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LINDALE – Lindale police are asking for the public’s help in identifying two theft suspects. They are said to have taken items from Walmart without paying for them. The items were loaded into a white Dodge Avenger. If you can identify them, please contact the Lindale Police Department.

TYLER – Smith County Commissioners have approved an increase in the fee for renting the R.B. Hubbard Center, also know as “The Hub.” The county uses it for a variety of things, including elections. The public has rented it for a variety of events, including weddings. The commissioners, at the Tuesday meeting, increased the rental fee by $50, to $150. The refundable deposit remains at $100. County Judge Judge Nathan Moran said renters now have the ability to use refrigeration and kitchen space in the back, so they want to cover those costs. And he said, as the demand increases, they want to make sure the folks reserving the facility are doing so in a serious manner and are committed to covering the costs the county actually incurs. The change also sets a time frame for renters to deliver a deposit and creates a cancellation policy.

TYLER — Fit City Tyler will be having a planning meeting for Fall 2018 on Wednesday, August 22nd, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Participants will gather in Room 104 at the TJC RTDC Building on SSW Loop 323. Fit City Tyler welcomes everyone to the meeting. A news release from the group says, “We want everyone to help make Tyler a Fit City one step, one bite and one health-conscious decision at a time, by helping plan our major health programs and community events for 2019.” By the way, attending the meeting will earn you a free Fit City t-shirt. You can go to https://www.fitcitytyler.com/ for more information.

LONGVIEW – This month, the Longview school district, like Tyler, has begun a new bag policy for all the district’s athletic events. The Longview policy says that bags must be clear and not larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or be in a clear one gallon resealable plastic freezer storage bag. The only non clear bags that are permitted are small clutch bags, with or without a strap, that are the size of a hand. Exceptions will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at designated areas. Among the items not approved are backpacks, large tote bags and diaper bags. You can find out more on the Longview school district’s Face Book page.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University nursing graduates who have graduated during these past three years — which were the first three years of the LETU nursing program — have achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). According to a news release from LETU, NCLEX pass rates are monitored by the Texas State Board of Nursing and are viewed as a measure of how well nurses are prepared to provide safe, quality care for health care consumers. “A lot of people choose a nursing program based on the pass rate of the NCLEX,” said LETU Dean of the School of Nursing Dr. Kimberly Quiett as quoted in the release. Quiett began the nursing program at LETU in 2014. In the fall, the official NCLEX results will be released for all of the nursing programs.

ARP – An off duty Smith County fireman was injured in a Monday fire. Airlifted to a Shreveport hospital with burns over 50% of his body was Chris Vannoy, 24. He saw smoke coming from a building behind a neighbor’s house. He called it in and then went to check on it. When he opened a door, the flames flashed around him. How the fire started remains under investigation. It was reported shortly before 2:45 Monday afternoon on Longview Street in Arp.

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville fire officials are still trying to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a large portion of the Western Pulp Products-Central Division facilities. The fire on North Bolton Street was reported around 10:00 Friday night. Five area fire department, some from Smith County, helped Jacksonville firemen put out the fire. The fire was hard to extinguish because of cardboard packing materials that was highly compacted in the eastern portion of the building. No injuries were reported.

NACOGDOCHES – An East Texas legislator has announced he will be running for Speaker of the Texas House. The announcement was made Monday by Republican State Representative Travis Clardy of Nacogdoches. Clardy was first elected in 2012 to represent House District 11, which includes Cherokee, Nacogdoches and Rusk counties. A lawyer in Nacogdoches, Clardy currently serves as vice chair of the House Committee on Local and Consent Calendars, and a member of the House Higher Education and Energy Resources committees.

TYLER — Smith County is getting free safety equipment from the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool. A news release from the association says the move is saving local taxpayer dollars and protecting county employees on the job. This year, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office is receiving $13,000 and the Smith County Road and Bridge Department is getting $3,100 from the association’s Employee Safety Equipment Program. Equipment available includes personal protective equipment such as heat gear, hard hats and gloves, and hearing, eye, and respiratory protection; courthouse security devices; fire protection; and tactical safety gear for law enforcement.

TYLER — TxDOT is planning to conduct construction and maintenance work throughout the Tyler District during the Week of Aug. 20. In Smith County, Tyler Maintenance crews plan to conduct edge work on FM 346 between Teaselville and Flint. In Gregg County, Longview Maintenance crews plan to conduct ditch maintenance on SH 149 near Knox Lee Power Plant. Expect lane closures with flaggers managing traffic control at both locations. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/036-2018.html for a full rundown of this week’s work schedule.

