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TYLER — Through a generous gift, The University of Texas at Tyler has remodeled a space in the UT Tyler Physical Health Education Building to serve as a recreational Gymnasium. Named the Al and Nancy Jones Auxiliary Gymnasium, the facility will serve the entire UT Tyler community and broaden recreational opportunities on campus.

In August, Nancy Jones donated funds in memory of her late husband to remodel the facility. “Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been good friends of mine, and Mr. Jones was my best friend,” said King Campbell, UT Tyler assistant athletic director and head men’s and women’s golf coach. “He was a generous man who had done quite well in the business world and was willing to share a lot of that success he had.”

An avid supporter of the UT Tyler golf program, Al had recently contributed funds
for the golf practice facility on the main campus, he added. “When Al passed last June, we wanted to do something as a tribute to him, and the idea to dedicate this gym was through his widow and business partners,” Campbell said. “He was a man who loved life and young people, and he was always encouraging them. We think this is a great tribute to him and his family.”

A dedication ceremony will be 4:30pm on Tuesday, October 4th, at the UT Tyler PHE Building.

LUFKIN — Lufkin Police Department detectives will seek a warrant for the arrest of Eric Morgan, 42, of 9100 Dodson St. in Houston, in connection with a home invasion-style robbery at a Lufkin home.

Just before 4 p.m. Sept. 1, a 77-year-old woman responded to a knock at the front door of her Willow Bend Drive home. When she unlocked the door, a man forced his way inside the residence while pointing a handgun at the victim.

The man stole the victim’s purse and, within minutes of fleeing the house, used her credit card at a convenience store a few blocks away, at the intersection of East Denman Avenue and South Chestnut Street. Video captured by the convenience store’s security cameras showed the man using the victim’s credit card to purchase fuel for a dark-colored Volkswagen Eos, a two-door, hardtop convertible vehicle.

On Sept. 23, Navasota officers arrested Morgan for the robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank of Navasota that occurred at 10:43 a.m. that day. Lufkin Police Department detectives read a law enforcement release from Navasota and found the description of Morgan matched the description of the suspect in the Willow Bend Drive case.

Further investigation revealed that Morgan was in possession of property belonging to the home invasion victim, and that he was operating the dark-colored Volkswagen shown in the convenience store security video.

MARSHALL — A Big Sandy couple has been sentenced to federal prison today for tax violations. Timothy J. Patton, 61, (pictured) and his wife, Dawn G. Patton, 54, were found guilty on July 7 of conspiracy to attempt to evade federal income tax and five counts of attempting to evade federal income tax. Timothy Patton was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and Dawn Patton was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. They were also ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $571,734.00.

According to information presented in court, beginning in 2000, the defendants stopped filing federal income tax returns and began insisting that their employers not withhold any federal income tax. Each provided false W-2s to their employer, claiming that each was single and exempt from income tax. They also had their employers begin issuing paychecks to the Office of the Patriarch of the Gathering of the House of Israel, an entity created by Timothy Patton using an invalid Employer Identification Number. The Pattons would regularly refuse to provide a Social Security number to their employers. The defendants, who insisted on being referred to as Brother T and Mimi, claimed that they were not the individuals named in the indictment.

TYLER — A husband and wife from Tyler have been sentenced to federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Eugene Cook, 44, pleaded guilty on June 20 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison today. Cook was also ordered to pay a $50,000 forfeiture judgment.

Charlotte Cook, 45, (pictured) also pleaded guilty June 20 to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison today.

