Regular season prepares Magnolia for state tourney
Magnolia defeated Friendswood and Brenham in the Region III tourney over the weekend. With the wins, Magnolia earned a spot in the 4A state tournament.

Clear Creek volleyball team faces Amarillo in 5A semi
Four area teams will compete at the University Interscholastic League state volleyball tournament this week at Strahan Coliseum in San Marcos.

The Woodlands' Connor wins 5A cross-country meet
In his third and final appearance at the Class 5A state cross country meet, Reed Connor won the boys individual state championship by posting a 5,000-meter time of 14:47.19.

Magnolia knocks out Brenham in regional volleyball
Kelli Stewart rescued Magnolia from defeat, then guided it to the state tournament with a 22-25, 25-14, 18-25, 27-25, 15-7 victory over Brenham in Saturday’s 4A Region III finals at Coleman Coliseum. Magnolia will join Lake Travis, Hereford and Highland Park in Thursday’s state semifinals in San Marcos.

The Woodlands sweeps 5A cross country titles
At the Class 5A state cross country meet, the Highlanders dominated as Reed Connor and Sarah Andrews won the boys and girls races and each team won their respective team titles on Saturday at Old Settler's Park.

Klein Oak turns back Oak Ridge 28-21
The Klein Oak Panthers had just enough offensive weapons to hold off the upset-minded Oak Ridge War Eagles Friday night at Woodforest Bank Stadium.

The Woodlands surges after half to top Westfield
On Friday night in the first round of the playoffs, The Woodlands put together a poor first half but turned it around in the second, scoring three touchdowns en route to a 24-6 win over Westfield and a spot in the area playoffs next week.

What you need to know about football playoffs
Which back is averaging 12 yards per carry? What team among the 86 from the Houston area is back in the playoffs for the 32nd straight year? You have questions, and we have the answers about the high school postseason.

Runners hope to send Woodlands coach out as champ
Dan Green will lead The Woodlands Highlanders into the state cross country meet on Saturday at Old Settler’s Park in Round Rock in hopes of going out on top with the team’s third consecutive state championship and 15th overall.

High school roundup
HONOR ROLL A recap of the best of the best during athletic competition held during the past week. The Woodlands CROSS COUNTRY Athlete: Sarah Andrews and Reed Connor Achievement: Andrews won the 5A girls’ state championship with a two-mile time of 10:44.49 while Connor won the boys’ 5A state title with a 5K time of 14:47.19. FOOTBALL Athlete: Ryan Eastman

S. Texas judge sets arraignment for Cheney, Gonzales
Presiding Judge Manuel Banales said on Wednesday that he will allow them to waive arraignment or have attorneys present rather than appear in person Friday.

Baylor College of Medicine president steps down
Baylor College of Medicine trustees parted ways with President Peter Traber today, after a tumultuous 5 1/2-year tenure that began with the school divorcing its historic hospital partner and ended with it struggling to build its own hospital.

Crosby chemical leak sends 2 workers to hospital
A leak at a chemical plant in northeast Harris County sent at least two workers to a hospital today and prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order at a local school, officials said.

Former teacher accused of giving boy topless photo
Victoria Ann Chacon, 27, allegedly met the boy at their church, where she was teaching Sunday school.

Dad of Spring girl who lied about rape jailed for stabbing boy
The father of a teenage girl who lied about being raped was sentenced to six years in prison today for stabbing a high school student implicated in the alleged sexual assault.

Pay red-light fines or risk loss of car registration
City Council today approved a measure that will allow the state to deny vehicle registration to drivers who do not pay their red-light camera tickets after repeated warnings. As many as 25 percent of those who receive the $75 citation never pay up. Until now, there was nothing the city could do about it.

Early parole hearing angers family of murdered Ft. Bend girl
The family of a Sugar Land girl killed two years ago is outraged that the teen convicted of helping her killer bury her body will be eligible for parole early next year.

Galveston County boy, father he shot both die
A teenager and the father he shot before turning the gun on himself after an argument over a fast food order both died after nearly two days in critical care, a hospital spokesman said today. Robert Lee Mueller Jr., 16, and his father, Robert Lee Mueller, 59, died late Tuesday, Memorial Hermann Hospital spokeswoman Ann Brimberry said.

