Democratic Gubernatorial Debate Tonight & Midday Roundup

By KERA News & Wire Services

Dallas, TX –

The two top-financed Democrats hoping to take the Texas governor's mansion after 16 years of GOP control are looking to grab a chunk of the political limelight when they meet for a televised debate.

The hour-long broadcast this evening in Fort Worth gives rookie candidate and hair care mogul Farouk Shami a chance for equal billing with his more politically seasoned challenger Bill White. White is the former three-term Houston mayor.

Tune in tonight as Bill White and Farouk Shami debate statewide, live on KERA-13 and 90.1. KERA and it's media partners are producing the debate televised in 19 media markets.

Dallas officer accused of pulling gun at bar

An off-duty Dallas police officer has been accused of hitting and pulling a gun on a bar owner and bouncer as they tried to get him to leave at closing time. Dallas police say 37-year-old Sgt. Hector Roa was charged with two counts of aggravated assault.

Matthew Kirchmeyer, a bouncer at the bar, tells The Dallas Morning News that he yelled when Roa pulled the gun early Sunday and officers across the street responded.

A police report says officers saw Roa chasing Kirchmeyer around a car with a gun in his hand. When the officers told Roa to drop his weapon, the 14-year veteran identified himself as an officer and surrendered.

Police say Roa has been placed on administrative leave pending criminal and administrative investigations.

Slain San Antonio restaurateur trial set to begin

A neighbor accused of killing the 76-year-old matriarch of a popular San Antonio restaurant family is on trial.

Joe Estrada Jr. is charged with capital murder in the 2008 killing of Viola Barrios, who ran San Antonio's Los Barrios and La Hacienda de los Barrios eateries.

The case was moved to Victoria from San Antonio because of the intense media coverage. A jury of 10 women and two men were seated last week. Authorities say the 19-year-old killed Barrios while burglarizing her home, which was also set on fire.

Shuttle in orbit after early morning launch

Space shuttle Endeavour is rocketing toward the space station on one of the shuttle program's last scheduled missions. Endeavour and its crew of six blasted off early Monday.

The pre-dawn launch was the last one in darkness if the rest of the shuttle schedule holds. Only four more shuttle flights are left.

Endeavour is carrying a new room for the International Space Station and an observation deck. These are the last major pieces for the orbiting complex. The shuttle is scheduled to reach the space station Wednesday. Its flight was delayed a day by cloudy weather.

The Obama Administration has yet to provide specifics on what happens after the last mission this fall. NASA's back-to-the-moon Constellation program is a casualty under the new budget plan.