Update: Yesterday's news of Pimp C's dead shot across the city of Houston via blogs, message boards, and shocked emails. Rumors of foul play, even a mention of fellow rapper Spice 1 also being involved in a shooting, buzzed around town. The two incidents are not thought to be related. Capt. Ed Winter of the Los Angeles County coroner's office said Butler had apparently died in bed. "At this time there's no signs of foul......

From local Houston headlines, we bring you these weekend news bits... • DNA evidence confirms the identity of "Baby Grace" as Riley Ann Sawyers. • Camioni’s Restaurant in north Houston falls victim to false rumors, online hoax. • A southwest Houston bicyclist is dead after being struck by a vehicle. • The birdwatcher who went on trial for killing a cat has been shot at and claims he feels like "a walking abortion clinic."......

Well, good news from the Texans, Cougars, and Dynamo camps. All three were winners this weekend. But there was a lot more going on in the Houston sports universe this week. Let's take a look at what people were saying: - Chronicle columnist Jose de Jesus Ortiz got called out for misdiagnosing the Astros offseason needs, and the commenter used complete sentences and no profanity. Intelligent comments on a sports blog (other than this one,......

After months of anticipation and one of the best off-seasons in recent memory, the Rockets will begin their 2007-08 campaign tonight in LA against the Lakers. With a new frontcourt featuring Argentine sensation Luis Scola and a fully healthy Yao, the Rockets will be able to give the Spurs and Mavs a run for their money as the best team in the state. The focus tonight, however, will be on the matchup between Tracy McGrady......

Need to know just a little bit about something? Ask a dilettante. I'm all for transportation by bike, but what's up with Houston bikers never observing stop signs and traffic lights? I almost run over and kill a biker every day, and it's always their fault. Maybe we need to add "bikes too!" to the bottom of every traffic sign and signal. -- Ophelia, Houston-upon-Avon Oh, Ophelia. You're missing the real problem with bicyclists: bike......

::Open Mic Night at the Laff Stop:: We gotta admit, we are a little curious how a smoky, comedy club will, ahem, "stand-up" without, well, the smoke. Isn't that kinda, like, part of the ambiance? Is it unhealthly to call smoke ambiance. Hell, whatever. Since the smoking ordinace was passed (and half-ass enforced) on Sept 1st, we've noticed a few changes in some of our usual haunts. I mean, who is used to seeing 3......

The Astros search for a replacement for Tim Purpura may be coming to an end. The baseball world is atwitter with reports that the new GM will be selected as soon as today. After interviewing eleven different candidates, owner Drayton McLane and team president/acting GM Tal Smith (pictured, on left) have narrowed the field and will be making an announcement some time this week. The leading candidate right now is Phillies assistant GM Ruben Amaro,......

Get ready with your jokes about a really big wedding: According to the Chinese state press, Houston Rocket Yao Ming will marry his girlfriend of eight years in August. Yao, 27, and Ye Li, 25, met in 1999 when Yao was playing for the Shanghai Sharks men's team and Ye was playing for the club's women's team. Since then, Ye — who's 6 feet, 2 inches tall herself — has gone on to play for......

So there's some surprising news out of northwest Houston: Police say a 35-year-old woman and her boyfriend sold the woman's teenage daughters into prostitution, and a relative said she believes it was done to support a drug habit. It happened at the Antoine Drive apartment complex where the woman — who KHOU identified as Nelsi Latuda — lived. Investigators said she sold her 14- and 16-year-old daughters for sex, and Channel 11 reports there are......

Google recently announced two exciting new features. One is street view, a new feature of Google Maps, which allows you to see street-side views of locations in many major cities. Right now, the feature is available only in San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Miami, and Denver, and there are plenty of interesting things to be seen, aside from the feature being helpful if you're traveling to a new location. Google has also started incorporating......

Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. It's spring and Astros fever is catching around town. But, football season is almost here five months away, and the draft is looming on the horizon. The Texans are making moves in the Free Agent market to gain talent and have a better idea their needs from the draft. Former Greenbay Packers running back, Ahman Green, will join the the backfield after signing on Sunday. Now the Texans are entertaining......

Today’s Photo of the Day comes from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor seven twenty-five and contains this description: Wildlife in the city. And this wildlife can be spotted at Eleanor Tinsley Park (also known as Buffalo Bayou Park) off of Allen Parkway and Sabine Street in the shadows of downtown Houston. This is a great park with over 124 acres that extends from near downtown Houston all the way to Shepherd. Wildlife abounds......

We love movies. We like the popcorn, the previews, the way there's still curtains at the old River Oaks. We like midnight movies, 11 AM bargain matinees, and driving outside the loop to go see that one movie we missed at that one really sketchy theater. We also like the Oscars (look for our predictions later this week). Someone else who likes movies is Tom Brazelton, who draws a webcomic to go along with his......

So, the big political news around Harris County today is that County Judge Robert Eckels will step down. It's not like nobody expected the announcement — rumors have been going around for at least a couple of weeks — and it's not like we know when Eckels will quit or what he'll do afterward, but still, it's big news. Right? Eckels, reportedly fighting back tears, began his goodbye during Thursday's State of the County address:......

The Chronicle reports today that Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, who has held the top elected post in the county since 1995, may be considering leaving office before his current term expires to take a job in the private sector. "In the last 90 days I've had conversations with a New York firm and international investment banking firms," Eckels said. "I have had more serious discussions than in the past. They are more concrete." Though......

