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EAST TEXAS – East Texans can benefit over the Memorial Day Holiday from another sales tax weekend in the state. This time you can save on the purchase of certain water and energy efficient products during the state’s Water-Efficient Products and ENERGY STAR sales tax holidays. Both events will run from Saturday through Monday. This is the 4th year for this sales tax holiday. Products displaying a WaterSense label or logo can be purchased tax-free for personal or business use. These include showerheads, bathroom sink faucets and accessories, toilets, urinals and landscape irrigation controls. It also applies to lawn and garden products that help conserve water outdoors. Items qualifying for the exemption include soaker or drip-irrigation hoses; moisture controls for a sprinkler or irrigation system. These items can be purchased tax-free for residential use only. You can go to https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-1018.php for more information.

DeBERRY – A Harrison County man has been killed in a Panola County shooting. Dead at the scene was Keileon Johnson, 22, of Waskom. He had been shot once in the chest. Another man was shot in the hand. Arrested, and charged with murder, was Tramaine Butler, 20, of DeBerry. The shooting is said to have followed an argument. It occurred shortly before 5:00 Thursday afternoon on County Road 3151 in DeBerry.

GREGG COUNTY — A fatal wreck on I-20 early Friday morning is under investigation. It happened just before 2:00 on westbound I-20, 1/2 mile east of Kilgore. According to the Department of Public Safety report, the driver of a 2003 Ford Ranger experienced mechanical problems. The driver and a passenger began pushing the vehicle when it was struck by a semi-truck. The freight-liner also struck one of the men pushing the disabled vehicle. James Michael Evans, 56, of Kilgore, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the freight-liner was identified as William Rex Weimer, 42, of Burkesville, KY. He was not injured in the crash.

RUSK – A Cherokee County sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on five counts of indecency with a child. Jonathan Bryan Shobert, 46, was arrested by the Texas Rangers in the case back in February. He remains free on a $50,000 bond. According to our news partner KETK, Shobert is said to have “engaged in sexual contact with a child younger than 17 years of age” on September 15, October 1, November 13, December 18 and December 20, all in 2018.

TROUP – A man who was chased in the Troup area by law officers from a variety of departments last Friday has been arrested. According to the Troup Police Department’s Face Book page, Lyle Lee was arrested in Kilgore Thursday morning. He is said to have stolen a truck and a four-wheeler and then fled from officers. Later, he is said to have stolen another vehicle and some weapons. His outstanding warrants include unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawful possession of a weapon by felon, possession of a prohibited weapon, evading arrest with vehicle, evading arrest, possession of CS Pg 1 and possession of marijuana. Judge Taylor Heaton signed all warrants with his bond totaling $670,000.

TYLER – It is official, Dr. Juan E. Mejia is the new president of Tyler Junior College. School trustees, at a meeting on Thursday, confirmed Dr. Mejia as the new president. He was named the lone finalist for the position on May 1st. He previously served as TJC’s President for Branch Locations & District Provost. He now becomes only the seventh president of the 92-year-old institution. Mejia will assume his new duties on July 1st, following the retirement of Chancellor and CEO Dr. Mike Metke.

TYLER – A man wanted in Tyler for sexual assault of a child has been arrested in Oklahoma. On Monday Tyler police posted on their Face Book page a picture of Sherman Brandon West, 44. He was named in a warrant for sexual assault of a child. On Thursday, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, out of Oklahoma City, notified Tyler police that West had been arrested in Norman, Oklahoma.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 26 is now open. A portion of the road, northwest of Overton, was closed for about two weeks after it was washed out by heavy rains. Smith County Road and Bridge crews repaired the road to make it safe again for drivers, according to a news release. On Monday, crews repaired and reopened CR 1133, west of Noonday. County roads that suffered washouts or damaged culverts from recent heavy storms and that remain closed include CR 2186 (west of Troup) and CR 247 (east of Tyler). Crews are working to repair them as quickly as possible, weather permitting, so they can be safe again for driving, according to the release.

SMITH COUNTY – A former assistant district attorney in Gregg County is in jail today in Tyler. Lance Roy Larison, 51, of White Oak, was arrested on Tuesday by a state trooper and charged with driving while intoxicated. Judicial records show he was also arrested on DWI charges in Smith County in 1995. Gregg County judicial records show Larison has also been arrested there on DWI charges in 2006 and 2007. He remains in the Smith County Jail under a $500,000 bond.

LONGVIEW – A man has died while trimming a tree in Longview. The accident occurred shortly before 4:45 Wednesday afternoon in the Harrison County portion of Longview. Killed was Perry Pettit, 58, of Longview. He was found entangled in some tree branches. He was trimming the storm damaged tree and could have been hit by a falling branch. Investigators believe his death was an accident.

