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LONGVIEW — A Longview father delivers a public punishment to his 13-year-old son after he was caught smoking marijuana. According to KETK, Travis Simmering made his son Christian stand in various public locations Thursday with a sign that read, “I’ve been smoking weed. I’m only 13.” Mr. Simmering says reaction was overwhelmingly positive. He remarks, “We’ve had a lot of response. We’ve had people pray with us. We’ve had people just come hug him… And I think he’s got a lot of information out of it, a lot of good out of it too.” Continue reading Public Punishment for 13-Year-Old Pot Smoker

LONGVIEW — An unprovoked attack in the Gregg County Jail last week has resulted in one inmate possibly losing an eye and the other facing felony assault charges, according to documents signed Wednesday. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Brandon Eugene Washington, 32, of Longview, has been charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Bond for Washington was set at $75,000. According to the arrest report, witnesses said shortly after 9 p.m. April 20, Washington started acting aggressively toward other inmates in the cell. Washington then approached the victim and struck him in the left eye, continuing to hit the victim in the head and face, according to a complaint. Continue reading Officials: Gregg County Inmate Could Lose Eye after Jail Assault

TYLER — Tyler police are looking for an unknown suspect allegedly involved in several crimes that occurred Tuesday night. According to police, at 7:15 p.m., the suspect broke into a vehicle in the 7000 block of S. Broadway and stole the victim’s credit card holder with credit cards. The suspect then allegedly went to Valero in the 6500 block of S. Broadway and used the stolen credit cards. At 9:40 p.m. the suspect reportedly approached a female in the Jalapeno Tree parking lot asking for directions. According to police, he got into her vehicle without permission and stole her change purse and small items as she was talking on her cell phone. Continue reading Police Need Your Help Identifying Crime Spree Suspect

SHREVEPORT — Louisiana authorities say they’ve captured a fugitive who was last known to be in the Tyler area and was wanted for his role in a $1.2 million scam. According to KETK, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office says Marcus Robinson Johnson, 33, of Addison, Texas, turned himself in to the Caddo Correctional Center on Wednesday. He’s charged with identity theft and criminal conspiracy. Sheriff Steve Prator said Johnson and nine others were involved in a theft scheme that used the personal information of more than 1,200 people to open fraudulent cable accounts. The two head conspirators face 107 counts of identity theft and one count of criminal conspiracy. A third person, Valerie Nicole Nichols, 33, of Pleasant View, Tennessee, is allegedly responsible for giving Comcast customers information to the thieves.

TRINIDAD (AP) – At least six people have been slightly hurt when an East Texas school bus overturned during its morning route. The Malakoff Independent School District says the accident happened Thursday on Highway 274 near Trinidad. School district officials say the driver lost control and crossed the road, with the bus ending up on its side in a pasture. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the accident happened as the southbound bus was in an area where the road has a narrow shoulder. District authorities say five middle and high school students were taken to an Athens hospital with possible neck and back injuries. Superintendent Randy Perry says the bus driver was also transported. Authorities say the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

TYLER — A Smith County man who turned himself in to authorities April 21 following the death of a 12-year-old boy has been released from jail on bond. KETK reports an arrest warrant was issued for Vernon Ray Caddell, 56, of Tyler, by Judge Jack Skeen, Jr. Caddell is charged with manslaughter. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on April 19 at around 4:00 p.m., Jiree Mobley was taken to a local hospital after he was thrown from his ATV upon hitting a barbed line at the end of County Road 3158. Mobley was pronounced dead by a physician and his body was sent to Dallas for autopsy. Continue reading Man Charged with Death of 12-Year-Old Released on Bond

EAST TEXAS — An East Texas native who is now a reporter at a conservative national media outlet was injured while working in Baltimore covering the riots stemming from the death of Freddie Gray. According to KETK, Casey Harper, a 2011 graduate of Hallsville High School and reporter for the Daily Caller, was in the midst of pandemonium Monday night and Tuesday morning. According to Harper and fellow DC reporter Connor Wolf, the journalists were attacked by a mob which resulted in the men being badly injured. Harper suffered a fractured cheekbone, a black eye, a mild concussion and his iPhone was stolen. He was also hit in the face with a bottle. They were treated and released from a local hospital. Continue reading East Texan Injured During Baltimore Riots

TYLER — The Junior Achievement(JA) Board of Directors will host the 2015 Business Hall of Fame Laureate Celebration this evening at 6:00 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Tom Mullins, this year’s honoree, has served as the president and CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council(TEDC) since June 1989 and as the president and CEO of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce since March 1992. “We could not be more pleased or excited about this year’s nominee for the 2015 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame award,” said Chad Cargile, JA board chair and Regions Bank president. Continue reading Junior Achievement Celebrates Tom Mullins as Laureate of the Year

