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TYLER — Authorities say residents of a Tyler retirement community caught thieves in the act. According to KETK, it happened at the Meadow Lake Retirement Center on Shoreline Drive. Residents noticed the culprits stealing from them, so they dialed 911. Smith County authorities were called to the scene, where they reportedly shut down all exits until they found the suspects.

LONGVIEW — Longview fire officials tell KETK they are looking for two men in connection with a fire at 110 East Edgefield that has now been ruled arson. The suspects are described as a black man, 6’2″-6’3″, wearing all red, and a Hispanic man, 5’3″, wearing white and red clothing. The two were seen leaving the scene with a red plastic gas container, heading toward Green Street. Officials say $10,000 worth of damage was done. The contents of the house were not insured.

A couple and two dogs escaped the early Friday morning house fire. Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary said the fire started at about 6:00. Zackary said firefighters responded and found flames coming from the front room of the residence. Resident Valerie Grubb said she and her husband Siroland Tatum were asleep in the living room when she started to smell gas. Grubb said her husband got up to check on the smell and saw two people running from the residence. Then, he noticed flames, Grubb said. When he went back inside, he told her the house was on fire. Grubb, Tatum and two dogs escaped the fire without injury.

LONGVIEW — Longview police on Friday morning arrested a man on a manslaughter charge in connection with a Dec. 1 wreck that killed a Kilgore man. Officials arrested Steven D. Cole, 54, of Louisiana in connection with the wreck that killed Joe D. Hightower, 49. Hightower died in the wreck shortly after 10:00 near the intersection of South and High streets in Longview. Police said Steven D. Cole, 54, was driving a 2005 Ford truck eastbound on South Street when he ran the red light at the intersection with High Street.

Cole hit a Toyota truck, driven by Hightower, that was turning left on to South from High Street, police said. The Toyota caught fire during the wreck. Fort pronounced Hightower dead at the scene. Officials had to extract Cole from his vehicle. He was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center with non-incapacitating injuries and remains hospitalized.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Child Welfare Board is reaching out to the community for donations to replace almost $20,000 worth of gifts, intended for area foster children, that were stolen from a Longview storage facility this week. Longview Police were dispatched to Home Climate Storage on Jahan Trail about 10:00 Wednesday morning after the board’s Christmas coordinator found the unit had been burglarized. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the theft.

The Stragent Foundation issued a $4,000 grant, and Longview Diagnostic Clinic matched the grant with a $5,000 donation. Michael Clark, director of business development for the clinic, said it will match donations up to $10,000 for the organizations. Child Protective Services Community Initiatives Specialist Nancy Eldridge said from those donations the group has raised about $10,000. She added somedonations hadn’t been tallied.

To donate, make checks out to the Gregg County Child Welfare Board, P.O. Box 151175, Longview TX, 75615. Donations can also be dropped off at Racquet and Jog, 1419 W. Loop 281. For information, call (903) 233-5228.

GILMER — An Upshur County jury sentenced a Gilmer man to life in prison Thursday for delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a Gilmer school. Kirk Douglas Bolton, 56,had been convicted of five felony offenses, along with multiple misdemeanors. An undercover informant was wired with a hidden video camera and sent to buy cocaine from Bolton at his Gilmer apartment on March 23, Byrd said. Narcotics investigators maintained surveillance during the transaction and after money was exchanged, Bolton delivered the cocaine.

Because Bolton’s home at the Hidden Bend Apartments was within 1,000 feet of a public school, the offense was enhanced to a third-degree felony. In two of Bolton’s other delivery cases, he sold drugs to undercover informants and was well-known by law enforcement as being a drug dealer.

LONGVIEW –- Longview police say a 40-year-old Longview man was stabbed to death Thursday morning by his wife after officers had been called to the residence multiple times for domestic violence calls. Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson said he pronounced Ray Dorphus Jacobs dead at about 2:15 a.m. at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Jameson said he had a stab wound on the left side of his chest.

Prior to the fatal stabbing, Longview Police had been dispatched to the residence two other times, once at 9:15 and again at 11:30 Wednesday, in connection with domestic violence calls between Jacobs and his wife. Police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said the first time they were dispatched Jacobs wasn’t there, and the second time the couple agreed to separate. Brian said officers were called back to the residence in the 1600 block of Oden Street at about 1:15 a.m. by Jacobs’ wife, whose name is being withheld, who said her husband had hit her and was now lying on the ground with a stab wound.

Brian said the woman was taken in for questioning, but had not been arrested. She said the investigation will be turned over to a Gregg County grand jury to decide the woman’s fate.

