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NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches police are looking for the occupants of what may be a gray Pontiac in connection with a drive-by shooting the left three persons injured. It happened around 10:00 Tuesday night in the 1800 block of Douglass Road. The suspects are said to have fired on a car containing four persons. A woman passenger was shot in the upper body and a 4 year old boy was wounded in the leg. They were taken to a Nacogdoches hospital for treatment. The man driving the car suffered a superficial wound to his arm. According to a police department news release, a 2 year old who was also a passenger in the car, was not injured. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

TYLER — Tyler ISD will begin accepting inter-district transfer students, or students who live outside designated Tyler ISD school zones, beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. Chief Student and Support Services Officer Ken Vaughn explains that inter-district transfers give parents and guardians more options for education that range from being able to attend a school closer to their home or having the option to choose a school that best fits the learning style. “Tyler ISD is a desirable option for parents who reside outside the Tyler ISD attendance boundary for many reasons, ranging from logics to academics. Previously, parents who requested admission to Tyler ISD were denied access to the excellent educational programs that are offered in the District.” Continue reading Tyler ISD Welcomes Inter-District Transfer Students

NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches police are looking for the occupants of what may be a gray Pontiac in connection with a drive-by shooting the left three persons injured. It happened around 10:00 Tuesday night in the 1800 block of Douglass Road. The suspects are said to have fired on a car containing four persons. A woman passenger was shot in the upper body and a 4 year old boy was wounded in the leg. They were taken to a Nacogdoches hospital for treatment. The man driving the car suffered a superficial wound to his arm. According to a police department news release, a 2 year old who was also a passenger in the car, was not injured. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

EAST TEXAS — The boil water notice issued by the West Gregg Special Utilities District has been lifted. The order was issued Saturday for persons living from Interstate Highway 20 to State Highway 31 between Tyler and Kilgore. Because of a water main break Saturday, people living in that area were told to boil their water for at least two minutes before cooking, drinking or making ice. The boil water notice for that area has been lifted and the water is safe to consume.

LONGVIEW — A family of four have been displaced by a Longview fire. The blaze in the 400 block of Thelma Street was reported shortly before 3:45 Tuesday afternoon. It was said to be under control in about 20 minutes. No injuries have been reported and the cause has not been determined.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department is asking the public for more information on a man accused of sexually assaulting a child. On Monday Gregg County Deputies and White Oak Police Officers arrested Bryan Keith Roberts, 25, of White Oak. According to the department Facebook page, he has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. If you have further information regarding Roberts’ criminal activity, contact Gregg County Investigator Craig Harrington at 903-237-2529 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.

MALAKOFF — Two East Texas women have been busted in Malakoff, accused of buying marijuana in Colorado and selling it in Henderson County. Arrested were Nateleigh Brooke Organ, 21, of Eustace and Savanna Brooke Foster, 23, of Wills Point. During the investigation it was learned the women were the subjects of an attempted robbery in Van Zandt County. Bullet holes were found in their car. Continue reading Two Accused of Selling Marijuana in Henderson County

TYLER — A two month Tyler Police narcotics investigation lead to a large seizure of Hashish, marijuana, cash, weapons as well as warrants for engaging in organized criminal activity. Charged in the case are Paul Bronson Champion ,64, and his two sons Stephen, 32, and Christopher Champion, 28. Tyler Police narcotics investigators arrested Paul Champion for engaging in organized criminal activity (Felony 1st degree) and possession of controlled substance (State Jail Felony) with bonds totaling $1,075,000. Continue reading Family Members Named in Tyler Criminal Activity Warrants

TYLER — Charges have been filed in the Smith County death of a boy in an ATV accident. An arrest warrant was issued for Vernon Ray Caddell by State District Judge Jack Skeen, Jr. Caddell turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning. Caddell is believed responsible for stringing barbed wire across county road 3158. Jiree Mobley hit the wire while riding his ATV Sunday afternoon. He was thrown from the vehicle. He later died at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. Caddell has been charged with manslaughter. His bond has been set at $750,000.

TYLER — Drivers who use Toll 49 should plan for minor delays during the day today. The west bound lane of Toll 49, starting from the westbound entrance ramp on Old Jacksonville Highway to the County Road178 entrance ramp will experience lane closures while preventive maintenance is performed today. There will also be temporary road closures for maintenance work being performed at Paluxy Dive just past the westbound entrance ramp. There will be one lane open at all times and work will be performed on the road during the day, during non-peak hours.

GILMER – A jury in Gilmer has found Jonathan Ray Shepherd guilty of capital murder. Since the district attorney was not seeking the death penalty, this means Shepherd will be sentenced to life in prison, without parole. Shepherd admitted to killing Cheyenne Green on September 26, 2013. She was shot in the Buckeye Stadium parking lot during a football game at Gilmer High School. Continue reading Gilmer Man Found Guilty of Capital Murder, gets Life Sentence

FLINT — Two women have been injured in a shooting in southwestern Smith County. Both were shot in the leg and the injuries were said not to be serious. They were taken to East Texas Medical Center for treatment. It happened off County Road 149 in the Flint area around 5:00 Monday afternoon. The suspect, who the women knew, is said to have taken money and a purse from the women. The man left the scene in a white 2-door Pontiac.