Hazing charges carry a maximum of six months behind bars
A Harris County grand jury has indicted seven former Morton Ranch High School cheerleaders after a parent's complaint about a July 25 swimming pool incident.

Harris County deputy fires at fleeing burglary suspect
A Harris County sheriff's deputy shot at a burglary suspect overnight, but apparently missed, after the man appeared to be pointing a gun at him while running away, authorities said today.

Houston firefighters stop suspicious blaze from spreading
A suspicious fire gutted a vacant building near downtown Houston early today, but firefighters worked for about 20 minutes to prevent the blaze from spreading to a woman's house next door.

Charge to be dropped in UT-OU fans' extreme bar fight
Prosecutors today plan to dismiss a felony assault charge against a University of Oklahoma football fan accused of nearly castrating a University of Texas fan during a bar fight in Oklahoma City, attorneys for both sides said Tuesday.

Man uses a bat to take back his cat
Police are looking for a man who took his gray and blue short-haired cat from the Dallas Animal Shelter while fending off employees with a baseball bat, authorities said.

Missing Victoria man with Alzheimer's went to Mexico
A man who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease wandered into Mexico twice before he was found about 400 miles from the Texas border on Sunday, officials said.

Texas governor wants deportation for criminals here illegally
After a series of Chronicle reports, Rick Perry says he was outraged to learn that many illegal immigrant inmates were released.

Houston mayor forms task force to bolster electrical grid
With a year left in office, Mayor Bill White is turning his attention to the electrical grid.

Galveston workers anxious as UTMB begins layoffs
Six hundred UTMB employes will be laid off every day for five days, reducing the 12,000 work force by 3,000 jobs.

Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales indicted in S. Texas
A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on state charges related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County's federal detention centers.

HPD disciplines 2 in death of self-claimed CIA agent
The Houston police officers involved in the shooting death of man who claimed to have ties to federal law enforcement were disciplined for not trying to talk to the man before approaching his vehicle after a high-speed chase, according to the department's investigation of the case.

Condemned Houston killer gets execution reprieve
The Court of Criminal Appeals remanded Eric Cathey's appeal to a lower court for a hearing on his claim that he is mentally retarded.

Man's claim of nursing home neglect during Ike rejected
A Dickinson man's claim that he was neglected and subjected to substandard care after he was transferred from a Clear Lake assisted living center to Dallas during Hurricane Ike has been dismissed by investigators for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.

Check of Texas death row inmates turns up more cell phones
Two more cell phones were found during regular death row inmate checks and a search for cell phones on Tuesday, officials said.

Goodfellows: Son's illness keeps pressure on family
Christian Reynoso recovered, but doctors diagnosed him with a rare form of infant epilepsy, called Dravet's Syndrome.

Women killed in high-speed crash identified
The two women killed in a high-speed car wreck on Westheimer early Sunday morning have been identified by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.

$700,000 worth of hidden opium found at Bush airport
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered $700,000 worth of opium hidden in two pieces of luggage at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, authorities said.

Tax rate increases on ballots in three school districts
Voters in three area school districts — Alief, Humble and North Forest — are going to the polls this week to decide whether they are willing to pay higher property taxes.

Driver who died after she hit parked truck ID'd
The woman who died Tuesday morning after crashing into a parked construction truck on the East Freeway has been identified by police as 47-year-old Jeanie A. Barfield.

Emmett wants more authority to lobby in Austin
Fresh from a decisive re-election victory, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is wasting no time trying to build his office's influence as he fights for more authority over the county's lobbying effort in Austin.

Metro seeks Congress aid with deals linked to AIG
The move is the latest attempt by agencies nationwide to avoid millions in default payments triggered by the collapse of the insurance giant.

Owner to close Houston apartments where boy drowned
The owner is pledging to help scores of residents relocate, city officials say.

Four shot, 1 dead in attack at south Houston home
Houston police are trying to determine the motive for an attack in which several men burst into a southside home and shot four occupants, killing one.

Sisters hurt after SUV rams into home (w/video)
Two young sisters are being treated at a hospital this morning after a sport-utility vehicle that was being pursued by police crashed into their grandmother's home in north Houston.