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TYLER – The names of the victims of a Tyler fire have been released. Fire Marshall Paul Findley identified them as a 1 year old girl, Cambryn Anderson-McAllister and Christopher Anderson, 40, who both died last Saturday. The third victim, Sharon Brown, 60, died last Sunday. Two children remain in a Fort Worth hospital after being transferred from Tyler on Saturday morning. Camden Anderson, 6, and Collin Anderson, 2, are both recovering from their injuries. The fire was reported around 6:15 last Friday evening at a home on North Grand. The fire is said to have started in the living room. The cause remains under investigation.

KILGORE – The Kilgore Public Library will be opening a Seed Library on Saturday. Library patrons will be able to check out seeds as well as books and other materials. The goal of the seed library is to cultivate a community of sharing and promote home gardening. Library patrons are encouraged to learn how to save seeds from the plants they grow and return the seeds to the library for other persons to plant in the following years. Saturday’s event will include a series of brief gardening talks as well as activities for children, a story time and planting activity.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler has received a $12,000 gift as a part of a collaboration between its School of Education and the Cooperative Teachers Credit Union. The gift will support the East Texas Center for School Based Research and Instruction. It provides professional development for teachers and administrators in the region. According to a news release from the school, the money will fund upcoming center projects designed to provide resources to help meet educational needs in area schools and communities. Projects include a school leadership conference, a literacy academy, an annual school law conference, a conference focused on women in leadership and seminar-style events called “ED Talks.”

TYLER – A Tyler woman has signed the official closing documents for her new home with Habitat for Humanity of Smith County. Diana Bautista and her two teenaged daughters plan to move into their new home on North Tenneha this weekend. She says, as a single mom, all they could afford was a one-bedroom garage apartment , and now, they have a home of their own. She and her daughters completed over 350 “sweat equity” hours by helping build her home and others. She is purchasing the house from Habitat with no interest on the 30 year mortgage. Continue reading A Proud New Home Owner in Tyler

CARTHAGE – An Overton man has been killed in a two vehicle accident in Panola County. Pronounced dead at the scene was Jesus Ramon Reyes, 41. He was killed when his pickup ran into the back of a trailer that was being pulled by a Mack truck. The Department of Public Safety report says the truck was legally stopped to make a left turn onto a private drive when the accident occurred. The Carthage man who was driving the truck was not injured. The accident occurred Wednesday afternoon shortly before 5:15 on U.S. Highway 79, just over two miles west of Carthage.

LONGVIEW – A jury in state district court in Longview has sentenced Johnifer Ray Mumphrey, 54, of Kilgore, to 55 years in prison. His punishment was enhanced because of his criminal record, which includes two felony convictions for burglary and sexual assault. Last May, he is said to have stormed into a home and choked a woman and hit her in the face with his fist. A couple of days after the incident, he was arrested by Kilgore police. He was charged with burglary of a habitation, with intent to commit assault.

AUSTIN – The state’s Million Dollar Loteria game has created a millionaire in Smith County. A Tyler resident claimed a top prize winning ticket worth $1 million in the Texas Lottery scratch ticket game. The winning ticket was purchased at Tiger Express #7, located on East Main Street in Whitehouse. The winner elected to remain anonymous. This was the third of five top prizes worth $1 million to be claimed in this game, which offers more than $90 million in total prizes.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A Cherokee County sheriff’s deputy has been arrested and charged with indecency with a child. Arrested by the Texas Rangers Tuesday afternoon was Jonathan Bryan Shobert, 46, a sergeant with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. According to the arrest warrant, which was obtained by our news partner KETK, the incident took place on January 26. Shobert is currently free on a $50,000 bond.

TYLER – East Texas Christian Academy’s Board of Trustees has announced the appointment of Myron Bruce as Head of School. The appointment becomes effective in June. For the past the past 4 years, Bruce has been the Regional Development Director for Freed Hardeman University. He has also served in the ministry for 16 years. Bruce will begin his work at the school immediately in a part-time development capacity. He will be working alongside Dr. Michael Weimer to facilitate the planned transition.

EAST TEXAS – Recent fires in Tyler and Smith County have killed five persons. Now, a fire in Nacogdoches County has killed two. It was reported shortly after 6:00 Wednesday morning on Andy Lane. One woman was dead at the scene. The other died at a Nacogdoches hospital. Injured was a 14 year old girl. She was airlifted to a burn center hospital in the Dallas area where she is listed in critical condition. The names have not been released. Investigators say It appears that the fire started on the front porch of the residence. The cause remains under investigation.