LONGVIEW — Authorities in Gregg County are asking for the public’s help in locating two missing teenage girls. Both are thought to be runaways. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department asking for the public to help in locating Paiglynn Raymond, 15. She was seen at 8:00 Friday morning in the Liberty City area and was last seen in the Grapevine area of Dallas. According to the sheriff’s department Face Book page, she was last seen wearing a purple tank top, blue jeans, black and white shoes, and carrying a grey backpack. She is about 5’6, 135 lbs, with brown eyes and brown hair. And they say she may have cut her hair and dyed it an unknown color. If anyone has information on her whereabouts, contact Inv. Jon Fulgham at 903-237-2531 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-8408. Continue reading Two Teenage Girls Missing in Gregg County

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department has announced the death of K9 Duke. The dog worked alongside Sgt. Tracy Freeman for the past 5 years. It was concluded that Duke died of natural causes.

MARSHALL — A Marshall School District employee has been arrested on an animal cruelty charge. He is Paul Warren Smith, 61. The maintenance/pesticide technician with the school district has been placed on administrative leave. He was arrested after a video showed him throwing puppies over a fence. The video was placed Monday morning on a social media site by Pet Place. It shows Smith moving a card board box to the rear of a vehicle. He then takes puppies from the box and drops them over a fence. Smith was arrested when he came to the police department to talk with investigators.

TYLER — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a new ranking system for hospitals nationwide. Texas Spine & Joint Hospital is the only hospital in the Tyler/Longview area to receive 5 Stars, the highest possible ranking. Star rankings are based on survey feedback from actual patients. “I have said many times that patient safety and patient satisfaction are our top priorities. This recognition is further proof of our commitment to our patients,” stated Tony Wahl, CEO of Texas Spine & Joint Hospital. “Feedback from patients, both positive and negative, is a valuable tool in our quest for excellence,” added Wahl. Continue reading 5 Star Rating for Texas Spine & Joint Hospital

TYLER — Charges may be filed in the death of a 12 year old Smith County boy. Jiree Moble died Sunday afternoon when the ATV he was riding hit barbed wire, tossing him from the vehicle. A land owner had strung the wire across the dead end portion of County Road 3158. It was his effort to keep people off his property. But sheriff’s department spokesman Gary Middleton says the barbed wire was strung across a portion of the road. Moble was taken to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler where he was pronounced dead. The investigation is continuing.

TYLER — A Smith County argument, in which shots were fired, has resulted in the arrest of on person. It happened around 6:00 last night at a residence on Chapman Road, which is off U.S. Highway 271. A man in his 20s is said to have started shooting during a family argument. The sheriff’s office tells KETK that two adults and a 10 year old boy were in the house at the time of the shooting. They were not injured. The suspect was jailed on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of child endangerment.

ARLINGTON (AP/STAFF) — Lindale’s Miranda Lambert won four awards, including album and song of the year, but the singer lost the night’s top prize to Luke Bryan at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards. It was a repeat of the Country Music Association Awards in November, where Lambert won multiple prizes but lost the big award to Bryan. Lambert was the sole female nominated for entertainer of the year; other nominees included Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean and Florida Georgia Line, who won two awards Sunday at the AT&T Stadium. Though she lost the top prize, again, Lambert was the queen of the night. She was on a red-hot winning streak, and she even rocked a red-hot bustier when she performed “Little Red Wagon.” Lambert won her fourth album of the year, her sixth female vocalist of the year and twice for third single record of the year (she won twice this year as a performer and songwriter of “Automatic.”) “I don’t even realize what’s happening tonight, “Lambert said. “I love my job so much. I will never not love my job.” Continue reading Lambert Wins 4, but Luke Bryan Takes Top Prize at ACM Awards

The City of Longview is conducting maintenance throughout the water supply system. The work started Monday and will run through May 20th. Periodically, the distribution system needs to be flushed with chlorinated water as a preventive measure. Although there may be no noticeable change, the maintenance may result in temporary taste, odor, or color or water pressure issues during that time. However, the water will continue to be safe for use. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality support this process as a necessary and effective measure for maintaining water quality. According to Director of Public Works Rolin McPhee, “The purpose of the work is to do a system wide cleansing and flushing of the water supply system. The process that we are doing is conceptually similar to the idea of doing a chlorine shock for a swimming pool.” Continue reading Work Starting on Longview’s Water System

DALLAS (AP/STAFF) — Almost a century after a World War I soldier abandoned his dog tag following his return home to Texas, it was discovered nearly a foot underground by an amateur treasure hunter with a metal detector. George Middleton found the dog tag in the Henderson County town of Murchison and then tracked down Pvt. Elmer Jordan’s grandson, Bill Jordan, in the nearby town of Kaufman, about 45 miles away. He was found after this picture of the dog tag was posted on the Henderson County Now Facebook site. The Dallas Morning News reports the two families gathered in Murchison recently for the handoff. Just months after returning home from fighting in France, Elmer Jordan lost his right hand in a shotgun accident. Bill Jordan said family lore is that his grandfather buried his old dog tag with the missing hand. Elmer Jordan died in 1966.

