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LUFKIN — A Lufkin man was arrested on a drunken driving charge early Monday morning at Woodland Heights Medical Center after a minor accident left him stranded. Brandon McAdams, 31, was driving along Loop 287 when he hit a curb and blew out two tires around 12:10. When an officer approached McAdams and asked for his driver’s license, the officer noted that McAdams was so intoxicated he couldn’t pull his driver’s license out of his wallet, according to an arrest report. He then admitted to the officer he was drunk and subsequently failed a field sobriety test. McAdams then agreed to an Intoxilyzer test and blew a .260 on his second attempt, three times the legal limit. McAdams was arrested and taken to jail on a DWI charge. He was released the same day on a $1,500 bond.

LONGVIEW — The Longview News Journal is reporting: A federal judge has denied motions alleging inadequate legal representation by Longview attorney Ebb Mobley on behalf of a Longview woman sentenced to nine years in prison for intoxication manslaughter.

Natalie Michelle White, 24, pleaded guilty to an August 2004 wreck on Loop 281 that killed 18-year-old Lauren Mackenzie Frazier. White, who was 16 at the time of the wreck, had been drinking beer at a party before colliding with the vehicle carrying Frazier.

Mobley said the ruling showed that there was nothing ineffective about White’s council. White began her sentence in 2007 after appeals for a new trial were denied.

MARSHALL — A former Harrison County sheriff’s deputy, arrested in September for two counts of sexual indecency with a child by contact and again in December on a third charge of sexual indecency with a child, has been arrested on two more sex charges. Huey Edward “Eddie” Nichols Jr., 49, was arrested Friday for sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. According to jail records, bonds were set at $100,000 each on the new charges. Details of the new charges were not immediately available.

According to the Longview News-Journal, the alleged victims in Nichols’ first arrest are two girls, ages 14 and 11, who told a school counselor and authorities that Nichols touched them inappropriately. In Nichol’s third charge, he is accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl starting in January 2002. Authorities learned of the accusations from the school counselor, who came forth with the information after Nichols and his wife were arrested in September on the other two cases. Nichols was indicted for the third charge in January. He and his wife, Sharon Renee Nichols, 33, were indicted on the first two charges this past October.

TYLER — Officials with the City of Tyler issued a letter Monday to Total Healthcare, suspending any future payments to the organization until concerns about its leadership can be allayed. That’s according to KETK. Concerns about Total Healthcare’s leadership have also been voiced by Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), which is a federal oversight agency, about what they call Total Healthcare’s “chronic inability to maintain organizational leadership over time.”

According to Total Healthcare’s website, the organization “provides a medical home for patient-centered access to affordable, quality primary and preventive health care.” The City of Tyler gives the organization about $22,000 a month, which is about $265,000 a year. City of Tyler spokesperson Susan Guthrie says the city has not had an official contract with Total Healthcare for more than a year, and has been working with them on a month to month basis. Guthrie says the city feels it’s a steward of the public’s tax money, and for that reason, the city feels obligated to suspend the payments.

The City of Tyler has not ruled out funding the organization in the future, and city officials say they are willing to work with Total Healthcare if the leadership issues are resolved. Pamela Phoenix, the chairman of Total Healthcare, says that the organization is “still striving to help citizens with healthcare in this area.” Phoenix also says Total Healthcare hopes this situation with the City of Tyler will be temporary, but that the organization does have other grants.

GILMER — A review of Upshur County District Judge Lauren Parish’s campaign finance reports showed a majority of the six allegations filed with the Texas Ethics Commission against her by a tea party supporter are unsubstantiated. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Jim Doyle of Conroe filed the complaint against Parish on Feb. 6 with the Texas Ethics Commission, accusing her of multiple campaign finance report violations. Doyle has ties to the tea party and has filed complaints against political figures from Austin, Tomball, El Paso and other areas of the state.

A primary point of Doyle’s complaint says Parish used political contributions to pay a spouse or dependent child for campaign work, violating the law. Todd Parish, who is listed as received two $500 expenditures on her campaign finance report, is Lauren Parish’s brother – not her husband or child, her attorney Sam Baxter said. Doyle said Monday afternoon that the ethics commission will disregard that portion of the complaint if she is permitted to pay her brother for work under election law. “There were things that weren’t explained in her campaign finance report,” Doyle said. “You’ve got to be really explicit when you fill out your reports so people know what’s going on.”

