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• Preliminary investigation results due today in West, TX explosion

  May 16, 2013 3:29 AM

  We expect to learn more about the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas last month. Preliminary results of the investigation will be announced by state fire marshals and the ATF later today. The explosion killed 15 people and injured dozens. Investigators have already ruled out a natural cause,... more »

• Stabber in Texas will appear in court today

  May 10, 2013 3:37 AM

  The 20-year-old man accused of going on a stabbing spree on a Texas college campus last month is due in court in the day ahead. Dylan Quick is accused of carrying out the attack at Lone Star Community College in Cypress, Texas. Fourteen people were injured, and authorities report... more »

• Willie Nelson helps the victims of the West, Texas explosion

  April 29, 2013 3:39 AM

  Help is on the way to victims in the town of West, Texas from country music icon Willie Nelson. Hundreds of fans lined up for Nelson's 80th birthday concert at the "Backyard" in Austin. The sold out show took on extra special meaning: all proceeds are going to the... more »

• Crater being examined in West, Texas explosion

  April 25, 2013 4:23 AM

  A crowd packed a church in the town of West, Texas to remember a fire captain killed in the fertilizer plant explosion. They honored the life of Dallas firefighter, Captain Kenny Harris, Junior. Harris was off duty last Wednesday night, but offered his assistance as a volunteer firefighter. The 52... more »

• Fire Captain killed in Texas blast will be laid to rest

  April 24, 2013 4:02 AM

  A funeral will be held for the fire captain killed in the West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion. Captain Kenneth Harris, Junior, 52, will be the first person laid to rest following the explosion that leveled a large portion of West last week. Harris was a veteran of the Dallas Fire... more »

• Number of deaths unknown in fertilizer plant explosion

  April 18, 2013 5:01 AM

  WEST, Texas (AP) - Officials say it'll be some time before they know how many people have been killed in a fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, Texas. Firefighters were already at the plant battling a fire when the explosion happened Wednesday night. It was so strong it... more »

• Two dead after bus crash near Dallas

  April 12, 2013 3:47 AM

  At least two people are dead and more than a dozen others are injured after a charter bus crashed near Dallas, Texas. The accident happened yesterday as a private charter bus was traveling on the President George Bush Turnpike. It took emergency crews about an hour to remove more than... more »

• UPDATE: Toddler found safe, father in custody and facing charges Play Video

  April 11, 2013 6:16 PM

  A toddler missing since January from Corpus Christi, Texas has been found unharmed in Colorado Springs and the child's father is now under arrest and facing charges. One-year-old Alecxavian Zapata was found at a home near Pikes Peak Avenue and Chelton Road Wednesday night around 10 p.m. according to... more »

• Four tons of marijuana found in Texas big rig

  April 5, 2013 4:22 AM

  Imagine finding nearly 8,000 pounds of marijuana. A truck driver in Texas is being held on a $1 million bond after the Department of Public Safety says they found that much marijuana in the tanker he was hauling. Paul Anthony Simmons, 45, was pulled over Tuesday. A trooper found the... more »

• Texas DA will be laid to rest today

  April 5, 2013 4:18 AM

  The texas District Attorney who lost his life Saturday will be laid to rest today. The funeral services for Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, will take place in Wortham, Texas. That will be followed by a private burial. The governor of Texas was among the hundreds of people who... more »

• Texas considers giving prosecutors more security

  April 3, 2013 4:47 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - After two Texas prosecutors were slain in two months, law enforcement agencies across the state are trying to better protect attorneys who go after violent criminals. Some top prosecutors have already received round-the-clock security details. Others are withholding some personal information from public records. But current and... more »

• 1 dead in plane crash south of Denver

  March 31, 2013 1:21 PM

  CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) - One person is confirmed dead in a single-engine plane crash south of Denver. Douglas County sheriff's spokeswoman Deborah Sherman says a rancher found a Cherokee Piper PA-28 plane in a cow pasture Sunday. The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane took off Saturday with one person... more »

