By KERA News & Wire Services
Dallas, TX – Gov. Rick Perry's office today confirmed it's received a threatening letter from an anti-government group. Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle says the letter is from Guardians of the free Republics, a group that says it wants to "restore America" by peacefully dismantling parts of government.
Castle says the Department of Public Safety is investigating. Further details weren't released.
Perry's office was closed today for Good Friday.
Federal documents obtained by The Associated Press indicate dozens of governors this week received letters saying if they don't leave office within three days -- they'd be removed.
The FBI is warning police that the anti-government group's call to remove governors could provoke violence, although investigators say they do not see such threats in the message.
Dallas-area residents seek natural gas moratorium
A Dallas-Fort Worth suburb on the Barnett Shale is once again looking at a moratorium on new natural gas operations. About 6,000 signatures were on a petition turned in to Flower Mound officials Wednesday seeking a six-month halt to new activity related to gas drilling and transport.
That's enough signatures to either force adoption of the ban or an election. Town officials say they could be verifying signatures into the weekend.
There's been growing concern in recent months about the environmental effects of drilling on the Barnett Shale, a massive, gas-rich underground rock formation beneath about 20 counties.
In December, Flower Mound's town council rejected a drilling moratorium driven by pollution fears.
Spacewoman power: 4 women in orbit at same time
One woman already is circling Earth in a Russian capsule, bound for the International Space Station. NASA early Monday will attempt to launch three more women to the orbiting outpost - along with four men - aboard shuttle Discovery.
It will be the most women in space at the same time.
A former schoolteacher is among the four female astronauts about to make history, as well as a chemist who once worked as an electrician, and two aerospace engineers. Educator-astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger and Japanese astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, both rookies, will become the 53rd and 54th women to fly in space.
Astronaut Stephanie Wilson will make her third shuttle flight.
Tracy Caldwell Dyson was launched aboard a Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan today with two Russian men.
Energizer Bunny hopping to auction
The Energizer Bunny's up for auction, and a Dallas auction house hopes the bids keep going and going and going.
Heritage Auction Galleries says one of four original Energizer Bunnies will be up for auction in Beverly Hills, Calif., on April 10.
The auction house said the bunny that's up for sale is one of the two in most of the Energizer commercials. They say the pink bunny with sunglasses that's 25 inches from feet to ears is expected to bring more than $20,000.
The consignor is a Los Angeles collector who wants to remain anonymous.