One of the last things you expect to see a firefighter carrying to a fire is a yellow suitcase. Temple´s firefighters often do just that. The suitcase´s official title is Command Base LCD T3. It is a user-friendly portable advanced electronic accountability system.

BELTON - When Kahtisha McKnight heard the judge sentence her to life in prison Thursday she turned around and looked back at where her mother and sister had been sitting during the trial - but they were not there. Rosemary and Kimberley Lewis were on their way back home to Kentucky after they spent much of the past week in 27th District Court hearing evidence a jury used to convict Ms. McKnight on a murder charge.

BELTON - The seat belt lawsuit that has been under way for nearly two weeks in 146th District Court is now in the hands of the jury and a verdict is expected today. Jurors elected to sleep on the closing arguments in the case, which were presented Thursday afternoon.

BELTON - The hopes and dreams of more than 1,100 area youth will be on display at the Bell County Expo Center for the next week. This year´s Bell County Youth Fair and Livestock Show will begin 9 a.m. Saturday with a horse show. An appreciation supper and dance for all youth participants in the fair is scheduled for 6:30 that evening.

Emily J.T. Perez spent her childhood summers in Belton. When she grew up she achieved the rank of second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, went to Iraq and was killed leading a patrol near Kifl, Iraq. Now, posthumously, she and another soldier have been selected for the NCAA Award of Valor.

Abilene vs. Temple for the district championship? Cameron Yoe in the Class 2A title game? The University Interscholastic League´s biennial reclassification and realignment is getting more speculation and talk than this Sunday´s Super Bowl.

It´s not a matter of revenge for the Temple boys soccer team. Less than a week ago, the Wildcats saw their undefeated season end with a 3-2 loss to Belton in the third-place game of the Round Rock tournament.

BELTON - The Temple Tem-Cats enter tonight´s Bell County girls soccer battle against Belton as big-time underdogs. Nearly half of their roster is made up of freshmen and they recently lost a key midfielder to injury.

WACO - Scott Drew came to Baylor in 2003 with a task no basketball coach should have to face: Rebuild a program ravaged by the murder of a player by a teammate and scandalized by a former coach who tried to cover up NCAA violations in the aftermath. The Bears´ roster was decimated after their top three scorers took advantage of relaxed transfer rules. School-imposed sanctions reduced scholarships and recruiting visits. The NCAA later stripped Baylor of playing a non-conference schedule.

After helping lead Copperas Cove to its second consecutive state championship game, first-team selections Troy Vital and Tanner Brock led a group of six Bulldawgs on the Texas Sports Writers Association Class 4A All-State Team, released Thursday. Senior running back Vital rushed for 2,068 yards and scored 25 touchdowns as the Bulldawgs advanced to the 4A Division I final before they lost to Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated.

KERRVILLE - Mary Hardin-Baylor used balanced scoring to offset Schreiner´s 3-point barrage as the Crusaders pulled away from the Mountaineers for a 77-67 victory Thursday night. No. 15 UMHB (14-3, 11-2 American Southwest Conference) maintained its 1½-game lead over Hardin-Simmons in the ASC West heading into the Crusaders´ home game Saturday against Texas Lutheran (1-16, 1-12).