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RUSK — The Athletic Director for the Rusk School District has been arrested. Lloyd Homer Keel II was arrested after his wife filed a complaint against him. She accused Keel of assault her last Friday. It was said to have occurred at the couple’s home in the 400 block of East 5th Street. KETK reports Keel was arrested Wednesday on two warrants for assault family violence. The case against the 40 year old Keel, who began work in Rusk earlier this year, will be forwarded to the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council voted unanimously to accept a letter of intent from Champ Hospitality to continue work to bring a conference center to the Rose City. A conference center would be attached to a privately owned hotel in the city. Champ Hospitality will seek private funding to develop the hotel portion of the project. Mayor Martin Heines said the hotel-conference center is a public-private partnership, with the city primarily funding the conference center and private investment constructing the hotel. The conference center would be located on city-owned property next to the new Village at Cumberland Park retail development at Broadway and Loop 49. Continue reading Work Toward a Tyler Conference Center

DALLAS (AP/Staff) – A Dallas judge has set a $1,500 bond for Tyler native and former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel in his misdemeanor domestic assault case. Manziel’s attorney, Robert Hinton, said Wednesday that the 23-year-old quarterback is expected to turn himself in for booking next week, though no date has been set. The Heisman Trophy winner and former Texas A&M star was indicted by a grand jury this week after his ex-girlfriend alleged he hit her and threatened to kill her during a night out in January. She alleged she was hit so hard that she temporarily lost hearing in one ear. Manziel faces a Class A misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Manziel has been dropped by two agents and his endorsers.

TYLER — A Smith County grand jury has returned a 6-count indictment on 36-year-old Michael Koch following an incident in which he allegedly shot a police dog to death. The indictment lists evading arrest, interference with service animal, felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, and theft. Officials say several of the charges have been enhanced due to his prior criminal record. Koch remains in the Smith County Jail awaiting trial. K9 Ogar was fatally shot following a traffic stop on January 19, after which Koch allegedly fled on foot. Continue reading K9 Shooting Suspect Indicted on Six Counts

TYLER — Members of the Sunrise Rotary Club in Tyler are pleased with progress on the Sunrise Paw Park. KETK reports the park will be the first dog park of its kind in the area. THere will be no need to bring a leash, because there will be plenty of room to run around. Separate fenced-in areas will be available for different sized dogs. The club hopes to be open this summer, but it’s still seeking donations.

EAST TEXAS — Multiple law enforcement officials are searching for the person involved in a multi-county high speed chase Tuesday. KETK reports the chase started in Hunt County and ended in northeast Smith County. The Smith County Sheriff’s office says the driver of a motorcycle, wanted out of Hunt County, had been seen in the area. Officers chased the person on FM 14 but lost the motorcyclist on Interstate 20. Speeds reportedly reached more than 100 miles an hour.

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities continues to improve drinking water quality, as testing results from ongoing monitoring show, according to a news release from the city. Officials say the latest readings from all eight sampling sites are below the maximum contaminant level threshold of 60 parts per billion (ppb) for haloacetic acids. After customers received notice of the exceedance of haloacetic acids in the drinking water last October, Mayor Martin Heines requested a third party evaluation of Tyler Water Utilities and its water treatment processes. Enprotec/Hibbs &Todd, Inc. (eHT) was hired by the City manager to conduct this review. Continue reading Tyler Officials: Test Results for Water Quality Remain Compliant

TYLER — Tyler Police have announced a medication drop off event Saturday at Brookshire’s on Rice Road from 10:00 a.m. will 2:00 p.m. They will be hosting, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency and Brookshire’s. Officials said anyone interested can just drive-up and drop off your unused and expired medications for safe disposal without getting out of your vehicle, “No questions asked.” The event is free and allows people the opportunity to turn in unused and expired medications. Continue reading Tyler Police Host Medication Drop Off

