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LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is still investigating a drive-by shooting that happened Monday night. Around 6 p.m. police responded to a gunshot call on the 300 block of Nikki Drive, according to KETK. Police say a male was driving the car and the shots likely came from a female passenger, who allegedly shot at a house and vehicle. One bullet struck the vehicle. Police say this was likely an isolated incident stemming from a previous conflict between the shooter and the car’s owner. Public Information Officer Kristie Brian said drive-bys are not very common in Longview. Anyone with any information is asked to call Gregg County Crime Stoppers or the Longview Police Department.

RUSK — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reports one person is dead after a shooting in Rusk. According to KETK, officials said a woman reported her husband was threatening to kill her and himself at a house on the 100 block of Joplin Street. The Rusk Police Department said officers responded to reports of a shot fired at around 2:00 yesterday afternoon. When officers were getting out of their patrol car, a shot was fired from within the home, according to officials. Police say they entered the building and found a man dead. His identity was not immediately released. The body has been sent for autopsy.

LONGVIEW — Preliminary autopsy reports have come back in connection with two deaths in Longview. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. On January 13, police discovered the body of Philander Carlton Peters, 48, of Longview, at the scene of a Tuesday evening shooting in the 1600 Block of Hawthorne Street. An eyewitness at the scene reported hearing four gunshots and seeing a black male running from the home. The preliminary autopsy report states Peters died from a gunshot wound to the head with perforation of the brain, deeming the death a homicide. The shooting remains under investigation. Detectives are still asking that anyone with information on the identity of the person seen running from the scene come forward and help solve the crime. Continue reading Preliminary Autopsy Reports Come In on Two Longview Deaths

JACKSONVILLE — State officials have released a detailed report of Klein Animal Shelter conditions following concerns brought to their attention at the Jacksonville facility. That’s according to our news partner KETK. In the unofficial quarantine facility inspection, presented by Dr. Melinda Hergert and Angela Hopkins, officials said the shelter passed the “Q inspection” on January 14 but “failed miserably” on the impoundment of animals. Inspectors say they found two dead dogs and two injured dogs in the compound. One of the animals, a Schnauzer, was discovered lying in its own feces, according to the report. Continue reading Officials Report on Conditions at Klein Animal Shelter

CANTON – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is advising motorists of changes to the traffic signals this week at I-20 and SH 19 in Canton. Flashing yellow arrow left-turn signals have been installed to improve safety at the intersection and were due to be operational Tuesday, according to a TxDOT news release. The flashing yellow arrows replace the traditional circular green lights used to let drivers know that they must yield on green to turn left. The project called for periodically closing the intersection’s left turn lanes Tuesday while the conversion to the flashing yellow arrows was conducted. Continue reading Flashing Yellow Arrow Signals Installed at Canton

AUSTIN – Flint resident JoAnn Fleming has been selected to chair Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s newly-created Grassroots Advisory Board. In 2011, then-Senator Patrick created the Tea Party Caucus of the Texas Legislature and its citizen advisory committee. The caucus met regularly with members of the advisory committee to discuss public policy. Today, Patrick continues his practice of coordinating with grassroots leaders, according to a news release from his office. Continue reading Fleming Named to Chair Patrick’s Grassroots Advisory Board

JACKSON HEIGHTS — A Smith County man who was being sought by the United States Marshals Task Force in connection with multiple crimes is in custody. According KETK, Smith County Precinct 4 Constable John Smith said officials had been seeking Sydney C. Lynch, 51, of the Jackson Heights community. Lynch was wanted on charges of child sexual assault and felony theft. Details of his arrest were not immediately made public.

LINDALE — Supporters of a Lindale family are working to help after the family was able to escape a house fire early Monday morning.
A funding website — http://www.youcaring.com/emergency-fundraiser/taking-care-of-the-terry-s-/297255#.VMaITxi0XB8.facebook — has been set up to help Jon and Mallory Terry and their three children, Cannon, 9, Kennedy, 5, and Clate, 1, with their expenses. Continue reading Effort Underway to Help Family that Escaped Fire

LONGVIEW (Staff/AP) — A teenager who was shot in the lobby of the Longview Police Department reportedly suffered from mental illnesses. According to KETK, much of the information comes to light on http://thinkprogress.org in an interview with Kristiana Coignard’s aunt Heather Robertson. Robertson said her niece suffered from depression and bipolar disorder ever since the girl’s mother died when Coignard was four years old. Robertson said Coignard had been hospitalized twice recently after failed suicide attempts. During one instance, Robertson said Coignard tried to hang herself and drank toilet bowl cleaner in a second attempt. She went on to tell the website Coignard didn’t have a criminal record and was “only harmful to herself.” Continue reading Report: Teen Killed in Longview PD Lobby Suffered from Mental Illness

NACOGDOCHES — The body of an East Texas man was found Monday afternoon inside a mobile home. Nacogdoches County Deputies initiated a welfare check in the 1800 block of Stephens Street after receiving a call around 3:15 Monday afternoon. The 57-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. According to KETK, authorities said no obvious signs of foul play were detected. His body has been sent for autopsy. His identity has not been released.

JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Fire Department reports that crews contained a downtown building blaze Monday. According to KETK, drivers were diverted from the area while firefighters battled the flames. The cause of the fire, extent of damage, and further details weren’t immediately available.

LINDALE — Fire has destroyed A warehouse full of furniture and fabric in the 13000 block of County Road 496 near Lindale. According to KETK, the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office says the blaze was called in around 11:30 Monday morning. Lindale, Red Springs, Flint-Gresham, Noonday and Dixie Fire Departments extinguished the fire. The owner of the warehouse suffered minor burns and was treated at the scene. No word on the cause of the fire.

TYLER — A Palestine man is being charged with federal income tax violations. Jefferson Kincade, 37, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell and was released on an unsecured bond. Kincade was indicted on January 21 and charged with 31 counts of preparing income tax returns with false statements in them, six counts of theft of government money, and six counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to three years in federal prison for each of the 31 counts, up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the six counts of theft of government money, and up to two years in federal prison for each of the six counts of aggravated identity theft. Continue reading Palestine Man Indicted on Numerous Federal Income Tax Charges

TYLER – The death of a Smith County man during a robbery attempt remains under investigation. Killed Sunday night was Courvoiser Kimmetrrius Butler, 24, of Tyler. He was said to have been shot during the shootout with the owner of the Mi Pueblo Food store on Morningside Drive. Butler’s body was found lying on the floor of the store. He was wearing a ski mask and gloves. The store’s owner was not injured. Authorities believe Butler may have been accompanied by a second person. He is described as a black male in his mid twenties, driving a late model green two door vehicle (possibly a Pontiac), who was seen at the store just before to the robbery.

TYLER — The death of a Tyler man remains under investigation. Tyrone Lee Underwood, 24, was found dead in his car which had struck a telephone pole. Investigators say Underwood was shot before the accident. A caller told police her children told her they heard what they believed to be several gunshots. The car crash occurred around 2:45 yesterday morning in the 400 block of West 24th Street.

HENDERSON COUNTY — An East Texas man has been arrested on charges of attempted capital murder following a shooting involving Henderson County law officers. Steven Clement Rei was arrested in the 200 block of North Cherokee Shores Drive in Cherokee Shores. Sheriffs’ deputies were sent to the area in response to a domestic disturbance involving a firearm. Continue reading Man Arrested in Officer-Involved Shooting

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Eastbound I-20 at Mile Marker 534 in Van Zandt County is now open again after being closed due to an overturned 18-wheeler that caught fire around 9 a.m. TxDOT says a second crash involving an 18-wheeler and a car, also at Mile Marker 534 in the westbound lanes, was cleared earlier. All travel lanes are open to traffic.

LONGVIEW – More details are being given out on the impending closure of Johnny Cace’s Seafood & Steak House, a Longview landmark that will cease operations March 28. It was announced last week that the eatery will soon end 66 years in business. Cathy and Chelsea Cace told the Longview News-Journal The decision to close the restaurant came after months of prayer and of pondering options. They said the 13,000-square-foot, 50-year-old building needed so much repair and upkeep that the restaurant, and its owners, were buckling under the strain. Continue reading More Details Given on Closure of Johnny Cace’s

LUFKIN – A Lufkin woman has been charged with assault causing bodily injury after being accused of attacking her mother and sister. Bonds were set at $3,000 for Cherish Davonne Jackson, 24. No word on the argument that led to the attack. It is said to have occurred Saturday in the 800 block of Willow Bend Drive.

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of January 26.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler, along with Special Crews, will also be conducting mill and inlay operations on Farm Road 14 at Interstate Highway 20. Expect the roadway to be reduced to one lane using flaggers to move motorists through the work zone. Expect delays. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

KILGORE — One person has been arrested after leaving the scene of a wreck Saturday night. Kilgore Police responded to the Chateau Apartment complex on Crescent Drive after receiving several calls stating that a car had hit a pole. Officers said by the time they arrived on scene, the driver had fled on foot. Police found the driver a short time later. Authorities said the driver was reportedly intoxicated and driving at a high rate of speed when they lost control of the car. The identity of the suspect has not been released.