ATHENS (AP) – A national atheist foundation says it will seek permission to hoist its own banner to join secular and religious Christmas displays on an East Texas courthouse square. Attorney Stephanie Schmitt of the Freedom From Religious Foundation revealed the plan after Henderson County Attorney Clint Davis wrote a letter defending the legality of the displays on the Athens square. Since the county allows a nonprofit civic group to erect the displays on the town square, they amount to a “public forum.” Henderson County officials received a letter from the foundation Monday, arguing that the seasonal display on courthouse grounds amount to an unconstitutional endorsement of the Christian faith. County Judge Richard Sanders says the displays aren’t only Christian in nature and therefore legal.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – Investigators in Sulphur Springs continue trying to piece together the chain of events that led to a knife fight that left one person dead and two injured. It happened Tuesday night in the 200 block of Bill Bradford Road. Killed was Justin Daniel Pawlik, 27, of Sulphur Springs. He was found in the roadway with stab wounds to his throat and chest and his hands were injured.

Injured were his ex-girlfriend Dionne Penny, 36 and her current boyfriend, Clinton Weldon Wilson, 30. Penny had a cut on a leg and Wilson had a cut on his chest. The wounds were not life threatening.

SMITH COUNTY – All lanes in a portion of Interstate Highway 20 have reopened following an 18-wheeler accident. The truck overturned in the eastbound lane of the interstate, near the 577 Mile Marker, around 11:00 Thursday night. The location is a couple of miles east on U.S. Highway 271. For a while both east and westbound lanes were closed because the truck was leaking Methyl alcohol.

TYLER – A Tyler home has been damaged by fire. It was reported just after 3:45 Thursday afternoon at 6112 Sutherland. Fire crews reported when they arrived, heavy smoke was coming from the second story of the residence. The fire was contained to the attic. Investigators say it appears it was started by workmen who cut through a ceiling and hit some live wire. No Injuries were reported.

LONGVIEW – One person is in custody in connection with a Longview robbery. It was reported late Wednesday night by a man who said he was robbed in the Grandy’s parking lot in the 3300 block of South Eastman Road. About an hour and a half later, officers spotted a vehicle in the 1400 block of West Marshall Avenue that had been identified in the robbery. Taken into custody was Jhavorry D. Crayton, 26. He was charged with aggravated robbery and bond set at $50,000.

NACOGDOCHES — Child Protective Services has taken custody of two Nacogdoches youngsters who were found standing near a busy street. The youngsters, ages 18-months and two years, were discovered early Wednesday afternoon in the 2500 block of Pearl Street. The CPS report says the kid’s mother was found asleep in the house, and the house was in disarray. The investigation is continuing.

TYLER – The new assistant vice president of enrollment management and marketing at The University of Texas at Tyler is Candice Lindsey. Having served as interim since April, Lindsey will continue to oversee the enrollment management and marketing division, which includes admissions, financial aid, the registrar’s office, marketing and communications and the Enrollment Services Center.

“I am happy that Candice Lindsey will continue the leadership role she has performed as the interim for the past eight months,” said Jesse Acosta, associate vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. “The division has had many successes under her leadership, and I know we will see many more achievements as she assumes full responsibility of the position. She is respected in her division as well as throughout campus, so her selection was widely encouraged and appreciated.” Lindsey has served UT Tyler since 1997 in various roles, including financial aid director, associate dean of enrollment management and executive director of enrollment management and marketing.

Lindsey holds a bachelor of applied arts and sciences from Texas A&M University at Texarkana and a master of public administration from UT Tyler. Before coming to UT Tyler, Lindsey served at Tyler Junior College as assistant director and later as director of student financial aid and scholarships. She also served as the financial aid coordinator at Texarkana College.

ATHENS — A group out of Wisconsin wants the nativity scene outside the courthouse in Athens to come down and is threatening legal action. Henderson County Judge Richard Sanders says residents haven’t complained and he understands the display is legal. He points out that there’s a secular display, featuring Santa and his reindeer, on another side of the courthouse. But the Freedom From Religion Foundation does have a problem with it and is calling the manger scene unconstitutional. The foundation’s Annie Laurie Gaylor also says her group may sue, even though it doesn’t want to. The foundation additionally wants to put up an atheist banner at the site. Henderson County does not own the nativity scene. It has been put up for more than a decade by volunteers from the Keep Athens Beautiful group.

LONGVIEW — Longview police release new information as they continue to hunt for a bank robbery suspect. Police now say they’re looking for an older model red or maroon four-door sedan. According to police, the suspect appears to be in his 20s to 30s, 5’6 to 5’8, clean shaven, and no identifiable tattoos.