Doyle earlier claimed that during the past two years, Parish had knowingly used campaign funds to pay her spouse for campaign work, made an unlawful contribution to a political committee, failed to fully disclose contributors’ primary occupations, job titles and employers or law firms, failed to fully disclose the recipients of political expenditures, and filed several incomplete reports. That’s according to William Elmer with the Texas Ethics Advisory Board. Parish is the 115th District Court Judge in Upshur County. She also serves Marion County.

HENDERSON — Seven people face drug charges following a weekend bust in East Texas. KETK reports that on Sunday, the Rusk County Narcotics Division, along with the Henderson Police Department, executed search warrants at two residences in the 4000 and 5000 blocks of County Road 3175 in Mt. Enterprise. The two departments’ Tactical Units were utilized to enter both residences simultaneously, along with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Authorities say that at the conclusion of the search warrants, Narcotic Officers made the arrests and seized over 18 ounces of marijuana, over 10 grams of crack cocaine, prescription medication, firearms, and an unspecified amount of U.S. currency.

The seven suspects were arraigned Monday morning. Charles Ray Lewis, 54, of Mt. Enterprise, is charged with Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of a Controlled Substance, with bonds totaling $30,000. Brodrick Demon Hall, 39, of Mt. Enterprise, was charged with Manufacture/Delivery of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Marijuana, with bonds totaling $20,000. Sheldon Ramon Starling, 34, of Mt. Enterprise, was charged with a Parole Violation and Possession of Marijuana; his bond was set at $10,000.

Others arrested at the scene were Xavier Fitzgerald Bryant, 22, Quillan Demon Moore, 20, Nico Dekeith Jones, 20, all of Mt. Enterprise; and Anthony Benard Frazier, 19, of Marshall. All were charged with Possession of Marijuana, with all bonds set at $10,000 each. Panola County Narcotics also assisted in the investigation.

LUFKIN — Six East Texans have been indicted on charges of manufacturing meth by federal authorities, including the man accused of stealing a small airplane from the Athens airport earlier this year. According to KETK, the indictment alleges that Terry Lynn Boozer, 55, of Nacogdoches, manufactured meth at various locations in Nacogdoches County, using pseudoephedrine purchased by himself and his co-defendants at locations all over East Texas. Also named in the indictment are Autumn Bradway, 27, of Nacogdoches, Douglas Edward Vance, 43, of Nacogdoches, Janice Williams, 47, of Nacogdoches, Linda Richelle Pugh, 41, of Broaddus, and Mattie Alabama Emerson, 23, of Garrison.

Authorities say the psuedoephedrine used to manufacture the meth was bought at pharmacies in Wal-Mart, Kroger, CVS and Walgreen’s stores in Tyler, Lufkin, Longview, Jacksonville, Center, Henderson, Kilgore and other Texas towns.

TYLER — Due to the reconstruction of the Oncor power line from the Elkton substation to the Bullard substation, a portion of the South Tyler Hike and Bike Trail will be closed temporarily to allow for work to be completed. The portion of the trail that will be most impacted is between Shady Oaks Drive and Broadway Avenue. The contractor for Oncor will close the trail to pedestrian traffic at the pole locations for extended periods of time. The section of trail that crosses under the bridge on Grande will also be barricaded as work progresses on a pole near this location. Pedestrians will be able to cross Broadway at the signalized intersection or they can utilize the tunnel under Broadway.

The Oncor construction project involves replacing the wire and structures that support transmission lines from the substation off Old Noonday Road, just south of Grande Boulevard, to the east for 2.4 miles to the substation at the southwest corner of Broadway Avenue and Grande Boulevard.

Construction is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks. Chapman Construction, the contractor for Oncor, will start at the substation near Old Noonday Road and move east. The crew pouring the deep foundations will begin around the beginning of March. The contractor will require daily single lane closures on Grande Boulevard at various locations for construction equipment such as cranes to perform the work. The construction should be complete in late April and clean up could last into May. For questions regarding reconstruction of the power line, call Oncor at 888-313-6862.

TYLER — It’s time to get those City of Tyler warrants cleared up — and quick. In an effort to bring closure to unresolved warrants, the Tyler Municipal Court is participating in the annual statewide warrant sweep. In Tyler, the sweep is continuing through at least the end of March — considerably longer than the statewide effort, which ends March 4. Court Administrator Cam McCabe says that’s so the city can do some special enforcement. She says arrests are going on right now — so you need to get unresolved warrants settled up as soon as possible.