AUSTIN – One of the most wanted suspects in Texas, a man with Cherokee County ties, has been caught in Houston. The Texas Department of Public Safety earlier this month added Paul Ray Bass, 53, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list. Bass was wanted for failure to comply with sex offender registration and was considered a high-risk offender. According to KETK, Bass lived in Cherokee County for several years but his whereabouts had been unknown since March 2014. His sex offense history dates to a 1979 rape conviction. According to information from the U.S. Marshals Service, Bass was arrested without incident Friday and booked into the Harris County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Departement arrested two people in a Friday morning drug raid on Burleson Street. According to KETK, police said at around 6:00, a SWAT team executed a search warrant on the 800 block of Burleson St. at a home that had been under investigation for drug dealing. Authorities say they found marijuana, ecstasy, Xanax, firearms, and an undisclosed amount of cash. Officers arrested Willie Lee Jones, 23, of Marshall, and Justin Lavell Heck, 30, of Marshall and charged them with possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance penalty group 1, and possession of a substance penalty group 3.

LONGVIEW — Former Longview City Councilman Dr. Andy Mack announced Friday he’s running for Longview mayor. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Mack, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, served on the City Council for eight years until 2005. That’s when he left his District 4 seat on the council to run for mayor in a seven-candidate free-for-all after Mayor Murray Moore resigned. Mayor Jay Dean edged Mack in both the general election and a following runoff between the two men. Dean, who has served for 10 years, will not seek re-election due to term limit restrictions. Continue reading Former Councilman Seeks Longview Mayor’s Post

TYLER — A tragedy fund has been set up for the children of a couple found dead recently of an apparent murder-suicide in Smith County. KETK reports a fund for the children of Mechelle Hall-Bell, 35, and Delithro Bell, 41, has been set up under the name Jadashia R. Curtis at Altra Federal Credit Union. The credit union is located at 5523 Troup Highway in Tyler and may be reached by phone at 903-579-2203. The couple had six children between them.

AUSTIN — A local senator and a DFW representative have filed bills in the Texas Legislature to allow children with “intractable epilepsy” to use medical marijuana for treatment purposes. According to KETK and the Austin-American Statesman, Tyler Senator Kevin Eltife and DFW Representative Stephanie Klick, both Republicans, filed identical measures. The bills would allow state-regulated entities to legally grow and dispense cannabidiol, also known as CBD. The Statesman reports unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, CBD could provide medicinal benefits without a “high.” Continue reading Eltife Files Epilepsy-Related Medical Marijuana Bill

NACOGDOCHES (AP) – A 25-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison after a state appeals court earlier struck down his prior punishment for the 2005 killing in East Texas of his friend’s stepfather. The sentence for Colton Weir includes the possibility of parole after he serves at least 30 years. The appeals court determined last month his rights were violated when he was sentenced in 2007 to life without parole. The U.S. Supreme Court had previously ruled that sentencing juveniles without the possibility of parole was unconstitutional. The Daily Sentinel reports Shaina Sepulvado, 25, was resentenced Wednesday for the same reason. Weir, Sepulvado, and four others were involved in a murder-for-hire scheme to kill Sepulvado’s stepfather, James Kelly, 32. He was fatally shot at his Cushing home.

JACKSONVILLE — The city of Jacksonville is planning to reopen troubled Klein Animal Shelter following its closure last week over animal abuse allegations. The executive director and two others have been arrested. According to KETK, the Jacksonville Police Department says the city is in the process of renovating the shelter and hopes to have it up and running within a month. The building has already been inspected twice. The new shelter, however, will only house strays caught within city limits and animals surrendered by local residents. The Klein shelter had been accepting animals from Smith County, Cherokee County and the city of Jacksonville. Jacksonville PD stated the city will not routinely euthanize animals to make space for other strays. According to the Jacksonville Daily Progress, the shelter is 60% ready to open.

TYLER — A worker was injured and cross traffic on Magnolia Street was affected Friday due to an accident on the residence hall construction site on the Tyler Junior College campus. The mishap occurred around 10 a.m. Officials say Lionel Torres, 28, was injured when the hydraulic lift he was working on tipped over, causing him to fall to the ground. Torres, who was buckled into his safety harness at the time of the fall, suffered some broken bones and lacerations. He was conscious when he was transferred to East Texas Medical Center.

TYLER — An American Civil Liberties Union attorney has filed paperwork to halt the execution of an East Texas man convicted of murder. According to the Smith County 114th District Court, attorney Brian Stull has filed a post-conviction writ of habeas corpus in order to halt the execution of Robert Charles Ladd. KETK reports Stull has filed the paperwork challenging Texas legal procedures to determine intellectual disability in the wake of Hall v. Florida. “Undersigned counsel has insufficient time to prepare a more thorough application, but begs the Court’s patience to consider this important issue, to grant a stay, and to set this case for further briefing and a hearing,” wrote Stull. Continue reading Attorney Seeks to Halt Execution in 1996 Tyler Murder