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LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University has named Dr. Larry J. Frazier as its new dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1. Frazier is the current associate provost and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and a professor of religion and philosophy at Chowan University in Murfreesboro, N.C.

“Dr. Frazier was chosen following a national search and comes heartily recommended,” said LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford. “He is a native of East Texas and a proven leader who brings a passion for graduating students who will integrate their Christian faith into their professional careers.”

Frazier was his class salutatorian when he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from East Texas Baptist University, double majoring in Christian Ministry and Behavioral Sciences in 1990. He earned a Master of Arts in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1994 and a Ph.D. in religion from Baylor University in 2002. At Baylor, his work focused mainly on the history of Christianity and his dissertation applied a sociological methodology in examining the responses and adjustments of Baptist churches in East Texas during the oil boom of the 1930s.

“I am honored to join Dr. Lunsford, Dr. Coyle, and the rest of the LETU faculty and staff,” Frazier said. “During my brief time on campus I got a sense of the spirit and mission of this special place, and I look forward to being a part of what God has in store for the future of LETU.”

LINDALE — Lindale ISD�s E.J. Moss Intermediate School and Lindale Junior High School were recognized as Title 1 Distinguished Performance Schools on Tuesday at the Region 7 Education Service Center in Kilgore. District and school administrators, along with several teachers, were presented a certificate from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) during a special ceremony. The distinction is awarded through the No Child Left Behind Program of the TEA. This is the second consecutive year E.J. Moss has received the honor and the first time for Lindale Junior High School.

Title 1 schools receive federal funding to meet the needs of at-risk and low income students. To be named a Distinguished Performance School, both campuses achieved a rating of Exemplary from the TEA during the spring of 2010 and a rating of either Exemplary or Recognized during spring 2009 and spring 2008. E.J. Moss was rated Recognized in 2008 and Exemplary in 2009 and 2010. Lindale Junior High School was Recognized in 2008 and 2009, and Exemplary in 2010.

A Distinguished Performance School must also serve a student population of 40% or more low-income students during the 2010-2011 school year. The campuses also met the criteria for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2009 and 2010.

LONGVIEW — A Gregg County man has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term for his third DWI conviction. State District Judge David Brabham sentenced Lonia Halton of Longview to 30 years in prison.

In April of last year Halton was involved in a three vehicle accident on South Highway 149. The Department of Public Safety said Halton had failed to control his speed and rear-ended the vehicle in front of him and that vehicle consequently rear-ended another vehicle. It was determined that Halton was intoxicated at the time of the accident.

LONGVIEW � A man stopped on a traffic violation now faces drug charges in Gregg County. Quintus Dewayne Shaw, 24, was stopped for having a headlight out. It was then that officers learned that Shaw had outstanding warrant from Harrison County for possession of a controlled substance. To make matters worse, when he was booked into the Gregg County Jail, officers found a small plastic bag of cocaine in his underwear.

EAST TEXAS — The Henderson man arrested a year ago for putting explosives in mailboxes has his final court appearance next month. Police say Larry Gene North terrorized parts of East Texas by placing more than 30 pipe bombs in various mailboxes. He’s been in the hospital most of the time since his arrest in April of 2010. But on a single day in June, North will have a competency and a change of plea hearing; then he’ll be sentenced. He’s facing a number of criminal charges and could get life in prison.

TYLER — Family and friends gathered in Tyler Monday to mourn the death of 79-year-old pastor and writer David Wilkerson. During his life, Wilkerson ministered to young drug addicts and gang members in New York City and started Times Square Church there. Many know him by his best-selling book “The Cross and the Switchblade,” which was made into a movie. Last week, he was killed in a car crash off Highway 175 near the Anderson County line, and now many East Texans say they will miss his heart of gold. Pastor Wilkerson is survived by his wife and four children.

TYLER (AP) – A third East Texas gang member has been sentenced to prison for raping a 12-year-old girl after a September high school football game. A judge in Tyler on Monday sentenced 19-year-old Glenn Authar Williams to 40 years in prison. Williams in April was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Prosecutor Guy Conine says the victim attended a football game in Tyler and then went with three girls she knew to the home of one of the men. Conine on Tuesday told The Associated Press that the victim did not know the men. Brandon High, who’s 20, and 19-year-old Josh Baker in March pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child. Each was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

HENDERSON � One man has been arrested in connection with a Henderson convenience store robbery where a clerk was held at gun point early Saturday morning. According to Lt. Craig Sweeney, Henderson police officers were dispatched to Fast Stop North in the 100 block of Kilgore Drive at about 3:15 a.m. in connection with a robbery.

The clerk told officers one man pointed a weapon at her while another person removed a �small amount of cash� from the register, then fled the scene, Sweeney said. Kuenten Scott, 18, of Winona was arrested a short time later after a traffic stop on North Mill Street. Sweeney said Rusk County Sheriff�s deputies stopped a vehicle near the convenience store a few minutes after the robbery. Investigators say they do not believe the driver of the vehicle was involved in the robbery and he was not scene on any of the surveillance footage. Scott was released from Rusk County Jail Monday afternoon on $60,000 bond, charged with aggravated robbery. Officials said they expect more arrests in the future.

GALVESTON (AP) � Officials say they believe the body of a man found washed onto a Galveston beach is that of a missing teenage swimmer. Galveston Island Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis says a beach maintenance crew found the body on East Beach about noon Monday. He tells the Galveston County Daily News that it’s believed to be that of John Hight, 18, of the East Texas community of DeBerry. Hight went missing as he and nine friends were swimming in rough surf Saturday. The body was taken to the Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office.

