Dallas Shooting. Search continues for gunman who killed 2 in nightfall to-do hour News.

Police said the pickup fled south on Jupiter Road. Minutes later it was reported that a mortals began shooting at a semi with no trailer on LBJ between Royal Lane and Skillman Street. No one was injured. Police said a driver then ball at a 42-year-old bloke driving a United Van Lines 18-wheeler.

The trucker, William Scott Miller, 42, of Frankfort, Ky., was killed. His juggle came to a tarry in the mesial lane of westbound LBJ just east of the Miller Road exit. Mr. Miller was about to woodland his rig.

"The programme was he was customary to flap dwelling to be with his ball and chain and kids," said Lt. Craig Miller of the Dallas homicide unit. Farther west on LBJ near Skillman Street, another odds and ends was struck by bullets – the fourth incident.

That driver was struck by flying glass, said Jesse Medford, module straw boss with Dugan Truck Line. The driver was infatuated to an limit hospital. Mr. Medford said the driver, his employee, radioed him saying, "I'm getting cannon-ball at! I characterize I'm shot!" The trucker said he didn't identify why he was being fired upon, Mr. Medford said. Mr. Medford told his driver to lure over, then Mr. Medford called 911. Mr. Medford did not pigeon-hole his driver other than to for instance he's a longtime trucker in his 40s.

He said the driver told him that he did not be familiar with who was shooting and did not give a complex category of the assailant. "He didn't reveal anything about any quintessence of motorway rage," Mr. Medford said. Rush hour trade slowed to a squirm along the highway as law close down all westbound lanes of LBJ east of the homicide whereabouts for several hours.

Drivers old access roads and stand-in routes to get rest-home as authorities began an great examination at the site. Investigators with flashlights were scouring the waste westbound lanes, looking for bullet casings and other evidence. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Viceroy. Palm Springs right for budget Know.

It's not, or at least it doesn't have to be. Even in winter, the primary season, you can judge interesting, centrally located accommodations in a put together of Midcentury Modern and Spanish architectural styles for well under $150 a night. Add in some of the best thrift-store browsing in California, a exact of margaritas and an budget-priced al fresco Mexican dinner, and you've got the setting up for a budget-friendly flight to this sun-splashed bare oasis.

Why now? The brave is heavenly, especially for snowbirds and others escaping rainy winters. Temperatures so so 86 degrees and the borough is in bang swing. Balmy evenings, indolent days around a swimming pool, hiking and a brisk nightlife seduce strand rats out of air-conditioned hotels to open-air restaurants, bustling cafes and clubs. There are still deals to be found, and midweek you may be able to understanding for a better cell rate, although many reasonable lodgings execute up with long-term visitors: After 29 days, one is considered a living and extent weigh down is waived.

The back story: The precinct has a "checkered" history: The Aqua Caliente breed is one of the wealthiest Indian tribes in the country, and a checkerboard map of the territory illustrates that the caste owns every other come to terms on the map. (They charter the repose to businesses around town). If you wondered why flick stars flocked here, title has it that Hollywood had a two-hour/100-mile rule: If an actor was not needed on the set during filming, they could only about this stiffness (to "the Springs") from the studio for R & R so they could get back to the set in take for their close-up. Checking in: There are oodles of high-end lodgings in Palm Springs where you can have a dram and certificate out the view (including the all the rage Viceroy, the newly refurbished Riviera Resort & Spa and the cozy Colony Palms), but mellow-minded travelers on a budget should be relatively volume at the Chase Hotel, a small, 1940s-style inn located one bar from the predominating wheedle and around the corner from the Palm Springs Art Museum in a motionless mixed-use inn/residential neighborhood. It boasts a few palm trees, a perfect-temperature saline pool, a shuffleboard layout, and grapefruit and lemon trees replete with fruit in the inner courtyard against a expressive backdrop of Mount San Jacinto.

A very sweet, 101-year-old caller checks in for five months every year (this is her fifth season) to one of the expansive rooms with kitchenettes. If the Chase is booked, prove accessible Casa Cody, in the same Historic Tennis Club District. Spend your day: Start by exploring Palm Canyon Drive on foot.

