Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to make
a gradual turn north and pick up speed today. Tropical storm watches
and warnings and a hurricane watch are in effect from Georgia north to
Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
     The National Hurricane Center it's still possible for Hanna to
become a hurricane.
     Meanwhile, farther out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Ike has
weakened to a Category 3 storm with top winds near 125 miles per
hour. The hurricane center says it's expected to continue to weaken
over the next couple days, but it remains a dangerous storm.


A South Texas judge has sentenced John Eric
Garcia to 10 years and a month in federal prison for his role in a
bank robbery that left a suspect dead and three Alice police officers
wounded. The Benavides man had pleaded guilty to federal bank robbery
charges in Corpus Christi for his
part in the Wells Fargo Bank heist in Alice on April 10th.

If you plan on seeing Republican
presidential candidate John McCain and his running mate Alaska
Governor Sarah Palin tomorrow, it may be too late. The tickets are
already gone.
 More than 6,000 tickets for the rally at the Albuquerque Convention
Center have been handed out over the past two days.
    Phones at the campaign's state headquarters were shut down
yesterday as supporters flooded the lines to get tickets.
     McCain was in Las Cruces last month and talked before a veterans
ceremony in Albuquerque in May.

A former head of the New Mexico National
Guard lashed out at Republican presidential candidate John McCain for
his support of the Iraq war. But Barack Obama's campaign disavowed
yesterday's remarks by retired Air Force General Melvyn Montano, who
says McCain's policies stem from a lack of adequate psychological care
after his service in Vietnam.

Michelle Obama says women will be the key to
getting out the vote in New Mexico. She says the state is critical for
her husband -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama
-- to win November 4th.
     Mrs. Obama spoke yesterday at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
     She says women connecting with other women will be a powerful
force that can help her husband in this battleground state.
     The Obama campaign is kicking off a statewide effort to register
30,000 new voters in 30 days.
     Mrs. Obama says her husband will create a government in
Washington that understands women's struggles to have a career,
take care of children, afford health care and day care and try to look
good to boot.



A fugitive on the Texas most wanted list has been snagged in
Louisiana. Sidney Ira Campbell has been sought for about three years
on about a dozen charges in Texas and Louisiana, including aggravated
sexual assault of a child. Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone says the
25-year-old fugitive was found living under the name William Moore.
Campbell has been a subject of the TV series "America's Most Wanted."


Garfield County Sheriff Danny Perkins says they got some unexpected
help from a large black bear. Perkins says the bear raided an illegal
pot farm. Deputies found pipes chewed in half, cans with bear teeth
marks and food containers torn
apart. Perkins says repeated visits by the bear apparently scared off
the pot growers. Deputies found nearly 900 young marijuana plants.
Sheriff Perkins jokes he might deputize the bear if he can
find it.
Notes from the online Daily Texan, where they say when Texas plays
UT-El Paso Saturday night in the Sun Bowl, the Miners will bring a
3-5-3 defense with a random assortment of blitzes. So far this week,
the Longhorns have worked with the scout team to simulate the odd
formations they probably won't see for the rest of the season.

"Their defense is really weird, so it will be a mentally focused
week," McCoy said. "If they're going to blitz five guys, then I can
find somebody open and make the deep pass." McCoy appears ready to
change up Texas' offense and force opponents to adjust their game
plans. That should give him more throwing options, too.

The first time McCoy's running ability was put on display was in the
Holiday Bowl last season. Against Arizona State, he ran for 84 yards
on 16 carries.

"It keeps the defense on their toes all the time," tight end Blaine
Irby said after last week's win. "A lot of people underestimate Colt
and his ability to run the ball, and he proved them wrong in the
Holiday Bowl and again in this game."

David Spade is the father of Playboy playmate Jillian Grace's newborn
daughter, Spade's representative said Thursday. The baby girl was born
Aug. 26 in Missouri, and Spade plans to visit her on his first break
from filming the CBS sitcom "Rules of Engagement." No further details
were provided. The 44-year-old comedian told TMZ.com earlier this year
that he had a brief relationship with Grace, and would accept
responsibility if confirmed to be the father of her child.

Marcelo da Luz isn't from outer space.
He's from Toronto. But some people think he's in a UFO. Da Luz is
driving a solar powered car across North America. He says he's been
pulled over seven times in his saucer-shaped car. An officer chased
him down in Alaska, after someone called 911 with a report of a UFO on
the road. He left Buffalo, New York, in June, headed for Canada's
Northwest Territories. He says he's spent his life savings, borrowed
money and is living off his credit cards. But da Luz is out to prove
there's a sunny-side to driving  -- with solar power.