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NACOGDOCHES — The Freedom From Religion Foundation has set its sights on another East Texas school. According to KETK, the group claims a student from Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches contacted them and said that teachers were showing religious movies in the classroom. An attorney for the organization called the district and advised them to immediately stop showing the films. The school complied and said they will also continue to train their staff on establishment clause issues.

MARSHALL – Marshall police are asking for the public’s help in finding a fugitive who has evaded arrest. He is 28 year old Justin Kyle Strong of Marshall. Strong is wanted for an outstanding felony warrant for evading arrest with a vehicle. He is described as a white male who stands about 6’2 and weighs160 pounds with a medium build. The Marshall Police Department asks that if you have any information about where Strong can be located, call them at 903-935-4575 or 903-935-4540. If you wish to remain anonymous call Marshall/Harrison County Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969.

LONGVIEW – A super load is heading toward the Eastman Plant in Longview. Edwards Moving and Rigging began moving a very tall Cold Box from The Port of Caddo-Bossier Friday morning at 9:00. According to a news release from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the transporter will have one truck pulling and one truck pushing the combined weight of 539,000 pounds. The convoy will average 1 mph each day for three days. This transport will have multiple utility and electric companies raising wires, along with 10-12 police officers assisting. This Super Load is much like the one the company transported in July 2015 and will travel the same route. Motorists are encouraged to avoid the transport route. That would include State Highway 149 to the Interstate Highway 20 frontage road and then to Callahan Road. Traffic may have major delays with high congestion. The route also includes some difficult turns so motorists are reminded to use other routes to avoid delays.

LONGVIEW – Authorities have announced the arrest of a man accused of robbing a Longview motel. The Baymont Inn near Interstate 20 was robbed early Wednesday morning. The man, armed with a stick, is said to have taken money from behind the counter and an employee’s purse. After watching watching surveillance video of the robbery, police found Malique Makail Henderson, 19, of Longview at a nearby restaurant. When arrested about two hours after the robbery, they are said to have found the motel employee’s credit cards in his sock and money from the robbery in his pants. Henderson remains in the Gregg County Jail.

TYLER – The University of Texas System Board of Regents, who met Wednesday, made no moves to change the concealed handgun rules developed earlier this year at U-T Tyler. The University of Texas at Tyler policy details the areas on campus where concealed handguns are not allowed, calls for the development of training to educate the campus about the law and basic requirements of campus carry and creates a structure for concealed carry within residential facilities. It also outlines enforcement guidelines for campus carry violations. The policy was formulated by a campus carry working group, which was comprised of faculty, students and staff. It is scheduled to take effect August 1st. Continue reading No Changes to U-T Tyler’s Concealed Handgun Rules

TYLER – Because of a break in the mainline, the Woldert Park sprayground will be temporarily closed for repairs. The sprayground is expected to reopen on Saturday The Woldert Park pool remains open to the public and will maintain its regular operating hours.

TYLER — The City of Tyler’s Main Street Department has been reaccredited as a Main Street America program for meeting what city officials term rigorous performance standards set by the National Main Street Center. Each year, the National Main Street Center and its Coordinating Program partners announce the list of accredited Main Street America programs in recognition of their exemplary commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach, according to a news release from the city. Continue reading City of Tyler Receives 2016 National Main Street Accreditation

TROUP — The Troup Police Department has identified the man killed in a shooting early Thursday morning. Police were called to the 200 block of West Duval around 12:20 this morning regarding a shooting and found James Richard LaDue, 30, of Troup, dead at the scene. Police said he was initially at a home on North Noble Street when shots were fired. A woman then took him to the Duval location and called police. Smith County SWAT and Tyler Police Department were called to help the Troup Police Department with the investigation. Continue reading Homicide Investigation Underway in Troup

NACOGDOCHES — The Nacogdoches Police Department is investigating an early morning shooting that left one person dead and one in serious condition. According to KETK, officers were called to an apartment in the 500 block of Tangleberry Street shortly after 4:00 Wednesday morning. Officers were met by a roommate who said a female, identified as Chloe Love, 22, of Houston, had forced her way into the apartment, confronted another female in a bedroom and produced a handgun. The roommate ran from the residence and heard a gunshot as she was exiting. Continue reading One Woman Dead in Attempted Murder/Suicide

TYLER – A Smith County man has been arrested for seriously injuring his baby. Investigators says Wesley Watkins, 22, had been caring for the four month old at his Lindale home earlier this month. He first said was attempting to feed the baby when he accidentally dropped her on the floor. He then put her to bed. When the mother found a large amount of swelling to the baby’s head, She was taken to a Kilgore hospital and later flown to a Dallas hospital. When he was interviewed again this week, Wesley admitted to accidentally dropping the baby and then, when she wouldn’t stop crying, he threw her across the bed, where she hit her head on a bed railing. He remains in the Smith County Jail under a $250,000 bond.

