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TYLER – Mother Frances Hospital Regional Health Care Center, a part of Trinity Mother Frances Health System, has received an increased bond rating from Fitch Ratings, Inc., an international financial ratings firm. According to Health System officials, the increase from a BBB rating to a BBB+ is based on numerous factors including a stable rating outlook and rapidly growing utilization of health system facilities. Moody’s Investor Services recently reaffirmed its Baa1 rating with a stable outlook for Mother Frances, a rating comparable to Fitch’s BBB+. “We are very pleased that these two well-respected agencies gave us their vote of confidence,” said Joyce Hester, CPA, chief financial officer, Trinity Mother Frances Health System. “Bond ratings are important and an indication of the overall health of a company.”

GRAND SALINE — Grand Saline ISD held a vigil for the safe return of Charity Pulley, who has been missing since September 18. KETK reports the event took place this morning at 7:30 at the high school’s flagpole. Everyone was invited to attend.

Authorities with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and the Grand Saline Police Department have been looking for Charity, 17, a sophomore at Grand Saline High School. The girl’s father, Jewelus Pulley, is a pastor at the Grand Saline Central Pentecostal Church. He says family members noticed Charity was missing early in the morning, and noticed that the screws had been removed from her window and the screen. Mr. Pulley says that it is not normal for his daughter to run away, and that she seemed fine the evening before her disappearance. He says she had been texting a boy, and may have sneaked out for a date with him, but if so, he never brought her back.

Pulley also says that Charity’s glasses, contacts, wallet, and house key were left behind. The teenager is legally blind in one eye, so Mr. Pulley says it would be highly unlikely she would leave all this behind. Charity is 4’11″ and about 115 lbs. She was last seen at 9:30pm on September 18th.

MARSHALL — With the help of a heroic K-9, Harrison County deputies were able to find a missing autistic child quickly. That’s according to KETK. At 2:30 Monday afternoon, authorities were notified of the missing child on Roosevelt Taylor Road. When they arrived, the mother told officials she had last seen her 14-year-old son in his bedroom around 8:00 that morning. Due to the close proximity of Interstate 20 and a heavily wooded area surrounding the house, deputies brought in Bruce, a specially trained K-9. After the dog got a scent from the boy’s clothing, the child was found safe deep in a wooded area near the home. Sgt. Best, the deputy who helped find the child, has extensive training in tracking and utilizing his K-9 partner’s abilities for drug detection and tracking of human scents.

CHAPEL HILL — A football player at Chapel Hill High School is recovering after undergoing emergency surgery on Monday. The Bulldogs head coach, Thomas Sitton, tells KETK the freshman collapsed on the practice field and suffered a seizure-like reaction. Trainers and coaches on the scene immediately worked to stabilize him and were able to keep him breathing during the entire episode. Medical officials told Chapel Hill officials the boy had experienced a subdural hematoma, which is a blood clot on the surface of the brain. The student is in stable condition following surgery. Sitton says the boy had not been hit at practice when he collapsed. His name has not been released.

TYLER – A native of El Salvador, A Mexican national and a man from Mississippi have been sentenced for federal drug violations.

Jorge Sanchez, 28, a Mexican national currently residing in Tyler, pleaded guilty on May 31, 2012, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sanchez was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $50,000.

Jose Lopez, 42, a citizen of El Salvador currently residing in Tyler, Texas, pleaded guilty on May 21, 2012, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lopez was sentenced Monday to 228 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $50,000.

Roderick McGee, 35, of Water Valley, Mississippi, pleaded guilty on May 31, 2012, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. McGee was sentenced Monday to 30 months in federal prison.

All three men appeared in Tyler federal court before United States District Judge Michael H. Schneider.

TYLER — Awards for top citizens and an overview of the past year are among the highlights as the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce holds its annual meeting tonight. It all happens at Harvey Convention Center from 6:00 till 9:00pm.

