Texas

The mystery surrounding the death of a rare white buffalo and the claim by some Lakota Sioux in Texas that it had been killed by other Native Americans deepened Tuesday. A local sheriff announced that investigators believe the animal died of a bacterial disease and said the case is now closed.

The National Hurricane Center says we have a new named tropical storm in the Atlantic.

Tropical Storm Isaac has winds of 40 mph, but it is expected to become a hurricane by Thursday afternoon.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has already stepped up DWI patrols for Labor Day.

For the next few weeks, DPS troopers are focusing on high-risk locations where alcohol-related crashes happen most often.

DPS says during Labor Day enforcement last year, troopers made more than 2,000 DWI arrests.

It's that time of year again: As the summer ends for Texas students, the state's annual sales tax-free weekend gears up again. 

Items receiving tax-free status this weekend include clothes, shoes, backpacks and school supplies.  You can find a complete list of items going untaxed this weekend here.

As KUT News reports, Texas Sen. Rodney Ellis, who sponsored the measure originally in 1999, is cognizant of the impact on the state of foregoing those tax dollars, estimated at $65 million this year. 

A shooting that left three dead in College Station on Monday did not occur on the campus of Texas A&M University or involve members of the A&M community. Yet in headlines around the country, it is being referred to as the "Texas A&M shooting."

With new students scheduled to move into A&M's residence halls on Sunday, this has left the university with a bit of a public relations problem that officials are scrambling to rectify.

"It’s extremely important for us that our new students coming into campus and their families understand that this is a very safe campus," said A&M spokesman Jason Cook. "We truly care about the safety of our students and we have many, many safety measures in place."

The trial of Maj. Nidal Hasan – accused gunman in the 2009 shooting rampage at an Army base in Fort Hood, Texas – should begin next week as scheduled.

The Associated Press reports that military judge Col. Gregory Gross denied a request from Hasan’s attorneys today requesting a delay:

Hasan's attorneys had argued that they needed more time to look through 26 boxes of documents, including some of his medical records and jail logs.

As American athletes come home from competing against the Chinese in the 2012 Summer Olympics medal count, it’s hard to remember that a few decades ago, American soldiers were fighting the Chinese Army in the Korean War.  

In late 1950, General Douglas MacArthur mobilized American forces for a military campaign that he called "Home by Christmas,” because the objective was to quickly win the war and get the troops home for the holidays. Instead, the Chinese attack at the Ch’ongch’on River led to the retreat of American forces and a protracted war in Korea.

In the midst of that battle on December 1, a 21-year-old medical supervisor from Rockwall County, Texas was taken prisoner.

Update 5 (4:48 p.m.): An afternoon shooting in College Station has left three people dead, including a law officer, the shooter, and an apparent bystander. 

Constable Brian Bachman was killed while serving an eviction notice at a home near the Texas A&M campus. Neighbors heard the gunshots and called College Station police. An ensuing shootout left two more officers wounded.  

The suspect, whose name has not been released, died later of his injuries. Reports of gunfire led University officials to issue a Code Maroon -- alerting students of the shooting and telling them to take cover until the situation was under control.

In the wake of a sexual assault scandal at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, the commander of the Air Force’s sole basic military training group has been dismissed.

Colonel Glenn E. Palmer served as commander of Air Force Basic Military Training at the 737th Training Group at Lackland. In his tenure overseeing operations there, the base has been rocked by allegations of sexual assault from female trainees.

The Associated Press reports:

Officials familiar with the decision said Palmer has been relieved from those duties, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement was not yet public.

The officials said there was no indication Palmer was facing any criminal charges. In all, six instructors have been charged with offenses ranging from rape to adultery.

Update: The Austin American-Statesman notes that Abdo received two life sentences today, plus an additional 60 years in prison. 

The daily reports that Abdo expressed no remorse at sentencing: 

“I don’t ask the court for mercy because Allah is the one who gives me mercy,” Adbo said, referring to God in Arabic. He said he was motivated by what he called crimes committed by the U.S. and the U.S. military against Muslims.

“I have continued to answer the call of jihad and will continue to the day I am called to account for my deeds,” he continued.

Original post: This morning, a  federal judge sentenced the AWOL soldier convicted of plotting to blow up a restaurant popular with Fort Hood troops to life in prison.

Private First Class Naser Jason Abdo was found guilty in May of charges including attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Killeen police arrested Abdo last July with bomb-making materials.