05/15/2008 Police: Same man behind Sugar Land, Houston bank robberies He's been dubbed the "red-gloved bandit" by police because at each bank, he's worn gloves.

Firefighters find man shot to death in northwest Houston apartment Initially, Houston police thought the gunshot wound was self-inflicted, but they found evidence that someone else had shot him multiple times.

Storms weaken, shower Houston with light rain Power lines and trees were knocked down in some parts of Montgomery County early Thursday morning as the first line of storms ahead of a cold front moved through.

Nintendo must pay $21M to company
Nintendo has been ordered to pay a small East Texas gaming company 21 million dollars for infringing on a patent while designing controllers for its popular Wii and GameCube systems.

Tejada lifts Astros past Giants
Miguel Tejada understands why Houston manager Cecil Cooper wants to give him a day off. The Astros’ durable shortstop just doesn’t want to come out of the lineup.

05/14/2008

Look out for severe weather today
An active weather day is expected around Southeast Texas as an strong jet stream, a slow moving cold front and abundant Gulf moisture combine.

Jury clears Galveston news photographer of interfering with police during arrest The case raised questions about whether police destroyed evidence, and prompted debate about the rights of journalists and ordinary citizens to monitor the actions of law enforcement.

Shooting suspects' getaway plans spoiled by Galveston Bay Galveston County Sheriff’s Deputies were led on a high-speed chase after a shooting Wednesday night. The chase didn’t last that long after the suspects turned down a road that dead-ended into Galveston Bay.

Kids and knives: A dangerous mix
Recent school stabbings in the Houston area have put a spotlight on the issue, and you may be surprised to find out how they're easily getting their hands on the heavy metal.

Students balance poverty with classwork
In every school, all across this city there are kids who want to learn and they are trying to succeed. There is a major hurdle in their way – extreme poverty.

HISD works to save Sam Houston High
Sam Houston High School is a running out of time. The troubled school has underperformed on the state TAKS test for five years now.

Armed robbers make off with $1 million in jewels from wholesale salesman
The armed robbery took place in the parking lot of a gas station in southwest Houston. It appears that the robbers had been casing their victim.

Harris County criminals may have to forfeit tax rebate checks
Harris County criminals who owe money to victims' families may soon have to forfeit their tax refund and rebate checks.

HISD to spend $3 million more on Key Middle School
On Wednesday, the Houston school board approved a plan that will ensure that troubled Key Middle School will remain open. It’s a proposal first reported last week by 11 News that called for $3 million to finish repairs to the school.

Plans for Conroe toxic wastewater well stall A Houston company's plan to build and operate injection wells that hold toxic waste water has run into some trouble. The company wants to put them in Conroe.

Former Houston Oiler Lamar Lathon's assault charge hearing delayed
Former Houston Oilers linebacker Lamar Lathon walked out of court Wednesday after a judge delayed his hearing on assault charges.

Big trucks banned from Houston streets
The revised ordinance prevents big trucks 22 feet or longer from parking in neighborhoods.

North Shore teacher accused of exposing himself in classroom According to district officials, the students reported seeing math teacher Fernando Gonzalez watching porn and exposing and inappropriately touching himself in his classroom at North Shore High.

Storm rattles Walker County town In New Waverly, the lightning cracked loud enough to scare some people. Lonnie Adams shot video of the storm as it rolled into the Walker County area.

Pickup rolls into water near Lynchberg Ferry Witnesses said a man drove the truck into the water off of a grassy area.  He was waiting in line to get on the ferry at the time.

Houston City Council passes ban on big vehicles in residential streets
Houston City Council on Wednesday passed a plan to ban large vehicles from parking on residential streets.

HISD names its Teachers of the Year
When it comes to teaching, they've certainly made the grade.

Giants snap Astros' winning streak
Carlos Lee hit his eighth homer on an eighth-inning solo shot, but Houston lost for the first time in five games so far during its season-long 10-game road trip.

