Lockheed to represent defense industry in DARPA robotics contest

The total potential payout for the winner will be $2 million — pocket change for the biggest defense company on the globe. And yet, Lockheed Martin Corp. is leading one of 25 teams in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s annual Robotics Challenge. And it’s the only large contractor to do so.

The teams will vie for a chance to win one of three cash prizes totaling $3.5 million at the DARPA Robitics Challenge finals — the second crop of 14 teams, many of which are international, was…

Splat goes Castle Creek: Regulation, NIMBYs kill plan for Fairfax County's first paintball field

The great Clifton paintball war is over without a shot fired.

Jeff Waters, who had proposed to open Fairfax County’s first paintball field on his wife’s family’s Clifton-area farm, has thrown in the towel, citing startup costs, regulations and what he described as “threats of litigation” from neighbors.

Instead, Waters has launched Whitehall Farms LLC, an agritourism business that will feature the production and sale of “high-quality farm products” (including grass-fed beef) in a farmers market,…

Railroad commissioners support lifting crude oil export ban

All three Texas Railroad Commissioners have stated their support for asking Congress to lift the federal ban on exporting crude oil.

The Texas House of Representatives held a joint meeting of their Energy Resources Committee and International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee on Monday morning.

On the agenda, were House Concurrent Resolution 57 and House Concurrent Resolution 63.

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HCR 57 is a resolution urging Congress to lift…

Houston among fastest-growing office rents worldwide

A report looking at the top 300 cities for commercial real estate globally has found Houston near the top of the list for fastest-growing office rents.

The Global300 report, prepared by Chicago-based Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL), looked at the third-quarter numbers and compared them year over year. Houston was No. 5 on the list. Dublin, Ireland, was No. 1, followed by Singapore; Lyon, France; and Wellington, New Zealand.

Houston also clocked in at No. 16 in real estate investment and No. 14 in…

Houston energy co. terminates acquisition deal, files Chapter 11

Houston-based Dune Energy Inc. (OTCBB: DUNR) has canceled a previously announced acquisition deal and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to reorganize.

Dune said March 9 it will request approval of $10 million in debtor-in-possession financing from its bankruptcy lenders and will continue to operate its oil and gas production facilities as a debtor-in-possession. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company has assets of $229.5 million and debts of $144.2 million.

Additionally, Dune…