TYLER — In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, The University of Texas at Tyler has released its 2012 Annual Security and Fire Report, Chief Mike Medders announced. The report includes campus crime statistics, security policies, and other safety services provided by the campus police department and the university for 2009 – 2011. “We are pleased to report that our crime statistics for last year are low, especially in light of the recent incidents that have occurred at facilities near the campus. We want students, parents and the community to know that UT Tyler is a safe campus, and we work diligently to maintain that safe environment,” Chief Medders said.

Recently City of Tyler police have investigated crimes at Cambridge Apartments, an independently owned and operated complex located across the street from UT Tyler. UTT officials point out that the university does not own the complex and is not associated with it. “Due to the close proximity to our campus, we work with the management at Cambridge Apartments to provide a police presence. We recognize that the activities occurring within the complex can affect the safety of our students,” Chief Medders added. UT Tyler police have gate access to both Cambridge and Varsity Place Apartments, and make routine patrols through the complexes.

Other campus policy safety measures noted by UTT officials include the Patriot Alert System. That’s a multi-layered emergency notification system, includes text messages, emails, phone calls, website announcements, outdoor and indoor warning systems, as well as “blue light” phones in 20 locations around campus for immediate contact with campus police dispatch. Campus housing safety measures include mandatory meetings for residents addressing rules and emergency procedures and safety issues. You can go to http://www.uttyler.edu/police/security-info.php to view the full report.

LONGVIEW — Downed power lines due to a fallen tree cause some major traffic issues in Longview. East Loop 281 between Eastman and Hollybrook was shut down for hours. Longview Police say that segment is now open — but the Tryon Rd. exit on both the north and south sides of the Loop remains closed. Drivers are used to take an alternate route as needed. For access to J.L. Everhart Elementary School, parents and staff are asked not to attempt to use the Tryon Road entrance. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the Loop problem is just one of several downed tree incidents that emerged in the Longview area over the rainy weekend.

WASKOM — A physician’s assistant who allegedly exposed himself to patients under his care has received an additional charge from Harrison County authorities. According to KETK, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office has filed a fifth charge against Christopher Magill, 25. Magill had charges filed in July after he was accused of exposing himself to patients where he worked. The victims claim he asked personal questions unrelated to the examinations and exposed his genitals when they were alone with him in the exam room. One woman says he also touched her breasts inappropriately during an exam for an unrelated illness.

The PA’s license was suspended in Texas on August 4 by the Texas Board of Medical Examiners and also in Louisiana following allegations made by female patients at a clinic where he worked. Magill was released on a $500 bond on September 24. He was released on an $8,500 bond following his initial charges.

LINDALE — Two cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, have been reported in students attending classes in the Lindale Independent School District. According to a school district statement, the LISD was notified recently by officials with the Northeast Texas Public Health District in regards to the first case. The student attends College Street Elementary School. Parents of students at the campus received a notification letter explaining the diagnosis and received recommendations for treatment and prevention. The district was notified with regards to the second case after the end of the school day on Friday, September 28. The student attends Lindale’s Early Childhood Center. Notification letters are on their way to parents.

According to the statement, “The Lindale Independent School District is taking every precaution to prevent the spread of this infection. Classrooms and school buses are sanitized daily. Parents and guardians of students at the affected campuses will receive instructions concerning prevention. The safety and health of the students educated in our schools is our top priority.”

“We are taking this situation very seriously,” LISD Superintendent Stan Surratt said. “The health and safety of our children is our number one concern as we work to keep parents informed and educated concerning pertussis. Our staff is taking extra steps to clean and sterilize classrooms, bathrooms and water fountains.”

The school district statement continues, “The Lindale ISD is working closely with officials at the Northeast Texas Public Health District. If parents or guardians seek possible treatment for pertussis, they should tell the child’s doctor that pertussis has been reported in the school district. Please report possible pertussis infections to the school nurse and the Northeast Texas Public Health District at 903-535-0030.”

TYLER — The trial for former Precinct 3 Constable Dustin Rust is now slated to begin tomorrow. According to KETK, Rust’s trial was first scheduled to start yesterday morning at 10:00, but was pushed back two days because of an ongoing child injury case.

