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TYLER – A 24-year-old Mabank man has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas. Christopher Lee Chambers pleaded guilty on May 24, 2011, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced in Tyler to 37 months in federal prison on Nov. 7, 2011, by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis.

According to information presented in court, on Sep. 24, 2010, Chambers was found to be in possession of a Marlin .243 caliber rifle. Further investigation revealed Chambers was a convicted felon, having been previously found guilty of unlawful use of a criminal instrument in Henderson County and burglary of a building in Harrison County, both in 2006. As a convicted felon, Chambers is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Chambers was indicted by a federal grand jury on Apr. 8, 2011, and charged with federal firearms violations.

TYLER (AP) – An East Texas man will follow his brother to prison over credit card fraud involving numbers stolen online and from a restaurant. Federal prosecutors in Tyler on Tuesday announced Nathan Michael of Malakoff has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. Michael pleaded guilty in May to access device fraud. He also was ordered Monday to repay more than $95,000. His brother, Christopher Michael, pleaded guilty in May to access device fraud and was later sentenced to four years in prison, plus must make restitution. Elizabeth Pickrell, who worked at a Chicken Express in Tyler, pleaded guilty in April to access device fraud and was later sentenced to two years in prison. Charge card numbers were stolen from the restaurant. A fourth person in the scam awaits sentencing.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Receives Texas Comptroller Award for Financial Transparency Smith County Judge Joel Baker announced today that Smith County is the proud recipient of a 2011 Texas Comptroller Gold Leadership Circle Award for financial transparency. The Comptroller Gold Leadership Award recognizes government entities that set the bar for financial transparency and access to the public. The Texas Comptroller’s Leadership Circle program recognizes local governments across Texas that are striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online by providing citizens with a clear, consistent picture of spending and sharing information in a user friendly format.

The program spotlights those local governments that are:

* opening their books to the public
* providing clear, consistent pictures of spending
* sharing information in a user-friendly format

This is the second year Smith County has received this top honor in financial
transparency.

TYLER — Authorities were urging drivers yesterday to be extra cautious while driving during rainy or drizzly conditions. Officials responded to the scene of a crash involving a Tyler Police vehicle that was protecting the scene of a one car accident in the 1400 block of South Glenwood. The officer was out of the vehicle when it was struck from behind by a 2000 Nissan Pick-up driven by Latasha King, 19, Tyler. Police said King was traveling too fast for the wet street conditions and was unable to stop in time sliding into the rear of the patrol vehicle. She was transported to ETMC with non-life threatening injuries.

Tyler Police investigated close to 20 vehicle crashes from 6:30 to 9:30 Tuesday morning. Tyler Police remind drivers to slow down and keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, especially during bad weather.

MARTINS MILL (AP) – The discovery of a vehicle in a drought-lowered East Texas lake has led to the recovery of a missing woman’s body. Van Zandt County Constable Pat Jordan says authorities do not believe foul play was involved in the death. Autopsy results are pending on the woman believed to be Brenda Kay Oliver. Jordan says low water in a small, private lake near Martins Mill led to the discovery Saturday of a partly submerged vehicle. A man living nearby saw a windshield sticking out of the water. The vehicle, with a handicapped license plate, was registered to Oliver. The car and the woman were reported missing in July 2008. Relatives say Oliver had been distraught over the 2000 death of her teenage son.

MARSHALL — Following the DWI arrest of an MISD assistant principal, Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing noted Monday the administration was handling the situation internally. Melissa Renee Fincher, 39, the assistant principal at Price T. Young Middle School, was arrested at 1:45 a.m. Sunday morning by DPS officers in Marion County for driving under the influence. When asked about the school’s policy regarding such arrests, Gearing said according to the policy, Ms. Fincher “really doesn’t have to report it to a supervisor unless it is the second (occurrence) within a 12-month period.”

Following her arrest, Ms. Fincher was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall to test her blood alcohol concentration level. She was then booked into Marion County Jail and later released on a personal recognizance bond. Driving while intoxicated, first offense is a Class B misdemeanor. If convicted, the punishment range is confinement in the county jail for a term of no less than 72 hours or no more than six months.

LONGVIEW – A Tyler man has been arrested in Upshur County for a Longview robbery. Arrested early Monday morning was Alvin Lee Craig, 47.