• Texas mental health funding leaves gaps

  March 30, 2013 12:11 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Standing in a courtyard by the state Capitol, Sen. Judith Zaffirini reached out to touch the Mental Health Bell, forged in the 1950s from chains once used to shackle asylum patients, brought to Texas this year on display as a 300-pound symbol of hope. "It is... more »

• New developments in the Tom Clements shooting death investigation Play Video

  March 22, 2013 3:05 AM

  While investigators with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office make their way to Texas, News 5 is learning new details about Even Spencer Ebel, 28, and his possible involvement in the death of Tom Clements. Ebel's criminal past contains numerous felony charges from criminal impersonation to aggravated robbery. ... more »

• Repub. proposes tighter rules on abortion clinics

  March 19, 2013 3:57 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Republican lawmakeri laid out his plan Tuesday for tighter regulations on abortion facilities in Texas, a measure that some worry may force smaller clinics to close. Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, defended his bill from fierce criticism on Tuesday that what he really was trying to... more »

• Tanks, aircraft interact for virtual Army training

  March 3, 2013 1:36 PM

  FORT BLISS, Texas (AP) - The Army is rolling out a new training system that integrates live, virtual and computer-generated scenarios in order to allow troops to train without the expense of using real tanks and aircraft. Lt. Col. Shane Cipolla, the officer in charge of the Integrated Training Environment,... more »

• Fort Hood shooting suspect trial set for May 29

  February 28, 2013 3:37 PM

  FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - After many delays, the Army psychiatrist charged in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting rampage will go on trial in three months. The military judge Thursday set Maj. Nidal Hasan's court-martial for May 29. After about four weeks of jury selection, testimony will begin July 1.... more »

• Cadet's research makes it easier to spot Spice Play Video

  February 25, 2013 7:57 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS - The synthetic drug Spice is supposed to mimic the high that comes from using marijuana. It's legal in most places except the military. Thanks to the work of Air Force Academy cadet Alexa Gingras, it's now easier for commanders to test whether a member of their ranks... more »

• Billions in gas drilling royalties transform lives

  January 27, 2013 11:56 AM

  PITTSBURGH (AP) - Private landowners are reaping billions of dollars in royalties each year from the boom in natural gas drilling, transforming some lives even as the windfall provides only a modest boost to the broader economy. In Pennsylvania royalty payments could top $1.2 billion for 2012, according to an... more »

• Dozens of dogs taken from Texas home after mauling

  January 25, 2013 2:57 PM

  BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - Authorities in South Texas seized more than 25 dogs from a small home after a number of them turned on their owners while being fed. Neighbors and others came to the aid of two women who were mauled Thursday at their Brownsville home. Sixty-three-year-old Josefina Ledezma... more »

• Fort Carson soldier's DNA linked to two unsolved sexual assault cases Play Video

  January 16, 2013 8:53 PM

  Lt. Aaron Lucas, 31, is accused of targeting at least 15 young girls across southern Colorado. "Specifically in El Paso County, we've had two cases which we had linked Lucas to," Lt. Jeff Kramer said. "One of those was the June 19 kidnapping of a young girl in the... more »

• AP Interview: George P. Bush weighing run in Texas

  January 14, 2013 7:50 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - George Prescott Bush is gearing up to run for a little-known but powerful office in Texas, where his family already is a political dynasty. He's hoping a run for Texas land commissioner next year and his Hispanic roots can help the state's Republican Party maintain its... more »

• Texas: New Women's Health Program can meet demand

  January 7, 2013 4:15 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has signed up more than enough doctors to treat the poor women who depended on Planned Parenthood for family planning services and check-ups, the commissioner said Monday. Planned Parenthood's family planning programs for poor women was cut from the... more »

• Storms, tornado threats for Christmas around US

  December 25, 2012 11:57 AM

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Nasty weather is already complicating travel in parts of the U.S., with forecasts of snow, thunderstorms and more threatening a sloppy Christmas Day from Texas to Florida. In Oklahoma, authorities were already warning would-be travelers to stay home Tuesday as freezing rain and sleet caused a... more »

