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QUITMAN – Two persons are in custody and two are being sought in a Wood County home invasion that injured a teenager. The 16 year old boy was alone when his home was broken into and he was stabbed fighting with one of the suspects. He was treated and released from the hospital. The suspects took two televisions, a computer and a rifle and fled. Following up leads, authorities arrested Lawrence “Flow” Herron of Mineola. He has been charged with felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated robbery and organized criminal activity. A Hispanic male juvenile was later arrested in the Mineola area. KETK reports Investigators have identified two additional suspects and warrants have been issued for their arrests.

TYLER — Three local students are among the first recipients of the Trooper Javier Arana Jr. Memorial Scholarship. They gathered at the the Texas Department of Public Safety Tyler Regional Office to receive the award. The scholarship was created in honor of Arana, who was killed in the line of duty in 2012. The first local recipients are James Jackson of Troup High School, Jenna Stanely of Canton High School and Jaylon Seastrunk of Longview High School. Jackson plans to use the scholarship funds towards a degree in law and will be attending UT-Tyler, Stanely plans to study Psychology at Texas State University and Seastrunk will be attending UT-Arlington studying Pre-Med. Continue reading New Scholarship Going to Three Area Students

LONGVIEW — Students at Kilgore College-Longview got a late start on classes Thursday. A blown transformer near the campus knocked out power to nearly 300 customers, including the college. AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company repaired the problem and the doors to the college were reopened.

AUSTIN — The State Board of Education has recognized 15 Texas public school students as Student Heroes for their outstanding volunteer efforts at their schools and communities. One of the students is from Smith County. He is Drvyer Cowart, a second grader in Lindale. He had one wish for his birthday, to help area foster children. He asked his family and friends to raise money for Together We Rise, a non-profit that works with foster children in Smith County. The $2,000 that was raised was used to purchase duffle bags that he and his guests decorated. They were then filled with a blanket, stuffed animal, toiletries and other items.

TYLER — Police are seeking leads in a Thursday morning bank robbery in south Tyler. According to KETK, Public Information Officer Don Martin says two thieves hit Citizens National Bank on W. Grande Boulevard near Old Jacksonville Highway. According to police records, officers were dispatched to the report at 10:07 a.m. Police say they may have found the suspect vehicle, described as a four-door silver Chevrolet with Oklahoma plates. One of the two robbers is described as a black male who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and wearing dark clothes, a hood, and camo face paint. No description is available of the second person. Police said the black male robbed employees at gunpoint as they put cash in an exterior ATM.

TYLER — A man indicted in a 2015 Longview bank robbery is set to take a plea Friday at a hearing in federal court in Tyler. Patrick Terry Gilbert was indicted in November on charges of bank robbery; using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence; felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of an unregistered firearm in the Oct. 23 robbery of Capital One Bank in the 1100 block of Judson Road. Gilbert is accused of robbing the bank with a shotgun while wearing a mask from the movie “Scream.” Attorneys in the case notified the district court Monday that a plea agreement was reached, and a hearing is set Friday morning in Tyler.

GLADEWATER — A Gladewater teenager has been taken into custody after reportedly shooting his father. According to KETK, officers responded to a home on Ferry around 3:00 Wednesday morning and found Noel Garner Sr. with a gunshot wound. Officials said he was shot by his son, Noel Garner, Jr.,19. Garner, Sr. was shot in his face but was able to give officers details of what happened. His injuries were not life-threatening. Garner, Jr. fled the scene before officers arrived but was found a short time later. He was taken into custody without incident and has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

CUSHING — In an argument over a woman, one person is injured and one is in custody in a drive by shooting in Nacogdoches County. It happened around 1:30 Wednesday morning on County Road 971, northwest of Cushing. After diving by the victim’s home several times, and becoming involved in a traffic accident with the home owner, the suspect is said to have driven by an and fired several shots. The homeowner wasn’t there, but a man in the backyard was wounded. He’s being treated at Nacogdoches Medical Center. Sheriff Jason Bridges says the suspect, William Hyde, 26, of Nacogdoches, was arrested at his Cushing area home. A shotgun, thought to have been used in the attack, was found hidden in nearby woods. Hyde was booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

LONGVIEW – The public is being asked to help identify a man responsible for thefts around East Texas. He is wanted for questioning in connection with thefts at Wal-Mart stores in Longview, Kilgore and Marshall. The thefts were reported between May 8th and 17th. In each case, the suspect entered the store in the morning, filled a shopping cart with electronics, and then leaves through an emergency exit. He has been seen driving a red pickup, a silver or gold Firebird and a gold Saturn. If you know this man, you are asked to contact authorities.

