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LONGVIEW � An early Wednesday morning fire leaves four families homeless. It happened at an apartment complex at 415 Tammy Lynn Drive in Longview around 6:40. Authorities say when they arrived; an upstairs apartment was engulfed in flames. No one was at home at the time, but three other apartments had to be evacuated. Longview Fire Chief J.P. Steelman says because some alert residents were home, the flames did not spread any more than they did. Steelman says if those residents hadn�t responded, �it would have allowed the fire to have a lot bigger head start, and naturally go unnoticed for a longer period of time.� No injuries were reported. Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire.

GREGG COUNTY — A half-dozen lawsuits arising from the January 2009 deaths of two Kilgore firefighters were consolidated in Gregg County civil court Tuesday. Attorneys for the distributor of the fire engine ladder from which Cory Galloway and Kyle Perkins fell to their deaths filed the motion Thursday to consolidate the six lawsuits against it and the ladder manufacturer, both Florida-based companies.

This past week, 124th District Judge Alfonso Charles granted the motion in parts. Charles consolidated Galloway�s suit with suits from three injured firefighters for all purposes including trial. Perkins� and Galloway�s suits will be combined for evidence discovery and pre-trial motions but not for trial, and the same goes for the city of Kilgore�s lawsuit against the manufacturer and distributor. All six cases have been transferred to the 124th District Court for judicial economy, Charles wrote in his ruling Tuesday.

Since June 17, widows for Galloway and Perkins, along with injured firefighters Robert King, James Sanders and Gary Tyson, each sued E-One Inc. and Hall-Mark Fire Apparatus of Texas over the Jan. 25, 2009 incident. Galloway�s widow, Regina Galloway, is also suing the city of Kilgore, while the city is suing E-One and Hall-Mark through its participation in the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool, records showed.

E-One manufactured the 95-foot mid-mount aerial platform truck, known as Kilgore Fire Department�s Ladder-1, according to the suit filed by Galloway�s widow. Hall-Mark sold Ladder-1 to the city, records show. According to Hall-Mark�s motion, Galloway and Perkins were ejected from the bucket of Ladder-1, while operator Sanders was trying to remove and lower the bucket on the parapet wall of the building. King was inside the bucket with Galloway and Perkins. Tyson sustained injuries, he said, while assisting the two deceased firefighters immediately following their fall.

TYLER — A doctoral nursing student at The University of Texas at Tyler, Joan Edwards of Kingwood, has been named a Fulbright Scholar. The Fulbright Award, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, is a career-enhancing scholarship intended to foster international research and collaboration. Established in 1946 through the efforts of U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, the program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and people of other countries through educational exchanges. It is considered one of the most prestigious award programs worldwide. �The doctoral program at UT Tyler and the knowledge I am acquiring has made a tremendous impact on what I�ll be able to accomplish with the Fulbright Award,� said Edwards.

With the award, Edwards will spend the 2011 � 12 academic year in Indonesia, where she will work with faculty at five colleges of nursing on the island of Java. The project�s objective is to raise baccalaureate nursing education standards to correspond with the 2009 World Health Organization Global Standards for Initial Education of Professional Nurses and Midwives. The project stems from 2010 meetings Edwards and her academic adviser, Dr. Beth Mastel-Smith, had with Indonesian faculty and a representative from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, supported in part by UT Tyler.

�Faculty in Indonesia expressed the desire to improve their curriculum and sought guidance in how to achieve higher standards,� said Mastel-Smith, who was instrumental in assisting Edwards achieve this honor.

Edwards will graduate in 2012 with a Ph.D. in nursing. She is a faculty member at Texas Woman�s University � Houston, where she serves as director of the Center for Global Nursing Scholarship for all three TWU campuses.

AUSTIN (AP) — Senator Bob Deuell, whose district covers part of Smith County, and who’s a physician in his real life, was pressed into action when a spectator passed out in the Senate public gallery during a resolution honoring Americans who fought and died in Vietnam. Turns out the patient was Jay Kimbrough, a Vietnam veteran and former top aide to Governor Rick Perry. Kimbrough stayed down for several minutes and although security rushed a defibrillator over to Kimbrough it case it was needed, he was eventually able to walk out on his own.

Kimbrough, a former Marine, who was wounded in combat and has a tough-guy reputation, needed some prodding to go to the emergency room to get checked out. “I told him, you want me to call the boss?” said Sen. Leticia Van de Putte. “He said, ‘You’re going to call Governor Perry?’ I said, ‘No, I’m going to call your wife!'”

TYLER � Three East Texans are sentenced in cases related to pseudoephedrine and methamphetamine. All three received their sentences Tuesday in Tyler federal court from U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Jack London Ramsey, 49, of Overton pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2010, to possession of pseudoephedrine and was sentenced to 58 months in prison. According to information presented in court, from December 2, 2008 to January 21, 2010, Ramsey purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine on 56 separate occasions which amounted to a total of 147 grams of pseudoephedrine, which he planned to use to manufacture methamphetamine. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Ramsey on May 6, 2010. All of Ramsey�s co-defendants have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.

Joy Lavon Smith, 49, of Kilgore pleaded guilty last November 2 to being involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine. She was sentenced to 121 months behind bars. According to officials, from January 13, 2009, to December 8, 2009, Smith purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine on 77 separate occasions which amounted to a total of 208 grams of pseudoephedrine, which she planned to use to manufacture methamphetamine. Smith was also named in an indictment returned last May 6. All of Smith�s co-defendants have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing.

Mary Kelly Maxwell, 52, of Gary, pleaded guilty on October 1, 2010, to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. According to prosecutors, Maxwell traveled to multiple pharmacies in the Eastern District of Texas to purchase cold pills containing pseudoephedrine, all in furtherance of her methamphetamine manufacturing activities. Maxwell was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 5, 2010.