TYLER – Tyler is being recognized as a dementia friendly community. Tyler and Fort Worth were the only cities in Texas to have received this recognition. The recognition came after the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County submitted documentation and letters. It showed Tyler is engaging in important work to support those in our community that are living with dementia as well as their caregivers and families. Included was a summary of the amazing accomplishments of the Tyler Area Chamber Senior Resource Committee and their members and partners. There were also letters of support from the Northeast Texas Public Health District, Smith County Commissioners Court and three Chamber Committees. Next, they want to form subcommittees to continue moving this progress forward. You can be a member of one of these sub committies by contacting Stephanie Taylor with the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County.

SMITH COUNTY — A Mineola man wanted for aggravated assault and burglary has been arrested. Dustin Dwayne Radney, 28, was accused of forcing his way into his ex-girlfriend’s home north of Lindale. He is said to have stolen a handgun and then physically assaulted the ex-girlfriend. Radney has been charged with with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, burglary with intent to commit assault and theft of a firearm. He was booked into the Smith County Jail with bond set at $100,000.

TYLER — Some changes are in store for one of Tyler’s big fall events, put on by the Junior League of Tyler. Mistletoe and Magic 2019 Chairman Nicole Robbins says the annual shopping extravaganza will kick off with a November 16 gala at Willow Brook Country Club. The event itself, previously held in November, is set this year for December 4-7 in its usual location, Harvey Convention Center. Robbins says goals this year are to “raise community awareness about the Junior League of Tyler, Mistletoe and Magic and the agencies which we support” and “raise a significant amount of money to give back to our community.” The Junior League has also unveiled a theme, “Celebrating the Meaning of Mistletoe,” and a logo for the event. Go to https://www.juniorleagueoftyler.org/ to learn more about the Junior League.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court Tuesday approved a resolution in support of forming a Texas Anti-Gang Center for northeast Texas in Smith County. In Governor Greg Abbott’s recent State of the State Address, he announced that it was a priority of his to see Texas Anti-Gang (TAG) Centers added in Tyler and Waco. Sheriff Larry Smith said there are currently six TAGs throughout the state. If formed, the local TAG would be composed of sheriff’s offices, police departments, and district attorney’s offices based in Tyler and Longview, along with the regional Department of Public Safety operation. Smith said additional federal law enforcement agencies could also join. Continue reading Smith County Looks to Form Texas Anti-Gang Task Force

TYLER — Classes will resume Wednesday at John Tyler High School, according to Dawn Parnell of Tyler ISD. According to our news partner KETK, crews continued cleanup of the campus Tuesday after an overnight sewage spill that caused cancellation of classes for the day. Tyler ISD Superintendent Marty Crawford confirmed via Twitter late Monday night that a sewage issue was to blame for the cancellation.

TYLER — Goodwill Industries of East Texas announces a grant award of $316,069 from Walmart. According to a news release, the money will be used to support the acceleration of Goodwill’s skills training courses and programs. Incumbent service sector workers can receive training to advance their careers, in areas including those in which an IT-Sector Industrial Certification is required or preferred, according to the news release. Officials say Goodwill’s GoodTech Academy prepares adults to test for the CompTIA A+, Networking+, Security+, and Cybersecurity Certifications. Additionally, Goodwill offers basic computer training, the Google IT Professional Certificate, and a soft skills training program called Skills 2 Succeed, according to the release.

CARTHAGE (AP) – An East Texas company has recalled 59 pounds of smoked sausage items due to possible under-processing of the food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the voluntary recall involves Panola County Processing of Carthage. Federal inspectors discovered the problem on Friday. A USDA statement released Tuesday says the pork smoked sausage links and venison and pork sausage links, in 1.3-pound packages, were produced Jan. 29 and packaged through Jan. 31. The sausage was labeled Panola County Processing and distributed to retail stores in Texas. The items have EST. 48219 inside the USDA mark of inspection. USDA officials have no reports of anyone getting sick. The sausage should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

EAST TEXAS — At least three East Texas elections administrators have been named in voting lawsuits against Texas. According to our news partner KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Smith County’s Karen Nelson was issued a summons last week. It comes after the Texas secretary of state released a list claiming to include 95,000 non-citizens registered to vote. Critics now claim many of those names came from outdated information from DPS driver’s license records. Nelson is named in two lawsuits. The Harrison County elections administrator is named in one, but that position is vacant after the administrator’s recent resignation. Wood County Elections Administrator Laura Wise is also named in one of the suits. A hearing is scheduled February 22nd at the federal courthouse in Galveston.

