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MARSHALL — A warrant sweep by Harrison County Sheriff’s deputies has resulted in nine drug related arrests. According to a news release from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department, the arrests are the result of sealed grand jury indictments issued late last week. Several of the suspects, all of whom were arrested in the eastern part of the county, had multiple indictments and warrants. Three of the suspects were already in custody. The others were awakened and arrested at their homes. They are all being held in the Harrison County Jail on bonds ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. Continue reading Arrests Made in Harrison County Warrant Sweep

PLANO — A 57 year old Hunt County man has pleaded guilty to negligently releasing an extremely hazardous substance and placing another person in danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury. William “Bill” Lafon Musgrove, 57, of Quinlan, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. Magistrate Judge Don D. Bush’s court in Plano. Musgrove faces up to one year in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. Continue reading Manager of Metal Recovery Business Pleads Guilty

NEW YORK (AP) — A simple search on eBay reveals Johnny Manziel (pictured) is far from the only college football player whose autograph is for sale. Pick a star and you can find memorabilia with a signature the seller claims to be verified. South Carolina’s Jadeveon Clowney. Ohio State’s Braxton Miller. Oregon’s De’Anthony Thomas. Louisville’s Teddy Bridgewater. Alabama’s AJ McCarron. The list goes on and on. Continue reading Easy to Find Autographs of College Stars for Sale

SWAN — One person is dead after the industrial vehicle he was riding fell into a hole at Tyler Pipe. KETK reports contracted worker Joel DeLeon was killed when he backed his Bobcat vehicle into a hole shortly after 8:00 Wednesday morning. DeLeon was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace James Cowart. Continue reading One Dead after Bobcat Vehicle Falls into Hole at Tyler Pipe

ETOILE — One person is dead after Nacogdoches County deputies, SWAT, and U.S. Marshals attempted to serve a high risk felony warrant Wednesday morning. According to KETK, officials say Kevin Barrett Koonce, 46, of Etoile, was shot as he charged at officers firing his gun. Sheriff Jason Bridges said Koonce had an outstanding warrant for his arrest for the offense of motion to revoke probation with the original charge being aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The warrant was issued for Koonce’s arrest on July 17, 2012. Since that time, deputies had attempted to locate Koonce and execute the felony warrant several times but were unsuccessful. Continue reading Nacogdoches County Deputy Involved in Fatal Shooting

TYLER — Tyler’s sales tax revenues to be deposited for the month of August have grown 6% as compared to August 2012. According to the Texas Comptroller, this has resulted in a cumulative fiscal year-to-date increase of 4.19%. The reported revenue of $3,468,664.88 comprises $2,312,443.26 general sales tax revenue and $1,156,221.62 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from June 2013 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State. Continue reading City Sales Tax Figures Up 6%

WOOD COUNTY — An electric company in Wood county is warning its customers to look out for scammers. KETK reports more and more scammers are scaring customers into coughing up their personal information. Wood county electric cooperative is one of the latest companies having to deal with this mess. WCEC Director of Communications Paige Eaton says, “We were notified by a couple of members who called us and wanted to know if we were actually requesting credit card information over the phone and if their bills were in jeopardy.” Continue reading Customers Warned of Electricity Scam

TYLER — Some community members are responding to the recent shooting death of a young Tyler woman at a local park. On Monday, August 12, at 6:00pm, Rev. Jerome Milton will host a Community wide Summit on Nonviolence at Greater New Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 502 North Horace. Police believe Bri’ana Young, 20, was caught in gang crossfire when she was killed last month at P.T. Cole Park. Young was accompanied by her three-year-old child, who survived. Police continue to investigate. Continue reading Summit on Nonviolence Planned after Park Death

MARSHALL — Harrison County investigators are seeking information from the public regarding the identification of a suspect in a burglary on the county’s west side. The picture was captured on a home security system on Wednesday, July 31, as she was attempting to enter the front door. The door knob was damaged during the attempt, and the suspect then broke a window. Continue reading Harrison Co. Officials Seeking Burglary Suspect

SMITH COUNTY — A condo at The Villages near Lake Palestine has been destroyed by fire. It was reported shortly after 1:15 Tuesday afternoon on Spring Creek Road. KETK reports witnesses told them some people were cooking on a grill and they believe embers from the grill caught the grass on fire. The fire then spread under the porch of the condo that was destroyed. Three other condos suffered smoke damage. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — A 35-year-old Fairfield, Texas man has been sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Victor Vasquez pleaded guilty on March 7 to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis. Vasquez must also forfeit a 12 gauge shotgun and a 7.62×39 mm semi-automatic rifle to the government. Continue reading Fairfield Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm

TYLER — A 39-year-old Palestine man has been sentenced for his part in a multi-defendant drug conspiracy in East Texas. Craig Lee Bice pleaded guilty on last October 30 to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Bice was sentenced yesterday to 96 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis. Continue reading Palestine Man Sentenced in Meth Case

LONGVIEW — Longview Environmental Health officials are encouraging residents to exercise precaution following a report of the first positive case of West Nile in Longview this year. In response, the city will conduct mosquito spraying during early morning hours in the area surrounding the 300 block of Erskine Drive. In addition, city staff are distributing informational placards to the neighborhood advising individuals to take precaution against West Nile. Continue reading West Nile Reported In Longview

TYLER — According to the office of Magistrate Judge John D. Love with the Tyler federal court, former Smith County Sheriff’s Deputy Kimbrick Bernard Jones, 38, has pleaded not guilty to drug charges. Jones was arrested July 10, on reports he was on duty when he allegedly sold drugs from his county patrol unit. Sheriff Larry Smith told KETK he heard rumors when he took office that Jones had been selling crack cocaine while on duty. “We got enough information on him two months ago to begin an investigation,” said Smith. The investigation included officials with the Sheriff’s department, as well as the Narcotics Unit, FBI, and Texas Rangers. Continue reading Former Deputy Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Charges

ATHENS — An East Texas man has received the maximum sentence for a murder in 2010. KETK reports that Avery Lee Denton, 49, was sentenced in Athens to 20 years for the death of his former girlfriend. Denton had also burned her body in a burn pile near Brownsboro. He was sentenced to serve 15 years on a charge involving tampering with a human corpse. Continue reading East Texan Given Maximum Sentence for 2010 Murder

TYLER — Tyler state Rep. Matt Schaefer voted Monday in favor of House Bill 1 and House Joint Resolution 1, which he says will provide much needed funding for road construction and maintenance. The boom in the Texas oil and gas sector has significantly increased the amount of tax revenues sent to the Economic Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, according to Schaefer. He says it is the state’s savings account that has helped maintain government functions during hard economic times. Continue reading Schaefer Supports Increased Road Funding

HENDERSON — Rusk County’s airport director has been fired after county officials discovered he crashed his vehicle into a home last week. Police say David Dumas, 49, was booked into Rusk County Jail for driving while intoxicated. It was his second time in the last two weeks. Police tell KETK Dumas was pulling out of a business in the 500 block of West Main Street in Henderson when he hit the accelerator instead of the brake. He was on administrative leave for three hours when he ran his truck into the home. Officials say he was fired that day.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — An East Texas native was recently honored for his heroic actions while serving in Afghanistan, according to military officials. KETK reports that on July 23, Lance Cpl. Joel T. Murray of Hallsville earned the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” device in recognition of his “heroic achievement” during the defense of Forward Operating Base Shir Ghazi in the Helmand province. Continue reading East Texas Marine Honored for “Heroic Achievement” in Afghanistan

LONGVIEW — Three of the nation’s most uninsured counties are in Northeast Texas, according to a report by the American Center for Progress: Titus, Henderson, and Cherokee counties. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the report concludes that 22 of the 30 most uninsured counties in the nation are in Texas, where six million people are uninsured. That is the highest state rate in the country, according to the report. The group urged Congress to stop trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Continue reading Report: Three of Nation’s Most Uninsured Counties in East Texas

MARSHALL — Harrison County has indicted an East Texas woman for solicitation of capital murder of a peace officer. KETK reports Amanda Denise Smith, 24, was indicted for a murder for hire plot involving an East Texas police officer. She and Sydney Sides, 18, allegedly attempted to pay someone $5,000 to kill her estranged husband, who had filed for divorce earlier this year.

