KILLEEN - Maybe it was the mixture of blood, glass and twisted metal, or possibly the screams and appearance of “Death” himself that drove home the dangers of drinking and driving to an estimated 1,900 students at Killeen High School. While the catalyst that spawned so many tears may never be known, what is evident is the effectiveness of the project known as Shattered Dreams.

Just a few days before their April 8 showdown, the sparring continues between state District 55 Republican candidates Martha Tyroch and Ralph Sheffield. The latest jab was thrown from Sheffield´s downtown Temple campaign headquarters when the president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility denounced Tyroch for lavish spending on “junkets,” which included billing taxpayers “for a meal at a posh D.C. restaurant that cost more than $1,000, including $300 in alcohol.”

The interim superintendent for the Temple school district confirmed Wednesday that she has withdrawn her name as a candidate for the superintendent position. “I was given the opportunity to withdraw my name,” said Dr. Dana Marable, who has served in the interim position since September 2007. “I did that Monday.”

BELTON - Statements that Texas Department of Transportation engineer Richard Skopik made in an e-mail continued to draw response nearly a week later, as Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, issued a statement on Wednesday. Skopik´s e-mail said TxDOT funding is so strained that the Interstate 35 widening project for the Waco District, which includes Bell County, may be significantly delayed or even come to an end.

King´s Daughters Clinic of Temple will break ground at 10:30 a.m. today on a $4 million outpatient surgery center. The Surgery Center of Temple LLC is a joint venture with King´s Daughters Hospital and physicians.

From also-ran to legitimate District 13-5A title contender, the Temple boys track and field program has made a speedy climb to the top in only two years. And in this sport, speed is the most imperative of virtues.

San Antonio would have done just fine if its upcoming Final Four had included Texas and Davidson. Fans of the Longhorns were primed to invade the Alamodome - 75 miles south of Austin - in droves to watch a rematch of Texas´ impressive win at UCLA in early December, and such strong support might have pushed UT to its first national championship game.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Tyler Hansbrough closed his eyes, hoping for a good night of rest. Instead, his mind kept racing, turning over and over at the thought of North Carolina finally getting to the Final Four. “I couldn´t really fall asleep,” he said. “I kept thinking about this game coming up.”

RANGER - The Temple College baseball team began its season Wednesday. That´s how coach Craig McMurtry wanted his Leopards to approach it, anyway. Coming in with a seven-game losing streak in conference play, Temple got back on the winning track in a big way as it used solid pitching, productive hitting and errorless defense to beat Ranger 10-3 and 16-3.

DENISON - The Temple College Lady Leopards were hoping that Sunday´s split against first-place McLennan would have provided momentum at Grayson County on Wednesday and get the team back into the heart of the playoff picture. It didn´t. At least not completely as Temple split with Grayson, winning the first game 5-3 then losing the second 14-6 to fall to 19-21 overall and 6-8 in Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play.

Belton fired a 348 Wednesday afternoon at Sammons Golf Links to jump into second place, and Temple carded a 366 to hold on to third after the second round of the District 13-5A Tournament. The Lady Tigers (385-348-733) trail leader College Station A&M Consolidated (321-313-634) by 99 strokes, and the Tem-Cats (383-366-749) are another 16 shots back heading into the final round April 9 at The Courses of Clear Creek on Fort Hood.

DALLAS - Reigning NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki unexpectedly returned to the starting lineup and scored 18 points after missing four games with a high ankle sprain, and the Dallas Mavericks finally beat a winning team since acquiring Jason Kidd. Jason Terry equaled his season high with 31 points and Josh Howard added 28 for the Mavericks, whose 111-86 victory over Golden State on Wednesday night could be huge in the tight race for the Western Conference playoffs.