The Inner Loop: Margo, Moody, Money [1]
By Owen White, Newspaper Tree, 29 April 2008
EL PASO – Couple of tidbits on the race for Texas House District 78, which involves Republican Dee Margo against Democrat Joseph Moody.
Lawmakers vow to press for expansion of health insurance for children [2]
By R.A. DYER, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 April 2008
AUSTIN – Noting that Texas leads the nation in uninsured children, key lawmakers joined with healthcare advocates Tuesday in calling for an expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid.
Children's health insurance expansion sought [3]
By Janet Elliott, San Antonio Express-News, 29 April 2008
AUSTIN – Last year's legislation to increase the number of children who get low-cost state health insurance has had the desired effect, with 109,000 more children enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program in eight months.
Advocates: Insure all Texas children [4]
By Corrie MacLaggan, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 30 April 2008
AUSTIN – Kyla Hebert's children — 3-year-old Katie, who suffers from seizures, and 6-year-old Nathan — aren't eligible for the Children's Health Insurance Program because the family earns $260 a month too much to qualify.
More kids getting health coverage, but still work to do [5]
By Enrique Rangel, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, 30 April 2008
AUSTIN – Despite having one of the highest poverty rates in the state and a large number of uninsured families, eight months ago Potter County had 1,230 kids enrolled in the state-sponsored Children's Health Insurance Program.
Reyes: Witness who claimed terrorists were crossing the Mexican border needs investigating [6]
By Joey Gomez and Steve Taylor, Rio Grande Guardian, 29 April 2008
BROWNSVILLE – The chairman of a House committee has challenged the credibility of a supposed expert witness who, under oath, made unsubstantiated claims that terrorists have entered the southern border of the United States.
The fence is coming, levee or not [7]
By LAURA B. MARTINEZ, Brownsville Herald, 30 April 2008
BROWNSVILLE – Cameron County is considering scrapping its levee enhancement project after learning on Tuesday that the Department of Homeland Security is sticking by its plans to build the border fence, whether or not there are plans to build a levee.
El Paso border chief urges immigration reform [8]
Waco Tribune-Herald, 29 April 2008
EL PASO – The key to curbing illegal immigration rests in the hands of Congress, the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol's El Paso Sector said Tuesday.
Nacogdoches County will fight TTC as new member of regional planning commission [9]
By MICHAEL RODDEN, Nacogdoches Sentinel, 29 April 2008
NACOGDOCHES – County commissioners reaffirmed their stance against the Trans-Texas Corridor, and they took another step toward keeping county government transparent when they met Tuesday.
Scientists at Capitol talk of global warming, water [10]
By Asher Price, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 30 April 2008
AUSTIN – With rising temperatures putting more pressure on Texas' water supplies, state policymakers should fold climate change into their planning, according to scientists who are meeting at the Capitol this week.
Report: More taxes, tolls needed to fix Dallas' roads, rails [11]
By MICHAEL LINDENBERGER, Dallas Morning News, 29 April 2008
DALLAS – Forget a gas-tax holiday.
TxDOT throws curve at Kountze with U.S. 69 plan [12]
By JULIE SHEHANE, Beaumont Enterprise, 30 April 2008
LUMBERTON – When Katrina Cook opened The Potato Shack in Kountze earlier this year, she expected to benefit from the new U.S. 69 corridor in a few years.
Not serious on roads [13]
Waco Tribune-Herald, 30 April 2008
WACO – Rick Perry can’t be serious.
Where's the problem? [14]
Houston Chronicle, 29 April 2008
HOUSTON – There's a reason why Republican-controlled legislatures are enacting voter ID laws: The voters most likely to be without the required identification are the poor and the elderly, prime Democratic Party constituents whose turnout rate is lower than average to begin with.
Teen from polygamist sect gives birth today [15]
By Terri Langford, Houston Chronicle, 29 April 2008
HOUSTON – One of the teen-agers taken from a polygamist ranch earlier this month gave birth today at a San Marcos hospital while state police stood guard outside the maternity ward.
YFZ Ranch girl gives birth in San Marcos hospital [16]
By Jayna Boyle, San Angelo Standard-Times, 30 April 2008
SAN ANGELO – A baby boy born Tuesday to one of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints girls removed from the YFZ Ranch will remain with his mother, and both will remain in state custody, authorities said.
Sect's doctor mum about ranch clinic [17]
By TRISH CHOATE, San Angelo Standard-Times, 30 April 2008
WASHINGTON – Here's what's known about Dr. Lloyd H. Barlow:
Polygamist sect youths homesick but forging bonds [18]
By Erin Quinn, Waco Tribune-Herald, 30 April 2008
WACO – Children residing at Waco’s Methodist Children’s Home after their removal from a rural West Texas polygamist compound are anxious and homesick but doing the things many children do, home president Bobby Gilliam said Tuesday.
