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WHITEHOUSE — Smith County fire investigators believe they know what sparked a house explosion Saturday morning. According to KETK, a call went out that a home along the 800 block of Corey Drive in Whitehouse was on fire. Investigators say there were several oxygen tanks inside, which most likely were a factor in that explosion. They add that someone was asleep in the home and tried to turn on a lamp, accidentally knocking it over and breaking a light bulb — possibly igniting the explosion. Firefighters believe there were about four people inside at the time of the blast. No one was seriously hurt. Their animals, though, did not make it out alive.

TYLER — Hundreds turn out again for the 26th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally, march, and ecumenical service in downtown Tyler. Texas College President Dr. Dwight Fennell keynoted the service and said it’s time to move forward with Dr. King’s lessons. According to Fennell, “We should stop dreaming now and take certain actions. I think our responsibility is to have a vision of the forward needs of our nation.” This year’s events were organized by the Tyler Together Race Relations Forum.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — One person is killed in a one-vehicle accident Saturday in Van Zandt County. The DPS reports it happened around 9:30 p.m. on I-20 at the 516 mile marker. Authorities say the victim was 50-year-old Georgia resident Geral Lynn Pankey, a commercial truck driver. According to the DPS report, he was headed east driving a Freightliner Conventional towing a flatbed trailer when the vehicle traveled off the roadway and overturned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

MARSHALL — 2012 will be a year of celebration for East Texas Baptist University in Marshall as the school marks its centennial year. Dr. Samuel “Dub” Oliver is president of the university. According to Oliver, “It’s a phenomenal opportunity, both as a university and a community and as a community, to celebrate to celebrate all that has been, God’s faithfulness, and really a celebration of all who have given so much to see the institution grow and become all it is now.” Oliver says the school will be scheduling dozens of activities and events to celebrate the milestone.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Mayor Kenneth Melvin says the “Clean Air Committee” has been meeting for a few months now. And after much research, the committee has proposed a city wide ordinance that would ban smoking in all public places. He says the dangers of second-hand smoke are at the heart of the committee’s findings — along with various other public health items. “Some of the communities that have already banned smoking in the facilities…their heart attack rate was down 47%” Melvin said. Melvin says they also took an online poll on the city’s website. “It was almost 50/50, but not quite 50/50…the majority wanted the ban,” Melvin said.

But Jacksonville man Virgill Davis tells KETK he is not a part of that majority — he doesn’t agree with the ban. “I don’t think that’s right ’cause people still like to smoke their cigarettes around,” Davis said. He says he’s been smoking for a long time. “I’ve had open heart surgery and got a pacemaker in there on the count of my heart’s slowed up, but otherwise, it don’t bother me, it kind of settles my nerves down and keeps me from…being so nervous,” Davis said. MeanWhile, others are just tired of breathing in the smoke, “because the people that have asthma and breathing problems — they could get sick,” said East Texan LaQuinda Simpson.

Melvin says city officials hope to discuss the proposed ban further at the next city council meeting in February. “My thought is, that this may be an issue that we need to put to the voters — much like we did the beer and wine sales,” Melvin said. The Jacksonville ban would also include e-cigarettes.

EARLE’S CHAPEL — A Sunday afternoon house fire has caused big damage in Earle’s Chapel, just off Highway 79 West, outside Jacksonville. According to KETK, fire officials say the house was owned by an elderly man and woman who had been eating lunch when the fire started. With the exception of a purse, which the woman grabbed before leaving the burning house, all of their belongings were lost in the blaze. An investigation as to how exactly the fire started is underway.

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff J. B. Smith says an inmate died early Saturday morning after she was found gasping for air in her cell. The inmate was identified as 57-year-old Sonya Armstrong. According to Sheriff Smith, Armstrong was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m. An autopsy has been ordered, and the Texas Rangers are investigating the death. Sheriff Smith also confirmed that Armstrong had a history of heart disease. She was in custody on a parole violation.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s Sen. John Hoeven is pushing the Keystone XL pipeline project to carry oil from Canada to Texas Gulf Coast refineries during the Republicans’ weekly radio and Internet address. President Barack Obama faces a Feb. 21 deadline to decide whether the pipeline is in the national interest. The GOP has been pounding him on the issue, saying it’s a question of whether he wants to create jobs and import energy from a close friend and ally, or lose jobs and see Canadian oil go to Asia. Hoeven said Saturday the $7 billion pipeline expansion will reduce the nation’s dependence on oil from the Middle East and keep down the cost of fuel for Americans. Plans call for the pipeline to pass through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. It would also pass through East Texas, including eastern Smith County.

