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MARSHALL – A man charged with capital murder in Marshall has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of murder. Eric Alexander Mills pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to the December 7th 2012 murder of Domino’s Pizza employee Raymond Gomez. He received a life prison sentence. As part of the plea bargain agreement, Mills also pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery of the business’ manager and was sentenced to 60 years in prison. He was also sentenced to 20 years in prison for the aggravated robbery of one of the restaurant’s employees. All three sentences will be served concurrently. Continue reading Marshall Capital Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty

WHITEHOUSE – A two car accident in Smith County has killed one person and injured two. The accident happened around 9:45 Monday morning on Farm Road 349, about two miles west of Whitehouse. Killed was Joann Giles, 68, of Flint. Her 8 year old grandson is listed in stable condition at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. The driver of the other vehicle, Larysa Boggiss, 37, of Tyler, is in stable condition at Tyler’s Mother Francis Hospital. According to the Department of Public Safety, Giles car which was traveling at an unsafe speed, hydroplaned on the wet road and veered into the path of the other vehicle.

MARSHALL (AP) – An East Texas man has been charged in the fatal shooting of a Wiley College student during an off-campus argument that left another student wounded. A Marshall police arrest affidavit says the dispute allegedly involved gambling and money owed. Harrison County jail records show 19-year-old Javonte Damone Sanders of Marshall was being held Tuesday on a murder charge with bond at $1 million. Continue reading Suspect Charged in Wiley College Student Slaying

TYLER (AP/STAFF) — The U.S. Supreme Court justice best known for his silence on the bench will speak to an audience in Tyler tonight. Justice Clarence Thomas is scheduled to appear this evening at the University of Texas at Tyler. The program gets under way at 7:30. The 66-year-old Thomas has served on the bench since 1991. It’s been more than eight years since he asked a question in the courtroom during arguments in the case, a silence that stands out since the eight other justices actively question lawyers about their cases. Thomas is one of the court’s conservatives and has been part of narrow majorities on several key issues in recent years.

LONGVIEW – A man scheduled to go on trial for murder in Longview later this month, has waived his right to a jury trial. This paves the way for a plea agreement for Dexter Levi Prince, 22. The Longview News-Journal reports Prince will plead guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter and be sentenced to 12 years in prison. This would make him eligible for parole after six years. Prince, who is the brother of former NFL player Demorrio Williams, is accused of the March, 2011 shooting death of Danielo E. Nelson, 25, of Longview. The shooting occurred in the 100 block of East Melton Street.

AUSTIN – Fifteen Texans, including one from Angelina County, will be honored by the State Board of Education on Friday with the Heroes for Children award. They are being honored for providing hundreds of hours of volunteer service to Texas public schools. The SBOE District 9 award winner is Guessippini Bonner of Lufkin. The state news release said Bonner has worked tirelessly to help the families of students of North Lufkin who are most at-risk. She is often called upon when the district has a child in need of some clothing, food, encouragement and direction. She is also the creator of Sarah’s Hope, an organization that reaches out to young people as a way to enhance achievement through the fine arts. Continue reading East Texan to be Named Among Heroes for Children

TYLER — East Texas Medical Center EMS is the first in Texas to launch the PulsePoint CPR/AED smartphone application to help improve sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rates in communities served by ETMC EMS in East Texas, Waco and Pasadena. The PulsePoint app helps improve community response to SCA victims by enabling citizen bystanders to provide lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and access a nearby public access automated external defibrillator (AED). Continue reading ETMC EMS to Launch PulsePoint Smartphone Application

TYLER — To ease traffic congestion and create a safer environment near two construction sites on the Tyler Junior College main campus, the City of Tyler is adding crosswalks and other safety features on Magnolia Street, between Fifth and Lake Streets. With a four-story residence hall under construction on the east side of Magnolia and the Robert M. Rogers Nursing and Health Sciences Center going up on the west, additional safety measures are needed, said Dr. Tom Johnson, TJC executive director of campus police and director of the law enforcement academy. Continue reading Safety Features Added Near TJC Construction Sites

EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. (AP/ABC/Staff) – The Minnesota Vikings are reinstating Adrian Peterson this week after he was charged with child abuse and say he will play on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf made the announcement Monday, one day after the former Palestine High School star was benched during a 30-7 loss to the New England Patriots. He’s been charged for striking his 4-year-old son with a tree branch this summer. The Vikings say they take the issue very seriously and have given it considerable thought. But they also say they want the legal process to take its course before making any final decisions. Peterson’s lawyer says the star player was just disciplining his child and did not mean to cause harm. Prosecutors say Peterson’s next court hearing will be in the coming weeks, with a trial expected to take place next year. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison. Continue reading Vikings Reinstate Peterson after Abuse Charge

Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District during the Week of September 15.

GREGG COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews will continue milling and seal coat operations on State Highway 135 in the Kilgore area. This project, which started on September 3, runs for about a mile and a half from Old Gladewater Highway south through the traffic circle to the Gregg/Rusk County Line. It is a multi-phase project that includes doing base repair work, followed by the application of a seal coat and a hot mix overlay. The work includes reducing the roadway to one travel lane through the area. Motorists can expect delays and are encouraged to allow extra time or use alternate routes to reach their destinations. Remember to slow down and pay attention when traveling through this and all work zones. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will be in Tyler Tuesday, Sept 16, speaking at the Cowan Center at UT Tyler. Justice Thomas’s appearance marks the first event of the season for UT Tyler’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Thomas was nominated to the high court by President George H.W. Bush and he was confirmed by the Senate in 1991.

