Texas AIDS organization burglarized

The Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation, which was forced in December to stop serving its 400-plus clients in Corpus Christi, Tex., because of a funding shortfall, has been burglarized. Staffers said they noticed Monday morning that several donated items, including a guitar worth $3,000 and a CD player, were missing. CBAF was forced to close due to problems stemming from an ongoing dispute over a $300,000 contract with the Bexar County Department of Housing and Human Services, which distributes federal and state funds to HIV/AIDS groups in the area. The foundation this week received a $78,000 check from the department, which is not enough to allow it to reopen but will help provide some services, including emergency housing aid, to about 100 of the foundation's former clients. The foundation continues to operate its HIV testing and education services because they are funded from a different state source.