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Donut Shop Employee Robbed
TYLER — Tyler police say the Donut Shop on 1627 South Vine was robbed around 4:30 this morning. Reports say two black men in their 20′s came in to the business with a gun and demanded money. The employee said she didn’t have any but she did reportedly give the suspects her purse. Officials say the two suspects were both wearing black hoodie’s. One had a red shirt on underneath, the other with a white shirt.
Jewelry Theft Suspects Arrested
TYLER — Several suspects are in custody after allegedly stealing some jewelry from Murphey the Jewelr at 4921 South Broadway. It happened around 3:00 Wednesday afternoon. Employees say a Hispanic female stole some jewelry and then left in a black Ford Expedition driven by a Hispanic male.
A vehicle matching the suspect’s vehicle was noticed by an investigator with the Smith County District Attorney’s office. A Tyler Patrol Officer got behind the suspect at the Van Highway and Loop 323. The vehicle fled from officers and the pursuit was halted. The vehicle was found and the suspects were arrested a short time later by the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is continuing.
Longview Chief of Police Announces Retirement
LONGVIEW — After 32 years with the Longview Police Department and 35 years total in law enforcement, Chief J.B. McCaleb announces that he will retire in January 2011. Chief McCaleb began with the department in 1979, and he has served as Chief of Police since 2003.
According to J.B. McCaleb, “It has been a privilege to serve the citizens of Longview for this number of years. I consider it a true honor to have served with the men and women of the Longview Police Department. I am giving my announcement now to allow time for a smooth transition.”
Over the coming months, the City of Longview will establish a transition process. As set by City Charter, the City Manager is responsible for selecting a Chief of Police, pending approval by City Council.
Police Nab Suspect after Short Crime Spree
TYLER — Police in Tyler say they’ve arrested a man following a brief crime spree. On Wednesday, Tyler Police were notified at 12:02 p.m. in reference to a 2003 SL 500 Mercedes Benz that had been stolen from 3872 Brighton Creek Circle — allegedly by the person hired to work in the yard while the home owner was away. Police say at 2:24 p.m. the suspect in the stolen vehicle, identified as 27-year-old Theodore Lane Obrien, was involved in a hit-and-run accident in the 100 block of N. Broadway. Police say Obrien was driving into oncoming southbound traffic and struck a 2002 Ford Focus. No injuries were reported to police from this incident.
According to a police report, a witness followed Obrien to the 300 block of Selman Street, where Obrien reportedly bailed from the stolen vehicle. Officers say they saw Obrien run to a residence at 219 Goodman Street and kick in the door to the residence. Officers report that they pursued the suspect into the occupied residence and found him hiding in a closet. Obrien was placed under arrest for theft of the vehicle, hit and run, and criminal trespass.
Crime Down in Tyler
TYLER — Tyler Police say overall crime is down close to 18% for the first half of the year. But acccording to KETK, police also say commercial and residential burglaries have increased by close to 8% this year.
Woman Reportedly Hits Man with Car
TYLER — A Tyler woman reportedly sends her boyfriend to the hospital Tuesday night after accusing him of infidelity. According to KETK, it happened at a house in the 2800 block of Premera Road just outside of Tyler. Smith County Deputies say she hit the man with her car and fled the scene. Authorities are still searching for the woman. When she’s caught, authorities say she could be charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Man Guilty in Cold Pill Case
TYLER – A Morris County man is the latest in a series of defendants to plead guilty in Tyler to federal violations involving methamphetamine manufacturing. Like the other defendants, Jimmy Ray Nix, Jr., 36, of Daingerfield, pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
According to information presented in court, on April 27, 2009, Nix purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Walgreens in Longview, in addition to making four other purchases that same day at other stores in the area, all in furtherance of his methamphetamine manufacturing activities. A federal grand jury returned a 256-count indictment on February 2, 2010 charging Nix with federal drug violations. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.
LETU Gets $1.6 Million in NSF Grants
LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University has recently been awarded three National Science Foundation grants totaling nearly $1.6 million for engineering projects. “In the last 10 years, LeTourneau faculty members have been awarded nearly $6.5 million in grant funding by organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health,” said LETU President Dale A. Lunsford. “Our faculty members are doing exceptional work here in Longview, Texas, where we have one of the premier engineering programs in the country. Our faculty are among the most highly qualified educators in all of Christian higher education.”
The first and largest of the three recent grants is $798,823 for upgrading LETU’s materials joining engineering lab for research and education, under the direction of Dr. Yoni Adonyi. The upgrades include a complete overhaul of the electrical wiring to the laboratory, increasing the capacity needed to operate complex equipment used in the lab for joining advanced engineering materials. Other upgrades will include improved lighting, roofing, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning and interior insulation to bring the MJE lab up to date with the 21st century standards of a modern engineering research environment. Following a design phase, bids will be sought, probably sometime around Christmas. Completion of the project is expected to be done by Fall 2011.