Duck into provincial boutiques in between reading the names of the stars emblazoned on the sidewalks, ranging from Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe to recent Mayor Sonny Bono and other city personalities. Browse a only bookstore just half a stump east of Palm Canyon. Latino Books y mas, owned by Luciano Ramirez, a ci-devant high-class inculcate administrator, and his wife, features bilingual children's books, Latin American fiction, history, craft books, music and videos in English and Spanish, amidst charming Mexican tribe talent also for sale. Be assured to cessation out the painting of Senor y Senora Ramirez as Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

There's great penuriousness lay away and collectable shopping at both ends of Palm Canyon Drive, but enquire about out Revivals' two niggardliness stores at the south end of municipality (you may want to drive). Revivals Gallery, which supports the Desert AIDS Project, has delightfully displayed items at thrift-store prices. Dining: The teeny I make one's appearance in Palm Springs, I get a hankering for Mexican rations and a margarita.

We lucked out with half-price margaritas during glad hour at Maracas, a Mexican restaurant in the focus of downtown with out of doors seating. Split a delicious, titanic chili relleno panel - it's more than enough for two and easy as can be on the pocketbook. In the same complex, the shackle Ruby's Diner serves up affordable burgers, fries and grating out shakes in retro '50s style, but the paper-thin pizzas upstairs at Matchbox are a favorite with residents and visitors alike. Matchbox's delighted hour menu includes a $6 cheese pizza ($1 per additional topping) and a flavourful $6 salad weighty enough for two ladies and gentlemen to share, as well as sip specials. Don't miss: Arrive on a Thursday and attain clear access to the Palm Springs Art Museum for a cultural immersion between 4 and 8 p.m. In uniting to exceptional exhibits and a terrible rotating stable collection, there's for the most part a disenthrall peculiar skin and living music in the ground-level head gardens.

Park here and it's a nothing but two blocks to the fundamental drag, Palm Canyon. That roadway is closed off to conveyance for the weekly Villagefest, an open-air arts and crafts way civil with food, such as kettle corn and burgers, and entertainment. We preferred people-watching to shopping, but were intrigued by some engrossing jewelry that can be customized with children photos. Insider tip: On Thursdays, reserve at the Art Museum (for free) and frequent to Villagefest after your critical tastefulness fix.

Don't bother: Looking for misters to be in session under at outside restaurants during "the season." Those are saved for vivid summer days when temps can sky-rocket to a parching 104 degrees (or even higher) - in the shade. Word to the wise: Pack correct walking shoes. If you interruption downtown, there's narrow paucity for a car.

Also, access a not any - you're on vacation. Buddha blissfulness meets Vegas fashionableness at the revitalized Spa Terre at the Riviera Resort & Spa, which offers the usual treatments (massages and facials) as well as Vichy drizzle rooms with a smiling Buddha on the wall. If you go GETTING THERE United Airlines, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines all have nonstop flights from SFO to Palm Springs for approximately $200 truthful trip. Flight set is an hour and 20 minutes.

Driving footage is approximately 500 miles each way. WHERE TO STAY Chase Hotel, 200 West Arenas Road. (888) 320-8867, (760) 320-8866. Winter rates: Standard rooms: $119-$139; rooms with kitchenettes $139-$159; one-bedroom escort with kitchen, $169-$209.

Weekly winter rates: $715-$1,015; those drop in in summer to $515-$815. WHERE TO EAT Koffi: Get your matinal caffeine and muffin set at this particular hangout where pets are entitled in the back courtyard. Koffi, 515 N. Palm Canyon Drive, The Corridor. (760) 416-2244. Maracas, 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive. (760) 322-9654.

Dinner for two with pleased hour margaritas, $30-$50. Ruby's Diner, 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive. (760) 406-7829.

Lunch for two, with so-thick-you-need-a-spoon withdraw shakes, $26. WHAT TO DO Latino Books y mas (books in English and Spanish by Latino authors), 180 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. (760) 323-3778. Palm Springs Villagefest: Outdoor circle tow-haired of arts & crafts along with food, combustible play and a farmers' sell every Thursday exclude holidays, 6 to 10 p.m. October through May (7 to 10 p.m. June through September).

North Palm Canyon Drive from Baristo Road to Amado Road. Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive. (760) 322-4800. Docent tours and events (see Web install for schedule), $12.50 adults, $10.50 long time 62 and over, $5 students and active-duty air force with ID. Free ticket Thursdays 4 to 8 p.m. Museum hours: Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thurs 12 to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays and big holidays.

SpaTerre at Riviera Resort & Spa, 1600 N. Indian Canyon Drive, (760) 327-8311. $125 for a 60-minute massage. FOR MORE INFORMATION Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, (800) 967-3767,. Leslie A. Westbrook latest wrote for Travel about Ojai. To comment, smite sfgate.com/travel and follow the links.

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Toyota. Toyota's Latest Crossover Vehicle, the Venza News.

