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TYLER — A Tyler man has been sentenced to prison for robbing a Tyler drug store. On Monday, Jerry Craig Jr., 32, pleaded guilty to the July robbery of the CVS Pharmacy on South Broadway at East 5th Street. Craig decided to let a jury assess his punishment. After about two hours of deliberations Tuesday, the jury sentenced him to 42 years in prison.

MOUNT PLEASANT – The victims in a Monday morning crash in Titus County have been identified. The accident happened around 4:45am on State Highway 49, eight miles east of Mount Pleasant. Dead at the scene were Javier Galvez, 34, of Winfield, who was driving a Pilgrim’s Pride truck, and Tommy Gilbert, 51, of Wichita, Kansas, whose refrigerated truck contained frozen pizzas. According to the Department of Public Safety, Galvez may have fallen asleep and his truck drifted across the roadway. He appears to have tried to get back in his lane but struck the oncoming truck head on. Both trucks then burst into flames.

TYLER — On October 5, Louis and Peaches Owen made a record philanthropic donation of $18 million to Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler to help construct the area’s first stand alone heart hospital. Tuesday, hospital officials unveiled the completion of Phase One of The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, which is located in the Ornelas Tower.

Phase One is a new Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) with twenty-four private rooms for care of cardiac patients. This unit employs the modified universal bed model, allowing all aspects of pre- and post-operative cardiac care to be delivered in one room. As patients progress through the healing process, hospital officials say, the resources of the patient’s room flex to meet the needs of the patient, rather than having the patient move through different units of the hospital. Families are encouraged to participate in the healing process.

Officials also announced the naming of the cardiac intensive care unit as the William Powell, MD, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Powell, now retired, was one of the first heart surgeons to practice at Mother Frances Hospital.

The Owen Heart Hospital will be completed in two phases. Construction of Phase Two begins in the spring of 2011 and should take 18 months to complete. The Heart Hospital will be six stories; include comprehensive cardiac, thoracic and vascular services; and stand east of and adjacent to Mother Frances Hospital.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College dual-credit students will benefit from a $25,000 grant the college has received from the AT&T Foundation, TJC officials have announced. “This grant will launch the AT&T Scholars Program,” said Dr. Kim Russell, TJC Foundation director. “The goal of this pilot program is to encourage more economically disadvantaged students to complete college-level courses while they are still in high school. We know that if at-risk high school students successfully complete one or more college-level courses while still in high school, they are more likely to graduate and have a greater chance of attaining a post-secondary degree or certificate in the future.” At a news conference announcing the grant, Russell was joined by TJC President Dr. Mike Metke, State Sen. Kevin Eltife, Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid, and AT&T Foundation Director Candice Gast.

HENDERSON — On Monday at approximately 11:15 p.m., the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit seized approximately 5 lbs. of marijuana during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 59 in the southern part of the county. KETK reports that during the traffic stop of an SUV, the deputy suspected criminal activity and asked the suspects for consent to search the vehicle. Authorities say both suspects occupying the vehicle agreed to the search. According to authorities, during the search of the back seat area, the deputy discovered five bags which contained marijuana. A sheriff’s department news release says the deputy seized the drugs, then arrested and charged both suspects with possession of marijuana. The suspects, of Cleveland, Mississippi, remain in the Rusk County Jail. They’re named as 26-year-old Jermaine Lamonte Farmer and 21-year-old Steve Terrell. Justice of the Peace Bob Richardson set bond for both men at $15,000.

TYLER — Two men have pleaded guilty in 114th District Court to burning several churches across Smith County. James Bourque, 20, and Daniel McAllister, 22, pleaded guilty yesterday morning in 114th District. Bourque was charged with five counts of arson and three counts of arson attempts, while McAllister was charged with two counts of arson and two arson attempts. The arson charges are first-degree felonies, for which the state recommends a life sentence in prison. The arson attempts are second-degree felonies, and the state recommends a 20-year sentence for those. Both McAllister and Bourque pled guilty to all charges, which means they gave up their right to a jury and witnesses. The court will meet again on January 10th at 8:30am to discuss their sentences.

