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SMITH COUNTY — The New York-based American Kennel Club has announced the first “AKC Paw of Courage” medal winners. One of them is Ogar, a Belgian Malinois, who was shot and killed following a January 19th traffic stop in Smith County. Ogar was working for the Precinct 5 constable’s office out of Lindale when he was shot. The suspect, 36 year old Michael Koch of Grand Saline, was later arrested in Dallas. He was indicted by the Smith County Grand Jury last month. Continue reading K-9 Ogar Receives National Award

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP/Staff) – A central Kentucky church is remembering a father and three sons who were killed in a weekend crash while visiting family in Texas. Pastor Jeff Fugate of Clays Mill Road Baptist Church in Lexington told local media that the family was “an intricate part of every ministry of our church.” Investigators say the four died Saturday in a three-vehicle crash in Panola County when their van was struck from behind by a Chevrolet Tahoe while waiting for another car to make a left turn. The van was pushed into oncoming traffic, where a tractor-trailer rig slammed into it. The Texas Department of Public Safety says 46-year-old Israel Avelar, 17-year-old Kevin Avelar, 13-year-old Daniel Avelar and 6-year-old Matthew Avelar died in the crash. KLTV reports three other van passengers were hospitalized, as were the drivers of the Tahoe and the 18-wheeler.

LONGVIEW — Nearly two dozen Longview drivers have been ticketed during “Operation Life-Saver.” Union Pacific says every three hours a vehicle or a person is hit by a train. Friday Longview police and the Union Pacific teamed up to tackle illegal crossings at railroad stops. With officers along a four mile route, and one on the train, they caught drivers on Friday who were accused of breaking the law. KETK reports over 20 drivers were ticketed, five of those at the crossing on Enterprise Street. This is not the first time such and operation has been staged, and it will not be the last.

WHITEHOUSE — A multi-vehicle wreck that ground traffic to a halt early this morning in Whitehouse has since been cleared. Police were urging motorists to use caution when traveling in the area near Whitehouse High School.

SAN ANTONIO — With the death of music superstar Prince, the danger of prescription painkillers is in the spotlight — and now a Tyler icon is weighing in. Many don’t know that John Tyler Lions, Texas Longhorns, and Houston Oilers legend Earl Campbell struggled to overcome an opioid addiction. He told a fundraiser for San Antonio’s Rise Center, which helps addicts, that it was one of his five doctors who got his kids involved. Campbell said his son Tyler told him the children had checked out what he was doing — and that if he kept doing it, he’d “be dead like Michael Jackson.” Campbell says it’s too easy to get prescriptions for painkillers. He used to drive from Austin to Houston to get pain shots.

LONGVIEW — Police have charged a Longview woman with shooting her brother in a domestic dispute. According to the Longview News-Journal, Celia Nicole Hall, 32, is in the Gregg County Jail awaiting arraignment. Longview police say officers were dispatched to a shots fired call in the 3700 block of Dowell Drive around 10:00 Friday night. Officers said they were told Hall and her brother were arguing, and the argument led to Hall retrieving a gun and shooting her brother in the face. She was arrested on a charge of aggravated assault/family violence with a deadly weapon. He bond was set at $40,000. Continue reading Woman Accused of Shooting Brother Remains Jailed

GLADEWATER — A 34-year-old woman has been hospitalized after officials said she was struck by a train. According to KETK, Talishia Foreman, of Gladewater, was reportedly attempting to cross the railroad tracks when she was hit around 5:30 Saturday morning. She reportedly suffered minor lacerations and an injured hip. Foreman was transported to the hospital by EMS. Her condition is unknown at this time.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man has been arrested following a high speed chase with numerous law enforcement officers. The pursuit began Saturday afternoon on Loop 323 in Tyler and continued onto County Road 45. The driver, later identified as Kenny Leroy Johnson, 37, drove into a wooded area where he ditched the car and fled on foot. DPS helicopters and Smith County K-9 units were called in and Johnson was apprehended a short time later. Tyler police also assisted in the pursuit. According to online judicial records, Johnson has a lengthy criminal history including evading arrest, nonpayment of child support, failure to appear and parole violation.