EAST TEXAS – If you had planned to take a trip between Palestine and Rusk on the Texas State Railroad over the holiday weekend, you will have to change your plans. The railroad has cancelled all trips through the end of the month. According to their Face Book posting, it’s because of last weekend’s storms. It says they have sustained damage that will need extended time for proper assessment and repair. And they added that their decision comes with the safety of their riders and staff as top priority. They are looking forward to conducting train rides again by June 1st.

LONGVIEW – As Longview continues to clean up from storms on May 8th, Mayor Andy Mack has signed a disaster declaration for the city. This is the first step to funding sources for property owners recovering from storm damage. This opens up, among other things, the possibility of low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration. Damage estimates now top $180,000. This doesn’t count the over 300 homes, businesses and other buildings damaged, by what the National Weather Service said was straight line winds.

MINEOLA – A two vehicle accident in Wood County has left two persons dead and 3 injured. It happened when a car driven by Akm Shamsul Karim, 35, of Irving pulled out in front of a tractor trailer rig. The car’s driver and a teenage passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. The Department of Public Safety says three other teens in the car were injured. They were taken to a Tyler hospital where they are listed in serious condition. The accident occurred shortly before 6:45 Wednesday evening on U.S. Highway 69, just over 4 miles north of Mineola.

TYLER – Tyler police officers are joining with officers from around East Texas looking for people who are not using their seat belts over the Memorial Day holiday. It’s called the “Click It or Ticket” seat belt safety campaign. It started on Monday and will run through Sunday, June 2nd. Officers will be watching to make sure all occupants in the vehicle are properly restrained with a seat belt. Tyler police public information officer Don Martin says wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying in a crash by 45% in a passenger vehicle and up to 60% in a truck. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year about 33,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes.

SMITH COUNTY — The body of a man has been found at the scene of a house fire Thursday morning in Smith County. According to our news partner KETK, Fire officials were called to a home on County Road 26, just south of Highway 31 east, between Tyler and Kilgore. Crews discovered the body around 7:30. Authorities believe the unnamed man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Additional details were not available.

TYLER – The Tyler city council has approved a zoning change that paves the way for a shopping center across the road from the Village at Cumberland Park. The council approved a zone change for a mixed-use district on just over 86 acres West of South Broadway near Faulkner Park. The land was previously zoned for agricultural use. The new zoning permits more businesses like the ones already at the Village at Cumberland Park. But it also allows the construction of condos and apartments. There is no word on when the construction will begin.

TYLER – It is time for some Tyler school students to reap a benefit of their high school studies. Graduation ceremonies are scheduled to begin on Thursday. Early College High School students will graduate Thursday evening at 6:00 at Caldwell Auditorium. Robert E. Lee High School graduates get their diplomas Friday night at 8:00 at CHRISTUS Trinity Frances Rose Stadium. The following night at 8:00, at the stadium, it will be commencement exercises for John Tyler High School students. RISE Academy students will graduate next Tuesday night at 6:00 at Caldwell Auditorium. The Lee and John Tyler ceremonies will also air live on TISD-TV Channel 19 and the district website.

TYLER – A Smith County jury has sentenced an Upshur County man to prison for trying to run over his ex-girlfriend. Charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Clinton Ryan Ward, 41, of Big Sandy, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Last August, Ward stole his mother’s pickup and drove to Tyler. He is said to have driven dangerously around a neighborhood near Tyler Junior College. Before running into a retaining wall, he twice tried to run over his ex-girlfriend. He then held a large stone over her head. The woman’s son then tackled him and held him down until the police arrived.

HENDERSON – Henderson police continue their investigation of a shooting that left one person injured. Witnesses tell investigators that two persons with masks and firearms approached a home on West Lake Street. After the shooting, the suspects then returned to their vehicle, which was parked nearby. A man suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. He was taken to an area hospital where he was treated and released. The investigation resulted in a search warrant for the house where a quantity of marijuana, narcotics and an undetermined amount of money was seized.

FORT WORTH (AP) — A Tyler man accused of abducting an 8-year-old girl as she was taking a walk with her mother in Fort Worth has been charged in federal court with kidnapping. Prosecutors say 51-year-old Michael Webb appeared in federal court in Fort Worth on Tuesday for an initial hearing and that he’ll remain in federal custody after being transferred from the Tarrant County jail. Webb was being held on a state charge of aggravated kidnapping following his arrest early Sunday at a Forest Hill hotel where he was found with the girl. Officers acting on a tip questioned Webb at the hotel but didn’t find the girl, then returned later after receiving another tip and found her. Continue reading Tyler Man Accused of Abducting Girl Faces Federal Charge

LONGVIEW – A rabid bat has turned up in Longview. The Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center says in a Face Book posting, the animal was found in a home last Thursday. It was sent to the Texas Department of State Health Services lab in Austin, where it was confirmed that it had rabies. There was no contact with any people at the house and both of their dogs are vaccinated. They remind you not to touch or handle any wild animals, especially those that appear sick or injured. In our area, bats, skunks, and raccoons are the most common carriers of the rabies virus but caution should be used with any wild animal.

