News that law enforcement officials are investigating a cold case that could be related to the 1986 murder of Christine Morton could be good news for Michael Morton, who’s been in prison for 25 years for the crime. Morton has maintained his innocence and has finally seen success in his appeals with the DNA testing of a bandana found near the Mortons' home. DNA found matched that of Christine Morton and an ex-convict in California. Now it seems that another case with similar details is being investigated in light of the DNA discovered. Other discrepancies are coming to light in Morton’s case, and his attorneys insist he should be released from prison immediately. A hearing is scheduled for early next week.

Inmate Lawrence Brewer may have left a lasting impact on the state prison system, and in particular death row. After he ordered, and then didn’t eat, a gigantic last meal before his execution, outraged state officials declared that they would end the practice of allowing inmates a special meal of their own choosing. Instead, they will be served the same meal as any other inmate in the prison, according to the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Brad Livingston, who issued the announcement after receiving a letter from the chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, John Whitmire, D-Houston.

Refiners seeking tax refunds for buying pollution-controlling equipment have school districts and cities located near refineries on edge. If the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approves the refunds, those districts and local governments could find themselves owing the state millions of dollars that they have already incorporated into their current budgets. Valero initiated the request from an amendment to the Texas Constitution exempting companies from paying taxes on equipment purchased to reduce pollution, and since that action in 2007, four other companies have joined in asking for the refund. The TCEQ is researching the claim after Valero’s initial claim was turned down.

Texas, known for its reluctance to embrace federal health care reform, was the beneficiary of the law’s most recent grant. Of $103 million in grants awarded to combat heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes, the Texas Department of State Health Services received $10 million. Austin and Houston also received $1.5 million worth of municipal grants under the program. To date, government agencies in the state have received about $93 million in awards and grants under the law.

An $80,000 report on spillover border violence commissioned by the Legislature has drawn mixed reactions. Retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Scales and retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, former director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, authored the report, which contends that spillover violence is a real threat to the border areas outside of El Paso. Ideas about drug cartels establishing sanctuaries from Mexican law enforcement, though, were met with strong objections by U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, who criticized the report as sensational and politically motivated.

The Texas Water Development Board released its five-year water plan for the state, and the news wasn’t encouraging. Continued drought, coupled with population growth, could cause serious damage by 2060, including massive job losses. The report recommended that the Legislature plan ahead and invest in new reservoirs and water infrastructure. The estimated cost to the state for such forward-thinking measures: $53 billion.

A study commissioned by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce has provided some concrete numbers on the Barnett Shale natural gas field. The report, compiled by Waco economist Ray Perryman, details the impact that the drilling boom in the Barnett Shale has had on the regional economy. The big numbers were an estimated $65.4 billion pumped into the North Texas region since 2001 and the addition of more than 100,000 jobs in the area, both directly and indirectly created by drilling activity. That’s estimated to be 38.5 percent of the area’s entire economic growth in the last 10 years. Tax revenues have been good for the state as well as local governments, generating $5.3 billion for localities over the decade and close to $1 billion for the state, the report said.

The drought has killed an estimated 15,000 trees just in city parks and esplanades in Houston. The city now forecasts it needs to spend $4.5 million to remove the withered trees, which are a safety hazard. That’s more than 13 times what Houston would spend on tree removal in an average year.