SUV rolls 6 times in Pasadena crash
The male driver lost control at Pasadena Boulevard around 2 a.m., and his female passenger was ejected from the car.

Tornado watch canceled for all counties The worst of Wednesday's weather was in the northwest and northeast counties, where a funnel cloud was spotted in the Walker County town of New Waverly.

05/13/2008

Rain showers expected this afternoon
The weather around Southeast Texas becomes a little more uncertain and unpredictable as a strong upper system deepens west of Texas and then begins to move eastward.

Texas City women attacked by 3 pit bulls Two women were recovering Tuesday from an early morning attack by three pit bulls, the owner of which had been cited before for allowing them to roam the neighborhood. The women's injuries didn't appear life-threatening.

Man gunned down outside southwest Houston convenience store Police said at least 11 rounds were fired outside of a convenience store Tuesday night.

Kiddie burglars sought in school break-ins It is difficult to tell exactly how old the three suspects are, but authorities think they are likely students at Hollibrook Elementary School in the Spring Branch ISD.

Austin child molestation suspect worked at Houston churches
Shane Flournoy has allegedly confessed to molesting a 15-year-old student in Austin as well as several kids in Houston.

FBI: Bold and brazen bank robbers result of tough economic times
Investigators have noted bank robberies in our area are on the rise and the FBI says these hard economic times are a factor.

As frustrations mount at the pump, prices may be on the way down Fed up trying to fill’er up? It happens every time Robert Salas tries to fill his tank. The pump stops at $75.

Park plans have cricket teams in a wicket
Harris County sent a letter to local cricket teams telling them the fields at Tom Bass Park have to go to be replaced by a dog park.

Low bridges and big trucks can be a dangerous combination for commuters
Old, low bridges can cause deadly accidents when big trucks pass under them. The state says raising the bridges isn't always cost effective. But does that leave you in danger?

Kingwood High School students sickened by classmate's brownies
Humble ISD was questioning a student about some brownies Tuesday.

West Nile virus reported in Montgomery Co.
The first Texas case of West Nile virus this year has been reported in Montgomery County.

Houston's Key Middle School to stay open
The district recently spent $3 million removing mold and renovating the school after dozens of teachers and students got sick.

Houston family pleads for justice Horacio Edgardo Luna, 35, was walking along Westview when someone in an SUV shot him last month.

Procedure gets rid of headaches forever A Houston neurologist is offering new hope to folks plagued by chronic headaches.

Houston lawmaker urges Texans to use sales tax holiday for appliances
A Houston lawmaker on Monday urged Texans to take advantage of the upcoming sales tax holiday to purchase energy efficient appliances.

New Metro rail lines to be built in 'bites'
The lessons of Metro's lone light rail line in downtown Houston are echoing through the City Council chamber today.

Judge orders suspect in Art Car Museum curator's death to stop driving
Dustin Poe, 23, was ordered by a judge to stop driving and had to take a urine test after appearing in court Tuesday.

Turning to signs to make downtown shine
"The Pavilions" will have restaurants and shops, but the developers are reportedly asking for big, blinking electronic signs. It's something that the city prohibits.

HPD: Hit-and-run driver clips car, sends it sliding 270 feet on freeway wall
The woman driving the second car is in serious, but stable, condition at Ben Taub Hospital. Witnesses only described the suspect car as dark-colored.

Group starts local effort for Myanmar relief
The Myanmar government said about 62,000 people are dead or missing. The United Nations suggests that number may actually be closer to 100,000.

Prosecutors rest their case in punishment phase of cop killer trial
Prosecutors have rested their case in the penalty phase of accused cop killer Juan Quintero’s capital murder trial.  

Houston court confrontation caught on camera Barry Crawford shot and killed a wrecker driver who was attempting to tow his vehicle in 1998. Now the victim's relatives are furious and claim the former firefighter isn't fulfilling his obligations.

