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TYLER — The Tyler City Council heard a presentation Wednesday on the creation of the Medical District and Tyler Junior College Area Development Plan. City officials say the plan is an outgrowth of the Tyler 21 Comprehensive Plan and the Industry Growth Initiative (IGI). According to officials, the plan will help guide the future development of the area. The planning area encompasses approximately 1,062 acres surrounding the medical district and the Tyler Junior College campus contained in the boundaries of Front Street and Broadway Avenue to Fifth Street and Old Omen Road.

City officials say, “The objective of the IGI is to pinpoint the industries that make the most sense to focus resources on given Tyler�s unique characteristics so we may foster an Innovation Economy and take the Tyler region into the next 20 years of economic prosperity and growth.” According to city press materials, the healthcare sector supports more than 25,000 jobs in the Tyler region, making it Tyler�s largest industry in terms of employment and economic impact. Officials say launching an area development plan for the medical district is one of the first steps the City of Tyler is taking to help foster growth in this industry.

�The IGI identified the medical industry as a key opportunity for Tyler�s economic future,� said Mayor Barbara Bass. �Developing a plan for how the district should look, how people will find their way around, how traffic will move and how land will be used are all important to continuing to grow this industry that is Tyler�s largest employment sector.�

City staff has created a project schedule and met with Tyler Junior College, East Texas Medical Center and Trinity Mother Frances to share preliminary data. Officials say city staff will soon begin seeking the input of stakeholders, students and area residents. The stated goal of the Plan is to consider the impact on future land use, infrastructure and pedestrian connections within the areas. The scope of the area development plan will include the following elements:

* Public/stakeholder involvement;
* Land use/zoning;
* Transportation/pedestrian connections; and,
* Environmental/aesthetic design issues.

The plan is scheduled to take approximately 11 months to complete, with a final draft scheduled to be presented to the City Council in December 2011.

GILMER � A district court judge will be fulfilling some of the duties left behind by Upshur County Judge Dean Fowler after he was suspended. Fowler was suspended after he was indicted on an official oppression charge, causing a backlog of cases to pile up and forcing the county to take action. Precinct One Commissioner James Crittenden has taken over Fowler�s responsibilities during commissioners� court meetings while Fowler is suspended.

TYLER — At the City Council meeting Wednesday morning, City Manager Mark McDaniel announced the appointment of Tyler’s new fire chief, Tim Johnson. Johnson has served the Tyler Fire Department for nearly 30 years.

He began his firefighting career in 1981 and progressed through the ranks of firefighter, driver, captain, senior captain, and district chief. He has also served as chairman of the firefighter’s pension fund for the last 17 years.

Johnson was promoted to Fire District Chief in 2008, holds a Master Certification through the Texas Fire Commission, and has earned ten certifications in firefighting, including: Instructor Certificate, Hazardous Materials, Technical Rope Rescue, Extrication, High Angle Rescue, Confined Space, Incident Command, Incident Management, and Hurex/Hurricane Training. In addition to Johnson’s experience as a firefighter, he has served as the Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Mabank for six years, been on the Mabank City Council, serves on the Mabank Economic Development Corporation, and served on the Mabank School Board.

TYLER — There was a lot to celebrate as Heart of Tyler held its annual meeting. The Downtown Revitalization Group looked ahead to several projects in the works, from the new sheriff’s office and Spring Street Plaza — that’s the project planned for the site of a devastating fire — to a new downtown Brookshire’s and a renovation of the old Elks’ Lodge building. The organization’s Brick Street Award went to AT&T for it’s long time support — most recently, a generous grant to support downtown arts.

TYLER — Smith County Commissioners are again looking to expand the Smith County Jail. The expansion plan carries a $33 million price tag and would increase the county’s inmate occupancy level from 755 to more than 1,100. According to officials, the goal is to reduce numbers at the jail. Officials are hosting a town-hall style meeting February 10th at the Smith County Courthouse.

TYLER � A Tyler man found guilty of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and sexually assaulting her is sentenced to life in prison. Elasko Thomas, 37, was sentenced Thursday morning in a Smith County courtroom. The victim reportedly came home to tell Thomas to leave her and her parents alone. That�s when Thomas reportedly kidnapped her, beat her and sexually assaulted her twice. In testimony Tuesday, the victim�s parents said Thomas told them �something bad� was going to happen when he found their daughter.

TYLER � A suspect in the Sunday night robbery of the Exxon Corner Market on Lake Placid Road has been arrested. Taken into custody Tuesday, without incident, was Clance Nelson, 31, of Tyler.

He was identified as the suspect after the robbery video was aired Monday night. Several tips were called in to police identifying Nelson as the suspect. He was currently wanted for a parole violation and Tyler police have added the robbery charge against him. Nelson’s bond was set at $100,000.

SULPHUR SPRINGS � A prisoner in the Hopkins County jail is in a Tyler hospital, possibly suffering from a brain aneurysm. The 38 year old unidentified man complained numbness in his feet and hands. After being checked out by EMS, and it was determined he was gravely ill, the man was flown to Mother Francis Hospital. At last report he was on life support.