TYLER – Here’s a look at maintenance and construction work planned in the district during the Week of April 20, 2015. Schedules are subject to change due to weather, equipment or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention in these and all work zones.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler are continuing base repair work on Farm Road 2015 between Farm Road 14 and Farm Road 16 this week, weather permitting. A second crew plans to perform base work on Farm Road 1805 between Farm Road 1252 and the Van Zandt County line. Expect lane closures with traffic controlled by flaggers. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects

GILMER – The capital murder trial of Jonathan Ray Shepherd resumed in a Gilmer courtroom this morning. The trial was recessed Thursday afternoon. Shepherd had admitted to killing Cheyenne Green on a video presented in Upshur County’s 115th District Court last Tuesday morning. Shepherd allegedly shot and killed Green in the Buckeye Stadium parking lot during a football game at Gilmer High School on September 26, 2013. According to a probable cause affidavit, Shepherd met Green in the parking lot during halftime of a football game to give their then two-year-old child to her. A witness told police the couple was arguing about custody of the child. Continue reading Shepherd Murder Trial Resumes

EAST TEXAS — Last night’s storms brought power outages around East Texas. Oncor and SWEPCO reported power outages in Smith and Gregg Counties as well as in Cherokee, Rusk, Upshur and Van Zandt Counties. KETK reports that crews have been out overnight working to restore the power. There is no estimate on how long that might take.

EAST TEXAS — The West Gregg Special Utilities District has issued a boil water notice for persons living from Interstate Highway 20 to State Highway 31 between Tyler and Kilgore. Because of a water main break Saturday, people living in that area should boil their water for at least two minutes before cooking, drinking or making ice. According to a statement from the water district, “Due to reduced pressure caused by a water main break, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required our water system, West Gregg SUD/0920022 to notify customers of the need to boil their water prior to consumption.” They said they will release another statement when the water is safe and the boil water notice is lifted.

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith has been invited by Texas State Senator Bob Hall to testify before the Senate Sub-committee on Border Security, which is a sub-committee of the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations. Up for consideration in the 8:00am Monday Senate public hearing is Hall’s SB 1252, which would give the Governor the authority to develop and enter into a Southern Border Security Interstate Compact with other interested states. State Representative Matt Schaefer of Tyler has filed companion House Bill 3401. Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution recognizes the authority of the states to create an interstate compact to be approved by Congress. With Congressional consent, the compact rises to the level of federal law and grants participating states the right of relevant federal jurisdiction. This right will empower participating states to enforce existing federal immigration laws and to gain operational control of the Southern U.S. border. Continue reading Sheriff Smith to Testify on Border Security

LONGVIEW — Gregg County authorities are looking for a man suspected in several vehicle burglaries and a credit card abuse case. He was possibly in a 4 door tan Crown Victoria or Grand Marquis with a keypad lock on the driver side door. If you have information on the identity of this man, contact Investigator Craig Harrington at 903-237-2529 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-8408.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has two connections to this year’s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Awards: A winning teacher and the student who nominated him. JP Fugler, on the right, a former TJC student and current speech teacher at Van High School, is one of 13 educators nationwide, and the only winner from Texas, selected this year from an extensive pool of nominees. Fugler was nominated for the Sondheim award by his former VHS student Jacob Savage, who is now a freshman speech/communications major at TJC. Continue reading TJC Alumnus A Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award Winner

LONGVIEW — Gregg County authorities are asking for the public to help in locating a teenage runaway. She is Paiglynn Raymond, 15. She was seen at 8:00 Friday morning in the Liberty City area and was last seen in the Grapevine area of Dallas. According to the sheriff’s department Face Book page, she was last seen wearing a purple tank top, blue jeans, black and white shoes, and carrying a grey backpack. She is about 5’6, 135 lbs, with brown eyes and brown hair. And they say she may have cut her hair and dyed it an unknown color. If anyone has information on her whereabouts, contact Inv. Jon Fulgham at 903-237-2531 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-8408.

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities will be installing utility service connections today on Old Bullard Road between Rieck Road and Chimney Rock and on Chimney Rock between Old Bullard Road and South Broadway. The roads will be closed from 7:00am until approximately 2:00pm.

If traveling south on Old Bullard Road, the detour will begin at Rieck Road. You will have to travel east to South Broadway or west on Rieck Road. If traveling north from Old Grande on Old Bullard, the detour will begin on Old Grande and will be open only to local traffic. The Chimney Rock and Old Bullard intersection will be closed with no through traffic from Old Bullard to South Broadway. You are encouraged to avoid these roads and plan alternative routes during the time construction is in progress.