Roundup: Perry Calls Fears Of Default Overblown

By Bill Zeeble & BJ Austin, KERA News & Wire Services

Dallas, TX – Gov. Rick Perry says predictions of gloom and doom if the federal debt ceiling is not extended are overblown.

Speaking at a bill signing Wednesday in Houston, the potential Republican presidential contender said tax revenues will still be collected. He said it was a "bit of stretch" to think that, in his words, "somehow or another the world's going to come to an end."

Political gridlock has so far halted legislation to stave off the government default threatened for next week. Stocks plunged Wednesday on fears that congressional leaders would allow the U.S. to default.

Perry called the gridlock political theater.

Children At Risk Gives Lawmakers a "D"

The Texas non-profit organization, Children At Risk, gives state lawmakers a "D" in education, for the legislative session that recently ended.

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Mandi Kimball, Children At Risk: And primarily this was because of the huge budget cuts that were made to public education. Children at Risk feels like... education is a building block that needs to be a priority.

Mandi Kimball, Public Policy Director with Children At Risk, fears more students will drop out because of underfunded programs. One bill from Senator Shapiro was designed to improve and measure teacher competence and accountability.

Students ultimately would've benefited. But the bill died. Still, an item that passed will increase teacher training in early childhood education. Hours in training will rise from 8 hours to 24.

Man who posed as Texas student gets prison

A prosecutor says a former star athlete who posed as a teenager to play high school basketball in West Texas has been sentenced to three years in prison after reaching a plea deal.

Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland said Wednesday that 23-year-old Guerdwich Montimere pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault and three counts of tampering with government records.

Montimere's trial was to begin next week in Odessa. He had faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the original counts.

Officials say Montimere was actually 21 when he played one season at Odessa Permian High, helping lead the Panthers to the 2010 state playoffs. Permian's football team and backers inspired the book "Friday Night Lights."

Fort Worth Ponders Pools During Heat Wave

This summer's heat wave finds all seven of Fort Worth's public swimming pools closed.

Six closed in 2009 because of budget cuts. The Forest Park pool closed last year because of cracks in the liner.

A report says repairs to the old pools aren't practical and would cost too much. New pools would cost about 7 million dollars each.

Councilman Danny Scarth says the council needs to decide if pools are a priority.

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Scarth: And if we think that this city needs to subsidize an ongoing system of aquatic centers, and I don't disagree that that's not a pretty good idea, then we just need to decide to do that and decide what we can live without that's in the rest of our budget.

Councilman Sal Espino wants to consider funding pools with gas drilling revenue now dedicated to city parks. The council holds a budget workshop in two weeks and will lay out priorities.

In Dallas 17 city pools are open this summer. A handful remain closed because of budget constraints.

Dallas Pearl St Ramp To Reopen

The Pearl Street exit off eastbound Woodall Rodgers freeway in downtown Dallas reopens this Saturday.

It has been closed for months because of construction of the "deck park" over the freeway.

At the same time, a restriping operation will shift the eastbound lanes slightly to the south so crews can finish the center support wall for the park.

The five acre deck park is to be completed next year.