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PALESTINE –The Anderson County Jail failed an inspection Wednesday based primarily on failing to properly document information on some inmate forms. Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor said Robert Green, an inspector with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, found several deficiencies in his agency�s maintenance of inmate records, with some of those based on failure to record times and other similar information. �Technical difficulties on our paperwork caused us to be in non-compliance until we show we�ve corrected them,� Taylor said late Wednesday afternoon. No deficiencies, however, were noted in the jail�s staffing and �life safety� operations, the sheriff stated.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A Texas man has pleaded guilty to conspiring with a New Orleans police captain to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a kickback scheme. Thirty-seven-year-old Joseph Branch faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after Thursday’s guilty plea. His sentencing is set for June 16. Federal prosecutors say Branch, owner of Brownsboro, Texas-based Gladius Inc., negotiated a contract at inflated rates to provide armed guards to Entergy Services Inc. after a hurricane. The plot called for parts of the federally reimbursed contract to be kicked back to Branch and Capt. Michael Roussel. Roussel’s trial is scheduled to begin March 28.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was charged with assault Thursday after police say he attacked family members. Vernon Lee Ahrenhoersterbaeumer, 35, was arrested shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday at the 300 Mobile Home Park, in the 5700 block of Gilmer Road. Ahrenhoersterbaeumer told authorities he was fighting with his brother and 16-year-old nephew when he grabbed a steel frying pan and hit his brother in the back. Ahrenhoersterbaeumer also grabbed his brother from behind in a choke hold, impeding his ability to breathe, arrest reports show.

When Ahrenhoersterbaeumer�s father tried to pull the brothers apart, Ahrenhoersterbaeumer grabbed the pan, and swung it at his brother and his father, reports showed. Ahrenhoersterbaeumer remained in the Gregg County Jail on $10,000 bond Thursday charged with two counts of aggravated assault/family violence with a deadly weapon.

TYLER � It took Tyler firemen about 15 minutes to bring an apartment fire under control. It was reported shortly after 4:00 Thursday afternoon at the Bullard Creek Apartments, 5621 Old Bullard Road. The fire originated on an upstairs balcony, in a laundry closet, but the cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported. Fire damage was minimal. Four families have been temporarily displaced due to power being disconnected to the building while firemen extinguished the blaze.

TYLER — ETMC Tyler was recently the site of the first East Texas implantation of an MRI-friendly pacemaker, which allows magnetic resonance imaging as a diagnostic option for patients whose hearts need electrical correction. Called the Revo MRI SureScan pacing system from Medtronic, it is the first system designed, tested, and FDA-approved for use in an MRI environment. �Previously a patient with a pacemaker only had a CT scan as an advanced imaging option,� said Alex Petrakian, MD, a cardiologist with Cardiovascular Associates of East Texas and the ETMC Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Petrakian implanted the first device at ETMC Tyler, and believes it will be an option for many patients.

DENVER, Colorado — A new study from HealthGrades again names Tyler’s Mother Frances Hospital among the nation�s top hospitals for patient safety. This is the fifth straight year Mother Frances has made the list. The HealthGrades study found that patients have a 46% lower risk of experiencing a patient safety incident at a top-rated hospital compared to a poorly-rated hospital. The study which analyzed 40 million
Medicare patient records from 2007 to 2009. HealthGrades is considered a top source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes.

QUITMAN � A motion to have former Mineola teacher JoAnn Stephens�s attorney removed from her defense is set to be heard in Wood County District Court in Quitman this afternoon at 1:30. Stephens, 43, has been indicted on five charges that include two counts of sexual assault of a child, two counts of improper relationship between an educator and student, and one count of online solicitation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity. The case involves a male student who was 15 years old at the time of the alleged offenses. The student has since graduated.

The motion was filed Tuesday by Attorney Thad Davidson, representing Kerry Duncan and the alleged victim in the case. The motion was the second filed in as many days concerning the case. Dan Wyde, Stephens� attorney, filed a motion Monday to require the state to reveal any agreement or reason to cause the alleged victim to change his testimony. Wyde�s motion discusses dates on which the boy testified to the grand jury, the most recent being March 1, and the outcome of those sessions.

