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TYLER — American Eagle Airlines has added a new arriving and departing flight at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport beginning June 14. With this additional flight, East Texas travelers will have a new option for flying in and out of Tyler in the evenings. The new flight is scheduled to arrive from Dallas Fort-Worth Airport (DFW) at 6:45 p.m. and depart to DFW at 7:15 p.m. each day.

“Tyler has needed this new flight in the evening schedule because the 5:15 p.m. and 10:05 p.m. flights from DFW to Tyler Pounds are often completely full,” said Airport Manager Davis Dickson. “Having the additional evening departure from Tyler will also enhance American’s flexibility to serve passengers needing to leave Tyler after 6 p.m. I’m very pleased to see this expansion of commercial air services for our customers in the region.”

Customers wishing to book their flights should go to the American Airlines web site at http://www.AA.com or go to the airport web site at http://www.TylerAirport.com for links to the airline reservation centers. “One tip to saving time and money is to always book your flight to and from Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR),” added Dickson. “Check with your travel agent or travel web site and use the three letter code TYR for Tyler Pounds Regional Airport.” Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport one hour before departure time to allow plenty of time for baggage check-in and to obtain boarding passes.

“Enhanced frequency in our airline schedules is coming at the right time for Tyler,” said Mayor Barbara Bass. “We especially need these evening flights for our business travelers and I’m sure that the new flights will fill up quickly.”

NACOGDOCHES — 19,000 people are expected in Nacogdoches Saturday for the Texas Blueberry Festival. Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says blueberries taste great and are good for you. According to Staples, just a one-cup serving “provides five grams of fiber — more than most fruits and vegetables — and contains only 80 calories.” The weather and soil in the Nacogdoches area provide prime growing conditions for blueberries.

TYLER — The preliminary TAKS testing scores are released, and the Tyler Independent School District saw some dramatic improvements. The most significant improvements were in the 10th grade math, an 8% jump, and science, which had a 6% increase. TISD’s Kim Tunnell told KETK, “We’re really excited about these scores and very proud of the hard work of our teachers and our curriculum staff in working together to make sure that our students were well-prepared for the test this year.”

TYLER — Smith County Deputy Daniel Leon is released from a Tyler hospital after he’s hit by a car. Leon was directing traffic at Tyler Metro Church on Hwy. 110 last Thursday when he was struck by a car. According to KETK, the driver of that vehicle is not facing charges.

ANDERSON COUNTY — An East Texas deputy is hospitalized following a wreck while responding to a call. According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Hunter Lawrence suffered critical injuries as a result of the wreck Saturday night. It happened on U.S. 287 South just inside the Palestine city limits. Officers said five other people, including three children, were injured. KETK reports, none of the other injuries were serious. Lawrence is listed in critical condition at a Tyler hospital.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Cherokee County officials continue to investigate the death of a newborn. According to KETK, authorities say the parents chose to pray over the baby before calling for help 15 hours after the child’s death. Officials received the call around 4:00 in the morning on Sunday, May 27. Investigators said that they don’t expect to have any new information until later this week. They did say they were waiting on an autopsy report.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man is arrested following some bizarre behavior. It happened Saturday night on Valentine road when a Gregg County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted Bryan Durrel Lynch, 30, Longview, driving his vehicle in reverse.The deputy said the 1991 Honda also had a defective license plate light. When the deputy stopped the driver he found a stash of drugs, including a large amount of cocaine, and a suspected drug dealers’ little black book of transactions, including buyers and amounts. According to the Longview News-Journal, Lynch was taken into custody and charged him with manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. Gregg County records show Lynch was arrested more than two dozen times. He was serving a probated sentence for a previous narcotics conviction at the time of his arrest Saturday. Lynch is being held in the Gregg County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

TOOL — The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office says human remains were found last week on CR 2448, or Flagg Lake Road, west of Tool. According to KETK, the HCSO says part of a skull turned up in the 10000 block of the road on Thursday. Authorities say the following morning, investigators and state troopers searched the wooded area where the skull portion had been found and located more human remains. HCSO is investigating, and bone fragments have been sent off for analysis.

EAST TEXAS — The East Texas Food Bank’s Summer Food Program kicked off Tuesday at City Park, 200 West Queen Street in Tyler, at 11:45 a.m. Food bank staffers say the program provides free nutritious meals to children at 56 sites throughout East Texas. Since school is out, thousands of East Texas children will be looking for places they can meet their friends, have fun, and eat healthy meals.

According to a news release, the program provides nutritious meals free to all children ages 1 to 18 at participating feeding sites. Meals and snacks are also available to persons with disabilities over the age of 18 who participate in school programs for people who who are mentally or physically disabled. To participate, children just need to show up. There is no need to register, and no proof of age or income is required.

