Texas Praised for Prison Reform

Long known for its tough-on-crime image, Texas on Thursday was hailed nationally for a package of reforms designed to curb its wildly growing prison population. But even as lawmakers were lauded for innovative programs for drug and alcohol abusers, Texas pushed past California to become the nation's leader in putting people behind bars.

Texas, said the new Pew Center on the States report, had 171,790 prisoners on Jan. 1 — down 326 inmates from Dec. 31, 2006. California, which long had led the nation in inmates, reduced its prison rolls by 4,068 during that period.

Nationwide, the study found one in every 100 adults is locked up in state and federal prisons or local jails. Of the states with the largest prison systems — those with 50,000 or more inmates — Texas, California, New York and Michigan reduced their offender populations in the past year.

Houston Police Searching For Serial Rapist

The Houston Police Department's Sex Crimes unit are looking for a serial rapist who has committed at least four sexual assaults on Houston’s southwest side. The assaults began Sept. 27, 2007.

The suspect is described as a black male with a medium to dark complexion. They believe he is 24-30 years old and 150-180 pounds. He has a slender build.

Police say during the attacks he wore a dark hooded sweatshirt and dark pants. In one case, he wore a blue shirt, dark sweatpants and a beanie cap.

Poll Results

The following are the results of a recent poll here in Houston:

Among self-described white voters, Clinton holds an 11-point lead, 49 to 38 percent. She is also ahead among Hispanics, 63 to 30 percent. Among African Americans, Obama holds a commanding lead: 72 to 17 percent.

On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain is well ahead of former Governor Mike Huckabee, 59 to 29 percent. However, Huckabee and McCain are nearly tied among Texans who describe themselves as evangelical Christians, with McCain pulling ahead slightly – 47 to 42 percent.

L.A. Firms to get share of Houston Dynamos

Two Los Angeles firms anxious to focus on business opportunities in the Hispanic market have agreed to purchase 50 percent of the Houston Dynamo Major League Soccer team from its parent company, Anschutz Entertainment Group.

Sources close to the deal confirmed Monday that private equity firm Brener International Group LLC and Golden Boy Promotions Inc., headed by professional boxer Oscar De La Hoya, will each pick up 25 percent of the team.

Former Dallas DA Arranged for JFK Files to be given to Filmmakers

DALLAS — Longtime Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade agreed to give filmmakers exclusive access to legal documents connected to the assassination of President Kennedy, including some kept from the public for another four decades.

The Dallas Morning News reported in Sunday editions that new details about Wade's involvement in a movie venture about the JFK assassination and the trial of Jack Ruby were contained in long-hidden files.

Current Dallas County DA Craig Watkins announced discovery of the files at a news conference last Monday.

TSU Wants To Change School's Image

Texas Southern University's new president wants to end the school's long-standing practice of accepting all applicants, no matter their academic background, saying the policy contributes to its alarmingly low graduation rate.

President John Rudley said the change is necessary to remake the state's largest historically black university, which has been on the ropes recently because of management missteps, sliding enrollment and bad press.

Optimism Increases For Obama In Texas

Democrat Barack Obama's first foray into South Texas on Friday showed signs that rival Hillary Rodham Clinton may win the region's popular vote but that he may break even with her in securing delegates for the presidential nomination.

While Obama's noontime crowd of about 3,000 at the University of Texas-Pan American was mostly made up of students who showed little enthusiasm, Obama drew about 6,000 supporters to the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi.

Another troubling sign for Clinton's South Texas hopes is that one of her main South Texas supporters, state Rep. Aaron Peña of Edinburg, appeared backstage at Obama's Pan American event and told a local news organization that Clinton would win the popular vote but Obama was strong in the fight for delegates.

Nai Xin Xue Sighted In Houston

The first confirmed sighting of fugitive Nai Xin Xue has him in Houston, Texas - 2500 kilometres away from where he disappeared into Los Angeles' Chinatown.

US Marshals are now in Houston hunting Xue, who has been on the run since September 13, after allegedly killed An An Liu in Auckland and dumping their child Qian Xun Xue - nicknamed Pumpkin - in Melbourne on his way to the United States.

Brothers' Suit against Harris County To Proceed

A federal jury is being summoned back to court this morning to hear opening statements in a civil lawsuit filed by two brothers who claim that Harris County sheriff's deputies stormed their home without probable cause and wrongfully arrested them.

The lawsuit, filed by Sean Carlos Ibarra, 37, and Erik Adam Ibarra, 28, exposed embarrassing but unrelated e-mails sent and received by former Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal, who resigned Friday.

The Ibarras are suing Sheriff Tommy Thomas, four deputies involved in their arrests and Harris County, alleging their civil rights were violated when the deputies arrested them and destroyed film in their camera after one of them photographed an officer at a drug raid taking place at their next-door neighbor's house.

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.