Temple City Council authorized, 4-1, the purchase of $1.55 million in solid waste equipment Thursday. The purchase, which Mayor Bill Jones III opposed, keeps the city on schedule to take over all sanitation services by Oct. 1. In November 2003, City Council, dumping previous privatization efforts set by itself not even a month earlier, figured the city could make more money by providing all solid waste services — residential and commercial. The city currently handles all residential accounts and some commercial accounts. BFI handles 71 percent of the commercial services through a franchisee agreement that ends Sept. 30.

BELTON — With rain both on the ground and in the weather forecast for the next several days, Bell County Judge Jon Burrows has temporarily lifted the countywide ban on outdoor burning. Burrows lifted the ban from 9 a.m. Thursday through 9 a.m. Sunday.

Anyone can study anatomy and physiology, learning hard-to-pronounce names of bones, muscles and organs. But how do you put these subjects into practice? Alvin Smith, science teacher at Temple High School South, is bringing real world science experience and practice to the classroom.

PASADENA, Calif. (AP)

WASHINGTON (AP)

ATLANTA (AP)

COPPERAS COVE — Temple boys basketball coach Bruce Ethe-ridge doesn’t necessarily think it’s a disadvantage that his team has to play its first two District 13-5A games on the road. If the Wild-cats can win at Copperas Cove tonight and at rival Belton on Tuesday, he contends, that will only work in their favor when they move into their final eight league games.

COLLEGE STATION — To say the Belton boys basketball team is on a roll might be an understatement. But either way, it appears the Tigers are peaking at a most opportune time. Bolstered by the confidence from nine victories in its last 10 games, Belton (16-6) will open District 13-5A play at A&M Consolidated (16-6) at 7:30 p.m. today.

ABILENE — The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor basketball teams like playing at their Mabee Gym in Belton. Playing at Hardin-Simmons University’s Mabee Complex is an entirely different matter.

The Temple girls soccer team will begin its home season and its Tem-Cat Invitational against the Cedar Park Lady Timberwolves at 9 a.m. today at Woodson Field. The Tem-Cats will host six other squads from around the state in the two-day, eight-team tournament: Abilene, Fort Bend Kempner, The Woodlands, Fort Bend Dulles, Leander, and Friendswood Clear Brook — a combination of teams that Temple coach Kevin Korompai believes will pose a formidable challenge.

ORLAND PARK, Ill. — The Central Texas Blackhawks hung around for a little while but couldn’t overcome the Billings Bulls’ strong second period as they lost 4-0 on Thursday at the North American Hockey League’s four-day Windy City Showcase Tournament. After a scoreless first period, the Bulls (25-6-1 for 51 points) used consecutive goals in the second by Aaron Irvin at the 4:03 mark and Mike Mayra at 12:03 to take the momentum and cruise to victory.

Recently acquired pitching stars Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte won’t be along for the ride when the Houston Astros Winter Caravan makes its annual trek to Temple and Central Texas next week. However, it’s safe to assume that the Astros’ representatives who do come here will be happy to talk about those big guns, who are expected to help Houston contend for the World Series in the upcoming season.

ARLINGTON (AP) — The Texas Rangers stuck to their offseason plan. They didn’t go after big-name free agents or spend a lot of money. They remain committed to developing their young players, even if their additions include a 39-year-old starting pitcher, a 37-year-old set-up reliever, and two 36-year-old outfielders.