TYLER – The need for blood has a tendency to increase in the summer while, at the same time, blood donations tend to decrease. The need for blood increases because of vacation accidents and scheduled elective surgery. This, coupled with no high school student blood drives in the summer, can reduce blood supplies. Jacque Decker, Manager of Operations at the Carter Blood Care in Tyler, says 25% to 30% of all their blood supplies come from these student blood drives. Currently, she says blood supplies at the center are steady. But that could change any day. Decker encourages donors to come to the center or a mobile blood drive. You can go to http://www.carterbloodcare.org to get more information or find a mobile blood drive near you.

HENDERSON — A former Tatum teacher will serve five years probation for having an improper relationship with a student. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Kallie Boxell, 24, of Tatum, entered a plea deal on July 7 that includes deferred adjudication community service and the surrender of her teaching certification. During sentencing in Henderson, the victim’s mother made an impassioned impact statement on her child’s behalf, urging other people to come forward and report such offenses, Rusk County and District Attorney Micheal Jimerson said. “This result was entirely due to the tremendous courage and honesty of one young person who told the truth and did not waiver,” Jimerson said. Continue reading Ex-Tatum Teacher Given Probation for Improper Relationship

TYLER – Tyler police have released the identity of a body found on the city’s west side. The body was discovered around 8:00 Tuesday morning in the 900 block of South Southwest Loop 323. The deceased is identified as Richard Wayne Farmer, 49, Tyler. Investigators located an ID on the body that was later confirmed to be the identification of the deceased. There were no evident signs of foul play present upon the initial investigation. Farmer’s body was sent to the Dallas County Medical Examiner for an autopsy. Farmer was not reported missing with the Tyler Police Department. This case remains under investigation pending further information and possible evidence. Continue reading Body Found in Tyler Identified

EAST TEXAS — Gregg County elected officials and law enforcement officers gathered alongside residents at the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center event hoping to make sense of the tragedy and offering prayers and calls for unity as they remembered the five officers killed and the nine others others wounded, KETK reports. “I can tell you that pain and hurt does not stop at the Dallas city limits,” Longview Mayor Andy Mack said during the service. “In Longview alone, there are 170 sworn officers who feel the weight of that burden, who feel the weight of that hurt and whose families feel fear and anxiety knowing the potential danger each day.” Continue reading East Texans Honor Slain Officers

LONGVIEW — A Longview woman was arrested Monday at the Western Villa Mobile Home Park after she injured a man in an argument and threw several objects at officers trying to detain her, according to the Longview News-Journal and KETK. Shella Abasolo Sarratt, 20, Longview, is being held on charges of aggravated assault of a date/family/household member and assault of a public servant. She remained in the Gregg County Jail Tuesday afternoon on $15,000 bond. Police were called to the trailer park in the 4500 block of West Loop 281 on a family violence call Monday at about 9 a.m., where they found a man stepping out of his house with red scratches around his elbow. Continue reading Longview Woman Charged with Assault

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Cherokee County authorities are looking for 3 burglary suspects who broke into one business and attempted another one. It occurred on Wednesday, July 6th.The first break in was at the Subway in Alto. They then left and went to Wells where they tried to break into Polk’s Pick-It-Up convenience store. They were scared off by the stores burglar alarm. But they returned a short time later and tried to get in again. They then left Wells and returned to Alto and re-entered the Subway store through the broken front door. Continue reading Cherokee County Burglary Suspects Sought

MARSHALL – A suspicious package in a vehicle lead Marshall police to a marijuana seizure. The marijuana was in packages wrapped in black tape in the hatchback area of an SUV which was on a car hauler at a Marshall service station. After moving it to a safer location, a police dog alerted officers to drugs in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle turned up four large packages containing marijuana wrapped in black tape. The marijuana weighed 91.2 pounds. No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is continuing.

