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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.

�These fields of study are in high demand, not only nationally, but globally,� said Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Robert W. Hudson. �This grant will enable us to retain students in these high-demand fields of study which are areas of strength for LeTourneau University.�

The third NSF grant totals $300,000 over the next three years for research to further develop a computer model that may change how knee stability is currently assessed. It could also allow for potentially transformative changes in the current preventive, treatment and rehabilitation practices prescribed for injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This grant is under the direction of Dr. Roger V. Gonzalez. This grant is initiated in the first year with $119,084 and with an additional $71,412 for year 2011 and $109,504 for year 2012.

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.

TYLER (AP/Staff) — Tyler police say a second woman has died in a double shooting in Tyler. On Tuesday, gunfire blamed on a tenant killed a landlord at a residence, and the renter died later from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officer Don Martin says the suspect, Alice Aguilar, 47 (pictured), died Wednesday at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. Police on Tuesday afternoon received a call of shots fired at a multi-apartment residence and discovered the body of Socorro Nunez, 70, in one unit. Martin says Aguilar was found unconscious, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, in another unit. Police are investigating what led to the shootings and whether financial problems were involved.

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.

TYLER � A Morris County man pleads guilty in Tyler to federal violations involving methamphetamine manufacturing. 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.

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.

TYLER — One person is in custody after allegedly stealing some jewelry from Murphey the Jewelry at 4921 South Broadway. It happened around 3:00 Wednesday afternoon. Employees say a Hispanic female just 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 suspect arrested a short time later by the Van Zandt County Sheriff�s Office. The investigation is continuing.

TYLER � A 36-year-old Daingerfield 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., pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
According to information presented in court, on Apr. 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 Feb. 2, 2010 charging Nix with federal drug violations. Nix faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

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.

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.

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.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview warn of a robbery scam. At around 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, Longview Officers were dispatched to 600 West Avalon Avenue in reference to a robbery that just occurred.

The victim told officers she was inside her apartment, when she received a knock at the door. The victim answered and a man told her that she had left her vehicle headlights on in the parking lot. The victim went to the parking lot, turned off her lights, and returned to her apartment. She then received another knock at the door. When she opened the door, the first man was there with a second man, who was armed with a handgun. The men entered the victim�s apartment and took her purse before fleeing the location. The suspects were last seen running south through the apartment complex parking lot.

The victim described one of the suspects as a black male, in his early 20s, with a slim build, wearing an oversized white t-shirt, baggy black gym shorts and a black hat with a shiny gold sticker on the bill. Police are warning you to be cautious of anyone that you don�t know who comes to your door. Ask the person what he or she needs without opening the door — and if you are suspicious, call police.

TYLER (AP/Staff) – Tyler police say a second person has died following a double shooting Tuesday. Gunfire blamed on a tenant killed the owner of the tenant’s residence — and the renter died later from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officer Don Martin says the renter, 47-year-old Alice Aguilar (pictured), died Wednesday at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. Police on Tuesday afternoon received a call of shots fired at a multi-apartment residence and discovered the body of 70-year-old Socorro Nunez in one unit. Martin says Aguilar was found unconscious, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, in another unit. Police are investigating what led to the shootings and whether financial problems were involved.

TYLER � Staff members from the office of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, recently presented several WWII military service medals to Mrs. Billie Bob Hickman, wife of the late Charles �Hick� Hickman, who passed away before receiving the medals he was authorized to receive. After being contacted by Hickman�s son-in-law, Enoch Freeman, earlier this year, Sen. Cornyn worked to secure Hickman�s overdue medals, including the Bronze Star, WWII Victory Medal, the American Defense Service Medal, and the American Campaign Medal. Sen. Cornyn�s staff delivered the medals to Mrs. Hickman’s Tyler home and hosted a ceremony during which Hickman�s grandson, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Freeman, presented the medals to his grandmother. Freeman currently serves in Iraq with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division — the same unit his grandfather served in during WWII.

�It is always a great honor to have a hand in securing long overdue medals for American heroes and the family members who supported them during their service. Sadly, WWII veteran Charles Hickman passed away before receiving the medals he was due. But thanks to the hard work and persistence of his family members, I was able to help them obtain Mr. Hickman�s medals, including the prestigious Bronze Star,� Sen. Cornyn said.

The Senator added, �In a poignant act of remembrance, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Freeman, grandson of Mr. Hickman, who today serves in the same unit his grandfather did in WWII, was able to present these medals to his grandmother while he was on leave from his tour in Iraq. Thanks to this family�s love and respect for the late Charles “Hick” Hickman, his legacy and service to our nation will be celebrated and remembered for generations to come.�

TYLER (Staff/AP) � Tyler police are looking into the possibility of financial problems as they seek a motive in a case they’ve labeled a murder and attempted suicide. Police say the murder suspect’s landlord is dead after being shot, and the suspect is in critical condition at Tyler�s East Texas Medical Center with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police identify the slain woman as Socorro Nunez, 70. The other woman is said to be Alice Alvarez Aguilar, 47, who is pictured here. Police initially responded to a report of gunshots that came from inside the residence at 118 S. Beverly Street around after 12:30 yesterday afternoon. When officers arrived, they found Nunez�s body on the floor in Apartment #1. Officers searched the area for the suspect and located her unconscious in the adjacent apartment with the self-inflicted wound.