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Roundup: Perry Slashed Environmental Enforcement In Texas

Ed Schipul (cc) flickr

By KERA News & Wire Services

Dallas, TX – Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry likes to say the best way to promote economic growth is to reduce regulation. As governor of Texas, he's keeping environmental rules to a minimum.

In the past year Perry has cut funding for clean air programs and sued the Environmental Protection Agency to avoid enforcing clean air laws. And he routinely blasts the White House for tightening environmental standards, signaling what he would do if elected president.

He cut the budget for Texas' environmental watchdog by a third. That translates to 11 percent fewer inspections. He also signed a law in June that requires Texas to consider the effect of new regulations on the economy before passing changes.

However, government and business data show little evidence that regulation costs a significant number of jobs.

Nelson, Strait headline benefit for fire victims

A big fire is bringing out some big names. George Strait, Willie Nelson and the Dixie Chicks are among the performers to play Monday night as part of a mega-concert benefit to raise money for victims of recent Central Texas wildfires.

Asleep at the Wheel front man Ray Benson helped bring the list of performers together. He says he expects the event to raise at least $500,000.

Lyle Lovett, Christopher Cross, the Texas Tornados and others are also set to perform. Actor Kyle Chandler will emcee the event.

A fire that started Sept. 4 in Bastrop County destroyed at least 1,500 homes and left two people dead. It was the most devastating of the numerous wildfires that have scorched some 6,000 square miles in Texas in nearly a year.

Occupy Fort Worth protesters arrested

Several Occupy Fort Worth protesters were arrested after refusing to leave a tent that had been unlawfully erected at a park.

Police said four people were arrested Saturday. But Rick Griffin, a Fort Worth lawyer helping providing legal support for the group, tells the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that five protesters were arrested.

He says they were released Sunday after posting $750 bail each.

Griffin says they are expected to be charged with interfering with the duties of a public servant, a Class B misdemeanor.

A police report says officers allowed them to leave the tents up during a march with the understanding that they would bring them down after. A city ordinance prohibits tents in the park.

Anywhere from 10 to several dozen protesters have been at the park.

Collin County trying to preserve historical record

As highways are expanded, new homes are built and more shopping areas are added in North Texas' Collin County, there's a group of people working to identify every historical site there before it's too late.

County Commissioner Joe Jaynes tells The Dallas Morning News the massive "historical" asset survey is an attempt to document the county's history before it's erased by development.

Jim Ryan, director of the Plano Conservancy for Historic Preservation, says the Collin County Historic Asset Survey Project started a few years ago with the goal of finding and documenting sites.

Members of the historical commission then had the idea to take the project online and make it interactive.

Ryan is coordinating the efforts of 120 volunteers across the county as the director of the asset project.