TYLER – Monday marks the start of a new school year in the Tyler school district. Motorists need to be alert for the students. Police officers will be back in school zones watching for violators for speeding and for cell phone usage in a school zone. Motorists need to slow down and watch for students and crossing guards. And remember, in school zones, keep those cell phones in your pocket. And for students walking to school, obey traffic signals and crossing guards. And, if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic. Continue reading School Bells Will Be Ringing in Tyler Monday

HALLSVILLE — No serious injuries were reported when a truck stalled on the tracks near Hallsville was struck Saturday by Amtrak’s westbound Texas Eagle. According to the Longview News-Journal and our news partner KETK, a truck being towed stopped on the tracks at Stephens Road east of Hallsville when a towing strap broke, said Lt. Jay Webb of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. The Amtrak crew saw the vehicle but was unable to stop the train, which was traveling about 60 mph, in time to avoid collision. No one was in the truck and no injuries were reported on the train as a result of the incident, though three passengers were treated for heat exhaustion in the aftermath. Continue reading Amtrak Train Strikes Vehicle Stuck at Crossing

GREGG COUNTY — A woman accused of trying to sell her daughter for sex after a Longview police sting has been indicted on charges of sexual performance on a child, promotion/possession of child pornography and attempted trafficking of a person under age 18. According to the Longview News-Journal and our news partner KETK, the indictment of Carrie Songer Kelly, 44, of Lone Oak stems from an investigation that led to her arrest June 12. She remains in custody in the Gregg County Jail on a $200,000 bond. Kelly, formerly of White Oak, is accused of engaging in sex acts with her 8-year-old daughter and trying to sell the girl for sex after the Longview police sting led to the discovery of graphic videos on her phone. Continue reading East Texas Woman Indicted by Grand Jury following Sting

LAKE PALESTINE – There was a near drowning Friday on Lake Palestine. It happened around 10:00am near Eagle’s Bluff. Our news partner, KETK, reports a man fell from a ladder while he worked on a boat house. He was injured as he fell into water that was around five feet deep. A friend pulled him from the water and started CPR. The man was flown to the hospital where he is said to be in critical condition. His name has not been released.

LONGVIEW – A Gregg County Jail inmate showed no signs or problems before he was found hanging in his jail cell. Tony Waters, 55, of Kilgore was found hanging in his cell last month. He had used his clothes to fashion a makeshift rope and was found hanging in his cell shower. He died in a Longview hospital several days later. He had been arrested in connection with a Tyler shooting that left two persons dead and one injured. The Longview News Journal says Waters showed no signs of mental or psychological problems before hanging himself. That information in contained in a report that has been sent to the state attorney general’s office.

EAST TEXAS – Unemployment in Tyler and Longview continues to drop. The Texas Workforce Commission reports the state’s unemployment rate stood at 4% for the second straight month. That’s just below the national jobless figure of 4.1%. Tyler has both of them beat. Tyler’s July unemployment rate fell from 3.9% in June to 3.7% last month. A year ago it was 4.1%. Longview’s unemployment fell from 4.4% in June to 4.3% last month. It was 5.2% a year ago. Texas added about 23,500 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in July, marking 25 consecutive months of employment growth in the state.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview woman has been indicted for arson causing death in connection with a fatal fire. According to our news partner KETK, Kimberly Nicole Bruton, 32, of Longview, was originally arrested on March 10, 2018, but released the following day on lack of evidence. On March 9, officials responded to a fire on 103 Cherie Lane in Longview. Lisa Tesmer and Randall Russell, a father and daughter, were identified as the victims and the residents of the duplex. The search warrant says Deputy Fire Marshal Clint Steelman arrived on the scene to find Bruton, “Standing outside the residence holding a 32-ounce bottle of charcoal lighter fluid.” Continue reading Longview Woman Indicted for Arson following Fatal Fire

TYLER – There was a pretrial hearing in Tyler Thursday for capital murder suspect Gustavo Zavala-Garcia. He is charged with the November 2016 death of 10 year old Kayla Gomez Orozco. She was killed after being abducted from a Bullard church. During the latest hearing, Judge Jack Skeen heard from a DPS forensic expert. She said the first two dozen DNA samples submitted for trace analysis have been completed. The results should be ready in 60 days. The next pretrial hearing is September 13th. At a scheduled hearing on October 18th, it will be decided if more DNA tests are needed. The trial is now set to be held next March.