EAST TEXAS — Gladewater native Winston Hill passed away Tuesday night at his home in Denver. He was 74. KETK reports, Hill, a four-time AFL All-Star and four-time Pro Bowler with the New York Jets was responsible for protecting quarterback Joe Namath during the Jets’ 1968-1969 Super Bowl season. Hill spent 13 seasons with the Jets and one with the Los Angeles Rams. Hill attended Weldon High School in Gladewater, prior to integration. Continue reading East Texas Football Great Dead at 74

NACOGDOCHES — Stephen F. Austin campus police arrested a man Monday night in connection with an armed robbery at a Nacogdoches usiness. According to KETK, around 11:30, a man dressed in all black entered a gas a station at University and Austin Street and pointed a handgun at the clerk. The robber was then able to make it out of the store with an undisclosed amount of money. Not long after the incident, a SFA officer stopped a man matching the robber’s description. A search of the man turned up cash matching what the clerk had described. Errick Chandler Matthews, 26, Nacogdoches, has been charged with aggravated robbery. He was booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail.

ATHENS — The president of Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Glendon Forgey, has been suspended. The action came during a board of trustees meeting Monday night. Details are sketchy. School trustees did not say what the problem was, only that Forgey was suspended with pay pending an investigation into his contract. The board was said to have been at odds with the president over the length of the contract. Also, there was no word on who would be assuming Forgey’s duties while he is on suspension.

LUFKIN — A three county chase has resulted in the arrest an East Texas teenager. It started with a report of a car speeding through a Lufkin neighborhood. When an officer tried to stop the car, the driver sped off. The pursuit went for 27 miles at speeds up to 120 miles an hour. The driver, 18 year old Douglas Richard, finally stopped on Farm Road 1277 in San Augustine County, and was taken into custody. The arresting officer said, when he asked Richard why he ran, his response was, “it was fun.” He also said his registration was out and he had no insurance. Continue reading Teen Busted Following Lengthy Chase

NACOGDOCHES — A traffic stop has turned into a drug bust in Nacogdoches County. It happened around 11:45 Monday night. A sheriff’s deputy stopped an SUV for a traffic violation on County Road 525. The driver, who appeared nervous, gave permission to search his vehicle. That led to the discovery of 40 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 8 grams of cocaine and Xanax pills. Street value of the drugs was placed at $4,500. Charged with two counts of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance, was 30 year old Travis Bailey of Nacogdoches.

PALESTINE — Downtown Palestine will soon be a little quieter. The Palestine City Council has approved an engineering agreement with CTC, Inc. to create a quiet zone near the downtown area. The company will work with Union Pacific and the Federal Railroad Administration to create the zone on South Magnolia and South Sycamore Streets. It will limit the amount of train horns blowing through downtown Palestine. In the quiet zone, residents could still hear train horns. Federal law dictates when train engineers may sound the horn. Palestine’s quiet zone will be one of over 100 quiet zones in Texas, the most of any state in the country. Work on the zone will begin immediately. Continue reading A Quiet Zone in Downtown Palestine

CARTHAGE — Advice from the granddaughter of the woman murdered by infamous East Texas killer Bernie Tiede. Tiede was resentenced to life Friday night after being released two years ago. His victim was 81 year Carthage widow Marjorie Nugent. He was a mortician, and they met when her husband died — after which they became inseparable. Her granddaughter, Shanna Nugent, says, “We have to protect the weakest members of our society, and I think widowhood is one of those real weak moments for women and men who lose their life partners.” Prosecutors showed during the resentencing trial that Tiede spent a lot of Nugent’s money after he killed her. She says she hopes the trial will “destroy the myth” created by the 2011 Jack Black movie “Bernie.”

