Morning Roundup: We love the daylife edition

Good morning, Houston. If you've ever been to Rich's, the dance club in midtown, you probably won't be surprised to hear that the crowd there Saturday was sporting "feather boas, glittering hair accessories, sparkling dresses and tutus." But exactly who was in the crowd might take you by surprise: It was a bunch of kids there for Baby Loves Disco, part of a national series of dance events that benefit childhood cancer research. (In case you wondered, the event was held during the day, and the bar was stocked with kid-friendly snacks.) Based on the Chronicle's coverage of the event, it sounds like the young'uns had a good time — and when they got tired of the shallow, juice-box-riddled scene on the dance floor, they could retire to a "Chill Out Zone," where they were able to spend some quality time coloring and playing. They had one of those at Studio 54, too, right?

>> What's in the air at Key Middle School?: Initial reports from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigation at Key Middle School haven't found one thing that's been making students, teachers and staff sick — they've found several likely culprits. "There are several different factors. It's very hard to pinpoint one source," Dr. Nancy Burton of the CDC told KPRC. Burton said investigators found mold, high humidity, water leaks and issues with the ventilation system at the school, some of which were caused by improper maintenance. Those findings show HISD is at least partly responsible, said Gayle Fallon of the Houston Federation of Teachers: "They still can't tell us what's wrong, but at least we're no longer playing the game that nothing's wrong," Fallon said. "It's insulting to employees and endangering children." As for the HISD tests that found no potential health problems at the school, Burton said they weren't necessarily wrong — just not broad enough. "The small sampling they took looked at mold, but it did not look at any other factors," she said. Key students are attending classes at Fleming Middle School until the problems with the building are solved.

>> No mistrial in Slade case: State District Judge Brock Thomas on Friday denied a request for a mistrial in the trial of former TSU President Priscilla Slade. Slade's attorney, Mike DeGuerin, had asked for the mistrial after local media reported that prosecutors had offered Slade a plea agreement that would have landed her in jail for 25 years in exchange for a guilty plea (as things stand, Slade faces up to life in prison if she's convicted of misapplication of fiduciary property with a value over $200,000). Prosecutor Donna Goode testified Friday, however, that she never talked about a plea bargain or any offer of prison time for Slade; she said her comments were made during a private conversation that happened to be overheard by several reporters. "My intention was not to pollute the jury, not to cause a mistrial, not to do anything to prejudice the rights of Priscilla Slade," Goode said. Testimony in the trial is expected to resume today.

>> Return of the 'Z-word': The Chronicle's Mike Snyder took a look yesterday at the possibility of zoning, the urban planning tool that has been anathema to generations of Houstonians. The situation now: As denser development takes place, we're starting to see more conflicts between developers and residents — like the one brewing on Bissonnet, where a 23-story mixed-use tower is planned at the edge of Southampton and Boulevard Oaks. "One of the most common question I have heard in the past six months: 'Is it time to again vote on zoning?'" Old Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association President Larissa Lindsay said in a comment on a Chron blog. "People are so incredibly frustrated with the development community." But is zoning the answer in a city where officials probably won't back it and the public probably won't vote for it? There may be another solution: a form-based planning system that might be able to be implemented without a citywide referendum. It will, as always, be an interesting topic to watch.

>> This week's weather: Looking for fall-like temperatures? Keep looking: This promises to be another warm week, with highs reaching around 90 every afternoon. The good news, though, is that we should have plenty of sunshine — at least until Thursday night, when our weather pattern will finally begin changing. (Yes, that means highs in the low 80s next week. Hang in there.) Today, expect a clear, calm, drier 90-degree day, with a low tonight near 70.

Sure, we ain't got fall, but we sure got headlines ...