Hallsville Shooting Injures One

HALLSVILLE – A Dallas man remains in guarded condition in a Longview hospital following a weekend shooting in Hallsville. The shooting was reported around 10:00 Sunday night at a residence on Farm Road 449.

Investigators say Richard Newland, 47, was found lying on the ground outside the house. He had been shot once in the stomach. A suspect identified as L. J. Harris of Dallas was arrested at the scene. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and placed in the Harrison County jail in lieu of a $50,000.

Investigators say Newland, Harris and a third Dallas man had been visiting at the Harrison County residence. As they were preparing to drive back to Dallas an argument erupted. Investigators say Harris went back into the house and found a .22 caliber rifle. When he came back outside, that’s when Newland was shot.

Appointments to the Sulphur River Basin Authority Board


AUSTIN — Governor Rick Perry has appointed three members to the Sulphur River Basin Authority Board of Directors. The board handles construction, maintenance and operations of the Sulphur River and its tributaries in the state and watershed.

Named to the panel are Wally Kraft of Paris is a veterinarian and owner of the Animal Health Center, Michael Russell of Clarksville is owner and operator of Cuthand Creek Cattle Company and Patricia Wommack of Lone Star is retired from the U.S. Department of Defense. Kraft was appointed for a term to expire February 1, 2013 while the others were reappointed for a term to expire February 1, 2017.

These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

TISD Board Acts on Several Items


TYLER — Tyler ISD trustees took care of a variety of business at a special Tuesday meeting. The Board of Trustees approved the canvass of votes from the May 1 trustee election as presented, proclaiming Orenthia Mason as trustee for Single Member District 2 and Shirley Jordan as trustee for Single Member District 4. The newly elected trustees took the oath of office and will each serve a three-year term. Trustees also approved Michelle Carr, Single Member District 6, as the Board President, and Mason as the Board Vice President. They will serve in these positions for one year.

The Board of Trustees also gave the green light to two new principals. Joanne Saul was authorized and approved as principal of Dixie Elementary School. Mrs. Saul has 14 years of education experience. She has been the interim principal of Dixie since January. Prior to joining Tyler ISD, Saul worked in Alief ISD where she was an assistant principal, a technology and science specialist, and a fourth grade teacher.

Misti Rasure was authorized and approved as Boulter Middle School principal. Mrs. Rasure has 15 years of education experience with almost 10 years in Tyler ISD. She has been the interim principal since March at Boulter, where she was previously the assistant principal of instruction. Rasure was also at Moore Middle School as an instructional specialist, a math department head and teacher, and summer school principal. Both principals begin their new positions immediately.

Click It or Ticket


EAST TEXAS — Tyler and Longview officers are once again participating in the Click It or Ticket enforcement program, which targets seat belt and child safety restraint violators. The current program began Monday and continues through June 5. Texas law requires every person sitting in the front or rear seat of a vehicle to wear a safety belt. A child less than eight years old and less than four feet, nine inches tall must be secured in a child safety seat. Drivers can be stopped and ticketed for a safety belt violation if they, or any of their passengers under the age of 15, are not buckled up or properly restrained. Traffic fines for failing to use a seat belt or secure a child in a safety seat can run from $25 to $200, plus court costs.

Smith County DWI Enforcement


TYLER — Smith County law enforcement agencies will be out in force during the Memorial Day holiday, this Friday through Sunday — and they won’t be taking “no” for an answer. A multi-joint effort between the District Attorney’s Office and police agencies from all over the county will participate in the ‘No-Refusal’ DWI Campaign once again. Upon the arrest of a suspected drunk driver, he or she will be asked to blow into a breath-test machine or take a blood test. If the driver refuses, officers will obtain an immediate search warrant signed by a judge on call to have blood drawn by a nurse on staff at the Smith County Jail. The blood is then analyzed to determine whether the driver’s blood-alcohol concentration is 0.08 or higher, the legal limit for driving in Texas.

Authorities say the program has proven to be an effective tool to combat drunken drivers. According to law officers, it is the intent of all law enforcement agencies that this effort will act as a deterrent, persuading people to avoid driving while intoxicated because they know that police officers will be conducting sobriety testing with or without driver’s consent.

Police End Probe of Lufkin Deaths

LUFKIN — Lufkin Police Department Detectives have concluded their nine-month investigation into the August 29, 2010 deaths of two local residents. Around 7:30 that morning, officers were called to a house on the 300 block of Davis Street following a report of a man and woman bleeding in the front yard. When officers arrived on scene, they found the body of Brianna Shaw, 23, on the front porch of the residence and the body of Artha Griffin, 64, on the ground next to the porch. Each victim was dead and had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

Evidence found at the scene indicated that Artha Griffin shot Brianna Shaw and then shot himself, but the gun was missing from the scene. Detectives did not find the gun used in this incident, delaying the investigation results, according to police. Authorities say all available evidence proved the deaths to be a murder-suicide and showed that a third party removed the gun from the scene. Detectives believe they have identified the person responsible for removing the gun from the scene following the deaths, but they say they have not developed enough probable cause to charge that person with a crime. The Lufkin Police Department says it will not release the name of this person because a criminal charge is not pending.

Burglary at Daycare Facility


LONGVIEW — A weekend burglary causes one East Texas daycare to shut down for a day. It happened at the Kids Connection Preschool on the 200 block of Pine Tree Road in Longview. Officials tell KETK sometime between Friday night and Monday morning, someone broke a window and ransacked the place. The owners declined to comment on camera, but said nothing like this has ever happened in the 15 years they’ve been open. Longview police say they’re surprised this happened to a day care. If you have any information on this case, you’re asked to call police right away.

