Schoolteacher faces sexual assault charges

A male teacher at a north Houston Christian academy is charged with sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student, and Houston police say the man was known for touching, hugging, kissing and even laying his head in female students' laps.

Christopher Evans, 26, a former New Heights Christian Academy teacher, faces two counts of sexual assault and one of indecency with a child. New Heights Principal Richard Walters, who is Evans' father-in-law, said he did not know Evans had been arrested and already posted $90,000 in bonds on the charges Monday. Walters acknowledged, however, turning over school records relating to Evans to police.

Where Is Leeloo?

Someone broke into Melissa Matsu's home and stole her poodle, Leeloo. As an animal lover myself, I know how Mrs. Matsu feel. If anyone knows where Leeloo is, please make sure the poodle is returned to her family. The family reside in Sugarland, Texas.


Leeloo weighs 11 pounds and she's about 18 months old. She is spayed, a mix of white and off-white and not professionally groomed. She was wearing a pink collar with tags and has a microchip. If you know anything about the case, please e-mail: MelissaMatsu@gmail.com.

New Offender Law Groups Teens With Adults

Texas officials may soon begin ignoring a new federal sex offender law that would require some juveniles as young as 14 to register on a national Web site.

A federal community notification act approved by Congress and signed by President Bush is so sweeping, it's raising concern among even those who traditionally have pushed for greater public sex offender disclosure.

Scores of prosecutors, victims' rights advocates and normally get-tough lawmakers say provisions of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 are Draconian and costly and may end up harming the victims they're supposed to protect.

Houston Chronicle Endorses Obama, McCain

The Houston Chronicle has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama as its choice for the Democratic presidential candidate, citing his "message of inclusion and cooperation." The newspaper in the nation's fourth largest city also endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain for the Republican nomination.

In its endorsement, the Chronicle said there was not much to separate Obama and his opponent, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, as both have similar views on such issues as ending the war in Iraq by withdrawing combat troops and pressing efforts to providing all Americans with health insurance.

"However, there is a decisive difference. Obama vows to reach out to independents and Republicans with a message of inclusion and cooperation," the Chronicle said. "He offers a historic opportunity to elevate national political dialogue to a higher ground. Those who insist on vitriol and obstructionism would be marginalized."

The newspaper said Obama is "best-qualified by life experience, skill and temperament to be the standard bearer for his party."

Chuck Rosenthal Resigns

Chuck Rosenthal stepped down as Harris County district attorney Friday after six weeks of mounting pressure and intense scrutiny brought by the exposure of embarrassing e-mails that prompted calls for his resignation from all but his closest allies.

His announcement came just hours after his political enemy, attorney Lloyd Kelley, filed a lawsuit seeking to remove Rosenthal from office on the grounds of official misconduct, incompetency or intoxication.

Houstonian claims he is JFK's Lovechild

A Houston businessman now living in Canada claims he's President John F. Kennedy's love child — and he wants the Kennedy clan to help him prove it.

Jack Worthington, 46, who bears a striking resemblance to the assassinated leader, has appealed to the Kennedys to provide DNA from the former president or from males directly related to JFK's father, Joe Kennedy.

Houston sex toy sellers hail court victory

Houston's adult bookstore backers Wednesday hailed a federal court's decision to overturn a 35-year-old state law that banned promotion or sale of sex toys. But the decision won't go into effect until the court issues its mandate in early March — long after the industry's lucrative pre-Valentine's Day season.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law violates the privacy protections of the 14th Amendment.

Study Reveals health risks living near Refineries

New research just completed says people living near big chemical refineries in the Houston area could in fact be facing a higher risk of stress-related illnesses. At the University of Texas in Galveston, researchers have just completed work on a one-of-kind study.

They were able to compare the health of Texas City residents before and after the 2005 explosion. Before the explosion, researchers already had begun work to study the stress of living next to refineries. They’d surveyed 550 residents about their ailments and had taken samples of their blood. Then came the big explosion, so they redid everything. The new round of in-depth interviews showed people complained of far more stress-related ailments after the explosion.

And blood samples indicated that people who simply lived within about a mile of the plant had correspondingly higher levels of the chemical cortisol, which the body releases when stressed-out.

Results Roundup

Bois d'Arc Energy and PROS Holdings both reported fourth-quarter and annual results Monday.

* Bois d'Arc Energy Inc. reported net income of $28.1 million, or 42 cents a share, on revenue of $100.2 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2007, compared with net income of $11.9 million, or 18 cents a share, on revenue of $66.3 million for the same quarter in 2006.

The Houston-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company (NYSE: BDE) attributed the increase in profit to production growth and improved oil and gas prices.

For the year, net income was $78.7 million, or $1.17 a share, on revenue of $355.5 million, compared with net income of $55 million, or 84 cents a share, on revenue of $254.7 million in 2006.

* PROS Holdings Inc. reported net income of $3.5 million, or 13 cents a share, on record revenue of $17.8 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2007, compared with net income of $2.3 million, or 11 cents a share, on revenue of $13.2 million in the same quarter last year.

For the year, net income for the Houston-based provider of pricing and revenue optimization science and software (NYSE: PRO) was $10.5 million, or 45 cents a share, on revenue of $62.1 million, compared with net income of $7 million, or 32 cents a share, on revenue of $46 million in 2006.

Air Force officer Accused of crimes at Texas Base

An Air Force colonel is accused of rape, forcing himself on or sexually harassing two other women, stealing about $10,000 and other crimes — all while he was a training commander at Sheppard Air Force Base.

Col. Samuel Lofton III was to appear Monday at an Article 32 hearing, similar to a civilian grand jury, to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the case to a court-martial.