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ATHENS – A Silver Alert has been discontinued for a Henderson County man. The Sheriff’s Office Friday morning reported Johnny Robert Bandy, 78, of Athens, has been located. The previous report stated he was last seen around 1:15 Thursday afternoon heading to a residence in Athens, but never arrived. Additional details were not released.

REKLAW – A two vehicle accident in Cherokee County has killed one person and left three injured. It happened around 1:15 Thursday afternoon on U.S. Highway 84, four miles west of Reklaw. Dead at the scene was Bridget Stinson, 46, of Rusk. Two passengers in her car were injured. Lindsey Fannin, 18, of Rusk, is being treated at a Tyler hospital while a two year old child was taken to a Dallas hospital. The driver of the other vehicle, Cole Falzerano, 19, of Miford, is also in a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety report said the accident happened when Falzerano was passing in a no passing zone and his pickup hit Stinson’s car.

LUFKIN – The FBI in Lufkin is seeking the public’s help in identifying the man who robbed an Alto bank on May 25. They say he is considered armed and dangerous. The man entered the BancorpSouth Bank on Marcus Street, armed with a semi-automatic handgun. After ordering the tellers to open the bank vault, he fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. He is described as a black male, between 5 feet 7 to 10 inches tall, ranging in age from 25 to 40 and weighing around 160 to 190 pounds. He was wearing a camouflage jacket and hat, shorts, dark sunglasses, a mask and hand gloves. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Lufkin Resident Agency at 936-637-3834 or the FBI Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000.

NEW YORK (AP/STAFF) – Sears is closing another 72 stores after reporting first-quarter losses and plunging sales. Five Texas stores are on the list, but none in East Texas. On the list is a K-Mart store in Laredo and Sears stores in Lewisville, Fort Worth, Cedar Park and Denton.

TYLER – The Smith County Elections Office is still allowing the public to view new voting machines the county is considering buying. The machines have been set up in the Smith County Elections Office lobby since May 10, and will continue to be there for the public to view through Thursday of next week. Since they were put on display, 61 persons have reviewed the machines and filled out a survey about what they thought of them. Most of those were people in the office to vote during the Primary Run-Off Election. Smith County Elections Administrator Karen Nelson said the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The 350 voting machines will cost the county $1.3 million. The company will buy back the old, outdated machines for $339,000.

TYLER – It is time for graduation ceremonies for Tyler’s two high schools. Both will take place at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. John Tyler High School will graduate on Friday night at 8:00. The gates will open at 7:00. Robert E. Lee High School will graduate on Saturday night at 8:00 and the gates will open at 7:00. The graduation ceremonies will also air live on TISD-TV Channel 19 and the district website.

SMITH COUNTY – Two four vehicle accidents were reported this afternoon on Interstate Highway 20. The first one was at mile marker 571, just west of Highway 271. The second one occurred at mile marker 575 and it has been cleared. The one near 271 has nearly been cleared. Exercise caution when driving in the area.

EUSTACE – A Henderson County couple were taken to a Tyler hospital following a traffic accident, in which authorities say a man was intentionally hit and killed. Robert Clayton Bradley, 28, and a woman were heading toward Athens Wednesday when they saw Robert Abbott, 30, waking along Farm Road 2709 in the Eustace area. Henderson County authorities say Bradley made a u-turn and, at a high speed, hit Abbott with his truck. The truck then went into a pasture and hit a tree. Bradley was later arrested at his home, which was nearby. After the investigation, Bradley was charged with murder. A state district judge set his bond at $2.5 million.

TYLER – Tyler Junior College public safety director Brent Chambers has been named to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board subcommittee on campus safety. Chambers, a retired FBI special agent, joined TJC in late 2017. Since joining TJC, Chambers has begun working to make TJC a training hub for area law enforcement and first responders. The subcommittee he has been named to will gather in Austin to discuss measures being taken to increase safety on Texas college campuses.

TYLER – Warrants have been issued for two men in connection with the Wednesday night shooting at Tyler’s Fun Forrest Park. Tyler Police are looking for 24 year old Davonta Tramane Hill and 23 year old Datreon Kentreal Jackson. Each were named in three warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Continue reading Two Sought in Tyler Shooting

TYLER – ETMC EMS, now called UT Health East Texas EMS, has filed a motion to dismiss a suit against them filed by Champion EMS, which is affiliated with Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System. ETMC EMS, Smith County, the city of Tyler and the Smith County EMS Administrative Agency were sued in April for allegedly creating a monopoly. The action seeking to dismiss the suit was filed Wednesday in 241st State District Court in Tyler. Champion’s suit was a counterclaim filed in response to ETMC EMS suing Champion in May of last year. The original suit claimed Champion was infringing on ETMC EMS’ right to be the exclusive ambulance provider in most of Smith County. Continue reading ETMC EMS Seeking to Have a Suit Against it Dismissed