Much to the dismay of Houston baseball fans, pitching ace and Houston native (well, almost) Andy Pettitte signed a one-year deal with the New York Yankees for $16 million today. The deal also has an option for 2008. The Astros had offered Pettitte $12 million with no option for another year. Pettitte played the last three seasons for Houston, but prior to that he won a slew of World Series rings in nine years with......

Beyonce is all over the news again. There are reports that she’s jealous over her “Dreamgirls” co-star Jennifer Hudson. And from what Beyonce said to defend herself, it sounds like she really is barely jealous at all. (Please note the sarcasm.) "I'm already a star. I already have nine Grammys. Everyone knows I can sing," Knowles said. "I did this because I wanted people to know that I can act and I can play someone......

Sad news from Katy: During lunch yesterday, a sophomore at Seven Lakes High School walked outside the school building and shot himself. The 16-year-old had a pulse when he was found, but he died at Memorial Hermann Hospital, KHOU reported. What's not known is why the boy shot himself — officials said a note was found near his body, but its contents haven't been released yet. Meanwhile, there are rumors, according to KTRK: Worried moms......

The shot from flickr user and Houstonist photo contributor Jeff Balke. Busted! I'm fairly sure that it's not illegal or even frowned upon to capture one of the number-changers at Minute Maid Park, but Jeff does seem to be getting the old evil-eye. Maybe it's just because it's hot back there, we've heard rumors that it gets into the 100s back there on hot days. If you're a rabid Astros fan, check out the......

For many of us, our pets are our kids. Unfortunately, our employer doesn’t offer pet insurance, so when the furry one gets sick we end up blowing a paycheck on fixing them. Sometimes, of course, they just need to be fixed. Good news: Grocery chain H.E.B. has partnered with Pethealth, Inc., and will be offering pet health coverage to its Texas customers by the end of the year. Not only will your pet receive health......

Even though the support continues to grow for the preservation of the River Oaks Shopping Center and Theater, many questions remained unanswered, and Weingarten has continued to keep their reticence. Rumors and some evidence throw a mix of names into the equation: Hermes Architects for the northwestern curved section, Wallace Garcia Wilson Architects for the highrise, and Barnes and Noble for an anchor. While concerned patrons, shareholders, and members of the community continue to......

The Astrodome has been home to many things. It bore witness to the highs and lows of the Oilers and Astros. It has been credited with helping to change the face of men's college basketball and March Madness. People roped dogies, jumped over cars on motorcycles, cheered on Ronald Reagan and promised to kick things in on the floor of the Eighth Wonder of the World. More recently, it has sheltered evacuees during Hurricane Katrina......

As imperfect as it can be, we love Wikipedia, the DIY online encyclopedia. And part of the reason we love it is that it brings the practice of chronicling the world out in the open — history is being written in real time, as it were, rather than by a bunch of old guys in green celluloid visors at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Case in point: How Wikipedia reacted to yesterday's announcement that Ken Lay had gone......

When you think about it, it's pretty amazing: Nearly halfway through their season, the Houston Astros are getting a Hall of Famer delivered to their doorstep. With the rumors, the endless courtship and the minor league stint behind him, Roger Clemens is set to make his first start of the 2006 campaign tonight against the Minnesota Twins. It couldn't come at a better time for the 'Stros, who are hovering just above .500 and looking......

Texans coach Gary Kubiak will soon have a familiar face pacing the sidelines when Broncos Assistant GM Rick Smith is introduced as new general manager. Smith has reportedly come to an agreement with owner Bob McNair over the weekend and a formal announcement is expected later today. Smith has spent the last ten years with Denver, serving the last six as director of pro personnel. Despite rumors that he will have less control than former......

Houstonist, for one, always liked our bike — despite the skinned knees — because we had a cool helmet. Rumors that it had a picture of Mickey Mouse are unsubstantiated, but should you be lucky enough to run across Houstonist on Friday, you can check it out, since we'll be breaking it out of storage for National Bike to Work Day. The nationwide effort spearheaded by the League of American Bicyclists comes at the culmination......

Houstonist would be ecstatic if Dave Chappelle came back for another season on Comedy Central and did a Charlie Murphyesque parody of Charley Casserly. Perhaps it could be a True Houston Story about how the Texans came to picking Mario Williams, but we digress. Charley Casserly resigned his position of Texans General Manager yesterday, citing his wish to pursue a position with the NFL’s front office. In the face of rumors that Casserly had been......

Reagan High School Principal Robert Pambello has resigned amid allegations that he sexually harassed a teacher. Pambello is the same guy who got in trouble in late March for flying the Mexican flag outside the school, and some students say they think that's the real reason he left: Reagan High School junior Jose Louis Cantu, 18, said rumors have been circulating around campus about Pambello's employment status since the flag incident. At the time, students......

More on the expanding DA probe into City Hall expenses: It seems the investigation will look at travel, particiuarly that of former City Council member and mayoral candidate Orlando Sanchez. KHOU reports Sanchez traveled extensively as an at-large councilmember between 1996 and 2001, taking his creepy eyes to D.C., San Francisco, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Caracas, London, Budapest and Ploesti, Romania, and his travel expenses were routed through the mayor pro tem's office.......

Investigators with the Harris County's DA's office seized more than 15 boxes of records from the mayor pro tem's office Tuesday, the same day an April 2005 memo came to light in which former Pro Tem Office Manager Rosita Hernandez asked then-Mayor Pro Tem Carol Alvarado to approve $5,500 in bonuses. Hernandez and the three other pro tem employees were fired last week for taking $143,000 in bonuses city officials say were unauthorized. The $5,500,......