“You´re too close,” shouted Mary Beth Gaspard, a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School in Temple. She just noticed some of her third-graders moving next to the tire swing as it flew around in circles on its chain with three students on board giggling with delight. “They want to be next, so they get in the way of the swing,” she said.

Voters will be headed to the polls today to choose a presidential candidate, as well as narrow the field in several Bell County races. High voter turnout is expected, with 18,812 people already casting ballots during the county´s early voting. This compares to 4,064 who participated in early voting in the 2004 primary election.

Last year, rainfall was plentiful in the Temple area. This year, so far, that hasn´t been the case, making the precipitation received Sunday evening and Monday all the more welcomed. Andy Andersen, chief meteorologist for KCEN-TV, said most areas received less than an inch of rain.

CAMERON - Cameron City Manager Fred Stephens was “relieved of his duties as city manager immediately” for undisclosed reasons Monday by the Cameron City Council following a 48-minute closed-door session. Councilman Dave Barkemeyer made the motion, which passed unanimously, that “the city manager be removed from office effective April 20, and that he be paid severance as provided by his contract. He is relieved of his duties as city manager immediately and will stay on in the capacity of a consultant until April 20. At this time he will be removed from the payroll.”

STILLHOUSE HOLLOW RESERVOIR - A search for Ronald Francis Richardson, who reportedly fell from his fishing boat early Sunday into Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir, has turned from a rescue mission into a recovery operation, authorities said Monday. Bell County Sheriff´s deputies and Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens began an investigation into the disappearance of the 52-year-old man after a witness reported seeing him fall over the side of his fishing boat into the lake sometime after 6:50 a.m. Sunday.

BELTON - Mary Hardin-Baylor set a school record with 25 victories, won its conference championship, earned an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament, and carries the South Region´s No. 1 ranking into the 59-team national event. For all of that work, the NCAA on Monday rewarded the Crusaders by booking them a 498-mile bus ride for the first round.

BELTON - Mary Hardin-Baylor dominated the American Southwest Conference season. So it was only fitting that the Crusaders did the same to the all-conference team on Monday. UMHB was represented with three of the West Division´s top honors, one spot on the All-ASC team, two first-team slots on the All-West squad, one on the West´s second team and one on the division´s All-Defensive team.

BELTON - After a standout first season for Mary Hardin-Baylor, Landie Thompson was rewarded by being named American Southwest Conference West Division Freshman of the Year. Thompson, a post from Austin Lake Travis, was an integral part of UMHB´s success and one of three Lady Crusaders to earn All-West honors.

SALT LAKE CITY - Deron Williams had 20 assists and 17 points, and Utah rallied for a 16-0 run late in the fourth quarter to beat the Dallas Mavericks 116-110 Monday night after the Jazz blew a huge lead. The Jazz took a 21-point lead shortly after forward Andrei Kirilenko was knocked out of the game with a hip injury on a flagrant foul by Dallas´ Dirk Nowitzki in the first quarter. But they allowed the Mavericks to creep back and take a late lead before Utah´s rally at the end.

SURPRISE, Ariz. - Hank Blalock initially downplayed the significance of being back in the field. “I´ve played so much third that I just tried to feel like it was another day out there,” said Blalock, the Texas Rangers´ two-time All-Star third baseman.