreme Court troubled by jury selection in ex-Enron CEO Skilling's trial
Skilling was convicted in 2006 on 19 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors. His lawyers are hoping for a new trial.

Students record stories of Mexican braceros who aided U.S. farming
EL PASO – Alejandra Diaz has been collecting stories, little nuggets of history, since 2006.

Drug war clashes between Gulf cartel, Zetas may escalate, could affect North Texas
Longstanding tensions between the Zetas paramilitary group and their old employers, the Gulf drug cartel, have exploded into a full-blown war, worrying U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials that a likely protracted battle will further threaten this stretch of the Texas-Mexico border.

GOP Sen. Bob Deuell rejects 'liberal' label hurled by primary rival Sharon Russell
AUSTIN – Sen. Bob Deuell, chairman of the chamber's Republican Caucus and one of the more conservative members of the Senate, never expected to be attacked as liberal in his re-election bid this year.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee touts Obama's support
HOUSTON – Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, facing a tough challenge in the Democratic primary, touted a major endorsement Saturday from President Barack Obama.

Perry courts support of abortion opponents
Gov. Rick Perry courted anti-abortion voters Sunday night at a huge church benefit dinner that featured former President George W. Bush. Perry's rival Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison attended but did not speak.

Texas, Southwest briefs
Car driven into crowd, injuring 2; man jailed

Texas elections issue watch: Voter ID
Where the major candidates for governor stand on whether the state should require voters to show photo identification to cast a ballot:

Hutchison says she can unite Republicans
PLANO – With only two days left to change the course of the Republican primary for governor, Kay Bailey Hutchison argued Sunday that the party's other candidates would fare better with her at the top of the ticket than with Rick Perry leading the way.

02/28/2010

A bumper crop of bluebonnets is on the way for Texans
Wildflower experts say the upcoming bloom should be exceptional throughout much of the state, thanks to heavy rains the past several months. Expect oceans of blue flowers to fill patches of Texas prairie and border country roads.

Texas requiring course for aspiring drivers 18 to 24
The state-mandated six-hour course, which costs $35 to $100 based on a check of several driving schools, will cover topics such as rules of the road, highway signs, drunken driving and insurance. Students must pass a written test at the end of the course, in addition to DPS' standard driving-skills exam, before they can receive a license.

Texas Stars goalie sticking with NHL dream despite long odds

BENJAMIN SKLAR/Special to DMN

Brent Krahn has been on nine teams since 2000, when he was a first-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames.
Link: Team profile of Krahn
More hockey news
Blog: Dallas Stars

02/27/2010

Why is D.C. an issue in governor's race?
Rick Perry's and Kay Bailey Hutchison's reactions to the anti-Washington feeling that exploded in the Republican Party define the battle that culminates in Tuesday's primary.
Compare the candidates
50 things to know about the candidates
Issues Watch: See where the candidates stand
Polling locations
Blog: Politics

02/28/2010

Bill White calls for accuracy in census in Dallas
Democratic candidate for governor Bill White urged a complete census count of Texans on Saturday, using the pitch to take a poke at Gov. Rick Perry.

What caused Washington to be a campaign issue in Texas governor's race?
AUSTIN – Rep. Brandon Creighton had an idea, but he needed help.

DISD educator challenges incumbent in ed board's Dallas-Collin-Rockwall district
Longtime State Board of Education member Geraldine Miller of Dallas faces opposition in the Republican primary from a veteran educator in the Dallas school district.

George W. Bush joins Rick Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison at church benefit but stays neutral
Gov. Rick Perry courted anti-abortion voters Sunday night at a huge church benefit dinner that featured former President George W. Bush. Perry’s rival, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, attended but did not speak.

Hutchison predicts runoff; Perry talks about 'sensible approach' to gun laws
Kay Bailey Hutchison predicted a runoff in the Republican race for governor, telling voters Saturday that "we're going to start all over" and win.

Texas Stars goalie sticking with dream despite long odds
CEDAR PARK, Texas – Game night, and the goalie paused in his doorway – 6 feet 4 inches, 212 pounds and a faithless left knee backlit against the amber glow of a townhouse leased for seven months to last the hockey season.

Republicans vying for Texas governor finish with the familiar in TV ads
AUSTIN – TV viewers will see familiar images, not a fresh infusion of new ads with varying messages, in the final three days of campaigning for the Republican primary for governor.

