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.

Athletes get ahead in early college signings (w/ list)
Wednesday marked the first day of the early signing period for every sport except football, soccer, track and field and cross country. Several area schools have held signing day parties for athletes.

High school roundup
If the third time is indeed the charm, The Woodlands Highlanders should have different results on Friday when they take on Westfield at 7:30 p.m. in a bi-district football playoff game at Cy-Fair’s Pridgeon Stadium.

Bicyclist finds wrapped body in Waller County
A bicyclist spotted the body -- wrapped in a comforter and tightly bound with cords and tape -- in a ditch on Sunday.

Two arrested, one sought after Spring home invasion
Two men have been arrested and another is the subject of a police search after a home invasion in which a Spring woman was tied up early today.

Houston police probe racing as cause of crash that killed 2
Houston police are investigating a high speed crash in west Houston early Sunday that killed two women and sent two other people to the hospital, authorities said.

Man walking on Eastex Freeway fatally struck by motorists
A man died early this morning when he was struck by passing motorists while walking along a freeway in northeast Harris County, authorities said.

Harris County deputy kills man who shot 3 fixing a car
Three people who were injured in a drive-by shooting Saturday night told investigators they didn't know the gunman, who was later killed by a Harris County sheriff's deputy in a shootout.

Ike halted 20% of Houston water service despite protections
Despite state regulations designed to ensure that small public and private utilities continue to provide water and sewer service to customers, hundreds failed to do so, a Houston Chronicle analysis found.

Group: Unspent food stamps costs Houston $164 million
Half of eligible Houstonians are not receiving food stamps, costing the local economy $164 million in lost spending, according to estimates in a new report by an anti-hunger group.

Cash to fix dirty school buses? Many Texas districts uninterested
Only a small fraction of Texas' more than 1,000 school districts have applied for state money designed to help children breathe easier on their daily bus rides until the state's aging school fleet is replaced with cleaner models.

New judge says his cocaine addiction can help Houston
Elected by Harris County voters as a state district judge this month, Fine said he'll draw from his experiences as a cocaine addict who has been clean and sober for 10 years when presiding over felony cases.

Many suspects in U.S. illegally abuse bail freedom
A Houston Chronicle investigation found dozens of cases in Harris County involving immigrants who posted bail and absconded on criminal charges. Second of a three-part series.

Ringleader to die for 1995 slaying of Houston woman
Eric Cathey, 37, is scheduled to to be executed in the state's Huntsville death house Tuesday.

Officers: Galveston County teen shoots dad, then himself
The 16-year-old boy and his father were involved in an argument Sunday afternoon at their home when the teen allegedly retrieved a pistol and shot his 59-year-old father once in the head, Galveston County Sheriff's Office spokesman Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said.

Houston mom, son looking for dog find man's body
The victim's identity is pending an autopsy by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office.

Corpus Christi police chief placed on leave
Police Chief Bryan Smith has been under fire since late October when an attorney was hired to investigate whether he made inappropriate comments about city officials or members of the police force on an audio recording.

Houston chill expected to hang around
You may want your winter coat, but you won't need to mulch your plants: There's no threat of freezing temperatures in the Houston area any time soon.

Teenage boy struck by a train and killed in E. Texas
The teen, his stepfather, brother and a friend parked off a county road and walked about a half-mile down the railroad tracks to a trestle, where the accident occurred about noon Saturday, according to the Palestine Herald-Press.

2 officers hurt while chasing speeder in N. Houston
A Houston police car pursuing a speeding motorist struck a freeway pillar early Sunday, sending two officers to the hospital, authorities said.

Goodfellows: Mom hopes to give son, 3, a Christmas
Areon Williams is hoping Goodfellows can help give Travis more than a baby sister for Christmas.

Students plan to press Texas Legislature on college issues
College students from across Texas spent the weekend talking about the most serious issues on campus before settling on economic and leadership issues as their priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

Friends, foes agree: Craddick has shaped Texas
As the Midland Republican fights to hang on to the House's top job, his reign as speaker has already allowed him to sway key issues in a way that backers and detractors agree has shaped Texans' lives and the state's future.

State agencies say contract by IBM is a bum deal
Many of the state agencies involved in a $863 million IBM Corp. contract to consolidate data centers say they are actually paying more to get less.

Possible solutions for immigrant bail dilemma
Judges and prosecutors say they often lack accurate information about defendants' immigration status before setting bail.

Dallas museum hopes it holds genuine Lincoln letter
A Texas museum hopes a document found in its archives turns out to be an authentic government copy of Abraham Lincoln's eloquent letter consoling a mother thought to have lost five sons in the Civil War.