Carrollton-Farmers Branch school trustees approved a budget with a $13.4 million deficit Thursday night.

They approved a general fund budget of about $238.6 million. Trustees also approved a tax rate of $1.36 per $100 of valuation. That would be about $1,839 in taxes annually for a $150,000 home

Officials from the property-wealthy school district say they will probably send $17.5 million to the state to share with poor districts – an increase of $3 million. The district plans to make up for the deficit by tapping into its fund balance, or savings.

Katherine Leal Unmuth

Three northbound lanes on the Dallas North Tollway south's end were scheduled to reopen this morning after months of renovations.

Three southbound lanes reopened at 5 a.m. Thursday, and the three northbound lanes were scheduled to reopen before the morning commute, said Sherita Coffelt, a North Texas Tollway Authority spokeswoman.

The $50 million renovation project includes replacing bridges and removing raised shoulders. The project is not finished, and construction will continue.

Taylor Short

A key opponent of City Hall's plan to build a 1,200-room hotel next to the Dallas Convention Center has formed a political action committee to fight the project.

Anne Raymond, managing director of Crow Holdings, authorized formation of the committee, known as Citizens Against a Taxpayer Owned Hotel, in paperwork filed with the Dallas city secretary's office Wednesday.

Ms. Raymond called the PAC a "first step" and said that opponents of the hotel haven't decided whether to seek a citywide referendum to stop the project.

Ms. Raymond works for Harlan Crow, owner of the Hilton Anatole and the city's most vocal and recognizable opponent of the convention center hotel plan.

The $550 million project would be paid for through revenue bonds supported with money earned by the hotel. Those bonds would be backed through a series of guarantees, including taxpayer funds.

Rudolph Bush

Dallas school trustees on Thursday approved paying the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche up to $260,000 more for the district's 2006-07 financial audit, bringing the total to $2.26 million.

The board also approved paying the firm up to $1 million to conduct the 2007-08 audit.

Tawnell D. Hobbs

The Denton County Transportation Authority will have two meetings in September to update residents on progress on a passenger rail system.

The Regional Transportation Council for the North Central Texas area recently approved spending $191 million to complete Denton County's 21-mile regional rail system. The new rail line will run along the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas corridor, parallel to Interstate 35E, and will connect with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system at Carrollton's Trinity Mills station. The new line is expected to open in 2010.

Denton transportation authority officials will have renderings of the rail line and stations at the two meetings. The first meeting will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center, 1300 Wilson St. in Denton.

The second meeting will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 22 in the community room of the Municipal Annex Building, 1197 W. Main St. in Lewisville.

Marice Richter

DeSoto school trustees voted unanimously Monday not to change the district's graduation policy, which bars seniors from participating in graduation activities if they fail all or part of the state's exit exam.

The state requires students to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exit test to receive a diploma, but districts can allow students who fail TAKS to participate in commencement ceremonies.

DeSoto trustees revisited the issue after several parents spoke to the board in May asking that their students be allowed to walk the graduation stage with their classmates.

Twenty-two DeSoto seniors who had completed the required class work were barred from taking part in graduation activities in May because they did not pass all parts of the TAKS test.

Kathy A. Goolsby

Most city government phone numbers will be out of service starting at 5 p.m. today to allow for a power system upgrade. Service is expected to be restored by midday Saturday.

The outage won't affect 911 and police non-emergency lines; police and municipal court numbers ending in the series 1600, 4800, 7300 and 7400; water operations numbers; or city after-hours dispatch.

From staff reports

Irving's Buildings and Standards Commission on Thursday gave Vista Del Lago owner Harry Singh until Oct. 18 to submit an improvement plan as well as an asbestos survey to code enforcement officials.

The city shut down Mr. Singh's aging complex in the 500 block of Sixth Street on Aug. 15 after fire inspectors found serious safety hazards among its 1,724 code violations.

Mr. Singh's attorney, James Patterson of Addison, attended the hearing and requested more time from the commission. But the commission moved ahead to schedule the case on Nov. 6, which is when repair or demolition deadlines will be established.

Debbie Fleck

Organizers have extended the Farmers Market in downtown Rockwall for two more months.

It had been scheduled to end last Saturday but is now scheduled to go through Oct. 25. Vendors gather on the Historic Courthouse square at the corner of Rusk and Goliad from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

City officials said they, with co-sponsor Friends of Downtown Rockwall, extended the market because of demand from vendors and shoppers.

Jay Parsons

A North Texas Episcopal priest has been suspended over allegations that he engaged in "conduct unbecoming of a priest."

The Rev. Keith Roberson had been leading both Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Terrell and St. Justin's Episcopal Church in Canton.

Bishop James Stanton of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas said allegations against Father Roberson at the Terrell church triggered a 90-day suspension. A diocesan committee will investigate, assisted by a lawyer.

Bishop Stanton would not describe the nature of the allegations or assess their credibility. He said the committee would decide if there is cause for disciplining Father Roberson. If the committee does find cause, Father Roberson could request a church trial.

Father Roberson could not be reached Thursday.

Sam Hodges