A new traffic light at the corner of West Adams Avenue and Apache Drive will be among the items discussed by the Temple City Council at 5 p.m. today in the municipal building.The $62,500 needed to fund the light installation and associated intersection improvements will be taken from funds allotted for a signal at 5th Street and Loop 363 because the city cannot afford to fund both projects, said Temple City Manager Mark Watson.The signal is needed because of the amount of people trying to cross from Adams Bend Apartments and Western Hills Subdivision to a convenience store at the intersection, he said.

WASHINGTON (AP)

They're back ... or more correctly, they're still here.But city officials and East Drive residents hope the ongoing visit of what has increased to an estimated 2,000 egrets to a southwest Temple neighborhood will end soon."I initially thought that birds could not do so much damage, but once I went to the area it was amazing," Temple Fire Chief Alan Otto said Wednesday."As each hour passes, more birds flock to the area. This is a lot of birds here. Their excrement could present health hazards, and if they stay they could kill the trees," he continued.Firefighters from Station 3 were out again Wednesday evening in the neighborhood where the egrets have gathered to build nests.Manmade noise and water from fire hoses were being used to make the birds uncomfortable. by Nicole Edwards

WASHINGTON (AP)

A new traffic light at the corner of West Adams Avenue and Apache Drive will be among the items discussed by the Temple City Council at 5 p.m. today in the municipal building.The $62,500 needed to fund the light installation and associated intersection improvements will be taken from funds allotted for a signal at 5th Street and Loop 363 because the city cannot afford to fund both projects, said Temple City Manager Mark Watson.The signal is needed because of the amount of people trying to cross from Adams Bend Apartments and Western Hills Subdivision to a convenience store at the intersection, he said. by Jonathan Walburgh

COLLEGE STATION (AP)

LONDON (AP)

Time has a way of changing things.Just last year, it seemed somewhat abnormal for a Class 3A or lower classification school to play a best-of-three playoff series in baseball. The idea was so new that many coaches still opposed it.But as the 2000 playoffs start this week, not only are Temple and Belton involved in three-game series, Cameron, Salado, and Academy each open the state playoffs with three-game sets in bi-district.Rockdale (14-10) is one team that's sticking to the old one-game format, as it battles Columbus (15-10) in a 3A playoff at 7 p.m. Friday in Bastrop. by Will Wright and Marcus Hood

AUSTIN

Despite Temple College's 43-13 season record, including a first-place 31-5 mark in Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference softball competition, the Lady Leopards are still trying to earn respect.TC, seeded No. 1 at the Region V Junior College tournament, will be seeking that respect at the event, which begins today and runs through Saturday at Abilene Christian University. The Lady Leopards' first step will be defeating Grayson in today's 3:45 p.m. game. The winner will face the winner between Howard and McLennan at 3:45 p.m. Friday. The losers will meet at 11:15 a.m. Friday.With all that's happened to the Lady Leopards this year, it wouldn't seem as if the tournament would be about earning respect. However, they see themselves as the Rodney Dangerfields of the conference, whose coaches barely recognized them on the all-conference list that was released Tuesday. by Marcus Hood

SAN ANTONIO (AP)

DALLAS