State's foster care program goes before legislative panel [19]
By ROBERT T. GARRETT, Dallas Morning News, 30 April 2008
AUSTIN – Texas' child welfare agency, where workers handling foster children already stagger under huge workloads, faces a major test – and lawmakers are watching.
FLDS Sect contests state's count of underage mothers [20]
By BILL HANNA, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 April 2008
FORT WORTH – Even as a teenager from a polygamist sect gave birth Tuesday under guard, attorneys for some of the sect's mothers were disputing Texas officials' contention that 31 of them are underage.
Teen FLDS member gives birth while state officials stand by [21]
San Angelo Standard-Times, 29 April 2008
SAN MARCOS – A Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints girl in state custody gave birth to a baby boy about noon today at a San Marcos hospital, according to a news release from Child Protective Services.
Castle doctrine' likely will apply in fatal shooting [22]
By Robert Crowe, San Antonio Express-News, 29 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – After his home was burglarized earlier this week, Thomas Thames decided to arm himself in case the intruder returned, police say.
Fourth of eighth-graders fail math portion of TAKS [23]
By TERRENCE STUTZ, Dallas Morning News, 29 April 2008
AUSTIN – One in four eighth-graders was unable to pass the math section of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills on the first try this year, leaving those students two more opportunities to pass to avoid being retained.
Fewer fifth-graders pass math TAKS on first try [24]
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 April 2008
AUSTIN – The number of Texas fifth-graders who passed the math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills on their first attempt declined slightly this year, with 83 percent passing the test earlier this month.
Fuel costs force airlines to change strategy [25]
By TERRY MAXON, Dallas Morning News, 29 April 2008
DALLAS – AirTran Holdings Inc. boasts a 22 percent annual growth rate over the last five years and has nearly tripled its size from 2002.
Airline woes hit home [26]
By Edmund Tijerina, San Antonio Express-News, 29 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – It's one thing to read the stories about airport delays and traveler dissatisfaction; it's another altogether to experience it.
Dallas Attorney Becky Gregory Confirmed as U.S. Attorney [27]
By CASEY KNAUPP, Tyler Morning Telegraph, 29 April 2008
TYLER – Dallas attorney Becky Gregory has been confirmed by the Senate to be U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Senate confirms Becky Gregory as U.S. attorney for Eastern District of Texas [28]
By JASON TRAHAN, Dallas Morning News, 29 April 2008
DALLAS – A longtime federal prosecutor and former Dallas County district court judge was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate Tuesday to become the new U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Gregory confirmed as U.S. attorney for Eastern District [29]
Waco Tribune-Herald, 29 April 2008
DALLAS – Rebecca Gregory was confirmed Tuesday as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.
Continental CEO got nearly $6 million [30]
Waco Tribune-Herald, 29 April 2008
DALLAS – The chief executive of Continental Airlines Inc. got compensation the company valued at nearly $6 million in 2007, down 9.3 percent from the year before, according to an analysis of a regulatory filing Friday.
Clear Channel executive makes $5.2 million in 2007 [31]
Waco Tribune-Herald, 29 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – The chief executive of Clear Channel Communications Inc. received compensation the company value at almost $5.2 million in 2007, almost exactly the same amount he made in the previous year, an analysis of a regulatory filing showed.
Charges against SA pastor in van-dragging case are reduced [32]
San Antonio Express-News, 29 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Charges against a San Antonio pastor accused of dragging a 15-year-old boot camp participant behind a van last summer were reduced yesterday from aggravated assault with a deadly weapon to a misdemeanor assault charge, according to Nueces County assistant district attorney Michael Gordon.
Craddick names Heflin to tax relief committee [33]
By Bob Campbell, Midland Reporter-Telegram, 29 April 2008
MIDLAND – State Rep. Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton, is among 13 Texas House members appointed by Speaker Tom Craddick of Midland to devise methods of lowering property taxes.
Perry taps UTSA prof to crunch Texas data [34]
By Jeorge Zarazua, San Antonio Express-News, 30 April 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Gov. Rick Perry appointed Karl Eschbach of San Antonio as the new state demographer Tuesday, putting the University of Texas at San Antonio associate professor in charge of distributing census information for the state.
DNA vindication shows need for tests [35]
Beaumont Enterprise, 30 April 2008
BEAUMONT – It's not a record for Texas to be proud of: James Woodard of Dallas was freed Tuesday after DNA tests proved he didn't commit the murder he was convicted of in 1980.