03/05/2010

Baylor gets $200 million for research
WACO – Baylor University officials say they've received the largest donation in school history: an anonymous gift worth $200 million.

Texas child abuse, neglect deaths soar 31 percent
SAN ANTONIO – Deaths from child abuse and neglect in Texas soared 31 percent to 280 last fiscal year, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

03/04/2010

Texas wind project's stimulus funds may stall over Chinese parts, jobs
A group of Democratic senators may seek to halt stimulus funding for wind-energy projects over concerns that the program is subsidizing jobs overseas.

03/05/2010

Despite warning, Dallas students won't cancel spring break trips to Mexico
The warning notes that drug violence has been running rampant in northern cities, including Ciudad Juárez, Tijuana, Nogales and Matamoros.

03/04/2010

Perry urges Hutchison to finish Senate term
Gov. Rick Perry, who spent the past year bashing Kay Bailey Hutchison’s record in the U.S. Senate, said Thursday that he hopes she does not resign and serves out the rest of her term.

Texas unemployment rate holds at 8.2%

DAVID WOO/DMN

Job seekers waited in line at a recent job fair in Richardson.

The Texas unemployment rate stood at 8.2 percent in January, the Texas Workforce Commission said Thursday.
Texas lost an extra 50,000 jobs, Dallas Fed finds
U.S. jobless claims drop
Dallas job news
Search for jobs
Best places to work in Dallas-Fort Worth

Primary election results not likely to shift leadership in Texas Legislature
AUSTIN – While voters rejected five House incumbents in Tuesday's primaries, every senator who filed to run for re-election was renominated – even one in Waco who stopped campaigning.

Regents approve tuition increases for University of Texas
AUSTIN – University of Texas System regents Wednesday voted to increase tuition at their flagship Austin campus by 5.4 percent next fall.

Old-fashioned cattle thief looks to ride out term on house arrest because of health
QUANAH, Texas – Born 100 years too late, Roddy Dean Pippin rode his horse down the main drag, doing his best John Wayne.He still fit the part of the cowboy in this spit of Texas near the Red River, with its church-steepled skyline and landscape of mesquite trees and tumbleweeds. The town of 2,500 is the kind of place where time moves at a stutter step and parts of the Old West never faded away.

03/03/2010

Primaries are over for Perry, White: Let the barbs begin
The campaign between Bill White and Rick Perry began even before the barbecue hit the plate at the Tuesday night primary parties.

03/04/2010

Texas primary turnout is highest in 20 years
The high-profile Republican race for governor helped draw the most voters to a Texas primary election in 20 years – and perhaps set a record for a GOP primary.

Texas & Southwest Briefs
Officials look for cause of N.M. oil tank blast

Ron Kirk is not amused by secession talk
WASHINGTON – U.S. Trade Representative and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk tore into the Texas GOP fringe's flirtation with secession Wednesday, comparing such comments to a return to "the Jim Crow South."

San Antonio hand transplant is first for Texas
SAN ANTONIO – In a first for Texas, a team of surgeons transplanted a new hand onto a retired Air Force master sergeant who lost hers nine years ago when a package bomb exploded at Lackland AFB.

Incumbent Texas Railroad Commission chair blames loss on voter bias
The chairman of the state Railroad Commission is blaming his overwhelming loss to an unknown challenger in Tuesday's Republican primary on GOP voters' bias against his Hispanic surname.

McLeroy loses education post, but his term's not over yet
AUSTIN – Social conservatives on the State Board of Education suffered a setback with the primary loss of former board chairman Don McLeroy, but the group still aims to have its say on setting new curriculum standards.

DISD teacher's victory surprised longtime education board member
AUSTIN – After 26 years of representing her State Board of Education district in the Dallas area, Geraldine Miller was expecting to cruise to another Republican nomination.

Cornyn calls Perry's label for Hutchison 'unfair'
Texas Sen. John Cornyn issued a tough critique Wednesday of Gov. Rick Perry's effort to tar Kay Bailey Hutchison as a creature of Washington, calling that "unfair."

03/03/2010

Cornyn: Perry 'unfair' in painting Hutchison as representing Washington

TOM FOX/DMN

Texas Sen. John Cornyn says Gov. Rick Perry unfairly attacked Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison during their race for the GOP governor nomination.

Cornyn also voiced hope that Hutchison stays in the Senate until her term expires in about 20 months.
High turnout clogs Collin polls
Politics blog: GOP incumbent: Hispanic surname caused loss
Photos: Election Day
Videos: Perry wins | Hutchison concedes

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.

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.

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