Mark Haslett

A federal appeals court today will review the recently passed Texas law regulating abortion providers.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is set to hear arguments over a ruling declaring parts of the 2013 law unconstitutional.

A coalition of Texas abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, has sued to block two provisions. One requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges near where the abortion is performed. The other restricts how doctors administer abortion-inducing drugs.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers efforts to control high salt levels in the Red River were successful at first. But the project was put on hold while studies weighed the impact of salinity reduction on striped bass populations. Then, federal funding for the project slowed to a trickle before drying up entirely.

Curtis Campbell of the Red River Authority describes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to manage salinity levels in the Red River. 

Happy Christmas Eve, Northeast Texas!

We had fun grumbling about our least-favorite Christmas tunes yesterday, but with the day nearly upon us, we'll get into the spirit of the season with a celebration of those Christmas songs that we love. 

An informal poll of KETR staff asking about their favorite Christmas songs resulted in a fun mix of old and new, secular and religious music.

Christmas music is like any other genre of music in that while some of it touches the heart, a few tunes miss the mark.

An informal poll of KETR staff revealed that - unsurprisingly - those Christmas songs cited as "least favorite" are those that have little to do with the religious aspect of the day and more to do with the secular mish-mash of commercial icons that, for better or worse, are now part of the holiday.

In the first episode of a series on the multi-decade effort to reduce the amount of salt in the Red River, KETR speaks with Red River Authority General Manager Curtis Campbell to get an overview of the issue.

Picking up a little extra work over the holidays? That's great. Hiring some extra help for your own business? That's great, too. To keep the season bright, make sure you and/or your employer are compliant with federal labor regulations. 

Employers and workers not familiar with short-term employment might have questions . Here are answers to some most of the frequently asked questions received by the U.S. Department of Labor, and additional resources for more information: 

Kelso Technologies, a producer of railway car equipment, and computer accessory manufacturer TCI will be expanding their operations in Bonham, according to mayor Roy Floyd and city manager Bill Shipp.

Le'Mone Ards, girls basketball coach at Commerce High School, has died, according to a statement from the school district.

The following statement was issued on the Commerce ISD Facebook page this morning.

A Hunt County man has pleaded guilty to committing an armed hold-up and sexual assault at a downtown Quinlan business.

Jamey Justin Smith, 19, of Quinlan entered the guilty pleas during a hearing in the 196th District Court Wednesday to one count each of aggravated robbery and aggravated sexual assault.

Smith is being held in custody at the Hunt County Jail in lieu of a total of $401,500 bond. Judge Steve Tittle accepted the pleas and scheduled a punishment hearing for Jan. 27, 2014.