Wyde stated in his motion that the grand jury is entitled to know if there was any agreement or understanding to cause the alleged victim to change his testimony, such as a grant of immunity against prosecution for perjury. He said refusal to reveal any agreement constitutes violations of Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Davidson�s motion was ordered sealed after it was obtained by the Wood County Democrat and Mineola Monitor under a Freedom of Information request. The motion states that according to Kerry Duncan, Wyde recommended Ferguson, who is his friend. It also indicates Wyde is representing Ricky Stephens, JoAnn�s husband and principal at Mineola High School.

HUDSON � A Lufkin man believed to be one of the last ranking Aryan Brotherhood members in Angelina County was arrested during a Thursday morning methamphetamine raid in Hudson, according to Angelina County Sheriff�s Office investigator Tom Matthews. For the last two months, the ACSO had been doing surveillance on the Meadowbrook trailer home of Aundria Whitehead Barrett, 39, after noticing AB Sgt. Tommy �Gunz� Smith, 40, coming in and out, according to Matthews. Barrett�s home is in the trailer park, located directly behind the Hudson Police Department off Mt. Carmel Road, which Matthews termed �a gutsy move.�

LONGVIEW � With the aid of a DPS helicopter, two Longview burglary suspects have been arrested. Officers were dispatched to the 100 Block of West Avelon Street for a report of a burglary in progress. Witness told officers that two black males were seen entering a residence and then seen coming back out of the residence with what was believed to be the victim�s property. The two suspects fled the scene. The first suspect was located in the 100 Block of West Avalon. He is identified as Lonnie Sibley Jr., 19, of Longview. After a short foot pursuit a second suspect was apprehended in the 100 Block of Peterson Place. He was identified as Terry Fields, 17, of Longview. Both suspects were arrested for evading arrest and burglary of a habitation.

WASHINGTON � Longview’s East Texas Regional Airport will receive a Federal Aviation Administration grant worth $461,555 for improvements, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday. �These funds will be used to address needed maintenance and safety improvements at East Texas Regional,� Sen. Cornyn said. �In addition, quality transportation services are important for boosting local economic growth. I commend the area leaders who worked to secure this funding.� The grant will provide money for the rehabilitation of an airport terminal entrance road and parking lot. Officials say both pavement surfaces have deteriorated to the point of pavement failure, creating hazardous driving surfaces for passengers. Cornyn says the project will enhance the life of the pavement.

TYLER � If you want to buy a fruit you�ve never heard of, watch a chef create a gourmet meal, or have an adult beverage while you shop, there�s a new store in Tyler offering just that. It�s FRESH by Brookshire�s, which opened Thursday on Tyler�s Old Jacksonville Highway. With 250 different kinds of cheese, fruits and veggies straight from the farmer�s field and dozens of varieties of water, it gives the name �FRESH� a whole new meaning.

General manager Steve DeLello says a lot of people have been traveling outside the area to get items they can�t find in East Texas, and he wants to keep more of that traffic local. Shelves are lined with everything from regular Ragu to homemade secret sauces. DeLello adds, �You�ll see that on the grocery aisle you�ll have gourmet items right next to the every-day items. If you get confused by all the gourmet names, you can find someone with lime green shoes and they�ll give you all the answers you need.�

FRESH also has a wine and beer selection. According to DeLello, �You actually can purchase a glass of wine and have it while you�re shopping, but the intent is with a meal.� DeLello promises affordability and business to local farmers. He says the store will stock �everything from tomatoes to strawberries to onions when they�re in season,� adding, �We�ll do our best to support the local vendor.�

TYLER �Tyler�s sales tax revenues deposited for the month of March have increased 1.38% as compared to March 2010, resulting in a 3.43% cumulative year-to-date increase. The figures come from the Texas Comptroller. Officials say the current month increase was 2.60%; however, an out-of-period audit adjustment resulted in the 1.38% increase. The reported revenue of $2,525,125.45 comprises $1,683,416.97 general sales tax revenue and $841,708.48 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from January 2011 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