• US gun support runs far deeper than politics

  December 25, 2012 11:51 AM

  BRYAN, Texas (AP) - As President Barack Obama urges new gun restrictions in the wake of the Connecticut school massacre, the National Rifle Association is calling for armed volunteers in public schools. It has set up another political debate over gun violence. Yet gun enthusiasts like Adam Lanza's mother complicate... more »

• Colorado Springs pilot killed in Texas plane crash

  December 15, 2012 1:49 PM

  AMARILLO, Texas (AP) - Authorities say a small plane crash in Amarillo killed two people after plummeting into a field shortly after takeoff. The crash happened Friday night during high winds in the Texas Panhandle. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the plane went down only 20 miles from... more »

• FBI: Alaska barista assaulted, dismembered

  December 4, 2012 8:06 PM

  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The FBI says an Alaska barista was sexually assaulted and killed the day after she was abducted last February. Suspect Israel Keyes, who died in an apparent suicide this week, told authorities he left the barista's body in a tool shed for two weeks while he... more »

• Judge removed in Fort Hood shooting rampage case

  December 3, 2012 9:00 PM

  FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) - A military appeals court has ousted the judge in the Fort Hood shooting case and thrown out his order to forcibly shave suspect. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled Monday that Col. Gregory Gross didn't appear impartial while presiding over the... more »

• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo welcomes new rhinoceros

  December 3, 2012 12:02 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS - They newest animal to join the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is also one of the heaviest. Jumbe (pronounced Joom-Bay) is a 9-year-old Eastern Black Rhinoceros who weighs in at a whopping 2,658 lbs. He'll have a comfy new home inside the new $13.5 million Encounter Africa exhibit... more »

• Ft. Carson soldier injured in TX train crash hoping to return soon

  November 24, 2012 10:32 AM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - A Fort Carson soldier says he's been unable to walk since he was injured when a train struck a veterans parade float in Texas. 31-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Richard Sanchez Jr. expects to return to Colorado next week. Sanchez says he still has feeling in the... more »

• Hostess says talks to stave off shutdown fail

  November 20, 2012 8:37 PM

  Hostess Brands Inc. lived to die another day. The maker of Twinkies and Ding Dongs said late Tuesday that it failed to reach an agreement with its second biggest union. As a result, Hostess plans to continue with a hearing on Wednesday in which a bankruptcy court judge will decide... more »

• West Texas train crash unfolds in 20 rapid seconds

  November 18, 2012 1:08 PM

  MIDLAND, Texas (AP) - A harrowing train crash in West Texas that killed four war veterans unfolded in a rapid-fire 20 seconds - from the time the crossing bells and lights activated to the collision. The National Transportation Safety Board released a detailed timeline Saturday, pieced together from video images... more »

• Remembering the veterans killed in TX train crash

  November 17, 2012 2:11 PM

  MIDLAND, Texas (AP) - With the thunderous crack of a freight train slamming into a parade float, instinct kicked in for Sudip Bose. A front-line physician in Iraq, Bose and other veterans instantly tended to the injured after the train traveling more than 60 mph in West Texas crashed into... more »

• 'Ether Man' gets 156 years for NM rapes

  November 6, 2012 2:30 PM

  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A Colorado inmate suspected of being the "Ether Man" serial rapist has been sentenced to 156 years in prison on rape charges in New Mexico. Robert Howard Bruce was sentenced Tuesday in an Albuquerque court after pleading guilty to nine charges of rape. Bruce is serving... more »

• Remembering WWII - Pioneering pilot roles for women Play Video

  October 8, 2012 10:19 PM

  Millicent Peterson Young remembers the first time she saw an airplane; it was when a man flew in to visit her neighbors in the late-1920s. She was six. The man landed in Young's family pasture, and she ran over to see it. "The man says, 'little girl don't touch... more »

