HTML/CSS Table height ignored in Internet Explorer - html

Question

I'm adding a new 'News Container' to a slightly older webpage at our firm.
This container is made up of a 2x3 table. I want the Cell 2x2 to be as High as the Text.
Here's the Problem:
Everybody uses IE in our offices (Security reasons etc.) but for some reason IE ignores the height attribute given either directly in HTML (style="height:;" or height="") or in a separate CSS.
So in Chrome it looks like this (how it should):
╔════════════════╗
╠══╦═════════════╣
║  ║Test String  ║
║  ╠═════════════╣
╚══╩═════════════╝
And in Internet Explorer like this:
╔════════════════╗
╠══╦═════════════╣
║  ║Test String  ║
║  ║ ║
║  ╠═════════════╣
╚══╩═════════════╝
Picture: http://imgur.com/a/jQXhQ
View it yourself (Open in both Chrome and IE) here.
How can I get IE to use the Height attribute or alternatively is there a different way?
IE Version: 11.0.9600.17358
Update: 11.0.13
Code:
<table id="NewsTable">
<tr>
<th id="NewsHeader" colspan="2">IT Status</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2">
<img id="NewsAmpel" alt="NewsStatus" src="Ampel/AmpelA.jpg" width="36px" height="100px">
</td>
<td id="NewsStatus"><b>Status:    </b>Test String</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="NewsDesc"><b>Description: </b>Sample Text</td>
</tr>

Answer 1

i have made some changes in html as well as CSS
Working Fiddle
http://jsfiddle.net/UzCRc/60/
HTML
<table id="NewsTable">
<tr>
<th id="NewsHeader" colspan="2">IT Status</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td id="NewsAmpel">
<img alt="NewsStatus" src="Ampel/AmpelA.jpg" width="36px" height="100px">
</td>
<td id="NewsStatus"><b>Status:    </b>Test String</td>
<td id="NewsDesc"><b>Description: </b>Sample Text</td>
</tr>
</table>
CSS
#NewsAmpel{
width:36px;
}
body {
font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;
font-size: 13px;
}
h1 {
font-size: 15px;
font-weight: bold;
}
h2 {
font-size: 14px;
body {
font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;
font-size: 13px;
}
h1 {
font-size: 15px;
font-weight: bold;
}
h2 {
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: bold;
}
img {
border: 0;
}
a {
color: #00538E;
}
#content {
width: 100%;
float: left;
}
#center {
width: 600px;
height: auto;
margin: 0 auto;
}
font-weight: bold;
}
img {
border: 0;
}
a {
color: #00538E;
}
#content {
width: 100%;
float: left;
}
#center {
width: 600px;
height: auto;
margin: 0 auto;
}
#NewsTable {
border: 2px solid #000000;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
width: 100%;
}
#NewsStatus {
height: 20px;
padding:0;
border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
width: 100%;
vertical-align: top;
display:block;
}
#NewsDesc {
height: 20px;
width: 100%;
margin:0;
padding:0;
display:block;
}
#NewsHeader {
text-align: center;
font-size: 14px;
font-weight: bold;
border: 1px solid #000000;
background-color: #FF1000;
}
Changes in html
Removed colspan
added image TD in same TR
Instead of image, ID has given to TD
CSS changes
#NewsStatus {
height: 20px;
padding:0;
border-bottom: 1px solid #000000;
width: 100%;//modified
vertical-align: top;
display:block;//added
}
#NewsDesc {
height: 20px; //added
width: 100%;//modified
margin:0;
padding:0;
display:block;//added
}
#NewsAmpel{
width:36px;
}