The prosecution filed a motion to dismiss all three charges against Rust last week, which included sanctions agreed to by the defendant, but was denied by presiding Judge Jack Skeen, who issued a gag order back on April 17. Controversy has swirled around Rust ever since he was indicted for misuse of county property back in April 2012. He is accused of using his deputies for a private security detail in Smith County neighborhoods. Last month, special prosecutor Lance Larison made a motion to dismiss the charges. Rust stepped down in early August after losing his race for constable to Jim Blackmon.

HOUSTON (AP) – A judge has dismissed a motion for a new trial by attorneys for a Houston-area former high school coach who claims new evidence shows he is innocent of his pregnant wife’s slaying. David Temple, seen in this Facebook photo, is serving a life sentence for the 1999 shooting death of his wife. Belinda Lucas and David Temple dated as classmates at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches. Prosecutors accused him of staging the crime to look like a burglary and killing his wife because he was having an affair with another woman, whom he later married. At a court hearing Monday in Houston, state District Judge David Mendoza ruled he doesn’t have jurisdiction to decide the motion because an appeal in the case is still pending before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Temple’s attorneys say they will ask the appeals court to rule on whether Mendoza does have jurisdiction.

TYLER — Law Enforcement authorities collected 11 boxes of expired medications this past Saturday during the Medication Drop-Off event at Fresh. Tyler Police said they would like to thank the public for coming out during the bad weather to participate in the worthy cause to reduce medications from entering our water system.

LONGVIEW — According to our news partner, KETK, there were no classes at Longview’s J.L Everhart Elementary Monday due to strong storms over the weekend that knocked out power. Power outages affected numerous customers throughout East Texas during the weekend and into Monday.

TYLER — A man wanted for a September 24th armed robbery has turned himself in to authorities. Blake Irving Thomas, 18, Tyler, was wanted in an aggravated robbery reported near UT Tyler. Tyler police were called to 3088 Old Omen Road (Cambridge Apartments) in reference to the robbery of an individual inside an apartment. Officers say two men told them they were robbed at gunpoint by a person they had met on the basketball court at TJC. The victims told police that the suspect had entered their apartment after being let in and pulled out a handgun demanding their cash. The suspect took the cash and fled the area. Thomas resided in the same apartment complex at the time of the incident. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on two counts of aggravated robbery. His bond has been set at $600,000.

CHIRENO – A woman has died when the car she was in was swept off a flooded Nacogdoches County road. The accident happened just before 7:00 Sunday morning on Farm Road 95, south of Chireno. Dead at the scene was Chanda Pipes, 35, of Martinsville. The driver was rescued, clinging to a tree. Their vehicle was washed downstream.

TYLER – The weekend rains caused an early end to the East Texas State Fair. The fair closed around 4:00 Sunday afternoon. It was closed all day Saturday because of the rain.

GRAPELAND – Heavy rains in the Grapeland area have closed a road and caused school to be cancelled. The Texas Department of Transportation reports Farm Road 227 three miles west of Grapeland is closed because the rains caused a culvert to collapse and washed away a part of the road. Because of the flooding, Grapeland school officials cancelled classes for all schools Monday.

LUFKIN – A one vehicle accident in Angelina County over the weekend killed one person. He was a passenger in a pickup that left the road and hit a tree. Dead at the scene was Rickey Torbert, 52, of Lufkin. The driver, Ronald Reed, was uninjured. The accident happened Saturday night on Rivercrest Road.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an aggravated assault that sent a person to the hospital. Very early Sunday morning, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of South August Avenue. While en route, officers were notified that an individual had been shot inside his residence and was being transported to a hospital by private vehicle.

As officers reached the scene, they located the victim sitting in a vehicle stopped within the 600 block of South August Avenue. The victim, Dasha Webb, 22, had suffered several gunshot injuries and decided to wait for EMS to arrive on scene. EMS arrived moments later, and the victim was transported to East Texas Medical Center, where he was rushed into surgery.

It is believed the assailants entered the victim’s residence through the front door and fired several rounds, striking the victim. Major Crimes Detectives and CSI Investigators were notified and responded to the scene. Police reported later Sunday morning that the victim was out of surgery and in stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit of ETMC.