The Court will be open Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. to accommodate the increased number of persons needing to appear at the Court window to pay their warrants. “Similar sweeps held in past years have been very effective,” said McCabe. “In a concentrated amount of time we have cleared several thousand warrants.”

Arrests during the statewide sweep will focus on warrants from all of the participating jurisdictions. Although the concentration is on Class C charges, which include traffic, criminal parking, penal code and City ordinance violations, higher charge warrants will also be served. Affected persons are urged to contact the appropriate jurisdiction to dispose of their cases voluntarily.

For assistance with resolving an outstanding warrant, contact the Municipal Court at (903) 531-1266. Warrants can also be paid online at http://www.CityofTyler.org under the “I Want To” menu at the top of the page. A kiosk in the lobby of the Municipal Court is also available for those paying with credit cards.

LONGVIEW – A two vehicle accident on Interstate Highway 20 in Gregg County has killed two persons and injured four. The wreck happened just after 3:15 Sunday morning just east of the Highway 42 overpass. Dead at the scene were Victor Hugo Castro, 22, and a passenger in his truck, Yalitza Diaz, 18, both from Longview. Three of the injured are being treated at Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center while the fourth was transferred to Dallas’ Parkland Hospital for treatment of severe burns.

The Department of Public Safety says two trucks, which were driving side-by-side, were traveling too fast for the wet road. One of the pickups hydroplaned and hit the other pickup, which hit a concrete retaining wall. The trucks then burst into flames.

LUFKIN – A woman has been arrested after being accused of driving on the wrong side of the Lufkin loop. Arrested early Sunday morning was Laquinta Shaunta Kirksey, 28. Officers say the woman’s 5 month old daughter was in the car. She has been charged with driving while intoxicated with a child, which is a felony.

LINDEN — A newly remodeled historic building in East Texas was unveiled to the public over the weekend. It took almost $5 million to renovate the Cass County Courthouse, the oldest Texas courthouse in continuous operation. After being built in 1861, it was damaged by two tornadoes; then a 1933 fire completely gutted the entire upper story. It was rebuilt the next year. A $4 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission and more than $700,000 raised through a nonprofit group paid for the courthouse to be restored to its 1934 appearance.

TYLER – A Three vehicle accident in Tyler has left one person dead and two injured. The accident occurred around 2:30 Saturday afternoon on U.S. Highway 69 just north of the Tyler loop.

Investigators say a pickup driven by a white male age 61 was southbound. According to witnesses, he lost control and drove into the northbound lanes of traffic. He then crashed into a truck driven by Javier Mojarro age 61 of Lindale. A car driven by a 48 year old man was unable to avoid the initial crash and also crashed into the initial accident. Sgt Paul Robeson says Mojarro was dead at the scene. The other drivers only suffered minor injuries. At the time of the accident it was not raining, but the street was wet from previous rains.

AUSTIN (AP) — Harry McPherson Junior, who was an adviser to President Lyndon B. Johnson, has died. He was 82. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin says McPherson died Thursday. The library said McPherson had cancer.

McPherson, who was born and raised in Tyler, served as special assistant and special counsel to Johnson. He influenced the president on a range of policies from civil rights to bombing in Vietnam. He helped write Johnson’s 1968 speech announcing a halt in bombing in Vietnam and that Johnson would not run for re-election.

After working for Johnson, McPherson worked as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He wrote a 1972 memoir, “A Political Education,” recalling his experience in government and the Johnson presidency.

TYLER — State Representative Leo Berman of Tyler has returned to work in his district office part-time while continuing out-patient chemotherapy treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was diagnosed with the disease in January. He is also maintaining daily communication with his capitol and district office staff members as well as constituents through email and telephone. Berman will complete the course of treatment in mid-May prior to the Texas state primary election now postponed until at least May 29.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the recognized diseases by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on the Agent Orange list for military service-related exposure. Representative Berman has been on the VA Agent Orange list since returning from his second tour of duty in Vietnam. According to the VA website, Agent Orange was the code name for the millions of gallons of herbicides sprayed by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to remove trees and tropical foliage that provided enemy cover.

TYLER — A routine traffic stop leads to the discovery of 2 pounds of marijuana. According to KETK, it happened in front of T.K. Gorman High School on Loop 323, just before 1:00 Friday afternoon. Jeffrey John Kamel, 23, of Tyler was arrested at the scene. He faces multiple charges.