SMITH COUNTY — The hours of operation at Smith County’s debris collection site near Lindale have changed. The county is altering the hours it is open to 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, because traffic has slowed. Smith County has been collecting vegetative debris at the site, at 10347 Farm-to-Market Road 16, just east of County Road 4104, since the April 29 storms. Road and Bridge crews continue to work to remove tree debris on the county road rights-of-way to take to the collection site. They ask that area residents take debris from their private property to the collection site instead of placing it on county rights-of-way. The debris collection site will remain open until it is no longer needed, according to officials.

TYLER — The City of Tyler has appointed Gordon Mayer as interim director of utilities. Mayer was previously deputy director of public works and city engineer for the city of Southlake. He is a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) and a member of the Texas City Managers Association and the American Public Works Association, among others. He holds a Master of Engineering degree from Texas A&M and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. Continue reading City of Tyler Appoints Interim Director of Utilities

TYLER — Stores in East Texas and around the state will be offering once-a-year savings on Saturday, May 28, and Monday, Memorial Day, May 30th, during the Texas Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday Memorial Day Weekend. During Memorial Day weekend, Shoppers get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy efficient products including refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less, clothes washers, and dishwashers. Continue reading Texas Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday Memorial Day Weekend

TYLER — Smith County commissioners met Tuesday and updated their rules of decorum. KETK reports they addressed the amount of time members of the public may speak, limiting them to three minutes at the podium. Commissioners also addressed the type of language allowed in the courtroom, and they’re looking at starting workshops to better communicate with the public.

LONGVIEW- Scammers are trying to con Texans out of money. And they are using the Gregg County Sheriff’s name in the scam. Someone is calling locally and around the state threatening threatening arrest unless paid with a pre-paid debit card. They are even using the name of actual Warrants Lieutenant Bill Drennan. Gregg County Sheriff’s Office PIO Josh Tubb told the Longview News Journal they probably got his name off the department’s web site. The calls are said to have come from the telephone number 903-371-1035. Tubb’s advice is to disregard the calls and report it to the sheriff’s office.

TYLER — One person has been hospitalized following a wreck in Tyler this morning. According to KETK, three vehicles collided at the intersection of East 4th Street and Broadway Avenue, near Walgreen’s, around 5:45. Police closed the southbound lanes on Broadway while the wreckage was cleared. The roadway has since been reopened and traffic is moving normally. No word on the extent of injuries.

EAST TEXAS (AP) – A boost from former presidential candidate Ted Cruz may have helped an East Texas Republican win the nomination for a state Senate seat. Bryan Hughes beat David Simpson on Tuesday night in a primary runoff between the two state House members. Cruz called Hughes a “conservative fighter” in recorded phone messages to voters. Cruz seldom gets involved in legislative races and has been mostly quiet since ending his White House run. But the raucous support the U.S. senator drew at the Texas Republican Convention earlier this month was a reminder of his influence with GOP voters statewide. No Democrats bothered to run in the solidly conservative senate district. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who controls the Senate, had also endorsed Hughes to replace outgoing Republican Sen. Kevin Eltife. Continue reading May 2016 Run-Off Election Results

LONGVIEW – The northbound lane of Farm Road 2087 at the Sabine River Bridge in Gregg County will be closed today, and possibly even Thursday. This will be necessary for work in advance of building a new bridge. Motorists can expect delays during the day. A report from the Texas Department of Transportation says the southbound lane will carry two-way traffic through this work zone with flaggers providing traffic control. Work will be conducted between 7:00am and 7:00pm, so it will be to your advantage if you can take alternate routes during this time. The project to build the new Sabine River Bridge is scheduled to go to bid in August with construction starting in the fall.

