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QUITMAN – A Wood County arson suspect has surrendered to authorities. James Henson, 41, of Winnsboro, turned himself in Wednesday morning in connection with a fire at a home last Friday. The home was in the 300 block of County Road 4400 near Winnsboro. It was destroyed by the fire. Witnesses say that Henson, who had been acting strange, took a torch and set the home afire. No injuries were reported.

EAST TEXAS – Over the past ten months, wildfires in East Texas have taken quite a toll. The Texas Forest Service has reported over 2,000 wildfires scorched over 200,000 acres. The dollar value of the timber that was lost has reached $97 million. The volume of timber lost in the East Texas fires would have produced $1.6 billion worth of products like homes, furniture and paper. The Texas Forest Service says the ultimate loss to the East Texas economy is $3.4 billion.

NACOGDOCHES – A man accused of raping a woman last week has been arrested in Nacogdoches County. Taken into custody early Wednesday morning was Travis Austin Bailey, 25. He has been charged with sexual assault and remained in the Nacogdoches County Jail under a $100,000 bond. Authorities say Bailey knew the woman and assaulted her in her own home.

HUNTSVILLE (AP) — Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs has been moved to an East Texas prison, where he will receive further treatment after becoming sick while fasting. Texas prison system spokesman Jason Clark said Wednesday that Jeffs has been moved to the infirmary of the Beto Unit prison in Tennessee Colony, northwest of Palestine. Clark said Jeffs will receive treatment there until he’s well enough to be moved back to the nearby Powledge Unit. Jeffs was discharged Monday night from the state prison hospital in Galveston. The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was sentenced to life imprisonment last month after prosecutors used DNA evidence to show he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl prosecutors say he took as one of his spiritual wives.

HUNTSVILLE (AP) – Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs has been moved to an East Texas prison, where he will receive further treatment after becoming sick while fasting. Texas prison system spokesman Jason Clark said Wednesday that Jeffs has been moved to the infirmary of the Beto Unit prison in Tennessee Colony. Clark said Jeffs will receive treatment there until he’s well enough to be moved back to the nearby Powledge Unit. Jeffs was discharged Monday night from the state prison hospital in Galveston. The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was sentenced to life imprisonment last month after prosecutors used DNA evidence to show he fathered a child with a 15-year-old girl prosecutors say he took as one of his spiritual wives.

TYLER — Tyler ISD is wrapping up a series of public meetings on the long range plan it’s been developing. The meetings began September 13; the final get-together is at 6:00 tonight at Jack Elementary. Superintendent Randy Reid encourages everyone to come out and offer feedback on the plan.

“We are expecting our student population to grow by over 2,500 students by the year 2020,” said Reid. “Our long range plan will prepare us for this growth.” The long range plan presentations offer alternatives related to the renovation and repurposing of existing Tyler ISD properties, as well as the construction of new buildings. Members of the community who attend the public meetings are invited to complete a brief survey providing their feedback on the various alternatives.

Those who are not able to attend a long range plan presentation go to http://www.tylerisd.org to view a video of the presentation and complete the survey online. All information is posted in both English and Spanish. Both versions of the presentation will also be shown on TISD Channel 19. “As a district, we want to seek the input of the community to ensure our plan meets or exceeds their expectations,” Reid stated. Tyler ISD plans to gather all feedback by Friday, September 30.

TYLER — The 96th annual East Texas State Fair comes to Tyler today and continues through Sunday, October 2nd. The fair features a carnival, exhibits, lots of food, and activities such as swine races and swimming pigs, sand creations, wood creations, a petting zoo — and you can even ride a camel or a pony. Entertainment will be provided by Otis and the Metro Band, The Matthew Davidson Band, JBand the Moonshine Band, Cody Canada and the Departed and much more. You can go to http://www.etstatefair.com/fun.htm and get more details on the activities as well as hours and ticket information.

TYLER – Two Palestine men have been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations. Derrick Leon Barrett, 41, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine. He was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison Wednesday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Barrett was also ordered to forfeit $10,000. Jerryl Cornelius Mims, 38, also pleaded guilty in April to possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. He was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison Wednesday by Judge Davis. Mims was also ordered to forfeit $1,000.

