Morning Roundup: Dumpster? What Dumpster? edition

Good morning, Houston. There's a new weapon in the battle to make Houston the most beautiful city in America: Beginning next week, commercial property owners will have to hide their Dumpsters behind a building, wall, fence, berm or shrub. Officials said they hope the rule — which City Council approved six months ago — will help increase property values and make properties safer (and, of course, prettier). Anyone who violates the ordinance can be fined up to $500.

>> Richmond rail vs. water line?: In preparation for Metro's Thursday vote on an alignment for the proposed University light rail line, Richmond rail opponents claimed in a press conference yesterday that stray current could damage a 66-inch water line that runs under Richmond Avenue. They cited an August 2006 study by Lockwood Andrews & Newnam which said that "relocation of the existing transmission like away from the new rail system is warranted," plus a document that described what can happen when a pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe fails — and it's not pretty. But if the rail goes on Richmond, should we really worry? No, according to a report from TCB, another engineering consultant: It said there are "no anticipated adverse effects" from the rail and water lines coexisting, and four other engineering consulting firms reached the same conclusion as well. City Public Works Director Mike Marcotte said his department isn't going to take a stand for or against a Richmond rail alignment: "We do not believe the fact that a large water line exists is some kind of show-stopper," he said.

>> Courtroom fight isn't over for Slade: Harris County DA Chuck Rosenthal said yesterday that he's planning to retry ex-TSU President Priscilla Slade for misspending public funds on personal expenses. Jurors in Slade's first trial were unable to reach a verdict after hearing nearly two months' worth of testimony, but Rosenthal said his prosecutors still think she did wrong: "We believe she stole money," he told the Chronicle. Slade is accused of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on furniture and landscaping for her Memorial Park-area home, a bar tab and other expenses prosecutors say were unauthorized — in total, they say she misspent a half-million dollars in TSU funds. Slade's defense attorneys say the expenditures were needed to help Slade improve the university. Rosenthal didn't give details on a new trial, including what prosecutors might to do try to secure a conviction.

>> UH names sole candidate for leader: The University of Houston has named Renu Khator the only candidate for president of the university and chancellor of the UH System. Khator, provost and a senior vice president at the University of South Florida, earned her bachelor's degree from Kanpur University in India and her master's and doctorate in political science from Purdue. "I have been very impressed by the bold and embracing vision of the University of Houston System," Khator said. "The University of Houston System ... is poised to become a model metropolitan university providing access and excellence with equal ease. I look forward to being a part of this wonderful institution and exciting city and state." The UH System regents can vote to approve Khator on or after Nov. 5; if she's approved, she'll take office in January.

>> Today's weather: Looks like most of yesterday's rain should move out of the area by mid-morning, leaving us with a 40 percent chance of storms for the rest of the day. Look for an afternoon high of 87 and a low tonight of 71.

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