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TYLER – It appears as if smoking in bed was responsible for a Tyler fire death. On May 18th, the body of Shirley Bradshaw, 71, was found in her bed in her home on East Second Street. Her bed was on fire. Tyler Fire Fire Marshal Paul Findley said it was determined the fire started at the foot of her bed and was most likely caused by improperly disposed of smoking materials. She had limited mobility and disposed of the items by throwing them on the floor. There were numerous cigarettes and matches found in the area where the fire started. The preliminary autopsy report showed she died from smoke inhalation.

ARP – An East Texas elementary school counselor has been indicted on two counts of improper relationship between a student and educator and two counts of sexual assault of a child. According to our news partner KETK, Barbara Orpineda, 32, of Arp, was indicted May 17 in the 241st Judicial District Court of Smith County. Orpineda was arrested in October by the Arp Police Department. At the time, she was a counselor at Arp Elementary School. Arp ISD officials confirmed to KETK in October that a staff member had been placed on administrative leave following allegations of an improper relationship with a student.

ANGELINA COUNTY — Angelina County authorities have identified a body found in a wooded area last weekend. According to our news partner KETK, the body has been identified as Joseph Todd Basham, 45, of Angelina County. He was found off Willie Nerren Road Saturday. Basham had been previously reported as a missing person. A news release from Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches said preliminary autopsy results indicate no foul play but further forensic testing is being done. Investigators say further test results may shed light on the exact cause of death.

LONGVIEW – An investigation of mail in ballots in Gregg County is underway. County officials announced the investigation during a mid day news conference on Wednesday. The investigation is over the large number of mail-in ballots cast in the Pct. 4 commissioner’s race. Over 800 mail in ballots were received. Because of the mail in vote, Shannon Brown defeated former Longivew City Councilwoman Kasha Williams by 5 votes. A voter in the precinct, the Rev. D.J. Nelson, has filed a complaint with the Secretary of State’s Office and the state is investigating.

SMITH COUNTY — At least three people are dead following a four-vehicle accident that caused hours of traffic tie-ups on Interstate 20 in Smith County between Highway 155 and FM 2015. According to DPS, preliminary crash reports indicate that the driver of a car was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of traffic around 1:00 Wednesday morning. The Oldsmobile struck 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 towed semi-trailer to cross the center median and overturn in the westbound lanes, where it was struck by a westbound truck tractor towing a tanker trailer. Continue reading Triple Fatality Ties Up Part of I-20 for Hours

LONGVIEW – Several East Texas youth are among the finalists for the 2018 youth blues guitar competition at the Big Pines Blues Festival Junior Showcase in Longview. The finalists will will face off in head-to-head competition to determine winners in two age groups on Saturday afternoon, May 26, on the Heritage Plaza stage. Among the Junior Showcase contestants in Grades 6 through 8 are Ethan Rivers, 11, of Athens; Austen Walls, 12, of Chandler; and Cody Lattis, 13, of Murchison. The grade 9-12 hopefuls include Grant McInnis, 16, Bullard. Continue reading Blues Festival Junior Showcase Finalists Announced

MARSHALL – A Longview man is free on bond following a fatal weekend accident in Harrison County. The accident also injured two persons, including a Smith County woman. Brian Keith Woods, 48, is accused of hitting three pedestrians who had stopped to help a driver parked on the side of the road. The accident happened around 12:30 Saturday morning on Interstate Highway 20 near Marshall. A Shreveport, Louisiana woman was killed in the accident. The two, who were injured, are hospitalized in Shreveport in serious condition. One of them is Sherri Beeson, 41, of Winona. Woods is facing charges of intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle and two counts of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury.

AUSTIN – Gregg County is one of 31 governmental entities and nonprofit organizations in the state getting a grant from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. They will be sharing in the $15 million grant funds. According to a state news release, the grants will fund community programs to expand treatment, promote recovery and improve quality of life for persons with mental illness. Examples of expanded treatment and services include supported housing, coordinated jail release, behavioral health services in schools and peer support services.

LUFKIN (AP) – An East Texas minister and his family have been sentenced to federal prison for using hurricane relief funds to pay for personal expenses and fund their Jasper church. Walter Diggles, the former executive director of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, was sentenced Tuesday in Lufkin to 9 years. The 66-year-old was also ordered to pay more than $1.3 million in restitution. His wife and daughter, Rosie and Anita Diggles, were each sentenced to more than four years and ordered to pay about $970,000 in joint restitution. Walter Diggles and his wife were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in August 2017. Their daughter was convicted of a conspiracy charge. Trial evidence shows that the Diggles defrauded federal authorities out of recovery funds intended for hurricanes Rita, Katrina, Ike and Dolly.