TYLER — In 2011, the Tyler Professional Fire Fighters Association raised $16,871.77 to assist in the fight against cancer. The Tyler Fire Fighters Cancer Awareness & Relief Effort (CARE) sold pink t-shirts and hosted two golf tournaments to raise these funds. The fire fighters are donating $7,500 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Tyler, $3,500 to the American Cancer Society in Tyler, and $5,871.77 to the Tyler Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation. The Tyler Professional Fire Fighters Association began their efforts in the fight against cancer four years ago to assist a brother fire fighter’s family battling cancer.

“Since our efforts began in 2008, we have encouraged fire fighters across Texas and the entire nation to get involved in this fight. In the last four years, Tyler Fire Fighters have raised and donated over $70,000 to local cancer organizations,” said Tyler Fire Captain Steve Countryman. “We plan to continue hosting Turn Tyler Pink, the CARE golf tournament and wearing pink t-shirts in October to help raise awareness of those women and families battling cancer. This terrible disease continues to terrorize our communities. Fire fighters are committed to continuing this fight until cancer is extinguished from all our lives.”

TYLER – Robert E. Lee Principal Roger McAdoo was awarded the 2011 College Readiness Award presented by the Texas ACT Council. “I am honored to have received this award,” McAdoo said. “At Robert E. Lee High School we make every effort to prepare our students for college, and we are determined to continue this pattern of educational excellence.”

The College Readiness Award recognizes Robert E. Lee for increasing its ACT scores over the past five years, while also maintaining or increasing the number of students who took the test. Approximately 10 percent of high schools across the state accomplished the same results as Robert E. Lee, according to the Texas ACT Council. “These results show that your school’s faculty and staff are providing the kind of education that makes a positive difference for all students in preparing them for college and the workforce,” said the Texas ACT Council.

Last year, more than 170 students at Robert E. Lee took the ACT test. On average, those students scored 22.6 points, beating the statewide average of 20.8 points and the national average of 21.1 points.

AUSTIN – Charles Privett of Brownsboro knew just what to wear when he headed to the Texas Lottery claim center in Tyler Friday to cash in a winning scratch-off ticket. For Privett, it was an obvious choice to wear the “Maybe It’s Your Lucky Day” T-shirt he’d picked up on a previous visit to claim a prize. Friday, Privett walked out with a lot more than the shirt on his back—he also walked away with a Big Money top prize of $100,000.

Privett, a longtime Texas Lottery player, said he was “pretty emotional” when he realized how much he’d won, and he already has a plan for what to do with his winnings. “I was about to cry after I saw what I had,” said Privett. “I can use this money to put my kids through college!”

“I want to congratulate Mr. Privett for both his good luck and for his good plan to use his prize to fund his children’s education,” said Texas Lottery Executive Director Gary Grief. “The Texas Lottery supports education in Texas and has contributed more than $13 billion to the state’s Foundation School Fund.” Privett purchased his ticket at One Stop located at 12666 State Highway 31 W. in Tyler.

LONGVIEW — Police continue to seek a suspect after a pharmacy was robbed in Longview around 4:20 Friday afternoon. Police tell KETK that a man, claiming to be armed, walked into the Walgreens on North 4th Street and Loop 281. When the man told the pharmacist he had a gun, the pharmacist handed over some drugs. The suspect fled the scene and is now being searched for by authorities. Police say the suspect is a white male, about 5’9″ and clean shaven, wearing a black hoodie, camo hat, black shoes, and black pants.

TYLER — Authorities have found two people who had been missing from Smith County since Tuesday. 29-year-old Justin Ray Thore (pictured) and 30-year-old Malenna Dempsey are said to be “fine and healthy” after being located in Henderson County and welfare-checked by Coffee City police. Smith County sheriff’s officials say the two walked away from their residence in the Woodcrest Mobile Home Park, located at 10130 Highway 64 East in Tyler, on Tuesday morning.