• Body of missing 3-year-old found in Texas

  September 23, 2012 12:31 PM

  TYLER, Texas (AP) - Authorities say the body of a 3-year-old autistic boy has been found near a marina after the toddler disappeared from his lakeside home a day earlier. Smith County Sheriff's Lt. Larry Wiginton says rescuers found the body of Evan Reed "a good little ways" from his... more »

• Pilot killed in Iowa air show crash

  September 2, 2012 3:13 PM

  DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - Authorities have identified the pilot who was killed when his plane crashed during an air show in eastern Iowa. The Quad-City Times reported that Glenn A. Smith, of Frisco, Texas, was the pilot killed in the crash. Smith was CEO of the Warbird Educational Foundation that... more »

• 12 states now have high obesity; Colorado the lowest

  August 13, 2012 12:25 PM

  ATLANTA (AP) - A new government survey shows 12 states now have very high obesity rates. Overall, more than a third of adults are obese but rates vary by state. The latest figures are based on a 2011 telephone survey that asked adults their height and weight. For the first... more »

• Texas executes man who claims low IQ

  August 7, 2012 7:45 PM

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - The state of Texas has executed a convicted killer whose lawyers say shouldn't have been eligible for the death penalty because of his low IQ. Marvin Wilson was executed Tuesday evening at the state prison in Huntsville. The 54-year-old was condemned for killing a police informant... more »

• 11 dead after pickup truck crashes; up to 23 people in truck

  July 23, 2012 7:12 AM

  GOLIAD, Texas (AP) - A spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety says at least two children are among the 11 people killed when a pickup truck left the highway and crashed into trees in rural South Texas. Investigators are looking into what caused Sunday night's one-vehicle crash that... more »

• 2 people killed in I-70 crash near Limon

  July 14, 2012 2:17 PM

  Two people changing a tire on the side of I-70 near Limon were killed Saturday morning when a truck pulling a loaded horse trailer drifted into the shoulder and hit the people just before 6:30 that morning. The wreck was at milepost 363 in the westbound shoulder of the Interstate.... more »

• Texas man's execution halted for now

  May 2, 2012 9:45 PM

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - A federal appeals court says it won't overturn a district judge's reprieve for a Texas man convicted of killing a neighbor and stealing his motorcycle while on parole for rape. The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means condemned inmate Anthony Bartee won't... more »

• Texas man executed for role in robbery-shooting

  April 26, 2012 9:01 PM

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - A Texas man condemned for his role in a robbery in which three people were shot, one fatally, has been put to death. Beunka Adams became the fifth person executed in Texas this year. His lethal injection was carried out Thursday evening in Huntsville. The execution... more »

• Texas teen accused of faking cancer

  April 26, 2012 8:18 AM

  EL PASO, Texas (AP) - A West Texas teenager accused of faking cancer to steal $17,000 in donations has been released from jail on bond. Court records show a status hearing has been scheduled May 31 in El Paso for 19-year-old Angie Gomez of Horizon City. Gomez on Tuesday night... more »

• Texas eatery serves $12K, 10-course Titanic meal

  April 15, 2012 12:50 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - A restaurant in Texas is among many around the world offering diners a replica of the last meal aboard the Titanic, on the 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking. Twelve people gathered Saturday at Cullen's in Houston for a lavish 10-course dinner much like the one the... more »

• Colorado A.G. joins e-book price fixing lawsuit

  April 11, 2012 3:36 PM

  Colorado will join in a multi-state lawsuit over price fixing claims against publishers including Penguin Group, Simon & Schuster and Apple. There is suspicion those companies engaged in price fixing and other anti-competitive practices in the electronic book market. The antitrust lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court... more »

• Tulo's 9th inning homer lifts Rockies to 5-3 Opening Day win

  April 6, 2012 10:37 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - Pinch runner Eric Young scored the go-ahead run on an error in the eighth inning and Troy Tulowitzki homered in the ninth to lift the Colorado Rockies to a 5-3 win over the error-prone Houston Astros on Friday night. The game was tied 3-3 when Ramon Hernandez... more »

• Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Strickland dies at 79

  March 14, 2012 8:28 PM

  DENVER (AP) - Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Ted Strickland has died. The Adams County coroner's office confirmed Strickland's death Wednesday but had no further details. The Denver Post reports the 79-year-old had been in faltering health. The Republican served in both the Colorado House and Senate. He was lieutenant governor... more »

• Investigator recommends trial in Afghan suicide

  March 12, 2012 8:31 PM

  FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - A military investigator is recommending a court-martial for an eighth soldier suspected of involvement in the suicide of a soldier in Afghanistan. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports 35-year-old Staff Sgt. Blaine Dugas of Port Arthur, Texas, is the last of eight Fort Wainwright soldiers recommended for... more »

• Cartoonist: 'Doonesbury' pushback not surprising

  March 9, 2012 7:04 PM

  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Cartoonist Garry Trudeau says it would have been surprising if there hadn't been pushback against an upcoming series of his "Doonesbury" comic strip that lampoons a Texas abortion law requiring women to have an ultrasound before an abortion. The national syndicate that distributes "Doonesbury" to... more »

• More environmental attention given to delicate Gulf coast

  January 29, 2012 10:42 AM

  TIVOLI, Texas (AP) - It took BP PLC's well blowing out in the Gulf of Mexico for the nation to turn its attention to the slow, methodical ruin of the ecosystem that had been happening for years. Last month, more than a year and a half after the oil spill... more »

• Pittsburgh mayor's Tebow jersey sells for $1,400

  January 18, 2012 6:15 PM

  PITTSBURGH (AP) - Perhaps the final score of the Pittsburgh Steelers' playoff loss to the Denver Broncos should read: Broncos 29, Steelers 23, Pittsburgh Promise $1,400. That's because Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is donating $1,400 he raised by selling his Tim Tebow jersey on eBay to the Promise. The... more »

• Court clears immediate enforcement of abortion law

  January 13, 2012 5:18 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A federal appeals court cleared the way Friday for Texas to immediately begin enforcing a new law requiring doctors to conduct a sonogram before performing an abortion. The three-judge panel agreed to a request by the state's Attorney General Greg Abbott to cut short the typical... more »

• Fort Carson releases photo of slain soldier

  January 11, 2012 4:57 PM

  Fort Carson has released a photo of Specialist Brandy Fonteneaux whose death is being investigated as a homicide. Officials say the soldier was found dead in barracks on base Sunday, although they aren't saying when or where. Officials say that Fonteneaux was 28 years old and is from Houston,... more »

• Small plane crash in Texas kills 5

  December 20, 2011 7:49 AM

  BRYAN, Texas (AP) - Five people, including two children, were killed when a single-engine plane crashed in central Texas and authorities say weather may have played a role in the crash. Ernest Contreras of the Texas Department of Public Safety says the crash happened Monday night just before 10 p.m.... more »

• Gas prices continue decline leading up to Christmas travel Play Video

  December 18, 2011 1:24 PM

  Prices for unleaded gasoline have been declining across Colorado for the last nine weeks. Looking at numbers from Triple A; In October the average price for a gallon of unleaded fuel in Colorado was $3.53, now it's down more than thirty cents to $3.21. The average price for... more »

• CSU student's death tied to suspected heroin

  November 28, 2011 7:34 PM

  FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) - An 18-year-old freshman at Colorado State University found unresponsive in his dorm room has died. The (Fort Collins) Coloradoan reports hat 18-year-old Sean William McGowan of Springs, Texas, was found unresponsive in his Summit Hall room Monday morning. He was taken to Poudre Valley... more »

• Weekly US oil and gas rig count drops by 1

  November 23, 2011 6:19 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - The number of rigs actively exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. dropped by one this week to 2,000. Houston-based drilling product provider Baker Hughes Inc. reported Wednesday 1,130 rigs were exploring for oil and 865 for natural gas. Five were listed as miscellaneous.... more »

