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SMITH COUNTY– One person is in custody following a Smith County shooting. It happened shortly after 9:45 Monday night in the 23000 block of Dogwood Trail, located in the Enchanted Lakes subdivision in Northwestern Smith County. Authorities said three persons were wounded from a shotgun blast fired by Jerry Gene Allen, 56. Allen reportedly resides at the home on Dogwood Trail. Continue reading One Man Arrested Following Smith County Shooting

PALESTINE — A Palestine woman has died from injuries received in a Friday night fire. When firemen arrived, Patsy Green King, 73, was found lying in the front yard of her home at 2 Rambling Road. She was flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas where she died Sunday. The cause of the fire is unknown and remains under investigation.

TYLER — Authorities say a long-sought Jacksonville man has been arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force in Cleveland, Ohio. KETK reports Kevin Ray Morris, 49, has been wanted since October 2013 on sexual offense warrants out of Jacksonville. The Tyler division of the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force adopted the investigation last week. Deputy Marshals from East Texas developed information indicating Morris left the East Texas area and was living in Orwell, Ohio. The U.S. Marshals Task Force in Ohio was contacted and developed a plan to arrest Morris at his residence. According to authorities, Morris attempted to evade arrest by riding an ATV into a heavily wooded area but was quickly apprehended. Morris is now waiting to be extradited back to East Texas to face his charges.

TYLER — Authorities say Delanda Letregg Player, 48, was arrested on March 22 by the Louisiana U.S. Marshal service in West Monroe, Louisiana. According to KETK, deputy U.S. marshals in West Monroe were working with members of the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force when they were able to locate and arrest Player. The suspect has narcotic warrants with the Tyler Police Department and Smith County Sheriff’s Office, as well as a parole violation from the State of Texas. Officials say he was arrested without any resistance. Player was taken to the Ouachita Parish Jail and will be held without bond pending an extradition hearing back to Texas. He could face additional charges regarding his status as a sex offender.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man is behind bars after authorities say they found drugs stashed in his pants. According to the Longview Police Department, Troy Randall Owen, Jr., 33 was pulled over in a parking lot at Reel Road and Gilmer Road after officials noticed he was pulling a trailer that had no tail lights. When Owen stepped out of the car, authorities reportedly saw a gun in the floorboard and searched him. According to KETK, police say they uncovered 16 ounces of methamphetamine hidden down the back of Owen’s pants. Owen, who has a record of several prior arrests, was booked into the Gregg County Jail for manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance.

TYLER — Caldwell Zoo announces that all its new lion cubs now have names. The zoo invited everyone to help name the three young females. The one male was named “Doc” in honor of the zoo’s staff veterinarian, who died this winter. Out of eleven names, people were asked to vote for three through Facebook or email, or in person at the zoo’s front entry. The three winning names are Zuri, which means beautiful; Amira, which means princess; and Malika, which means angel. With the warmer weather and the fact that the lion cubs are ready for some adventure, the furry foursome are given the option each day to be outside at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Zoo visitors are welcome to stop by the lion exhibit to see the cubs playing outside or see them in the lion house on the zoo’s television monitor. Continue reading Caldwell Zoo Lion Cubs Have Names

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler has officially initiated collaborations with the University of Sonora (UNISON), located in Hermosillo, Mexico. The announcement comes from Dr. James Nelson, College of Engineering and Computer Science dean and lead UT Tyler partner. Nelson says the agreement is designed to inspire departmental collaborations as well as increase student mobility between both institutions. Nelson and Dr. Jose Rafael Benito Noriega Luna, former visiting faculty from UNISON, initiated the international collaboration in January 2012. Continue reading UT Tyler Announces Partnership with University of Sonora

TOWN OF WESTPORT, Wis. (AP/Staff) – A medical examiner has identified two men killed in a Saturday car crash in Dane County, Wisconsin, and one was from Tyler. 26-year-old Sebastian Creswell of Tyler was the driver of a car that left Highway 19 in the Town of Westport, then hit a mailbox and large tree. Creswell died later at a local hospital. Toxicology test results are not yet known. 28-year-old passenger Joseph Dickenson of La Crosse, Wisconsin, died at the scene of the crash.

LONGVIEW — A Longview woman, who has has been missing over a month, has been located. On March 2, Longview Police took a report about Jennifer Coupe. Her mother told officers that Jennifer left her home on February 13 and told her she would be back later. Jennifer’s mother said it is unlike Jennifer to be gone this long without contacting her or her daughter. Authorities report the woman has been located and she is okay. She was out of town and told officers she did not know she had been reported as missing.

