| Electric cars face battery of hurdles
In the rush to deliver an electric car to the masses, General Motors Corp. is finding that the all-important battery might not be the only major hurdle. The heating and cooling systems, for example, are a challenge because they typically are built to run off a traditional fuel combustion engine. That means new types of air conditioning and heating systems must be built. GM, in a high-stakes race with Toyota Motor Corp. to turn out an affordable, effective battery-powered car, has found that while the lithium-ion batteries themselves are hitting all the marks on early road tests, a host of other issues are beginning to crop up. .
Motorist killed by flying pizzeria rooftop
Forbes: A powerful wind gust blew off a section of a Castlewood, Va., pizzeria rooftop, killing a passing motorist when it slammed into his car. Michael Brandon Hess, 19, was traveling on Route 58 Tuesday evening when the roof and possibly remnants of an air conditioning unit landed on his Ford Mustang, police said. .
Student's death at NYOS School investigated
For the first time, state agencies are speaking about the investigation into a little boy's fatal injury at school. Friends and family are preparing to lay 7-year-old Tevin Park-Flowers to rest, more than a week after a teacher found him suspended from a bathroom hook at NYOS Charter School.Police were first on scene when the teacher found Tevin in cardiac arrest, but the investigation extends beyond the Austin Police Department."Anytime there's a concern with a possibility of abuse or neglect at school... CPS conducts that investigation," said Chris Van Deusen, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the parent agency of CPS.Like police, CPS is interviewing students, staff, and parents."We operate completely on the civil side of the law, and it's really about making sure children are safe," said Van Deusen.It will likely take more than two months for CPS to complete its report, which will be sent to NYOS and state education authorities, including the Texas Education Agency.
Web gamblers betting on Barack Obama
If you needed one more sign that Barack Obama is on a roll, the futures trading markets have decided he's a very good bet. According to several overseas online exchanges, Obama is now a virtual lock to win all the upcoming primaries, including Texas and Ohio — the states Hillary Clinton is pinning her hopes on. And he's the even-money favorite to be elected President in November. "Obama has all the momentum, and the betting odds reflect that," said Steve Budin, an oddsmaker at sportsinfo.com who puts Obama's likelihood of being President at 4-5, with Clinton and John McCain both at 3-2. And the payoffs can rival any race track. Gabriel Weil, 22-year-old college student, has made about $1,500, much of it by shorting Rudy Giuliani — selling shares in the former mayor that he did not yet own and assuming he could buy them later at a lower price and pocket the difference.
SAISD workers accused of stealing copper
Two former San Antonio Independent School District employees have been accused of stealing copper. "We have presented charges to the DA for prosecution of two former employees for stealing copper tubing from several of our schools," SAISD spokeswoman Carmen Vázquez-González said. Authorities have not charged the two men, so their names are not available. On Wednesday, copper was selling for about $3 per pound. Vázquez-González says the pair took up to $10,000 worth of copper from air conditioning units from portable buildings and other school district facilities. "We're looking at, right now, at least $10,000 in aggregate charges," she said. .
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