According to information presented in court, up until April 2010, Barrett and Mims conspired with others to distribute more than 280 grams of crack cocaine throughout the East Texas area. They were indicted by a federal grand jury in January and charged with federal drug trafficking violations.

BEAUMONT — A 51-year-old Longview man has been indicted on charges of child pornography violations in East Texas. Mitchell Duane Porter was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday and charged with production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. According to the indictment, in March, a forensic analysis of Porter’s personal computers revealed images of child pornography. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

MANGUM, Okla. (AP) – The jury has reached a guilty verdict in the trial of a former Oklahoma prison warden’s wife charged with helping an inmate escape. The jury returned earlier Wednesday to the Greer County Courthouse for deliberations after visiting the prison from which she and the inmate disappeared in 1994. The jury spent about 15 minutes Wednesday morning at the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite where the group looked at the area around the home where Bobbi Parker lived with her family on the prison grounds. Prosecutors said Parker fell in love with Dial while working with him in a prison pottery program and helped him escape in August 1994. Defense attorneys said Dial kidnapped Parker and held her hostage until they were found at a chicken ranch in Campti, Texas, in 2005.

MANGUM, Okla. (AP) – The wife of a former prison warden has been convicted of helping an inmate escape and running off with him to start a new life together. A Greer County, Oklahoma, jury determined that 49-year-old Bobbi Parker helped convicted killer Randolph Franklin Dial escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in 1994. The two were found living together in Shelby County, Texas, in 2005. Prosecutors contended that Parker and Dial fell in love after meeting in a pottery program held at the Parkers’ home on prison grounds. Parker’s husband was a deputy warden at the prison. Parker and Dial maintained that he kidnapped her and used threats to keep her from seeking help. Dial died in 2007. Parker and her husband remain a couple. The jury recommended one year in prison.

LONGVIEW — Two men were arrested Tuesday night on Interstate 20 near Longview after troopers said they threw bricks of marijuana and prescription pills out of their moving vehicle while fleeing authorities. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Sirwelton Hobbs, 28, of Alexandria, La., and Kevin Anthony Gills, 30, of Orland Park, Ill., remained jailed on drug and tampering with evidence charges.

According to Department Public Safety officials, Hobbs was driving about 120 mph when troopers attempted to perform a traffic stop and he fled. “While evading arrest, the driver and passenger discarded a large quantity of Xanax pills by throwing them out of the windows of the vehicle,” trooper Jacob Muehlstein said in an arrest report. “After discarding the pills, the occupants began throwing bricks of marijuana out of the window also.”

Muehlstein said while the two were discarding marijuana from the moving vehicle, one of the bricks hit his patrol car and a nearby tractor trailer. Authorities said Hobbs pulled over near Eastman Road after a 12-mile pursuit. Muehlstein said the suspects were arrested after refusing to answer investigators’ questions.

MANGUM, OKLA. (AP) — Jurors in the trial of a former deputy warden’s wife on a charge of helping a convicted killer escape are continuing their deliberations. The jury broke just before 6:00 Tuesday evening. During deliberations, the jury asked to see the Oklahoma State Reformatory, where Bobbi Parker disappeared with Randolph Franklin Dial in 1994. Years later, Parker and Franklin were later found living in Texas on a chicken ranch in Shelby County. The judge didn’t rule in open court on the request, but lawyers say the jury, judge and lawyers were to visit the prison today, including the home on the compound where Parker lived with her husband.

NORTHEAST TEXAS — Firefighters are taking on a new assignment for the Northeast Texas Fire Complex. The Texas Forest Service is concerned about 60 smaller uncontained fires scattered across Northeast Texas that started in the last 30 days or so and have a high potential for reburn under current extreme conditions. Firefighters are being asked to check the fires for residual heat and hot spots and mop up as needed. Crews will also be assessing control lines for leaf litter and needles and clean up as needed to reduce the potential for any escapes. Texas Forest Service liaisons will assist firefighters in coordinating access prior to entry on private lands.

“The public may not be aware of these smoldering fires but there may be heat contained within them, particularly underground, where tree roots are still smoldering. We’ve had a lot of leaf litter dropping from the trees in the last several weeks, and this has created a new fuel bed that could easily ignite,” said Assistant Chief Regional Fire Coordinator David Abernathy. Officials point out that despite residual moisture and moderated temperatures, fuels remain dangerously dry, and county burn bans are still in effect.