• Gingrich, Cain face off in sideline debate

  November 5, 2011 12:02 PM

  (AP) - Presidential candidate Herman Cain is hoping a head-to-head debate with rival Newt Gingrich will turn the page on a politically troublesome week he spent dealing with allegations of sexual harassment. Saturday night's debate in Texas is supposed to focus on issues such as Social Security and Medicare. Organizers... more »

• Occupy Austin demonstration leads to 38 arrests

  October 30, 2011 3:52 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Thirty-nine people have been arrested after a pair of pre-dawn confrontations between police and Occupy Austin protesters in Texas. The first confrontation came about 12:30 a.m. Sunday when officers moved to enforce a new rule banning food tables in the City Hall plaza after 10... more »

• Medal of Honor presented to 4th Infantry Division Play Video

  October 6, 2011 7:32 PM

  For the first time in US Army history, the Medal of Honor has been presented to an army unit. When he passed away last October, First Sergeant David McNerney of Texas requested that his medal be given back to the men of the 4th Infantry Division. McNerney served with the... more »

• Soldier needs help recovering lost family history

  October 1, 2011 4:55 PM

  After a 20-plus year career in the Army, a woman is looking back to where the military life began for her -- Colorado Springs -- and most importantly looking for two boxes she left behind. She's hoping someone can help her find them. "It's surprising to see how little you... more »

• Man wanted in Evergreen shooting captured in Texas

  September 25, 2011 11:31 AM

  DENVER (AP) - A man wanted in the execution-style shooting of two men in Evergreen in 2004 has been captured in El Paso, Texas. Both men survived. KUSA-TV reports that U.S. Marshals captured Robert Montoya Friday night following a joint operation between FBI and Mexican police. Montoya is... more »

• Texas wildfire most likely electrical

  September 21, 2011 8:13 AM

  DALLAS (AP) - Officials say something electrical likely caused a massive central Texas wildfire that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,500 homes. The Texas Forest Service didn't elaborate in a Tuesday release announcing the end of the investigation into the main Bastrop County blaze. Forest Service officials... more »

• Sooners clear path to join another conference

  September 19, 2011 9:10 PM

  University of Oklahoma president David Boren says he is focused solely on either keeping the Sooners in the Big 12 or moving to the Pac-12. Boren spoke Monday after university regents gave him the authority to move the school to a new conference. Boren said it is not inevitable that... more »

• Widow from lake incident with Mexican pirates to visit South Texas

  September 16, 2011 7:30 PM

  BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) - The widow of a man presumably killed by Mexican pirates last year while riding a Jet Ski on a border-straddling lake will testify at a security forum next week in South Texas. Tiffany Hartley of Colorado will attend Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Poe's event at... more »

• Supreme Court halts Texas execution

  September 16, 2011 7:18 PM

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has halted the execution of a black man convicted of a double murder in Texas 16 years ago after his lawyers contended his sentence was unfair because of a question asked about race during his trial. Forty-eight-year-old Duane Buck was scheduled... more »

• Supreme Court halts Texas execution

  September 15, 2011 10:33 PM

  HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court has halted the execution of a black man convicted of a double murder in Texas 16 years ago after his lawyers contended his sentence was unfair because of a question asked about race during his trial. Forty-eight-year-old Duane Buck was scheduled... more »

• Planes from Peterson head to fight fires

  September 10, 2011 7:28 PM

  Two Department of Defense C-130s equipped with U.S. Forest Service Modular Airbome Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) head to fight fires in Texas. The MAFFSA are special tanks that hold 3000 gallons of fire retardant or water and can discharge the entire load in less than five seconds over an area... more »

• Perry leaves Texas wildfires, heads to GOP debate

  September 7, 2011 4:42 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry has left the wildfires raging in his home state and arrived in California for a Republican presidential debate. Perry suspended his campaign Sunday as his state battles a series of still-raging wildfires that have destroyed more 1,000 homes. He left Texas again... more »