Police: Texas School for the Deaf employee may have abused others in Houston Police say he began working in the dorms at the Texas State School for the deaf in May and that it wasn't long before he saw a familiar face in a 15-year-old student.

05/12/2008

Houstonian anxious about family, friends caught in Chinese earthquake
For Grace Gu the earthquake disaster is softened by word that her parents and brother are OK.

Town hall offers tips for dealing with foreclosure
One-third of the properties for sale in Houston right now are foreclosures.

Houston police bust 'Pill Guru'
Cops say the man had more than 58,000 pills that he wouold sell for $5 a pop.

Fewer cops on the street as HPD plans drastic overtime cuts
There will be dramatic overtime cuts at the Houston Police Department and the cuts mean a suspension of funding for the neighborhood Crime Reduction Initiative patrols.

Man stabbed to death outside apartment
The stabbing occurred at the Whittfield Apartment complex in the 12700 block of Whittington

Geologist: Daisetta sinkhole created by man The sinkhole now filled with a mixture of oil, waste and water running from the marshlands above and percolating from the ground below. And experts said Monday that the sinkhole is the work of man, not nature.

Fire fight: Fisticuffs at fire station A fight broke out inside a Houston fire station Monday afternoon that saw one person taken to the hospital. But the firefighters were not the ones involved in the altercation.

Car gets lodged beneath big rig on Southwest Fwy
A gruesome-looking 18-wheeler accident had traffic blocked on the Southwest Freeway Monday afternoon. Miraculously, everyone involved walked away unhurt.

Deadly weekend across the El Paso border
In all, about half a dozen people were murdered in the Mexico border city of Juarez. At least eight were wounded by gunfire. Some of the injured were U.S. citizens.

Bystander hit in two-car crash near 59
An apparent homeless man was hit after a two-car accident in Houston Moday.

Turning to pedal power to get to work Every day Keith McCollum bikes from his home just outside the North Loop into downtown on Main Street. He then heads east past the courthouse and then another couple miles to De Zavala Elementary.

Got $1.5M to spare? Lamborghini Houston has a set of wheels for you
Do you have $1.5 million burning a hole in your well-funded pocket? Lamborghini Houston has good news for you.

TSU gets millions from state
On Monday, the state approved that money to help TSU with its reorganization plan.

Beard battle could cost Houston $150,000
The case centers around four Houston police officers who filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against HPD over their beards.

Hempstead cops shoot suspected bank robber A suspected bank robber was shot by Hempstead police Monday after he held up a Trustmark Bank in the Waller County town. The suspect was injured and taken to a local hospital.

Web Extra: Is justice for sale in Texas?
We all expect our courts to offer a fair and impartial trial. It is, after all, one of the basic demands we make of our society in America.

Friends: Art Car Museum curator will be missed Police have charged a 23-year-old man with intoxication manslaughter in the crash that killed Art Car Museum curator Tom Jones. Jones was sitting in front of the museum Sunday when he was killed.

Bond lowered for mom accused of leaving kids to marry in Africa The mother who allegedly left her children home alone to get married in Africa argued to have her bond lowered on Monday.

Prairie dog pups born at Houston Zoo The black-tailed prairie dogs were born about six weeks ago in the McGovern Children's Zoo. They're just now coming out of the burrow.

Sisters hurt in hit-and-run want justice Both sisters were knocked out cold while walking on the southwest side. Now one sister is out of the hospital, and her family is looking for answers.

Police: Bellaire suspects dig into store
Police said the suspects were either after cell phones or suits when they broke into the store in the 5300 block of Bissonnet.

05/11/2008 Humble church works to forgive teens accused of making skull bong The Grace Church of Humble serves as caretaker to the cemetery where a group of teens allegedly dug up the corpse of an 11-year-old boy and used the skull to smoke pot.

05/12/2008

Alvin teen dies in car accident on FM 517
A teenage girl from Alvin High School died in a rollover car accident Saturday night in League City.