LONGVIEW — Longview police arrest a 30-year-old Fort Worth man after he reportedly pointed a gun at a fast food employee. According to the Longview News Journal, Clarence Leatch was released from Gregg County Jail on Tuesday on a $53,000 bond. Police said Leatch pulled a hand gun out of his center console in a Whataburger drive-thru because an employee said he would have to pay for two biscuits. He was charged with aggravated robbery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of less than 2 ounces of marijuana and possession of less than a gram of a controlled substance.

TYLER – The Democratic Party runoff election for governor was the only item on the ballot in Smith County on Tuesday. The contest is between former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston businessman Andrew White, the son of former governor Mark White. With 65 of the 73 precincts reporting in the county, the unofficial returns shows Andrew White with 569 votes to 511 votes for Lupe Valdez.

LONGVIEW – A northeast Texas woman has died in a four vehicle accident that shutdown Judson Road, just north of Hawkins Parkway. Cathy Hall Davis, 51, of Paris was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident happened shortly before 1:45 Tuesday afternoon when Davis’ SUV pulled from a private drive into the path of two vehicles. As the result of the accident a fourth vehicle was hit. Three occupants of the vehicles were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

TYLER – A social media posting caused a third of the students at Tyler’s Three Lakes Middle School to stay home on Tuesday. The posting followed an incident between two students in class and a perceived threat. A TISD news release said a Three Lakes student made an inappropriate response to unacceptable taunts. They said the incident was investigated thoroughly and the issues addressed through the student code of conduct. There was no word on what disciplinary action was taken or if the student would be allowed back on the campus.

LONGVIEW – Longview’s Green Street Bridge has claimed another victim. The latest vehicle to get stuck under the bridge was a Dixie Paper truck. It became stuck around 11:00 Tuesday morning. The driver let the air out of the tires and the truck was removed from under the bridge and the road was reopened. Height barriers were installed at the underpass last summer. Besides serving as a visual sign, they also make noise when they hit the tops of vehicles. Several years ago, as part of a reconstruction project, the roadway was lowered just over a foot, making the clearance 11 feet and four inches. But, all of this did not keep the bridge from capturing another vehicle.

BIG SANDY – Through a team effort, an unwelcome visitor to Big Sandy has been relocated. The visitor was a six foot long alligator. It was found around 8:45 Monday morning in the middle of Tyler Street. Police Sgt. Manfred Gilow, along with rancher Jeff Davis, took matters into their own hands. The Longview News Journal reports it took them 30 minutes to bring the gator under control. The two put a rope around it and then duck-taped the mouth. After a ride in a patrol car, the visitor was released into the Sabine River.

TYLER – In the wake of the school shooting at Santa Fe, Texas, Tyler School superintendent Marty Crawford has released a letter concerning school safety in the Tyler school district. While he said he could not publish the more intricate systems that are in use, he did point out some of the actions taken toward keeping TISD safe. It starts with a district police department with certified officers. Then there are badge access equipment, security gates and high definition cameras across campuses and others on school buses that also included digital recording devices. Dr. Crawford said he wrote the letter, not only as the school district superintendent, but also as a parent of two students in the school system. You can go to https://www.tylerisd.org/cms/lib/TX01918383/Centricity/domain/4/.homepage/2017-2018/School%20Safety%20Letter.pdf to see Dr. Crawford’s full letter on school safety.

TYLER — Though a proposed name change for Robert E. Lee High School was taken off the June Tyler ISD board agenda last week, it’s clear the issue hasn’t gone away. According to our news partner KETK, a rally was held Monday evening by black community leaders. That was followed by a school board meeting attended by some who who had been at the rally, along with a number of Robert E. Lee students who showed support for a name change. 26 people took the podium at the board meeting, though the board was not allowed to comment since the item wasn’t on the agenda. There was no immediate word on any specific followup to Monday’s events.

WHITEHOUSE — Two people have been taken to the hospital after a crash involving a Whitehouse Independent School District bus and a vehicle. The crash happened at the intersection of FM 346 and Rhones Quarter Road around 6:45 Tuesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, a vehicle struck the bus on its side. No children were on bus No. FB8 at the time of the wreck. The driver of the vehicle and the passenger, said to be a WHS student, were taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries.

SMITH COUNTY – A man who barricaded himself in his home on County Road 262, east of Tyler, is in the Smith County Jail. Arrested following a standoff of around 2 hours was Larry Coleman Hicks, 46. The standoff started when Hicks, a parolee, cut off his leg monitor. A parole officer, who went to check on Hicks, was pushed out of the house and the door was locked. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was called out and they talked Hicks into surrendering.