HENDERSON — A Henderson man is arrested for possession of methamphetamine. Police say 56-year-old William Ricky George was arrested Friday night after a traffic stop for possession of a controlled substance. His was also driving on a suspended license. While police searched his vehicle, they came across several items that are used in making meth as well as thousands of dollars in cash. He was released from jail after posting $9,500 bond.

GILMER — An East Texas man is on trial for intentionally setting a fire. Testimony in the arson trial of Wesley Leon Spangler started Monday in Gilmer. The 39-year-old is charged in connection to a March 19, 2008 blaze. Officials say the building where Spangler was living caught fire. He’s also indicted on a separate charge of insurance fraud stemming from the same incident.

MT PLEASANT – Two persons have been killed when two trucks collide in Titus County. The fiery accident happened shortly after 4:45 Monday morning on State Highway 49 East of Mt Pleasant. Involved in the wreck were a Pilgrim’s Pride truck and a refrigerated truck out of Kansas carrying Red Baron Pizzas. There’s no word yet on the victims’ names.

LONGVIEW — Longview Assistant Fire Chief Kenny Southwell is retiring after twenty years of service with the Longview Fire Department and 25 total years as a firefighter. A retirement reception will be held from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Monday, December 20, at the Longview Fire Department Training Center, 411 American Legion Blvd.

During his time with the Longview Fire Department, Southwell served many roles including firefighter, paramedic, fire driver, paramedic instructor, interim chief, and more. Officials say most notably, Southwell served as Emergency Management Coordinator and played what’s termed an extremely vital role in the development and success of the City’s Emergency Operation Center, now known as the East Texas Regional Command. Officials say Southwell’s leadership provided advancement in emergency management and impacted the role Longview plays at both the regional and state level. Southwell’s last day on the job is Friday, December 17, with an official retirement date of Friday, January 7, 2011.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded Monday morning to a major traffic accident involving a Tyler ISD school bus. The wreck was reported just before 8:30 on the 6100 block of Wilderness Road. Authorities issued a ticket to the driver of the bus for an improper turn. Officials say the driver of the bus was at fault in the morning wreck. The bus driver reportedly took a corner too sharply, causing the back rear tire to run over the front of a car. No one in the car was injured. Two students were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

LONGVIEW — A space heater is to blame for a fire that killed a Longview man early Monday morning. Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zachary says Ronald Clark Smith, 62, was sleeping in his fifth-wheel travel trailer when a couch near his space heater caught on fire. Smith lived alone in his trailer on the 200 block of West Lynnwood in Northwest Longview. Neighbors said Smith was very friendly and would look out for their homes when they were gone. No working smoke detectors were found in the trailer.

AUSTIN — Measures filed in the legislature would exclude illegal immigrants from essentially every aspect of life in the state. State Representative Leo Berman’s bills would prevent illegals from filing lawsuits in Texas courts, something he says is necessary to cut down on traffic accident fraud. He says, “An illegal alien will take a Texans into court and sue him for everything he’s worth.” Berman adds, “If he’s in the United States illegally, and in Texas illegally, he shouldn’t have access to to our courts.” Berman, of Tyler, has also proposed denying illegals all state benefits, including welfare, loans and professional licenses and denying the children of illegals Texas birth certificates.

LONGVIEW — Three women have been charged with theft after being accused of shoplifting at the Longview Mall. Arrested late Saturday afternoon were Chelvarlier Quentice Brown, 26, Beshundra Lashay Tucker, 28, and Temika Rochelle Broussard, 29, all of Houston. Longview police say the women acted as a team. While one of the women distracted a store employee, the others took clothing from The Buckle store. They were discovered when items started falling from under one of their dresses.

TYLER — Only minor damage was reported in a fire on the roof of the under construction portion of Birdwell Elementary. The fire was reported around 6:00 Saturday night. The flames were quickly extinguished.