BELTON – The move by Belton this week to hire a federal lobbyist was a first for the city but it´s a decision that larger cities in Bell County have already made. Belton hopes the move brings the same kind of impact it has to Temple and Killeen.

It´s not like Texans need another excuse to eat barbecued brisket. We woof it down at roadside stands, family reunions and in expensive restaurants. Almost everyone has a favorite barbecue joint, sauce or cooking method. Now a recent study from Texas A&M University reports that brisket is healthier than all other cuts of beef, including sirloin and ribs.

Rogers High School´s one-act play “Man of La Mancha” won the UIL Class 2A state championship Friday on the University of Texas campus in Austin. James Svetlik won best actor in state and Tina Kirby was named to the state all-star cast. Andrew Kotrla was named to the state honorable mention all-star cast.

WASHINGTON - Alan Portillo didn´t think much, if at all, about his online vulnerability. Then the 15-year-old heard technology teacher Wendy Maitland list three pieces of information an online predator would need to find him. Birth date, she said. Alan´s age was on his e-mail.

SALADO - Here´s the daily golfing routine for defending Class 2A state champion Ryan O´Rear of Salado: - Make 100 putts from 2 feet.

PFLUGERVILLE - It is recorded as merely one of 26 victories thus far for Belton. And even though it extended the Tigers´ season, this one meant more than the opportunity to play another week. This one was about validation - proof that Belton coach David Tidwell was right when he said all spring that this team could accomplish something, and proof that long hours spent fielding grounders and fly balls by the hundreds will pay off when it matters most.

CALDWELL - Rogers sophomore pitcher Greg Mendoza wasn´t about to let his chance at redemption pass him by. After a rough outing in the Eagles´ Game 1 loss, he knew what he had to do with his team´s season and state championship defense on the line.

VERNON - It wasn´t always pretty, but the Temple College baseball team ended up in a pretty good position - second place in the final Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference standings. The Leopards entered Saturday needing one win over last-place Vernon to clinch their seventh consecutive berth in the NJCAA Region V Tournament and two wins to seize the NTJCAC´s No. 2 regional seed.

BELTON - Rodney Southern is feeling more comfortable heading into his second go-round of spring football as head coach at Belton. When he took the athletic director and head football coaching positions in February 2007, Southern had less than three months to assemble a staff, get to know the players and institute his program.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Big Brown was pulling away from the field, accelerating with every powerful stride toward the finish line in the Kentucky Derby. The crowd of 157,770 fans was on its feet and cheering as the big, unbeaten, muscular bay crossed the line first, 4¾ lengths ahead of the filly Eight Belles.

NEW ORLEANS - Hornets coach Byron Scott showed off the three championship rings he won as a player during his pregame speech. The message? This is what the San Antonio Spurs have, and you want.

McKINNEY - Temple College's roller-coaster softball season came to an end on Saturday with a 4-3 loss to Vernon in the NJCAA Region 5B Tournament at Craig Ranch. “It was a frustrating couple of days,” Temple coach Larry Hennig said. “We didn´t play as well as we have been.”