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SMITH COUNTY — A wreck in Smith County Wednesday morning kills 55-year old Samuel Blackbird of Tyler. According to DPS, it happened on FM 850 west of Hwy 31 East. Authorities say an SUV driven by Blackbird collided with a tree.

TYLER — A suspect has been arrested in a recent lewd behavior incident at Kohl’s Department Store in Tyler. Police say they received numerous tips after the news media released information about the incident. 25-year-old Jose Alberto Mejia of Longview turned himself into investigators Wednesday afternoon. He has been charged with class B misdemeanor indecent exposure and a state jail felony of improper photography. Judge Christi Kennedy issued a warrant and set bond at $50,000. Mejia is incarcerated at the Smith County Jail.

On Friday at 11:28 a.m., Tyler Police responded to Kohl�s at 7715 S. Broadway in reference to a suspicious person. Officers made contact with store security personnel who had witnessed a man taking pictures of two very young females. Police say the man used his cell phone to covertly take pictures under the girls’ skirts. After taking the pictures the suspect reportedly went to another aisle of the store and exposed himself. Store security attempted to make contact with the suspect, but they say he ran out of the store to a car and drove away. Officials say the two girls left the store not knowing that the man had taken the pictures.

TYLER — East Texas Medical Center has won several national marketing awards for materials produced by the marketing department under the direction of corporate director Carroll Roge and vice president Mike Thomas. ETMC was recognized with four Aster Awards. A gold Aster was awarded to Scott Berkley for a photo for ETMC EMS. A silver Aster was presented for the ETMC Athens fall newsletter and two bronze Asters were given for a brochure and television ad for the sleep center. The Aster Awards is an international medical marketing awards program.

The ETMC First Physicians Minute videos, produced by Rebecca and Scott Berkley, received the highest designation from the �Videographer Awards� with the �Award of Excellence.� A training video for surgery titled �Time Out� received the �Award of Distinction.� Only 14 percent of the over 1,800 entries received an award. The �Videographer Awards� recognize pieces produced, shot and edited in a high standard of excellence. The ETMC First Physicians Minute television spot also received an �Award of Distinction� from the Communicator Awards, an international marketing awards competition featuring over 9,000 entries.

ETMC won two bronze �Telly� awards for ETMC First Physicians Minute and �Time Out� training video for surgery. The Telly awards received over 13,000 entries from ad agencies, production companies, TV stations and corporations worldwide. A silver award is the highest an entry can receive followed by a bronze.

MARSHALL — Former Marshall High School teacher and coach Andy Townsend has been sentenced after entering a guilty plea to four charges of having an improper relationship with a student. Townsend was sentenced to serve six years probation and pay a $2,000 fine. He’ll also have to give up his teaching certificate, and he can never re-apply. Townsend was arrested in February 2009 after an investigation revealed he sent inappropriate text messages to three minor female students. The messages were sexually charged, and in one, Townsend even requested one of the girls meet him for sex.

NACOGDOCHES � Nacogdoches County commissioners on Wednesday reinstated the county-wide burn ban effective immediately for 90 days. According to KETK and the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, an order restricting outside burning in the unincorporated areas of the county was enacted April 19 and then lifted May 24 after a few showers lessened the fire danger. With the exception of a few quick, sparse showers over the last weekend, little to no rain has fallen since the ban was lifted. At that time, commissioners warned that it would likely be re-enacted in the near future. “We do look at the report (Keetch-Byram Drought Index),” Nacogdoches County Judge Joe English has said. “When it reaches 575, we can call for a ban on fireworks. We’re at about 535 today (Monday).” The court has until June 14 to vote to enact a fireworks ban, according the Local Government Code.

HENDERSON COUNTY — The Henderson County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a deceased man. Sheriff Ray Nutt said a worker was found dead on a ranch on US Hwy 175 near Athens Monday. The Sheriff said property owners found the ranch hand next to a tractor with what appeared to be numerous injuries. The body has been sent to Dallas for autopsy. His identity has not been released.

ARP — A Monday night raid on a convenience store in Arp lead to several arrests. Arp police investigators arrested the owner of the Valero gas station on south Main for three gambling-related offenses. Saeb Kutob, 63, was charged with gambling promotion, keeping of a gambling place and possession of a gambling device. Brandi Warner, 38, was also arrested. Both have since been released on bond. Authorities say Kutob reportedly paid cash prizes to winners of the seven video-poker style gambling machines set up in his store. By law, the station is only allowed to award merchandise.

GILMER (AP) – Some East Texas leaders already accused of abuse of power have been charged over alleged free legal service. Upshur County Sheriff Anthony Betterton and County Commissioner Lloyd Crabtree were charged Tuesday with gift to a public servant by someone in his jurisdiction. The two on Dec. 31 allegedly accepted free legal help after being indicted on official oppression charges. County Judge Dean Fowler was charged with conflict of interest/failure to file an affidavit. The Longview News-Journal reports Fowler had done legal work for a bank that also had county business. The official oppression charges came after a man was removed from a meeting for wearing duct tape over his mouth to protest a public comment ban. The ban was later lifted.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was arrested Monday morning after he was found hiding in the closet of a Foster Middle School classroom on the last day of class. Willie Earl Hill, 49, was arrested around 8:15 a.m. after a school staff member notified school resource officers that a man was hiding in the closet of her classroom.The officer said when police arrived, Hill was running out of the doors of the school, and he was arrested in the 300 block of East College Street. Investigators determined Hill had broken a window to a downstairs classroom to enter the school. He was released from the Gregg County Jail on Monday on $500 bond, charged with criminal trespassing.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court appointed Chad Gulley of Nacogdoches as Texas AgriLife Extension Service�s County Extension Agent-Agriculture/Natural Resources for Smith County effective July 1, 2011. Gulley is transferring from Nacogdoches County, where he served as County Extension Agent-Agriculture/ Natural Resources for five years. Before transferring to Nacogdoches County, Gulley served as County Extension Agent-4H and Youth Development in Polk County for five years. Prior to joining Extension, he worked as a ranch manager in Tyler County.