According to information presented in court, beginning in October 2010, the Cooks and their co-conspirators distributed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in east Texas. Eugene Cook admitted responsibility for distributing up to 1.5 kilos of methamphetamine throughout the area. Eugene Cook, Charlotte Cook and 2 others were indicted by a federal grand jury on Dec. 1 and charged with federal drug trafficking crimes.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been found guilty of manslaughter. The jury later sentenced Michael Lekele Morrow to 10 years probation. The panel had earlier convicted Morrow of fatally stabbing Bobby Joe Smith Jr., 41, outside Smith’s apartment on West Avalon Street in June 2009. Morrow said he was defending himself as Smith attacked him with an object. He could have received up to life in prison.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin man arrested last year on charges of burning his mother’s house down with a methamphetamine lab received a 20-year sentence this week on an unrelated charge. James Durham Jr., 36, is set to serve the next 20 years in prison after a sentence for third-degree felony evading arrest. The penalty was enhanced due to his previous convictions. The Prosecutor said that after reviewing Durham’s record, including 36 arrests in Angelina County alone, Durham was given the maximum sentence of 20 years.

ATKINSON, NEB. (AP) — The small, north-central Nebraska town of Atkinson is bracing for big crowds at the second in-state hearing over a hotly disputed Canadian oil pipeline project. Residents say the Keystone XL pipeline proposal has divided the town and is expected to generate a large showing at the U.S. State Department hearing in the West Holt High School gymnasium. Similar meetings are taking place this week in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. The pipeline operated by TransCanada would carry oil from Canada to Texas refineries. The pipeline would go through eastern Smith County. Supporters say it will reduce Middle East oil dependence and create jobs. Opponents say it will leak and contaminate the High Plains’ Ogallala aquifer.

NOONDAY — The continuing drought is taking a real toll on East Texas farmers and ranchers. Noonday feed store owner James Hand tells KETK he’s even heard from people who have had to leave the industry. Meanwhile, Austin Bank is busy trying to help. The bank’s Nathan Jones says ranchers will have to buy hay get through the winter. Both Jones and Hand point out that increasing prices for hay and other products are adding to the problem. And Jones notes that not only has hay gone up, but the ranchers are going to have to buy a lot more of it. But he says his bank is doing all it can about that and other problems. He says the bank has helped with irrigation, along with discussing well drilling and some people’s need to buy hay out of state.

QUITMAN — Authorities are on the hunt for suspect Brenda Bowdoin — A.K.A. Brenda Boaz, Brenda Hampton, and Brenda Gilbert. They say she’s wanted for multiple burglaries in Wood County. According to KETK, Bowdoin is traveling in a Champagne color 2004 Hyundai 4-door passenger car Texas license plate W93STT registered to Travis Gilbert and Brenda Bowdoin. Authorities say Bowdoin may be in possession of stolen items and drugs in the vehicle. Bowdoin is suspected to be heading toward the Longview or Wylie area.

TYLER — Tyler Police officials tell KETK a man is behind bars after allegedly being caught stealing from a van on Wednesday morning. Police say Terrence Cuba, 26, was found burglarizing the vehicle near Preferred Home Medical on 805 North Glenwood Blvd. just before noon. The owner of Preferred Home Medical, Richard Savage, reportedly saw Cuba breaking into the van to steal its GPS unit and approached him. The two broke into a struggle before Cuba ran away, with Savage following close behind, according to police.

According to authorities, Cuba started throwing concrete bricks and rocks at the business owner and threatened to kill him. Savage received minor injuries during the chase. The alleged burglar was eventually arrested once police arrived on scene. Cuba is charged with burglary of a vehicle and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and is being held on a bond of $52,500.

TYLER — TISD officials confirm with our news partner KETK that a second grade teacher at Austin Elementary was placed on administrative leave on September 23. School officials say 33-year-old Orquidia Nunez-Miller will remain on leave for an “undetermined amount of time” for a non-school related incident. Smith County jail records show Miller was arrested for child abuse and neglect on September 20 and was released the following day. TISD says Miller has not been at the school since September 16.

KILGORE — Sunday afternoon shortly after 4:15, a man robbed a 69-year old woman of her purse while she was leaving the CVS Pharmacy in Kilgore. According to KETK, if you have information as to the identity of the pictured suspect or information concerning the crime, you should contact Detective David Falco 903-983-1559 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers 903-236-STOP.

