TEXAS NEWS BRIEFS

SAN ANGELO (AP) - When police officers armed with weapons and protective gear descended on a West Texas ranch owned by a polygamist church, its members responded by going to their knees in prayer.

Images released Tuesday show police entering the Yearning for Zion ranch on April 3 wearing body armor and carrying automatic weapons, backed by an armored personnel carrier.

"They responded by singing and praying," said Rod Parker, a Salt Lake City attorney who serves as a spokesman for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He released four still photos and a slice of video to The Associated Press.

Authorities were looking for a teenage girl who had reported being abused by her 50-year-old husband.

Tela Mange, a state Department of Public Safety spokeswoman, said officers are trained to protect themselves.

The armored car was precautionary and designed to remove someone from the property, not to force entry onto the ranch, she said..

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Democrat raised about half what Republican Cornyn spent

WASHINGTON (AP) - A picture of the tough challenge Democrat Rick Noriega has undertaken in his bid to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn is made clear in the latest campaign money raising reports.

Noriega collected $387,047 over the approximately two months ending March 31, a little more than half $733,481 rival Cornyn spent on his campaign for the same period.

Candidates filed their latest reports with the Federal Election Commission, as required by election law, on Tuesday. The reports show how much campaigns raised, spent and borrowed Feb. 14 to March 31. The party primaries were March 4.

Cornyn's campaign said his money totals bode well for him.