�During this same month in 2010, we saw a 4.19% decrease and were running 9.49% percent down for the year,� said City Manager Mark McDaniel. �To say we are pleased with the recovery this year would be an understatement.� The city budgeted for a two percent increase in sales tax revenue for 2010-2011, so remains in a good financial position at the midpoint in the fiscal year. �We are watching gas prices closely as well as the State budget process,� added McDaniel. �For the first half of the fiscal year, the City was under budget on our gas expenditures. However, as gas prices have risen, we are edging closer to the budget threshold. Should prices continue to rise, we will be implementing additional conservation activities and possibly looking to biodiesel to control our costs.�

One of the other budget concerns is potential ramifications from budget cuts at the State level. The city received more than $1.1 million in state funding this fiscal year, of which $722,000 came from Federal grants passed through the state. Officials say state funding only represents 1.2% of the city�s operating budget. They add that although the cessation of the grants would not result in staffing decreases, there is concern that the state could choose to require cities to continue the programs without providing the funding, thereby creating an unfunded mandate. �We have worked diligently to balance our budget and make the cuts needed to stay within our means through these tough economic times. Mandates to continue state programs with local resources could be devastating to city budgets,� added McDaniel.

In 2010, the city of Tyler froze more than 125 positions mid-year, delayed capital expenditures, renegotiated contracts, launched a Lean Sigma efficiency program, limited salary adjustments and took many other actions to ensure the city ended the year in a positive financial position. �Because we have no general obligation debt and pay cash for most capital improvement projects, we are able to respond to changing financial conditions,� said McDaniel. �Thanks to our Blueprint, Called to SERVE and Lean Sigma programs, Tyler has maintained its culture of continuous improvement for greater efficiencies.�

OVERTON � An East Texas officer gets into a verbal and physical fight this week with a man who officers say was drunk. It began as a domestic disturbance between a mother and son. Overton police thought it had died down. But when Captain Clayton Taylor arrived at the scene, the fight was far from over. Authorities say Jonathan Earl Stuckey, 27, lashed out at Taylor as he was trying to calm Stuckey down. Taylor got Stuckey to the ground. But while handcuffing him, Taylor realized he was badly hurt, so he called for backup and an ambulance. A broken knuckle is fortunately the worst of Taylor�s injuries.

As for Stuckey, he was booked in the Smith County Jail that night. Later transferred to the Rusk County Jail, he faces multiple charges of assault on a public servant, assault family violence, and resisting arrest. And this isn�t the duo�s first encounter with the law. They both have a rather extensive rap sheet for causing trouble in the past.

TYLER — KTBB’s Garth Maier had a chance Thursday morning to speak with former Arkansas Governor and 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate, Mike Huckabee, who is currently on tour promoting his new book, “A Simple Government”. Huckabee says government today is overly complicated. He says it’s important for people to recognize that the government the founders created was a simple government. He says the Constitution was 20 pages long and the Obama Bill is 2,300 pages long, so that’s an indication of how different things are approached.

Huckabee goes on to talk about the Tea Party movement saying he thinks it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in the American political theater since he’s been born. He explains that it’s an indication that people recognize that they are the bosses and not slaves, servants and surfs. Huckabee will be in Tyler Sunday, March 13, 2:00, at Hastings for a book signing. Click on the link below to listen to the full interview.

Listen to the Mike Huckabee Interview

LONGVIEW � A man arrested for a Longview murder is related to a pro football player. Dexter Levi Prince is the brother of Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Demorrio Williams. Longview Police arrested Prince, 19, Tuesday for two violation of probation warrants. Late Tuesday night he was charged with the murder. Police are continuing their investigation. Just after 10:00 Monday morning, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 100 block of East Melton Street. Upon arrival they located 25-year-old Danielo E. Nelson of Longview, dead inside the house.