LUFKIN — Two Texas congressmen visited with county judges, officials and first responders from the Deep East Texas region in Lufkin on Wednesday in an effort to improve the federal government’s response to disasters. That’s according to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News. U.S. Rep. Michael T. McCaul (R-Austin), chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management, is investigating whether FEMA’s response was fast enough after fires broke out this month in several areas of the state. He was joined by Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler).

“Part of my role is to examine these fires that took place in the state of Texas and provide the oversight on how we can do these things better. I’ve been all over the state of Texas talking with local people about the response to these fires, and Bastrop was the one that was most devastating. But we can do a better job,” McCaul said. “It took a Bastrop to get these aviation assets into the state. It shouldn’t have taken that long. What I’ll be examining is FEMA’s response — why we didn’t get those aviation assets sooner.”

Gohmert said the meeting with area county judges was productive and that the information learned would be taken back to Congress. “When you have people from the counties that have been most affected by the wildfires, they know what good things have been done and they also know what the problems are,” Gohmert said. “You also get valuable input from the folks here on how we can streamline things, to get help immediately where it needs to go, so we can reduce the amount of suffering that goes on.”

OVERTON — The drought and intense heat have caused a lot of trees to drop their leaves and turn brown early. In Overton, Extension forestry specialist Eric Taylor says don’t panic. According to Taylor, “Just because a tree’s leaves have turned brown, or because the leaves have shed from the tree, doesn’t mean the tree is dead.” He says it is part of the trees’ defense mechanism.

GREGG COUNTY — Family members of a 31-year-old Longview man who was shot and killed Tuesday night said they do not know the man charged in his death and said the victim was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Orion Marcell Peoples was found inside a residence in the 1100 block of Hutchings Boulevard with at least one gunshot wound. Troy Carnell Saddler, 18, was arrested and charged in Peoples’ death. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said officers were dispatched to the residence around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday in connection to a report of gunshots. Brian said investigators were still interviewing witnesses. “At this time, we’re unsure why they were at the residence or whether drugs were involved,” she said.

Officials said Peoples was pronounced dead at the scene. Christopher Carter, 23, of Longview told police that Saddler pointed a gun at him and assaulted him inside the home where Peoples was fatally shot. Saddler fled the scene, but was arrested after a traffic stop near the intersection of Noel Drive and Martin Luther King Boulevard, Brian said. Peoples’ aunt, Marilyn Brown Bell, said her family was notified about the shooting early Wednesday.

Saddler remained jailed Wednesday on bonds totaling $115,000, charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

NACOGDOCHES — The Nacogdoches Police Department is currently investigating an aggravated robbery at a residence in the 2700 block of Logan Circle around 11:16 Wednesday night. Officials say a male and a female were in the home when someone knocked at the door. The female victim answered the door, and was confronted by two male suspects, one with a gun. The suspects forced their way into the residence, one restraining the female, and the other confronting the male victim. During this confrontation, the handgun in the possession of one of the suspects was discharged. The male victim received a non-life threatening laceration to the head. It is not clear if the laceration was caused by the discharge of the weapon or occurred during a struggle.

The suspects then stole the keys to the victim’s vehicle, and fled the scene in the vehicle. The stolen vehicle was located by Nacogdoches Police a short time later, abandoned on Railroad Street. The suspects are described as African American males, one taller than the other, last seen wearing black shirts and dark pants.

AUSTIN – Wildfire survivors in six more Texas counties – Anderson, Caldwell, Fayette, Henderson, Hill and Rusk – can now apply for state and federal recovery assistance, as those counties were added Wednesday to the state’s Sept. 9 presidential disaster declaration.

The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge homeowners, renters and business owners in the newly designated counties to register with FEMA as soon as possible. The application process is simple, but crucial, as FEMA may provide assistance that can address specific needs. “Getting assistance to eligible Texans in all 22 counties affected by the wildfires is our top priority,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Kevin L. Hannes of FEMA. “The sooner survivors register with FEMA the sooner we can determine how we might be able to assist them.”

