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LONGVIEW – The National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA) presented the Judicial Excellence Award to Associate Judge Joseph Perkins of Longview. Judge Perkins accepted the award Tuesday at NCSEA’s conference in Atlanta, Ga. “Judge Joseph Perkins is a compassionate jurist who has earned well-deserved national recognition for his commitment to Texas children,” Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said. “Consistently willing to embrace new ideas and innovative programs, Judge Perkins has helped facilitate financial security for East Texas families. The State of Texas is fortunate to have a committed public servant like Judge Perkins serving its families as a child support judge.” Each year, the NCSEA selects one judge for national recognition as the recipient of the Judicial Excellence Award.

NACOGDOCHES – Nacogdoches authorities have identified a drowning victim. He is Miguel Escobar, 30. His address is listed as Compton, California, but has been recently staying with friends in Nacogdoches. Escobar drowned around 6:00 Monday evening in the east park area of the lake. His body was recovered several hours later.

TYLER — Police have arrested a Tyler woman for making a false report. Monday, Allison Renee Shope, 30, told officers she was sexually assaulted in an apartment complex parking lot on Kinsey. Police say upon further investigation, Detective Gregg Roberts determined that the incident never occurred. Shope turned herself into authorities yesterday afternoon and was transported to Smith County Jail on a Class B misdemeanor. Judge Christi Kennedy set bond at $1,500.

MANGUM, OKLA. (AP) — The author of a book about a killer who escaped from an Oklahoma prison and disappeared with the warden’s wife says he heard nothing indicating the woman was being held as a kidnap victim when he talked to her while the two were missing. Charles Sasser testified Wednesday at the trial of Bobbi Parker, who is charged with assisting a prisoner to escape for allegedly helping Randolph Dial break out of the Oklahoma State Reformatory in 1994. Sasser says he believes Parker stayed with Dial willingly and that he detected nothing unusual during their conversation. Defense attorneys have said Dial drugged, kidnapped, beat and repeatedly raped Parker, and that she stayed with him only because he threatened to harm her family if she left. The couple was finally found on a Texas chicken ranch in Shelby County. Parker’s lawyers have begun cross-examining Sasser.

TYLER — The opening of a new restaurant would normally be a big plus in this economy, but the Double D Ranch in Tyler has been controversial from the start. Now there’s a new wrinkle to the legal case against the restaurant. The Double D Ranch is trying to go up at the site of the old El Chico, but not without protests from some local citizens. One says, “It’s right across from a school and it’s right next to Toys R Us and Babies R Us. So in my opinion, they may have the right to build it, but that doesn’t make it right.”

Toys R Us sought and got a temporary restraining order from Judge Christi Kennedy of the 114th District Court. The problem is the costumes worn by the waitresses. Some point out, though, that Toys R Us sells a Cowboys Cheerleader two-piece outfit on its website and Mattel makes a Cowboys Cheerleader Barbie.

But now, it has been learned, the Double D’s landlord is Toys R Us. Our news partner KETK obtained a copy of the lease, and one clause prohibits “nude or semi-nude entertainment or otherwise indecent uses” for the property. Double D Ranch is represented by local attorney Blake Armstrong, and Toys R Us by the Potter Minton firm. Neither would talk to KETK.

KILGORE — Kilgore police have more to say about a fatal shooting Monday. Police tell KETK Officer Dee Ann Brown was trying to reach mental health specialists when she and Corporal David Tucker were attacked and stabbed by Jamel Freeman, 19. Police say Tucker was stabbed in the left shoulder, Officer Brown in the neck and back of her head after being thrown to the ground. Police say the knife-wielding Freeman was shot by Corporal Tucker as he was stabbing Officer Brown.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a reported armed robbery. Officers say they were called to an apartment complex at 4917 Thistle after a woman said two black males robbed her. The victim claims the men approached her, pulled a gun and demanded her purse, then fled the scene. She was not injured. Both suspects are described as 6′ tall, 180 – 200 pounds. One was said to be wearing dark shorts and no shirt. The second suspect was wearing a white tee shirt and khaki shorts. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tyler Police.

EAST TEXAS – Some power outages were noted around the area Tuesday. The problems have been corrected and the power restored. Oncor says most of the outages were heat related, such as transformers that overloaded. They report, at one time, about 750 customers without electricity. About 500 of the homes were in Smith County, most in the southern part of the county. Other outages were reported in the Jacksonville, Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Found hiding under his house in the 800 block of Englewood was Christopher Gonzalez, 18. It all started shortly after 1:15 Tuesday afternoon when police received a call of a kidnapping. Officers say Gonzales is accused of pointing a handgun at his girlfriend and another girl. When he learned that police had been called, he hid under the house. He has been released from the Smith County Jail under bonds totaling $200,000 on two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

AUSTIN — An East Texas woman is one of seven persons appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education. The committee provides policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities in Texas.

Among those appointed to the panel is Susan ‘Stormi’ Johnson of Palestine. She is a diagnostician and special education teacher in the Palestine Independent School District and Anderson County Juvenile Detention Center. She is a member of the East Texas Diagnostician Association and Texas Educational Diagnostician Association. She is also board secretary of Anderson Cherokee Community Enrichment Services. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s degree in communication from Stephen F. Austin State University, and completed her Educational Diagnostician Certification from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is appointed for a term to expire February 1, 2015.