HARRISON COUNTY — The bug that changed Major League Baseball has been found in East Texas. The Texas A&M Forest Service trapped four adult emerald ash borer beetles in Harrison County just south of Karnack. Although the ash trees in the immediate vicinity of the trap did not exhibit symptoms of the pest, efforts are underway to identify any infested trees. Before the emerald ash borer was discovered in michigan in 2002 baseball bats were made of ash. After millions of ash trees were destroyed, manufacturerers were forced to switch to maple.

TYLER- East Texas Giving Day raised over $479,000 for area non-profits. Of that figure, $357,514 went to 96 Smith County charities. Leading the pack was the Promise Academy which received over $30,000 in gifts. They were followed by PATH and The Hospice of East Texas. The donations to East Texas charities came from 22 states and 2 countries earlier this month. East Texas Communities Foundation President Kyle Penny said they thought the first year’s results are remarkable and they see great potential for Giving Day 2017.

TYLER — Oncor Electric Delivery is upgrading electric facilities in the downtown Tyler area. The area can expect a power outage from 10:30pm through 6:00 Wednesday morning. According to a news release from the county, Oncor says the Smith County Elections Office, which is conducting the primary runoff elections, will not be affected. But, as a precaution, the county has brought in a backup generator. Early voting totals were expected to be released shortly after the polls close at 7:00. Because of the threat of a potential power outage, election workers planned to count the election totals without stopping to post any updates, in an effort to get the complete but unofficial totals released before 10:30pm.

MARSHALL – The Marshall School District is a step closer to getting a new school superintendent. At a called meeting Tuesday, school trustees named Jerry Gibson as the lone finalist for the post. Now comes the 21 day waiting period before the selection can become final. Gibson is currently Superintendent at Coldspring-Oakhurst ISD, a post he has held since 2013. He was selected from over 50 applicants for the Marshall position. Gibson succeeds Marc Smith who left a couple of months ago to become school superintendent in Duncanville.

BROWNSBORO — School trustees in Brownsboro have named the lone finalist for the superintendent’s position. At a called meeting Monday, the Brownsboro School Board selected Tommy Hunter for the post. As required by law, they must now wait 21 days before making a final appointment. Hunter was selected from over 50 applicants for the position. He is currently superintendent of the S & S Consolidated School District north of Sherman. He will succeed Dr. Christopher Moran, who has become school superintendent in Whitehouse.

LONGVIEW — The decline in sales tax revenue is forcing cities like Longview and Gladewater to go into “conservation mode.” KETK reports East Texans are spending less than they used to at local businesses and that’s causing Longview to tighten its budget planning. The city says it’s been a trickle effect since the decline in oil and gas prices. The state Comptroller’s Office says Longview sales tax revenues have dropped over 15 consecutive months. Continue reading Longview Deals with Falling Sales Tax Revenues

LONGVIEW — As the investigation into a fatal shooting in Longview continues, the victim’s family has released his name. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, Devin Newson, 20, of Lakeport, was shot in the parking lot of a Food Fast convenience store on South Eastman Road just before 2:00 Monday morning. He was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Talyna Carlson. Anyone with information regarding the shooting is urged to contact police. Continue reading Family Identifies Longview Shooting Victim

AUSTIN (AP) – A retired Texas schoolteacher who claims President Barack Obama is a gay prostitute is the front-runner in a Republican primary runoff for a seat on the influential state education board. Mary Lou Bruner is back on the ballot Tuesday after nearly clinching the Republican nomination outright in March. That was despite her lengthy social media history of posting about conspiracy theories, including that Democrats orchestrated John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Her election would be stunning, even given that the 15-member Texas State Board of Education was chaired until 2011 by a creationist who tried weakening evolution lessons in science classes. The board more recently fought over whether textbooks contain anti-American biases. Bruner has said she wasn’t intending to run for office when she posted her beliefs on Facebook.