The Texas Forest Service and the local volunteer fire departments are asking the public to continue to work on defensible space around their homes and property to lower risk in their community from wildfire. They ask you to take responsibility for the safety of your family and animals and develop your evacuation plan. You can go to http://www.wildlandFireRSG.org and http://www.firewise.org for additional information on defensible space and evacuation preparedness. Air support currently assigned to the complex includes one heavy helicopter (holds up to 2,000 gallons of water), one medium helicopter (holds up to 320 gallons of water) and a light helicopter for reconnaissance flights. Total personnel working on the Northeast Texas Fire Complex is 349.

Disaster Assistance and Donations

The Red Cross has arranged for local charities to access the Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) system for those needing disaster assistance. Through CAN, caseworkers have access to secure client information providing collaboration and ease of referral between agencies. Call 800-RED-CROSS for additional information. You can contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross for a list of agencies that are currently accepting donations.

Recovery & Needed Donations for Displaced Animals

Texas Animal Health Service has been working with AgriLIFE Marion and Cass County Extension Service offices and the Texas Department of Agriculture for recovery of large and small animals. Contact Eddie Hayes at 903-277-3979 for additional information. Hay donations are being accepted for horses and cattle. Drop off for animal feed is at the Linden Rodeo Arena on State Highway 8 in Linden. For additional small animal recovery, you can contact Caroline Weddings 903-790-9012 at the Marion County Humane Society.

NORTHEAST TEXAS — Firefighters are working with Texas Forest Liaisons to check for residual heat and mop up, as needed, on a number of smaller active carryover fires scattered throughout Northeast Texas. Crews are patrolling for smoke, checking existing containment lines for leaf litter, utilizing handheld infrared devices to detect residual heat, and utilizing GPS to record fire perimeters. Firefighting resources also are available to assist with initial attack on any new starts that may occur. Some resources are demobilizing as fire containment objectives are met.

“Our liaisons greatly appreciate private land owners working cooperatively with us to gain access to the carryover fires,” said Texas Forest Service Regional Forester Wes Moorehead. “Given the extreme conditions and high potential for reburns, it is important we take the time to be very thorough in containing and mopping up these fires,” added Moorehead.

Tuesday, crews visited approximately half of the assigned 60 carryover fires; approximately half of those small fires showed no residual smoke. Firefighters also were assigned to the Angelina River Bottom Fire, a large 6,500-acre carryover fire. Crews discovered a number of smokes in the interior of the fire; officials say mop up efforts for this fire will take several days to complete. They add that light morning winds and mostly clear skies have favored cooling and allowed very good recoveries to settle in across the area.

The Texas Forest Service and the local volunteer fire departments are asking the public to continue to work on defensible space around their homes and property to lower risk in their community from wildfire. They ask you to take responsibility for the safety of your family and animals and develop your evacuation plan. Go to http://www.wildlandFireRSG.org and http://www.firewise.org for additional information on defensible space and evacuation preparedness

Officials say crews will continue to patrol, and mop up as needed, the larger contained fires in the Northeast Texas Fire Complex. Firefighters will also continue patrolling several smaller fires within the Northeast Texas Fire Complex area. Air support currently assigned to the complex includes two heavy helicopters . Resources are beginning to demobilize as progress is made on containing the fires. Total personnel working on the Northeast Texas Fire Complex is currently 234.

Disaster Assistance and Donations

The Red Cross has arranged for local charities to access the Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) system for those needing disaster assistance. Through CAN, caseworkers have access to secure client information providing collaboration and ease of referral between agencies. Call 800-RED-CROSS for additional information.
You can contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross for a list of agencies that are currently accepting donations.

Recovery & Needed Donations for Displaced Animals

Texas Animal Health Service has been working with AgriLIFE Marion and Cass County Extension Service offices and the Texas Department of Agriculture for recovery of large and small animals. Contact Eddie Hayes at 903-277-3979 for additional information. Hay donations are being accepted for horses and cattle. Drop off for animal feed is at the Linden Rodeo Arena on State Highway 8 in Linden. For additional small animal recovery, contact Caroline Weddings 903-790-9012 at the Marion County Humane Society.