San Antonio Express-News

mysanantonio.com — San Benito, after squandering multiple scoring chances, pushed home the winning run on a squeeze bunt for a 3-2 walk-off victory to eliminate O'Connor in the Region IV-5A semifinals on Friday at Cabaniss Field. The Greyhounds will play defending Class 4A state champion Smithson Valley in the regional final next week.

mysanantonio.com — The following items would make welcome companions to any college degree or high school diploma. Here's your ultimate graduate gift guide, straight from that student body. High school and college graduates crave the green stuff, especially for education-related expenses.

mysanantonio.com — The House overwhelmingly approved a compromise bill Friday that would create a new University of Texas institution in the Rio Grande Valley â an apparent slam dunk for a proposal that had sailed smoothly at the session's start only to become mired in legislative infighting last week over the future medical school's location.

mysanantonio.com — After tying record high temperatures Thursday and Friday, the weather could heat up enough to continue the trend today, according to a National Weather Service forecaster. A mostly cloudy morning could evolve into a mostly sunny and humid afternoon with a high of 95, said forecaster Pat McDonald.

blog.mysanantonio.com — Barry Manilow: Postponed (Rick Diamond/WireImage) Pop pianist, singer and songwriter Barry Manilow has postponed his Texas dates, including a concert scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the AT&T Center. Here's the statement from Manilow's Web site: "Due to bronchitis and on doctor's orders, Barry's concerts this weekend in Grand Prairie (Dallas), San Antonio and Houston will be rescheduled.

mysanantonio.com — South San Independent School District board members are feuding again after taking no action on a recommendation by their relatively new superintendent to fire a middle school principal. Board president Helen Madla and trustee Trinidad Mata accused other trustees of reaching a backroom deal to assemble the votes to strip Madla of her position in exchange for protecting the principal's job.

blog.mysanantonio.com — Kawhi Leonard has matured faster than anyone could have expected in his two seasons with the Spurs. That he started for Gregg Popovich as a rookie was enough to herald his supreme potential. He's done nothing but improve since then, regularly adding wrinkles to his foundation of lockdown defense and efficient offense.

mysanantonio.com — Jurors ordered a 35-year sentence Friday for an ex-convict who was shot in the buttocks by a woman's boyfriend last year as he held a knife to her throat. The June incident was far from John David Samarripas' first trouble with the law, prosecutors Eric Fuchs and Stacy Esterak pointed out during the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon trial.

mysanantonio.com — AUSTIN, Texas (AP) â Texas lawmakers reached a deal Friday on a two-year spending plan that would restore $3.93 billion to public schools and clear the way for taking $2 billion from the state's rainy day fund for water projects, the leader of House Democrats said.

mysanantonio.com — The House could hear a compromise Friday to help push through a bill creating a new University of Texas institution in the Rio Grande Valley â a positive sign for the proposal that sailed along at the session's start only to become mired in controversy last week over the future medical school's location.

blog.mysanantonio.com — Kansas emerged from the shadows to lure top recruit Andrew Wiggins to the Jayhawks program earlier this week. It was one of the biggest recruiting surprises in recent memory. Needless to say, Kansas coach Bill Self was excited about Wiggins' arrival - even if it might be for only one season.

blog.mysanantonio.com — UPDATE: Looks like Sen. Rodney Ellis and Rep. Harold Dutton have found common ground on a local bill that was the root of a House revolt against the Senate earlier today.

mysanantonio.com — Hays senior Alex Robles led the game off with a home run, and Dalton Niles singled home another run in the top of the first, sparking the Rebels to a 4-2 victory over Clemens in Game 1 of a Class 4A third-round playoff series at Smithson Valley.