Abilene News

Encouraging signs are appearing in the Abilene economy, according to Steve Collins, business resource consultant for the Workforce Solutions for West Central Texas board.

" Learning the latest management news on Texas' state tree will be the focus of the Big Country Pecan Short Course to be conducted by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Taylor County from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. March 26.

Incident reports released Wednesday by the Abilene Police Department: * Theft, 800 block of Cedar Street, Monday A woman said her vehicle was stolen from her residence by a known suspect.

Merkel Volunteer Fire Department firefighters put out hot spots on the remains of a two-story home that caught fire Wednesday.

A string of 10 consecutive months of decline in the city's sales tax rebate has been broken.

By THOMAS JENKINS Staff Writer ABILENE - A Coahoma man pleaded guilty to a charge of indecency by exposure in Taylor County's 350th District Court last week after being accused of having sex with a 16-year-old Abilene girl in 2007.

Four new candidates came to City Hall on Monday afternoon to file for spots on the council before the 5 p.m. filing deadline.

Abilene and nearly all Texas cities are now recovering from the worst of the recession, according to Moody's Economy.com. The independent research company keeps tabs on all metro areas in the United States, tracking four key economic indicators: employment, single-family housing starts, housing prices and industrial production.

Four new candidates came to Abilene City Hall this afternoon to file at the last minute to run for a spot on the City Council.

Carrillo lost to little-known David Porter. It's a political upset with few precedents, and Abilene native Victor Carrillo thinks his Hispanic surname cost him crucial votes.

They make $1 a year and get criticized to their faces, behind their backs and sometimes by anonymous posters on Web sites.

State District Judge Kevin Fine made the ruling Thursday in a pretrial motion in a capital murder case because he said he could assume that innocent people have been executed.

A local man pleaded guilty to indecency with a child, a second-degree felony, Thursday in Abilene.

More Taylor County voters have cast their ballots early this year than in the last gubernatorial primary in 2006, Elections Administrator Kristi Allyn said.

Abilene police will interview a man sought for questioning in connection with a July hit-and-run that injured a 5-year-old boy.

A family walks past the rhinoceros exhibit Wednesday at the Abilene Zoo. Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Turtles sun themselves Wednesday at the Abilene Zoo, March 3, 2010.

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Two people have been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting that took place in Abilene about 4:08 a.m. today.

Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News Firefighters help transport two passengers to the hospital after a two-vehicle collision on Dub Wright Blvd.

Nellie Doneva/Reporter-News A man huddles under an umbrella on Treadaway Blvd. Monday, March 1, 2010.