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LONGVIEW – Longview police have in custody a suspected car thief who stole several vehicles, wrecking two of them. The suspect, who turned himself in to authorities Tuesday night, is said to have injured one person in stealing one of the vehicles. He is identified as Wesley Byron Smyth, 35, of Longview. KETK reports around 5:00 Monday afternoon, police were dispatched to a hit and run accident near West Marshall Avenue and Gilmer Road. Smyth is said to have wrecked a stolen vehicle from a local used car dealership, into a power pole. After abandoning that vehicle, Smyth is said to have returned to the dealership and stolen a second vehicle. That one was wrecked near HG Mosley and Cotton Street. He is accused of stealing a third vehicle by pulling an elderly woman out of the driver’s seat. Someone at the scene tried to stop him from stealing the vehicle, but he drove off with that person still holding onto the car, according to police. The victim, who was dragged in the vehicle, received non life-threatening injuries.

AUSTIN — State Representative Joe Pickett has drafted a bill that would change the way ammonium nitrate is stored in Texas — and an East Texan is voicing concerns. Under the measure, storage facilities would either have to be non-combustible or have a sprinkler system. But Representative Dan Flynn of Van says not so fast. Flynn says he doesn’t want to put people out of business by regulation. He adds that you just have to look to the federal government to see what over-regulation of any agency can do. Pickett says, “Unless we codify something in statute, we’re just putting off another West disaster sometime in the future.” Pickett claims his bill would adopt national fire code standards for storing the fertilizer.

TYLER — Tyler officials are getting the word out early about the free Lindsey Park Fireworks Show this Saturday at 9:00pm. A city news release advises, “Grab your friends or family and make sure you carpool to ease traffic congestion.” Lindsey Park is located at 12557 Spur 364 West. Attendees are asked to arrive early, and if you arrive before 3:00pm, you’re asked to park in the two main parking lots by the soccer fields. The park will open at 6:00am, as on any other day, and food vendor Ted Kamel will be there for concessions. The primary sponsor of the event is Texas Senator Kevin Eltife. All residents should remember that alcohol and private fireworks are prohibited in city parks.

CANTON — Authorities in Van Zandt County say they had to move all the county’s jail inmates to neighboring jails temporarily due to a security issue. According to a news release, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office Detention Staff observed Monday that its inmate population had discovered a method to compromise the high security locking systems within the facility. Officials say detention staff immediately contacted private contractors responsible for the design and installation of the locks. Following an inspection of the facility, it was determined that although the locks were functioning as designed, an engineering flaw existed with the mechanisms enabling a simple process to defeat the security of the lock. Continue reading Van Zandt County Inmates Transferred due to Security Issue

MARSHALL — Harrison County officials arrested a former jailer after it was learned she had sex with an inmate, according to the sheriff’s department. KETK reports that investigators charged Jessica Stringfellow, 24, with one count of sexual contact/intercourse with a person in custody and prohibited substances and items in a correctional facility. The charge was filed after an interview with the jailer in which she reportedly admitted to having sex with an inmate. The investigation is continuing and further charges may be filed. Stringfellow was immediately arrested and her employment with Harrison County was terminated. She was arraigned by Judge Nancy George. Bail was set at $15,000. The suspect will be transferred to the Gregg County Jail, due to her work history with the Harrison County Jail.

HUGHES SPRINGS (AP/Staff) – A father and son have been shot and killed at a home in rural Cass County, and another son is being held in the case at a juvenile center in Gregg County. Cass County Sheriff Larry Rowe said deputies on Friday found the bodies of Damon Robison, 32 and his adopted 12-year-old son in their kitchen. They were responding to a 911 call from the son’s 13-year-old brother, whom the man also adopted. The 13-year-old, though held in the juvenile center in Gregg County, has not been charged. Rowe says there are no other suspects in the case, and that a murder-suicide has not been ruled out.

