Government

Following the primaries, Tea Party favorite Dr. Donna Campbell and Democrat John Courage emerged as the contenders for the Texas Senate District 25 seat.

The primary knocked longtime Senator Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, out of the running, along with challenger, former Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones.

Perhaps one of the only issues Campbell and Courage agree upon is opposition to toll roads, but they have vastly different views on health care, education, and energy.

So how does a physician plan to serve full time in the Senate?

The cities of San Antonio and Chicago are entering a competition to see which one has the healthiest city employees.  

It’s a battle to see which city can reduce the bulge, put out the cigarette, and create a healthy lifestyle among its workers. The two cities will compete for three months to win a grant from the American Beverage Association.

The statewide totals for the amount of sales tax returned to local communities was on the plus side of $551 million and showed an overall 11 percent increase over Sept. 2011.

Comptroller Susan Combs said continued strength in the manufacturing and oil and natural gas sectors led to the increase, but consumer spending was also up in restaurants and retail stores.