10/12/2008 Texans touchdown leads to a 29-28 victory over Dolphins Matt Schaub threw interceptions on Houston’s first two possessions, but ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 3 seconds left, leading the Texans to a 29-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Skydiver crashes in Waller County
A man has been airlifted to a hospital after a traumatic skydiving accident.  The accident occurred on Sunday at Skydive Houston in Waller.  According to reports, the 26-year-old hit the ground at 30 miles per hour.

Voters want specifics, not issues Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard what the candidates are saying about the issues. Polls suggest the economy will dominate the national discussion. But with just three weeks to Election Day, what is on the minds of voters?

Volunteers save a San Leon man's home
Residents in San Leon have begun repairing and rebuilding their homes. But for many elderly residents such as Barney Garza, that is proving to be tough financially and physically. 

Schieffer to moderate McCain-Obama debate on Wednesday
The debate season that has chewed up its moderators comes to a close Wednesday when John McCain and Barack Obama meet for the third time, with CBS News’ Bob Schieffer directing the discussion.

Car crashes into Houston home Witnesses said a car traveling on Briar Forest a car stopped at light at the intersection and then took off when the light turned green.

Accused kidnapper behind bars
Investigators said Ramiro Contreras kidnapped his family at gunpoint in September at their Cleveland home, shooting three people in the process.

Hurricane Ike: Most expensive storm in Texas history With a pricetag of $11.4 billion, the storm is the most expensive in Texas history. About 75 percent of the homes on Galveston sustained some damage and blue tarps cover 11,000 roofs for 100 miles from Houston to the Louisiana line.

Could America be heading for another Depression?
The trouble on Wall Street, the crisis in the credit market, and recent fluctuations in the price of oil have made analysts wonder.  According to them, under the right circumstances, we could slip into a Depression.

One week left to apply for disaster food stamps and unemployment
The deadline to apply for disaster food stamps or for disaster unemployment benefits is October 15, less than one week away.

Austin game designer Richard Garriott blasts into space Garriott is the sixth paying space traveler and the first American to follow a parent into orbit. The spacecraft should dock Tuesday with the space station.

Iraq to begin first bid round with 35 oil companies Iraq’s oil minister will meet Monday in London with representatives of international oil companies for the first round of bidding for new contracts in the country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, the minister’s spokesman said.

Eighth-grader spearheads fundraising to help grandmother with ALS
Riggin Cleveland spearheaded fundraising efforts that produced $2,600 for ALS research. On Oct. 18 at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Riggin will take part in a walk-run fund drive. All the money will go to the ALS Foundation.

Norbert weakens to tropical depression
Norbert dissipated into a tropical depression over the northern mountains of mainland Mexico today, after ripping off roofs and forcing thousands to seek shelter in Baja California.

FEMA extends operation Blue Roof
Property owners wanting a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Blue Roof” have extra time to visit Right-of-Entry (ROE) Collection Centers in Harris, Galveston and Jefferson counties. 

Man wants to start whiskey distillery in Waco
Chip Tate hopes to join the ranks of the less than a dozen distillers operating in Texas by producing small-batch whiskey reminiscent of scotch in Waco.

Battle of San Jacinto gun sells for $7,500
A pistol used in the Battle of San Jacinto was among several artifacts sold at an auction on Saturday.

10/11/2008 Hurricane Ike may be a temporary help for the Gulf Coast economy While the entire country worries about Wall Street woes, Houstonians have other factors both helping and hurting the market in Southeast Texas. Hurricane Ike is one of them.

Bush, allies seek to calm jittery investors President Bush and foreign financial officials displayed joint resolve Saturday to combat the unfolding financial crisis, hoping to calm investors whose panic has spread despite bold and accelerating government action.

Hurricane workers tired of waiting for paychecks
Overcoming Ike will no doubt take time and patience. But for workers helping to clean-up and rebuild, time and patience has run out for those who have not been paid after three weeks of labor.

Dad shoots friend during child’s party
Houston police are trying to figure out what caused a shooting between two longtime friends at a child’s birthday party. Detectives said the father of the four-year-old boy shot his friend after an argument. 

Galveston curfew only in effect for downtown
Galveston City Council unanimously voted to lift the 12:00 a.m. (midnight) to 5:00 a.m. mandatory curfew for the entire island with the exception of the downtown area. 

10/12/2008

Longhorns upset Sooners with 45-35 win
Brown’s Longhorns grabbed some second-half momentum by foiling a fake punt today, then Colt McCoy and the defense built on it, carrying No. 5 Texas to a 45-35 victory over No. 1 Oklahoma.

