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LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing man. He is Dontavious Elliott, 30. A family member says they last saw him in March or April of this year when he was dropped off at the Highway 80 Rescue Mission in Longview. Attempts have been made by the family and the police department to locate Elliott but there have been no leads. He is a black male, 5’8″ and weighing around 160 pounds. He was last known to have a blonde streak in his hair, and a goatee about 2-3 inches in length. If you know where he can be found, you are asked to contact the Longview Police Department.

TYLER — Tyler Police are searching for the suspect wanted in a Thursday morning robbery. Officials said it happened around 8:50 at Racetrack store, 1736 E. Gentry Parkway. Authorities said the suspect, described as a Hispanic male, 5’5” to 5’7”, 200-235lbs, wearing blue pants, camo-hoodie and glasses. The man reportedly entered the store, demanded money and fled the scene in a white 4 door car. The suspect was not armed. Contact Tyler Police with any information.

GREGG COUNTY — The Westbound lanes of Interstate 20 in Gregg County are shut down following a major wreck. According to KETK, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said the accident, involving an 18-wheeler, occurred near the Highway 42 exit this morning. Traffic is being detoured to the Highway 259 exit. Officials are asking that motorists avoid the area at this time. Details concerning the cause of the crash and injuries are limited at this time

FLINT — Volunteers with Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Disaster arrived Wednesday in Louisiana to help flood victims in what is being called the worst natural disaster in America since Superstorm Sandy. A team of 12 volunteers and 3 mobile units left from Flint Baptist Church in Flint Wednesday morning. The crew will be working in Lafayette and by Friday will begin cooking meals for flood victims. Continue reading Flint Baptist Volunteers Help Louisiana Flood Victims

TYLER — Due to the falling of a large tree, the first footbridge south of Rieck Road on the Rose Rudman Trails in Tyler is closed until structural damage can be assessed. Officials say residents should not try to access the footbridge and should exercise caution while using the trail.

TYLER – Officials with UT Health Northeast have announced they are promoting Kris I. Kavasch to vice president and chief financial officer.She previously served them associate vice president and chief audit executive. Kavasch has previously worked for the State of Texas since 2001, including for the Office of the Attorney General, the Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Continue reading A Promotion at U T Health Northeast

PANOLA COUNTY – A Panola County grand jury has decided not to indict a state trooper in the shooting death of a Longview man. According to Panola County District Attorney Danny Davidson’s office, the panel no billed trooper Daniel McBride, 27, in the February shooting of Calin Roquemore, 24. He later died at Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center. Continue reading No Indictment in Longview Man’s Death

LONGVIEW – The third person arrested in a Longview murder has been returned to Gregg County. Jail records show Kentrell Jorail Smith, 20, was booked into the Gregg County Jail late Wednesday afternoon. His bond was set at $500,000. He had been arrested by Dallas Police in the murder of Devin Newsom, 20, of Lakeport. Previously arrested in the case were Brenndrick Lilly and Kambresha Williams. Both are 21. Both remain in the Gregg County Jail. Newsom was killed at the Food Fast convenience store on South Eastman Road near the Pittman intersection shortly before 2:00am on May 23. Continue reading Murder Suspect Returned to Longview

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld a Tyler murder conviction. The appeals court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction of Carlton Ray Champion Jr. The 22 year old former Texas College football player was found guilty last December and sentenced to life in prison, for the January 2015 death of a transgendered woman, Tyrone Lee Underwood, 24. Tyler police say the two were romantically involved at some point. Champion is said to have shot Underwood, whose car crashed into a telephone pole on West 24th Street. Continue reading Appeals Court Affirms Champion Murder Conviction

TYLER – A groundbreaking ceremony in Tyler this morning officially marked the beginning of work on segment 4 of Loop 49. It is also known as the Lindale Relief Route. Because of the weather, the ceremony was moved indoors to the Willow Brook County Club. The nearly 7 mile section of the toll road will start at Interstate Highway 20, southwest of Lindale, and run to U.S. Highway 69 north of Lindale. It will be a couple of years before you see any traffic on this section of the road. North East Texas Regional Mobility Executive Director Chris Miller says the project is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2018. It carries a price tag of nearly $69 million. Miller says this section of the toll road will ease some of Lindale’s traffic congestion.