It began when a man with a knife robbed a Food Fast convenience store 100 block of South Access Road. The suspect fled with an undetermined amount of money. Authorities started chasing him near the intersection of Eastman and Alpine Road. The chase ended around 4:00am on Jaguar Road in Gilmer. Craig was booked into the Upshur County jail on charges of aggravated robbery and evading arrest.

CANTON – The remains of a woman missing for over three years has been found in a submerged car in a Van Zandt County lake. In the car was the body of Brenda K. Oliver, 58, of Canton. A man told officers his grandson had noticed the car in the lake near Martins Mill. The license plate came back to Oliver, who has been missing since July12th, 2008. The body has been sent to a lab for DNA analysis.

LUFKIN — One person is dead after a one vehicle roll-over accident near Lufkin, and officials released details of the accident late Monday. According to KETK, Angelina County DPS says it happened on Highway 103 near Golf Course Road. The victim is identified as Wayne Paul Walters, 39, of Lufkin. The Department of Public Safety reports Walters was traveling at a high speed when he crossed some rail road tracks. He lost control of the car which ended up in a ditch. He over corrected, ending up in a ditch on the other side of the road. The car went airborne, hit a tree and landed on its top.

TYLER – A bit of history is on display at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. “Aluminum Overcast,” the Experimental Aircraft Association’s restored B-17 bomber, has stopped in Tyler during its “Salute to Veterans” national tour. It will be at the Tyler airport through Wednesday. For a fee you can tour the aircraft and, weather permitting, even fly in it.

This Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is one of only 13 still flying in the world. This plane was one of the last, built in 1945, and therefore never made it to combat. But its sister aircraft pounded Nazi Germany day in and day out, with relentless air raids that softened up Europe for an eventual allied invasion. Carrying 10 men on missions that were hours long, nearly 13,000 B-17’s were built in ten years, and 5500 of them were shot down over Europe and the Pacific, with a loss of 45,000 crewmembers.

LONGVIEW — A hit and run Monday afternoon sends two people to the hospital. It happened around 1:30 on South Mobberly Avenue in Longview. Longview police tell KETK the driver of a champagne Chevy Silverado was traveling north towards Cotton Street when the driver ran a stop sign causing an accident. The driver then fled the scene without stopping. Two people in the other car were transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Police are looking for the driver of the Silverado. If you have any information contact Longview police.

MANGUM, Okla. (AP) – A prosecutor says the wife of a former Oklahoma prison warden convicted of helping an inmate escape has been sentenced to a year in prison. Assistant District Attorney David Thomas says Greer County District Court Richard Darby adhered to the jury’s recommendation that Bobbi Parker serve a year in prison. She could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison after being convicted of helping Randolph Dial escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in 1994. Parker’s husband was the prison’s deputy warden when she and Dial went missing. They were found living together on a Shelby County, Texas, chicken ranch in 2005. Prosecutors say the two fell in love and planned the escape. But Parker says Dial kidnapped her and kept her from seeking help by threatening to harm her family.

TYLER — A new turn lane on a busy Tyler road has caused some concern for drivers. On Rice Road between Old Jacksonville Highway and Hollytree, the entire eastbound left lane has been made into a turning lane. Drivers are complaining that it makes traffic more congested and confusing. City Engineer Peter Eng says there might be a delay or two, but the decision was based on concern for drivers. Eng also says the turn lane will make it safer for pedestrians crossing the street.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man has been arrested after police find him passed out. Terry Christopher Criswell, 27, was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated after being found asleep behind the wheel at a red light, according to a Lufkin Police report. Police also charged Criswell with unlawful carrying of a weapon after a handgun was found on the passenger side floor board of the vehicle. Criswell was booked into the Angelina County Jail.

LUFKIN — Etech announced it will be hiring 200 new employees at the Lufkin branch of the Nacogdoches-based company. The new jobs will be in contact center positions ranging from part-time to full-time and are expected to be filled in the next 90 days. Employment Coordinator Jeanne Schuell said the company’s boost in business has led to the need of more workers. “Our programs are continuing to grow, resulting in more hours and the need for more employees,” she said. Lufkin is not the only branch to benefit from the increased business. The Nacogdoches and Rusk branches will also be hiring 200 new workers. Etech said in a press release that some of the skills required for the positions include computer and typing skills, good grammar, and an ability to articulate and speak clearly.

