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NACOGDOCHES — A Nacogdoches club owner has been arrested for dug violations. James Grigsby, 45, is the owner and operator of club, Metro, on Farm Road 225. He was taken into custody after Nacogdoches County officers found a large amount of cocaine, crack cocaine and codeine at his residence and nightclub. Sheriff Jason Bridges tells KETK they had an ongoing investigation into drug distribution by the suspect. The sheriff said that the investigation revealed that Grigsby had just transported a large load of cocaine into Nacogdoches County and was storing it at stash house in Nacogdoches.

ATHENS — In just over 4 month, some Henderson County residents will be voting on a local option liquor issue. Henderson County Commissioners yesterday approved the petition submitted by Texas Petition Strategies for a local option election in J.P. Precinct 3. The precinct is in the northeast section of Henderson County. Voters will be asked to approve sale of beer and wine for off-premises consumption only. The issue will go before voters on November 5th.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying a man who walked out of a local business without paying for several items. KETK reports that on May 9, an unknown white man walked into Home Depot and picked up a few goods. After walking through the front door, store management approached the man. At that time, the alleged thief told workers not to stop him, rather call the police. The man is believed to have left the scene in a newer model gold F-150 2-door truck. Continue reading Authorities Seek Identity of Longview Bandit

LONGVIEW — Wednesday, July 31st, has been designated as National Heatstroke Prevention Day by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The Longview Police Department and Longview Parks and Recreation Department have teamed up with Lively Olds Cadillac GMC to raise awareness on this important topic. Continue reading National Heatstroke Prevention Day Display

LONGVIEW — An Ore City woman has been taken into custody on a forgery charge. Monday afternoon a little after 4:45, Longview Police officers were dispatched to an alleged forgery in progress in the 700 block of West Marshall Avenue. When officers arrived, they were told a woman later identified as Dacquri R. Wright 20, had attempted to pay for her fast food order with a counterfeit $100 bill. Police located Wright in the drive-thru of the restaurant. Wright was arrested for third degree felony forgery and transported to the Gregg County Jail without incident.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have taken three men into custody for vehicle burglary, and one faces a drug charge. Monday morning just before 4:15, Longview Police Officers were dispatched to the 2400 Block of South High Street for suspicious activity. Officers were told by the victim that while he was watching live surveillance video, he observed three people breaking into vehicles on his property. The victim gave a description of the men and vehicle they were in. Continue reading Three Men Arrested for Vehicle Burglary

KAUFMAN (AP) – An appeals court has upheld the theft conviction of the suspected shooter in the slayings of three people, including two North Texas prosecutors. The 5th Texas Court of Appeals on Monday affirmed the trial judgment against Eric Williams, now imprisoned for the killings of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, his wife, Cynthia, and fellow prosecutor Mark Hasse. Authorities believe Williams carried out the killings to avenge the former justice of the peace’s conviction last year on theft charges, over computer monitors taken from a county building. McLelland and Hasse prosecuted the case against him. Williams had appealed the conviction. It was pending when Hasse was killed in January and the McLellands were fatally shot in March. Authorities have said they’ll seek the death penalty against Williams.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview woman accused of scheming to steal a baby by killing a mother with a newborn or one who was in late-term pregnancy has been ruled mentally competent to stand trial. According to the Longview News-Journal, Tanya Lynette Bradley, 30, was arrested in June 2012 after her friends told police Bradley was lying in wait for a mother outside Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. After a two-hour examination of Bradley conducted July 14, a forensic psychiatrist ruled Bradley is competent to stand trial for the charge of criminal attempt to commit capital murder. Bradley has been held in the Gregg County Jail since her arrest June 30, 2012 under bonds totaling $500,000. A trial date has been set for August 19.

JACKSONVILLE — Cherokee County authorities have arrested a suspect in a store burglary. It happened just before 2:00 Saturday morning at The Corner Store, located at the intersection of Farm Road 747 and County Road 3119 near Lake Jacksonville. Responding to an alarm, deputies found the front door glass to the store had been shattered. Investigators discovered that the suspect ran into the door and had possibly suffered a cut to his head or face when leaving through the shattered glass door. DNA was collected at the scene. Later arrested was Derick Joe Dale Kemp. Continue reading Cherokee County Burglary Suspect Arrested

GARLAND (AP/STAFF) — North Texas police say a shoplifting suspect who was fatally shot by an off-duty officer was previously involved in a carjacking that left an 82-year-old Henderson County woman injured. Garland police say that Casey Daniel Smith, 31, of Kemp was killed when he threatened the officer with a crowbar. The officer was working security at a Wal-Mart store in Garland, northeast of Dallas. Smith was shot in the chest and died Sunday at a hospital. Continue reading Off-Duty Garland Officer Kills Suspect Sought in East Texas

TYLER — The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting applications for drought relief and continuing emergency farm loans. Smith County farm loan manager Joseph Grier asks farmers who want to apply for emergency loans to submit their applications as soon as possible. The deadline for application is February 26, 2014, but Grier says if farmers wait too long, a backlog will develop and cause delays. Generally, farmers who have lost 30 percent of their production or any physical loss due to drought are eligible for the emergency loans. The FSA office is located at 4209 Republic Drive in Tyler.