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – A Texas trooper based in Gilmer has sued his bosses after being reprimanded over his photo with rapper Snoop Dogg at South by Southwest. Department of Public Safety Trooper Billy Spears filed the civil lawsuit Wednesday, alleging retaliation by DPS, Director Steven McCraw and several executives. The lawsuit says Spears was working off-duty security when an assistant for Snoop Dogg took the photo in March and posted it on Instagram. Spears was reprimanded because the rapper has several drug-possession convictions. Spears seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Spears also alleges retaliation for his complaint against a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer. Spears was detained in 2014 while off-duty and carrying an alcoholic beverage at a concert. DPS declined to discuss pending litigation. TABC was reviewing the lawsuit Wednesday and declined further comment.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas held its annual shredding events in Tyler on Saturday, April 18, and in Van on Friday, April 24. The two events invited the public to bring unwanted sensitive material to be shredded safely. Over 10,600 pounds of paper was collected, safely destroyed, and recycled between both shredding events, according to a BBB news release. Continue reading BBB Helps Community Shred Over 10,600 Pounds of Paper

VAN — Law enforcement officials are asking for the public’s help locating a stolen vehicle. According to KETK, the Van Police Department says a man’s 1965 Mustang was stolen Tuesday night inside city limits. If you have info about this stolen vehicle, contact Van PD or to remain anonymous and collect a CASH reward, contact the Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers tip line at 903-567-7867 (STOP).

TYLER — The local president of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Valerie Holcomb, presented the Smith County Commissioners Court with a green wreath Tuesday commemorating Mental Health Awareness Month. Commissioner JoAnn Hampton accepted the wreath after reading a resolution declaring May Mental Health Awareness Month during the commissioners’ meeting. “It is important for society to become more aware of the issues and take more action when it comes to mental illness,” Commissioner Hampton said. Continue reading Smith County Declares Mental Health Awareness Month

TYLER — Traffic cameras in school zones: on paper, it sounds good. Smith County has bought five cameras that will rotate school zones strictly outside city limits, but KETK reports elected officials and neighboring cities are at odds over the decision. The Smith County Commissioners Court decided this week to put the safety cameras in the school zones. “You know, we have over a 150-160 school safety zones throughout the county and this is designed to assist law enforcement presence that’s there, to enhance public safety,” says County Judge Joel Baker (pictured). Continue reading Some, but Not All on Board with School Zone Cameras

LONGVIEW — A Longview man is being accused of exposing himself and performing a sex act in front of nurses at Good Shepherd Medical Center. The Longview News Journal reports officers attempted to remove Jerry Lane Askew, 52, from the hospital when he sat down in the lobby and refused to leave. Askew, a registered sex offender in Texas, was charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest, search or transport. He is being held on bonds totaling $1,500. Investigators say Askew was a patient at the hospital on Monday when he is accused of defecating on the floor of an exam room before also urinating on the floor and removing his hospital gown in front of nursing staff and patients.

LONGVIEW — A Longview teen reported missing last week has been located. The public had been asked for help in finding Alexandria “Allie” Eve Hansley, 15. When reported missing, she not been seen by her family in about ten days. They feared the girl may be in danger. She had been recently seen in Longview but it was felt she may have been in the Dallas area. Longview police announced Tuesday the girl had been located. Because of her age, additional information could not be released.

TYLER — Smith County has received the 2015 Platinum Leadership Circle Award from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Smith County was named a Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle Platinum Member for the second year in a row for its “continued progress toward achieving financial transparency.” The program recognizes local governments across the state that are striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online. Judge Joel Baker said it is the fifth year Smith County has been recognized with the Leadership Circle Award. The county received the top gold award for three years and last year, the bar was raised to platinum level. Continue reading Smith County Receives Leadership Circle Award

TYLER — A senior at The University of Texas at Tyler, Natalie Haynes of Plains, has received a scholarship from The Explorer’s Club to study Maya archaeology in Belize. Haynes was awarded a 2015 TEC Youth Exploration Fund scholarship in the amount of $1,500. The club offers scholarships to high school, collegiate and post-graduate students in support of exploration and field research. With the award, Haynes will travel this summer to Belize where she and other student-scholars will assist excavation teams and collect data through the Mayan Research Program. “I am so grateful for the funding I have received from The Explorer’s Club,” said Haynes, a social sciences major. “Their generosity will help support me on a trip that I have looked forward to and hoped to have the opportunity to go on for a very long time. I thank them for making this possible for me.” Continue reading UT Tyler Senior Gets Prestigious Scholarship

