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TYLER – A Houston woman, Lindsay Mason, 24, has pleaded guilty in Tyler to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea came Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to federal prosecutors, on June 29, 2011, Mason agreed with others to acquire and distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas and elsewhere. Mason was personally responsible for assisting in the possession of 49.3 grams of pure methamphetamine. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on February 27, 2013, charging Mason and three others with drug trafficking violations. Mason faces a minimum of five years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

TROUP — The water in the city of Troup has now been declared safe to consume without boiling. On August 20, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the City of Troup Public Water Supply to issue a boil water notice. At that time, customers were informed that due to the presence of contaminants or an interruption in service, water from the system had to be boiled prior to consumption. According to a statement from the city ,”Our system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore adequate pressure, disinfectant levels, and/or bacteriological quality and has provided TCEQ with testing results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling as of August 22, 2013.” If you have questions, contact John Phillips at 903-842-3128. If a customer wishes to reach TCEQ, he or she may call 512-239-4691.

TYLER — As part of the Tyler 1st comprehensive planning process, the City of Tyler is seeking input from residents about the future of Tyler’s Downtown. Residents may provide input in two ways:

· By going to http://www.Tyler1st.org and taking a quick survey.

· At a Public Open House from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Gallery Main Street, 110 W. Erwin St. Continue reading City Seeking Input on Downtown for Tyler 1st Plan

LONGVIEW — The man shot by a Longview police officer earlier this month is in jail after being released from the hospital. KETK reports Shaun Antonio Thompson, 26, was booked into Gregg County Jail on Wednesday on a charge of aggravated assault against a public servant. Thompson was shot by a Longview officer on August 12, at the Penwood Apartments in the 500 block of Scenic Drive. Continue reading Man Shot by Longview Officer Jailed after Hospital Stay

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has embarked on what college officials term its most ambitious capital project to date — the Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Sciences Center. TJC officials and representatives of the Robert M. Rogers Foundation held an official groundbreaking ceremony Thursday at the building site, located at the corner of Fifth Street and Fleishel Avenue. The facility establishes a new western border of the TJC main campus. Continue reading TJC Breaks Ground on Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Sciences Center

LONGVIEW — Longview police are investigating the February death of an infant as homicide. Four-month-old Ja’Kavieonna Elliott was pronounced dead at 12:49 the morning of Feb. 21, according to an autopsy released by Gregg County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson. Jameson ordered the autopsy after the infant was brought to the hospital where she was pronounced dead following an unsuccessful attempt to revive the baby. The autopsy, conducted by forensic pathologist Robert Lyon at Forensic Medical of Texas in Tyler, noted the infant’s skull and ribs were fractured, and “healing rib fractures” were present at the time of her death. Continue reading Infant’s Death Probed as Homicide

TYLER — Firefighters were kept busy after the Tyler Fire Department was dispatched to a structure blaze at the Wood Trail Apartments at 1909 Shiloh Rd. on Wednesda. The initial call was received at 6:49 p.m. A neighbor smelled smoke and, upon further investigation, noticed flames coming from an upstairs balcony and quickly alerted the occupants throughout the building. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. Continue reading Tyler Apartment Fire Apparently Caused by “Make-Shift” Ashtray

MARSHALL – A sentence has been handed down and a guilty plea has been accepted in Marshall federal court in an East Texas heroin conspiracy. Paul Allen Wiginton, 55, (pictured) of Gilmer has been sentenced to six months in federal prison; he’d pleaded guilty on July 12 to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. According to information presented in court, on August 23, 2012, Wigington distributed approximately 2.2 grams of a mixture containing heroin to another person in exchange for $500. Wigington admitted to purchasing the heroin from co-defendant Cynthia Blaylock at her Upshur County home. Continue reading One Sentenced, One Pleads Guilty in Heroin Conspiracy

HENDERSON — A Rusk County man has been sentenced to two years in prison and will be forced to pay a $10,000 fine after a jury found him guilty of possession of a controlled substance. KETK reports Kenneth Gene Jackson was arrested September 19, 2012, after Trooper Ricardo Fabbiani reportedly noticed he was not a typical stranded motorist. Fabbiani conducted a pat down on Jackson at a local gas station. Jackson was found to have methamphetamine in his front shirt pocket. Although the defense counsel argued the search was unlawful, it took the jury only 20 minutes to come back with a guilty verdict. Jackson was previously convicted for aggravated sexual assault of a child.

