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TYLER – The graduate nursing programming at the University of Texas at Tyler is once again being singled out as one of the best in the state. In the 2017 ‘Best Online Nursing Programs’ edition of U.S. News and World Report, The UT Tyler master’s and doctoral degree programs are ranked 13th nationwide out of all online graduate nursing programs surveyed. For the second straight year UT Tyler is the highest ranked Texas institution on the list. The study evaluated only regionally accredited schools that met the federal standard of 100% online course delivery. Continue reading UT Tyler Online Graduate Nursing Ranked Best in the State

LONGVIEW – It’s multiple life sentences for a Longview man accused of sexually assaulting numerous young girls. Edwin Craig Volcik, 47, pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. All victims were under the age of 14. After the guilty plea, State District Judge Brad Morin sentenced Volcik to 11 life prison sentences. Following a lengthy investigation, which was led by federal officials, Volcik was arrested in January 2015 at his home on Quail Lane. The arrest followed an investigation of child pornography, but turned into something more

NACOGDOCHES COUNTY — Officials in Nacogdoches County are investigating a fatal home invasion. According to KETK, it happened around 11:30 Monday night on Arthur Weaver Road. Investigators said the victim, Joey Gipson, 22, was fatally shot when he confronted the robbers. Two children in the home at the time of the shooting were not injured. The investigation is ongoing.

LONGVIEW – Longview police got their man, plus two others following a traffic stop. They had been looking for Desmond Denard Brown, 30, of Longview, on a warrant for a weapons violation. After stopping his car on South High Street, they found in the vehicle prescription codeine, under a seat, and three handguns inside the passenger seat cushion. Two of the guns had been reported stolen. This led to the arrest of two passengers, Royce Jones, 30, and Davardrick Davaughn Lilly, 23, both of Longview. According to the Longview News Journal, Brown has been charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, three counts of unlawfully carrying a weapon, two counts of theft of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance. His bond is $1.775 million. Lilly is charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon and two counts of theft of a firearm. His bond is $500,000. Jones is under a $250,000 bond on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. All three remain in the Gregg County Jail.

LONGVIEW – Longview police are asking the public’s help in identifying two counterfeit money suspects. The man and woman passed counterfeit money at RD Penny’s Food and Fuel 6 on South Eastman Road. If anyone has any information about the two or the vehicles in the photograph, you are asked to contact Det. Gina Villarreal at 903-237-1164 or Gregg County Crime stoppers at 903-236-7867 or greggcountycrimestoppers.org and reference case #16-21195.

NACOGDOCHES – Human remains found in a wooded area of Nacogdoches County, have been sent to a Tyler lab for DNA testing to make positive identification. The remains are thought to be those of Centrella Chimney who was reported missing from the Sand Hill area on July 27 of last year. The remains were found Sunday by a landowner was out checking his land. The remains were found down a steep embankment about two miles from State Highway 21 East. The area is less than three miles from where Chimney lived. Continue reading Human Remains Found in East Texas

LONGVIEW – The accreditation of LeTourneau University has been reaffirmed. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees took the action at its annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. SACSCOC conducts extensive accreditation reviews every 10 years. This is to assure the educational quality and effectiveness of its member institutions. LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford is quoted in a news release as saying, “The SACSCOC review is a comprehensive and rigorous examination of all the services we perform as an institution of higher education. Reaffirmation of accreditation means LETU faculty and staff are serving our students with excellence. We are advancing toward our vision of serving the world as the premier Christian polytechnic university.”

LONGVIEW – A third teen is now in custody in a Longview home invasion. Reginald Darnell Jones, 17, of Longview, was arrested at the Longview Police Department Friday night on a charge of aggravated robbery. Previoulsy arrested in the case, Sean Owens-Toombs, 18, of Longview and Trekeymian Jamal Allison, 19, of Carthage. The three are said to have forced their way into home on Clearwood Drive on September 8th, and shot a man while attempting to steal drugs. The three are in the Gregg County Jail, each with a $250,000 bond.

TYLER – After 30 years on the job, Tyler’s Assistant Police Chief Steve Sharron has retired. His last day on the job was last Friday, and police scheduled a retirement reception for this afternoon. Sharron began his career with the Tyler Police Department in 1986 as a patrol officer and rose up the ranks to Assistant Chief in 2001. Over the years he has received many awards. In 1991, he was nominated as Officer of the Year by the department employees. Four years later, he was part of the Bike Unit that was selected as the Unit of the Year for the Police Department. In 1997, Sharron was named Supervisor of the Year. In a four year span, Chief Sharron received three Police Commendations.