LONGVIEW — Additional details have been released following a Longview homicide in May. According to KETK, the shooting death of Devin Newson, 20, was allegedly the result of an aggravated robbery gone wrong. Arrest warrants released Tuesday detailed the involvement of Brenndrick Kesean Lilly, 21, Kentrell Jorail Smith, 20, and Kambresha Shante Williams, 21, in Newson’s death in the 3300 block of S. Eastman Road May 23. Lilly, Williams and Smith have all been charged with murder. The documents show how Lilly (pictured) is believed to have fired the gunshot that killed Newson in his car after the two struggled for control of the gun during an attempted armed robbery at the Grandy’s and Food Fast convenience store. Continue reading More Details Released in Fatal Longview Shooting

SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) – Authorities say two Nacogdoches men were killed and two others were injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash in southwestern Colorado. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office says Gary Adkinson was driving the ATV with three passengers north of Silverton on Tuesday evening. The vehicle was having transmission problems so Adkinson tried to coast down Corkscrew Pass. Investigators say the brakes failed, and the ATV left the roadway and rolled about 75 feet down a steep embankment. Adkinson and his wife, LaNita Adkinson, were seriously injured and are recovering at a hospital in Denver. Killed in the crash were the couple’s son, 26-year-old Bryson Adkinson, and their son-in-law, 35-year-old Ryan King (pictured). The family is from Nacogdoches and was vacationing in Silverton.

NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches man is in custody in Tarrant County in connection to a Nacogdoches ongoing investigation into a sexual assault of a child. Arrested when he surrendered to authorities was John Paul Jones, 38. Authorities were tipped off by someone who said they saw a video of a child younger than 10 years of age on an iPad that was performing sexual acts with the suspect. Authorities say Jones gave them a full confession. Continue reading Nacogdoches Man Charged With Sexual Assault of a Child

TYLER – CVS Health has announced it is buying two local pharmacies. They are buying the two Good’s Medicine Chest Pharmacies in Tyler. One is located on South Beckham and the other is on West Grande Boulevard. Customers with prescriptions for these two pharmacies are being asked to pick them up at The CVS Pharmacy on East 5th and South Broadway or at the pharmacy next to Barnes and Noble on South Broadway. The parent company of Good’s Medicine Chest is Medicine Chest Pharmacies, which is based in Sulphur Springs.

FLINT — More local volunteers head to Louisiana, these from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. Wednesday morning at 9:00, a disaster relief team, including 3 mobile units, deployed from Flint Baptist Church to Lafayette to help feed thousands of flood victims as well as first responders. The Red Cross in East Texas has already sent help.

LONGVIEW — The East Texas Veteran’s Resource Center in Longview has been awarded $100,000. KETK reports the grant will help as many as 80 military veterans find work through job coaching and job placement. Program supervisor Randall Webster says this is the first time the facility has received an employment grant. Webster says, “The instability in the veterans that we serve was unemployment or underemployment. So, in fact, 46 percent of the veterans we serve had a need for these type of services. So we thought it was appropriate to apply for a grant.” The grant will cover job readiness training classes, background checks, interview clothing and more.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Drivers were forced to seek alternate routes from 7:30 until 10:45 Wednesday morning after a wreck closed U.S. Highway 79 in Cherokee County between State Highways 42 and 110. According to TxDOT, the crash involved two cattle trucks. Westbound traffic was detoured north on Farm-to-Market Road 2274 to Farm-to-Market Road 856 and back to Highway 79. Eastbound traffic routed north or south on Highway 110. TxDOT assisted DPS with traffic control. No word on any injuries.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department has requested the public’s help in locating a missing juvenile. Shakia Morrison, 16 of Marshall, was reported missing on July 30th. She was reported missing from East Texas Open Doors and is possibly with another female by the name of Shacoya Jackson. Morrison could possibly be in the Longview area. Morrison is described as 5’3 190 pounds with black hair. She has her nose and bottom lip pierced. If you know Morrison’s location please contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575.

LUFKIN — The Lufkin Police Department has arrested a man in connection with an aggravated robbery in Dallas. Around noon on Tuesday, detectives arrested Dunta Johnson, 44, Dallas, who was wanted for a DFW-area aggravated robbery after he was tracked to a home located on Circle Drive. According to KETK, Dallas police notified Lufkin police that Johnson took off to East Texas after shooting a female acquaintance in the leg on Monday and stealing a car from her home. Officers and detectives monitored the area near Coston Elementary until they saw a man come out of the home and begin talking on his cell phone. They detained the man, who was later identified as Johnson’s friend. Johnson was found inside the home and taken into custody without incident. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