TYLER — Grassroots America – We the People invites everyone to a God and Country Rally Meeting Saturday from 10:00am till 12:30pm. Doors open at 9:00 at Lakeview Church of the Nazarene, 10818 Spur 248 in Tyler. Guest speakers include Kelly Shackelford, Liberty Institute; Dr. Rick Scarborough, Vision America; Pastor Stephen Broden, Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church, Dallas; Pastor Dan Cummins, Bridlewood Church, Bullard; Pastor Nathan Lorick, First Baptist Church, Malakoff; and Pastor Marty Reid, Trinity Church, Forney.

According to organizers, “God and Country” is a group of Christian conservatives banding together “to form a network of Christian leaders and conservatives throughout the nation. The purpose of this alliance is to harness the voices of Christians in restoring our nation to its founding principles, supporting the US Constitution, and standing with true conservative candidates and public officials to defend liberty.” You can go to http://gawtp.com to read more.

TYLER — East Texas is strongly represented in a national group of 295 citizens who object to the new federal health plan, and filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Project Liberty says the brief was filed “on the grounds it forces them to fund the killing of children in the womb (abortion and abortion-inducing drugs), thus violating their religious liberty.” The case is scheduled for arguments before the high court in March and is expected to be decided in June. Project Liberty asks the Supreme Court to strike down the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, currently before the Supreme Court on appeal.

JoAnn Fleming of Smith County is executive director of Grassroots America – We the People and the major organizer of Project Liberty. Fleming says, “From the day the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was pushed through by Congress – over the objections of the American People – we knew we had to do all we could to fight it. I believe the Act to be thoroughly unconstitutional.”

KILGORE — Since the first of the year, Kilgore police have responded to more than 20 car break-ins, and they tell KETK that number is significantly above average. They say it’s not happening in one spot, but all over town, in neighborhoods and at various businesses. Police say it’s crucial not to leave valuables in your car. According to officers, when a thief walks by a vehicle and sees a valuable item in there it tempts him to break the window and steal the valuables.

TYLER — Kelly Reed lives in the Idlewilde neighborhood in Tyler. She and her husband are sick of their vehicles getting broken into. But homeowners association President Mark Lankford has pictures of the guy they believe is responsible. He tells KETK they’re doing it with game cameras. A game camera has an infrared lens and no flash to scare away those doing the breaking and entering. He put one in his neighbor’s front yard and it caught the thief in the act at 3:35 Wednesday morning. Lankford says this is something that every neighborhood could benefit from. He’s hoping law enforcement will pick up on it and start partnering with neighborhoods.

Tyler police, in fact, are actively following up on the problems. They’re requesting your help in identifying a suspect who may be responsible for over 25 auto burglaries in a two night period. On Tuesday, February 14, into the early morning hours of Wednesday a suspect broke into numerous vehicles on the following streets: 5900 blk. Hollytree, 4900 blk. Barclay, 4800 blk. Forestwood, 4500 blk. Richmond, 700 blk. Timberwilde, 4900 blk. Trenton, 4400 blk. Richmond, 4600, Trenton, 800 blk. Trenton, 3800 blk. Top Hill, 3800 S. Broadway.

The suspect broke out several windows to gain entry into vehicles and found several that were left unlocked. The suspect stole mostly electronic items. On February 16 -17, Police believe that the same suspect or suspects then broke into numerous vehicles on the following streets: 800 blk. Joel, 1100 blk. Beth, 600 blk. Pam, 600 blk. Whiteoak Ln. If you recognize this suspect or have information about the suspect(s) involved in these crimes, you’re asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).

EAST TEXAS – Rusk County officials tell our news partner KETK the phone lines there have been repaired and everything should be operating correctly. But residents in Cherokee County have continued to experience telephone problems first reported Thursday evening. In some areas, calls can only be made within exchanges. That can effect 911 calls. According to a release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, “If the regular telephone number of Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office does not work, you may contact the Sheriff’s Office at 903-810-1911 until the telephone issues are resolved.”

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man pushing his SUV off the road has been struck and killed. Dead is Saul Moreno, 28. The accident happened Thursday night on Loop 287. Lufkin police say the SUV had run out of gas. Moreno’s six passengers, his wife, four children and mother-in-law, were slightly injured. The driver of the truck that hit Moreno, Gordon Getro, 58, of Lufkin, was hospitalized with non life threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

DIANA – The search is starting for a new superintendent for the New Diana School District. Superintendent Joyce Sloan announced Thursday she was retiring June 29th. Officials in the Upshur County school district would like to have re replacement in place by July 1st.