On December 2, at 10:40 a.m., officers responded to a bank alarm in the 3100 block of H.G. Mosley Parkway. When officers arrived, bank employees told them a white male, possibly in his 30s, walked into the bank wearing blue jeans, a navy or black jacket, a dark ball cap, and small rimmed glasses. The suspect walked up to the teller window and handed the teller a note. He also showed the teller he had a semi-automatic handgun. The teller handed the suspect an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect then left the bank in an unknown direction.

If you have any information in reference to this or any other crime, you’re asked to call the Longview Police Department Detectives at 903-237-1110 or report your information anonymously to Gregg County Crimestoppers at 903-236-STOP. The FBI is also offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

TYLER — Republican Chris Green files an application for a place on the Republican Party General Primary Ballot for Smith County Sheriff. Green recently retired as Game Warden and has served as a state peace officer for 20 years. Green says, “I’ve been a Game Warden for 20 years and have served 16 of those here in Smith County. I have over 4,800 hours in Texas law enforcement training and know the issues that we face in Smith County. I want to implement a fresh perspective, drawing on the relationships that I have cultivated in all aspects of the community.”

Green announced that he is “running on a platform of establishing and maintaining an administration that is ethical, transparent and one with integrity.” Green says he wants to run a department that is fiscally responsible with the budget and with officers who lead by example as professional, compassionate servants of the taxpayers. His opponents in the primary so far are Bobby Garmon, Donn Rust, and Larry Smith.

TYLER — A company with government action against it has hit the East Texas area, according to the Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas. HomeServe USA, Corp and HomeServe USA Repair Management Corp. is sending East Texas residents a letter which appears to be from the local water/utility company. BBB has received numerous complaints, from consumers across the country, concerning this business’s direct mail solicitations, specifically that the solicitations’ layout may cause consumers to perceive the letters as coming from the consumers’ utility companies and not an independent business selling home warranty or insurance coverage.

On February 26, 2010, the company entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with Jack Conway, Attorney General of the State of Kentucky. The Assurance states that the company violated consumer protection laws by designing and mailing or directing the design and mailing of direct marketing materials containing false, misleading and deceptive representations to approximately 230,000 Kentucky consumers in January of 2011. They have since entered into a state of Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with the state of Kentucky. On April 15, 2010, the company also entered into an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance with State of Ohio Attorney General.

“Unfortunately, impostor scams are very common, with scammers impersonating officials from the IRS to trusted charitable organizations,” said Mechele Agbayani Mills, president and CEO of the BBB Serving Central East Texas. “They make a living by claiming to be affiliated with organizations people know and trust.” HomeServe USA, Corp and HomeServe USA Repair Management Corp offers homeowner warranty coverage and coordinates repair services associated with the warranty coverage. However, BBB has also received customer complaints concerning coverage issues, specifically that when a problem occurred, it was not covered by the policy.

BBB encourages consumers to read any warranty or insurance policy prior to purchase and understand what is covered and any limitations of the policy as well as if your current homeowners policy already covers those items. Also check the licensing or registration status for any service work being performed. If you are a victim of an impostor scam or to report fraud, please call the BBB Hotline: (903) 581-8373. Go to http://www.bbb.org for more tips on how to be a savvy consumer.

LONGVIEW — Longview’s chance at a sweet 16 was not in the cards — or cash registers, according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. After 15 consecutive months of increased sales tax revenue, the city posted a decrease this month. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts announced December sales tax rebates for local governments on Wednesday. December rebates result from October sales receipts. While sales tax revenue increased 8.5 percent across the board for Texas cities compared to December 2010, Longview reported a 1.4 percent loss, which amounts to more than $31,000. The city will collect $2.18 million.

The downward trend reflected through much of Gregg and Harrison counties. Only two of Gregg County’s eight cities noted a revenue increase, and Gladewater’s raise amounted to less than a half percent. In Harrison County, Hallsville and Marshall suffered losses of greater than 17 percent, as cities countywide will lose about $150,000 compared to December 2010. Despite the drop, Longview will finish calendar year 2011 with a 9.5 percent increase in sales rebates, at $30.7 million. Cities in Rusk County reported a marginal 1 percent increase, while Upshur County cities notched a collective 7 percent increase, led by East Mountain and Union Grove, where sales tax rebates more than doubled from the previous year.

TYLER — Tyler’s sales tax revenues for December have increased 5.34% compared to December of last year. According to the state comptroller’s office, this has resulted in a 2.46% cumulative year-to-date increase. The reported revenue of $2,538,703 comprises $1,692,468.93 general sales tax revenue and $846,234 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from October 2011 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

“We are pleased to see this positive trend in our sales tax revenues,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “However, we will continue to monitor revenue closely to ensure the City remains in a positive position. Each Department within the City prepares a monthly financial forecast to align our current revenues with anticipated expenses. This process assures that should revenues decline, we are prepared to reduce expenditures accordingly.”

