The air in Fort Worth is about to be a little clearer. The City of Fort Worth just passed a smoking ban that will go into effect Jan. 1.The ban will prohibit smoking in most public places but bars, bingo halls, retail tobacco stores, designated hotel rooms and some outdoor patios will still be legal smoking areas, said Amy Casas, public information officer for the Public Health Department.

The Fort Worth City Council Web site said a 7-2 vote ended an 18-month debate among Fort Worth City Council members over how far to extend the ban.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Maybe Charles Dickens isn't alive to see the difference between the TCU and Baylor football programs, but the phrase couldn't ring more true than it does today.

It's the tale of two former Southwest Conference rivals heading - no - sprinting in opposite directions.

Media outlets far and wide have heaped mass praise on the Frogs and rightfully so, considering that even with James Vess' season-long suspension, the defense still returns eight starters from a unit that ranked No. 2 in total defense last season.

A vegetarian gives her two cents about the world of local hamburger restaurants to see if there is equality amongst burger connoisseurs.Charley's Old Fashioned HamburgersCharley's Old Fashioned Hamburgers...

Smoking in public areas has been contested for at least the last decade. Gone are the days when smokers and non-smokers were separated by a small wall or a walkway in restaurants. But bars have never had such a distinct and "clear" division. However, the anti-smoking attitude which has gained momentum in the last decade has yet to leave its mark on most of Texas.But do government agencies have the right to legislate lifestyle changes? The votes are in and most say yes to not smoking in open areas. Fort Worth has legislated a ban on smoking in restaurants but not bars.

Three unidentified male suspects remain on the loose after they assaulted and possibly tried to kidnap a woman near campus, according to a police report. The 22-year-old woman, who was not a TCU student, was getting out of her car in the parking lot of her apartment complex on the 3000 block of McPherson Avenue when the attack occurred around 3 a.m. Saturday, according to a police report.

"We don't know for sure if it was kidnapping," said Lt. Paul Henderson, Fort Worth police spokesman. "But we're treating it as a kidnap attempt."

During the past two years, going to the bookstore to retrieve the necessary materials has been an experience that left students dissatisfied and downright angry. This is not due to the good people who work for hours on end. This is due to broken promises university officials have delivered to students in regards to the construction of the bookstore.

It should bother the typical student that officials decided to delay construction until this past summer, considering what the situation has been like for the past two years.

The newest addition to the College of Education, the Steve and Betsy Palko Building, was named after a current graduate student who donated to the project, marking the largest donation TCU has ever received from an enrolled student. Steffen Palko, 55, graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso in 1971. Now, Palko is a third-year TCU student pursuing his doctorate degree in education.

The decisions to contribute to the College of Education and enroll at TCU were independently made, Palko said.

A Houston fan rooting for the Cowboys' defense, a Bears fan cheering for Brett Favre to throw a touchdown, a Colts fan pumping his or her fist for an Adam Vinatieri field goal. Well, at least the first two still work.It's that wonderful time again, a time to pull for those you've hated and a time to hate your friends for the next four months. It's fantasy football time.

To help you get ready for your draft, we're going position by position analyzing who you need to love and who you may just find a new reason to dislike.

While strolling down Houston Street on a Friday night, one is likely to see Rome Milan in the window front of his family's gallery, intently applying paint to a canvas with a palette knife, wearing hats from various parts of the world. Much like the gallery itself, Milan has become a familiar fixture in Sundance Square. However, to the average passers-by, the story behind this window-front painter is a mystery.

Milan had a modest artistic beginning, sparked by a T-shirt at age 13.