LONGVIEW – In a joint announcement, Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics, Good Shepherd Medical Center, and Champion EMS will be expanding Flight For Life medical air transportation service, beginning Tuesday, July 1. Trinity Mother Frances’ new, instrument-rated EC-145 helicopter will be stationed at the East Texas Regional Airport in Gregg County. Primarily serving Gregg and Harrison counties, this third aircraft in the Flight For Life squadron may be deployed to transport critically ill and injured patients in an area spanning from North Houston to Southern Oklahoma, and from near Waco into Arkansas and Louisiana. All told, the coverage area for Flight For Life will expand to roughly 100,000 square miles, according to officials. Continue reading New Partnership Expands Flight for Life Service

VAN ZANDT — The ATF is investigating a huge party thrown in a East Texas pasture. Word of the June 14th party got out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Van Zandt County Precinct 4 Constable Pat Jordan said as many as 5,000 people, many of them teens and some as young as 13, paid $5 each to attend. He said parked cars blocked roads for miles and deputies found beer and liquor bottles, condoms, packages used to smoke pot and synthetic marijuana. He says a band that was supposed to play did not because of fights and shots were fired but he doesn’t think anyone was hit. Cars parked alongside roads caused gridlock and it took an ambulance crew half an hour to reach a girl who’d been cut on the face from broken glass.

LONGVIEW — Three persons were injured when a car struck the rear of a Longview garbage truck. Authorities told KETK a sanitation worker was pinned in between the trash truck and the passenger car. Two sanitation workers were taken to the hospital with what were termed life-threatening injuries. Darron Craig 46, of Longview, was thrown a few feet from the truck. Dennis Montgomery 33, of Longview, was trapped between the back of the sanitation truck and the front of the car. The Longview Fire Department used air bags and the Jaws of Life to free Montgomery. The car’s driver, Susan Skinner, 46, of Longview, was hospitalized with minor injuries. The accident occurred near the intersection of Alpine Road and Wilellen Street shortly after 3:00 Monday afternoon. The investigation into the cause of this accident continues and investigators say intoxication is believed to be a factor

LONGVIEW – Longview police are looking for a car thief who stole several vehicles, wrecking two of them. He is said to have injured one person in stealing one of the vehicles. He is identified as Wesley Byron Smyth, 35, of Longview. Police say he is believed to be intoxicated and may be dangerous. He may still be driving the third stolen vehicle described as a 2012 silver Toyota Yaris with TX LP CSL-8834. Continue reading Longview Police Looking for Car Thief

TYLER — A sophomore mechanical engineering major at The University of Texas at Tyler, Mack Stewart of Bullard, has been named a Texas Space Grant Scholar. The lone UT Tyler representative, Stewart was one out of 26 students selected statewide to receive the 2014-15 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Columbia Crew Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,500. “It is so wonderful that one of our students won this very competitive scholarship competing with many schools in the region. Our very best wishes to Mack in pursuing her degree in mechanical engineering,” said Dr. Muthukrishnan Sathyamoorthy, UT Tyler Department of Mechanical Engineering chair and college associate dean Stewart will graduate from UT Tyler in 2016. Continue reading U-T Tyler Student Named Texas Space Grant Scholar

KILGORE — Lindale ISD Superintendent Stan Surratt has been named as the Region 7 Education Service Center Superintendent of the Year. He will serve as the regional representative in the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) statewide program. “It’s an honor to be selected as the Region 7 Superintendent of the Year,” said Surratt. “This honor is a great tribute to the Lindale Independent School District, and the wonderful work and success of the teachers, students, and staff.” Continue reading Honors for Lindale School Superintendent

TYLER — Tyler will soon be getting a fourth Walmart Supercenter. KETK reports the new location will be at the corner of Highway 31 East and Loop 323. The new store’s expected to employ about 300 people. Construction is expected to start in the spring or summer of 2015, with plans to open the store in the spring of 2016.

JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce has approved three resolutions to ease traffic troubles in Cherokee County. KETK reports the plans will expand both Highways 69 and 175 to four lanes. Chamber reps also hope to pass Proposition One in November; that measure would increase state funding for transportation.

TYLER — East Texas Communities Foundation Tuesday celebrates 25 years of service to East Texas charities and philanthropists. In that time, ETCF has distributed over $50 million in grants to local charities, according to a news release. ETCF began operations July 1, 1989, as the East Texas Area Foundation. It took on its current name in 1992. ETCF’s mission is to support philanthropy by offering simple ways for donors to achieve their long-term charitable goals, according to the release. You can go to http://www.etcf.org or call (903) 533-0208 to learn more about the foundation.

LONGVIEW — A man with a Mount Pleasant address is behind bars charged with indecency with a child. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, police say 52-year-old Diego Mena-Rojas tried having sex with a 14-year-old while her relative was in surgery at a Longview hospital. They say Rojas asked the girl to take off her clothes but she refused and locked herself in a bathroom.

HOUSTON (AP) – An East Texas man sentenced to death for a shootout that left two Henderson County sheriff’s deputies dead seven years ago has lost a federal court appeal, moving him a step closer to execution. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused arguments from attorneys for 54-year-old Randall Wayne Mays that the former welder and oilfield worker had deficient legal help at his 2008 trial. Continue reading Convicted Murderer Loses Death Row Appeal

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at events and work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation:

SMITH COUNTY – Beginning last night, Texas Department of Transportation contract construction crews began several weeks of repair and resurfacing work on U.S. Highway 69 (Broadway Avenue) in Tyler between Fourth Street (State Highway 64) and South Loop 323. The work will largely be done during off-peak hours between 7:00pm to 5:00am Sundays-Thursdays until the project is complete. Continue reading TxDOT Roadwork Planned for the Week

KILGORE — One man was killed and a pregnant woman was injured in a late night wreck in Kilgore. Police say it happened around midnight near Rabbit Creek on Highway 259. According to KETK, witnesses reported seeing the driver, later identified as Luis Ocura-Torres, 19, and Carol Villanueva, 17, driving at a high rate of speed when they ran off the road. Officials said the vehicle rolled and landed upside down in the creek. Torres was killed in the accident. Villanueva, who was 33 weeks pregnant, was injured. An emergency Caesarean section was performed. Police say the baby boy weighed 5 pounds and is currently in the ICU at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. The mother is also said to be in critical condition. Police say they believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.

ATHENS (AP) — Holiday boating over Fourth of July weekend in Texas will include more regulations meant to stop the spread of invasive zebra mussels. Updated rules that take effect Tuesday require all boaters to drain their vessels and on-board receptacles when near any bodies of fresh water. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department says the regulation applies to boaters leaving or approaching lakes and rivers. State officials say the rule applies to all types and sizes of boats whether motorized or not. Zebra mussels were first confirmed in Texas in Lake Texoma in 2009. The aquatic pests, which can clog pipes and damage motor boats, then spread through North Texas and into Central Texas. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in May ordered the stricter cleaning rules statewide, effective July 1.

TYLER — The East Texas Food Bank in Tyler, area churches and school districts have teamed up this summer to keep children eating nutritious meals. The summer food program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The East Texas Food Bank provides the meals to area school districts, where school district employees and volunteers serve the meals. Continue reading Summer Meal Program in Full Swing

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man convicted of murder in March 2013 will receive a new trial after an expert used in the original trial was found not to meet certain state qualifications. Charles Ray Owens Jr. was charged with murder in 2010 after running a stop sign, causing a three-vehicle wreck in which he struck a pickup and then hit a Honda driven by Robert Smith, 62. Continue reading Man Convicted of Murder to be Given New Trial