TYLER — Beginning today, installation of a new Adaptive Control System will start on the signal light at the intersection of Front Street and Bonner Avenue. The signal light will not be functioning during the installation. There will be temporary stop signs erected on Bonner Avenue to control traffic until the new Adaptive Control System is operational. Crews expect to have the installation finished no later than Tuesday. There will be lane closures in both directions on Front Street as traffic is routed around the work areas. Citizens should expect delays and may want to consider alternate routes if possible.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at other work planned in Smith County by the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews on Monday are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on westbound Interstate Highway 20 near the US 271 overpass, then move to perform one-day’s work on eastbound I-20 between U.S. Highway 69 and Lavender Road. Once the work is completed on I-20, crews are scheduled to move to perform the same work on State Highway 135 between Troup and Arp. A second crew is scheduled to continue edge work on Farm Road 15 between Troup and the Rusk County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

MARSHALL — A shooting in Marshall has left one person dead and one injured. It happened around 2:45 Sunday morning in the 100 block of West Pinecrest. Jalen Juwan White, 19, of Marshall, died at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall. Another person was taken to the hospital by private vehicle. Investigators have issued an arrest warrant for Corey Lamar Johnson, 31, of Jefferson (pictured). He will be charged with murder in the case.

LONGVIEW (AP) — Longview paid $16,250 to end contract negotiations with controversial rocker Ted Nugent, who was under consideration as the headliner for Longview’s Fourth of July celebration. The payoff came after Nugent’s earlier comments and song lyrics became an issue during a campaign swing with Texas gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott. City spokesman Shawn Hara told the Longview News-Journal the controversy surrounding Nugent was just one factor that led the city to call off negotiations. The amount paid was about half Nugent’s performance fee. Mayor Jay Dean said Nugent’s act didn’t fit with the family-oriented program the city wanted. In January, Nugent called President Barack Obama a “subhuman mongrel.” The comments resurfaced when Nugent campaigned in February with Abbott, who said he did not endorse such language.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Dr. Seung Kim has been awarded a National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award (CAREER) of $400,000 over the next five years, beginning June 1, 2014. The NSF CAREER Program is a foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards for early career faculty. The grant is in support of his biomedical research to develop a low-cost, highly sensitive and portable biosensor device which will be able to test for multiple diseases such as cancers using a small amount of a biological sample, usually blood. Continue reading LeTourneau Professor Gets Award

LONGVIEW — It has been tough this week being a pedestrian in Longview. For the third time in as many days a pedestrian has been hit by a car. The latest incident occurred around 4:30 Friday afternoon on East Marshall. A woman heading in the wrong direction jumped a cub and hit a man walking on a sidewalk. He was hospitalized, but his injuries were not serious.

PALESTINE — A Palestine woman has been flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas after being burned in a fire at her home. The fire was reported just before 9:45 Friday night at 2 Rambling Road. The 74 year old woman was found lying in her front yard when firemen arrived. Her name has not been released. The cause of the fire, which destroyed the home, is under investigation.

LONGVIEW — On a 5 to 2 vote, The Spring Hill School Board has approved accepting a separation between the district and school superintendent Wes Jones. The voted followed a public hearing last night. KETK reports Jones will receive $127,411.08 for a buyout of his contract. That money will come from the fund balance and not the school budget itself. Jones has been the Spring Hill Superintendent since 2006.

BULLARD — Multiple crews responded to a truck explosion and fire on Highway 69 north of Bullard Friday afternoon. According to the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office, they received reports of a truck on fire at Lone Star Concrete shortly after 2:00 p.m. at 21107 Highway 69 South. Following the truck’s explosion, flames spread to a nearby field and burned half an acre, said fire officials at the scene. KETK reports the blaze, which began in the cab of the truck, was put out within 30 minutes. According to employees at the business, the truck was owned by an independent contractor and was not a Lone Star Concrete truck. Traffic was not affected by the accident. No injuries were reported. Flint-Gresham, Noonday and Whitehouse Fire Departments responded to the call.

KILGORE — A Kilgore man has been arrested following an investigation, which revealed he was knowingly purchasing stolen scrap metal, police said. Officers conducted an operation to confirm beliefs the business owner at Cisneros Scrap, at 820 State Highway 135 North, was buying stolen property. KETK reports that based on evidence recovered in the sting, Jose Cisneros-Tamoyo, 60, was taken into custody. Authorities say they were able to develop the suspicion through interviews with a person or people who had committed scrap metal theft and other investigation techniques. The suspect was charged with felony theft and metal recyclers/fail to furnish. Cisneros-Tamyo was booked into the Gregg County Jail. His bail was set at $5,000. If you have any further information in regard to this case, contact Detective Newbill at 903-983-1559.

