It took a little nudge, but Happy Feet the wayward penguin was indeed sent on his way home (hopefully) over the weekend.

The Associated Press has video of the moment when the little guy who ended up on a beach in New Zealand — thousands of miles from his home in Antarctica — slid into the Pacific Ocean.

When I was a kid, I assumed that in the future things would get better and better until we were all driving flying cars and playing badminton with space aliens on top of 500-story buildings. Frankly, I kind of counted on this happening. But now I don't assume that we'll just keep going up anymore.

As the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks draws closer, we're pointing to some of the stories being told about that day and the days since.

This morning, The Wall Street Journal offers "A Battered Firm's Long Road Back." It's a look at the investment-banking firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, which lost more than a third of its 171 New York employees when the south tower of the World Trade Center fell.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - Solar power is being used by an increasing number of northwest Ohio companies wanting to save money on energy costs.

The Blade reports that companies in the region say potential cost savings and financing deals that helped them afford the projects prompted their solar investments.

Good morning.

Wildfires continue to blaze in parts of central and northeast Texas, as we reported earlier. There are so many and they're moving so fast, in fact, that NPR's Wade Goodwyn says there just aren't enough firefighters and aircraft to battle them all effectively.

We'll keep an eye on developments there this week.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - A nationwide shortage of truck drivers has specialty schools in Ohio working to help trucking companies fill that need with newly-trained drivers.

The Akron Beacon Journal reports trucking organizations' estimates on the need for drivers over the next couple of years range from 100,000 to 500,000. Industry officials say the aging of the current driver population and increased trucking regulations are among the reasons for the tight market.

Raging wildfires continue to burn across central Texas and so far have destroyed about 500 homes, Austin's American-Statesman writes this morning.

The newspaper adds that "the scope of the disaster — perhaps the worst of its kind in the region's history — was not fully known by late Monday as officials struggled to provide a complete count of the number of lost structures."

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - One Ohio city has hit record marks for heat, cool weather and rainfall all within three days of extremes.

The National Weather Service says Dayton on Monday reached a high temperature on Monday of just 62 degrees, tying the record for the chilliest maximum temperature ever recorded on Sept. 5.

Two days earlier, Dayton had sweltered in 97-degree heat.  Saturday's high temperature tied the record for Sept. 3 that had been set in 1913.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - State industry and animal welfare advocates say new rules on the handling of Ohio farm animals that take effect later this month will make the state a leader in setting standards for livestock care.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture is midway through holding meetings around the state to introduce the new requirements. They cover the proper feeding, restraint, housing and health care for a full range of animals including poultry, cattle, pigs, horses and alpacas.

CINCINNATI (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden says this Labor Day finds unions under the most direct assault in generations and needing to fight to keep from losing hard-won rights.

Biden spoke Monday to a major labor gathering in Cincinnati, as Ohio unions are revving up a campaign to overturn a Republican-pushed law passed this year that restricts collective bargaining for the state's public employees. He says there is a battle across the country for "the heart and soul of the labor movement."