LONGVIEW — Sheriff Maxey Cerliano and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office request assistance in identifying a possible suspect in a vehicle burglary and credit card abuse case. On July 3rd, Deputies responded to an address on Airline Road for a burglary of a vehicle case. The victim reported that during the previous night, an unknown suspect or suspects entered his vehicle by breaking a window. The burglar or burglars removed the victim’s wallet, containing his driver license and several credit cards. Continue reading Authorities Seek Help in Burglary/Credit Card Abuse Case

MARSHALL — A 30-year-old Marshall man has been charged with capital murder in connection with the death of his 7-month-old child. That’s the report from KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Jayson Jones was arrested July 9 in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, and was taken Friday to the Harrison County Jail, according to a release from the Marshall Police Department. Police said the 7-month-old was taken unresponsive to the emergency room at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall on July 14, 2012. Medical personnel were unable to resuscitate the child. Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Judge Westy Meisenheimer pronounced the infant dead and ordered an autopsy. The infant’s death was ruled a homicide. Continue reading Father Charged in Death of 7-Month-Old Baby in Marshall

TYLER — Crews have discovered the cause of a sinkhole that created some problems last week at Broadway and Front in Tyler, and they’re gearing up for repairs the second weekend in August. TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz tells KETK the cave-in began with a clay storm drainpipe that was likely installed during or right after World War II. According to Krantz, concrete was difficult to obtain during that period. He says the drainpipe’s “time had just come” and heavy rain may have been “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Continue reading Cause of Sinkhole Determined; Repairs Planned

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County man crashed his vehicle into a house Saturday afternoon. KETK reports it happened around 5, just off Highway 64, just east of County Road 293. The driver, Matt King, says his tire blew out, causing him to run off the highway and crash into the house. Smith County troopers say the house was abandoned.

CANTON — Van Zandt County authorities have announced the arrest of William Lee Honea, 32, of Yantis in a July 3 shooting that injured a 24-year-old Grand Saline man. Honea was arrested last week at a residence just outside of Emory, on Rains County Road 3333. He was wanted on a Van Zandt County warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The shooting occurred near Grand Saline. Continue reading Man Arrested in Van Zandt County Shooting

TYLER — All full-time employees at Tyler Junior College will have a little more money in their pockets. KETK reports that TJC trustees have unanimously approved a 2 percent raise, on top of a $500 raise, across the board for the 2013-2014 school year. That’s great news for the more than 500 full-time employees at the college. Trustee Clint Roxburgh calls the hike a “conservative raise.” Roxburgh comments, “We’ve been very conservative in terms of our projections. We try to maintain our tax rate, and we’re going to do that again this year.” Roxburgh added that if enrollment is up this year, trustees will talk about another possible raise in the spring.

NEW LONDON — On May 29, Robert Jordan made a huge announcement to the 2013 West Rusk High School graduating class. Jordan said his friend, filmmaker Nicolas Sturghill, would be giving each senior a scholarship to East Texas Baptist University. Weeks have passed, still no money has come in, and now that the July 31 deadline for the first tuition payment is coming closer, it seems these students’ chances of attending college this fall may be out of reach. Continue reading Delay in Scholarships at West Rusk ISD

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at other work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

UNDATED – Work associated the Texas Department of Transportation’s annual preventative maintenance program known as District-Wide Seal Coat is scheduled to continue this week in the Whitehouse area and then move into the Overton area as it moves through all eight counties of the Tyler District. They will be treating nearly 300 miles of roadway before concluding work in August. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — Two persons have been injured in a car-pedestrian accident. It happened shortly after 8:15 Saturday night in the 5800 block of Old Bullard Road. Injured was Audrey Hettinger, 20, and a 2 week old infant. Witnesses told officers they saw the two crossing the street westbound when they were hit by a south bound black Mercedes-Benz. The driver has been identified as Angela Minick, 40. Hettinger is listed in critical condition at a Tyler hospital. The infant was later transported to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas and her current condition is unknown. Police say that Hettinger was crossing the road outside of the designated crosswalk area. According to investigators, there was no indication of alcohol use by either person. The accident remains under investigation and no charges have been filed at this time.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating the robbery of a man in the area of North Spring and Hillsboro Streets. It happened around 8:45 Friday night. The victim was walking in the area when he was approached by two black males. The suspects assaulted the victim, stole his money and cell phone then fled in a light color sedan. The victim suffered minor injuries.