TATUM — Tatum officials are investigating allegations brought against the police chief by a woman who said she was forced by the chief to leave her home in her vehicle while she was intoxicated. Meanwhile, according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, another Tatum police officer is on an unpaid leave of absence. Tatum Mayor Phil Cory said the city was looking into the allegations brought against Tatum Police Chief Ron Martin during Monday’s city council meeting by Tonia Camancho, a Tatum resident. Cory wouldn’t comment on why another officer is on an unpaid leave of absence.

Camancho said she asked to be placed on the city council meeting’s agenda to speak because Martin was refusing to let her file complaints regarding the situation and threatened to arrest her. In the city council meeting, Camancho said the issue started Dec. 15 at her Tatum residence, which is in the 100 block of McNeese Circle. Rusk County Sheriff’s officers responded to Camancho’s home, which she shares with Tatum Police Officer Jeffrey Brock, in connection with a domestic issue.

“I called the sheriff’s office again, but this time (Martin) intercepted the call. The chief came into my home, didn’t ask me any questions and said ‘get your stuff and get out of here.’ What could I do? He said he was going to take me to jail if I didn’t do what he said,” Camancho said. “I told him three times I was too intoxicated to drive, and he shined a light in my eye and said, ‘You’re not too intoxicated to drive. Get in your car and drive.’” She also said Martin grabbed a basket of her clothes and put her out in the rain while she was wearing one shoe.

The mayor wouldn’t confirm whether Brock was on an unpaid leave of absence. According to the city council minutes, Camancho asked officials why Brock had been suspended because of the investigation, but Martin had not been. Cory said the city council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to finish discussing the allegations brought against Martin. Monday, the city council met until almost midnight discussing Camancho’s allegations. “We really haven’t completed the investigation. It got late and we decided we couldn’t go on,” Cory said. “We have an officer under investigation, but I can’t comment on why, or who. We’re going to follow the law. If there’s anything criminal going on, we’re going to address it.”

Cory said the situation was brought to the city’s attention within the past few weeks. He noted that aside from this situation, no complaints had been filed against Martin. “Now we have complaints from people who disagree with getting a ticket, but as far as any official complaints, there have been none,” he said. Martin couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.

LUFKIN — With less than two weeks before jury selection in the capital murder trial of a former Lufkin dialysis nurse accused in the bleach injection deaths of five patients, an Angelina County judge ordered a state health agency to release a report of the nurse’s then-employer, DaVita Dialysis. That report comes from KETK and the Lufkin Daily News.

Since her 2008 arrest, defense attorney Ryan Deaton has maintained that DaVita is using his client, Kimberly Saenz, 37, and her eight-month tenure at the clinic as a scapegoat for their mistakes. Those mistakes, including 68 “adverse occurrences,” Deaton said, are detailed in the Texas Department of Health and Human Services report in question. Although the Attorney General’s office tried to prevent Deaton’s access to the report, citing HIPAA violations, state District Judge Barry Bryan ruled the agency must hand over the information, as Saenz’s life is on the line.

“I understand this is a serious case, but I don’t know it trumps patient right of privacy,” said Dennis McKinney, an official with the Attorney General’s Office speaking via telephone to those in the courtroom. “I think it does when the state is seeking death penalty for Ms. Saenz,” Bryan told McKinney. Prosecutor Clyde Herrington asked that the report be made available to the state as well.

Jury selection in the case is set to begin Jan. 23 and is expected to last nearly a month as each member of the 12-panel jury is individually selected. The trial is scheduled to begin March 5 and will likely last three weeks to a month.

TYLER — If re-elected, State Representative Leo Berman (R-Tyler) plans to file a bill in the next legislative session which will allow individuals who hold a commercial driver license (CDL) to take defensive driving, if ticketed while driving their own privately-owned vehicle (unless it is a commercial vehicle). Berman said, “We hold truck drivers to a higher standard, but if they receive a traffic citation while driving their own automobile and not a commercial vehicle, they should be allowed to take defensive driving like every other driver license holder.” The citation asks if the individual was driving a commercial or privately-owned vehicle. Representative Berman added that the change was suggested to him by a law enforcement officer. Berman faces Matt Schaefer in the Republican primary.

