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WOOD COUNTY — A former Mineola teacher, JoAnn Stephens, has been sentenced for having an improper relationship with a student. Stephens received 180 days in the Wood County Jail and 10 years probation. If Stephens were to violate her probation, she would receive an additional 5 years confinement.

The 43-year-old was arrested December 16 after a four month investigation into the relationship. Mineola Police say they started the investigation after receiving a complaint from Child Protective Services on August 4. The alleged relationship was between Stephens and a male student who has since graduated. Stephens and the student reportedly were communicating by cell phone calls and text messages on a trac phone that she provided for the student.

Stephens had resigned as an elementary and middle school physical education teacher at Mineola ISD.

TYLER — The Special Meeting of the Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees that kicked off Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. had to be moved due to a power outage. The meeting was relocated to conference room B at the Tyler ISD Administration building, 1319 New Sunnybrook Drive.

TYLER — Tyler police investigate a stabbing. Police responded to 435 S. Bonner at 10:18 Wednesday morning. Officers located the suspect allegedly involved in the incident at Front and Bonner; they say he had also called police. The suspect was identified as 49-year-old Donald Franklin of Tyler. Franklin was detained and later charged at the scene with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police say the incident started when Franklin went to 435 S. Bonner, where his baby boy lives with his mother. Franklin got into an argument with the boy�s mother over the child. According to a police report, 45-year-old Marcus Horn, who now lives with the mother, stepped in and got into a physical altercation with Franklin. Franklin allegedly pulled out a knife during the altercation with Horn and stabbed Horn multiple times. Horn was transported to East Texas Medical Center Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

OVERTON — Leverett�s Chapel ISD was closed Wednesday due to a water outage. No official word on the cause or when classes will resume. But according to KETK, the Tuesday storms are considered the likely reason for the outage.

ANGELINA COUNTY — An Angelina County man was arrested Tuesday for reportedly seriously injuring his brother with a baseball bat. According to an arrest affidavit, Gary Wayne Hodges, 52, has been charged with second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, for the incident which took place Tuesday. Hodges allegedly hit his brother in the head, knocking him to the floor. Hodges� wife told deputies she and her son tried to pull him away from his brother It is unknown how many times Hodges hit his brother in the head. The son dialed 911 and Hodges fled in his truck, an affidavit stated.

Hodges� brother was taken initially to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin but then transferred to Medical Center in Nacogdoches. Hodges remained in the Angelina County Jail Tuesday, as his bond had not yet been set. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

LUFKIN — Lufkin radio station owner Stephen Yates will remain in the Polk County Jail for at least the next three weeks after appearing before Polk County Judge Elizabeth Coker Monday morning. Yates, who is in jail for allegedly violating the terms of his probation a second time, was denied bond by Coker, according to Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon. Yates has been on probation since 2007 for his third DWI conviction, according to court records. Yates has a revocation hearing set for 9:30 a.m. May 16. At that time, Coker could reinstate his probation or sentence Yates to up to 10 years in prison.

A week and a half ago, Yates was arrested in Lufkin after his Angelina County-based probation officer saw him driving a vehicle without the Interlock system, one of the conditions of his probation, according to Angelina County Adult Probation Supervisor Dustin Fore. Although Yates is on probation in Polk County, the court system has allowed Angelina County to supervise him. Yates violated the terms of his probation the first time in June 2007, after failing a mandatory drug screen. At that time, he was sentenced to 90 days in rehab after spending 12 days in jail, the story stated. Yates owns and operates local radio stations Y�100, Super Mix 101.9, Hot 96.3, KRBA 1340 AM and ESPN 1260.

EAST TEXAS (AP-STAFF) � Amid powerful thunderstorms that produced tornadoes and funnel clouds, emergency sirens wailed Tuesday night and residents took cover from mother nature�s fury. Authorities arranged an aerial survey of parts of rural East Texas where at least one tornado damaged homes, knocked down power lines, and caused at least one injury.

The National Weather Service says a moderate tornado that carried winds of 90-100 miles an hour roared through an area between Ben Wheeler and Edom. The agency says more than 100 structures were damaged, and three structures were destroyed. That included the mobile home of a woman who was hospitalized after the storm rolled her home and turned it into a pile of debris. Van Zandt County emergency management spokesman Chuck Allen described a damage track one mile wide and eight miles long extending from Edom to the north. The storm passed through the area about 6:00 p.m.