NACOGDOCHES — A Nacogdoches man has been arrested on the charge of first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault. He was released on a $50,000 bond the same day. According to a Nacogdoches County Grand Jury indictment, Marcus Dan Burdette, 52, sexually assaulted a woman and threatened to harm her and made her fear for her life.

LINDALE — A Lindale man died Wednesday following a one-vehicle crash in Smith County. Dwight King, 26, was driving on CR 431 at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday when his Oldsmobile Alero left the roadway and struck a tree, according to Texas Dept. of Public Safety reports. King was ejected from the vehicle and transported to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. He was pronounced dead at 12:50 p.m. Wednesday.

PALESTINE — A 53-year-old Palestine woman whom authorities say was murdered by her husband last weekend died as a result of “multiple blunt force head injuries,” according to a preliminary autopsy report. An autopsy was performed on the body of 53-year-old Beverly Carey Barrett Monday at the Southeast Texas Forensic Science Center in Tyler. On Wednesday, the medical examiner’s preliminary autopsy report showed the woman died as a result of “multiple blunt force head injuries.” Her manner of death has been listed as a “homicide.”

Charged with murder in his wife’s death is Noble Lee Barrett Jr., 53, of Palestine. Barrett Jr. remained in the Anderson County Jail on the murder charge in lieu of a $350,000 bond. Authorities have said they were dispatched to the couple’s residence in the 15000 block of FM 321 shortly after 10:40 a.m. Saturday after receiving a medical emergency call. Beverly Barrett had a “large gash to her forehead” upon the arrival of deputies and was transported to Palestine Regional Medical Center where she died a short time later.

LUFKIN — A suspect is sought after an armed robbery. Lufkin Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of East Denman Avenue early Tuesday morning in reference to a robbery that had occurred at a washateria at the location. According to police reports, a man reported that he was working on his truck when a man walked up behind him, and that when he turned around, the man pressed a handgun to his head and demanded money. The victim surrendered his money to the man, who then fled on foot, according to the report.

KILGORE — Three people are injured in a Kilgore ISD school bus accident. Viki Penny with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Department tells KETK it happened on Highway 259 around 5:00 Wednesday afternoon. Although children were on the school bus, Penny says none of them were hurt. The driver of the school bus, and two persons in the other vehicle, were taken to the hospital for treatment.

TYLER — A copper theft is nipped in the bud in Tyler. It happened around noon Wednesday in the 2000 block of Church Avenue. Tyler police tell KETK some residents caught the suspect attempting to take some metal from their property. They called police, who were able to catch the man in the act. According to police, the citizens said they’ve had a lot of metal theft occurring in their back yard. The man was issued a ticket and told he would be arrested if he ever goes back to the scene.

LONGVIEW — More than 100 employees of Longview’s Bemis plastics plant have been told the local plant is shutting down and their jobs are being cut. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Bemis officials announced to employees early this week the company will be shutting down its Longview plant, where they said 109 people are employed, according to Melanie Miller, vice president and treasurer of the Wisconsin-headquartered company.

The company is taking a look at all operations and is trying to improve efficiency, Miller said. Officials said Bemis is working with the Longview Economic Development Corp. in an attempt at offering employees new work. Miller said the closing will be phased out over a period of several months, probably beginning in March with a final shutdown date of May 31.

LONGVIEW — CPS officials tell our news partner KETK more than $20,000 in gifts for foster children in the Longview area have been stolen. The gifts were purchased with donations to the Child Welfare Board and were bought by volunteer shoppers. Several big ticket items were included in the gifts, such as iPods and TVs. The gifts were being kept in a storage room until they were to be delivered to the foster care families in the area, but the room was broken into. CPS says their donations to the children will fall short this year because of the theft. Longview Police are investigating the incident.

TYLER — Smith County firefighters were able to contain a fire Wednesday, but not before a mobile home was destroyed. Officials tell KETK it happened on the 9300 block of County Road 385, which is also known as Old Longview Rd. Officials say the fire was caused by a space heater.

TYLER — A propane heater is the apparent cause of a house fire Wednesday morning in Tyler at 2410 Old Omen road. The initial caller said there was smoke coming from the house. That call was received at 9:30. Three engines and one ladder company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. The fire was contained to one room of the house, but smoke damage was throughout. Apparently the fire was caused by a propane heater that was left on in a room.

TYLER — A settlement is reached in the case of an East Texas constable accused of sexual harassment. Smith County Precinct 5 Constable Dennis Taylor was alleged to have harassed a deputy, and then fired her when his advances were refused. According to KETK, the 12-page complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Tyler. The woman’s attorney was not allowed to describe the terms of the settlement.