Counties previously designated for Individual Assistance in areas affected by wildfires beginning August 30 and continuing are Bastrop, Cass, Colorado, Gregg, Grimes, Harrison, Houston, Leon, Marion, Montgomery, Smith, Travis, Upshur, Walker, Waller and Williamson. Three counties – Colorado, Leon and Walker – were also added to the declaration Wednesday for supplementary funding under FEMA’s Public Assistance program, which reimburses the state, its agencies, local governments and certain nonprofit organizations for eligible costs to protect lives and property, clean up disaster-affected communities and repair infrastructure.

Aid under the Individual Assistance program may include grants to survivors that help pay for temporary housing, emergency home repairs or other serious disaster-related expenses, such as medical and dental expenses or funeral and burial costs, that are not covered by insurance. Low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses may also be available from the U.S. Small Business Administration that compensate for losses incurred during the disaster that are not fully covered by insurance or grants.

Survivors in all 22 counties can register for assistance online at http://www.disasterassistance.gov or via smart phone at m.fema.gov. They can also call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or (TTY) 1-800-462-7585. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 1-800-621-3362. Operators are available by phone from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

LUFKIN — A store employee apprehended a man he saw stealing ribeye steaks from a business in the 1800 block of Frank Avenue in Lufkin. The employee told police he saw the man throwing meat out of a buggy and into the lap of a woman sitting in a vehicle. The employee said the couple had no bags and looked suspicious, according to a report. When the employee called out to the man, he took off running to a nearby car wash. When the employee began talking to the woman in the car, later identified as the man’s wife, the husband came back and said his wife did not know he was stealing the meat, the report stated. The value of the steaks was nearly $300. The man claimed he was just trying to feed his family.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville SWAT team members executed their fourth drug bust in two months Tuesday afternoon, seizing an estimated $13,500 in drugs and $800 in cash. The raid led to the arrests of Fredrick Fuller, 36, Jacksonville, and Lorena Laurean, 26, Rusk, on charges of delivery of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Authorities set Fuller’s bail at $56,000 and Laurean’s bail at $26,000. Officials say the department began surveillance of the residence on the 800 block of Grant Street after receiving a tip that a man was distributing cocaine from that location. The SWAT team raided the house and found 150 grams of cocaine, 36 grams of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.

LIBERTY CITY – A Georgia man has been arrested in Gregg County on a drug charge. Taken into custody was Ryan O’Neil Daley, 42, of Atlanta. It all began with a traffic stop. A state trooper stopped Daley’s car for following to closely to another vehicle. As the officer approached the vehicle he smelled a “strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle along with an odor of air freshener.” A search of the vehicle turned up more than five pounds of marijuana in a trash bag, wrapped in duct tape. Daley was jailed in lieu of a $20,000 bond.

GLENDIVE, MONT. (AP) — Supporters outnumbered opponents at an eastern Montana meeting held to take public comment on a proposed pipeline that would carry Canadian crude to oil refineries in Texas. The route comes through eastern Smith County. Proponents said TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline would create up to 20,000 jobs. Opponents argued the job numbers are inflated and the risks of environmental damage are high.

TYLER — A new expansion project is set to clear up a longtime bottleneck on Tyler’s West Loop 323. According to KETK, the project is in place to start in 2013. It will widen the section near Bellwood Road south of Highway 31 from four lanes to six. The Metropolitan Planning Organization has agreed to help tackle the project with TxDOT. The effort also includes complete replacement of the existing underpass. Mayor Barbara Bass (pictured) says originally, the project wasn’t slated to happen for at least ten years. But she says because of some projects coming in under budget, the city was able to get the federal and state funding required. Bass says she hopes the work will be completed in the next five years. In the meantime, she asks the public for patience.

MARSHALL — The word is out in one East Texas city about a questionable letter. Officials with the city of Marshall are warning residents of a scam using city letterhead. The letters claim to be from the city public works and utilities department — but have a return address of Washington, D.C. Officials say the scam letter encourages recipients to make a donation to domestic drilling.