TYLER — Smith County Judge Joel Baker announced Friday that partial reimbursement has been received for a 2008 lawsuit against the County alleging violations of the Open Meetings Act. During the 2008 jail bond election both Baker and former Commissioner Pct. 1 JoAnn Fleming were sued in a taxpayer lawsuit claiming they violated the Texas Open Meetings Act while forming the proposed 2008 jail bond plan. In 2009 a jury found that there were no open meetings violations after a five-day trial. The judge also found the defendant, Smith County, was entitled to reimbursement of court expenses by the plaintiff. Total payment to the county by the plaintiff with interest is $68,880.

“We have many worthy projects underway that will benefit from this money and I am pleased to see the return of taxpayer dollars used to defend this lawsuit. The citizens of Smith County are the ultimate beneficiaries of this payment,” Baker said.

PRITCHETT — Upshur County officials are investigating reports of animal cruelty at a residence in the Pritchett Community that residents said they have been complaining about for several years. Upshur County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Freddie Fitzgerald said reports of animal cruelty are being investigated at a residence near the intersection of Crabapple and Chinaberry Road, but he couldn’t confirm any details of the investigation. Authorities wouldn’t confirm the resident’s name, but according to Gregg County records, 29-year-old Amber Jean Long lists the residence in the 3600 block of Crabapple Road as her home. Long could not be reached for comment. Upshur County officials said they couldn’t confirm whether she was the resident being investigated.

Officials said at the residence, there were about six horses, four miniature horses, about 20 dogs, a donkey and several chickens. Thursday afternoon, three horses were killed by dogs on the property.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin woman is arrested Wednesday night after locking herself in the men’s bathroom of a restaurant. 26-year-old Rachel Cole was found by officers crying with a needle in her arm. She reportedly told them she had been injected morphine. Officers also found that she had a small bag of marijuana, a spoon and another used needle.

After determining she had three outstanding Lufkin Municipal Court warrants, she was taken into custody. She was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana. Cole remained in jail at last report on a collective $5,700 bond.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man was arrested Thursday for allegedly stealing military grave markers to sell as scrap metal. Jeffrey Shaw, was taken into custody on nine counts of state jail felony theft from a grave in connection with the incident.

On Jan. 7, an Angelina County Sheriff’s Office deputy was called to a local metal recycling business in reference to a person trying to sell metal military grave markers with names. The man later identified as Shaw had already left the scene, but the manager took a photograph of him and the grave markers, and also wrote down the man’s license plate number.

Shaw was arrested on a warrant Thursday and taken to the Angelina County Jail, where he was released hours later on a collective $31,500 bond. If convicted, he faces up to two years in state jail on each of nine counts.

LONGVIEW – Authorities have identified a body found in Gregg County. A hitchhiker discovered the body as he was walking along the westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 20. The body was found near a concrete barrier not far from Estes Parkway.

She has been identified as Melissa Diane Gonzales, 39, of Longview. The cause of death has yet to be established, autopsy results are pending. Officials say they are unsure how long the body had been next to the road. KETK reports that according to Gregg County online records, Gonzales has a lengthy record including drug possession and solicitation.

TYLER – A Harris County man has pleaded guilty in Tyler federal court to drug trafficking violations. Oscar Ivan Nino, 22, of Houston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine when he appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie. Nino faces at least 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

Federal prosecutors say last March, Nino travelled from Houston to Tyler, Texas with 2 kilograms of cocaine for distribution in the area. Nino and his co-conspirators distributed more than 15 kilograms of cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2011.

TYLER — A 51-year-old Longview man has pleaded guilty to child exploitation violations in the East Texas. Mitchell Duane Porter pleaded guilty to production of child pornography in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie.

According to information presented in court, on August 26, 2011, a federal search warrant was executed at Porter’s residence on Smelley Road in Longview. Several computers, cameras, and other forms of digital media and media storage devices were seized during the search. A forensic analysis of the seized items revealed over a thousand images of child pornography. Porter took approximately 1,050 pictures of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images depicted prepubescent children under the age of 12 years engaged to sexually explicit conduct, and some of the images involved the actual commission of a sexual act. A federal grand jury returned an indictment in September of last year, charging Porter with the federal violations.