• Texas wildfires now 30 percent contained

  September 7, 2011 8:24 AM

  BASTROP, Texas (AP) - The Texas Forest Service says massive wildfires near Austin are 30 percent contained. Agency spokeswoman April Saginor says lighter winds have helped firefighting efforts in Bastrop County, where blazes have destroyed more than 600 homes and blackened about 45 square miles. Saginor says the... more »

• Texas wildfires continue to rage

  September 6, 2011 7:25 AM

  Thousands of evacuees spent the night away from their homes in Central Texas as firefighters tried to control a wind-fueled wildfire that has destroyed nearly 500 homes. Authorities say slack winds expected after midnight Tuesday could help firefighters make progress on the 25,000-acre blaze racing through rain-starved farm and... more »

• Wildfires burn homes in central TX and Calif.

  September 6, 2011 5:09 AM

  UNDATED (AP) - Strong winds and drought conditions are fueling a wildfire in central Texas that so far has destroyed nearly 500 homes and forced 5,000 people to evacuate. The blaze has burned some 25,000 acres. And in Southern California, at least three wildfires are burning. One, started by a... more »

• Perry says Texas wildfire 'mean' as he's ever seen

  September 5, 2011 8:34 PM

  BASTROP, Texas (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry says the wildfire burning in the central part of the state is "as mean looking" as he's ever seen. Perry left his presidential campaign Monday in South Carolina to return to Texas and deal with the fire, which covers 25,000 acres... more »

• Woman, toddler killed as wildfire takes just minutes to destroy row of homes

  September 5, 2011 7:44 AM

  DALLAS (AP) - Longtime Texas sheriff Maxey Cerliano says it's the fastest-moving fire he's ever seen. Six homes were toppled within minutes, including a trailer where a woman and her 18-month-old daughter were killed because they couldn't escape in time. Authorities say the fires were propelled partly by... more »

• Wildfires become deadly

  September 5, 2011 2:54 AM

  DALLAS (AP) - A sheriff says a fast-moving wildfire has engulfed a home in East Texas, killing a 20-year-old woman and her 18-month-old daughter who were trapped inside. Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano says the fire destroyed the home Sunday between Lincoln City and Gladewater, more than 100 miles east... more »

• Presidential hopefull speaks out against south border fence

  September 3, 2011 5:52 PM

  MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry says he opposes a fence along the U.S. border with Mexico. Speaking to hundreds of New Hampshire voters at a private reception this afternoon, the Texas governor says a fence would be ineffective and take too long to build. Tea party... more »

• Perry spokesman confirms he's running

  August 11, 2011 6:25 PM

  AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - It's a move that is certain to shake up the race for the GOP presidential nomination. A spokesman says Texas Gov. Rick Perry is running for president. He says Perry will make his intentions known on Saturday while visiting South Carolina and New Hampshire. ... more »

• Texas billionaire dies in accident in Aspen

  August 8, 2011 6:09 AM

  DALLAS (AP) - Texas billionaire Charles Wyly, whose family has given millions of dollars to Republican causes and Dallas arts projects, has died in western Colorado. The Colorado State Patrol says Wyly was turning onto a highway near Aspen when his Porsche was hit by a sport utility vehicle... more »

• Iowa focal point for potential shifts in GOP race

  August 7, 2011 4:02 PM

  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Three important markers in the coming days could fundamentally alter the 2012 Republican presidential campaign, including whether Texas Gov. Rick Perry enters the race. A nationally televised debate and a straw poll in Iowa will give declared candidates their last chances to stand out... more »

• Polygamist leader's Texas trial goes to jury

  August 4, 2011 3:05 PM

  SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) - The child sexual assault case against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has gone to the jury. Jeffs acted as his own attorney and stood mute during nearly all 30 minutes Thursday of his allotted time for a closing argument. At one point he mumbled, "I... more »

• Potential republican candidate Gov. Perry Perry stresses personal opposition to gay marriage