TYLER — Tyler police are searching for a gunman following a shooting in North Tyler. He has been identified as Patrick Deon Daniels, 33, of Tyler. In serious condition in a Tyler hospital, after being shot once in the chest, is Jacklyn Radway,36. Police public information officer Don Martin said Daniels is the father of Radway’s children. They were in the apartment when the shooting occurred, but were not injured. The shooting was reported shortly after 7:30 Tuesday morning at the Liberty Arms Apartments on North Broadway.

MABANK – Two persons were killed and two injured in a Van Zandt County accident. The crash happened when car left the road, hit some trees, and ended up in a ditch. Pronounced dead at the scene was Thomas Eugene Bickerstaff Jr., 65, of Duncanville, a front seat passenger. Also killed was a back seat passenger, who was not wearing a seat belt, William Fredrick Sherrard, 39, of Mabank. Injured was the car’s driver, Susan Sherrard, 66, of Mabank, and Lisa May Adair, 39, of Mabank. Adair, who was in the back seat and not wearing a seat belt. She is in a Tyler hospital in serious condition. The driver is in stable condition in a Kaufman hospital. The accident happened just before 4:30 Sunday afternoon on state Highway 198, six miles north of Maybank. The accident remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University’s “Sting” Precision Flight Team has finished 4th in the nation. This is the highest overall ranking in the 60-year program’s history at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s SAFECON 2019 flight competition. It was hosted by the University of Wisconsin, in Janesville, Wisconsin. LETU’s NIFA team even outranked the U.S. Air Force Academy, which finished 5th, among the 30 schools in the competition.

KILGORE – A Kilgore woman is free on bond after being accused of making a terroristic threat against her neighbors. Arrested Saturday night was Regina Lee Williams, 49. She is charged with terroristic threat with fear of serious bodily injury. She was released from the Gregg County Jail on Sunday after posting a $5,000 bond. Quoting the police arrest affidavit, the Longview News Journal reports she called the police dispatch and said she was “going to get her gun and go shoot some folks off.” When the police went to her home, they found Williams intoxicated and with a loaded handgun between her couch cushions.

TYLER – Trustees of Tyler junior college will meet Wednesday morning to officially name the school’s new president. Earlier this month, the trustees selected TJC’s President for Branch Locations & District Provost, Dr. Juan E. Mejia, as the lone finalist for the post. The Board’s decision comes after an extensive national search and thorough interview process. TJC received 83 applications. At Wednesday’s meeting, now that the 21 day waiting period is over, the board will confirm Dr. Mejia as the school’s 7th president, effective July 1st. The board’s agenda also call for consideration of extending current President Mike Metke’s contract to June 30. The board’s agenda also calls for consideration of discontinuing the position of President for Branch Locations/District Provost.

TYLER – A Smith County man, accused of setting a hospital bed on fire, is back in jail. Mason Reid Wyatt, 20, of Lindale had been free on bond. He was arrested last August at UT Health – Tyler following the bed fire. Emergency room personnel quickly put out the fire with only minor damage and no injuries. Wyatt was indicted in the case last month by the Smith County grand jury. He was arrested on Monday and booked into the Smith County Jail. His bond was set at $75,000 on the arson charge.

TYLER — Tyler Police are asking for the public’s help in locating Sherman West, 44. According to our news partner KETK, West is wanted on charges of sexual assault of a child. According to police, he was last seen driving a 2004 white Chevy pickup with Texas plates KYB2478. If you have any information or know of his whereabouts, you’re asked to contact Smith County Crime Stoppers at (903) 597-2833.

LONGVIEW – The Green Street overpass in Longview has claimed another victim. A cement truck got stuck at the railroad overpass around 10:00 Monday morning. Crews worked to free the vehicle and both northbound lanes, that hand been blocked, are now open.

CHAPEL HILL – One person has been injured and one arrested in a Smith County shooting. It happened around 5:00 Monday morning on Highway 64 East in the Chapel Hill area. Demmond McGowen, 27, of Lindale, was taken to a Tyler hospital by private vehicle for treatment of a gunshot wound to the leg. A witnesses identified the shooter as Brenton Taylor, 33. It was his home where the shooting occurred. Investigators obtained arrest warrants on Taylor for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He is now in the Smith County Jail under bonds totaling $300,000.