TYLER – Voting began this morning in the Democratic Party runoff election for governor. There were 86 early votes cast in Smith County in the run off. The contest is between former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Houston businessman Andrew White, the son of former governor Mark White. They got the most votes in the field of 9 candidates in the March Primary Election. The polls will be open from 7:00am until 7:00pm at 10 polling locations throughout Smith County. Continue reading Runoff Voting Continues Today

LONGVIEW – The Longview school district is pulling the plug on its free college program. Parents in the district recently received a letter saying the district was ending the Early College High School Program, which started several years ago. According to the Longview News Journal, the district will still pay the tuition and fees and associated costs for juniors and seniors already enrolled in the program. But no freshmen or sophomore will be accepted in the new school year. This school year, the district has paid out around $230,000 for the 79 students enrolled in the program. The financial strain on the district is said to be the reason the Longview school district is taking the action.

PALESTINE – Palestine police will have extra patrols on the street starting on Tuesday. It is part of the police department’s efforts to encourage safe driving over the Memorial Day holiday. The extra patrols will be out through June 4th and will focus specifically on the offenses of driving while intoxicated, seat belt and child seat violations and speeding. The extra patrols are made possible by a STEP enforcement grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY- Two Smith County roads will be closed to traffic, beginning this week, for bridge replacements. They are County Road, 234 northeast of Chapel Hill, and County Road 356, east of Winona. The roads are expected to be closed through December. Detour signs will be placed on the roads to direct traffic around these locations. Replacing the bridges is part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s bridge replacement program.

LONGVIEW – A Longview traffic stop has resulted in two persons arrested for assault on a public servant. The officer stopped the car at Reed Road and Swan Street Sunday night. During the stop, the car’s passenger struggled with the officer over his taser. The woman driver began pulling on the officers collar, making it hard for him to breathe. A bystander came to the officers aid, allowing him to pepper spray the woman and to handcuff the man. Richard Alan Stansbery Jr., 48, of Longview was also charged with attempting to take a weapon from an officer. Maria Regina Stansbery,43, of Longview was also charged with driving while intoxicated. Continue reading Bystander Helps Longview Officer

OVERTON — Overton school officials say they have followed up on a possible threat and no one is, or has been, in danger. Superintendent Steven Dubose says before school started Monday morning, high school principal Cindy Bundrick was informed of a possible threat made by a student last week. Dubose says the student was escorted to the office upon arrival Monday morning and questioned by school administrators and Overton Police Department officers. The superintendent adds that the student was taken into the hands of OPD and was never in a classroom or around other students Monday. In a statement, Dubose says, “Overton Independent School District takes every incident or threat seriously and will continue to provide a safe and secure environment for our students.”

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin woman was shot during an argument. According to our news partner KETK, the shooting, identified as Ashleigh Elijah,24, had been on life support at a Lufkin Hospital since the shooting. She’s since been declared “medically dead.” Police said Andre Woods, 21, shot Elijah twice during an Friday evening. Woods remains in the Angelina County Jail on a $1 million bond. He’s charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in TxDOT’s Tyler District during the week of May 21. A traffic switch is being planned for mid-week on the U.S. 175 Phase III project between Poynor and Frankston to reconfigure the eastbound and westbound lanes. Eastbound traffic will be moved to the north side of the roadway. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/020-2018.html for a complete rundown.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department is continuing to seek clues about poisonings that have killed 18 calves on a ranch on the north side of Longview. According to our news partner KETK, the department has been looking into the case since 2014, with help from the State Game Warden and a special Ranger with the Texas Cattle Raisers Association. Authorities believe the poisonings are intentional. A Facebook post from the rancher’s daughter has brought new attention to the case. Rancher Buck Birdsong says the property has been in his family since the 1930s. He says the calves are found by a water supply, dehydrated from the poison. The sheriff’s department’s Josh Tubb says authorities will do everything they can to find whoever’s responsible and see that justice is done.

TYLER — The 15th Annual Live Butterfly Release was held Saturday at The Children’s Park in Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, The Compassionate Friends, Inc., organizes it every year to help support families that have experienced the death of a child. Heather Ogg, a member of the Sterling Committee, says she lost her son at 16, “and I immediately reached out to this group. It has impacted me immensely.” TCF is a national nonprofit self-help organization that is dedicated to assisting families toward the positive resolution of their grief. The Tyler Chapter is one of more than 650 local chapters in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Guam. For more information, email info@tylertc.org or call 903-422-0358.