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TYLER — The Texas Department of Transportation has announced that it completed six projects in September and planned to break ground on another three in October, bringing the total number of projects under construction to 26 across the Tyler District.

Topping the list of upcoming projects is a $1.3 million project to repair and resurface westbound Interstate Highway 20 between State Highway 110 and the Van Zandt County line. The project let to contract in August and is scheduled to begin mid-month. APAC-Texas, Inc., of Dallas, is the contractor. “We’ve made some huge improvements in our pavement on the Interstate in the past few years,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “This is one of the areas that we’ve had
on hold while we’ve gotten the other projects done.”

Also in October, TxDOT contractors are scheduled to begin a Green Ribbon beautification project at the Henderson Star, and an inter-agency agreement with Texas Parks and Wildlife to repair and resurface campsites in Tyler State Park. Green Ribbon projects are landscaping projects that target counties either in or close to non-attainment of air-quality standards.

Among the projects completed or scheduled for completion by the end of September are two major projects on U.S. Highway 69, including a $43 million project expanding the highway to four lanes between Lindale and Mineola which began in 2006, and the $11.4 million US 69/FM 344 overpass project in Bullard. Both projects are scheduled for completion by the end of next week, which means normal speed limits will return to effect once the work zones have been removed.

TxDOT also announced the completion of projects to repair and resurface U.S. Highway 79 in
Palestine and U.S. Highway 287 south of Palestine, State Highway 31 or Front Street in Tyler between Broadway and East Loop 323, and on Farm Road 1798 in Rusk County between U.S. Highway 259 and Farm Road 840.

Also in October, TxDOT plans to let a series of small projects rolled into one larger one on State Highway 149 south of Longview. The work includes adding street lights and widening SH 149 to accommodate continuous left-turn lane through the Whiskey Bend area, repairing and resurfacing SH 149 between the SH 149/SH 322 split and 2 miles south of Farm Road 2906, and adding centerline rumble strips on SH 149 between Sabine River Bridge and Rusk County Line.
Work on the approximate combined $2.9 million project is scheduled to begin in January.

Projects marked for completion in September
● US 69 – Adding two lanes and depressed grass median to US 69 between Lindale and Mineola. The $43 million project broke ground in April 2006 and is scheduled to be completed by fall 2010. Longview Bridge and Road of Longview, Texas, is the contractor. TxDOT project tracker: n/a
● US 69 – Building overpass at US 69 and FM 344 in Bullard. The $11.4 million project broke ground in January 2008 and is scheduled to be completed this fall. Work zone speed limit is 45 mph. Knife River Corporation, South, of Waco, Texas, is the contractor. TxDOT project tracker: n/a
● US 79 – Repair and resurface US 79 inside Loop 256 in Palestine. The $1.6 million project started in June is scheduled to take approximately three months to complete. R.K. Hall Construction of Paris, Texas, is the contractor. TxDOT project tracker: http://bit.ly/11-09-BUS79a
● US 287 – Repair and resurface US 287 between FM 2419 south of Palestine and SH 294 in Elkhart. The approximate $1.8 million project started in June is scheduled to be completed by the end of September. Big Creek Constriction, Ltd. of Waco, Texas is the contractor. TxDOT project tracker: http://bit.ly/03-10-US287
● SH 31 – Repair and resurface SH 31 (Front Street) in Tyler between Broadway and East Loop 323. The $996,000 project let to contract in April and began June 30. Knife River Corporation, South, of Waco, Texas, is the contractor. TxDOT project tracker: http://bit.ly/04-10-SH31a
● FM 1798 – Repair and resurface, and add shoulders on FM 1798 between US 259 and FM 840 in southeastern Rusk County. The $2.3 million project is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2010. A.K. Gillis & Sons of Sulphur Springs, Texas is the contractor. TxDOT project tracker: http://bit.ly/03-09-FM1798b

Projects set to begin in October
● Interstate 20 – Repairing and resurfacing Westbound Interstate 20 between SH 110 and the Van Zandt County Line. The $1.3 million project let to contract in August and is scheduled to begin this fall. APAC-Texas, Inc., of Dallas, is the contractor. TxDOT Project Tracker: N/A
● Tyler State Park – Repair and resurface Cedar Camp Loop Road and campsite pads in
Tyler State Park. The $165,000 project let to contract in July and is scheduled to begin in mid-October. Simon Traylor & Sons of Jacksonville, Texas, is the contractor. TxDOT Project Tracker: http://bit.ly/07-10-TSP
● US 79 – Green Ribbon landscaping project adding shrubbery to traffic islands around the Henderson Star. The $75,000 project let to contract in August and is scheduled to begin in mid-October. Encino Landscape, Inc., of Cleveland, Texas, is the contractor. TxDOT Project Tracker: http://bit.ly/08-10-US79

Projects scheduled to let to contract in October (with projected start date)
● SH 149, January 2011 – Adding street lights and widening to accommodate continuous left-turn lane through Whiskey Bend area; repair and resurface between SH 149/SH 322 split and 2 miles south of FM 2906; and adding centerline rumble strips between the Sabine River Bridge and Rusk County Line. The approximate $2.9 million project is scheduled to let in October and begin in January 2011. TxDOT Project Tracker: N/A

WHITEHOUSE — A section of the City of Whitehouse could soon merge with the City of Tyler. Whitehouse city officials approached Tyler officials Wednesday about the idea of Tyler annexing a of the city. According to KETK, a handful of Whitehouse residents don’t want to be annexed but their taxes will go down if they are. According to the Texas Municipal League, Whitehouse property taxes are almost three times that of Tyler’s.