Anyone with information about the suspects involved in this crime is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers, at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833). Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and charges filed against the suspects in this, or any, felony case.

TYLER – Using the latest social media technology, Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics invited the public to follow the launch of the revolutionary electronic health record (EHR) technology, ConnectCARE, live on Twitter today. Those with a Twitter account were able to follow the system’s public debut at @TMFHC and tune in for a Twittercast that included updates, pictures, and videos. The Twittercast ran from 7 till 10 a.m. TMF officials say TMF’s Twittercast was one of the first in the U.S. to launch an EHR system.

During this wave of the launch, TMF activated ConnectCARE in the Trinity Clinic physician offices, as well as for the processes of scheduling, registering, and billing patients. ConnectCARE will be launched for acute patient care in the TMF hospitals in December. A TMF news release says physicians, IT professionals, and key medical personnel Tweeted the public launch as it was happening. The release says that gave TMF patients the first window into how ConnectCARE will make accessing their records and communicating with their doctor’s office easier, faster, and with less paper.

According to officials, the fundamental feature that ConnectCARE brings is an integrated and unified patient-centered database. Officials say patients will benefit by having online access to much of their clinical information. Officials add that this information will also be available to caregivers at every point of care across the system.

TYLER — Persistent rain has caused numerous power outages in East Texas. At one point Sunday, it was reported around 2,000 people without power in Smith County. By early this morning, the number had fallen to over 100. Crews worked all day to get all the electricity back on. You can go to http://www.oncor.com for more information, including an up-to-date outage map.

BULLARD (Staff/AP) — He’s had some trouble with the law lately, but that didn’t seem to faze folks who turned out to meet and hear Randy Travis Saturday. KETK reports the country star took some time to meet a busload of Texas Wounded Warriors before he went on stage and performed for his evening concert at the KE Bushman Celebration Center in Bullard. Travis has had two alcohol-related arrests this year. But Ronald Nash, co-founder of the Texas Wounded Warrior Foundation, says Travis came out of the goodness of his heart. He says, “As far as I’m concerned he’s a saint, because he loves these guys, and he loves what they do….he’s a true patriot for doing this.”

TYLER — The 97th East Texas State Fair runs through today, wrapping up over a week of food, thrills, music, and fun on the fairgrounds off West Front Street in Tyler. According to KETK, the fair closed Saturday due to inclement weather, but normal activities are planned for today. Tickets are $8.00 for adults and $5.00 for children ages 6 to 12; children five and under are admitted free. You can go to http://www.etstatefair.com for a complete schedule of activities.

DALLAS (AP) – The manager of the state’s electric grid says it’s considering paying a Dallas-based energy company to continue running two coal-fired East Texas power units the firm had recently indicated it would be shutting down. The Dallas Morning News reports the Electric Reliability Council of Texas is studying whether it needs the two units at the Monticello plant to stay on in order to keep power lines running properly. ERCOT will make a decision by the end of October. Energy Future Holdings had said it would idle the units this winter because power prices are too low to turn a profit. The Sierra Club is accusing the energy company of idling the units in order to get the contract from ERCOT, a claim the firm denies.

KILGORE – The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) took home a first place “Hit the Spot” award for its Regional Mobility Guide at this month’s South West Transit Association (SWTA) Spotlight Awards. ETCOG, whose GoBus delivers rural transportation services among 14 East Texas counties, also received a second place award for its Basic Training brochure.

According to a news release, ETCOG’s Regional Mobility Guide provides comprehensive information about all forms of transportation available in the 14-county area, including public transportation, taxi, inter-city bus, and rail. Officials say the Guide was developed to enhance awareness of the mobility options available to East Texas residents. The Basic Training brochure was developed as a travel guide in support of the EasTexConnects event promoting access to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex for East Texas veterans. ETCOG officials say the brochure, featuring a map and other travel information, is a helpful tool for anyone accessing healthcare or recreational locations in the Dallas area.