WOOD COUNTY — A former East Texas deacon, who was caught living a double life, has been transferred to Pennsylvania to face a murder charge dating back to 1981. Authorities moved Joseph Lewis Miller, 78, from the Wood County Jail to the Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, jail Thursday. He is charged with homicide and a parole violation. The suspect is being held on no bond, according to Dauphin County Warden Dominick DeRose. Dauphin County First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo was confident in the state’s ability to put Miller away for life, even though his case is more than 30 years old. Continue reading Murder Suspect Extradited to PA

TYLER — The historic view in downtown Tyler will soon change. After 40 years, Levines is closing its doors due to financial reasons. Ralph Mason, store manager, said, “I find fault with no one. Its sad where we are now, but those things happen and the times change, and its best to remember the good things in life.” Looking back on his 35 years, Mason says its been memorable. “I haven’t worked a day in my life, I got paid to come in and visit with my friends, and every person that walked through the door was our friend,” said Mason. KETK reports, being the oldest store in downtown, Levines is leaving behind a legacy. In its prime, it was in 11 states with 152 stores, and now it has three, including the Tyler location.

CHANDLER — Multiple agencies responded to a major fire at a dairy farm in Henderson County Friday evening. According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, at around 4:15, several fire departments, the Henderson County Fire Marshall’s Office and deputies responded to the Hilltop Jersey Farm on the 19000 block of FM 3079. Henderson County Fire Marshal Shane Renberg stated fuel tanks were nearby, but were not a present danger. Firefighters doused the tanks with water to keep them cool. No injuries to people or animals have been reported. Continue reading Dairy Farm Fire in Henderson Co. Investigated

KILGORE — The baby dropped off at a Kilgore fire station last week now has a home and a name. A foster family has taken the baby in and he’s been given a name, Noah Jax Henderson. The baby boy was just 12 hours old when he was dropped off at Kilgore fire station #2 early Saturday morning. The Baby Moses Law gives parents the opportunity to drop infants under 60 days old at designated “safe havens” which include fire stations and police stations with no questions asked. Continue reading Baby Dropped Off at Kligore Fire Station Placed in Home

TYLER — East Texans are preparing for the 4th of July. Local officials are urging people to keep safety in mind when they’re getting their hands on fireworks. They’re fun and it’s also important to know how dangerous they could be. According to KETK, there’s a city ordinance that bands fireworks, possession or the use of. “It’s a Class C Misdemeanor, we can issue a citation if the officer feels it’s necessary and it could be up to a 500 dollar fine,” said Don Martin, Tyler Police, Public Information Officer. Tyler Police say the only time fireworks are allowed in city is if a person is issued a permit. Continue reading Authorities Urge 4th of July Fireworks Safety

HENDERSON COUNTY — Henderson County deputies continue to investigate a shooting in which one child was injured Thursday. According to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, two boys were involved in the Thursday incident off Highway 59 near Cross Roads, but only was one was hurt. Authorities say it appears as if the shooting was accidental. The injured 11-year-old was taken to East Texas Medical Center in Athens hospital and was then transferred to Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. He’s currently listed in stable condition. The victim’s name has not been released. Detectives determined a second child fired the gun by accident. A search warrant was issued and carried out on the grounds. The investigation is ongoing. Multiple agencies from Henderson County and Anderson County assisted in the incident. CPS is also investigating. There is no word on whether or not the child’s parents/guardians will face any charges.

TYLER — The Tyler ISD is hoping to save more than $1 million by re-financing school bonds. KETK reports trustees authorized a motion this week but will only follow through if the rates are good. The necessary documentation will take about a month to get ready. If the initiative does go through, $9 million of district bonds will be refinanced for savings.

MALAKOFF — A teen has died after being hit by a train in Henderson County. It happened just before 2:45 yesterday afternoon near Lane Street in Malakoff. The teen was with some friends when the boy tried to cross the tracks. His name has not been released. The Union Pacific freight train was headed from Arkansas to Laredo when the accident occurred.