After convicting fundamentalist leader Warren Jeffs, a jury took less than half an hour to return a life sentence against him on two counts of sexual assault. Jeffs, a polygamist, claimed that wedding underage girls was a basic tenet of his religious beliefs. After several outbursts in the courtroom and warnings from the judge, Jeffs remained silent during the sentencing.
The state’s power grid strained to keep up with record-breaking temperatures. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s grid operator, sent out pleas on hot afternoons asking electric consumers to conserve as much energy as possible, especially during peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m. The looming threat of rolling blackouts never (yet) materialized, but with no end to the soaring temperatures in sight, ERCOT continues to urge conservation.
The statewide drought is also having some unexpected and less obvious effects. As the ground dries out, shifting soil has damaged infrastructure in cities like Kemp, a town of 1,150 residents southeast of Dallas, where burst pipes forced the city to shut off water for 48 hours. The city planned to hand out bottled drinking water and nonpotable water for residents’ other needs.
Fallout from last week’s release of school ratings — lower ones, based on a new formula — saw school officials spinning to explain why so many schools failed to meet federal No Child Left Behind Act standards. Almost half of Texas school districts failed to show that they were making adequate yearly progress as defined in the law, double the number from last year. The Obama administration has revealed plans to issue waivers to failing districts if they meet certain other criteria. But Texas won’t make a final decision on pursuing waivers until the details of the federal plan are revealed in September.
A soldier accused of plotting to kill Fort Hood soliders was indicted on three charges and held without bail. Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo went AWOL from his post in Fort Campbell, Ky., and was arrested after police received a tip from a gun store where he had gone to buy supplies. A search of his motel room revealed an unregistered handgun and materials for making explosives, along with an article about making a bomb at home.
Texans may be uneasy about border traffic, but there are some loads they welcome: shipments of fruits and vegetables. Mexico is the leading producer of imported produce in the United States, and much of the volume comes through Texas. The USDA reports that more produce moved through Texas than Arizona as of the end of June. Growers in Mexico, conscious of rising diesel costs, have found they can save money if they cross the border in Texas on their way to the Midwest or East Coast.
A shake-up at the University of Texas is the latest in a series of maneuvers by President Bill Powers to cut costs. UT is facing a 16 percent cut in state funding and has been forced to reorganize campus wide to become more efficient and save money. The latest casualty is Don Hale, whose position as vice president for public affairs is being eliminated. The Office of Public Affairs is also being eliminated, and its employees are being transferred to other departments.
The Austin City Council has directed staffers to craft a plan to phase out plastic bags at retailers and grocery stores. Many cities in Texas have considered banning the bags for environmental reasons, but so far Brownsville is the only one that has implemented a ban.