10/11/2008 Dangerous children’s game creates a hazard on the highway Brothers Johnny and Richard Leauvano were on their way home.  As they approached the Waco Street overpass, suddenly their windshield shattered as a rock was dropped from the overpass.

Possible sale catches Reliant customers and employees off guard
Houston-based Reliant Energy could become a victim of the country's credit crisis.  According to a recent letter to employees, all, or part, of the company could be sold. 

Bolivar residents getting power in November
The Bolivar Peninsula was one of the areas that suffered some of the worst damage during Hurricane Ike.

Beach in Galveston now safe for swimmers
Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas has officially lifted the beach ban in the city. 

Billy Graham released from NC hospital after tripping over dog
Evangelist Billy Graham was released from the hospital Saturday, sore and bruised but not seriously injured, after he tripped and fell over one of his dogs at his North Carolina home, hospital officials said.

103-year-old woman lived a life of service
Some people have jobs, others have careers, and then there are those who live a life of service. 

Texas drivers owe $815m in unpaid fines
Nearly one million Texas motorists owe a combined $815 million for violations such as a driving while intoxicated and failure to have insurance, and the state wants them to start paying up.

Faulty eyewitnesses doomed 19 Dallas County suspects to wrongful convictions
Faulty eyewitness testimony that led to 19 wrongful convictions in Dallas County, which leads the nation in DNA exonerations, sent the innocent to prison as police and prosecutors ignored safeguards and built cases with flimsy corroboration, according to a newspaper investigation.

10/12/2008

Debris in Harris County 95 percent complete
It's a huge undertaking picking up the debris across Harris County, but the county is almost finished. 

10/10/2008 Baby dies in hot car after grandfather forgets her outside school A 7-month-old girl died Friday after police say, her grandfather forgot her in a car outside a southeast Houston school. Police say the child was left unattended in a Ford Taurus station wagon for five hours.

10/11/2008

Executions near for 12 on Texas death row
The crowd on A-Wing A-Section at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Polunsky Unit is about to get thinned. A dozen condemned inmates in the so-called “death watch” cells on Texas death row are set for lethal injection over the next six weeks.

Feds, Waller County resolve county voter registration lawsuit
The U.S. Justice Department said Friday it has entered into a consent decree with Waller County to resolve a lawsuit regarding county voter registration practices that the government claims violate federal voting rights laws.

Clovis man indicted in two murders
A 21-year-old Clovis man has been indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the shooting deaths of a Melrose man and a Texas woman.

Eleven killed in Mexican bar
Gunmen opened fire in a northern city bar, killing 11 people, and the body of a newspaper editor was found shot dead on the side of a highway in two separate criminal attacks, police said Friday.

10/10/2008

Man gets his freedom back after being wrongfully convicted
Terrance Ferguson was charged with an aggravated robbery. But one day he met an inmate who had an interesting story to tell about the man who really committed the crime, a man that looked a lot like him.

Crystal Beach family defies Ike, captures it all on camera The morning before Hurricane Ike hit, Matthew Nez was in a joking mood. He was capturing on home video the rising tide at his mom’s Crystal Beach home.

When homeownership joy turns into homeownership hardship For many, living the American dream means owning a home, but what happens when the home you buy is suddenly worth half of what you paid?

Ike leaves Surfside residents with road that leads to nowhere Ike left a lot of devastation and some residents along the coast said it's also created a road to nowhere. That's because parts of the Bluewater Highway were washed away when the storm came ashore.

Age plays big factor in what to do with your 401K retirement plan “If you’re young, and you’ve got time, put as much money as you can into the market.  It’s really going to pay off in the long-run,” financial advisor La Vera Prestage said.

Firefighters battle 2-alarm blaze in midtown
Firefighters battled a two-alarm house fire in midtown Friday night.

Gilchrist home stands alone after Ike
Warren Adams’ home on Gilchrist Beach stands like a lone fort on a desolate frontier. It’s the only home in sight. “It’s hard to see neighbors come out and try to find just a chip from a plate or anything.  That’s the hardest thing for me,” Pam Adams said.

Famous chef making wishes come true for kids scammed by foundation
The day after 11 News aired a story of broken promises, 8-year-old Gabriella and her mother Holly say they are happy the word is getting out about the Texas Wishing Well Foundation.

Defense paints a different picture of slain Aggie's killer during punishment phase
The mother of the Texas A&M student murdered by her ex-boyfriend broke down during the punishment phase of Timothy Shepherd’s trial.

Stocks end wild session mixed Investors were still agonizing over frozen credit markets, but seven days of massive losses made many stocks tempting for traders looking for bargains. What worries you most about our economy?