ATHENS — New details from Athens as the investigation continues into the deadly january 25th school bus and train collision. The police department has now released the crash report. According to our news partner KETK, it says the bus driver, 78-year-old John Stevens, did stop before the railroad crossing, just as state law says he’s supposed to do. The report says Stevens stopped right before the tracks, then pulled forward. That’s when the left side of the school bus was hit by the train, pushing it about a quarter mile down the tracks. Police say the train had just come around a curve, making it difficult to see. Police also say as the bus was being pushed down the tracks, it hit several signs and railroad gates, causing even more damage. Continue reading More Details Released in Athens Bus-Train Crash

LONGVIEW — Authorities say the burned body of a woman found in East Texas more than 12 years ago has been identified as Dana Lynn Dodd, 21, last known to be living in Jacksonville, Florida. Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano and Sheriff’s Lt. Eddie Hope said the woman’s body was found Oct. 29, 2006 near Kilgore. She was later named Lavender Doe. The suspect, Joseph Wayne Burnette, is currently in the Gregg County Jail awaiting trial. He’s been charged with the murders of Dana Dodd and Felishia Pearson. Burnette is also charged with sex offender duty to register with bonds totaling $2,500,000. The DNA Doe Project helped with the identification process.

MARSHALL — The City of Marshall will host a public meet-and-greet event for new Marshall City Manager Mark Rohr from 5:30 – 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Marshall Convention Center. City officials say the come-and-go event will offer citizens the opportunity to meet Rohr and welcome him to the community in a casual and informal setting. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. In a news release, Rohr says he looks forward to meeting residents, discussing ways to put Marshall on a path of growth, and talking about how best to move the city forward. For more information, contact the city manager’s office at 903-935-4421.

TYLER — Tyler officials are explaining some taste and odor issues that have recently emerged in the city’s water. Officials say on Monday, Feb. 4, the Golden Road Water Treatment Plant was taken offline as part of ongoing construction to the plant, leaving the Lake Palestine Water Treatment plant the sole provider of treated water to the system this past week. During this same time period, the city experienced a spike in Geosmin, a taste and odor compound, coming from Lake Palestine to the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant. Geosmin is non-toxic and safe to consume. It typically produces an earthy odor and is naturally present in some foods such as beets, spinach and mushrooms. Typically, both water treatment plants operating at the same time automatically minimizes the amount of detectable Geosmin. Continue reading Recent Water Taste and Odor Explained

TYLER — A new effort kicks off in Tyler as part of a developing partnership. In September 2018, The City of Tyler, Smith County, and Heart of Tyler partnered with The Retail Coach, described in a news release as the nation’s leading economic development recruitment firm. That was part of an effort to help expand Downtown Tyler’s business, hospitality, entertainment, and living offerings. As part of that, The Retail Coach has developed a Downtown Tyler Dashboard with economic developer information on Downtown Tyler. City officials say the goal of this Dashboard is to provide easily accessible information and reports to developers, investors, business prospects and current downtown businesses. Continue reading County Seat Coalition and The Retail Coach Launch Downtown Tyler Dashboard

TYLER — The Women’s Fund of Smith County awarded four high-impact grants at its recent 2019 Grants Announcement Reception at Willow Brook Country Club. Grants totaling $229,073 were presented to nonprofit programs which benefit women and children in Smith County. $35,000 went to Discovery Science Place for its Mobile Planetarium Program. $46,750 was handed to the East Texas Crisis Center for its Counseling Intervention Program. Next Step Community Solutions was given $97,323 for Suicide Prevention and Counseling Expansion. And $50,000 was awarded to PATH for expansion of its Transitional Housing Program. You can go to http://www.womensfundsc.org to learn about The Women’s Fund.

TYLER – A third person has died as the result of a Tyler fire. A 60 year old woman is the latest victim. She died at a Dallas hospital. Previously a 40 year old man and a young girl died from injuries received in the fire. Two children are still in the hospital, being treated for their injuries. They are continuing to improve. The fire was reported around 6:15 Friday evening at a home on North Grand. The fire is said to have started in the living room. The cause remains under investigation.

TYLER – A one vehicle accident has killed a Tyler man. Killed when his car overturned in a creek around 4:15 Saturday afternoon on North Parkdale Drive was Terry Dewayne Cain, 38. Tyler police say his car appeared to have been traveling north when it veered left and went off of the road rolled over in the creek, and came to rest upside down. The investigation into the accident is continuing.

GLADEWATER – Gladewater has a new police chief. Former Gregg County Sheriff’s Office supervisor Gordon Freeman was chosen among a group of 30 candidates for the position. Gladewater City Manager Ricky Tow made the announced Saturday on Facebook. He begins his new duties February 25th. Freeman retired last year from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office as a lieutenant. He succeeds Robert Vine who was hired several months ago at the police chief of Dayton, Texas. In making the announcement, Tow said Freeman was chosen from a very qualified group and “rose to the top due to his experience and knowledge of over thirty years in law enforcement along with his connections in and around the counties that Gladewater sets in.”

TYLER – In separate cases, Smith County juries have sentenced two men to prison for sexual acts with children. Christopher Matthew Luna, 28, of Troup, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexual assault of a child. He was arrested last June. The victim was a family friend to the defendant, and testified to multiple offenses that took place over a two-week period when she was 14 years old. Continue reading Two Sentenced in Child Indecency Cases