Food program sites are in Arp, Canton, Carthage, Crockett, Clarksville, Hallsville, Hawkins, Henderson, Jacksonville, Jefferson, Karnack, Kilgore, Lindale, Longview, Marshall, Mineola, Mt. Pleasant, Palestine, Reklaw, Tyler, Waskom and Wills Point. All sites will be closed on July 4th in observance of the 4th of July Holiday.

For Summer Food Program sites and hours of operation in your area dial 211. You can also visit http://www.EastTexasFoodBank.org/SummerFood for the serving sites and time for each city.

TYLER – A 33-year-old Carthage man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales Monday. Billy Glenn Carroll pleaded guilty on Jan. 4 to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. He was sentenced in Tyler to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider on June 1.

According to information presented in court, on Aug. 1, 2009, Carroll purchased cold pills containing 3.60 grams of pseudoephedrine from a CVS store in Carthage. Carroll also admitted to purchasing cold pills on 18 different occasions from Aug. 1, 2009 to Apr. 8, 2010, which amounted to approximately 47.58 grams of pseudoephedrine, with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Carroll was indicted by a federal grand jury on Apr. 6, 2011.

NACOGDOCHES — The Civil Air Patrol has decided to move its new command center and training facility to Nacogdoches. Several Texas cities were vying to host the C.A.P., but Col. Brooks Cima says Nacogdoches has its advantages. According to Cima, “It will fill the gap between Tyler, Texas, and Baytown, Texas — which are the only two flying units that we have on the east side of the state.” The C.A.P. handles 95 percent of all inland search and rescue missions in Texas and has about 3,500 members in the state.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man is dead following a shooting Sunday afternoon. According to KETK, officials say it happened at a house off CR 37 in Smith County — next door to a birthday party for a two-year-old. The man has been identified as Jose Sanchez, 45. Two other men were taken to area hospitals. Authorities say the incident is under investigation. So far, no arrests made.

TYLER — The 59th annual Tyler Area Builders’ Association Parade of Homes got underway over the weekend. It’s a chance for local builders and landscapers to showcase their work. Visitors pay $10 to walk through some 3 dozen homes. One builder tells KETK several hundred visitors stopped by one of his homes Saturday, something he says will bring potential customers and boost the local economy. The Parade runs through June 10th.

UPSHUR COUNTY — Gilmer police are investigating an assault charge against Upshur County GOP Chairman Ken Ambrose. Police Chief James Grunden confirmed Saturday his office is looking into allegations made Friday by John Melvin Dodd about an incident that day at Upshur County Republican Party headquarters. According to the Longview News-Journal, in an interview, Dodd said the incident occurred while he was trying to conduct business at headquarters.

“I was assaulted by Ken Ambrose when I went after 2:00 to the Republican Party headquarters to turn in an application for my son, Joe Dodd, to run for precinct chairman of Pct. 17 on the Upshur County Republican Party Executive Committee,” Dodd said. “I filed an assault charge against Ken Ambrose with the Gilmer Police Department.”

MARSHALL — Lots of dogs in East Texas are going to need a new home. Authorities from the city of Marshall, along with Harrison County personnel, rescued nearly 70 dogs from a run-down puppy mill this past week. The mill was located in the northwestern part of Harrison County. Kay Hill of the Harrison County Humane Society says a variety of dogs are available. According to Hill, the dogs were being bred in deplorable conditions. Most of the dogs are being transferred to the North Texas Humane Society, where they will be available for adoption.

WOOD COUNTY — Two train cars jumped the track in Mineola Saturday night. The Mineola Fire Department said a Union Pacific train was passing through the intersection of Highway 69 through downtown Mineola around roughly 7:45 when the cars jumped the track. According to KETK, three intersections were blocked, but have since re-opened.

GREGG COUNTY — Longview Police early Friday arrested a Harrison County man wanted for aggravated sexual assault of a child. Alan Ivan Russell is being held without bond in connection with the assault on a 6-year-old girl. Russell, 37, was transferred from Gregg County Jail to Harrison County late Friday. Webb said the arrest stems from an incident that occurred April 27. He was picked up by Longview police at 2:20 a.m. Friday in the 2500 block of 12th Street.

LINDALE — Investigators on Friday were trying to determine why a Lindale woman was driving the wrong way on Interstate 20 late Wednesday when her pickup crashed into oncoming traffic, leaving five people dead. According to the Longview News-Journal, Krystle Dawn Carranza, 27, her three young daughters and Fred Ulysses Hammett Jr., 70, of Ramona, Calif., were killed in the collision near Mesquite. Authorities said vehicles driven by Carranza and Hammett burst into flames upon impact.