To apply for the new openings and to learn more about Etech visit: http://etechtexas.com/careers.html

TYLER — Do not let the colder weather fool you, the grass in East Texas is still too dry to start any fires. But there are other ways hunters can help prevent fires. Do your best not to park on tall grass. The heat from the truck can spark a flame. This may force hunters to walk a further distance, but tired legs are better than a totaled vehicle. Also, when using ATV’s, experts say that riders should invest in spark arrestors that work to lessen the amount of hotter exhaust particles. And of course, do not start a campfire.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of protesters gather in Lafayette Square across from the White House exactly one year out from the presidential election to oppose a plan for a transnational oil pipeline they fear could harm the environment. More than 8,000 people linked hands around the White House to oppose the Keystone XL project, a pipeline that would carry oil derived from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. The pipeline takes the project through eastern Smith County. Bill McKibben, one of the protest organizers, described the scene as either “a big O-shaped hug” or “a symbolic house arrest.” Obama missed most of the protest while he played golf at Fort Belvoir in Virginia on Sunday afternoon.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement repairs in various locations on the westbound lanes of Interstate Highway 20 between U.S. Highway 69 in Lindale and State Highway 110 south of Van. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

GREGG COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement repairs on State Highway 300 (Gilmer Road) between U.S. Highway 80 (Marshall Avenue) north to the Gregg County line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on State Highway 19 north of Canton between Interstate Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 80, followed upon completion by the same work on State Highway 64 between Farm Road 859 and IH 20. A second crew is scheduled to perform similar operations on Farm Road 1995 between State Highway 110and Farm Road 773. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on U.S. Highway 84 east of Rusk. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement-repair operations on U.S. Highway 259 between State Highway 315 and the bridges south of U.S. Highway 84. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work area.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform fog sealing operations in various locations on Ranch Road 2588, Ranch Road 2970, Farm Road 2752 and Farm Road 2709. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, flaggers will control traffic.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing and shoulder operations on Farm Road 320 between West Loop 256 and U.S. Highway 79 in Palestine. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make pavement repairs on State Highway 154 near Farm Road 288 and in various locations on Farm Road 778 between Quitman and Hainesville. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

LUFKIN — Lufkin Police arrested a Diboll man after he collided head-on with another vehicle and then attempted to flee the scene of the accident. According to a report, Roberto Galindo, 32, ran a red light at the Frank Avenue and First Street intersection, swerved to miss another vehicle, crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a green Ford truck driven by Jeff Smith, 46, of Huntington. The accident happened around 10:45 Saturday night. Smith had several small cuts on his face from glass that shattered in his truck, but otherwise was not injured.

Galindo then continued westbound, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the ditch. He was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident when police noticed Galindo was intoxicated. He was not injured, but a breath test revealed his blood alcohol concentration was well over twice the legal limit, the report stated. The passenger, Abel Munoz, 21, of Diboll was also found to be intoxicated and was arrested and charged with public intoxication. Galindo was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a Class A misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, disregarding a traffic control device and disregarding a stop light.

EAST TEXAS — The winter fire season arrived just over a week ago with the first space heater house fire in Longview. No one was injured, but the house on Gum Street was razed. Four mornings later, on Tuesday, the county had its first space heater fire, again without injury. The fire marshals for Longview and Gregg County hope those two house fires are the only ones of the cold-weather months. But history tells them there will be more, too many more.

“Last year, we had a fatality because a space heater was too close to a couch in a travel trailer,” Longview Marshal Johnny Zackary said. Another woman died late last winter in a cooking fire, he added. “This year, we’ve already had a family displaced in the Gum Street fire,” Zackary said. That blaze, blamed on an electric space heater that fell over, one of three left on in the house, occurred while a mother and daughter attended the Lobo football game Oct. 28.

Fire crews across the country go like gangbusters this time of year. The culprit all too often is a resident who created a dangerous situation in response to dropping temperatures, Zackary and Gregg County Fire Marshal David Kidder said. “You’ll encounter multiple heaters plugged in in one room, especially in older construction,” Kidder said. “You’ll have one circuit for that room and sometimes for that house. You’re pulling all these amps through that system. You get fires in the wall.”