The second NSF grant recently awarded was for about $500,000 over the next five years to support retention of first-year students majoring in engineering and engineering technology. The “First-Year Initiatives for Retention Enhancement” or FIRE grant develops a coordinated mentoring program for first-year students and a new, two-course freshman sequence that exposes students to real-world engineering practices. Industry mentors will provide a broad perspective of job opportunities in the engineering and engineering technology fields, as they work alongside faculty and peer mentors. This grant is under the direction of Alan Niemi and Robert Warke. The initial amount for the first three years is $321,965, with an additional $87,576 in year 2013 and $90,457 in year 2014. (more…)
Smith County to Receive Best Practices Award
TYLER — Smith County will receive the Texas Association of Counties Best Practices Award for cost reductions made through the County’s Compensatory Time Management Program during a ceremony Thursday night. According to a county news release, each year TAC’s Leadership Foundation recognizes and highlights select county programs for outstanding innovation, achievement and delivery of services.
Officials say the Smith County Compensatory Time Management Program began in 2008 as a joint effort of the Auditor’s Office and Sheriff’s Department, to reduce the ever increasing and costly pay out and accrual of employee earned compensatory time. At that time, Smith County had more than $735,000 in accrued liability recorded for comp time — and more than $600,000 of the accrual was solely attributed to the Sheriff’s department and the Jail. Today, officials say, the comp hours have been reduced by 48% in the Sheriff’s office and 41% in the jail for a total reduction of more than 44% department wide. According to officials, that reduction has reduced the county’s accrued liability by more than $350,000.
“We are very proud of the leadership in our Sheriff’s Office and Auditor’s Department. They stepped up and thought outside the box to reduce our accumulated comp time and ultimately save hundreds of thousands of dollars for the County,” said Comp Time Committee Member and Smith County Precinct 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton. Representatives from Smith County will be presented with the award during a ceremony at the TAC Annual Conference in Austin, Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
A Gift in the Battle Against Hunger
TYLER — Woodforest Charitable Foundation and Woodforest National Bank have presented a $12,000 check to the East Texas Food Bank. It’s the first gift to the food bank for Hunger Action Month. The check was presented Wednesday to Dennis Cullinane, executive director of the East Texas Food Bank. The gift will support the East Texas Food Bank’s BackPack and Kids Cafe programs in 10 counties: Bowie, Cass, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Titus and Van Zandt counties.
Plastics Services Firm Ends Texas Job Contract
AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – A plastics compounding company operating in East Texas has canceled its state job creation contract. Alloy Polymers Inc. — which has a Crockett-area facility — is joining other firms that have quit or changed their pacts under Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas Enterprise Fund since the recession hit. Perry spokeswoman Lucy Nashed says Alloy Polymers canceled its enterprise fund contract on July 9 citing “business reasons.” She says the company paid back with interest the $100,000 in taxpayer money it received under the $200,000 agreement. A governor’s office list of enterprise fund grant recipients states Alloy Poymers was to have created 52 new jobs as part of the 2006 agreement. An Alloy Polymers official familiar with the contract did not immediately return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press.
State Headlines
Company Blamed in Pipeline Explosion
FORT WORTH (AP) — The Texas Railroad Commission says a company didn’t adequately mark the path of a buried natural gas pipeline that exploded after it was hit by a drill. The massive June 7th explosion in rural Johnson County killed a worker. The commission says Enterprise Products Operating violated several state regulations.
Texan Dies in Afghanistan
FORT CARSON, COLO. (AP) — The Defense Department says five Fort Carson soldiers, including one from Texas, were killed when their unit was attacked with an improvised bomb in Afghanistan. The Texan is identified as Staff Sgt. Jesse Infante of Cypress. He was part of the 4th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, which arrived in Afghanistan this summer.
Judge OKs $12M Settlement on Bad Peanuts
LYNCHBURG, VA. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a $12 million settlement for those sickened or killed in last year’s salmonella outbreak tied to a peanut processor. The outbreak was traced to Virginia-based Peanut Corp. of America’s plants in Georgia and Texas and linked to at least nine deaths and 700 illnesses.
Congresswoman Repays Foundation for Scholarships
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas congresswoman who broke scholarship rules by awarding money to her relatives and an aide’s children has repaid about $31,000 to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson said in a statement Wednesday that she has repaid the funds in full. Johnson has said she unknowingly broke the rules.
Ex-Dallas Teacher Pleads Guilty in Child Porn Case
DALLAS (AP) — A former high school teacher in Dallas has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography and possessing it. Jon Leslie Lyons entered his plea before a federal magistrate yesterday. A school district employee in May notified authorities after finding images on a school computer assigned to Lyons, who taught English at Woodrow Wilson High School.
$10 Million Worth of Pot Seized
WAXAHACHIE (AP) — Law enforcement authorities south of Dallas say they’ve seized nearly 20,000 marijuana plants with a street value of nearly $10 million. Ellis County Sheriff’s Lt. James Saulter said Wednesday that the plants were found across four fields. The plants were mature and ready to harvest, ranging from 4 to 12 feet high. The plants were found near the border between Ellis and Navarro counties. Three campsites were found among the fields, along with extensive irrigation systems. No one was arrested.
Houston Company Faces 83 Alleged Citations
HOUSTON (AP) — A Goodman Manufacturing facility in Houston faces more than $1.2 million in proposed fines for allegedly failing to record and improperly recording work-related injuries and illnesses. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced 83 citations against Goodman’s air conditioning cooling facility.
Suit Against American Airlines
SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state woman is suing Fort Worth-based American Airlines, saying she was traumatized when a plane ran off the runway at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in 2008. Jewel Thomas says she has suffered severe mental and emotional problems. The lawsuit contends that the flight crew should have diverted sooner since the plane had electrical problems.
