AUSTIN, Texas — Few aspects of Christmas season bring joy to so many as do holiday lights, whether they decorate a Christmas tree, adorn gingerbread-trimmed Victorian homes or illuminate courthouses in many Texas communities.

AUSTIN, Texas - As Hurricane Rita bears down on the Texas coast, coastal state parks are temporarily closing, while others open their doors at no cost to hurricane evacuees. Meanwhile, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens, many of them fresh from Katrina duty in New Orleans, are staging for a possible new round of rescues in their home state. (The Governor's Emergency Management Council is coordinating Rita response for all state agencies, including TPWD game wardens.)