MARSHALL — Three men have been arrested for racing lawnmowers in a muddy section of a Marshall park. The men were arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with criminal mischief between $1,500 and $20,000. They were said to have torn up several section of grass in the park on East Rusk Street. Arrested were James Edward Brown, 42, Christopher Scott Call, 18, and Scott Desalvo, 19, all from Marshall.

LINDALE � The Lindale Independent School District will host a second community and parent informational meeting tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the E.J. Moss Intermediate School auditorium. The focus of the meeting will be changes for the 2011-2012 school year in first through sixth grades. Parents or guardians of LISD students currently in kindergarten through fifth grades are encouraged to attend. District officials will be available to answer any questions regarding the transition and address concerns.

Lindale ISD will undergo campus realignments due to the passage of the 2009 bond election. The bond included the addition of a new junior high school campus. With the addition of the new campus, the district will make changes at other LISD campuses to handle the district�s continuing growth in student population.

Lindale Primary School will serve first through third grades beginning next school year. The current primary school will be known as College Street Elementary School beginning with the 2011-2012 school year as well. The LISD school board approved the name change in February. Velma Penny Elementary School will also serve grades 1-3 beginning next school year. The school currently serves students in third and fourth grades.

E.J. Moss Intermediate School neighbors the current Lindale Junior High School. The two campuses will be joined to form one school next year. Lindale Junior High School will move to its new building. The current intermediate campus will be known as E.J. Moss East and the former junior high building will be E.J. Moss West. Fourth grade students and half of the fifth grade will work out of the E.J. Moss East building, and half of fifth grade and all of sixth grade will work out of E.J. Moss West.

CANTON � Officials say the Van Zandt County Sheriff�s Office conducted and completed a sex offender roundup Saturday in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The roundup kicked off at about 9:30 a.m. with the last team of two finishing at 4:45pm. The Canton Police Department, the constable of Precinct #3, and the deputy constable of Precinct #1 assisted sheriff�s deputies and reserve deputies in the effort.

Van Zandt County has 130 registered sex offenders. Authorities say four are currently in jail, one has absconded, and three are working out of state but are in compliance. 122 convicted offenders were physically checked. Authorities name the absconded offender as Ronald House, 41, a white male, of 254 PR 7502, Wills Point. Officials say anyone with questions about registered sex offenders should feel free to call Deputy Goddard at 903-567-4133, extension 478. You can also go to the Van Zandt County Sheriff�s Office website at http://www.vzsheriff.com and click on sex offenders, which will take you to the DPS website. You may also call Crime Stoppers at 903-567-7867 (STOP) if you wish to remain anonymous.

WASHINGTON, D.C. � Congressman Louie Gohmert of Tyler is among many issuing comments on the death of Osama bin Laden. Gohmert released the following statement Monday:

�Americans will forever remember today. The death of Osama bin Laden is a great victory for the American people. It is a day to be truly grateful to those who serve in and assist our United States military. It is also a time to revere those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in our fight against the radical Islamists who declared war upon us.

“After decades of murderous attacks by radical jihadists against the United States, our courageous warriors have struck a blow for all who love true freedom. Although bin Laden�s death is a great triumph over a remorseless murderer some thought was being divinely protected, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our fight against those who wish to terrorize and destroy the United States and the blessings we hold dear.”

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court and Sheriff J.B. Smith cut the ribbon Monday on the newly refurbished, historical downtown building that will serve as the new office headquarters for the Smith County Sheriff�s Office. �We are very excited to see this project come to completion,� County Judge Joel Baker said. The new office will be located at 227 N. Spring Ave. in the historic Roosth-Murphey building, next door to the Courthouse Annex on Ferguson that already houses numerous Smith county offices and departments.

Since 1986, the Sheriff�s Office has been housed in the Smith County Office Building at 106 E. Elm St. � formerly the Carlton Hotel. According to officials, since 1998, one of the county�s top priorities has been to move everyone out of the outdated Carlton and into more efficient facilities. �As a hotel, the Carlton building was designed to welcome people in � not keep them out. It was never designed to accommodate the specific needs of a sheriff�s office,� Sheriff J.B. Smith said. �This move is long overdue.�

The Sheriff�s Office is one of the facilities projects being paid for in cash through the county�s Pay As You Go (PAYGO) Program. The majority of the interior work was completed with inmate labor and with the County�s in-house facilities maintenance crew to save money. The county finished the building for around $1.2 million, making the cost per square foot about $85. �We are proud to have paid for this project in cash. We are providing this much needed building completely debt-free to Smith County taxpayers. This is one example of how we are continuing to spend tax dollars wisely without cutting our services,� Judge Baker said.

LUFKIN — An Angelina County grand jury has handed down indictments on two men accused of sexually deviant crimes on the job. KETK and the Lufkin Daily News report 35-year old Nathan Scott Kesler was indicted on a charge of improper photography. Kesler allegedly used his cell phone to capture images of two store employees and a young girl in the bathroom of the Lufkin Dollar King, where he was manager. Also, 34-year old Jose Diaz Jr. is accused of trying to rape a sleeping tenant at the Acadia Arms Apartments, where he was the maintenance man. Authorities say the woman’s roommate threatened Diaz with a gun to get him to leave. He’s still behind bars in the Angelina County Jail.