Gas space heaters have their own, peculiar threat — actual flames, which like to leap to draperies and other handy combustibles, including clothes often intentionally laid nearby to dry.

Colder weather also brings the holidays, which bring opportunities for miscues with Christmas lighting. That includes electric lights and holiday candles, Zackary said. Both fire marshals recommended using so-called sensory candles, electric decorations with tiny bulbs and scents, as an alternative to flame candles.

JACKSONVILLE -— Jacksonville City council members will discuss authorizing the creation of a citizen-led smoking ban committee during its Tuesday meeting at 6:00. “You’re going have people on both sides holding their ground,” City Manager Mo Raissi said. Raissi said the city is looking into putting together the committee after receiving calls from citizens. “At this time, we don’t know who’s going to be affected, what’s going to be affected or even who will be on the committee,” he said. If approved, the committee will be comprised of one citizen appointed by each council member and the mayor to tap local residents’ opinion on the issue.

TYLER — Tyler Police continue their investigation of a fatal motorcycle accident. It happened just before 11:30 Saturday morning in the 3700 Block of Frankston. Wilson Ray Harrelson, 40, Tyler was pronounced dead at the scene. According to investigators, Harrelson was leaving a parking lot just south of a private business when the operator of a Ford Explorer was leaving a business parking lot just north of the motorcyclist when they collided. Officers say the biker was not wear5ing a helmet. The man driving the SUV was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

An autopsy has been ordered. Tyler Police Department Accident investigators are collecting and reviewing evidence, witness statements and other data in their investigation. If anyone has information about this incident please call the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

ORE CITY — An Ore City High School student was in police custody Friday after officials said he stole a district vehicle Thursday morning and led police on a chase around the Upshur County town. Superintendent Lynn Heflin said Friday that a maintenance vehicle went missing about 9:45 Thursday morning after an employee left keys in the vehicle. The district was unsure at the time whether a student was involved. The district notified police, who put out an alert for the vehicle.The vehicle and the student were spotted back in town. The 17-year-old student ended up losing control of the vehicle and hit a tree, Heflin said. The student was physically alright. Police arrested him and returned the vehicle to the district’s ownership. The vehicle was taken to a wrecking yard and is likely totaled, Heflin said. It was not immediately known late Friday what criminal charges the student will face.

TYLER — Starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, the City of Tyler Street Department will be removing a large oak tree on Rice Road. Westbound traffic on Rice Road coming from Old Bullard will be detoured northbound up Richmond Road. Eastbound traffic on Rice Road will be narrowed down to one lane starting at Briar Cove. The work should be completed no later than 2 p.m. Drivers are urged to use caution in the area and seek alternate routes if possible.

KILGORE — Kilgore police are still looking for a man who they say was involved in an aggravated robbery two months ago. They say the man took a 69-year-old woman’s purse while she was leaving a local CVS on Sunday, September 4, at 4:18 p.m. According to KETK, the woman was thrown to the ground during a scuffle. If you have any information you’re asked to call Detective David Falco at 903-983-1559 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.

VAN — An East Texas native is found dead in a burning car early Friday morning in Dallas. According to KETK, she is 22-year-old Elizabeth Lightfoot of Van. Investigators say her body was found in the driver’s seat of her car, next to a shopping center. Lightfoot worked as a hair stylist in North Dallas, less than two miles from the crime scene. No word on her cause of death.

“Elizabeth was a kind, considerate and beautiful young woman who needs everyone’s help now,” said her mother, Barbara Lightfoot. She is urging anyone with information to call police. Investigators said they are talking with several people who knew her.

JACKSONVILLE — On Thursday, Cherokee County CID was notified by Jacksonville PD Investigators that there was a possible threat of a student coming to one of the schools and “shooting everyone in sight.” According to KETK and the county sheriff’s department, the initial information was somewhat vague because the original call was from a mother in North Carolina whose stepson had seen the threat posted on Facebook. She looked at the student’s Facebook page, which indicated he lived in “Mt. Heaven, Texas,” and Google showed that to be the “Mt. Haven” community off FM 747 North just outside Jacksonville.