  July 30, 2011 6:51 AM

  DENVER (AP) - Potential Republican presidential candidate Gov. Rick Perry of Texas repeated his personal opposition to gay marriage in a speech to conservatives in Denver on Friday. But Perry didn't back track on his statement last week in Aspen that New York's recent decision to allow gay marriage is... more »

• Perry may 'shake up' GOP field

  July 11, 2011 8:02 PM

  EXETER, N.H. (AP) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry is calling influential Republicans in early voting New Hampshire and Iowa, the latest indication that he's seriously considering a presidential run. New Hampshire Senate President Peter Bragdon tells The Associated Press that Perry called him over the weekend to gauge his... more »

• Ex-Fox personality Glenn Beck is moving to Dallas

  July 11, 2011 6:06 PM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Former Fox News Channel personality Glenn Beck is bound for Texas. Beck said Monday that he's relocating his family to Dallas, where his media company is building a new television and radio studio. Beck is starting a new online network, GBTV, on which he... more »

• Texas officer killed when suspect crashes vehicle

  July 9, 2011 4:06 PM

  BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) - A Texas man has been charged with capital murder after police say he intentionally drove his fleeing sport utility vehicle into the patrol car of an officer, who was struck and killed. Bond was set at $250,000 Saturday for 30-year-old John Wesley Nero of Beaumont... more »

• States: Death-penalty drug scramble, higher cost

  July 9, 2011 3:56 PM

  COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - States are having an increasingly difficult time getting the injectable drugs to carry out death sentences. And they're also paying as much as 10 times more for the chemicals as in years past. Ohio only has enough pentobarbital for seven executions scheduled through February,... more »

• Helmut Newton exhibit set to open

  July 2, 2011 5:52 PM

  HOUSTON (AP) - An exhibit of works by fashion photographer Helmut Newton is set to open this weekend in Houston. The exhibit opening Sunday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston includes all of the photographs from his first three books. More than 200 photographs from the books will... more »

• Alamosa couple faces murder charges

  June 27, 2011 8:06 AM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A couple arrested in Colorado faces murder charges after the man was pulled over driving the truck of a man who'd gone missing in Arlington, Texas. Forty-three-year-old Thomas Eugene Dunham was stopped by officers in Alamosa on June 7. He was driving a truck that... more »

• Couple charged in death of Texas man

  June 26, 2011 1:54 PM

  ALAMOSA, Colo. (AP) - A couple arrested in Colorado faces murder charges after the man was pulled over driving the truck of a man who'd gone missing in Arlington, Texas. Forty-three-year-old Thomas Eugene Dunham was stopped by officers in Alamosa on June 7. He was driving a truck that... more »

• Carolina eliminates Texas from College World Series

  June 21, 2011 1:51 AM

  OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - North Carolina freshman left-hander Kent Emanuel pitched the first complete-game shutout at the College World Series in five years in a 3-0 victory that eliminated Texas. Emanuel tossed a four-hitter. Jacob Stallings hit a two-run single in the third inning and Ben Bunting finished a four-hit... more »

• Vandy and Florida win on opening day at College World Series

  June 19, 2011 1:00 AM

  OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Vanderbilt's Connor Harrell snapped a sixth-inning tie by blasting the first College World Series home run in the new TD Ameritrade Park and the Commodores went on to defeat North Carolina 7-2. This is Vandy's first trip to Omaha for the double-elimination tournament for the national... more »

• Texas firefighter grants missed fire-prone areas

  April 24, 2011 4:19 PM

  DALLAS (AP) - A state review has found that some Texas counties scorched by this month's out-of-control wildfires got only a small portion of the more than $128 million the state doled out to volunteer fire departments for training and equipment in the past decade. The Texas Sunset Advisory... more »

• US sends cargo planes to help Mexico fight fires

  April 17, 2011 10:57 AM

  PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) - The United States has sent two specially equipped military cargo planes to help battle wildfires in northern Mexico. The U.S. Northern Command says the C-130 planes were requested by the Mexican government and the U.S. State Department. They left their home base... more »