LONGVIEW — The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has released an autopsy report on a Gregg County inmate who died last week. KETK reports Debra Ingram Duffie, 52, died at a Longview hospital after being transferred from the jail. The autopsy report reveals the deceased inmate was suffering from hypertensive heart disease with severe coronary atherosclerosis with a history of hepatitis C. Duffie had bruises on the front of her scalp, on her stomach, and on her lower extremities, but no internal injuries were found. Findings also brought to light that Duffie had hydronephrosis of the right kidney and mild peripheral atherosclerosis. However, a cause and manner of death have not been determined due to a pending toxicology report. Continue reading Autopsy Report Released on Inmate; Cause of Death To Be Determined

LONGVIEW — Former State Representative James Earl “Jimmy” Mankins Sr. died Tuesday in Longview. He was 87. Mankins, a longtime trucking company operator, represented Gregg County in the state Legislature from 1974 through 1984. “He was probably one of the most respected legislators we’ve had,” said Mickey Smith, a former Kilgore mayor and Gregg County judge. “Jimmy Earl was pretty quiet, moved real quietly. He was real congenial and could get things done.” Mankin is survived by his wife of 65 years, Virginia, and their children. Funeral services are set for 10:00 tomorrow morning at First Presbyterian Church in Kilgore, with the Rev. Scott Nowack officiating. Burial will follow in Kilgore Cemetery.

GLADEWATER — A Kilgore man remains behind bars after police say he tried to strip copper wires from an electrical transformer. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, police responded about 4:30pm Monday to the 200 block of Smallwood Road in Gladewater. That’s where witnesses told them Ruben Jaramillo, 21, and another man ran from the property and hid in a nearby cabin once they noticed the property owner watching them. That information comes from a probable cause affidavit filed with Gregg County Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson. Continue reading Gladewater Police: Man Tried to Steal Copper

LONGVIEW — Five people have been robbed at gunpoint in Longview. The Longview News-Journal reports it happened around 11:00 Monday night in the 2100 block of Lee Street. The victims told police they were robbed by four men, one armed with a rifle, another with a machete. No one was hurt. If you have any information on who these four men might be, call Longview police.

CHAPEL HILL — Chapel Hill’s school board wants taxpayers to dig a little deeper. KETK reports they’re in favor of a multi-million dollar bond. Superintendent Dr. Donnie Cook says money would go toward renovations and additions to facilities. The $31.2 million bond will be on the November 5 ballot. The district is planning to host several meetings to enlighten taxpayers about the bond in the coming weeks.

TYLER — Smith County commissioners release their 2014 proposed budget. KETK reports the people who foot that bill, the taxpayers, were invited Tuesday evening to weigh in. The renovation and expansion of the Smith County Jail will spill over into the 2014 budget. Sheriff Larry Smith (pictured) says, “Any part that I submitted to the commissioners court of my budget was definitely all needs and no wants it’s something that we absolutely had to have.” With the new facility opening up by the end of next year, Smith met with County Judge Joel Baker to make sure their new facility will be properly staffed. Two of the floors in the new jail will hold 144 inmates, and the third will hold 96. That means inmates who’ve been kept out of the county because of overcrowding will be brought back. Continue reading Sheriff Comments on Budget Proposal

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has drawn a hefty prison sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child. Sentenced in the 24th State District Court Tuesday to 25 years in prison was Michael Joe Presson, 37. The Longview News-Journal reports Presson was arrested last September and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, possession and promotion of child pornography and theft. He only pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of six. He was granted time served on the theft charge.

SMITH COUNTY — A fire that is thought to have started in a shed has burned some five acres in Smith County. The forest fire was reported near the 11000 block of County Road 2767 around 8:00 Tuesday night. The shed was destroyed in the blaze. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — Authorities in Tyler have found a 19-year-old man wanted on multiple charges. Just before 11:45 Tuesday morning, Austin Shipp of Tyler was arrested at Wal-Mart on S. Broadway for shoplifting Class B. Officials say he broke and ran from the officer after he was handcuffed. Police located Shipp at the intersection of Hollytree and Rieck shortly after 5:00pm. Officials say he surrendered without further incident. He was booked into Smith County jail on charges of escape, a class A misdemeanor, along with fail to identify fugitive and theft. He is also wanted for desertion out of the Marines. KETK reports that according to the United States Marine Corps, the desertion warrant was issued earlier in August after Shipp disappeared from Camp Pendleton, California.

WINNSBORO (AP) — Thomas F. Pendergast, who ran a small town East Texas newspaper following a nearly 30-year career with The Associated Press, has died. He was 81. His daughter, Meredith Ann Pendergast Simpson, says he died August 14 at Tyler’s Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, following a diagnosis of lymphoma. She says that after retiring from AP in 1985, he bought The Winnsboro News in the town located about 100 miles east of Dallas. The newspaper is published weekly. Continue reading Journalist Thomas F. Pendergast Dies