Wood County Sheriff’s Department records indicate Carranza had been arrested three times since 2005, once for driving while intoxicated on April 27, 2006. Investigators said they had not determined whether alcohol was involved in Wednesday’s crash. Authorities said Carranza nearly hit a state trooper minutes earlier. Family members said Carranza may have been going to see her husband, Joe Carranza, who works in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The children have been identified as 5-year-old Nevaeh, 3-year-old Delaney and 10-month-old Aleah. In a prepared statement, Lindale ISD officials said they were stunned and saddened by the loss.

LONGVIEW -– A father-son argument may have led to a shooting that left a Longview man hospitalized in serious condition Friday. The suspected shooter is still on the loose and being sought by investigators. Donnie McCray, 51, remained at Good Shepherd Medical Center where he was taken with life-threatening injuries after the Thursday night shooting in his home in the 200 block of Young Street. Police said he may have been shot by his 15-year-old son, who remained at large late Friday.

According to Longview police, witnesses said McCray was arguing with his son in a bedroom when they heard a single gunshot. They said McCray stumbled down the hallway, saying he’d been shot. The 15-year-old suspect, who has not been identified, left the scene before police arrived. Police said investigators later found a rifle they believed to be the weapon used in the shooting.

Officers were dispatched to the South Longview address about 9:15 p.m. Thursday. Anyone with information about the shooting may anonymously call Gregg County Crimestoppers at (903) 236-7867 or submit a tip online at http://www.greggcountycrimestoppers.org.

TYLER — The Tuskegee Project celebrating the first U.S. Military African-American aviators to serve in combat opened Friday and runs through July 31 at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, 150 Airport Dr., Tyler (formerly the Pounds Field Terminal). The exhibits include models and posters telling the story of the Tuskegee Airmen who fought in World War II. Hours for the museum are Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm and on Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00pm
ADMISSION:
* Adults: $5.00
* Seniors (65+): $4.00
* Active Military (with ID): Free
* Teens (13-17 years): $3.00
* Children (6-12 years): $2.00
* Children (5 and under): Free
Special group rates are available. Call 903-526-1945 for information.

TYLER — The Tyler Area Builders Association’s 59th Annual Parade of Homes kicks off Saturday and runs through June 10. 36 homes are on the tour this year. Hours will be: Saturdays 10:00am to 6:00pm; Sundays 2:00 to 6pm; Monday – Thursday 6:00 to 9:00pm.; and Friday 3:00 to 9:00pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. You can go to http://www.tylerareabuilders.com to find the locations of the Parade homes and get other information.

TYLER — With an initiative to enhance safe aircraft taxi operations from the airport commercial terminal and provide what’s termed needed space for corporate development on the airport, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport has been awarded a new FAA grant totaling $7,033,313. Pending approval from the City for the required 10 percent matching funds, the grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will provide funding to construct a new taxiway near the commercial airport terminal and also to initiate required environmental assessments to reconstruct Tyler runway 04/22.

“The airport’s hangar space and land available for future airside development is fully occupied, so all future growth for general aviation and aviation industrial facilities will rely on this project moving forward,” said Airport Manager Davis Dickson. “In addition to the improvements to the airfield, this work will help create jobs and bolster the airport’s role as a key economic engine for the East Texas Region.”

The new taxiway was a project recommended in the airport’s twenty-year development master plan. Having the taxiway will reduce taxiing distances for the commercial carriers and improve safety standards on the airfield. The project is also the second step toward opening land on the airport for future corporate and industrial development opportunities. “These funds will be used to address needed maintenance and safety improvements at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport,” said Senator John Cornyn. “In addition, quality transportation services are important for boosting local economic growth. I commend the area leaders who worked to secure this funding.”

With the inclusion of the environmental assessments in this grant, Tyler will be taking the first steps to rehabilitate runway 04/22. This is the longest runway at Tyler and plans are to strengthen the runway to accommodate larger aircraft and improve the precision navigational aids to allow it to be more effective through inclement weather conditions. “This new taxiway project will address the future needs of the airport, and is very important to the growth of Tyler,” Said Mayor Barbara Bass. “Improving our main runway while making more land available for airside access can only add to the economic development potentials for the airport.”

The Texas Department of Transportation reports that capital expenditures just for infrastructure and airport improvements from 2006 – 2010 generated $22.5 million in economic activity. In 2010 the overall economic impact of the airport on East Texas was approximately $66,139,902.