TYLER – Monday marked Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Among the Tyler activities was a midday community appreciation event on the square. Among those who spoke at the ceremony was Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith. He called law enforcement “a career in which you answer the call of service to others without recognition of others.” He thanked the community for its support of law enforcement. Mayor Martin Heines declared January 9th as the official Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in the city. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says at least 64 law officers were shot and killed last year, the most in 5 years.The number includes the 5 Dallas officers killed in that sniper attack last July.

LONGVIEW – The body of a homeless man has been found in Longview. It appears his death was weather related. The body of James Douglas Stoker, 72, of Longview, was found Saturday Early Saturday afternoon under a railroad bridge on North Spur 63.He was lying on a blanket, with a t-shirt on and was partially covered with a jacket. The police reports says it is believed Stoker died because of the cold weather conditions and temperature. Justice of the Peace James Mathis pronounced Stoker dead at the scene and did not order an autopsy.

LONGVIEW – Longview’s participation in National Night Out activities last October has received national recognition. The National Association of Town Watch has given Longview a verbal pat on the back for its Night Out activities. Neighborhood groups, Crime Watch groups, businesses, and churches took the lead to organize parties within their neighborhoods. Out of 162 cities of comparable size across the country, Longview was ranked 14th. The city was ranked 19th in 2014 and was ranked 15th in 2015. Longview had 127 block parties last year, that’s 19 more than the previous year. This year, Longview’s National Night Out activities will be October 3rd. Continue reading Longview’s National Night Out Again Successful

RUSK COUNTY — Department of Public Safety Troopers responded to a fatal crash early Sunday morning. According to DPS, it happened around 12:20 at the intersection of FM-2276 and SH-323. The driver, identified as Jeremy Gelinas, 35, Longview, was traveling south on FM-2276 and disregarded a stop sign. The Ford Explorer skidded across SH-323 and left the roadway, rolling several times, partially ejecting the driver. Gelinas was pronounced dead at the scene.

GREGG COUNTY — A Dallas man is accused of tossing a large piece of wood at a tractor-trailer in hopes of getting a ride from East Texas Police. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department says the incident happened on I-20 near Longview. A truck driver was traveling about 75 mph when the 6 foot long 2 x 4 shattered the windshield. Arthur Ray Thompson, 46, was arrested. A witness claims Thompson tossed the wood intentionally so police would get called, then give him a courtesy ride to the next county line. He’s currently in jail.

TYLER — After 30 plus years of service, Assistant Police Chief Steve Sharron is retiring. According to the department, Sharron was hired by the Tyler Police Department on October 1, 1986 after serving in the United States Marine Corps. He was selected by his fellow officers as the Officer of the Year for 1991. Sharron was promoted to Sergeant in 1992 and was the first supervisor of the Tyler PD bicycle team. In December of 1995, he was promoted to Lieutenant. Two years later, he was selected as Supervisor of the Year. Continue reading Assistant Tyler Police Chief Retires

TYLER — The community came together to acknowledge a new presence in the Children’s Park in Tyler. According to KETK, many people showed up to see the memorial left in Kayla Gomez’s name. A tree has been planted with a stone that reads: “In loving memory of Kayla Gomez. You will always be with us, sweet princess.” The Children’s Park said that as a community, we grieve with the Gomez family in the loss of their daughter. Kayla was murdered after being kidnapped from a Bullard church last year; a relative is accused of the crime. The Children’s Park is described as a place to discover joy, even in the midst of our grief. If you would like to go visit the tree, it’s located at The Children’s Park right off Broadway in Tyler.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department has been seeking the community’s help in locating three of the agency’s most wanted fugitives. One of the three has been taken into custody and is in now in the Gregg County Jail.

The first fugitive, and the one now in custody, is John Lee Smith who is wanted on a robbery warrant through the Marshall Police Department. Smith is also wanted for questioning in reference to his involvement in engaging in organized criminal activity. Smith is believed to be associated with a gang out of Longview. Smith’s last known address was on East Whaley Street in Longview. He is known to frequent the Longview and Marshall area. Continue reading One of Three Fugitives Sought by Marshall PD in Custody

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of January 9th. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

Night work is scheduled for Monday, January 9, on the Loop 323/SH 31 construction project in Tyler. The contractor will be applying hot mix to the roadway from 7:00pm to 6:00am. Avoid this location if at all possible. More information is available in the Smith County section of this report.

Barricades will go up this week as the contractor prepares to start a widening project on Loop 281 at FM 1845/Pine Tree Road in Longview. The project limits are from US 80 to Shofner Drive. Barricades will be installed on January 9th with construction set to start on January 16th. The contractor is Longview Bridge and Road. Additional information is available in the Gregg County section of this report. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects Update

TYLER – A hit and run accident in Smith County has left one person dead. It was reported shortly before 9:00 Saturday night about six miles south of Tyler on State Highway 155. Dead at the scene was Jesse Copeland, 22, of Flint. First reports were a person was hit by an unknown vehicle which was south bound. No word on what type of vehicle hit him.