LONGVIEW — One man is killed in a motorcycle wreck early Saturday morning in Longview. According to KETK, Ronnie Gene Fleet, 35, of Longview, was traveling Northbound on Pine Tree Road just after 1:00 am when a vehicle pulled out from a private drive in the path of the motorcycle. Fleet died as a result of his injuries. Police said they believe speed and distracted driving may have been factors in the crash.

SMITH COUNTY – One child has been flown to a local hospital after a near-drowning incident at The Villages. According to KETK, officials were unable to release any information about the child’s condition. The incident is under investigation.

TYLER — Tyler Police were at the scene of a car crash last night at the intersection of Loop 323 and New Copeland Road. Officials said a car crashed into a utility pole causing the lines to fall across the roadway. Oncore crews were at the scene making repairs. Traffic was rerouted for several hours. No word on the driver’s condition.

TYLER – A state pageant is coming to Tyler this fall. At a news conference Friday, it was announced that the Ms. Texas Senior Classic Pageant will be in Tyler October 1st. It will be held at the Holiday Inn on South Broadway. State Director and Pageant President Peggy Wagner said the hotel in Plano, where it had been held, has been sold. And the reiging queen, Jo Anne McMeans of Tyler, suggested the Rose City. After talking about it and visiting the city, Wagner said there couldn’t be a more perfect place to hold the pageant. Continue reading Senior Pageant Coming to Tyler

LONGVIEW — Police have arrested a Longview man for drug violations. Arrested as officers served a search warrant at a house on South 15th Street was Robert Lee Oliver Jr., 68. Officers report finding a large quantity of narcotics, cash, and a handgun in the house. Oliver was booked into the Gregg County Jail on a charge of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.

LONGVIEW — A man who was dressed as a woman during a Kilgore robbery has been sentenced to prison. Gene Williams, 45, of Shreveport had been accused of the 2012 robbery of Rose Package Store #3 in Kilgore. He even fired his handgun during the robbery. No one was injured. Williams, who had previously pled guilty to the robbery, has been sentenced by State District Judge Alfonso Charles to 75 years in Prison. He will be eligible for parole in 30 years.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin burglar went to a lot of trouble to get nothing. Lufkin police, early Friday morning, responded to a burglar alarm at Beard Fine Jewelers on South First Street. They found a front window broken out. The surveillance video shows the window was broken by a man with a crowbar who was wearing a black jacket with a white and gray hood, gloves and maybe a mask. Inside the store he placed seven Rolex boxes in a bag an fled. He later found the watch boxes were empty.

HENDERSON – A Henderson man reported missing at midweek has been found. Dominique Rashawn Cade, 22, was last seen between 6:30 and 7:00 Monday night. He was leaving work from the parking lot of Sadler’s Smokehouse on North Frisco Street. Henderson police report Cade returned home Thursday.

EAST TEXAS — Mary Lou Bruner, a candidate for State Board of Education District 9, has responded to heavy criticism of comments she made at a superintendents’ meeting at Region 7 earlier this month. KETK reports her response also follows the withdrawal of support for Bruner from Grassroots America – We The People (GAWTP). On her Facebook page, Bruner says, in part, “I have been severely criticized for statements I made at the superintendent’s meeting in Kilgore on May 4, 2016. This incident has Saul Alinsky’s demolition tactics written all over it.” Continue reading Bruner Responds to Criticism, Withdrawal of GAWTP Support

KILGORE – Kilgore police feel they have arrested a man who has been going around East Texas stealing Yeti coolers. Currently free on a $16,500 bond is Tanner Mark Beattie, 24, of Longview. He is said to have cruised parking lots in Marshall, Longview and Kilgore, looking for truck beds with Yeti coolers. Many were locked or chained. But bolt cutters were used to steal the coolers, which were later sold on the internet on Craigslist. Beattie has been charged with four counts of theft of property valued between $100 and $700.

