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ICE AGENT SHOT

Father, son stay in jail in shooting of ICE agent

McALLEN, Texas (AP) A father and son charged in the shooting of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agent in South Texas will stay in jail at least until their next court hearing Tuesday.

Pedro Alvarado and his 18-year-old son Arnoldo Alvarado made their first court appearance in front of a federal judge Thursday morning. Prosecutors say they are charged with assault of a federal officer and knowingly using and carrying a firearm during a violent crime.

Both men requested during the hearing that they be given court-appointed attorneys.

The agent was shot Tuesday morning while conducting surveillance in Hidalgo County, on the U.S.-Mexico border. The agent was taken to a hospital and required surgery for a gunshot wound.

Prosecutors say federal authorities detained three people after searching a home in Hargill. The third person, a minor, has been turned over to state authorities.

UNITED FLIGHT-WINDSHIELD CRACK

Windshield crack forces flight to return to Ariz.

PHOENIX (AP) A United Airlines flight bound for Houston had to return to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport because of a cracked windshield.

Federal Aviation Administration officials say the pilot declared an emergency and Flight 1138 landed without incident at Sky Harbor about 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

It wasn't immediately clear how long the Boeing 737 had been in flight before the windshield cracked.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says officials haven't yet determined what caused the crack.

He says none of the 119 people aboard reported any injuries.

SOUTH AFRICA-CHIMP ATTACK-MCCOMBS

Texas billionaire gives to student in chimp attack

SAN ANTONIO (AP) The Texas billionaire who once owned the Minnesota Vikings, San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets is raising money for a graduate student attacked by chimps in South Africa.

Red McCombs says his foundation is writing a $5,000 check to the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, which is collecting donations for Andrew F. Oberle. McCombs tells The Associated Press his goal is to raise $100,000 for the 26-year-old student at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Oberle was attacked last week by two chimpanzees at the Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden in eastern South Africa.

McCombs said he read about Oberle's plight. He says the money will go toward Oberle's medical expenses and anything else he needs.

Donors have already raised about $20,000 separately.

ASSAILANT SLAIN

Man shot dead after harassing store customers

DALLAS (AP) Police say a man is dead of a gunshot wound after witnesses say he harassed and slapped customers in a convenience store in northeastern Dallas.

According to a Dallas police statement, the incident happened about 4 p.m. Thursday when the man walked into the store, began harassing customers and began to slap the face of one customer. Witnesses say the man chased the customer from the store, then re-entered and began to harass and punch a second customer.

That attack moved to the parking lot, where the customer got a handgun and shot the assailant, who died at Baylor University Medical Center about an hour later.

Homicide detectives are questioning the customer, who remained at the store until police arrived. No identities have been released.

DAYCARE OPERATOR-SEXUAL ASSAULT

Texas daycare operator accused of sexual assault

HOUSTON (AP) Authorities have accused a Texas home daycare operator of sexually assaulting two female toddlers that were in his care.

The Harris County sheriff's office announced Thursday that 58-year-old Cesar Chavez has been charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Investigators allege the assaults happened while both victims, now 4 years old, were at Chavez's Houston-area home daycare. The alleged incidents were reported to authorities by the children's parents in February.

Authorities allege Chavez might have assaulted other children that were in his care.

Chavez remains jailed without bond.

Monica Gonzales, a Harris County public defender assigned as Chavez's attorney, says her office is conducting its own investigation to see if the charges are valid.

GAS WELL ACCIDENT

1 dead, 2 hurt in East Texas gas well accident

Information in the following story is from: KTRE-TV, http://www.ktre.com)

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (AP) One person was killed and two others were injured in an accident at an East Texas gas well site.

According to a statement from the Nacogdoches County Sheriff's Office, the accident happened about 8 a.m. Thursday near Chireno, about 170 miles southeast of Dallas. Witnesses told deputies that the end cap came off the water line, releasing hitting the three with highly pressurized water.

Sheriff Thomas Kerss tells KTRE-TV of Lufkin that the flying cap hit and killed 34-year-old Jeremiah Keith Neeley of Kilgore. The two injured men were taken Nacogdoches Medical Center, where Kerss says one was treated and released. There's no word on the other injured worker.

HEALTH CARE-RANKING

Fed agency ranks Texas at bottom for health care

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A scorecard issued by a federal agency has ranked Texas health care services and delivery as among the worst in the nation.

The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality issued the ratings as part of a national review of state health care programs.

In nine out of 12 categories, Texas rated weak or very weak. Texas earned the above average ranking of "strong" in maternal and child health care measures.

A spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission said the state was working with private hospitals to improve health care.

Texas offers one of the most limited health care programs in the nation for the disabled and the poor. More than 25 percent of Texans do not have health insurance of any kind.

LOCKER ROOM CAMERA

Texas mom accused of placing camera in locker room

DENTON, Texas (AP) A North Texas middle school principal is accused of placing a hidden video camera in a locker room during her daughter's high school basketball game to see if the coach yelled too much.

Wendee Long was indicted by a Denton County grand jury last week on two felony charges: improper photography and wiretapping. Long turned herself in this week, and jail records show she was released after posting $25,000 bail.

Her attorney, Daniel Peugh, says his client has not violated any law and will be cleared of wrongdoing.

Authorities received the tape after Argyle High School's game in Sanger in February. They say information also implicated Long's 17-year-old daughter, who was not indicted.

Long is principal of a Fort Worth-area middle school and has been placed on leave.