KRGV.com

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Governor Rick Perry is slamming the U.S. Federal Reserve's plans to spend $40 billion a month to buy mortgage bonds to fight the nation's housing crisis. Perry previously called for Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's resignation during the governor's failed presidential bid. Now, he said he believes even more strongly that Bernanke "should go, and take his failed policies with him."

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Thousands of U.S. farmers are filing crop insurance claims this year as drought and triple-digit temperatures burn up crops in the Corn Belt. Texas is leading the nation with $518.6 million in insurance claims.

MELISSA, Texas (AP) The former mayor of a North Texas town is accused of soliciting a $70,000 bribe to push for a deal that benefited a real estate broker. The U.S. Attorney's office in Sherman today announced the indictment of David Dorman. Dorman was mayor of Melissa 30 miles northeast of Dallas for 10 years. Dorman lost his re-election bid in 2009. A defense attorney says Dorman will plead not guilty.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) State health officials say a search is on for a missing piece of oilfield equipment containing a potentially dangerous radioactive material. A Texas Department of State Health Services today describes the item as a small stainless steel cylinder, about 7 inches long and an inch across. The sealed cylinder contains radioactive Americium-241/Beryllium. The cylinder went missing outside Pecos en route to another well south of Odessa.