FRANKSTON – One person has been killed and one injured in a two vehicle accident in Anderson County. Killed was 76 year old Glenda Jo Bain of Frankston. Treated and released from a Tyler hospital was 72 year old James William Moore of Frankston. The Departmnet of Public Safety says Bain was traveling on Farm Road 318. As she crossed State Highway 155, her car was hit by Moore’s pickup. Bain was flown to UT Health-Tyler, where she later died. The accident happened shortly after 8:45 Thursday morning, just over 3 miles south of Frankston. The accident remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW – A Longview burglary suspect is free on bond. Lorenzo Ta’rell Lloyd-Wallace, 17, of Arp was arrested, along with two juveniles, earlier this week. A Jordan Valley Road resident came home to find four persons in her home. They ran from the house, but police say they were able to find three of them. The 4th was later identified. Besides burglary of a habitation, Lloyd-Wallace was also charged with evading arrest. He is currently free on bonds totaling $22,000.

AUSTIN – The Texas Education Agency has released the new A through F grading system for the state’s school districts. The Tyler school system received a “C” while Longview received a “B.” The Lindale School Districts got an “A.” The district ratings are calculated using three areas: student achievement, school progress and closing the gaps. The achievement and progress scores account for 70% of the rating, while the closing the gaps score is worth 30% Some educator groups are criticizing the ratings, saying that it’s an unfair and incomplete assessment of student success. You can go to https://txschools.org to view the 2018 state accountability ratings for districts and campus grades.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Overnight drug raids in Henderson County resulted in the arrests of 5 persons. Four persons were arrested at a residence on County Road 1405 just west of Athens. One of the arrests was on a warrant for theft. Then, on Red Robin in the Woodwilks Subdivision of Gun Barrel City, one person was arrested for drugs and flushing some of the drugs down the toilet.
. Continue reading Five Arrested in Henderson County Raids

TYLER – The new Chair of the Department of Health Policy, Economics, and Management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, School of Community and Rural Health, is Dr. Michael H. Kennedy. He has served as interim chair since last October, and prior to that as associate professor. Prior to joining UT Health Science Center at Tyler in January of last year, Dr. Kennedy was an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Services and Information Management at East Carolina University.

TYLER – A Chapel Hill teacher, arrested on Tuesday, has been fire by the school district. The firing of 38 year old Charles David Applegate was announced Thursday by the school district. They said the district will make all required reports to state educational authorities. Applegate was found passed out in his car, which was in the high school parking lot near the band hall. He was conscious but had vomited on himself. Applegate was said to be intoxicated and was in possession of a used aerosol can. It is believed that he was huffing the fumes from the aerosol can. He was charged with public intoxication and possession of inhalants and is currently free on a $760 bond.

MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department has issued a warning about the one ring phone scam. The victim receives a call from an unknown number with a local area code, but the call only rings once. The caller hangs up before the person can answer the phone. They say not to call the number back. If you do, it could ring an international hotline number, which begins charging hefty fees just for connecting the call. And, if you stay on the line, the fees go up. There are variations of the same scam. This includes leaving voicemails about misplaced shipments, financial opportunities and other scenarios, enticing the person to call back. Your best bet, don’t return calls to numbers they don’t recognize. You can find out more about the scam on the Marshall Police Department’s Face Book page.

TYLER – An animal found in Tyler has tested positive for rabies. The Texas Department of State Health Services says the disease has been confirmed in a bat that was found on Wilma Street. The persons who may have been exposed have been notified. Officials remind you not to handle bats, skunks, raccoons, or other wild animals. If you know of someone who has been bitten, you must report it to the local rabies control authority for proper investigation. Ordinances in Tyler and Smith County require regular rabies vaccinations for all dogs and cats. Make sure your dogs and cats rabies vaccinations are up to date.

TYLER — One of Smith County’s major bond-funded road projects has been completed while another is starting, County Engineer Frank Davis reported this week. During Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting, Davis gave his monthly progress report of Road and Bridge Bond Improvement Projects for the last month. County Road 220, off Highway 64 East near New Chapel Hill, and CR 223, from CR 220 to FM 3226 have been rebuilt and repaved. Just more than three miles of CR 220, also known as Old Henderson Road, was improved. Work included repairing the edges and the roadway, then overlaying it with new asphalt. Final clean up and striping are being done this week. You can go to https://www.smith-county.com/Home/Components/News/News/126/97 for more details.

PALESTINE – A chemical spill Tuesday closed Palestine’s city hall and the police department. City Hall is now open, but the police department will remain closed until further notice. The spill happened when a shelf in the evidence storage room gave way. An unknown quantity of amido black, a mixture of luminol and methanol used in crime scene investigation, spilled onto the floor. The spill caused the evacuation of both city hall and the police department. According to the Hazmat clean up team on site, the chemical did not warrant any additional assistance from the state or federal government. The police department is working with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department to provide service and dispatching. All emergency calls are operable at this time. Three employees were taken to Palestine Regional Medical Center for observation. All other employees near the scene were treated on scene and released.