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview say a local man remains in the hospital after he was hit by a truck. Just before 11:45 Monday evening, police responded to the 2100 block of West Loop 281. On arrival officers found John Elie LeBlanc, 42, lying in the roadway. Witnesses stated LeBlanc was riding his bicycle on the shoulder of the roadway traveling westbound. According to police, for reasons unknown at this time, LeBlanc began to cross the roadway without safety and collided with a pickup in the inside westbound lane. Police say the driver of the truck left the scene. Continue reading Man Hospitalized after Being Hit by Truck

TROUP — Due to a water line break and reduced pressure, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required the City of Troup Public Water Supply (ID 2120003) to notify customers of the need to boil their water prior to consumption. To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source. Continue reading Troup Issues Boil Water Notice

HENDERSON — A limited burn ban has been issued for Rusk County due to drought conditions. According to KETK, the Commissioners Court ordered that all outdoor burning without proper precautions is banned in Rusk County for 90 days. Those precautions include seeing that fires are well attended and enclosed in a burn barrel/receptacle, water availability, no wind blowing, and permission from the local/volunteer fire department for large burns.

CANTON — Van Zandt County Precinct 2 Reserve Constable David C. Wiley has been arrested on a family violence charge. On Sunday, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call for service in reference to a reported family violence in progress. Upon arrival and following a preliminary investigation, Wiley was taken into custody and arrested for assault family violence/causing bodily injury, according to authorities. Wiley was transported to the Van Zandt County Jail in Canton, where he was confined for the alleged class A misdemeanor offense. On Monday, following arraignment by Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Ronnie Daniell, Wiley was released upon his own recognizance. Officials didn’t immediately provide further details.

RUSK COUNTY — A Laneville man has died after he lost control of his motorcycle and struck a tree. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Rusk County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Darlene Childress pronounced Arthur Delbert Clark Jr., 60, dead about 8:00 Monday night at the scene, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Clark was traveling west on County Road 477, just east of County Road 461, when his 2007 Kawasaki motorcycle hit a tree along the side of the road, DPS said. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the wreck.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert responds after The Capitol Hill newspaper “Roll Call” named him America’s most quotable congressman. Gohmert told KETK, “I can just call them like I see them, and let the chips fall where they may. I do wish when some folks would quote me they would use accurate quotes, but that’s not always the case, but I guess it comes from speaking out so much.” Gohmert says he can say what he wants because he has no plans to run for president, unlike some of his fellow lawmakers. Continue reading Gohmert Responds after He’s Named Most Quotable Congressman

TYLER — District 6 State Rep. Matt Schaefer of Tyler has his first announced opponent in the 2014 elections. Businessman and community outreach specialist Skip Ogle of Tyler will face Schaefer in next year’s GOP primary. Ogle says he’s been encouraged by friends and supporters throughout Tyler, Whitehouse, Noonday and surrounding communities. According to press materials, Ogle “has a long history of involvement and support in our local community based organizations, building strategic coalitions to help the people of Tyler and East Texas.” Continue reading Skip Ogle Running for State House District 6

JACKSONVILLE — Several local and county agencies will prepare for the unthinkable this morning, when a community-wide disaster drill will begin on the Jacksonville Middle School campus. Officials say it should occur between about 8:00 and 11:00 or 11:30am. According to a news release, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will simulate an active shooting and hostage incident where school districts in Jacksonville and Rusk will test their emergency response plans. Portrayed victims will be triaged at the scene and transported to local hospitals as needed. Continue reading Community Disaster Drill Wednesday in Jacksonville

AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety has added Doug Otis Sims, 32, to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders list, and a cash reward up to $3,000 is now being offered for information leading to his capture. According to officials, Sims has a violent criminal past and is wanted for failure to comply with sex offender registration and burglary of habitation. All tips can be offered anonymously. KETK reports that Sims has relatives and friends living in Center, Athens, and Burnet, and he has been known to work in the oil drilling industry. Sims’ criminal history includes sexual assault of a child, assault, evading arrest/detention and DWI. In 2003, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl nine times over a period of several months. Continue reading Most Wanted Sex Offender Has East Texas Ties

ATLANTA (AP) — Two people from Arkansas, including a pregnant woman, were killed and three were injured when their vehicle rolled in East Texas over the weekend. The Texas Department of Public Safety says the sport utility vehicle was on U.S. Highway 59 in Cass County when the driver veered right, then overcorrected and the vehicle rolled Saturday just southwest of Atlanta. All five people were from McCaskill, Arkansas.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano announced that an investigation had been initiated into the death of jail inmate Debra Ingram Duffie, a 52-year-old female who died August 19. According to a news release from Cerliano, Duffie had been in custody at the Gregg County Jail since her arrest on August 12. The inmate was charged with violation of probation, assault family violence, and had been booked into the Gregg County jail 8 times for various charges. On August 14, 2013, Duffie appeared in the Gregg County Court at Law #1 and was sentenced to 100 days confinement in the county jail. Continue reading Sheriff Responds after Gregg County Inmate Dies in Custody