TYLER — Tyler’s police and fire departments get a helpful technology upgrade. The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to purchase 89 Coban digital video computer systems for a base amount of $1,020,168.40 for the two departments. The systems are the computer and camera units that are in department vehicles, covering reports, mapping, GPS, video, and the like. The City of Tyler will execute a three-year lease purchase agreement with the Government Capital Corporation to assist with the financing of the purchase until January 3, 2012. Smith County 911 will contribute $400,000 towards the purchase of the Coban units.

RUSK – A one vehicle accident in Cherokee county has left one person dead. The wreck occurred on U.S. highway 69, just over two miles south of Rusk. Dead at the scene was Matthew Tanner Lowry, 20, of Rusk. The Department of Public Safety Reports he was south bound Wednesday morning around 2:45 when he lost control of his car and it flipped over. He was tossed from the vehicle.

EAST TEXAS — Authorities have released the name of a man now said to have been critically injured in a Tuesday morning wreck that closed a bridge on U.S. Highway 79. KETK has learned that Edwin Dolan, 76, from Jacksonville, was in a Honda Civic involved in the crash. Dolan remains hospitalized in critical condition. Officials reopened the bridge Wednesday morning. It had been expected to be closed until Wednesday afternoon at the Anderson/Cherokee County line, between Palestine and Jacksonville. Officials say an oversized semi crashed through the guardrail on the bridge. TxDOT’s Larry Krantz says it was part of a convoy, and Dolan was airlifted to the hospital.

TYLER — It’s a way to celebrate the seventh year of performing heart and other surgeries using robotic-assisted technology. Officials with Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics and The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital have unveiled a children’s robotics exhibit at the Discovery Science Place that opens to the public on Saturday. The exhibit is designed to give visitors a hands-on opportunity to learn more about how robotics helps heal patients.

Hospital officials say technology like the da Vinci robot makes a surgeon’s movements more precise, giving more range of motion and providing enhanced 3-D visualization of the operating field. They say it also improves dexterity, but ultimately, the surgeon makes all the movements. From an educational standpoint, according to a news release, “this exhibit will show people how robotic technology and the human mind can combine to create powerful advancements in medical care. We are making steps towards non-invasive surgery that would not be possible without robotic technology.” Officials said the Trinity Mother Frances Foundation sponsored the exhibit to help children and parents better understand the direction that technology is taking medicine and hopefully inspire a young person to consider medicine as a career.

LONGVIEW — After almost two months, two area officer-involved shooting investigations have gone from the Texas Rangers to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. On Aug. 1, Kilgore police shot and killed Jamel Freeman, 19, after authorities said he attacked two officers with a knife. On Aug. 2, Gladewater police shot and killed Willie B. Green, 56, after authorities said he charged three Gladewater officers also with a knife.

Texas Ranger Jason Dudley was called to investigate the Kilgore shooting, and Texas Ranger Rudy Flores investigated the Gladewater incident. On Tuesday, Dudley said he and Flores had turned over the findings of their investigations to the Gregg County district attorney for review, which later would be turned over to a grand jury. After the incidents, two Kilgore officers — Dee Ann Brown and Cpl. David Tucker — were placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation was completed.

GREGG COUNTY — Vernon Robinson, 43, of Longview remained jailed on bonds totaling $12,000, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, interference with an emergency phone call and unlawful restraint. Robinson was arrested about 11:00 Monday night in connection with an assault in the 900 block of East Melton Street. According to arrest reports, the victim told police Robinson struck her in the face, strangled her using his arms and hands and struck her in the face a blunt object, knocking one or more of her teeth out. The victim said Robinson took her phone away when she attempted to call 911, and restrained her from seeking medical help.

NACOGDOCHES — A district judge has reduced bail to $10,000 for a Nacogdoches High School student accused of burning an infant in water. Kendrick Tarver has been in the Nacogdoches County Jail since September 1 after he was arrested on an injury to a child charge. A grand jury indicted the father after the 12-day-old infant was severely burned during a July 27 bath.

Tarver says he was giving the child a bath with a wash cloth. He eventually admitted spraying the baby directly out of the sprayer with scalding hot tap water. The mother blamed diaper rash. District Judge Campbell Cox lowered the bail amount from $50,000.