Despite what some may believe, Toyota isn't insusceptible to the badly off sales affecting the U.S. auto industry. But in defiance of that, they aren't timid to pioneer different models, including this one, the 2009 Toyota Venza.

The Venza is a crossover vehicle, as Toyota calls it a opposition to the Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7, and Nissan Murano, all of which are crossovers. Bob Carter, the Toyota Division's bracket failing president and blanket manager, calls the Toyota Venza "passenger auto optimized. It's for buyers who want something more than a transport but less than an SUV.

" Yeah, well, exemplary crossover mechanism specs. The is obtainable with either a 182hp, 2.7-liter four-cylinder mechanism (21/29 MPG with front-wheel street and 20/28 with all-wheel drive) or a 268hp, 3.5-liter V6 (19/26 MPG with fron-wheel persistence or 18/25 MPG with all-wheel drive). Prices beginning at $26,695 and can incline to more than $38,000.

One thing's for sure, the Toyota Venza is geting a improve from the stupendous stop in gasoline prices; those EPA figures are friendly for the class, but certainly not great.

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Scores. Ravens hang over Cowboys in Texas Stadium finale Hear.

DALLAS - The Baltimore Ravens utilized two former touchdowns Saturday to scourge the Dallas Cowboys 33-24 in the newest National Football League regular-season position to be played at Texas Stadium. Willis McGahee ran 77 yards for a touchdown till in the fourth quarter, then fullback Le'Ron McClain ran 82 yards for a ground with 93 seconds to take up as the Ravens continued their coerce for an AFC enthusiastic union card berth. Derrick Mason caught a 13-yard touchdown fly in the third fifteen minutes and Matt Stover kicked four battleground goals for the Ravens, who improved to 10-5 and will even the orthodox mellow at accommodation to Jacksonville on December 28. Joe Flacco, who completed 17-of-25 passes for 149 yards, joined Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh as the only rookie quarterbacks to affix a bag at Texas Stadium.

"This was a physical, hard-fought football game. We had guys banged and bruised, guys playing with one arm," said Baltimore drill John Harbaugh. "I can't even rank all the guys that have injuries. My guys were frenzied though.

I reflect they were looking patronize to coming here to put this spot (Texas Stadium) to bed." Dallas quarterback Tony Romo connected on touchdown passes to Terrell Owens and Jason Witten in the fourth quarter, while rookie Tashard Choice had a two-yard scoring gallop for the Cowboys, who will begin playing next mature in a experimental 1.2 billion-dollar stadium. But the departure festivities, which truism bygone Dallas greats entrancing a hindmost footpath across the celebrity at midfield, were overshadowed by the defeat, which dented Dallas's playoff hopes.

The Cowboys straggle Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Philadelphia in the step lively for an NFC self-willed visiting-card berth, while their bring down on Saturday clinched a playoff berth for NFC South branch leaders Carolina. Dallas stay the Eagles in Philadelphia next weekend. "It's a disconcerting injury for us," exercise Wade Phillips said.

"You don't have any handle over what happens now." The Ravens were supreme 19-17 supervise with 3:42 surviving in the fourth territory when McGahee took a handoff and ran through the sensitivity of the Dallas defense for his sixth rushing touchdown of the season. McGahee's booking was topped by McClain's 82-yard touchdown run, which came after the Cowboys had slice the Ravens' cord to 26-24. A Cowboys cover defense that had not allowed more than 92 yards in its form five games gave up 159 yards in two plays. In addition, Romo was in the main useless early, throwing two first-half interceptions that the Ravens turned into clearing goals to seek a 9-7 halftime lead.

Romo admitted that he felt the do in even more with so many of the franchise's old players on hand.

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His start for secretary of education, Chicago Public Schools foremost Arne Duncan, is noteworthy from other important education leaders by his pragmatic approximate to school reform. Hear.

The centre ground is once again the purpose where President-elect Barack Obama chose to appearance for a Cabinet-level appointment. His cream for secretary of education, Chicago Public Schools leading Arne Duncan, is grand from other prominent instruction leaders by his pragmatic approach to primary reform. In his seven-year incumbency in Chicago, Duncan hasn’t been terrified to close failing schools and reopen them with recent administrators and teachers.

He’s also a impressed supporter of charter schools. Duncan’s nearer has met with support from the edification establishment and the teachers’ union. "In our experience, Arne Duncan is committed to working with others, including the unions, to aid eminence and right-mindedness in blatant education," said Jo Anderson, president director of the Illinois Education Association, in a statement. Duncan, a Chicago indwelling who played basketball professionally in Australia, over and over plays basketball with Obama.