PITTSBURG — An East Texas teacher and coach has resigned after being suspended from his position over allegations of inappropriate contact with a student. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. The Pittsburg Independent School District reports Colby Dickson, 26, was suspended indefinitely for unprofessional conduct prior to submitting his resignation. The 2014 school year was Dickson’s first full year at Pittsburg after a stint at Henderson ISD as the wide receivers football coach and a science teacher. Dickson followed legendary East Texas head coach Dickey Meeks to Pittsburg from Henderson. In high school, Dickson served as the quarterback for the Mount Vernon Tigers. We’ll update this story as more information comes in.

ALBA — Authorities are investigating a shooting in Wood County. KETK reports deputies received a call for help at around 8:15 Friday morning on reports of a trespasser on County Road 1600 near Alba. While en route to the location, officials received a second call stating a person had entered the home of the caller, and the individual had been shot by the homeowner. More law enforcement officers were dispatched at this time. Continue reading Officials: Homeowner Shoots Trespasser in Wood County

TYLER – The East Texan who shot one of the most-published photographs in history is in the spotlight with the Tyler Museum of Art’s latest major exhibition, “Scott M. Lieberman, M.D.: At the Vantage Point.” Opening to the public yesterday, “At the Vantage Point” represents the first-ever solo museum exhibition for Lieberman, the Tyler cardiologist who gained instant international acclaim for his digital photograph capturing the Space Shuttle Columbia’s re-entry disintegration over East Texas on February 1, 2003. The exhibition prominently features the image of the Columbia disaster that earned Pulitzer Prize nominations for Lieberman, the Tyler Morning Telegraph and the Associated Press, and landed on the cover of Time magazine and the front pages of more than 100 newspapers worldwide. Continue reading Scott Lieberman’s Photos Featured at TMA

TYLER — The Texas Comptroller’s Office announced this week that Smith County is the recipient of its highest financial transparency award. Smith County is one of only 10 counties in the state to achieve the Platinum designation in the Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle, the newest and highest level of transparency recognized by the State Comptroller’s Office. According to the Comptroller’s announcement, this award is reserved for entities that are “raising the bar for open government at the local level.” Continue reading County Awarded Top Honor For Financial Transparency

TYLER — The Women in Tyler Planning Committee honored “Women Who Care” Thursday at a luncheon held at the Rose Garden Center as a way to celebrate Women’s History Month. According to press materials, Women in Tyler was founded in 1999 to honor women who have contributed to the quality of life in the Tyler community. Each year, a diverse planning committee has gathered to select women who are then honored at a celebratory luncheon held each March. This year’s co-chairs are Sharon Brown and Christi Kennedy. Continue reading Six Honorees Celebrated at Women in Tyler Day Luncheon

LONGVIEW — A man struck by a car in Longview has died. It happened around 7:45 Thursday night in the 1700 block of East Marshall. Antonio Segura, Sr., 54, was walking southbound in the roadway when hit by a car driven by Wendell Deakins. Segura was rushed to Good Shepherd Medical Center where he later died. No charges are expected to be filed in the accident.

TYLER — A Tyler youngster has been injured in a vehicle/pedestrian accident. It happened around 5:00 yesterday afternoon in the 1700 block of North Moore Street. A woman had just crossed the street, but didn’t realize a three year old was trying to catch up with her. The youngster was hit by a pickup driven by Charles Miller. The child, who received minor injuries, was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Tyler police Sgt. Paul Robeson said Miller was not at fault and no citations were issued.

WINONA — Investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a home in Winona. It was reported around 10:00 Thursday night in the 1700 block of County Road 366. According to KETK, a man at home when the fire started was able to escape safely and no injuries were reported.

RED SPRINGS — A two story home in Red Springs has been destroyed by fire. It was reported around 11:30 Thursday night in the 5300 block of County Road 334. KETK reports no one was at home when the fire started and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

DALLAS (AP) — A doctor says that quintuplets born in North Texas are doing “remarkably well.” Dr. Vijay Nama is director of neonatology at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He told reporters Thursday that he expects the babies to remain in the hospital for six to seven weeks. Michelle Seals delivered four girls and one boy at the hospital on Tuesday. The babies were born at 29 weeks — about eight weeks early. Mia weighed 2 pounds 10 ounces, Tessa 2 pounds 14 ounces, Gracie 2 pounds 7 ounces, Rayleigh 2 pounds 8 ounces and Brant 3 pounds 6 ounces. Michelle Seals and her husband, Steven, also have a 2-year-old son. They live in Maud, 17 miles southwest of Texarkana.

TYLER — Tyler’s annual Azalea and Spring Flower Trail kicked off Friday morning at 10:00 with a ribbon cutting at the home of Guy & Joan Pyron at 212 W. Dobbs St. According to website information, the trail “travels through eight miles of residential gardens and historic homes sites.” Organizers note, “The two trails have been routed to maintain an orderly traffic flow so visitors can see as many flowers as possible.” A number of events are planned during the yearly celebration, which wraps up April 6. You can go to http://www.visittyler.com/azaleatrail for complete information.