TEXANS ...24 49ERS ...21 Steve Slaton scored two touchdowns as Houston built a big lead then held on for the win. The Texans led 21-0 at halftime then withstood a rally led by 49ers backup quarterback Alex Smith. Eugene Wilson's interception on fourth down halted a last-gasp drive by San Francisco. The 49ers benched Shaun Hill after a terrible first half, and Smith threw three touchdowns to Vernon Davis to close the gap. Michael Crabtree started in his NFL debut and had five receptions for 56 yards. The Texans won consecutive games for the first time this season. ...more

October 26, 2009

The White House sought today to stress the positive in a looming fight with Congress over a $3.6 trillion budget, saying blueprints put forth by Democratic allies in both chambers hew closely to President Barack Obama's priorities. ...more

March 25, 2009

"The people need to know the story," says Stool Pigeon in August Wilson's award-winning play "King Hedley II." ...more

January 25, 2009

Review of American Stage production of "King Hedley II." ...more

January 22, 2009

Square dancing is one of the most popular types of dance in the country largely because almost anyone can do it, if they put their feet to it. ...more

July 2, 2008

Square dancing is one of the most popular types of dance in the country, largely because almost anyone can do it, if they put their feet to it. ...more

July 2, 2008

In 1997, I traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The all-night trip was bumpy on a rickety bus filled with cigarette smoke. But I didn't have to worry about snipers and land mines this time. ...more

June 29, 2008

The tension was evident as Highlands County's students squared off Saturday for school bragging rights. And it had nothing to do with athletics. It was all about brains and our top middle school students did a wonderful job answering questions that many adults wouldn't know. Academic teams from all Highlands County middle schools competed at the Sebring Middle School auditorium in an annual event measuring students' all-around knowledge. Each grade level battled to beat the buzzer and then the day was capped off with a "varsity" contest with each school's top students vying for a title. Sebring's Hill-Gustat won the varsity contest and the sixth-grade contest. Sebring Middle School won top honors in seventh and eighth grade contests. But the points separating all the schools was small, and every school had a strong showing with top students representing from throughout the county. ...more

June 2, 2008

Even with rookie sensation Adrian Peterson completely shut down by the 49ers, the Minnesota Vikings were in good hands as soon as Kevin Williams got his big mitts on the ball. ...more

December 10, 2007

Critics say ConAgra Foods Inc.'s delay in recalling pot pies linked to a nationwide salmonella outbreak increased the chance that more people would become sick, opened up the company to greater liability, and exposed a key weakness in the nation's food safety system: voluntary recalls. ...more

October 15, 2007