DALLAS (AP/Staff) – A Dallas County grand jury has indicted ex-Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel on an assault charge after his ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence. The Tyler native, Heisman Trophy winner, and former Texas A&M star was indicted Tuesday on a charge of misdemeanor assault related to family violence. The Class A misdemeanor carries up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Manziel’s ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, told Dallas police that Manziel repeatedly hit her and threatened to kill her during a night out on Jan. 30. Crowley alleged that Manziel accosted her several times at a Dallas hotel and later struck her when they drove back to her apartment in Fort Worth. The Cleveland Browns cut Manziel in March, and two agents and all of his endorsers have dropped him.

LONGVIEW — Affidavits released Monday from the Gregg County District Clerk’s office indicate the execution-style shooting deaths of two men in Longview last month resulted from the theft of illegal drugs by the eventual victims. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the information was among a number of new details revealed about the deaths of Kevin Lorenzo Stephenson and Dekeilen Joe Nelson. Police have charged 50-year-old Craig Deallen Davison, 36-year-old Dustin Charles Bennett, and 19-year-old Patricia Francine Baker with capital murder. They are each being held on $2 million bond in the Gregg County Jail. Davison and Baker, both of Hallsville, were transported to the Gregg County Jail on Monday. They were held over the weekend at the Harrison County Jail in Marshall. Bennett is from Longview. Continue reading Details Released in Double Murder

GREGG COUNTY — An East Texas man’s trial for a 2015 fatal shooting has been delayed until June 27 at 9 a.m. According to KETK, the trial of Christian Sibley, 22, had been scheduled for Monday morning in the 188th Gregg County District Court. He is charged with murder. In February of 2015, Longview police responded to a shooting at an Exxon gas station on Estes Parkway. While at the scene of the shooting, Jerrad Hunt, 22, showed up at a Longview hospital with a gunshot wound. Hunt died from his injuries 20 days after the incident. Sibley was arrested on February 27, 2015 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the shooting of Hunt. He posted bail on Monday, March 2, 2015. Continue reading Gregg County Murder Trial Delayed till June

LUFKIN — A missing woman sought by the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department has been located. Last week they requested the community’s assistance in locating Tamesha Leann Johnson, 36. Monday, in canceling the alert, the sheriff’s department says she has been located and returned to her family. They released no further details.

TYLER — Grassroots America – We the People PAC, has made endorsements in the Tyler city election. They have endorsed incumbent Mayor Martin Heines and District 6 City Councilman John Nix. In endorsing Hines, Grassroots American Executive Director JoAnn Fleming said, “Based on his record of service, we are very pleased to announce our endorsement of Martin Heines for re-election. We knew Martin was strongly capable of building on the City’s successful long-range business plan – The City of Tyler Blueprint – when we endorsed him two years ago.” She said Heines has not disappointed them. Continue reading Endorsements Made in Tyler City Elections

BULLARD — Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Special Ranger Jimmy Dickson is looking for a skid steer stolen in Bullard. Dickson, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department said the item, valued at $45,000, was stolen from from Kiepersol Enterprises. Dickson says the theft occurred between April 1 and April 4. The machine was on a construction site on property south of County Road 3801. Continue reading Skid Steer Stolen in Bullard

TYLER — A second person has died from a Smith County fire last month. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy Wasson says Ricardo Alvarado died at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital late last week from injuries received in a March 13th fire. His grandson, Allan Macias, 18, died in the flames. The fire started just before 6:00 that morning in a mobile home at Peaceful Acres West, off the State Park Highway. Alvarado’s wife is said to have awakened to find smoke coming from her grandson’s room. She then woke her husband, who tried to rescue their grandson. However, in doing so he suffered serious burns on his arms, hands, and face. Continue reading Smith County Fire Claims Second Life

TYLER — This is the final week week of the Smith County-Wide Cleanup. Through vouchers, which are obtained at the constable and JP offices,as well as the county annex building on East Ferguson, county residents can take large items to the Greenwood Farms Landfill for free. And it looks like the program is a big success. Smith County Litter Abatement Officer Tommy Goodman says through last Friday, vouchers were responsible for over 163 tons of solid waste taken to the Greenwood Farms Landfill for free. Continue reading Smith County Cleanup’s Final Week