TYLER – A Smith County sheriff’s deputy has been hit by a SUV and seriously injured. The Department of Public Safety says the accident happened shortly before 9:45 last night as Officer Daniel Leon was directing traffic near Tyler Metro Church on Highway 110 South. He was taken to East Texas Medical Center for treatment and is listed in fair condition. Leon has been with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department for 13 years.

TYLER – The jury that last week found Kimberly Cargill guilty of capital murder has now sentenced her to death. The panel returned the verdict around 9:30 Thursday night. As in all death penalty rulings, the case will automatically be appealed.

Cargill was charged with the June 2010 death of Cherry Walker. Walker was killed one day after she was subpoenaed to testify in a custody hearing over Cargill’s 4-year-old son. Cargill testified Wednesday that walker died of a seizure. Cargill said she tried CPR on her, but was unsuccessful. She then testified that she burned the body.

TYLER – A 55 year old Bivins, Texas, woman has been sentenced in Tyler for a criminal activity related to identity theft. LaWanda Maricle was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, a term of supervised release of 3 years, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $108,101.28. She appeared yesterday before United States Judge Michael H. Schneider.

According to federal prosecutors, Maricle was the manager of Pioneer Credit Company, a loan company located in Mt. Pleasant. Maricle, along with others, devised a scheme to fraudulently create new loan applications for customers who did not have an active loan, using the customer’s name, social security number, and other identifying information. Maricle would approve the loan, issue a check in the name of the customer on Pioneer’s account, sign the check on behalf of Pioneer, and then forge the signature of the customer on the check. Maricle used the funds for her own personal gain. As a result of the fraudulent activity, the total loss or intended loss, from all relevant conduct, was at least $200,000.

TYLER – A Houston man, appearing in Tyler before United States Judge Michael H. Schneider, has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Oscar Ivan Nino, 22, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2011, along with four co-conspirators. He pleaded guilty on January 12, 2012.

Federal prosecutors say beginning at an unknown date and continuing up to March 9, 2011, Nino possessed more than 15 kilograms of cocaine which he distributed in East Texas. As part of the conspiracy, on or about March 9, 2011, Nino traveled from Houston to Tyler with 2 kilograms of cocaine for the purpose of delivering it to other co-conspirators in Tyler.

Three of Nino’s co-defendants have been sentenced. Gary Anderson was sentenced on March 1, 2012, and received 248 months in prison. Anderson’s wife and co-defendant, Jennifer Anderson, was sentenced on March 28, 2012, and received 188 months. Saul Cobarrubias was sentenced on April 24, 2012, and received 135 months in prison. The final co-defendant has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.

TYLER – A Tyler man has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. In an appearance before United States Magistrate John D. Love, Jose Lopez, 42, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Lopez faces not less than 10 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $10,000,000.00 and at least 5 years of supervised release on the drug charge. He also faces not less than 5 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000.00 and no more than 5 years of supervised release on the gun charge, to be served consecutively to the drug charge.

Lopez was indicted along with two co-defendants by a federal grand jury on back in January. According to federal prosecutors, from a date prior to December 14, 2011, and continuing through that date, Lopez possessed and distributed methamphetamine with his co-defendants. Lopez also admitted to possessing and carrying a firearm during and in relation to the possession and distribution of methamphetamine. Lopez admitted that he conspired with his co-defendants to distribute more than 500 grams but less than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine.

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is concerned that permitting for the southern segment of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline could be insufficient and has asked for a more extensive review. An official in the EPA’s region that oversees Texas wrote a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers saying 61 water crossings near Galveston are too large for the broad permits being pursued. The official wants an environmental review that includes a public comment period. The letter, written in November, was released Thursday. The corps says it’s reviewing TransCanada’s permit request. This is the latest obstacle for a controversial pipeline project that has created tensions between the U.S. and Canada. The pipeline is designed to transport Canadian crude oil across the Midwest to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. It would run through eastern Smith County and much of East Texas if completed.

TYLER — Tyler ISD hires three people to fill administrative positions in the district beginning next month. Michael Timms, who currently serves as John Tyler High School associate principal of curriculum & instruction, will take over as principal. Gary Brown, who began his education career at Pine Tree High School, will become principal of Robert E. Lee High School. That follows a term as principal of Wylie High School. And Dr. Christy Hanson will serve as TISD’s executive director of secondary education. She currently serves as the director of secondary schools in Grand Prairie ISD.

SULPHUR SPRINGS — Police in East Texas arrest three men suspected of being involved in a Wal-Mart theft ring. Officers said the men stole cigarettes from a Sulphur Springs Wal-Mart gas station over the weekend before leading police on a 15-mile chase. But investigators think the men are also responsible for more than 20 similar thefts throughout Texas, totaling over $80,000 in stolen items. The men face charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, and evading arrest.