Teen Dead After Weekend Wreck

LINDALE — A Hawkins teen was killed Sunday morning in a one-vehicle crash after his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. According to Department of Public Safety officials, Jonathon Scott Tutor, 18, was traveling southbound on FM 14, about five miles east of Lindale, at around 3:34 when his vehicle left the roadway and hit a tree. Tutor was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seatbelt.

Tyler Road Closures

TYLER — TxDOT maintenance crews are performing pavement-texturing operations on Spur 147 (Gentry Parkway) in and around the roadway’s intersections with Glenwood, Palace and Beckham. Gentry and Glenwood in that area will be closed from 8:30 this morning until noon. This follows yesterday’s closure from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes to avoid delays.

Former Bullard Officer’s Trial Date Changed

TYLER — The trial date for former Bullard police officer Steven Wayne Morris, 27, accused of sexual assault of a child, was rescheduled Monday due to a request for a continuance from Morris’ attorney. Morris’ case will go to trial June 20 at 10:00 at the Smith County Courthouse. If convicted of the second-degree felony, Morris could face 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

Morris, of Jacksonville, was arrested by Texas Ranger Sgt. Brent Davis on Aug. 19, 2010. On Sept. 9, 2010, Morris was released from the Smith County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Morris was indicted on March 10, 2011. Morris allegedly had a year-long sexual relationship with a female student at Bullard High School, said Bullard Police Chief Gary Lewis. When the relationship began, the student was 15 years old, Lewis said. After seeing Morris’ phone records, Lewis terminated Morris, who had been employed by the Bullard Police Department for two years.

Inmate’s Death Sparks More Debate

GREGG COUNTY — Amy Cowling, 33, died in the Gregg County jail of reported withdrawal symptoms from Methadone and Xanax, at the end of 2010. The incident forced the arrest of two jailers, the firing of three more, and the resignation of another. The Gregg County jail had a high jailer turnover rate of more than 40% of the 167 employees from that year.

According to the Texas Tribune: Starting in 2012, jails may be required to tell the state about their turnover rate every month. Cowling’s 2010 death led to the formation of a bill by Sen. Rodney Ellis (D – Houston), which would require the Commission on Jail Standards to monitor jail turnover rates, inmate deaths, escapes and inspection failures to figure out whether a jail is “at risk”.

Man with Rifle Arrested


TYLER — Smith County deputies arrest a Tyler man after a reported dispute Monday. It happened in the 13,000 block of Big Oak Bay Road in Tyler. According to Smith County officials, Garry Townsend, 51, who has had run-ins with the law before, had a disagreement with his father. Townsend reportedly had a rifle in his possession. Deputies say Townsend did not shoot or even point the rifle at anyone. He was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a weapon and family violence.

East Texas Bank Robbed, Again

WASKOM – For the second time this month the Citizens National Bank in Waskom has been robbed. It was held up around 10:45 Monday morning. It was also robbed on May 6th.

Waskom ISD put all of their buildings on lock down for less than an hour yesterday when officials were dispatched to the bank in the 700 block of Texas Spur 156 in Waskom, according to Sandra Rodgers, the superintendent’s secretary.

FBI spokesman Mark White said Monday’s bank robber could be tied to several other robberies dating back to December. “The physical description and method the robber used was very similar to the person who robbed Citizens National Bank earlier this month, as well as seven or eight other robberies in Shreveport,” White said. “However, investigators are still looking to see if the robberies are connected or isolated.”

New Dean At LeTourneau


LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University has named Dr. Ronald A. DeLap as its new dean of the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology, effective August 1. DeLap is the dean of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Economic Development at Lake Superior State University in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich. DeLap was selected following an extensive national search and the review of many excellent engineering leaders according to LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford.

“Ron has led innovative electrical engineering programs for the U.S. Air Force and is known as an effective classroom teacher who values creating hands-on learning experiences for students,” Lunsford said. “He has been a champion for increasing the number of women in the engineering profession and has experience working across cultures. As an engineering professional and as an educator, Ron understands the intersection of science and the Christian faith.”

DeLap is a retired officer with the U.S. Air Force, who began at the lowest enlisted rank with only a high school diploma, rising to the rank of Major and completing his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering. His 22-year career with the USAF included leading an ROTC detachment at UCLA and teaching electrical engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He has been recognized for his expertise in Space Based Radar Systems and has worked as a design engineer at the National Security Agency. Most recently he has been involved in “green energy” research, especially next-generation solar cell charging systems with the Energizer Corporation.

Two Jurors Picked in Trial of Oklahoma Warden’s Wife


MANGUM, OKLA. (AP) — Prosecutors and defense attorneys seated two more jurors Monday in the trial of a former warden’s wife who prosecutors say helped a convicted killer escape from jail after she fell in love with him. District Attorney John Wampler and defense attorney Garvin Isaacs said seven jurors had been picked by Monday afternoon. Jury selection in the case of Bobbi Parker resumed Tuesday morning. Wampler says he doubts a jury will be seated this week.

Parker is accused of helping convicted killer Randolph Dial escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in 1994 and running away with him. Defense attorneys say Dial abducted Parker and held her captive until she was rescued at a Texas chicken ranch in Shelby County in 2005. Dial maintained until his 2007 death that he kidnapped Parker.