TYLER – A 44-year-old Longview man has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography violations. Ronald Lee Strader had pleaded guilty last July to possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of children. He was sentenced in Tyler to 32 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.

According to information presented in court, on Jan. 13, 2011, a federal search warrant was executed at Strader’s residence. During the investigation, Strader admitted that he used the Internet to search for, download, and view child pornography. A forensic analysis of his computer revealed 477 images of child pornography. Authorities say some of the videos depicted children less than 12 years of age engaged in sadistic and masochistic conduct.

TYLER —Tyler’s sales tax revenues deposited for the month of January have decreased 0.8 percent as compared to January 2011. This has resulted in a 1.66% cumulative year-to-date increase. The reported revenue of $2,688,692 is comprised of $1,792,461 general sales tax revenue and $896,230 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures from the state comptroller’s office represent receipts from November 2011 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

“Last month the City saw a 5.34% increase in our revenue collections,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel (pictured). “So to see a decrease this month is very surprising. We are investigating the situation to determine if there has been an anomaly that has resulted in this outcome. However, because our year-to-date increase has not stayed over 3 percent, we will be postponing any employee pay adjustments until such time that the revenues reach the level we had committed to in our annual budget.”

Mayor Barbara Bass believes the January drop is a normal fluctuation. She says such things happen when businesses are being audited by the state comptroller or when settlements make the fraction go up or down. According to Bass, the decrease is “just a pre-holiday adjustment.” She adds, “We’re looking for great things as we continue to move forward and the city continues to grow and just prosper.”

TYLER — Economically, the Tyler area “is looking good right now” according to internationally known economist Dr. Ray Perryman. The Lindale native delivered his annual economic forecast for the Tyler region, the state, and the country during a Thursday luncheon. Perryman cited the local retail sector’s comeback, the amount of commercial development, and the strength of the health care sector. He also remarked that the area is “getting a nice boost from the energy sector” and seeing growth in the distribution industry. In terms of output, Perryman predicts the Tyler economy will grow at a rate of over 4% cent this year, which he terms “very healthy.” Perryman added that the Texas economy is doing well too, “outperforming the nation by a substantial degree.” As for the nation, Perryman says its overall economy “is beginning to see a reasonable rate of recovery.”

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Police identified a man wanted for theft at an intersection Tuesday. According to police officials Landon Gray, 24, of Jacksonville, was caught on tape allegedly stealing a $199 television from the CVS store on South Jackson Street on Monday morning. Sgt. Jason Price said the TVs were located near the checkout area, and Gray walked in, picked on up and walked out with it.

Price said detectives were also able to tie Gray to the theft of a $65 jacket from Atwood’s Monday night. Price said associates in the store were able to take down his license plate number to tie him to the crime. Two counts of organized retail theft will be tacked onto his charge, Price said. He said it is a relatively new charge and bumps a theft charge up one level to a class A misdemeanor..

ANGELINA COUNTY — Lufkin Police investigate what is believed to be the accidental shooting of a 78-year-old woman by her 91-year-old husband in the Stonewood Drive mobile home community off FM 58. According to scanner traffic, the woman was taken to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin with a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was conscious and alert.

SMITH COUNTY — Firefighters were busy early Thursday morning with a house fire in the Bullard area. Smith County Fire officials said the blaze broke out around 4:00 in the 200 block of Summerset Court. The living room and kitchen of the house were destroyed. Firefighters also say, there was smoke and water damage in the utility room. No word on any injuries or the cause of the blaze. Fire Marshals are still investigating.

TYLER – A teenager has been hospitalized after he was attacked with a baseball bat. Tyler police received a call just before 10:45 Wednesday night of an aggravated assault at an apartment complex at 1600 Rice Road. Cody Mitchell Burris, 19, received head injuries after being hit in the head with the bat. He’s hospitalized at East Texas Medical Center. Tyler police Sgt. Matt Leigeber says his injuries appear to be non life threatening. Arrested on the scene was Michael Colton Strother, 20. He’s been charged with charged with 2nd Degree Felony Aggravated Assault.