Politics
Political fortunes at stake over Ike
By JULIE MASON and RICHARD S. DUNHAM, Houston Chronicle, 15 September 2008
WASHINGTON — President Bush is flying into the hurricane zone today to tour the damage in Houston and Galveston.
Cornyn, Noriega temporarily suspend Senate campaign because of Ike
By ANNA M. TINSLEY, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
FORT WORTH – The race for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat is, for now, on hold.
Cornyn, Noriega stop campaigning because of Ike
Waco Tribune-Herald, 16 September 2008
AUSTIN — Republican Sen. John Cornyn on Monday indefinitely postponed the release of campaign television ads because of Hurricane Ike.
Democrats drill on beating GOP incumbents, support offshore drilling
By JOHN RILEY, Dallas Morning News, 16 September 2008
DALLAS – Six Democratic candidates in North Texas congressional races are bucking their party's leadership on energy in hopes of unseating Republican incumbents.
Rutledge: McCain and Cornyn will put past differences over immigration reform aside
By Steve Taylor, Rio Grande Guardian, 15 September 2008
MISSION – Hidalgo County Republican Party Chairman Hollis Rutledge says he is confident that John McCain and John Cornyn will patch up any differences they still have over immigration policy, should McCain be elected president.
Government
DA Watkins wants to re-examine nearly all of pending death row cases from Dallas County
By JENNIFER EMILY and STEVE McGONIGLE, Dallas Morning News, 16 September 2008
DALLAS – Troubled that innocent people have been imprisoned by faulty prosecutions, District Attorney Craig Watkins said Monday that he would re-examine nearly 40 death penalty convictions and would seek to halt executions, if necessary, to give the reviews time to proceed.
Second lawsuit challenges Farmers Branch attempt to deny rentals for illegal immigrants
By STEPHANIE SANDOVAL, Dallas Morning News, 15 September 2008
DALLAS – A second set of opponents has filed a federal lawsuit over Farmers Branch's latest attempt to deny rental houses or apartments to illegal immigrants.
Leadership exodus offers opportunity to rebuild DPS
By CLAY ROBISON, Houston Chronicle, 15 September 2008
AUSTIN — If Gov. Rick Perry is eager, as he appears to be, to remake the Texas Department of Public Safety, now is his chance.
Nicol: Paying the price of the border wall in human lives
By Scott Nicol, Rio grande Guardian, 15 September 2008
WESLACO – In 2007 a U.S. district court ordered a halt to construction of the border wall through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
Michal: How the state wore me down and stopped my son receiving CHIP
By Kelly Michal, Rio Grande Guardian, 15 September 2008
PHARR – Until recently, my youngest son, who is nine years old, was a Children’s Health Insurance Program recipient.
News
Health conditions on island are deteriorating
By Leigh Jones and Heber Taylor, Galveston County Daily News, 15 September 2008
GALVESTON — Search and rescue missions are continuing on Galveston Island, but health conditions are deteriorating at a high rate.
Galveston officials restrict media access
By Rhiannon Meyers, Galveston County Daily News, 15 September 2008
GALVESTON — Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas on Monday ordered all city employees not to talk to news reporters. She did not say when that order would be lifted.
Up to 20,000 residents refuse to leave island
By Sara Foley and Rhiannon Meyers, Galveston County Daily News, 15 September 2008
GALVESTON — The picture on Lovie Oliver’s digital camera tells it all.
Everyday items valued as treasures
By SUSAN CARROLL and MIKE SNYDER, Houston Chronicle, 15 September 2008
HOUSTON – Thousands of desperate Houston-area residents waited in line for hours Monday for simple items — food, water and ice — that became as precious as jewels in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
Searchers fear more grim discoveries in Galveston
By JENNIFER LATSON, TERRI LANGFORD and HARVEY RICE, Houston Chronicle, 15 September 2008
GALVESTON — Through dark and filthy water, the tangible last remnant of Hurricane Ike, search-and-rescue teams continued combing Galveston Island and other coastal communities hit hardest by an overwhelming storm surge.
Good deeds go a long way after Ike
By DANE SCHILLER and CLAUDIA FELDMAN, Houston Chronicle, 15 September 2008
HOUSTON – As the electric power flipped on at 3:12 p.m. at Triumph Hospital on Monday, a wave of cheers and applause swept corridors.
Gov Perry: Ike worse than Rita; promises full support
By MATTHEW DANELO, Beaumont Enterprise, 16 September 2008
BEAUMONT – According to Texas Governor Rick Perry, the devastation from Hurricane Ike’s surge is worse than the damage from Hurricane Rita.
Ike’s Wake
By Susan Lindsey, Texarkana Gazette, 15 September 2008
TEXARKANA – Ike raved and ravaged but Texarkana still stands, only slightly bruised.
Coliseum could become long-term shelter
By Aubry Wilson, Huntsville Item, 15 September 2008
HUNTSVILLE – Sam Houston State University’s Johnson Coliseum could become a long-term shelter for the evacuees from Galveston who are unable to return to their homes along the coast.
Officials: Polk County damage twice that of Rita
By STEVEN ALFORD, Lufkin Daily News, 15 September 2008
LIVINGSTON – After six hours of combined effort the generator at KP Stop in Livingston was finally up and running Monday afternoon.
For Ike survivors, tons of food, water begin arriving
By Chuck Lindell, Marty Toohey, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 16 September 2008
HOUSTON — Efforts to move tons of food, water and ice into Southeast Texas began in earnest Monday as search-and-rescue operations continued in areas devastated by Hurricane Ike.