LINDALE — Lindale school authorities say an elementary student has been disciplined after being caught with a knife. According to a statement from the school district, the principal of Velma Penny Elementary School was alerted by a student on Monday that a classmate was in possession of a knife. The statement says campus officials approached the student and the student revealed the weapon. According to school district officials, the weapon was reported after the student voiced a threat against a staff member to the other student. School officials say that the staff member was never directly threatened with the weapon, and that at no time were any students threatened or harmed.

The statement continues, “This is a serious violation of the Lindale ISD Code of Conduct. Appropriate disciplinary action has been taken by the district. Due to the privacy of the student and staff member, we are unable to provide further details of this incident. Providing a safe learning environment for all Lindale ISD students and staff members is our highest priority. We would like to commend the student who alerted the campus principal of the threat. Lindale ISD takes any incident of this nature very seriously and we will continue to reinforce the proper procedures to all students and staff members for their protection.”

LONGVIEW � A Longview man is facing a variety of charges after he is accused of leading law officers on a chase and firing at them. Arrested Sunday night was James Carl Goodwin, 45.

The chase started when state troopers tried to stop him for speeding and not wearing a seat belt. During the chase Goodwin is said to have tried to run over the trooper on a couple of occasions and nearly ran over pedestrians in his path. When officers shot out three of Goodwin�s tires, he tried to flee on foot. After a shot chase he was taken into custody.

He has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, evading arrest with a motor vehicle, evading arrest on foot, resisting arrest, and driving while intoxicated. He remains in the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $1.13 million.

TYLER � In an appearance in Tyler federal court, a Dallas man was sentenced to prison for drug violations. Alejandro Cabrera pleaded guilty on January 7, 2010 to being involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced yesterday to 189 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.

According to information presented in court, on July 23, 2009, Cabrera was arrested in Smith County with around one pound of methamphetamine and a pistol in his possession. An investigation revealed that since 2007, Cabrera was involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Dallas County, which was then transported through East Texas for redistribution.

TYLER — A Mexican national illegally living in Whitehouse has been sentenced in Tyler Federal Court to prison for drug violations. Jose Zavala pleaded guilty on March 3, 2010 to being involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and. He was sentenced yesterday to 72 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Zavala was also ordered to submit to the forfeiture of $5,000 and will be deported upon completion of his federal prison sentence.

According to information presented in court, from an unknown date until January 20, 2010, Zavala conspired with others to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine in the Smith County area. Zavala also admitted to being in possession of a firearm in relation to the drug trafficking violations. Zavala was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of last year.

LONGVIEW � A 19-year-old Kilgore man was killed when his vehicle crashed into a business Sunday morning. According to Department of Public Safety officials, Mason Rawls was traveling southbound on FM 2011, five miles south of Longview when his 2004 Dodge pickup left the roadway and ran into Amanda�s Jewelry store in the 10,000 block of FM 2011. The teen wasn�t found until following morning, but officials estimated his time of death around 2:40 a.m. Elderville-Lakeport Volunteer Fire Department called Longview Fire Department�s special operations team to assist in stabilizing and securing the store, which was �severely damaged,� Fire Chief J.P. Steelman said. DPS officials said Rawls, a Kilgore College student, was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash occurred.

NACOGDOCHES � Nacogdoches police have identified the body of a man found in a duplex parking area. He is Jeffrey Dale Honea, 47, of Nacogdoches. His body was found just before 6:45 Saturday evening when a person in the area saw the body and called 9-1-1. Nacogdoches authorities say there were no signs of foul play. An autopsy has been ordered.

Honea was to appear in state district court Wednesday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and impersonating a public servant. The charges are said to have stemmed from a road rage incident last May in which he is accused of attacking someone with a baseball bat.

HENDERSON — A Smith County man is free on bond after being charged with several complaints in Rusk County. Arrested was Mark Richard Green, 30, of Flint. He has been charged with retaliation on a public servant, public intoxication and criminal mischief. His bonds totaled $10,670. His arrest followed a disturbance at a Henderson convenience store.

LONGVIEW � A Tatum High School student has died after a Sunday evening one-vehicle crash in Rusk County. Lillian Propes, 16, was pronounced dead at about 5:45pm at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview after being taken from the scene of the crash, according to Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson. The crash happened on Highway 43 between Tatum and Henderson. Jameson said the teen�s vehicle left the roadway, rolled and hit a tree. Reports indicate she may have been texting at the time of the accident.

TYLER — Tyler police confirm Christopher Summerville, 26, has been released from a local hospital. Summerville was arrested last week after allegedly shooting Smith County Deputy Josh Caulkins in the chest. According to KETK, Caulkins was trying to serve Summerville a warrant. Caulkins was wearing a vest and received only minor injuries. Police say Summerville was hospitalized at East Texas Medical Center for an overdose of methamphetamine that he reportedly had injected into his body just prior to the arrest warrant being served. Summerville is currently being held in the Smith County Jail on a $500,000 bond. Two others were also arrested at the time the warrant was served on Summerville.

TYLER (AP) – An East Texas deputy has died of head injuries suffered when he was attacked by an injured cow while he directed traffic around the half-ton animal. Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith says Deputy Robert Britton of Tyler died Monday at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, where he’d been since the incident early Thursday near Bullard, 95 miles southeast of Dallas and 15 miles south of Tyler. Smith had said the 54-year-old deputy had responded to a report of a stray cow struck by a vehicle and was directing traffic on Farm Road 344 when the cow charged him. He says Britton was knocked into the air and landed head-first on the pavement before the animal continued the attack until other deputies rescued Britton. Smith says the cow was euthanized. Britton had served as a deputy for the Smith County Sheriff’s Department since 1992.