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Ceiling. China Eyes 17 Pct Money Supply Growth In 2009 Read.

-- It pledged a series of initial customer base innovations, including launching brand-new types of bear up and dab futures and expanding the corporate cord market, especially for companies concerned in tone infrastructure projects. -- It said it would start NASDAQ-style start-up boards when felicitous and demonstrate essential estate investment trusts (REITs) on a leader basis. -- Listed banks will be allowed to acquisition and market bonds issued on the country's reserve exchanges on a pilot basis. -- The command will foster firms to carry out mergers and acquisitions by buying shares on the selection market, sneering down on red tape that hinders such moves. -- The ministry will stride up support for loan certify companies, including exempting them from some taxes, to inspiration more lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises. -- It will supplement the investment channels for indemnity firms, including encouraging them to get bonds of companies snarled in infrastructure, telecoms, verve and rural projects. -- To reform trade financing, the Export-Import Bank of China will enlarge its suitable interest rates to companies that export their own brand-name goods, or those containing their own highbrow property. -- Foreign stock market rules will become more accommodative to firms affected in trade; the equate of export bills firms can prepay and the section of imports they can tarrying pay on will increase to 25 percent from 10 percent.

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Burton (21) leads Indians

Published: Friday, December 19, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. SARASOTA - Sophomore Clay Burton led all scorers with 21 points as Venice defeated Sarasota 70-46 Thursday night.

Junior Trey Burton added 17 points for the Indians (5-0) while Kyle Jutras scored 10 points. Justin Grant also chipped in with nine points as Venice reach-me-down an 18-4 step on it in the two ninety days to wrench away. Junior Elias Gutierrez paced the Sailors with nine points while James Eddins, Landen Hochstetler and Brent Anderson had six points a piece.

LEMON BAY 62, ESTERO 43 ENGLEWOOD -- Lemon Bay improved to a 4-1 in Class 4A District 11 with a shellacking of Estero. Seniors Nick Labadie and Michael Holleran scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, for the Manta Rays (7-3). Brandon Sullivan and David Lutz had nine points apiece. BRADEN RIVER 59, CARDINAL MOONEY 22 BRADENTON -- Braden River cruised lifestyle Cardinal Mooney.

Senior John Wilson had a game-high 12 points for the Pirates (8-2) while Marc McKoan and Willie McNeal each scored eight points. The Pirates pestered the Cougars on defense throughout the altercation as they totaled 21 steals. Five disparate players had at least three steals. Andrew Pesognelli had four points and a game-high three assists while older Tim Kenney scored six points. Junior Kyle Stansell led Cardinal Mooney with six points.

SARASOTA CHRISTIAN 70, TAMPA BAYSHORE 24 TAMPA -- Senior Tate Anderson had 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists to priority Sarasota Christian to a bring down of Bayshore Christian. Mark Dubois paced the Blazers with 14 points while Brandon Stone scored 10. Sarasota Christian (5-2) held Bayshore Christian under 10 points in every quarter. Chase Miller added three assists and three steals for the Blazers while Jon Otto had four assists. Caleb Beachy and Trevor Talkie had eight and seven points, respectively.

GIRLS: SOUTHEAST 62, BAYSHORE 36 BRADENTON -- Southeast cruised to a triumph over Bayshore to upgrade to 12-1. Bianca Hanna reached the 1,000-point milestone as a junior, and she's one of only seven to do it in the endure 25 years for Southeast. Bianca had 13 points six rebounds to go with four steals while Keimara Brooks led all scorers with 18.

Carolyn Taite had 10 points, eight boards and five blocks. BOOKER 56, SEBRING 26 SARASOTA -- Three players scored in stand-in figures as Booker rolled over Class 4A-District 10 foe Sebring. Seniors Letayvia Butler and Brittani Williams led all scorers with 13 points apiece as the Lady Tornadoes cleared the bench in the relocate half.

No virtuoso for Sebring scored more than five points. Senior Anna Traver scored 12 points and connected on two shots from beyong the arc as Booker led 33-15 at the half. Senior Kay Larkins added nine points for the Lady Tornadoes (9-4, 4-2). VENICE 62, LAKEWOOD RANCH 49 VENICE -- Juliana Cavallaro poured in 28 points to meet Venice days Lakewood Ranch. Kirsten Walthle added 15 points for the Lady Indians (6-5, 5-3) while Cavallaro knocked down three shots from beyond the arc.

Hannah Revels hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds and scored seven points as Venice second-hand a 17-7 category in the advance zone to derive a double-digit lead.

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