TYLER — The Tyler ISD school board voted Thursday night to seek lifting a more than 40 year old federal desegregation order. According to KETK, the district is seeking unitary status, which is achieved when no racial discrimination involving faculty, staff, student assignment, facilities transportation and extracurricular activities exists in the district. The Board of Trustees voted 7-0 in favor of lifting the order. The motion will now move to the federal government. Continue reading TISD Votes to Pursue Lifting Desegregation Order

MT. ENTERPRISE – One person has been killed in a one vehicle accident in Rusk County. The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 84, two miles east of Mt. Enterprise shortly before 5:30 Thursday afternoon. Dead at the scene was Samuel King Brown, 50, of Jacksonville. The preliminary report indicated his Peterbuilt truck tractor, towing a semi-trailer, was heading west when he lost control of the vehicle. The Department of Public Safety report said the vehicle went into a ditch and hit several trees.

TYLER (Staff/AP) – Gov. Greg Abbott stopped in Tyler Thursday on a bus tour to promote his book detailing how he overcame an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Abbott greeted the public and signed copies of “Broken But Unbowed” at Hastings on South Broadway. In 1984 at age 26, Abbott was jogging when a falling tree crushed his spine and left him using a wheelchair. So why read the book? The governor told KETK, “You can tell from what is going on in the presidential race. Now, there is great angst about what is going on in America. I provide a solution to the challenges we face in the United States today.”

BEN WHEELER – A two vehicle accident has killed one person and injured one in Van Zandt County. The Department of Public Safety reports state troopers worked the head-on crash on State Highway 64 near the intersection of Farm Road 279. According to KETK, the victim has been identified as Joanne Davis, 45, of Grand Saline. We’ll have more information when it becomes available.

TYLER — One person has been arrested as multiple Tyler police units, including a K9 unit, converged on an Azalea District house Thursday morning. According to KETK, ATF was also at the scene and carried out bags of cash and multiple guns. Police were searching the property on Fourth Street. Witnesses heard multiple flash-bangs before authorities entered the property. A man listed at the address, 59-year-old Hubert Wright, was arrested Thursday and charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. He is being held on $400,000 bond. ATF referred questions to the Department of Justice, which has thus far declined comment, citing an open investigation.

AUSTIN — A Nacogdoches County student is one of three students being honored by Keep Texas Beautiful and the Texas Department of Transportation. It’s for their litter-prevention efforts with 2016 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarships. Destiny Scaief of Woden was one of over 1,300 Texas high school seniors who applied for this year’s scholarships. The winning essays detailed solutions to prevent litter. The other winners were Nely Munoz of Utopia, Eugena Choice of Sugar Land.

LONGVIEW — Tobacco retailers are getting a verbal pat on the back from Longview police. On May 6, police conducted a sting operation. They checked 46 different tobacco retailers within the city, testing for compliance with the state law in regards to underage tobacco sales. Only one citation was issued for “Sale of Cigarette or Tobacco Products to a Person Younger than 18”. The citation was issued at “This Our Store”, located at 559 South Mobberly Avenue. More of these unannounced stings will be performed in the future.

LONGVIEW — A family disturbance has led to the arrest of a Longview man. Taken into custody at his home on George Richey Road was 37 year old Wayne Anthony Donato. He is accused of slamming his wife up against a wall numerous times and of trying to choke her. When the 11 year old daughter tried to intercede, he is said to grabbed her by the neck and threw her. The Longview News Journal reports Donato has been charged with assault/family violence by impeding breath or circulation and injury to a child. No word on what led to the violence.

LINDALE –Smith County’s debris collection site was closed Thursday because of muddy, slippery conditions. But, even with the site closed, crews from the Smith County Road and Bridge Department still worked in the rain, cutting and stacking up tree debris on the county road right-of-ways. The debris will be taken at a later date to the site on Farm Road 16 near Lindale. They hope to reopen the site on Friday. County Engineer Frank Davis says because of the weather, the clean-up should take another three to four weeks to complete.