Author

Tom Curtis

Energy

The Old Man and the Secret

Thirty years ago, people couldnt believe it: The old man’s elixir boosted crops, ate up sewage, and made the desert bloom. Today half a dozen Texas companies claim the elixir does all that and a whole lot more.

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Reporter |
May 31, 1989

Texas’ Nuclear Neighbor

Triple threat: Scientists fret that an underground nuclear dump will pollute the Pecos; surveyors set off a storm over the center of Texas; cities sweat safety risks from stolen aluminum.

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Reporter |
April 30, 1989

Blast from the Past

Houston mayoral candidate Fred Hofheinz has an incumbent and a rumor to defeat; Phil DeVries has a singing caterpillar to find; Zavala County must make a private prison pay its way; and Lori Johns is out to prove she’s the best woman on the drag strip.

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Reporter |
April 1, 1989

Red Sails in the Sunbelt

Windsurfers add sparkle to Corpus Christi Bay; the Johnson family says a poignant farewell to one of its own; the golden arches attain alpine heights—but come crashing down in Houston.

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State Secrets |
December 1, 1988

State Secrets

The newest threat to Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire is an old face; an investigation of an acid leak turns sour; a Texas congressman may take over the banking committee.

By Paul Burka and Tom Curtis

Education |
January 1, 1988

Not What the Doctor Ordered

When Houston’s Hermann Hospital sought a cure for its financial ills, it decided to perform major surgery on its agreement with the UT medical school next door.

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Reporter |
November 1, 1987

Texas Monthly Reporter

Onward through the fall at SMU; home on the fringe with Rob Paul; good news from the catalog jungle; a taste of Longhorn.

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News & Politics |
August 31, 1987

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

In 1980 a white girl was raped and murdered at Conroe High School, and the police quickly arrested a black janitorial supervisor. Now it looks as if the case wasn’t so open and shut after all.

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Environment |
January 1, 1980

Terminal Case

Galveston has withstood tidal waves, hurricanes, gamblers, and tourists. Can it survive a superport?

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