TYLER – The East Texas Food Bank has announced the launch of their new Partners in Health Program. The program was developed in connection with St. Paul Children’s Medical Clinic and UT Health Northeast. It is designed to address what is called food insecurity, which has been described as a major public health problem in East Texas. Persons in food insecure households are more likely to report poorer health and depressive symptoms and have higher risks for chronic diseases. It also has a negative impact on children’s health and development and increases risks for acute infection, chronic illness, hospitalization and developmental and mental health problems. Continue reading A Recipe for Community Health

LONGVIEW – Another truck has gotten stuck under the infamous Green Street Bridge in Longview. The Longview Police Department blocked off the southbound lanes of South Green Street, from Tyler Street to Cotton Street, after a concrete truck became trapped under the bridge. The truck has been moved and the road reopened. Just last week, a semi got wedged under the bridge and had to be removed. The 11’2″ tall bridge is notorious for taking out the tops of vehicles who try to squeeze underneath. We’ll update this story as more information is made available.

LONGVIEW – A fatal accident in Longview remains under investigation. The car/pedestrian accident occurred just after 10:00 Tuesday night on East Marshall Avenue. Dead at the scene was Thomas David Drennan, 65, of Longview. He was walking in the inside eastbound lane, and according to witnesses, possibly attempting to cross the roadway. After the car hit him, the driver stopped and attempted to block traffic until emergency services arrived.

LONGVIEW – Alpine Road in Longview, which was partially closed to traffic due to a gas leak, has been reopened. The Longview Police Department reports traffic was blocked off from Marshall Avenue to Tryon Road with no traffic allowed in the area. Local businesses were even evacuated. The leak has been repaired and the road is open once again.

SMITH COUNTY – The Department of Public Safety has released the names of the three victims in a fatal accident on Interstate highway 20 on May 22nd. The four-vehicle accident caused hours of traffic tie-ups on the interstate in Smith County between Highway 155 and Farm Road.M 2015. The dead have been identified as Antonio Dixon, 45, of Longview, Jose Luis Mendoza-Lopez, 27, of Huntsville and Nemanja Spaasic, 29, of Coconut Creek Florida. The crash occurred when a car hit a pickup towing a flatbed trailer in the eastbound inside lane. At the same time, the driver of a truck tractor towing a semi-trailer, also traveling eastbound, took evasive action to the right and then left to avoid the collision. That action caused the truck and trailer to cross the center median and overturn in the westbound lanes, where it was hit by a westbound truck tractor towing a tanker trailer.

PALESTINE – A man said to be responsible for bomb threats in Palestine has been arrested. Charged with making a false alarm or report was Randall Smith, 54, of Palestine. Since the first of the year, there have been 17 bomb threats to businesses and the Palestine Regional Medical Center. Investigators say Smith is responsible for 16 of those threats. He was arrested at his home late Tuesday night. Smith is currently being held in the Anderson County Jail with bonds totaling $1 million. Additional charges are pending.

TYLER – Caldwell Zoo reports they have had to humanely euthanize their 46 six year old African Elephant matriarch. The action was taken after Rolinda, who had been in declining health over the past several months, was found down in her exhibit yard. It is believed she died from cardiac issues. Rolinda came to Caldwell Zoo in 1978 from the Catskill Game Farm in New York. She was the zoo’s first African elephant and a companion to its Asian elephant Kimbo for a number of years. Zoo executive director Hayes Caldwell said they have been working with the African Elephant SSP program to get more elephants to reside in the newly renovated African Overlook elephant habitat.

TYLER — Stonewater Roofing Company in Tyler is looking for the man deemed responsible for two break-ins — and he was caught on surveillance video. According to our news partner KETK, Stonewater says both happened Monday night– the first at 11 p.m., the second at 11:30. The burglar wore two different hoodies, one pink and one yellow. The company says he broke down a door and stole two Macbook laptops, and an i-pad. Stonewater is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the computers. If you know anything about this case, contact Tyler police.

HARRISON COUNTY — In Harrison County, seven bridges along Interstate 20 have been approved for repairs. According to our news partner KETK, the bridges are at Loop 281 in Longview, County Road 3110, Sewell Creek, FM 968, FM 3251, and Texas 43. The repairs begin in August and should take 21 months to complete. Some of the work will require road closures and detours.

