Texas Headlines

HOUSTON (AP) - Coast Guard personnel will be at Lake Texoma next week doing voluntary commercial passenger vessel safety checks. The goal is to make sure that sightseeing cruises, fishing charters and party boats are following federal safety rules. Lake Texoma is shared by Texas and Oklahoma.

BELTON, Texas (AP) - The ID has been released on a Belton Independent School District bus driver killed when the vehicle and a truck collided. Services are pending for 64-year-old Jerry C. Barnes. No students were on board yesterday when the bus and the 18-wheeler were in a wreck.

McALLEN, Texas (AP) - It's been more than two weeks since a pilot from McAllen disappeared on a flight from Mexico -- and now the Civil Air Patrol has suspended its search. John "Andy" Howard has been missing since Aug. 31 on a flight from Torreon, Mexico. Authorities believe the Cessna ran out of fuel.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The head of the liberal watchdog group Public Citizen is being honored today for his environmental efforts. Tom "Smitty" Smith of Austin is among 10 people being named Heinz Award winners. The honor comes from the Pittsburgh-based Heinz Family Foundation.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)