05/11/2008

Mourners leave shrine outside home where family of 5 was found dead
Mourners left a small shrine outside the home where a family of five was found dead Saturday in northeast Houston.

6-year-old boy drowns in apartment pool
A family was in mourning Sunday after a 6-year-old boy drowned in an apartment complex swimming pool.

05/12/2008

Cook may be to blame for apartment blaze
Firefighters say a resident was cooking, but left the stove unattended to take the dog for a walk.

05/11/2008 Houston pastor gives first-hand account of Jenna Bush's wedding Houston Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell said he was taken by surprise when First Daughter Jenna Bush asked him to preside over her wedding. Slideshow: Jenna says 'I do'

Driver accused in Art Car Museum curator's death charged
Thomas Jones, 51, was sitting on the curb in front of a stationary vehicle on Heights Blvd. when a suspected drunk driver crashed into the parked car.

Father dead, son hurt in Houston shooting
A dad was dead and a son wounded after a double shooting in Houston early Sunday morning.

Police seek missing Sugar Land teens Police believe Ashley Mann, Kyla Davenport and Lauren Watson ran away from home and then ran into trouble. The car they were in was found disabled in downtown Houston Saturday.

Local shrimpers hanging up their nets
Independent shrimpers are feeling the pinch of cheap imports and rising fuel costs.

$1 billion in school bonds OKed; mayoral runoffs in Sugar Land & League City
There will be mayoral runoffs in League City and Sugar Land, while incumbents in Galveston were bounced from office.

EPA: Overflow problems pushing sewage into neighborhoods
Sewage systems built 30 or even 50 years ago can handle increasing populations, but not with heavy rain.

05/10/2008 Art Car parade names its winners An estimated 200,000 people turned out near downtown Houston Saturday to watch a parade of 284 vehicles during the annual Art Car Parade.

Baytown police seek murder suspect Pedro Luis Morfin is wanted in connection to the shooting death of a 33-year-old Baytown man two weeks ago.

New round of tornadoes kill 5 in Missouri and Oklahoma
Authorities say at least five people are dead in Missouri and Oklahoma after severe storms that included tornadoes.

Sinkhole attracting tourists to Daisetta
People from as far as Virginia and Vermont have stopped by to see the hole. But one city leader says that all that attention is a double-edged sword.

Family of 5 found dead in home Neighbors bringing a loose bull back to a northeast Houston home discovered a gruesome scene that revealed a man and his family shot dead. Police on scene said it is possible the deaths are the result of a murder/suicide.

State cited company near sinkhole
A company that sits near the edge of a massive sinkhole in Southeast Texas is accused of violating state permits for saltwater disposal. Some geologists suggest saltwater may have caused the crater.

Your neighbor could be growing pot Indoor marijuana farms are popping up all over Houston. They are located homes, purchased by organized crime groups, that could be in your neighborhood.

Texas Rangers called to audit Galveston PD
The Galveston County District Attorney drops 16 criminal cases bacause of compromised evidence following theft at police department.

05/09/2008

Hail falls on Crawford on eve of Bush wedding
While the rest of Texas was experiencing an early summer warming trend, those gathered near and around Crawford for Jenna Bush and Henry Hager’s wedding were greeted by hail.

Judge: Woman claiming rape by co-workers in Iraq can sue Halliburton A federal district judge ruled Friday that a woman who says she was raped by co-workers while employed by a Halliburton Co. subsidiary in Iraq in 2005 can take her claims to trial.

Residents get tour of massive sinkhole Officials took down the yellow tape for a short while around the massive sinkhole that formed in Liberty County on Wednesday.

Feds launch roundup of fugitive illegal immigrants Immigration agents claim there are 38,000 criminal illegals in Houston. Several teams of federal agents from here and across the country hit the streets searching for fugitive illegal immigrants. Video

Report: Dam safety checks lacking in TX
The Texas State Auditor found that a lot of dams are not being inspected. And when inspectors found a problem, half the time they never followed up.

