Surveillance cameras installed in the central business district in 2006 have secured their first conviction, Dallas police announced Tuesday.

Erick Gamez Castillo, 30, was arrested in March after a camera caught him breaking into the pay box of a parking lot in the 900 block of South Lamar Street, police said. A retired Dallas police officer monitoring the camera directed police to the area.

Mr. Castillo pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary of a coin-operated machine and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.

"It is a small victory, but a victory indeed," Dallas police Lt. Vernon Hale said in a news release Tuesday.

The Meadows Foundation gave police $840,000 to buy the cameras. Five Dallas law firms – Haynes and Boone, Hughes & Luce, Jackson Walker, Jones Day and Thompson & Knight – each pledged $15,000 over two years to monitor the cameras.

Steve Thompson

Two animal rights groups have requested the Dallas Zoo close its elephant exhibit and transfer its remaining African elephant, Jenny, 31, to a sanctuary.

In Defense of Animals contacted Mayor Tom Leppert's office, citing a history of Jenny's emotional problems, including depression and self-mutilation.

PETA sent a letter to the zoo citing captivity-induced problems that zoo elephants have. Several zoos have closed elephant exhibits because of an inability to meet the animals' needs, PETA said.

Zoo officials and the mayor's office declined comment Tuesday.

Jenny's companion, KeKe, 39, was euthanized Monday after suffering from intestinal problems.

The zoo plans to reopen its elephant exhibit as early as this afternoon..

Joanna Cattanach

Dallas County commissioners have declined the city of Dallas' request to help fund its school crossing-guard program.

The city had wanted commissioners to impose an additional $1.50 fee on all vehicle registration renewals in Dallas County for the crossing guards.

But commissioners said in a letter to Mayor Tom Leppert that residents complain more about the registration surcharge than any other fee or tax rate hike imposed by the Commissioners Court.

They also wrote in the letter, signed on Tuesday, that they are considering asking the Legislature to increase the current $10 surcharge for local transportation projects. Adding another fee onto that would make it more difficult, commissioners said in the letter.

Kevin Krause

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez has hired a former TV news producer to be her new public information officer.

Kim Leach said she worked for local NBC and CBS affiliates for more than 20 years. She will replace Deputy Michael Ortiz, who was moved to the sheriff's auto theft task force.

Ms. Leach began work on Monday. She is the first civilian spokesperson at the agency in about nine years and Sheriff Valdez's fourth spokesperson in more than three years. The last three public information officers were all sworn deputies, but civilians have served in that role before.

For the past two years, Ms. Leach served as executive director of communications and media relations for the University of North Texas.

Kevin Krause

Denton leaders on Tuesday severed ties with the company that produces biodiesel fuel at the city landfill.

City Council members voted to terminate the city's partnership with Biodiesel Industries and sue the company over its performance. The vote came without discussion after a closed-door meeting, and officials made no comment.

Mayor Perry McNeill referred questions to City Attorney Ed Snyder, who said he would explain the case once a lawsuit is filed. The city plans to file a suit, probably in federal court, within days, Mr. Snyder said.

Officials with Biodiesel Industries could not be reached for comment.

The biodiesel facility opened to great fanfare in 2005 as the nation's first fully renewable biodiesel manufacturing plant.

The council contracted with California-based Biodiesel Industries and another company in March 2004 to build the 10,000-square-foot plant at the landfill on South Mayhill Road. The $3 million plant converts deep-frying oils into biodiesel.

Lowell Brown, Denton Record-Chronicle

Average residential water and sewer bills will increase by about $100 a year, nearly 16 percent, under new rates approved Monday by the Richardson City Council.

The higher rates will help to rebuild the city's water and sewer fund balance, as well as offset price increases being charged by the North Texas Municipal Water District. The new rates go into effect for bills due in early June.

The city could move to annual rate increases, instead of the biennial increases that have been used in the past, because of steep increases forecast by the water district for at least the next decade.

Ian McCann

The Goliad Street (State Highway 205) underpass at Interstate 30 will be closed overnight tonight, Thursday and Friday for construction.

The I-30 service roads will be open, but Goliad traffic will be unable to pass under the interstate.

Work is scheduled each night from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A 4.3-mile stretch of the road between State Highways 66 and 276 is being widened to six lanes. The $40 million project is expected to be completed in 2011.

Elizabeth Langton

A judge this week refused to temporarily bar a Rockwall homeowners association from suspending the voting rights of members who haven't paid a $1,500 special assessment to replace a community walking track.

Three homeowners, including Rockwall City Council member Matt Scott, sued the Oaks of Buffalo Way association in February over the voting rights issue. An election for association board members, originally set for April 13, was postponed because of the suit.

County Court-at-Law Judge David Rakow's ruling said that the association's bylaws allow voting rights suspensions, even though the bylaws were never filed in the County Clerk's Office as required by state law.

Mr. Scott said he has not decided whether to appeal the judge's order. Garon Horton, an attorney for the association, said a new election would be scheduled.

The lawsuit, which seeks to permanently bar the association from suspending members' voting rights, is pending.

Elizabeth Langton