Sexy children's costumes raise concerns Halloween is two weeks away, but some parents are outraged over children's costumes they say are too risque. Would you buy your child an inappropriate costume?

10/09/2008 Charity promises dream trips to special needs kids, doesn't deliver Both Nicole McGuire and Holly Andrew have special needs children. The Texas Wishing Well Foundation said they would help them send their kids on a dream trip. But once the money was made, the foundation disappeared.

10/10/2008 Great news: Texas gas prices keep falling The global economic crisis has slashed demand, and Gulf refineries are back to normal production levels after disruptions by Hurricane Ike.

Galveston closing Red Cross tent shelter The city will close a tent city Red Cross shelter Oct. 26 when federal funding ends, City Manager Steve LeBlanc announced at a city council meeting Thursday.

Houston Olympic hopeful turns to dentist to make the U.S. team Sean Golden narrowly missed being selected for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team. He is now training for the 2012 Games and he’s using a mouth piece, not drugs, to enhance his performance.

FEMA extends hotel program for Ike victims
Hurricane Ike victims whose homes remain uninhabitable can stay in hotels or motels paid for by the federal government until the first of November.

Feds: Drug traffickers are smuggling guns into Mexico
We often hear about smugglers sneaking drugs or people into the United States, but contraband and fugitives also make their way from Texas to Mexico. 

Houston Marine gets keys to new home
His home, located in east Harris County, has special features like wider doors, lower appliances and a wheelchair accessible bath.

Power, water in Bolivar by November
Residents of the heavily damaged Bolivar Peninsula could have electricity and water service as soon as next month after Hurricane Ike's storm surge decimated infrastructure, homes and businesses.

10/09/2008 Getting rid of hazardous materials that Hurricane Ike left behind Investigators are now going door to door looking for the toxic debris Ike may have left behind. Experts say there are thousands of cans, tanks and barrels full of unidentified material to be found.

10/10/2008

Some overseas soldiers' voting hampered
American soldiers can hump 60-pound packs through the broiling desert, kill for their country and die for it, but they can’t always vote for their commander in chief.

GM could announce production cuts soon
A person with knowledge of General Motors Corp.'s plans says the company is likely to announce more production cuts and possible plant closures as early as next week.

Cornyn wants probe into Army suicides
Sen. John Cornyn is asking the Army for an independent investigation into a string of suicides among recruiters from the same Houston-based battalion.

NASA presses ahead for Mars rover launch NASA has decided to press ahead with plans to launch a big new rover to Mars next year.

Sarah Palin ethics report kept secret
Sworn to secrecy, Alaska lawmakers have begun reviewing a lengthy and politically sensitive investigative report focusing on whether Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her authority as governor.

Passengers hurt on Miami flight, turbulence felt on plane
Paramedics at Miami International Airport treated at least six passengers who complained of bumps and bruises from turbulence Friday on an American Airlines flight from Argentina, authorities said.

Hurricane Norbert expected to flood Presidio
With Hurricane Norbert headed toward Mexico’s Baja California coast, West Texas officials are preparing for more flooding in the already saturated border town of Presidio.

Connecticut Supreme Court rules same-sex couples have right to marry
Connecticut's Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry, making that state the third behind Massachusetts and California to legalize such unions.

10/09/2008

401K declines worry soon-to-be retirees
One group of North Texans who would prefer never having to know where economic rock bottom is: those about to retire.

10/10/2008 Federal regulators clear Wells Fargo-Wachovia deal Federal antitrust regulators say they have cleared Wells Fargo's $11.7 billion acquisition of troubled bank Wachovia Corp.

Oil plummets below $83 on global slowdown fears
Oil prices plummeted to a one-year low below $83 a barrel Friday in European trading as investor fears of a severe global economic downturn caused by the crisis in credit markets sparked a panicked sell-off of both crude and equities.

UT relents, lifts ban on signs in dorm rooms The University of Texas-Austin suspended its longstanding rule banning signs in dorm rooms on Thursday, after two students' refusal to take down their political signs sparked community outcry.

10/09/2008 Slain Aggie coed's family on guilty verdict: 'We had God on our side' Tim Shepherd was convicted Thursday of strangling Aggie coed Tynesha Stewart at his apartment, dismembering her body, burning her remains on his patio grills and throwing them in a dumpster.

$2.85 gasoline sparks Baytown gas war; drivers now winning the battle Oil and gas prices have been falling for the past few days, and some drivers in our area are already benefiting from the drop. But you might be surprised at the factors that determine how much you pay for gas.