Jacksonville PD disseminated the initial information to Jacksonville ISD Police and to Cherokee County Investigators. As Jacksonville PD and Jacksonville ISD PD attempted to identify the student (which was complicated by the name shown and the profile name – which were different), Cherokee County sent two Investigators to FM 747 in an attempt locate the individual or possible family members.

Cherokee County Investigators immediately contacted Facebook with an “Exigent Circumstances” information request on the IP (Internet Protocol) address and profile information. The IP address information can give investigators a better understanding of where the posts to Facebook were originating.

Facebook responded in 8 minutes from the time the request was made to the time Investigators were tracing the IP address back to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) out of Auckland, New Zealand. Although that information had been received, Investigators continued following up on information for FM 747 and the administration at Jacksonville College while Jacksonville PD Investigators continued with Jacksonville ISD officials and Lon Morris College.

Cherokee County Investigators were also actively searching for other profiles based on the name given to them by Facebook, which did contain a third (and true) name of the student. Another profile of the student was located, and that profile also indicated that he was from New Zealand. A school was identified based on that profile and emails were sent to the administration of Rangiora High School in North Canterbury, New Zealand and the local police department that covers that area.

Because of the time difference, there was a delay of several hours before a response from New Zealand was received; However, by 10:00am Investigators with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville PD were satisfied with the information they had gathered, the leads followed, and were confident that no threat actually existed in this community.

At approximately 4:30pm Cherokee County Investigator Dusty Lee received an email from the principal of Rangiora High School thanking the Department for the information on the student. Officials with the local police department stated they located the student who confessed to making the threats. In part the email reads, “The student has now been located and interviewed with the police and his father present. He has admitted to writing the comments and was extremely distressed. He is already known to us as the victim of severe bullying and has been receiving counselling as a result.

“We have assessed him as ‘no threat to our students’ safety at this time and he is being monitored and supported to resolve the issues he currently faces. I cannot thank you enough for your proactive approach. As a school and as a community we owe you a debt of gratitude for your proactive assistance.”

TYLER — The city of Tyler is encouraging residents to report street light outages. With approximately 400,000 streetlights across the Oncor system, officials say it is important for citizens to help identify lights that are malfunctioning or in need of repair so they can be repaired as soon as possible. Pedestrians are asked to use proper safety precautions when street lights aren’t working. To report streetlight outages online go to https://www.oncorstreetlight.com or email [email protected], or call 1-888-313-4747.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department would like to remind the public that opening day for deer hunting with a rifle begins Saturday. Longview Police want to remind hunters to be safe in their hunting practices and use extreme caution when deciding where to fire their weapon. Hunters need to also use safety vests, safety harnesses in tree stands, and use good judgment when deciding whether or not to harvest an animal.

Motorists are also reporting more deer on or alongside the roadways. Drivers need to use caution when they encounter wildlife on the roadside and slow down in areas where wildlife may be more prevalent. If you find yourself involved in an accident involving a deer or other wildlife, contact your local law enforcement agency or Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to report it.

HENDERSON — Rusk County residents once again can burn trash and brush outdoors, but county officials are pleading with them to be careful and use common sense. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the Rusk County Commissioners Court voted unanimously Thursday morning to change the unconditional burn ban the county had been under since September to a provisional burn ban. “People can now have outdoor fires as long as the fires are in an enclosed burn barrel or receptacle, there is water available nearby and the fire is attended,” said County Judge Joel Hale. “We’re just asking that they take into account the weather conditions.”

Pct. 3 Commissioner Freddy Swann said he thought it was important to allow county residents a window of opportunity in which they could burn before winter frosts set in and dry out vegetation even further. Pct. 4 Commissioner Harold Howell said it’s never been clear how many of the fires that occurred in the county during September and October were the result of people starting fires that got out of control. “Most of the fires we had seemed to be due to downed power lines or lightning strikes,” Howell said. “I think we can trust county residents to make sensible decisions regarding whether or not to burn outdoors.”

The burn ban will remain on the agenda for every meeting for the foreseeable future and will probably be reinstated within the next couple of months if the county doesn’t get significant rainfall, Hale said. The county is 21.5 inches below its normal rainfall for this point in the year.