TYLER — Tyler police are offering their condolences following the death of a toddler whose mother works for the police department. In a statement, police say, “It is with deep sympathy that we note the passing of Noah Weisberg who passed away on Monday, August 1, 2011 in Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas.”

According to the statement, Noah was flown to Medical City Children’s Hospital, where he spent 12 days in intensive care. The statement continues, “Noah’s mother, Laura Jewell, who is employed by the Tyler Police Department 9-1-1 Communications Center, wishes to thank the community for their prayers and concerns for Noah during this very difficult time. A tragedy fund account is being set up at Southside Bank in Noah Weisberg’s name for anyone wishing to help with medical and funeral expenses.”

Noah, 2, was found floating in a backyard swimming pool in Tyler last month. Officials with the Tyler Police Department said they were called to the 600 block of Kennedy Drive about 5:00pm July 22, after Noah was discovered floating in the pool behind his home by his grandfather.

GLADEWATER — Authorities in Gladewater report a fatal shooting by police. The Gladewater Police Department tells KETK that just before 11:15 Tuesday morning, officers were called to a fight in a alley behind 222 S. Main Street. They say when they arrival they found a man with a knife who refused to put it down. Police say a taser was used twice in an attempt to get the man to drop the knife but had no effect either time. According to reports, the man was able to fight the effects of the taser and charged at the officers, at which point the officers fired. He was transported by ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The victim is identified as Willie Green. Green’s family says he was shot and killed in the parking lot of B & C Furniture, where he’s said to have been an employee. Green was reportedly fighting with another man, possibly over a female.

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A NASA spokeswoman confirms that a piece of the space shuttle Columbia has been found in drought-stricken Lake Nacogdoches. The shuttle broke apart and burned in February 2003, killing seven people and scattering shuttle pieces across East Texas. NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone said Tuesday the spherical object, 40 inches in diameter, was a tank and part of the shuttle’s electrical power distribution system. Nacogdoches police had said the tank was recovered from the lake after its water levels dropped because of the drought. Sgt. Greg Sowell says the lower water level has exposed a larger than normal area on the north side of the lake. Malone says the tank will be shipped to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where other Columbia debris is stored.

TYLER – Dr. Marilyn Young, Professor of Management, College of Business and Technology, University of Texas at Tyler, recently completed the 2011 Labor Market Survey for the Tyler area. Tyler Economic Development Council President/CEO Tom Mullins (pictured) says the survey is “fairly consistent” with previous such surveys, done every two to three years. Mullins says, “We do have a growing labor force, it has a varied skill set, and we have a good work ethic in this area to help support our economy.” Though challenges are ongoing, Mullins says the survey reflects no need for major changes in his council’s strategy. He remarks, “That strategy has generated good results for Tyler over the last 10-15 years.”

The purpose of the survey was to provide labor market information to businesses considering expanding or opening new facilities within the Tyler area. Mullins says detailed information concerning the labor market should be helpful in making these decisions. Numerous aspects of the labor market, such as current status, availability, minimum wage requirements, and demographic characteristics, were examined. Mullins says this information should enable employers to make more informed and rational decisions regarding expansions and investments in the Tyler and East Texas area. You can go to http://tedc.org/res_laborsurvey.php to download the survey.

The survey was conducted during March and April. The research is based upon 600 telephone interviews with respondents residing within a 30-mile radius of Tyler and covering nine counties. The population of the 30 mile radius is 365,412. According to the survey, 87.3% of the respondents were employed; 12.7% were unemployed and available for work in 2011-2012.

o This 12.7% includes hidden unemployment, i.e. new entrants and discouraged workers. A majority of the employed labor market, 82%, was employed full time.
o Of the 18% part-time workers, 42% stated they would like to work full time. Employees had been with the company for an average of 10 years. 78% of the labor force would be willing to train for a new job. 27% of the employed labor market said they were overqualified. The average distance for the total available labor market (unemployed and those people who indicated an interest in changing jobs in 2011-2012) was 22 miles.
o The average commuting distance for unemployed workers was 20 miles. Those workers employed and available are driving an average of 11 miles per day.

o The average distance driven by total employed workers was 10 miles. The majority, 80%, of the available labor market reported they were interested in full-time employment; 26% indicated an interest in part-time employment.
o 85% stated they were available for employment during the day; 25%, evening; and 13%, night. 65% of non Smith County residents said they wanted to work in Smith County. An average hourly wage of $12.89 was computed for those interested in changing jobs.
o Those unemployed were willing to accept a lower average wage of $11.71 an hour, and the total available reported $12.50 as an acceptable hourly wage.

TYLER — East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System has named Ron Schwartz as the new vice president/chief operating officer for ETMC EMS. Schwartz has been with ETMC for over 11 years serving as director of operations and general manager. In this position, he was responsible for more than 400 paramedics and emergency medical technicians, covering over 17,000 square miles, responding to 135,000 requests for service and transportation of more than 105,000 patients each year.

Schwartz helped ETMC add EMS services to several markets in Texas including Waco and Pasadena. Last year, ETMC EMS joined an elite group of emergency providers to receive a three year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services for quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system.

Schwartz will also serve as president of Paramedics Plus, an ambulance division of the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System. Schwartz replaces Tony Myers, who retired in June after 18 years with ETMC EMS and Paramedics Plus.