Cornyn, Noriega, Schick debate in Houston Democratic Senate candidate Rick Noriega and Republican Sen. John Cornyn squared off right away over the $700 billion economic bailout in their debate Thursday night.

10/10/2008

Lone Star Rally date pushed back
With mounting concerns about fatigued emergency personnel, police and city staffers, limited medical services and a city still cleaning up after Hurricane Ike, city officials and organizers of the Lone Star Rally have pushed the yearly event back more than a month to Dec. 11-14.

Ex-Finnish president gets Nobel Peace Prize
Finland's ex-president Martti Ahtisaari received the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for his efforts to build a lasting peace from Africa and Asia to Europe and the Middle East.

New damage assessment formula used in Galveston
Island property owners should have a better idea in the next month whether they’ll be allowed to rebuild as federal inspectors begin inspecting the damage to homes today.

10/09/2008

Federal jury indicts 5 for $17M mortgage fraud scheme in Houston
A federal grand jury in Houston has indicted five people for an alleged scheme that cheated residential mortgage lenders out of millions of dollars, federal prosecutors said Thursday.

Tim Shepherd committed gruesome murder, but won't face death penalty
Tim Shepherd is a convicted murderer found guilty of killing his ex-girlfriend, dismembering her body and burning it on his patio grills. But despite his conviction, despite what he did, he cannot die for taking the life of Tynesha Stewart.

No indictment for Judge April Walker
A Houston municipal court judge who has filed a lawsuit against the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in connection to her arrest in January will not face charges over a second arrest in July after a grand jury Thursday declined to indict her.

Wall Street woes: Dow drops below 9,000 Stocks plunged in the final hour of trading Thursday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average down 679 points — more than 7 percent — to its lowest level in five years after a major credit ratings agency said it might cut its rating on General Motors Corp.

Forget the ads, where do Cornyn and Noriega really stand on the big issues?
In Washington, there's always more to every story. If you need an example, look no further than the campaign ads of Republican John Cornyn and Democrat Rick Noriega.

Troubled economy opens up new opportunities for some businesses
Thursday was another day of uncertainty on Wall Street, sending the Dow plunging nearly 600 points. But troubled times are opening up new opportunities.

Rebuilding Galveston's economy after Ike Galveston's economy took a hard punch after Ike and now there is a renewed effort to clean up the area and bring back jobs and homes.

Disaster declaration extended for 90 counties, including Harris, Galveston
The Hurricane Ike disaster declaration for Harris, Galveston and more than 80 other Texas counties has been extended through Nov. 6.

10/08/2008

Suspicious death of Crosby toddler haunts medical personnel
Kiley Perkins was taken off life support and died after suffering skull fractures. Her injuries were so severe that some medical personnel are seeking special counselors to help them cope.

10/09/2008 Loophole in law denies teachers unemployment benefits after Ike With the economy crumbling down, everyone is feeling the effects. But teachers at one Houston school are especially feeling the pinch after Hurricane Ike hit the area.

10/08/2008 Police: Splendora ISD teacher involved with Mexican drug cartel A Splendora ISD teacher was behind bars Wednesday night after police claim they found 10 pounds of marijuana and three grams of cocaine in her possession. Police believe Elena Ducoing is involved with a Mexican drug cartel.

10/09/2008

Ancestry.com: Sarah Palin's family ties 'include FDR, Princess Diana'
Barack Obama and Dick Cheney are not the only political odd couple who share a family tree. Sarah Palin is linked in her lineage to Franklin Roosevelt. She also has a connection with Princess Diana.

10/08/2008 Post-Ike power bills could pack surprises Ike may have stopped the meter from running, but he isn't going to stop the power bill from coming. No matter how long you were in the dark, or who your provider is, one thing is for certain: This month's bill is a guess.

Brandon Backe's lawyer: 'No legal or factual basis' for brawl charges Astros pitcher Brandon Backe met with his lawyer and a Galveston police sergeant Wednesday to discuss the brawl at the San Luis. Backe's lawyer said his client wants to restore his good name.

10/09/2008 Treasury ponders part ownership in banks News that the Bush administration is considering taking part ownership in a number of U.S. banks helped restore a relative calm over global financial markets Thursday.

Man accused in Spring Cypress racing death going to prison
Police say last year he was racing another car in the 8900 block of Spring Cypress. That other car crossed the center line and crashed into three other vehicles.

Texas City land farm worker killed in backhoe accident
A Texas City land farm worker died Thursday morning. The man succumbed to injuries sustained when he was pinned against a railing by a backhoe.

Hasbro recalling Nerf blasters Hasbro Inc. is voluntary recalling a model of its Nerf Blasters because a child's skin could get caught in moving parts.