AUSTIN (AP) — Texas lawmakers have reached a deal to increase funding for roads and bridges, if voters approve a constitutional amendment in November 2014. Republican Senator Robert Nichols of Jacksonville said negotiators from the House and Senate hammered out the agreement Friday and only needed to fix a few details. Legislators agreed to a proposed constitutional amendment that would divert about $848 million in oil and gas revenues away from the state’s Rainy Day Fund. An accompanying law would set a minimum balance for the fund until the Legislative Budget Board takes control of it. Nichols said the money would only be spent on non-toll roads and bridges and could not be spent to pay off debt. The House and Senate are scheduled to meet again Monday to give final approval.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano has been elected President of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas. The election was held the association’s 135th Annual Training Conference held in Corpus Christi. Sheriff Cerliano has been the Sheriff of Gregg County for over 12 years. The Sheriffs’ Association of Texas is one of the oldest law enforcement associations in the nation.

Longview — Former Longview state Representative Tommy Merritt said little Thursday about published reports he wants to be the Texas agriculture commissioner, except that they are true. Merritt told the Longview News-Journal, “The answer is just, I’m definitely interested,” Merritt said. “I’m definitely interested in seeking the office of agriculture commissioner.” Continue reading Former Lawmaker Considers Bid for State Agriculture Commissioner

LINDALE — Lindale police are continuing their investigation into a truck-pedestrian accident that killed a man on Interstate Highway 20. He died when he stepped in front of a tractor trailer rig around the 556 mile marker shortly after 2:00 Friday afternoon. The man’s name has not been released as investigators say the death may have been a suicide. Other accidents occurred in the traffic back up to that accident

NACOGDOCHES (AP) — An East Texas man has been charged in a deadly crash that killed three classmates at Stephen F. Austin State University in May. The Daily Sentinel reports Kevin Garcia, 19, of Nacogdoches was charged this week with three counts of criminally negligent homicide. Garcia was driving a Ford Escape with the three others as passengers when he attempted a U-turn on a Nacogdoches highway. The Escape pulled in front of an 18-wheeler and was struck. The passengers all were pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say toxicology reports for Garcia came back negative for drugs and alcohol. A Rusk County grand jury is scheduled to hear the case Sept. 2. If convicted, Garcia could be sentenced to two years in jail and receive a $10,000 fine for each count.

KAUFMAN (AP) — Authorities have announced they’ll seek the death penalty against the former county official accused of killing three people in East Texas, including two prosecutors. Special prosecutor Bill Wirskye said Friday during a court hearing that the state will look to execute former Kaufman County Justice of the Peace Eric Williams. He’s charged with killing Assistant DA Mark Hasse in January and District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia in March. Wirskye says no determination has been made whether to seek the same penalty against his wife, Kim Williams. Continue reading Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty against Williams

JACKSONVILLE — Cherokee County authorities have arrested three kidnapping suspects. The three are accused of abducting a man from Jacksonville. The suspects are identified as Eric James Mays, 23, of Jacksonville, (pictured) Steven Dale Davis, 20, of Gallatin and Dylan Kyle Master, 19 of Troup. They were arrested walking along U.S. Highway 175. Continue reading Three Kidnapping Suspects Caught

CANTON — Authorities are looking for a truck driver who may not know they are responsible for a fatal accident in Van Zandt County. The wreck occurred Saturday morning on Interstate Highway 20 near mile marker 538. A big rig lost a tire drum which flew off and hit the windshield of a car driven by an Austin woman. Zackquelyn Johnson, 33, was hospitalized and died from her injuries on Monday. One of her three children in the car with her was injured. The DPS says charges are not likely in the case, but they are trying to locate the driver.

AMARILLO (AP/Staff) – A federal aviation spokesman says the pilot of a small plane was killed after it crashed in a Texas Panhandle neighborhood. Family members and business associates identified the pilot as Ben Harned IV. 53, of Tyler. Harned moved to Tyler years ago, but still owns Performance Motors in Amarillo. He was alone in the Piper PA-30 aircraft. Continue reading Pilot from Tyler Killed in Amarillo Plane Crash