LINDALE — Lindale ISD trustees voted Monday night to decrease the total tax rate by two cents, including a four cent tax decrease on the interest and sinking tax rate and a two cent tax rate increase on the maintenance and operation tax rate, a move that will need approval from LISD voters. Trustees voted to increase the maintenance and operation rate to $1.08 per $100 property valuation. By statue, any increase in the maintenance and operation tax rate must be ratified by election. A tax ratification election will be held on Tuesday, October 8. The two cent M&O increase will generate approximately $275,000 in school funding primarily for the purchase of technology for classrooms and additional security at the elementary campuses. Continue reading Lindale ISD Tax Ratification Election Set for Tech, Security Upgrades

LUFKIN — An Angelina County double murder suspect has surrendered to authorities. Kevin Jabbar McKelvey, 37, of Lufkin turned himself in to authorities last night. Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches said McKelvey showed up at the sheriff’s department around 8:00 last night with his parents. After talking with his parents he decided to turn himself in. He fled after he reportedly shot and killed his ex-girlfriend and her mother late Sunday night. It happened in the 100 block of Carlton.

HOOKS (AP) — Investigators say three people have been killed and several hurt in a pickup truck rollover accident on Interstate 30 in Northeast Texas. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the wreck happened around dawn Monday on eastbound Interstate Highway30 in Bowie County near Hooks. DPS officials told KSLA-TV that seven people were in the vehicle and the driver may have fallen asleep. DPS says three people were dead at the scene. Several others were injured and transported to hospitals. Details on the victims weren’t immediately released. Investigators say the truck apparently was bound from Mexico to Indiana. Further details weren’t immediately available.

LONGVIEW — About twenty people gathered outside the Longview library Monday to bring attention to the need for immigration reform. According to KETK, Organizing for Action is calling for support of the immigration bill that was passed by the Senate in June. Speakers from the local NAACP, Organizing for Action, and immigration lawyers addressed the crowd. The groups are asking for community members to call their reps to support the reform.

MARSHALL — Former Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy Eddie Nichols has been found guilty of indecency with a child in his trial in state district court, according to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. KETK reports the case was investigated by the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Rangers. Nichols, who was also a pastor, was arrested in September 2011 for two counts of sexual indecency with a child by contact. He was also arrested on a sex charge that involves another alleged victim in December 2011. It’s now up to jurors to decide Nichols’s punishment.

WINONA — A Monday afternoon fire in Winona was extinguished thanks to a quick response by the Winona Fire Department. KETK reports firefighters responded to a call around 1:30pm, with reports a detached garage/shop was on fire in the 11000 block of Smith County Road 313. Due to high winds, the fire spread to the grass, which encompassed about two acres. According to the Winona fire chief, the fire was put out but the detached structure was destroyed. No injuries occurred in the incident.

TYLER — A judge announced Monday there would be no plea bargain in the case of Ricky Neal, Jr., 23, of Tyler. According to KETK, Neal (pictured) allegedly murdered former Chapel Hill High School and Stephen F. Austin State University football player Chris Mass, 23, of Tyler. Neal has also been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after police claimed he also shot at Jonathan Lamone Dews, 29, of Tyler. On Saturday, February 9, 2013, Neal allegedly killed Mass following a dispute involving Twitter. Neal’s trial is slated to begin October 7. Continue reading Trial to Begin October 7 in SFA Footballer’s Death

TYLER — A Center, Texas couple, now living in Elgin, Texas, and a Center, Texas man have been indicted on charges of conspiracy and health care fraud. The former owners and operators of North East Texas EMS, Cathy Harvill, 56, and Bill Harvill, 59, and the former supervisor of the North East Texas EMS Nacogdoches office, Shon Cooper, 42, were indicted by a federal grand jury last month. If convicted, the defendants face up to ten years in federal prison. Continue reading Three Indicted in East Texas Health Care Fraud Scheme

HOUSTON (AP) – Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin says the university is gathering facts after a report that quarterback Johnny Manziel was paid for signing hundreds of autographs in January. Speaking to the media Monday before the Aggies open camp, Sumlin says he learned of the ESPN report Sunday. ESPN says the NCAA is investigating whether the Heisman Trophy winner was paid for the autographs, which could potentially violate its amateurism rules and put his eligibility in question. Sumlin said he would not speculate whether Manziel will be his starter when the season begins August 31 against Rice. He also said starting defensive tackle Kirby Ennis, who was arrested in February on a weapons charge, will be suspended for the Rice game.

TYLER — There’s a change in how underserved people in the Tyler area get access to health care services. First, according to KETK, Total Healthcare in Tyler will no longer see patients effective Friday, August 2. According to a sign on the door of the facility, the clinic closed its doors for good at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Last year, the city suspended funding to the Total Healthcare organization after what the city called a “chronic inability to maintain leadership.” In 2011, the Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against Total Healthcare alleging several violations including negligent mismanagement. Total Healthcare had operated as the community’s only Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Continue reading Health Care Switch for Tyler’s Underserved