MARSHALL — Marshall police are seeking the public’s help in solving a cold case. The are looking any information related to the murder of Romeo Woolen, which occurred in August 1993. Woolen, and a woman passenger in his car, were both found with gunshot wounds to the head. Their car was found parked and running at the intersection of Hanks and Summit Streets. Woolen was dead at the scene. The woman was still alive and taken to the hospital. Continue reading Cold Case Help Needed in Marshall

SMITH COUNTY — Three people were taken to a local hospital following a one vehicle wreck Sunday afternoon. According to DPS Troopers, just after 3:30, troopers responded to a one vehicle crash on Highway 31 in Smith County. Officials said a 2009 Ford Crown Victoria was traveling west on 31 when the left rear tire blew out causing the driver, Jesus Alberto Andrade, 22, to lose control of the car. The vehicle left the road and rolled several times. Two passengers, a 16 year-old and 14 year-old were ejected. Investigators said they were not wearing seatbelts. All three occupants were transported to ETMC by Champion EMS with non-life threatening injuries.

LUFKIN — An Alto man is dead following a three-wheeler accident shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday on Loop 287 at Spence Street in Lufkin. According to KETK, Lufkin Police say James Michael Landrum, 73, was taken from the scene to CHI St. Luke’s Health Memorial and died there. Police said Landrum was northbound on Loop 287 on a three-wheel motorcycle in the construction zone when he hit a curb. The trike rolled on impact. Police said Landrum was wearing a helmet. The accident is under investigation by Lufkin police.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the Tyler TxDOT district during the Week of April 25. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure, or other unforeseen issues. Due to rain, plans to close Spur 164 in Tyler were pushed to Monday, April 25. The contractor will close Spur 164 just south of the railroad tracks to replace the damaged box culvert, weather permitting. Motorists will have to use alternate routes to reach their destinations during this work which will take about three months to complete. Continue reading TxDOT’s Weekly Work Schedule

EAST TEXAS — Early voting began today in local elections around East Texas. The last day to vote early is May 3, and election day is May 7. Here’s a snapshot of the elections scheduled in Tyler and Longview:

Tyler candidates:

Mayor – Martin Heines, Joel Rando and Michael Williams
City Council, District 6 – John Nix and Clark Hampe
Tyler ISD Board, District 6 – Rev. Fritz Hager and Marc Loredo
Go to http://www.smith-county.com/ for more information on the city and school board elections. Continue reading Early Voting Underway in East Texas

LUFKIN — Lufkin ISD officials are admitting the school district had a UIL numbers discrepancy that affected the Lufkin High School enrollment figures on October 25, 2013. KETK reports the numbers sent to the University Interscholastic League were different from the numbers calculated at LISD. Had the correct numbers been submitted, the Panthers would been in 6A the past two school years instead of 5A. “We realize there is a difference between the 2013 snapshot calculation and the UIL number submitted,” said LISD Executive Director of Communications Shelia Adams in a news release. “When administration contacted UIL, a representative from UIL said that they had received an anonymous letter a couple of weeks ago with no return address alleging that 5 or 6 schools entered wrong enrollment numbers.” Continue reading Lufkin ISD Admits Discrepancy in Enrollment Numbers for UIL

LONGVIEW (Staff/AP) — Three people remain in custody in connection with the murders of two men whose bodies were found near railroad tracks in Longview in March — and for one of the suspects, it’s not his first time in the news. KETK reports police arrested Hallsville residents Craig Deallen Davison (pictured), 50, and Patricia Baker, 19, while executing search and arrest warrants Friday on Roy Green Road in Hallsville. Officials also announced the arrest of Dustin Bennett, 36, of Longview. Davison and Baker remain at the Harrison County jail, each on a $2 million bond. Bennett is held without bond at the Gregg County jail. Continue reading Three Remain in Custody in Longview Murders