“ETCOG and EasTexConnects are committed to providing outstanding informational resources to our East Texas community,” noted ETCOG Director of Transportation John Hedrick. “It’s wonderful when going the extra mile with innovation and design gets recognized by organizations such as SWTA.” Both pieces were designed by Moore & Associates, Inc., a California-based consulting firm specializing in public transportation marketing and planning.

According to the ETCOG news release, SWTA’s Spotlight marketing awards focus on outstanding work for total transit marketing campaigns. “Hit the Spot” awards feature stand-alone marketing pieces in the categories of print, electronic, social media, and event promotion. SWTA’s membership is made up of transit organizations from eight southwestern states, including Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

TYLER — This year, the Tyler community will come together again to offer a month of activities and workshops to celebrate the flower that put Tyler on the map with the 3rd annual Rose Season. Rose Season spans all of October with a myriad of attractions and activities every weekend. The most notable and historic of these activities is the 79th annual Texas Rose Festival, which takes place October 18-21.

According to press materials, last year was a great year for Rose Season in Tyler, with activities widely attended and applauded throughout the community. That’s why organizers have chosen to keep Rose Season as an annual event and hope to continue to grow the activities and community involvement associated. In 2011, Rose Season brought an estimated economic impact to Tyler of over $2 million, up 10% from 2010. Organizers say Rose Season was created to offer more options for tourists who not only wanted to experience the history of the Texas Rose Festival, but also sample more of what makes Tyler unique.

Tyler celebrates Rose Season with an abundance of activities from family fun to educational and cultural events to horticultural workshops. Besides the Rose Festival, Some activities include wine tastings, a disk golf tournament, concerts, a marathon, a renaissance festival, cooking classes, museum tours, numerous nature activities, self-guided and guided rose garden tours, and much more. Visit http://www.tylerroseseason.com to see an electronic brochure of upcoming activities

Rose Season is supported and facilitated through joint cooperation of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Tyler Area Conventions and Visitors Bureau, and the City of Tyler. For more information about Rose Season please contact Kim Morris at 903-592-1661 x 229. The Texas Rose Festival is organized by a committee of community members working in conjunction with the Texas Rose Festival Association. For more information about the Texas Rose Festival, visit http://www.tylerrosefestival.com or contact Texas Rose Festival Association Executive Director Julie Kidwell at 903-597-3130.

MARSHALL — A Harrison County jury sentenced Colin Rider to 30 years in prison on Thursday after finding him guilty of murdering Carroll Gene Reeves, of Hallsville. Reeves was shot in the back at his own home after Rider claimed self defense in a drug deal gone bad. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the jury deliberated about an hour before delivering the guilty verdict and another hour after testimony in the punishment phase to deliver the sentence. Harrison County District Attorney Coke Soloman asked members of the jury to send Rider, 31, to prison for life. Rider’s attorney, Rick Hagan, told jurors he respected their decision on the verdict. He asked jurors to give him a sentence that would punish him as well as give him a chance to rehabilitate. Solomon said Rider has proven he doesn’t want rehabilitation.

SMITH COUNTY — The parents of Jacob Kimbley, who was found dead near his home in late August after a long overnight search, have a new court date. David and Sabrina Kimbley were scheduled to be in court on Friday, but a hearing was not needed. Smith County authorities tell KETK a new hearing has been scheduled for October 15th. The Kimbleys are charged with Criminal Negligence and Child Endangerment, after their 2 year old son, Jacob, went missing after an alleged game of hide and seek. His body was found in a near-by septic tank. The Kimbleys’ five other children were removed from their home by CPS.

Earlier, Leo Daniel Harber (pictured), the step-grandfather of Jacob, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Harber, who is a registered sex offender, was arrested during the investigation for his grandson for violation of his probation when guns were found in his house. The 73-year-old was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department was called to the scene of a structure fire at 603 East Rosedale during the 7:00 hour Friday morning. According to KETK, crews on the scene say a tree fell on some power lines, causing the meter in the home to spark and catch fire. The fire then spread to a small area in the back of the home. Crews removed the meter and cut power to several surrounding homes until the lines are repaired.

There were seven people inside the home when the fire started, but no one was injured. Firefighters say there was no smoke detector in the home.