Morning Roundup: Acts 26:24 edition

Good morning, Houston. Looks like the Legislature could be gearing up for a debate of Biblical proportions: state Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) has proposed a bill that would require public high schools to offer courses on the Old and New Testaments. Chisum said the courses, which would be electives, would focus on history and literature, bt critics worry that teachers' religious beliefs could seep into the classes and that certain historical perspectives — Catholic and Jewish, for example — could be downplayed. Should be interesting to see how this one plays out. In the meantime, there's been no word on whether there might be any required viewing.

>> Worker killed in tunnel collapse: A construction worker was apparently killed Tuesday while working on a water line deep under T.C. Jester at Ivy Falls in northwest Harris County. A crew was digging a tunnel under Cypress Creek when a wall collapsed around 3 p.m., sending water coursing into the tunnel; one of two men caught by the water escaped and the other didn't. As of yesterday afternoon, the situation was still too dangerous for anyone to search for the man: "The tunnel could have filled with sand and he could be trapped in the sand," Rich Jones of the Klein Volunteer Fire Department said. "There are some really bad scenarios there."

>> 100% chance of trash: Pearland residents are concerned about a proposal to expand the height of a landfill near their neighborhood — which, in turn, could affect our ability to get weather forecasts. The Blue Ridge landfill, located across FM 521 from the Shadow Creek Ranch subdivision, could eventually reach 230 feet, higher than the Doppler radar towers of several local TV stations located nearby. And that, in turn, could decrease the Dopplers' effectiveness: "Municipal solid waste rules do not address the effect a landfill will have on Doppler or other radar facilities. The effect of this facility on the Doppler radar tower is therefore unknown," according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. As is the effect of an enormous pile of trash on a fast-growing residential development ...

>> Cashing in for the nest egg: The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the federal agency that insures private pension plans, said yesterday that nearly 2,000 people in Texas are owed a total of $6.86 million in unclaimed pension money — just a fraction of the 32,000 people nationwide who still need to pick up some $133 million. "Although the vast majority of workers receive their full pension, sometimes people lose track of benefits earned with former employers," the agency's interim director, Vince Snowbarger, told the AP. How do you know if you're one? Check the PBGC's online directory.

>> Today's weather: Looks like the cooler weather's getting here: Expect an afternoon high of 72 today with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms, followed by a low of 52 overnight with a slight chance of rain. Temperatures should top out in the upper 60s tomorrow before falling into the low 60s over the weekend.

More news this way ...