NACOGDOCHES � An East Texas company preparing to employ more than 200 refugees. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how it�s going to work. Pilgrim�s Pride in Nacogdoches has 4,000 employees, but it still needs about 400 more. According to Pilgrim�s, after advertising for two years, the company still couldn�t fill the empty slots. The refugees being hired are from Burma, also known as Myanmar, the second poorest country in the world. Currently workers and their families are living in Houston, getting ready for the Nacogdoches transition.

Work at Pilgrim�s Pride means a paycheck, plus benefits. Company officials say the workers will have the same responsibilities as others in the U.S., including taxes and rent. City officials say the children will go to public schools and families will live in a closed nursing home. There are no Burmese translators right now for the company, But Pilgrim�s is confident it will find one. As for the children, most don�t have birth certificates, making it difficult to determine in exactly which grade in school they�ll be enrolled.

TYLER � Officials with Carter BloodCare say they�re experiencing a severe shortage of two blood types. According to officials, the current inventory of blood types O negative and B negative is significantly less than the preferred supply for the area. Carter is strongly urging all able and eligible donors with these two blood types to make an appointment to give blood within the next couple of days. Persons with O negative blood make up only seven percent of the general population, while those with B negative are a mere two percent.

Carter BloodCare supplies the majority of trauma centers in the East Texas area. Type O negative blood is commonly used for emergencies because any patient can receive it until his or her own type is known. Carter BloodCare says it wants to ensure that blood types O negative and B negative are available for area patients, should the need arise.

Potential blood donors must be at least 16 years old with a parent�s consent, and 17-year-olds may donate independently. Donors must weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. Photo ID is required. There is no upper age limit for donors, and most medications do not interfere with donor eligibility. For more information or to make an appointment to give blood, visit http://www.carterbloodcare.org or call 1-800-DONATE-4.

TYLER � A suspect in the Sunday night robbery of the Exxon Corner Market on Lake Placid Road has been arrested. Taken into custody Tuesday, without incident, was Clance Nelson, 31, of Tyler.

He was identified as the suspect after the robbery video was aired Monday night. Several tips were called in to police identifying Nelson as the suspect. He was currently wanted for a parole violation and Tyler police have added the robbery charge against him. Nelson’s bond was set at $100,000.

LONGVIEW � A man accused of shooting his wife, who was a Longview police officer, remains free on bond — but there are some conditions to his release. Harry Goodan was released from jail Tuesday on a $75,000 bond. His bond had been $500,000, but was lowered to $75,000 earlier this month.

Among the release conditions: Goodan must be at his home between 7:00pm and 6:00am. He could leave during that time if the pre-trial services gives him permission. There will also be an electronic monitoring device installed at his home. Once a week, he will have to report to pre-trial services.

Last month, Longview officers were dispatched to the 2100 block of Tryon Road. They found Longview Police Officer Jamie �Ellyn� Goodan, 38, dead from a gunshot wound. Her husband, Harry was later charged with murder. Mr. Goodan was also employed by the Police Department as the 911 Communications Administrator.

GILMER � A state district judge has approved a $5.5 million out-of-court settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the mother and stepfather of a 6-year-old Union Grove boy killed in a two-vehicle crash nearly a year ago. Melody Croley and her husband, Jerry D. Croley, received the settlement in connection with the death of Nathan Connor Croley, who was a first-grader at Union Grove Elementary School. Authorities say he died instantly. Defendants had been Talley Rents L.L.C., and the driver of its commercial van, Judson William Maurer of Longview. Part of the settlement compensates Clinton Richey, Melody Croley�s 17-year-old son from a prior marriage, and her husband for injuries suffered in the January 29, 2010, wreck.

QUITMAN � A retrial is ordered in the case of Ty Jordan Evans, 19, charged with murder in the death of Anna Marie Moore, 24, of Winnsboro. Evans� first trial ended with a hung jury Friday. Jurors had deliberated about six hours. Evans was accused of killing Moore in a drive-by shooting May 9. He is the first of two people to face charges in Moore�s death, which took place at her home near Winnsboro Middle School. Evans� brother, Demarcus Hearn, also faces charges in Moore�s death as the driver of the car from which shots were fired. Moore was shot in the head as she sat on her couch. No date has been set for the retrial.

QUITMAN � Accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound has been ruled as the cause of death in the case of Loren Wayne Saunders, 16, of Alba. Officials said at approximately 1:33 a.m. January 18th, a dispatcher received a 911 call from Loren Wayne Saunders� father, reporting his son had been shot and he was doing CPR on him. When officers arrived at Chaney Point RV Park east of Alba they found the teenager was already dead. He was lying on the floor of the two-room cabin and had a gunshot wound to his chest from a .22 caliber revolver.

Sheriff�s Department Investigator William Burge said the accidental ruling was �based on interviews we conducted with his father, his friends, the community and on evidence from SWIFTS.� SWIFTS is the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences, which called the investigator with information from the autopsy.

Burge said Saunders lived at the home with his father and that Saunders had had the gun for a while and his father had told him that Loren was never to take it without his permission, �but we know he did on more than one occasion.� As far as why Saunders would have been handling a gun at 1:30 a.m., Burge said the investigation had revealed his fascination with firearms, and unsafe handling of the gun was described by his father.

Saunders was a sophomore at Alba-Golden High School.