TYLER – The drive thru at the City of Tyler Water Business Office will be closed From August 18th through the 25th. It will replaced by a new electronic kiosk. With the drive thru, customers could pay bills Monday through Friday from 7:00am till 6:00pm. With the new kiosk, customers will have 24/7 access to water business office. At the kiosk, customers will able to pay with check, money order, credit/debit cards and cash. Those paying with cash need to know that no change will be given. While the kiosk is being installed, customers may pay their bills online at http://www.CityofTyler.org or at the Tyler Water Business on West Locust Street Mondays through Fridays from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man has been arrested after a policeman saw him naked in his car’s rear view mirror. The officer said the man, who acted paranoid, had bloody scratches on his arms and body. His explanation was he had been on the roof a nearby house having sex with a woman when he fell off the roof. He also admitted to having done K-2 and methamphetamine that day. After being medically cleared, Ricky Dale Brimer Jr., 31, was booked into the Angelina County Jail on a charge of public Intoxication.

GILMER – A Lamar County man has been sentenced to prison for the Upshur County death of a Smith County man. A jury had been selected to hear the manslaughter case against Wayne John Glover, 48, of Roxton, when he pleaded guilty. He was sentenced Tuesday to ten years in prison. He had been charged with the September 2015 death of Donald Gene Scott, 46, of Lindale. Scott had stopped for a school bus when Glover’s tractor trailer rig hit the back of his vehicle. The accident occurred about 7 miles north of Gilmer on U.S. Highway 271. Evidence showed Glover was driving 60 miles an hour and using his cell phone when the accident occurred.

TYLER — The East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind has been honored for workplace safety programs and low rates of work-related injuries and illnesses. Karen Puckett, Director of Workplace Safety has presented the company with the Division of Workers’ Compensation’s Lone Star Safety Program Award. It’s a state designation for Texas employers with excellent safety programs that can serve as models for other employers. East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind, which has 87 employees, serves the needs of people who are blind and visually impaired.

PALESTINE – With the rain has come a lifting of burn bans, with the bans ending in Palestine and Anderson County. The burn bans were issued late last month. Anderson County lifted its burn ban Monday. To coincide with the county’s action, Palestine lifted its burn ban on Tuesday. Palestine residents will be allowed to burn if they obtain a permit at one of the three Palestine fire stations.

TYLER — The American Red Cross in East Texas is sending volunteers and resources to Louisiana to help with severe flooding. Two volunteers from the Tyler office are assisting, accompanied by a food truck loaded with supplies, which will operate from a staging area. That crew is joining another truck from North Texas. Red Cross officials said the devastation is likely the worst natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. People can donate by visiting http://www.redcross.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word LAFLOODS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters.

NACOGDOCHES — A man and woman driving from Houston were arrested on drug charges by Nacogdoches police officers late Monday night. According to KETK, K9 officers stopped a Jeep Cherokee for speeding and a search was conducted on the vehicle. Authorities reportedly found 50 pounds of liquid codeine. Kedar Muhammed, 27, of Park Forest, IL and Latifah Tate, 25, of Atlanta, GA, were both arrested. The two have been charged with manufacture with intent to deliver a controlled substance, a 1st degree felony. They were booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail.

KILGORE — Kilgore College celebrated what’s termed a long and distinguished relationship with Eastman Chemical Co. by presenting the company the inaugural Blue Ribbon Medal for Student Success Aug. 11 at summer graduation. According to a news release, Eastman was chosen for the award because of its 10-year partnership with KC in the development and continued advancement of the Process Technology and Industrial Maintenance Technology programs at KC. Additionally, Eastman’s partnership and generosity has enabled the creation of KC’s newest workforce development program in robotics, Instrumentation and Electrical Technology, which will begin this semester, according to the release.

SMITH COUNTY — Two out-of-town residents are dead in a weekend wreck in northern Smith County. DPS Sgt. Jean Dark says around 6:42 Sunday morning, troopers responded to I-20, four miles west of Lindale. A preliminary crash investigation revealed that a 1999 Ford F-250 was traveling westbound when it ran off the roadway to the right, struck a guardrail, and overturned. The driver has been identified as Jakob William Rogers, 18, of Glenn Heights. The other occupant of the vehicle has been identified as Autumn McWhorter, 18, of Ovilla. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

RUSK — An ongoing investigation into ATV thefts by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the arrest of two teens and the recovery of four ATVs with an approximate combined value of $32,000. According to the sheriff’s office, an ATV was reported stolen from FM 177 on July 30, and another was reported stolen from County Road 3901 on August 4. Both locations are around the Bullard area.The remaining two ATVs that were located during the course of the investigation were found to have been stolen out of Smith County. Continue reading Two Arrested in ATV Thefts