SHREVEPORT — The Caddo (La.) Sheriff’s Office obtained arrest warrants for 10 suspects involved in a million-dollar identity theft scheme involving out-of-state cable contractors, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator. KETK reports one of the suspects is Marcus Roshun Johnson, 33, of East Texas. Officials said Johnson’s last known location was in the Tyler area. The suspects are wanted for allegedly using the personal information of at least 1,200 people – some more than once – to open fraudulent cable accounts in Caddo Parish. All of the suspects were contractors for RMH Cable in Austin, which was hired by Comcast to find new customers in the Shreveport area. While working locally, the contractors identified residents who agreed to have cable service installed using others’ information so the contractors could collect a commission.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man remains in the Gregg County Jail on a charge of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct. Placed under a $50,000 bond was Joey Huddleston, 34. He was arrested late Monday morning on East Loop 281 after police say he made arrangements to meet with a 15-year-old boy with the intent of engaging in sexual conduct. Investigators say he knew the boy’s age prior to setting up the meeting. He had reportedly been communicating with the boy through online messages. Gregg County Jail records indicate Huddleston was arrested a couple of months ago on a charge of injury of a child/elderly/disabled person with the intent of bodily injury.

TYLER — A University of Texas at Tyler fraternity has been suspended for one year following an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior. Beverly Golden, Director of Marketing and Communications for UT Tyler, provided our news partner KETK with a statement regarding the suspension of the Rho-Nu chapter of Kappa Sigma. That statement can be read below: Continue reading UTT Fraternity Suspended for One Year

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Former Whitehouse High School and Oklahoma wide receiver Trey Metoyer has been sentenced to eight years of probation following accusations he exposed himself to women. Cleveland County, Oklahoma, District Attorney Greg Mashburn’s office says Metoyer was convicted of indecent exposure after entering a blind plea, meaning he didn’t strike a deal with prosecutors. The state had requested a prison sentence of at least three years for Metoyer but a judge gave him probation instead. Metoyer left the Sooners football team in 2013 after being charged with indecent exposure. Authorities say he publicly exposed himself to two different women in Norman. Metoyer started four of the 11 games he played in 2012 and played in four games in 2013.

LAKE PALESTINE — A woman was hospitalized Monday night after she fell into a culvert washout near Lake Palestine. KETK reports recent rains washed away part of Wiley Drive in the Shadybrook Subdivision. The woman was pulled from the approximate 33-foot drop with a basket by firefighters around 11:00 p.m., according to the Jacksonville Fire Department. She initially fell into the gap at about 9:30 p.m. The hole is estimated to be about 25 feet wide.

ALTO — Alto ISD canceled school for Tuesday, April 28. According to KETK, school officials said the district was still with power following heavy storms on Sunday night into early Monday morning. The district also had to close its doors on Monday because of no electricity.

LONGVIEW — With layoffs and cutbacks increasingly common, area economic development officials want residents to know “East Texas is hiring.” According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, the Longview Economic Development Corp., Kilgore Economic Development Corp. and Tyler Economic Development Council have banded together to offer a job fair from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center. More than 60 area employers are signed up to talk with job seekers. Attendees are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resume. Continue reading Longview Job Fair Underway

TYLER — Robert E. Lee High School senior Josh Bice is one of only 39 students from across the nation to be invited into The University Fellows Experience at The University of Alabama. According to the university, typically 30 to 35 students accept the invitation. The University Fellows Experience, housed in the Honors College, prepares students for leadership and service to their community, state, nation and world. University Fellows receive a Presidential Scholarship (valued at $99,800 over four years or $24,950 per year) for tuition and a $500 stipend per semester to help with additional costs such as fees and books. Continue reading Lee High School Senior Accepted into Prestigious Honors Program

TYLER — A Smith County couple has been arrested after being accused of leaving their 7 year old daughter locked in a bathroom. Smith County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Oasis convenience store, 14773 Hwy 110 North Saturday morning regarding a little girl who was found at the store alone. She told deputies that her parents had locked her in the restroom of her house and had left her alone as punishment. Continue reading Couple Charged with Child Abandonment

QUITMAN — A Mineola man was taken into custody Sunday morning for allegedly firing rounds inside a person’s vehicle. Authorities say around 5:30 a.m., the Wood County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible burglary on FM 49. While law officers responded to the scene, dispatchers learned a man was inside the caller’s vehicle shooting a gun. When authorities arrived at the home, they found Brandon Corey Chrietzberg, 40, in the back yard. Deputies also found two guns near the suspect and bullet holes in the interior of the vehicle involved. Chrietzberg was arrested and booked into the Wood County Jail. He is charged with deadly conduct, mischief, and burglary of a vehicle. The suspect’s bond was set at $73,000.