TYLER — Tyler Police Investigators have determined that the hotel clerk from Quality Inn that reported the Armed Robbery on August 29 fabricated the incident. The clerk identified as Joshanette Monttia Lee, 25, was charged with False Report to a Police Officer and Theft.

Tyler Police received a call of an armed robbery August 29 at the Quality Inn, located at 2843 West Northwest Loop 323. Lee was the desk clerk that night and said a male had robbed the business using a handgun. She told officers the suspect had fled the scene prior to officers’ arrival. And undisclosed amount of money was reportedly stolen.

LONGVIEW — Longview Police arrest a 21-year-old suspect after a home invasion. It happened Thursday morning around11:00 in the 100 block of East Melton Street. The caller, aware of recent burglaries in the area, knew the two men he had seen at the back of a residence at 139 East Melton did not live there and the caller was also able to describe an orange truck parked at the location. Officers arrived and located Lamarcus Pearson inside the residence. Pearson, attempted to escape but was captured by an officer on the other side of the house. Officers located a broken window at the rear of the house with a ladder leaned up against it. Pearson was booked into the Gregg County Jail for criminal trespass and evading arrest.

LONGVIEW — Citations are issued during an alcohol sting in Longview. On September 22, the Longview Police Department, partnering with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and Longview Partners in Prevention, conducted off-premise and on-premise minor stings at area retailers to validate compliance with Texas law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors.

43 different alcohol retailers were checked by the undercover team. Of those 43 retailers, ten of them sold alcohol to the undercover minors. The locations that sold to minors were:

1. 522 W. Marshall Avenue – Don’s
2. 1929 Hwy 80 East – Tiger Mart of Longview
3. 518 Loop 281 East – Wing Stop
4. 2002 Judson Road – GZ Social Club
5. 701 S. Eastman Road – Kwick Food Mart
6. 101 Loop 281 West – Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar
7. 301 Loop 281 West – Dudley’s Cajun Café
8. 514 S. Eastman Road – Easy Access
9. 1001 Young Street – Cowboy’s # 13
10. 1442 McCann Road – El Sombrero

At these locations the individuals that sold alcohol to the undercover minor were listed in offense reports for “making alcohol available to a minor”. This offense is a class A misdemeanor and the reports will be filed with the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. In addition, the TABC issued administrative citations to each business.

TYLER — Two Longview residents are sentenced in Tyler Federal Court to prison for drug violations. Jeremy Alan Furlong, 27, pleaded guilty on April 1 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 104 months in federal prison and was also ordered to submit to forfeiture of two firearms and a money judgment in the amount of $20,000. Sheri Ann Young, 51, pleaded guilty on April 7 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and was also ordered to submit to the forfeiture of a money judgment in the amount of $3,500.

According to information presented in court, on June 30, 2009, Furlong was discovered to be in possession of methamphetamine and related distribution supplies at a Longview motel and on Aug. 11, 2009, Young was found to be in possession of about 23.5 grams of methamphetamine which she intended to distribute to others. A federal grand jury
returned an indictment on Nov. 4, 2009, charging Furlong and Young with federal drug trafficking violations.

TYLER — Tyler police are looking for two men who beat and robbed a woman walking to her south Tyler apartment. It happened last night at the Bullard Crossing Apartment Complex, 5105 Old Bullard Road. The 22 year old woman told officers she was attacked from behind by two men. She was hit in the mouth and thrown to the ground. She was then hit in her side as one of the suspects grabbed her wallet. The two men then fled the area on foot. According to Sgt. Robert Phillips, the suspects are believed to be black males, one described as 6’5”, stocky build and the other 5’10” medium build. The victim said both suspects were wearing some type of cover over their faces as well as gloves. The woman was transported to East Texas Medical Center by EMS for treatment of what appeared to be minor injuries.

MARSHALL — Harrison County authorities are trying to learn why a man was lying on railroad tracks. He was killed earlier this week by a Union Pacific freight train. He is identified as Justin Kaleb Alexander, 27, of DeBerry. The accident happened early Tuesday morning in eastern Harrison County on the northern end of Pumpkin Center Road. Authorities say the victim’s motorcycle was found nearby.

The train was west bound when the crew noticed something on the tracks. When they realized it was a person on the tracks they blew the air horn and started the emergency breaking system, but there was not enough distance to stop the train before hitting the man. He was lying between the tracks with his arms crossed and his feet pointed toward the train.