Skimpy prom dress lands teen in cuffs Madison High's prom took place Saturday, but Marche Taylor only got as far as the lobby. When she tried to enter the ballroom, an official stopped her because of her dress.

Accused skull bong makers appear in court Two of the three Kingwood teens accused of digging up a corpse, decapitating its head and using the skull as a marijuana pipe were in court Friday morning.

Dickinson High stabbing suspect caught
Dickinson police said they apprehended Osmand Osman Miftari at an apartment complex in Seabrook, which is just a few minutes drive from where the stabbing took place Wednesday.

No new answers in 'CIA operative' case Police released few new details in the case of a man who claimed to be a CIA operative and who was shot and killed by police last week following a high speed chase.

Kelly Siegler resigns from DA's office Assistant District Attorney Kelly Siegler's resignation becomes effective at the end of the day. District Attorney Kenneth Magidson issued that statement Friday.

Bloody body found wrapped in sheet outside north Houston motel Houston police said the unidentified man was found dead outside the Tropical Motel in the 4800 block of North Shepherd at about 2 a.m.

Houston school bus in Loop 610 ax
A Houston ISD school bus has been involved in an accident on Loop 610 northbound near Fournace.

What will happen to Key Middle School?
Friday HISD Superintendent Abe Saveedra said if he’s forced to close the school and tear it down, he will not rebuild another school.

Tomball High cleared after spill Classes have resumed after a science teacher preparing an experiment for class, spilled amyl alcohol. Seventeen people were taken to Tomball Regional Medical Center.

Top gymnasts flock to Bela Karolyi's Houston area camp
When Bela Karolyi discovered a plot of land in the middle of the National Forest in the early 1980s, he had a big dream and he takes great pleasure in knowing that his dream has come to full fruition.

More hot weather today, cooler Sunday He says you can expect more high temperatures and humidity for Saturday, but a front is expected to come through that night and cool things off for Mother’s Day.

05/08/2008

Soldiers receive salutes, hugs and pizza
After a year serving in Iraq, two Kingwood soldiers returned home to a heroes welcome Thursday night.

05/09/2008

Police: Man fires back during drive-by
Police say a bullet grazed the man, but that didn’t stop him from pulling out his own gun and returning fire.

One dead, toddler injured in separate wrong-way accidents in Brazoria Co. The first happened on Highway 288 just north of Manvel. And just two hours earlier, another wreck in Brazoria left a toddler seriously hurt.

Houstonians prepare for hurricane season May is typically one of the busiest months for insurance agencies especially when it comes to issuing those flood insurance policies. Already some people are rushing last minute to get them before the start of the hurricane season in just a few weeks.

Firefighters battle 3-alarm warehouse blaze
They say the warehouse is filled with furniture and that’s hampering their efforts to contain the blaze.

05/08/2008 Texas is roofing scammer's paradise The Defenders found out that politics and special interests have made Texas a roofing scammers paradise.

AP: Surplus ain't what it's cracked up to be
A 10.7 billion dollar budget surplus predicted this week by Comptroller Susan Combs set Texas Capitol-tongues awagging with plans for tax rebates. But the surplus is actually about two billion dollars.

Sinking salt domes not new to Texas
Dr. Carl Norman studies sinkholes and salt domes. "In the greater Houston area, Beaumont, we've got about 50, 53 of these salt domes," Dr. Norman said.

Police: Emilio's blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit Bellaire police have asked that the Harris County District Attorney seek DWI and intoxicated assault charges against Tejano superstar Emilio Navaira. Bellaire police report

Dickinson school stabbing suspect sought Dickinson police on Thursday released the name and a photo of a 15-year-old boy wanted for the stabbing of a fellow student at Dickinson High School earlier this week.

Oil industry looking for minority hires