Texas Headlines

UNIVERSITY FIRE

College students displaced by building fire in San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - More than 100 students have been displaced

from their dormitory after a fire damaged a historic building on

the campus of Our Lady of the Lake University.

San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said arson investigators are

looking into the cause.

The blaze broke out last night in the Main Building, which

housed a dorm and administrative offices.

Everyone was evacuated from the building and no injuries were

reported.

School officials canceled this morning's classes.

Students say there has been false fire alarms for weeks. A bomb

threat was discovered in a bathroom on Monday and led to an

evacuation, but nothing was found. A trash can fire also was

reported earlier in a building across the street from the one that

burned. It was quickly doused.

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Information from: San Antonio Express-News,

http://www.mysanantonio.com

DR PEPPER SNAPPLE

Trading in Dr Pepper shares opens

PLANO, Texas (AP) - A new company that makes Dr Pepper and

Snapple made its Wall Street debut today.

Trading has begun in Dr Pepper Snapple Group Incorporated after

the Plano-based beverage group was spun off from former owner

Cadbury Schweppes.

Dr Pepper Snapple is listed on the New York Stock Exchange as

DPS. It had 5.7 billion dollars in sales last year while part of

the British confectioner. It bottles soft drinks, tea, water and

other beverages under such brands as Dr Pepper, 7UP, Canada Dry,

Schweppes, Mott's, Sunkist and RC Cola.

Cadbury spun off the beverages division to focus on its core

candy business. Last month, a Lehman Brothers analyst said the

beverages company will face many challenges, including high

commodity costs and competition from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which

have much larger market shares.

VOTER REGISTRATION-HISPANICS

More people with Hispanic last names registering to vote

DALLAS (AP) - Voter registration among Dallas County residents

with Spanish surnames climbed in the first four months of 2008.

Dallas County elections administrator Bruce Sherbet says more

than 7,500 residents with Hispanic last names registered to vote

during that time.

At the current pace, newly-registered Spanish-surnamed voters

could easily surpass the 8,000 voters with Hispanic last names who

registered in all of 2007.

Voter rolls are expected to soar through the Oct. 6, the cutoff

for registering to vote in the November elections.

State Rep. Rafael Anchia thinks the registration numbers show

political interest by newly-naturalized citizens and young people

turning of voting age.

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Information from: The Dallas Morning News,

http://www.dallasnews.com

AFFAIR-SLAYING

Man who shot wife's lover says he thought she was raped

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - The North Texas man who killed his

wife's lover after she falsely cried "Rape" says he would "do it

again."

Darrell Roberson says he thought wife Tracy was being raped when

he found her and Devin LaSalle embracing in a truck in front of the

Robersons' Arlington home. He says when he heard his wife scream

"Rape" and LaSalle trying to drive away, he had no choice but to

shoot him.

LaSalle was a Hurricane Katrina victim who moved to North Texas

from New Orleans.

He initially was arrested, but a Tarrant County grand jury

declined to indict him and later indicted his wife instead. Tracy

Roberson was sentenced Monday to five years in prison for

involuntary manslaughter.

The Robersons now live in Frisco. Darrell Roberson says he's

never considered divorce and wishes he could take his wife's place

in prison because "as a man you hate to see your wife hurt."

TASER-DEATH

Lubbock settles Taser death suit for $49,000

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Lubbock officials have agreed to pay a

$49,000 settlement to the family of domestic violence suspect who

died in Lubbock police custody.

Juan Nunez, III died after a police officer stunned

him in the chest several times with a Taser stun gun in 2006.

The city says doesn't admit liability by reaching the settlement

agreement in the Nunez family's suit.

The lawsuit accused Lubbock police of not establishing adequate

policies for stun gun use and failing to train officers properly to

use the devices. In the suit, the family alleged Officer Matt

Doherty used excessive force and violated the man's civil rights.

Doherty responded to a 911 hang-up call on April 16, 2006, and

found a domestic dispute between Nunez and his family. According to

police reports, Nunez became violent, leading Doherty to stun him

in the chest four times with the Taser gun in less than a minute.

Nunez fell backward and struck his head. A medical examiner's

report said the Taser shocks, the blow to the head and alcohol

killed Nunez.

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Information from: Lubbock Avalanche-Journal,

http://www.lubbockonline.com

EXPRESSJET-TULSA

ExpressJet to make further cuts in flights from Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - ExpressJet Airlines is cutting more flights

from Tulsa International Airport and officials say the rising cost

of fuel is the reason.

The Houston-based airline is down from 10 round-trip flights a

day to six cities a year ago to one round-trip flight a day to four

cities now.

ExpressJet has eliminated flights to San Antonio and Austin,

Texas, while keeping flights to San Diego, Sacramento and Ontario,

California; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

ExpressJet spokeswoman Kristy Nicholas says high fuel prices are

forcing the airline to decide quickly if there are enough

passengers to support continued flights to various cities.

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Information from: Tulsa World, http://www.tulsaworld.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)