TYLER – Construction In Tyler in the first half of the year continued at a healthy clip. Through June 307 building permits were issued. Their value is $151,237,113. That compares to 219 permits valued at $125,260,113 in the first six months of last year. Residential construction continues to be strong. Through the end of June, 233 residential building permits had been issued. There were 299 residential building permits issued in all of last year. The city of Tyler Chief Planner Kyle Kingma says we are currently in our busy construction season. He sees Tyler’s construction numbers the remainder of the year continuing to outpace the figures from last year.

LONGVIEW – A Longview woman is in jail after police say she chased a man in his car and pointed a gun at him. Charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon was Anita Yvette Seastrunk, 34. A man told officers he was followed for several blocks by a vehicle he recognized. When the woman driver rolled down the window and pointed a gun at him, the man veered down a side street to get away from her. Officers later found and arrested Seastrunk and found a 9mm semi-automatic handgun in her car.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating an armed robbery Monday night. Officers said they received a call from a Domino’s Pizza delivery driver reporting they were robbed at gunpoint by two suspects at the Fox Run Apartments on SSE Loop 323 around 10:35. The driver said they were in the process of making a delivery to one of the apartments when they were approached by the suspects. One of the suspects reportedly pointed a gun at the delivery driver and demanded the food, then they both fled on foot. The suspects are described as thin black men, wearing dark clothing and masks. No injuries were reported.

TYLER — In honor of the officers killed in last week’s Dallas attack, Smith County law enforcement personnel and supporters met on Tyler’s downtown square Monday at noon for a solidarity service. According to KETK, police said it meant a lot to have the public come out and support them. Tyler Police Officer Don Martin said the event was held to send condolences to the families of the deceased along with honoring the men who were killed. The service started and ended with prayer. Names of the fallen officers were read; officers saluted. The crowd watched in silence. After the ceremony, people thanked peace officers for what they do.

LONGVIEW – Two men remain in custody in Longview, accused of seriously beating a man who was trying to buy marijuana from them. The injured man was found outside the American Dream Inn. He told officers when he found out the men didn’t have the drug, he tried to leave and they beat him. He was attacked by one man with a metal pipe. The other man was said to have used his fists and feet. Arrested were Michael David Hernandez, 35, and Leonard Epps, 36, both from Longview. Epps (pictured) is charged of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Hernandez is charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.

LONGVIEW – Longview police say a local woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease was found safe Monday afternoon. According to KETK, Mable Adams, 65, had last seen between 9:00 and 10:00 Sunday morning in the Green Street area.

CANTON – A Corsicana man has been arrested following a chase through Gregg, Smith and Van Zandt Counties. The chase started just before 11:00 Sunday night in Gregg County. It began with a call to the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office about a drunk driver. He was chased along Interstate Highway 20 into Smith County where tire spikes destroyed three of his tires. The car, driving on its rims, left the interstate between Van and Canton. That’s where Harry Donald Nicholson Jr., 56, was arrested. He’s been charged with driving while intoxicated and evading arrest.

LONGVIEW — Law enforcement agencies from across Gregg County invite the public to gather together in memory of the Dallas police officers who died in the line of duty last week during a special service called “Honor the Fallen.” The ceremony, which will include a Dallas Officers’ Memorial and law enforcement appreciation, will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex. The event is open to the public and will include appreciation of all Gregg County area law enforcement agencies such as Gladewater, Kilgore, Lakeport, Longview, and White Oak.

WHITE OAK — Audio of a call from what sounds like an elderly woman to the White Oak Police Department is going viral. And maybe that’s because we need a very sweet change of pace after the horror of the murders of five police officers in Dallas. The woman says, “Could you just tell our police department thanks from me for keeping our community safe?” The dispatcher answers, “I sure can. Thank you so much.” The caller continues, “I’m just so devastated about what happened in Dallas.” She goes on to say that we don’t always say “Thank you” enough.

LONGVIEW — Former Longview Lobo football player Travian Clayborn died Friday night after being in a car accident. According to KETK, Longview head coach John King told the Longview News-Journal he was told about the wreck on the phone, but no more details about the accident were available. Across social media, friends and family have been pouring out their love for Clayborn and his family. Teammate and fellow graduate Kybrin Sheridan was seriously injured in the accident. Sheridan played defensive lineman for the Lobos and was the team’s defensive MVP. After graduation, he signed with Texas A&M Commerce. His condition is listed as stable. Both Sheridan and Clayborn were selected to this year’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of a Champion Bowl, which was played last month.