In Mabank, widespread roof damage was reported after a series of tornadoes struck. Police Chief Kyle McAfee reports widespread tree damage and damage to shingles and other roof features from the Tuesday afternoon twisters. No injuries had been reported, though. There were reports of shoppers at the Brookshire’s supermarket in Mabank seeking shelter in a walk-in freezer until the danger passed.

The storms brought torrential rains and high winds to Tyler. Flooded intersections and power outages were reported. A funnel cloud was reported in the vicinity of the University of Texas at Tyler. Among the storm reports received Tuesday night:
*Several trees and power lines were reported down on County Road 3123 and Morningside Drive near Tyler�s northeast loop. A tree was reported down on a house in the 2600 block of Cecil.
*Shortly before 6:30 a funnel cloud was observed by the Department of Public Safety south of Lindale just south of Interstate Highway 20 near County Road 420.
*Shortly before 6:30 Tuesday night, over 3 inch size hail was reported in the Lindale area.
*Numerous tree limbs were reported down on the campus of Tyler Junior College.
*Home destroyed on Blocker Road, four miles Southeast of Marshall, in Harrison County.
*Four miles south southeast of Marshall, a home was damaged along Farm Road 2625 and Taylor Road.
*Four miles south of Marshall, cars were off the road and trees snapped along U.S. Highway 59.
*One mile north of Tatum in Rusk County, trees were down, and a shed destroyed on County Road 2214. Damage was also reported to a house on County Road 2187.
*West of Tatum, trees snapped, home damaged and a barn was destroyed on County Road 149 and County Road 2187.
*In Wood County around 7:00 Tuesday night, a tornado briefly touched down about a mile north northeast of Hawkins and quickly went back up.
*Trees reported down along Highway 60 near Cuney in Cherokee County.
*Just before 5:00pm, golf ball size hail fell for some ten minutes on Farm Road 2138, about nine miles south of Jacksonville.

CROCKETT — Monday�s thunderstorms are responsible for one East Texas death. In Houston County, a woman was critically injured when her car struck a fallen tree. The accident happened around 11:00 Monday night on State Highway 21, just over 6 miles east of Crockett. Renee Miller, 53, of Cocoa, Florida, died from her injuries early Monday morning in a Crockett hospital.

GRAPELAND � Troubles are growing for a former Grapeland city councilman. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott�s Cyber Crimes Unit arrested Aaron Pennington, 30, after allegedly discovering images of the sexual assault of a child. The Cyber Crimes Unit�s investigation of Pennington stemmed from a referral by the Grapeland Police Department; Houston County District Attorney Donna Kaspar will prosecute the cases in court.

Investigators from the Cyber Crimes Unit initially arrested Pennington on April 5 for possession and promotion of child pornography. That investigation led to additional charges when, on April 19, Pennington was arrested for sexual assault of a child. Two days later, on April 21, he was arrested for the third time after the Cyber Crimes Unit allegedly discovered images of the sexual assault of a child. In total, the defendant has been arrested for seven separate felony crimes against children.

After receiving a tip from the Grapeland Police Department, the Cyber Crimes Unit executed a search warrant and examined Pennington�s computer, where they discovered multiple illicit images of child pornography. Later, Cyber Crimes Unit investigators reviewed allegations that Pennington had sexually assaulted children in the Houston County area.

TYLER — An Upshur County woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Tyler to a firearms violation. Erica Nicole Cook, 29, of Gilmer, At sentencing, Cook faces a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set at this time.

According to federal prosecutors, on or about August 7, 2010, at a residence located in Upshur County, Cook possessed a shotgun. She had previously been convicted of a felony offense, specifically, forgery.

BEAUMONT � A 31-year-old Lufkin woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in a double homicide which took place in Nacogdoches in August, 2007, and was connected to the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas. According to federal authorities, April Flanagan pleaded guilty on Nov. 29, 2010, to violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, to-wit, conspiracy to murder David Mitchamore, and to acting as an accessory after the fact in the murder of Christy Rochelle Brown. On Tuesday, she was sentenced in Beaumont to 180 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.

According to information presented in court, Flanagan had close ties to the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, a race-based state-wide organization which operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons that are located throughout the state of Texas and the United States. Officials say The ABT enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects, and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, assault, robbery, and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise.

