A new website developed by the city of Houston and the federal government encourages ordinary citizens to report on suspicious activities that could be terrorism related. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visited Houston to talk about the program, dubbed “If You See Something, Say Something," which will be funded by existing grants and use Houston police personnel who are already trained to handle emergency calls. 

Tea Party activists at a press conference called on Gov. Rick Perry to bring legislators back to Austin to tackle what they call unfinished business: cracking down on illegal immigration. During the regular and special sessions, Perry prioritized a bill banning so-called sanctuary cities, or municipalities that prevent their law enforcement from asking detainees legal status. The bill died, but Tea Partiers are lobbying Perry to revive the issue as he ramps up his presidential campaign.

As the El Paso County Clerk’s office worked to verify signatures that would trigger a recall election of the city’s mayor and two city representatives, the group that started the effort found itself embroiled in controversy. El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values held a news conference last weekend at which a member of its group held up a sign depicting Mayor John Cook — whom the group is trying to recall over his support for benefits for gay or unmarried partners of city employees — with a guitar smashed on his head and blood dripping down his face. One member of the group apologized to the mayor, while another, who is the spokesman for the group, criticized the apology. The recall election will be set for May, pending verification of signatures and a legal challenge by Cook over the manner in which they were collected.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday granted death row inmate Cleve Foster a third stay of execution. Foster's lawyers say he received deficient legal assistance at his original trial, and because the court has accepted another case dealing with legal assistance, speculation in the legal community has indicated that the justices wanted to resolve the issue. If Foster’s review is denied, the path would be cleared for another execution date.

Shifting alignments in football conferences appear to have settled — at least for now. The four teams contemplating jumping from the Big 12 to the Pac-12 will be staying put after the Pac-12 decided it didn’t want to become the Pac-16. Boards of regents at both the University of Texas and Oklahoma University had voted to give their presidents authority to explore new conferences, but with Pac-12 out of the question, those teams will apparently stick with the Big 12.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service at Texas A&M released figures this week on agricultural losses from the state’s wildfires. The total figure was close to $200 million, with agricultural loss estimates based on acreage and livestock lost and structures and equipment destroyed. Officials were quick to point out that that figure doesn’t include losses from drought, which are estimated at the much higher total of $5 billion.

Just as candidate Rick Perry was bragging about job creation in Texas, the state saw its unemployment rate increase and a net loss of jobs in August. Although the unemployment rate ticked up from 8.4 to 8.5 percent, it was still below the national average of 9.1 percent. A big culprit in the net loss of jobs was the 9,400 government jobs lost in August. The governor’s office tried to put a positive spin on the figures released by the Texas Workforce Commission by focusing on the creation of 8,100 private-sector jobs.

Gov. Rick Perry's longtime friend and top adviser Jay Kimbrough was abruptly ousted as deputy chancellor of the Texas A&M University System by new chancellor John Sharp, a college buddy of the governor's who became a rival and is now back in the fold. Security was called to escort Kimbrough out after he revealed to senior staff a pocketknife he carries. Perry said nice things about both men and declined to say more, calling it a personnel matter for A&M.

Laura Doll, board chair for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state grid operator, announced that she plans to leave the board at the beginning of 2012 to pursue a career opportunity in California. Doll, a former executive with the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Power Authority, has served on the ERCOT board since June 2010 and as chair since January 2011.

ERCOT also selected three new board members, subject to approval by the ERCOT members and the Public Utility Commission:  Craven Crowell of Knoxville, TN; Karl V. Pfirrmann of Greensburg, PA; and Judy Walsh of Alto, NM. Crowell has 25 years of experience in federal government services, including serving as chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Pfirrmann is a former executive for PJM Interconnection in Norristown, PA, including terms as executive vice president and as interim president and CEO. Walsh was appointed by Texas Governor George W. Bush as commissioner for the Public Utility Commission and served from 1995 to 2001 before leaving the state.

Gov. Rick Perry appointed three members to the Texas State Technical College System Board of Regents. Joe Gurecky of Rosenberg is owner and board chairman of Gurecky Manufacturing Services, and former mayor and councilmember for the City of Rosenberg. John Hatchel of Woodway is a retired deputy assistant city manager of the City of Waco. Joe Hearne of Dallas is facilities coordinator of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, and retired quality assurance engineering and supply chain manager of Elcan Optical Technologies.

The governor also appointed Rolando Pablos of Olmos Park and reappointed Ken Anderson Jr. of Dallas to the Public Utility Commission. Pablos is an attorney in private practice and a senior advisor of SNR Denton; he had considered a run for the state Senate until Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, decided to seek another term. Anderson is a current commissioner of the Public Utility Commission, and is a former corporate and securities attorney in private practice.

Justice Ann Crawford McClure has become the first female chief justice of the Texas 8th Court of Appeals in El Paso. Gov. Rick Perry appointed McClure, who will assume her new role on Oct. 12, when current Chief Justice David Wellington Chew steps down. McClure has served on the court since 1995.