TYLER — For the 15th year, the East Texas Islamic Society opened its doors to the community Tuesday evening for its annual open house, held during the month-long Ramadan observance. Master of ceremonies Zikriyya Shaikh says he was pleased with the large turnout. Shaikh told KTBB, “I think it went really well. It was a really enjoyable night. We had a really good turnout. I hope next year we have even a bigger turnout.” He added, “I think what’s really good about this…occasion is we have the opportunity to interfaith dialogue — something we don’t always get a chance to do. Sometimes we get robbed of that opportunity. But I think it was a great opportunity to do it tonight.” The event featured presentations by mosque members, questions and answers, socializing, and plenty of food.

TYLER (Staff/AP) – Services are set Friday for the man who founded Cavender’s Western Wear, which is headquartered in Tyler. Company Chief Financial Officer Jim Thompson says James Cavender, 87, died Tuesday morning at UT Health Tyler. There will be a private funeral Friday along with a public memorial service, the latter set for 3:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Pittsburg. Cavender’s death was initially announced on the company Facebook page, RattayCavenders. From the first clothing store, which opened in the mid 60s, Cavender’s has grown to over 80 stores in Texas and nine other states.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is the Gregg County Jail under a $10,000 bond after being charged with intoxication assault with vehicle causing serious bodily injury. Dakota Don Brown, 21, is said to have been driving in the wrong direction when his pickup hit a car. The accident happened around 1:30 Tuesday morning on State Highway 31 in Gregg County. The car’s driver was flown to a Tyler hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Brown was arrested after being released at a Longview hospital. The Longview News Journal reports a state trooper administered a breathalyzer test to Brown, which had a reading of .201, nearly three times the legal limit.

KILGORE – It is time for the Kilgore Police Department to begin its annual Operation Snow Cone program. It is something that will help youngsters in Kilgore beat the hot summer heat. Officers will be looking for kids exhibiting good behavior. They want kids who are being helpful, respectful, courteous or kind. Those kids, if seen by an officer, will get a coupon for an ice cold sweet snow cone. So, for youngsters in Kilgore, be on your best behavior this summer and that snow cone coupon could be yours.

TYLER – Funeral services are scheduled for one of the founders of Tyler’s Southside Bank, Bill Hartley. Hartley was 88 when he died on Monday morning. Hartley and Murf Wilson founded the bank in 1960. He served as chief executive officer until 2014, when he retired. Hartley continued to serve as chairman emeritus of the board. He served the community in many ways. His philanthropic efforts in East Texas will long be remembered. Funeral services will be Friday morning at 11:00 at Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler. A private burial service will follow.

TYLER – A summer outreach program for veterans is starting in Smith County. The program was kicked off Tuesday by the Smith County Commissioners Court and the Veteran Services Office. The program is designed to aid the over 17,000 veterans in the county. The county will provide information to the public about services offered by the Smith County Veteran Services Office and will ask for feedback about how the county can better serve the local veteran community. The office provides information and advocacy services to veterans and their families throughout the claims, appeals and benefit processes with U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Continue reading A Smith County Veterans’ Outreach Program

TYLER – A Tyler man is going to prison for stealing cattle in 2016. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association reports Jeremie Del Ral Ford, 30, was found guilty for stealing three cows from eastern Smith County. On Friday, a jury sentenced Ford to 12 years in prison. He will also have to pay over $4,000 in restitution to the victims. Ford was identified as the seller of two of the cows at a local livestock auction. A feed sack found at the scene also led investigators to Ford, who was arrested by Kilgore police in February of last year.

SMITH COUNTY — A woman is wanted by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office for questioning in a burglary of a habitation investigation. According to our news partner KETK, officials are searching for Kashira D. Ochoa, 32. Ochoa is described as 5’1″, around 125 pounds, brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information pertaining to the location of Ochoa, contact the SCSO at 903-566-6600 or Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000. If you have recently purchased items from Ochoa, please contact the detective assigned to the case at 903-590-2784.

LONGVIEW — Beginning today, Longview’s Graystone Road will be closed to all traffic at Grace Creek. Local traffic is asked to use Gilmer Road to access all destinations west of Grace Creek including Clarkway Place and McCann Creek Road. Local traffic is asked to use George Richey Road to access all destinations east of Grace Creek including Syble Lane, Osprey Place, Grey Hawk Lane, and Cippele Drive. This street work is part of the 2016 Bridge and Culvert Improvements project. The closure is scheduled for four weeks. Any questions should be directed to city Project Manager Bob Watson at 903-239-5504.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in TxDOT’s Tyler District during the Week of May 28. In Smith County, crews will be conducting work on pavement edges on the Loop 323 Extension between Loop 323 and US 271, and then move the operation to SH 110N just north of FM 724. A second crew will address ditch maintenance on the south side of Loop 323 near Red Lobster, and various other locations. In Gregg County, crews are scheduled to conduct base repair work on US 80 between Gladewater and White Oak. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control at all work locations. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/021-2018.html for a full rundown of projects around the district.