TYLER — A structure at 406 West Bow Street sustains an estimated $20,000 in fire damage. The Tyler Fire Department responded to the two-alarm blaze around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. Upon arrival, firefighters reported heavy fire involvement in the two-story structure. The fire was brought under control and all units had cleared the scene by 3:30 a.m. Investigators believe the fire�s cause was electrical in nature. No injuries were reported. Fire officials say the structure appeared to be an unoccupied garage apartment.

WASHINGTON (AP/Staff) – The Environmental Protection Agency has raised new concerns about a proposed pipeline that would carry oil from western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. In a letter to the State Department, the EPA says it is concerned about the risk of oil spills that could affect drinking water and sensitive ecosystems, as well as the effect of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The EPA said that despite two lengthy reports, the State Department still has not done sufficient analysis of the project’s impact on the environment. The letter urged State to conduct a more thorough analysis of oil spill risks and alternative pipeline routes.

The $7 billion pipeline planned by Calgary-based TransCanada would carry crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Texas. It would run through a significant portion of East Texas and has raised concerns among a number of area residents.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the county has had its second jail death in less than six months. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. During a specially called press conference, Sheriff Maxey Cerliano said 30-year-old Micah Aaron Garner of Longview was pronounced dead Monday evening at the jail. Inmate Amy Lynn Cowling died in December. Garner was in a medical holding cell at the time. He didn’t respond during a 7:30 p.m. medical check. Longview Fire Department officials said emergency medical services were dispatched to the north jail at around 10 p.m. Monday, but no one was transported from the jail.

Garner was arrested at around 5:15 p.m. Friday by sheriff’s deputies on charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle and forgery of a financial instrument. He also had two outstanding Lakeport warrants for traffic violations. Garner was being held on bonds totaling $5,000 when he died. Adan Munoz, director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, said the commission was notified about the death Tuesday morning, but he was unsure if representatives would be coming to Gregg County to perform an inspection.

On Dec. 29, 33-year-old Cowling was pronounced dead at an area hospital after being found unresponsive in a Gregg County Jail separation cell. Her death was ruled “probable” seizure due to methadone and Xanax withdrawals. Cowling’s manner of death was ruled undetermined despite a medical examiner’s request to call it “suspicious.” Officials have said she was denied needed medication because they were on the jail’s unapproved medication list. Texas Rangers Jason Dudley and Brent Davis are investigating the most recent death.

TYLER � The Smith County Sheriff’s Department tells our news partner KETK it’s looking into a robbery that happened Monday night around 9:30 at the Brookshire’s gas station inside the grocery store’s parking lot off Highway 155. Police say a female Sonic employee walked across Highway 155 and entered the gas station where she saw an acquaintance inside a white passenger vehicle. Police say the woman approached the car while counting her tips. That’s when she says the driver sped off and the passenger, whom she did not know, grabbed her cash. The woman suffered minor injuries consisting of scrapes and bruises. Police say she then called 911 after jumping into another vehicle trying to pursue the men. But later lost sight of their vehicle.

Police are still investigating the robbery and need your help in solving the crime. If you have any information you’re asked to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Department or Crimestoppers.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council will hold a public hearing Wednesday at 9 a.m. to receive public input on options for redistricting Tyler�s single member Council districts. �At their April 6 meeting, the Council adopted redistricting criteria for the consultants to use as the framework for developing options,� said City Attorney Gary Landers. �At the May 25 meeting they heard two options for proposed new boundaries to achieve proportionate representation in our Council districts and choose to hold another meeting to receive public input.�

The current proposal involves fewer geographical shifts that result in changes in voting precinct boundaries and takes into account the need to ensure that in the majority-minority districts the new districting plan does not result in a reduction of the minority group�s ability to elect a candidate of their choice. �Less change in voter precinct boundaries should result in less voter confusion during the next election,� added Landers. The Council asked the public for comments in preparation for the June 8 hearing. You can go to http://www.CityofTyler.org to submit your comments.

The City of Tyler last redistricted in 2000; since that time, there has been a sizable increase in the total population of the city, requiring the City to again redistrict. The United States Constitution requires that each district within a city have approximately equal population. Preliminary results from the 2010 Census indicate that the population of Tyler is 96,900, an increase of 15.84 percent from the 2000 Census. The distribution of that growth has not been evenly dispersed resulting in an uneven number of residents in some of the City�s single member districts. Given Tyler�s current population, each district should have 16,150 residents or be within 10 percent of that figure. To achieve this equity, district boundary lines must be adjusted to rebalance the populations in the districts.

In addition to the one voter � one vote rule, cities in Texas must be aware of the federal Voting Rights Act requirements that govern the redistricting process. To ensure redistricting obligations are met, the City of Tyler along with Smith County and Tyler Independent School District, has contracted with the law firm of Bickerstaff and Health to assist with the redistricting process to increase coordination and cooperation. It is anticipated that this coordination will assist voters in the future.

Once adopting a final plan, the City must gain approval from the U.S. Department of Justice for the new district boundaries before they are implemented in an election. After the June 8 public hearing, the City Council may vote to approve a redistricting plan. The plan will then be submitted to the Department of Justice after adoption and be implemented prior to the 2012 City Council elections.