After Ike, livestock dying for lack of water
By Bob Banta, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 16 September 2008
AUSTIN – State agriculture agent Tyler Fitzgerald barely had time to talk Monday as he clambered across storm-ravaged pastureland in Chambers County near the Gulf Coast.
Jump in Waco gas prices around Hurricane Ike has some questioning whether stations are price gouging
By Cindy V. Culp, Waco Tribune-Herald, 16 September 2008
WACO – Gas prices around the Waco area varied by as much as 35 cents per gallon Monday, prompting questions about whether certain stations might be price gouging in the wake of Hurricane Ike.
Those on Galveston making do amid Ike's mess
By KAREN BROOKS, Dallas Morning News, 15 September 2008
GALVESTON – The first boat to crash into theirs was called No Apologies. Dozens more would follow with no remorse.
As the water recedes, bitter reality sets in along the Gulf
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
HOUSTON — Thousands of Hurricane Ike evacuees settled in at shelters for what could be weeks, and others waited wearily in line for food, water, ice and gasoline Monday as it became increasingly clear that the disaster along the Texas coast would be measured not by its death toll but by the misery it spread.
Galveston like a ghost town after Ike
Waco Tribune-Herald, 16 September 2008
GALVESTON – Tourist-popular Galveston seems more like a debris-ridden ghost town today after Hurricane Ike.
Rescuers find utter devastation, but no more bodies
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
GALVESTON — Entire subdivisions obliterated.
Flood-borne fish now rotting 'everywhere'
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
WEST ORANGE — Forget hooks.
Hurricane Ike's floodwaters disturb bluesman's burial place
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
ORANGE — Hurricane Katrina chased bluesman Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown from his adopted home in New Orleans to his hometown on the Texas Gulf Coast, where he died in exile.
Pickens suspends plans for water pipeline
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
LUBBOCK — Billionaire and wind energy advocate Boone Pickens has indefinitely suspended plans for a water pipeline project aimed at shipping water from the sole aquifer in the Texas Panhandle to thirsty cities downstate.
Evacuees putting strain on shelters
El Paso Times, 16 September 2008
SAN ANTONIO – Evacuees streaming into hundreds of makeshift shelters set up around Texas are bringing all the belongings they can carry and at least one unanswerable question: What now?
Louisiana social services chief quits amid Gustav criticism
Dallas Morning News, 16 September 2008
BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana's social services chief resigned Monday amid heavy criticism from Gov. Bobby Jindal about her department's response to Hurricane Gustav.
Prosecution begins again in Holy Land trial
By JASON TRAHAN, Dallas Morning News, 15 September 2008
DALLAS – Prosecutors are getting a rare second crack at proving the Holy Land Foundation fed terrorism, almost a year after a hung jury in the case set back the Bush administration's economic front in the war on terrorism.
Arlington hopes to turn methane into cash
By SUSAN SCHROCK, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 September 2008
ARLINGTON — The city hopes to turn its trash, or at least one of its byproducts, into a treasure.
Wall Street's bloodletting: What does all this mean for Texas?
By JOHN AUSTIN, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
FORT WORTH – Large tracts of Texas are underwater, submerged by Hurricane Ike, with damage estimates at $16 billion.
Texas Ranger factions need to set showdown aside, cool off
Waco Tribune-Herald, 14 September 2008
WACO – “One riot, one Texas Ranger,” the old saying goes.
Windstorm insurance looms for Legislature
By Enrique Rangel, Amarillo Globe-News, 16 September 2008
AMARILLO – The damage that the torrential rains caused in West Texas over the weekend is still being assessed, as is the devastation that Hurricane Ike brought to Galveston and other coastal communities.
Rise in gas prices the result of hurricane
Wichita Falls Times Record News, 15 September 2008
WICHITA FALLS – Depending upon when you decided to fill up with gas on Friday, you may have been content or felt contempt over the price.
Editorial: Media blackout is bone-headed
By Dolph Tillotson, Galveston County Daily News, 15 September 2008
GALVESTON – The city of Galveston made its first serious misstep in handling the Hurricane Ike crisis, but it’s a big enough mistake that it almost outweighs the many good things city leaders have done.
People
Dallas County officials question DA's role in jail documentary controversy
By KEVIN KRAUSE, Dallas Morning News, 15 September 2008
DALLAS – Dallas County Commissioners are scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to seek an attorney general’s opinion about District Attorney Craig Watkins’ legal representation of Sheriff Lupe Valdez during a recent jail documentary controversy.
Another prison inmate from Dallas may be freed through DNA testing
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 September 2008
DALLAS — A man who has spent nearly 26 years in prison for rape is likely to be freed soon because a DNA test has shown that he is innocent, his lawyer said Monday.
Claytie gives $20,000 for MC's Fort Stockton program
By Ruth Campbell, Midland Reporter-Telegram, 16 September 2008
MIDLAND – Tall City oilman Clayton Williams on Monday donated $20,000 to Midland College's Dollars for Scholars program to finance student scholarships in a wide range of vocational, GED and English as a second language programs.
Ex-border agents' pardons rest with Bush
By Bob Campbell, Midland Reporter-Telegram, 16 September 2008
MIDLAND – If President Bush is considering pardoning two former U.S. Border Patrol officers convicted of shooting an escaping drug dealer in the buttocks, he is holding his cards close to his vest.
