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LONGVIEW — Longview police are investigating a Tuesday morning shooting near where children were waiting on a school bus. Officers were dispatched at about 7:00 to a domestic dispute call in the 600 block of Idylwood Drive, according to Longview Police Department spokeswoman Kristie Bryan. The dispute ended with gun fire near a school bus stop, according to police. No one was injured. Officials have interviewed a 14 year old girl in connection with the shooting and say they have other persons of interest in the case.

TYLER — “Aiding and abetting.” That’s how Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert describes the President’s role in the ongoing “Occupy Wall Street” protests. He says it’s the first time in history the leader of the country is encouraging people to protest. He said, “You have all these protesters that are not of one mind and one accord and many want to be arrested.” Gohmert goes on to say, “They want to force the issue and create a problem and it’s not like the Tea Party folks that abide by the law.”

ANGELINA COUNTY — Federal agents are looking for a Lufkin man believed to be on the run because he is afraid a July 4 arrest will affect his parolee status on a 99-year prison sentence for cocaine possession. Rene Tamez, 41, no-showed a court date following the July 4 disturbance with his father-in-law in which he was arrested, according to the federal agent with the Office of the Inspector General.

The arrest was a violation of his parole, but he bonded out of the Angelina County Jail before the Texas Department of Criminal Justice could put a hold on him, the agent said. Tamez received a 99-year sentence in August 1998 and paroled out in 2007. Tamez works as a painter in the Lufkin area and is 5 foot 6, 170 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information Tamez’s whereabouts to call the TDCJ Crime Stoppers number at 800-832-8477.

LONGVIEW – A Longview teenager has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after threatening to kill his dad. Dalton Cole Shaffer, 17, was booked into the Gregg County Jail. His bond was set at $10,000.

Officers were dispatched to the 4700 block of West Marshall Avenue on a report of family violence assault. The teen’s dad said the boy came into his room demanding that his phone be given back to him. When the father refused, Shaffer is said to have raised his hand with a pencil in a threatening stabbing motion. The dad said he pushed the boy into a wall, fighting for the pencil. He then pinned him to the ground. The teen was not injured but his dad complained about a scrape on his hand.

WINONA – A wildfire in the Winona area is contained Tuesday night. It was reported around 6:30 Tuesday evening north of Interstate Highway 20 and east of farm Road 757. Up to 20 homes were evacuated along Farm Roads 757 and 1252. Those evacuations were lifted later Tuesday night. According to KETK, a driver towing a repossessed car on a trailer sparked the fire when a tire on the trailer blew. The driver was given a ticket for reckless destruction of property.

AUSTIN — Wildfire survivors in Gregg, Harrison and Henderson counties can meet with state and federal specialists at recovery centers opening this week in area communities. Starting today, specialists from the state of Texas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on the types of assistance available to survivors. They also have brochures and other written materials on disaster recovery. The schedule is:
*Gregg and Harrison Counties
The fairgrounds at 1123 Jaycee Drive in Longview
1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 13
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 14

*Henderson County
The Emergency Operations Center Training Facility, 622 S. Prairieville in Athens
1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 13
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, October 14
9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 15

Any Texan with questions about the recovery process or needing help registering with FEMA is urged to stop by a recovery center. Visiting with a recovery specialist is not a requirement for survivors who want disaster assistance, but the centers are an excellent way for people to get answers to their questions about disaster aid and help applying for it.

LONGVIEW – Longview has received some national recognition. Longview has been named as one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING for its initiatives to help young people. The competition recognizes communities across the country that focus on reducing high school dropout rates and providing service and support to their youth. Longview is a two-time 100 Best winner, previously receiving the honor in 2008.

Longview will receive a $2,500 grant, signage identifying the community as one of the nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People, and access to America’s Promise Alliance’s community development resources. This year, more than 300 communities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were nominated for the 100 Best distinction. The winners are a diverse group, ranging from small communities to large cities. Winners were chosen by a distinguished panel of 20 judges that included: Marc Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League, Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Michelle Shearer, Chemistry Teacher, Urbana High School, 2011 National Teacher of the Year.

“This award showcases the work of the entire community: the schools, nonprofits, businesses, and the City of Longview,” said Mayor Jay Dean. “I think that it’s an all inclusive effort that has made Longview a great place for our kids. We have to keep investing in the young people of Longview and encouraging them to be part of building our future.”

Longview was selected as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People for numerous reasons including the community’s abundant after-school programs, youth recreation activities, and numerous volunteer opportunities. In addition, the City of Longview allocates approximately 10 percent of the annual budget for community services that directly benefit its youth. As a part of the Partners in Prevention department, the Youth Action Committee allows young people to participate in numerous community volunteer projects, leadership development exercises and provide a youth voice when reporting to the City of Longview departments. Partners in Prevention has a mentoring program that offers year-round, out-of-school youth programming including athletic and art classes, money management and life skills classes. The Longview Economic Development Corporation Workforce Academy helps prepare local students for higher education by holding evening classes for college credits. Through these efforts, Longview’s graduation rate remains above 70 percent. Overall, residents remain committed to helping young people maneuver the challenges faced on the road to adulthood.

TYLER — The annual Texans Against Crime night out event took place yesterday from noon to 10:00. Celebrations were held throughout the City of Tyler at local businesses and neighborhood block parties. Tyler Police Department announced the highest record of Block Parties, 163, registered for this year’s event. The Texans Against Crime program is an annual event designed to unite neighbors and communities to encourage neighborhood communication, community involvement and crime prevention to create safer neighborhoods. The program encourages neighborhoods to host block parties as an opportunity to get to know your neighbor and fight crime.

