Although Bell County home foreclosures are up for 2007, real estate experts and industry officials say the glass is still half full. Last year, 1,381 homes were sold by auction on the Bell County Courthouse Annex front steps, compared to 1,334 for 2006.

The Associated Press TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

As health care costs increase, insurance premiums are quick to follow. In 1970, total health care spending in the United States was about $75 billion, or only about $365 per person, according to a study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. In less than 40 years these costs have grown to $2 trillion, or $6,697 per person per year.

GEORGETOWN - A man charged with illegally operating a guard dog training service remains in the Williamson County Jail where he was first booked on Dec. 21 after failing to post a $5,000 bail. Ronnie Cretion Burrell, 46, of 2201 County Road 234 in Georgetown advertised in the classified ad section of a local newspaper soliciting customers in Killeen and Copperas Cove who would place their dogs for training as protective service dogs.

CIBOLO - The glut of unsold houses pocking the nation´s newer neighborhoods may be just what the doctor ordered for thousands of wounded servicemembers facing homelessness and serious financial hardships since returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, advocates say. Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that aids the families of deployed and wounded servicemembers, has launched what it says is a first-of-its-kind effort to match wounded soldiers with lenders and homebuilders to help them buy homes at prices they can afford in communities near Veterans Administration medical facilities.

KILLEEN - Police here are asking the public´s help in identifying a man in two videos and a still photo posted to the Temple Daily Telegram Web site, said Carole Smith, spokeswoman for the Killeen Police Department. He is a suspect in the gunshot deaths July 4, 2007, of two employees of the Dollar General Store at 4100 W. Stan Schlueter Loop - Gricelda Ramos, 28, and Sheila Reed, 40, both of Killeen.

BELTON - After going unbeaten at home during 2007, Mary Hardin-Baylor started the new year in the same fashion - barely. UMHB got a season-high 21 points from Jason Wagner and played through a frantic LeTourneau rally and bizarre finish as the seventh-ranked Crusaders held off the Yellowjackets 74-73 Thursday night at Mayborn Campus Center.

BELTON - In the rough and tumble American Southwest Conference, Mary Hardin-Baylor will take a win any way it can get it. This one certainly was rough, but the Lady Crusaders didn´t tumble.

MIAMI - The high-scoring Kansas Jayhawks brought their usual assortment of tricks to the Orange Bowl. They split their tackles wide alongside the receivers. They threw wrong-handed shovel passes. They pulled off a fake punt. The biggest surprise: They won with defense.

The Washington Redskins enter the weekend´s NFL wild-card playoff round buoyed by the momentum of four straight must-win victories and the emotion of playing for a slain teammate. They also have one of the toughest tasks, traveling cross-country on a short week to play a team with plenty of postseason experience - and at a stadium that for the last few seasons has been one of the toughest in the NFL for visitors.