KILGORE – With the help of a witness, a Longview man has been arrested for burglary by Kilgore police. Heath Duelle Clary, 45, charged with burglary of a coin-operated machine and burglary of a building. Just after midnight Thursday, a caller told police of suspicious activity at a car wash on Karolina Street. Officers found Clary burglarizing a coin-operated machine in one of the car wash bays. They later found where he had broken into another building on the property and burglarized five other machines. Detectives are interviewing him about other recent burglaries in Kilgore. He’s being held in the Kilgore Municipal Jail on $35,000 bond.

LONGVIEW – Arthur Ray Thompson, 46, of Dallas, is accused of throwing a two-by-four at a tractor-trailer’s windshield on Interstate Highway 20 in Gregg County. The Longvew News Journal reports Thompson was arrested Thursday just after noon at mile marker 583 on the eastbound side of I-20. A witness told a sheriff’s deputy he saw Thompson throw the six foot long piece of wood at the truck. Thompson is said to have told the sergeant he “threw the object intentionally so the police would get called, and the police could give him a courtesy ride to the next county line.” Thompson has been charged with criminal mischief causing damage between $750 and $2,500 and deadly conduct. He remains in the Gregg County Jail.

LONGVIEW – The Harrison County Sheriff’s Department has arrested a student on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Hallsville High School student James Ray Braxton, 17, of Longview, is accused of shooting and pistol-whipping a man who was trying to sell him marijuana at a vacant house on Conroe Street. The victim told police he tried to punch Braxton and get the gun away from him, but was shot him in the arm. When he fell to the ground, Braxton is said to have pistol-whipped him as he tried to get back up. Braxton is currently fee on a $100,000 bond.

EAST TEXAS – Ice has been reported on sections of Interstate Highway 20 in Van Zandt County. It has been reported on bridges and overpasses mainly in the northwestern portion of the county. TxDOT is reporting emergency operations have been implemented in Van Zandt County. Crews are treating roadways with ice rock and salt as snow falls and ice starts to form. Thin layers of ice are forming on bridges and overpasses on the interstate and State Highway 19. In Wood County, the bridge over Lake Fork is covered with snow but no ice at this time. In Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Rusk and Smith Counties, no issues reported at this time. Continue reading Ice Reported On Some Area Roads.

FRANKSTON – A house fire has killed an elderly Anderson County woman.It was reported around 2:30 Thursday afternoon on County Road 4365, south of Frankston. The woman’s name has not been released. Investigators from Anderson County and the State Fire Marshal’s office are working to determine the cause of the fire.

TYLER – Tyler police continue looking for the man who robbed the Game Room on South Vine Street. It was robbed late at night on December 28th. An employee reported she was robbed by an Hispanic male about 5’10 with a heavy build. He was wearing a face mask, hooded shirt and shorts. He left the business on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries. Continue reading Game Room Robbery Investigation Continues

TYLER — The queen of the 2017 Texas Rose Festival is Emily Kaye Evans, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Lenville Evans, Jr. The announcement came Thursday evening at the 25th Winter Gala benefiting the Tyler Rose Museum, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Emily is a freshman at Belmont University in Nashville, majoring in music business. She graduated from All Saints High School in Tyler. Duchess of the Rose Festival is Caroline McGinley Bertram, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Kenneth Bertram. Continue reading Rose Queen Introduced at Winter Gala

GLADEWATER — Multiple fire departments contained a large structure fire in downtown Gladewater. According to KETK, the massive blaze caught several adjacent businesses on fire around 10:15 Wednesday night. Gladewater Police Chief Robert Vine said firefighters battled the fire at Tony’s Old South Restaurant, formerly known as The Fork Restaurant, which then spread to a business next door. Tony’s was only open for about a month before it burned down. Vine said the origin of the fire is a building on the corner, adjacent to Tony’s. The building was empty when the fire began. The Gregg County Fire Marshal’s Office said the ATF will take over the investigation. Continue reading ATF Investigating Downtown Gladewater Fire

LONGVIEW – A Longview man, Kedric Lamar Handy, 24, is facing a variety of charges following a Wednesday traffic stop. He was arrested on the 9 outstanding warrants against him. Then, officers found a semi-automatic handgun on the front passenger side floor of the car. The handgun was found to have been stolen during a vehicle burglary. Besides the warrants, Hardy was also charged with possession of a stolen firearm and unlawfully carrying a weapon and taken to jail.