TYLER — Tyler Police Officer, Justin Utley, seen on the left in the photo, has won his third consecutive Texas State Rifle Association Championship in the service rifle category. He won it during the competition held at Camp Swift in Bastrop, TX.

Utley competed using an AR-15 with iron sights at several different distances, varying firing speeds, alternating standing or sitting and magazine changes. Out of a possible 800 top score, Utley received 782 points to take the win. The trophy he received is named in honor of his late mentor, well known shooter, match director and gunsmith, Richard P. Crawford, on the right in the photo.

Utley said, “this was a very special win for me because Rick had mentored me since I first started when I was 14. Rick taught me almost everything I know about the sport, and he coached me to where I am today.” On June 1, 2011, Crawford passed away from a sudden heart attack.

LONGVIEW – Longview is changing the date for the yearly AlleyFest. “AlleyFest – A Real East Texas Celebration of the Arts,” will be held in downtown Longview next year on the second weekend in May, May 11th through 13th. There will be live music, demonstrations, kids’ activities, and of course exhibits filled with all types of art work from pottery, jewelry, paintings to metal work.

Kelly Hall, President of the Longview Chamber said moving the date from the first weekend of June was not taken lightly. For the last four years we’ve experienced hotter than normal weather and it greatly impacted our daytime attendance. Combine that with the sluggish economy since 2008 and exhibitors found it very challenging to move their products and services. At the conclusion of the 2011 AlleyFest Director Elaine Reynolds surveyed exhibitors from the past 5 years to see if they would like to see the date changed to May and if the date change took place which weekend would work best with their festival schedule. Elaine did not stop there reported Hall. She also surveyed suppliers and volunteers and reviewed the festival schedule within a 100 mile radius to ensure AlleyFest would remain the signature event for East Texas!

Volunteers are also excited about the date change because of the new doors it will open for the event. They have always wanted to engage area schools and bring art related programming, competitions, etc. for the students and now they can.

KILGORE — Former Rangerette, Taylor Greer, will be featured this weekend on the national television series, “The Real Winning Edge.” The show is broadcast on FOX stations all over the country.

Taylor, who was a Rangerette from 2009-11, is being featured on the show because of her unique story about trying out and making the world-famous Rangerettes despite being hearing impaired. Greer, originally from Garland, was born with limited hearing abilities that completely faded away by the age of 12. She now depends on an internal device called a cochlear implant to hear.

Greer was filmed last spring in Kilgore for a segment on the television series which features high school and college age individuals who have overcome numerous obstacles to achieve success.

The 30-minute show is scheduled to air this weekend in the East Texas area on KDFW at 10:00am on Saturday and KLPN at 8:00am Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she has “no reason to believe” that the State Department is biased in favor of a Canadian company’s plan to build a massive oil pipeline from western Canada to the Gulf Coast, as some critics charge. The pipeline route would go through eastern Smith County.

In an interview Tuesday with The Associated Press, Clinton said a decision on the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline will be fair and based on years of work by numerous government agencies.

Clinton dismissed allegations by environmental groups that her decision is tainted by a past relationship with a TransCanada executive who served as an aide in her 2008 presidential campaign. Emails show friendly exchanges between a State official and TransCanada executive Paul Elliot.

The pipeline would travel through Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

BULLARD (Staff/AP) — Former Arkansas Governor and former presidential contender Mike Huckabee weighs in on the “Fast and Furious” controversy during a visit to East Texas. Huckabee was in Bullard this week for Founder’s Day at the Brook Hill School. He tells KETK that Attorney General Eric Holder has some explaining to do. Huckabee commented, “How can he be the attorney general and not know of that many guns being in the hands of Mexican drug cartel(s) that ended up being responsible for killing an American border agent? That’s just absurd.” Huckabee says Holder either is incompetent or is just not telling the truth.

The Associated Press is reporting is reporting a subpoena heading to Holder’s desk having to do with the failed gun running operation. In 2009, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives allowed go-betweens for drug cartels to buy thousands of weapons from border state gun shops — and they lost track of about 2,000 of those guns. Some of the guns have turned up at crime scenes in Mexico, and a number are tied to Americans’ deaths.

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down the appeals of two inmates on Texas death row, including one from East Texas. Justices have declined to review the case of Beunka Adams. He was sentenced to die for fatally shooting a disabled man, Kenneth Vandever, in 2002 during a convenience store robbery in Rusk. Two women working at the store were abducted and shot. One was raped. The justices also decided not review the case of Felix Rocha, who was convicted of fatally shooting a security guard in Houston.

AUSTIN (AP) – Seven Texas school districts, including two in East Texas, have filed the first lawsuit against the state since lawmakers slashed $4 billion in public school funding over the summer. A coalition representing at least 150 school districts announced Tuesday that the lawsuit had been filed in Travis County. It asks the court to declare that the state’s school finance system violates the Texas Constitution. The lawsuit has been brewing for months. Facing a $27 billion state budget shortfall, the Republican-controlled Legislature in June approved the first decrease in per-student spending in Texas since World War II. The school districts selected to file the suit were Hillsboro, Hutto, Nacogdoches, Pflugerville, San Antonio, Taylor, and Van. Among the defendants named in the suit is Texas Education Agency Commissioner Robert Scott.