When Superintendent Patrick Clark retired, Sloan was named interim superintendent in December 2008. The interim tag was removed in April, 2009. With Sloan at the helm, New Diana has accomplished quite a feat. Every campus received an Exemplary accountability rating in 2010. That is the state’s highest rating.

TYLER — Tyler ISD officials say John Tyler basketball coach Tony Pinson is currently on administrative leave while an ongoing investigation is being conducted. According to a school district statement, “During the course of the investigation, the district cannot discuss details; however, we do want to ensure parents and the community that the investigation does not involve Tyler ISD students.” You can check the ktbb.com sports page for more on this story and also keep checking here for updates.

HENDERSON — An Overton man has been arrested in Rusk County on felony marijuana charges. On Wednesday at approximately 12 noon, a traffic stop conducted by Rusk County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Deputy Jason Smith led to the arrest of the driver when approximately 1 ounce of marijuana was allegedly discovered. KETK reports that during an interview, the driver, Billy Gene Gatlin, 27, allegedly admitted to selling drugs. A short time later, authorities say, Gatlin consented to a search at his residence.

The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Officers searched the suspect’s residence. During the search approximately a quarter pound of marijuana, scales, and a firearm were reportedly discovered in a bedroom. Authorities say there was also several plant trays discovered throughout the home, which allegedly contained marijuana seedlings. Gatlin was arrested and charged with Delivery of Marijuana and Possession of Marijuana, both State Jail Felonies. He was arraigned Thursday by Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Joe Sorrells, with a $10,000 bond set for each charge. Gatlin was later released after posting bond.

AUSTIN — The Public Safety Commission and DPS Director Steven C. McCraw presented 30 awards Thursday for extraordinary demonstrations of heroism. Three of those honors went to East Texans. According to KETK, Trooper Robert Bryan received a Director’s Citation for his efforts in evacuating a wounded Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy from the scene of a gunfight on January 26, 2011. Trooper Barry Evans received a Lifesaving Award, and James Douglas Beggerly received a Director’s Award, for performing CPR on a person who had collapsed shortly after being arrested near Tyler. Public Safety Commission Chairman Allan B. Polunksy stated, “These award recipients are true Texas heroes.”

LONGVIEW — Longview Police say Ariel Wallace, 22, was arrested early Thursday morning after her children were found alone at a Longview hotel. According to KETK, it all happened about 1:00 a.m. at the Motel 6 on the 100 block of South Access Rd. According to officials, a witness alerted the front desk to a toddler wandering alone on the second floor outdoor balcony. When police arrived, they discovered there was also a 4-year-old child unattended in a nearby motel room.

Police say Wallace returned to the hotel more than an hour later, telling police she had been at a friend’s house the whole time. According to police, Wallace was also found to be in possession of Xanax. She was arrested on two counts of child endangerment/abandonment and possession of a controlled substance, and is currently in the Gregg County Jail. There is no word on who has custody the 2- and 4- year-old children at this time.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department has released its 2011 Part 2 Crimes and Traffic Crashes (Uniform Crime Reporting) statistics. For the calendar year 2011, police say Part 2 crimes remained relatively stable, rising 2.14% when compared to 2010. When Part 2 crimes for 2011 are compared to 2007, 2008, 2009, the numbers are considerably down, around 11%. Police say the good news for traffic crash data for the year 2011 indicated a decrease of 10.01% when compared to the year 2010 and a steady decline since 2007.

Part 2 Crimes are described by Uniform Crime Reporting as Simple Assault, Forgery, Fraud, Embezzlement, Criminal Mischief, Weapon Law Offenses, Prostitution, Sexual Offense, Drug Violations, Family Offenses, DUI, Liquor Law Violation, Public Intoxication, and Disorderly Conduct.

TYLER — The speed limit on a stretch of Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler has been reduced from 60 to 55 miles per hour. According to KETK, police have reportedly been monitoring the area and pulling over drivers who break that speed limit.

LONGVIEW — While the government says school buses are the safest mode of transportation for students, it’s been a dangerous past few months for buses in East Texas. At least five recent area bus crashes have landed children and drivers in local hospitals. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, schoolchildren are safest riding back and forth to school on a bus. That mode of transportation is considered safer than riding as a passenger in another vehicle.

According to KETK, from 2001-09, 1 percent of student traffic fatalities during school driving hours involved buses, according to the department. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian urged residents to use caution when traveling near a school bus, especially when it is loading and unloading students.