It is believed that David Mitchamore, also known as “Super Dave,” a member of the Aryan Brotherhood, and his girlfriend, Christie Rochelle Brown, were murdered as a result of a “direct order” by members of the Aryan Brotherhood because of Mitchamore’s failure to repay an outstanding debt he owed to a General in the Aryan Brotherhood. The bodies of Mitchamore and Brown were discovered in Nacogdoches County on August 10, 2007. Authorities say Flanagan knew and approved of the plan to murder Mitchamore, and provided members of the Aryan Brotherhood with the shotgun used to murder Mitchamore and Brown. She also loaned her vehicle to them for use during the commission of the murders.

TYLER — The City of Tyler hosted a ceremony Tuesday to unveil a marker in the Reflections Program honoring Butler College. The event was held at the D.C. Brown Heritage Building, 1900 Bellwood Rd., on the old Butler College campus.

In accordance with the Tyler 21 North End Action Plan, in 2009 the City of Tyler launched a three-year program to promote Tyler Historic Landmarks status and the installation of historic markers and plaques at North End locations important to City history, including the history of the African-American community. The Reflections Program encourages citizens or interested organizations to submit nominations for the designation in the North End as Tyler Historic Landmarks, Tyler Historic Subject Markers or Half Mile of History stones.

Reverend Cornelius M. Butler, born in Alabama before the turn of the century, was freed from slavery at the age of 17. He was later taught to read and write by his wife. His strong desire to learn drove him to create educational opportunities for many other blacks. In 1905, Reverend Butler led the East Baptist Association to establish an institution of learning called the East Texas Baptist Academy, where he served as the first principal. In 1924, the Academy was renamed Butler College in honor of Reverend Butler. It achieved accreditation in 1949. In 1971, Butler College closed its doors after sparking success for many of its students throughout the nation.

In 1992, The East Texas District Baptist Association, under the leadership of Reverend D. C. Brown, serving as Moderator, erected the Heritage Building. City materials say that was done so that the legacy of Butler College could continue by providing the opportunity for Christian education and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ without regard to race, creed, color or national origin.

TYLER — A suspect being held in the Smith County Jail was allegedly involved in a robbery, attempted robbery, and stabbing. Bond for 24-year-old Laquisha Machelle Brooks of Tyler is $200,000.

On April 23 at approximately 4:06 a.m., Tyler officers were dispatched to the East Texas Medical Center emergency room regarding an individual who had been stabbed. According to medical staff the victim�s injuries were serious, but not life-threatening. While police spoke with the victim he stated that he was stabbed by his live-in girlfriend following an argument at their residence located within the 2300 block of Bellwood Rd. Officers contacted Brooks at the residence and, following what was termed a thorough investigation, placed her under arrest. The scene was processed for evidence and Brooks was transported and booked into the Smith County Jail for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a 1st degree felony.

The attempted robbery involved a female victim who reportedly gave Brookst a ride on April 20. The said she was at the Valero station at Loop 323 and W. Front St. pumping gas when she was allegedly approached by Brooks, who reportedly said she had diabetes and asked for a ride to a restaurant. The victim consented and reportedly allowed Brooks to get into her vehicle.

According to police, Brooks proceeded to give the victim directions all over west Tyler. Police say this confused the victim as to her whereabouts and she became lost. Brooks allegedly asked the victim to give her money and the victim reportedly refused. According to police, Brooks later told the victim she had a gun and demanded money from the victim. Brooks allegedly directed the victim to pull into an unknown bank so the victim could get money from the ATM. The victim stopped her vehicle, grabbed her purse, and exited the vehicle. Police say the victim told Brooks to get out of the car and Brooks complied and walked off. The victim was not injured during this incident, and police say Brooks never produced a firearm.

Police say the first incident occurred when Brooks allegedly approached an employee of UPS in a parking lot and robbed him on December 8, 2010. Along with the aggravated assault charge, Brooks is charged with two counts of robbery.

TYLER — A Chapel Hill teen accused of killing his sister is ordered to remain in custody. Nate Anderson had another hearing Monday at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. The judge ordered Anderson held in custody until his May 9th hearing.

NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches Police are investigating a reported burglary and sexual assault. It happened Saturday along the 1600 block of Cardinal. Police say a woman was followed home by two Hispanic men in a vehicle. Officers say the men reportedly sexually assaulted the woman and fled.