TYLER — A motorcyclist appears to have been critically injured in a two vehicle accident in Tyler. He is identified as Christopher Ray Benkowski, 27, of Tyler. It happened Wednesday night at New Copeland Road and Barbara Street. Investigators say an SUV had pulled away from a stop sign on Barbara and was hit by the motorcycle. Benkowski was transported to East Texas Medical Center Hospital by ambulance. Police say his injuries appear to be life-threatening. The driver of the SUV was taken to the hospital via private vehicle.

Prior to the accident a patrol officer saw the motorcycle run a stop sign at Amherst and Donnybrook. When the officer tried to stop the motorcycle it fled north on New Copeland Road. The officer did not pursue the motorcycle. A short time later the accident occurred

TYLER — The Tyler Municipal Court has announced that it will extend the deadline for the Second Chance Program to Oct. 15 due to the program’s success in assisting citizens who have been unable to pay past due court fines because of economic conditions. The program which was launched in August was scheduled to end on September 9. During this time, 583 people took advantage of this program and paid their fines, clearing 1140 warrants.

“Some people went ahead and took care of the whole warrant amount instead of opting for the payment plan,” commented Court Administrator Cam McCabe. “Consequently, even more warrants were cleared than we expected. We had predicted that about 200 to 250 people would pay their fines and take care of their warrants during this time period. The reality is that more than twice the warrants were cleared than we anticipated.”

The Second Chance Program enables persons who have had warrants issued for non-payment of fines to reestablish a payment plan and bring their accounts current. “We have seen an increase in the number of people who have warrants issued for their arrest due to the economy,” said McCabe. “This program provides a second chance for violators to become current and take care of their fines.”

A $300 down payment is required to reestablish the payment plan. Warrants will be removed once the $300 is received and a payment plan is signed. To take advantage of this Second Chance Program, defendants must visit the cashier’s window at the Municipal Court to make the down payment and sign the payment agreement no later than the October 15 deadline.

TYLER — The Tyler Independent School District is awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals with offices in Chicago, IL, and Washington, D.C.

The District received this award for its comprehensive annual financial report. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. The comprehensive annual financial report is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler Department of Biology has received a $75,000 Endangered Species Section 6 Grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Dr. Neil Ford, professor of biology; Dr. Lance Williams, associate professor of biology; and Marsha Williams, research associate; will study threatened and endangered mussels and fish of four Northeast Texas rivers.

The group will use global satellite information to determine landscape features of Cypress Creek and the Sulphur, Sabine and Neches Rivers to predict where rare mussels and fish should occur. They will then conduct surveys in those sites to determine which habitat features are best at predicting where threatened species occur. Such information will improve the ability of natural resource managers to find and protect rare species of mussels and fish and their habitats.

“These four rivers differ in large scale factors that impact fish and mussels such as channelization, impoundments, sedimentation and pollution,” said Ford, principal investigator of the two-year project. “Comparing the occurrence of threatened fish and mussels in each river helps to determine which specific factors impact the habitats that are important to fish and mussels.”

Section 6 grants are funded by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for states to gain information about their endangered species.

TYLER — The Tyler Municipal Court has announced that it will extend the deadline for the Second Chance Program to Oct. 15. Officials say that’s due to the program’s success in assisting citizens who have been unable to pay past due court fines because of economic conditions. The program, launched in August, was scheduled to end on Sept. 9. During this time, 583 people took advantage of this program and paid their fines, clearing 1140 warrants.

“Some people went ahead and took care of the whole warrant amount instead of opting for the payment plan,” commented Court Administrator Cam McCabe. “Consequently, even more warrants were cleared than we expected. We had predicted that about 200 to 250 people would pay their fines and take care of their warrants during this time period. The reality is that more than twice the warrants were cleared than we anticipated.”

The Second Chance Program enables persons who have had warrants issued for non-payment of fines to reestablish a payment plan and bring their accounts current. “We have seen an increase in the number of people who have warrants issued for their arrest due to the economy,” said McCabe. “This program provides a second chance for violators to become current and take care of their fines.” A $300 down payment is required to reestablish the payment plan. Warrants will be removed once the $300 is received and a payment plan is signed. To take advantage of this Second Chance Program, defendants must visit the cashier’s window at the Municipal Court to make the down payment and sign the payment agreement no later than the Oct. 15 deadline.

TYLER — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Thursday for the new East Texas Christian Academy campus at 2448 Roy Road in Tyler. The 34,000-square-foot school contains 21 classrooms and a 7,000-volume-plus library. There’s also a gym with a full basketball and volleyball court, and a high school regulation baseball field. ETCA had been housed at the Shiloh Road Church of Christ since the school started in 1979. ETCA President Wayne Boshears says the move was necessary to continue expansion of the school and its programs. ETCA has 215 students in grades Pre-K through 12.

HENDERSON (AP) – A federal SWAT team this week raided a sprawling east Texas property belonging to a family accused of selling drugs, firearms, prostitutes and fake identification documents. Thirty-year-old Victor Hernandez Jr. faces a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines. His public defender says the charges could change after a federal grand jury meets in about two weeks. Hernandez was arrested early Wednesday morning on his family’s property near Henderson. The FBI was assisted by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, which initiated the investigation. Authorities say Hernandez smuggled drugs from Mexico and weapons into Mexico.