02/27/2010

Perry brags about grassroots fundraising, but most money on record day came from a wealthy few
AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry bragged this week about making fundraising history in a Texas governor's race by bringing in $1.3 million in one day from grassroots support.

02/26/2010

U.S. announces Texas roundup of 300 immigrants with criminal records
The largest share of the arrests were in North Texas. About half the convictions were for violent crimes or drug offenses, officials said.

02/27/2010

Hutchison says she's staying in Senate for now to fight health care overhaul
AUSTIN – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Friday that she is prepared to stay in the Senate for as long as eight more months if Congress is still debating health care reform.

02/26/2010

Dozens of longhorns found starving, dead in Van Zandt County
The SPCA of Texas was called to seize the malnourished animals, which are being moved to the Perry Animal Care Center in McKinney, pending a custody hearing Tuesday.

Cows make lousy house guests, Arkansas woman learns
A woman in Murfreesboro recalls the day she came home to find three bovines inside.

Ex-Spurs star Alvin Robertson accused of sex trafficking
Authorities allege that the 47-year-old was part of a ring that kidnapped a 14-year-old girl from San Antonio, forced her to have sex with clients and to dance in a Corpus Christi strip club last year.

Teacher with Texas roots called hero for tackling Colorado school shooter
SAN ANTONIO – David Benke gave his mother in San Antonio a quick call Tuesday afternoon.

Democrat Farouk Shami confident as he casts ballot
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Democrat Farouk Shami voted early Thursday and said he was "100 percent confident" he'd win his party's nomination for governor. The 67-year-old hair-care business founder voted at a community center in the north Houston suburb where he lives.

DNA finding leads to new trial for man convicted in stabbing death
PARIS, Texas – A Texas man who spent the past eight years in prison will receive a new trial after a DNA test showed that blood on the suspected murder weapon didn't belong to the stabbing victim, a judge ruled Thursday.

Texas & Southwest briefs

Trail Mix

N.M. spaceport prepares for blastoffs
UPHAM, N.M. – Take Highway 51 east out of Truth or Consequences, a small city that years ago assumed the name of a game show on a dare. Drive through miles and miles of desert, then turn right at an old train depot whose bustle has long since pulled out. Keep going.

02/25/2010

Campaigning in the Valley, Democrat Bill White blasts Rick Perry's record
Bill White dashed through seven cities in the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday, trying to lock down votes for Tuesday's Democratic primary but already looking ahead to a fall contest against incumbent Gov. Rick Perry.

Obama picks Beaumont judge to be U.S. attorney for Collin, Denton, East Texas
The selection of John B. Stevens Jr. gives hope that a political impasse over judicial nominees in Texas may have been broken.

Tasty fare increase planned for Dallas Love Field

TOM FOX/DMN

After years of limited dining and retail options at Dallas Love Field, city officials released ambitious plans this week for an expanded menu as part of the airport's $519 million overhaul.
Blog: Airlines

Officials rule arson caused fire at Austin suicide pilot's house
Authorities previously have said they believed Richard Stack started the blaze, drove to a nearby airport and then piloted the suicide flight into the complex that houses Internal Revenue Service offices.

Roll of dice decides deadlocked Sealy city council race
Texas election law calls for lots to be cast if a runoff election is tied. Dice were used in Sealy, with the winner rolling the highest number.

ATF investigates after guns missing from Texas evidence room found in shop
CLEVELAND, Texas – Federal investigators are trying to determine whether 500 weapons missing from the evidence room of a southeast Texas police station are part of a firearms trafficking ring.

Kinky Friedman bringing animal welfare concerns into agriculture commissioner's race
Friedman wants to use his Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in Medina as a prototype for state-run facilities across Texas.

Agriculture commissioner candidate Hank Gilbert would make people think Texas when they eat beef
It's not so much a question of what's for dinner as where it came from.

Texas & Southwest briefs

Keith Olbermann turns down invitation to Saturday's Dallas Tea Party anniversary rally
At least one invited guest will not be coming to Saturday's Dallas Tea Party anniversary rally.

Hutchison, Perry spend more than $14 million in advertising
AUSTIN – Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry poured more than $14 million into television and radio advertising in the last month as they escalated spending in their GOP primary showdown.

Ex-officer pleads guilty in inquiry into Katrina deaths
NEW ORLEANS – A former police lieutenant pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to obstruct justice after federal officials say he helped cover for officers who killed two people on a bridge in the chaos following Hurricane Katrina.

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