Thomas will speak Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the Cowan Center box office or may be obtained online at the Cowan Center website (http://www.cowancenter.org/lectures.html).

Justice Thomas’ appearance at the Cowan Center is sponsored by Drs. Lawrence L. Anderson and Svetislava J. Vukelja, Rod and Merle Mabry/UT Tyler and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Z. Ornelas.

TYLER — The 4th Annual Art Of Peace Festival in Tyler continues after beginning Saturday. It lasts until the actual International Day of Peace on Sunday, September 21st. This is a community-wide event to celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace and encourage community spirit, according to organizers. They say the aim is to promote a spirit of cooperation and community through fellowship, dialogue, music, poetry, and art. Continue reading Art of Peace Festival Continues

TYLER – Drivers who use Toll 49 should again plan for delays this week. As was the case last week, the west side of the toll road just north of the intersection of State Highway 64 through the intersection with I-20 will experience lane closures while preventive maintenance is performed. There will be one lane open at all times and work will be performed on the road during the day during non-peak hours. Continue reading Road Work Continues on Toll 49

LONGVIEW — A Longview man who’d been serving as a jailer has been released from employment with the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office following his arrest Saturday. The arrest came after Chase Scott allegedly pointed a gun at his girlfriend during an argument earlier that day at the Tree House Apartments in Longview. KETK reports Scott was booked into the Gregg County Jail on charges of aggravated family violence with a bond totaling $20,000.

TYLER — Drivers will be faced with some road closures in Tyler beginning today. City officials say Rice Road and Shiloh Road from Old Jacksonville Highway to Rhones Quarter Road will periodically be closed to all through traffic between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. Roadwork will include a seal coat surface treatment followed by a thin overlay treatment called microsurface. To minimize inconvenience to the public, all work will be done at night. All work is expected to be complete before Oct. 6, weather permitting. Continue reading Road Closures Scheduled in Tyler

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Department is having a hard time staying in compliance. The Texas Jail Commission requires the Smith County Jail to have a specific ratio of inmates to detention officers. According to KETK, that has been trickier than usual. The jail had three open positions before several jailers were suspended or resigned after an investigation revealed false records. Now they have ten open positions. Officials with the department say they are making it work, but that means officers are now having to work extra hours. Officers are sometimes working six or seven days a week, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Krista Caulkins. Continue reading Loss of Jailers Creates Compliance Issues for County Jail

PALESTINE — Police arrested a woman Friday after she allegedly shot at her ex-boyfriend at the Palestine Post Office. KETK reports that officers were called to the post office, in the 1200 block of North Link (State Highway 155 North), around 4 p.m. on a report of shots fired. When authorities arrived, a man told police his former girlfriend, with whom he shares a home, had shot at him. The victim stated the woman followed him to the post office, entered the lobby, and fired a single shot at him as he was about to leave. The woman then left the scene in a vehicle and turned herself in a short time later, according to officials. No injuries were reported in the incident. Investigators believe the shooting is due to a recent breakup. Continue reading Woman Allegedly Shoots at Ex-Boyfriend at Palestine Post Office

CANTON — 17-year-old Michael Henry Dyar is held in Van Zandt County after allegedly trying to kill his mother. According to a press release, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 emergency phone call early Friday afternoon from a woman stating her son had shot her and then fled into the woods behind their residence. Deputies with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office arrived and set up a perimeter around the location of the residence on U.S. Highway 80, just west of the Grand Saline city limits. The Canton Police Department K-9 unit was contacted and assisted in tracking Dyar through the woods. Continue reading Teen Accused of Attempted Murder of Mother

KILGORE — Police arrested two people Thursday following a drug raid at home on West North Street. According to the Kilgore Police Department, authorities had received multiple complaints of drug dealing at a house in the 900 block of W. North St. According to KETK, police also said there was a shooting in the area over the weekend. Officials believe the incident was due to illegal activity at the home. At least 10 spent shell casings were found at the scene. Reports from the community are still circulating that someone was shot in the foot, but officers have not been able to locate a victim at this time, according to KPD. Continue reading Police Arrest Two in Drug Raid at Kilgore house

LUFKIN — Medical officials have determined a body recently found off Highway 69 in a Cherokee County median is not missing person Sheila Ann Morton. According to KETK, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office says University of North Texas officials compared dental records sent to them from Morton’s doctor with the body from Cherokee County. The x-rays did not match and Morton has been ruled out as the possible victim. The case now shifts back to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Meanwhile, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office deputies will continue to seek leads on the disappearance of Morton, who has not been seen since June 2 in Huntington. Continue reading Sheriff’s Office: Body Found in Cherokee County Not Missing Woman

TYLER — Tyler police say a 90-year-old man earlier reported missing has been found. William Cox had gone missing from the 1500 block of Don Street. Authorities advised early this afternoon that he has been located.

LONGVIEW — With the T-Bone Walker Blues Fest and the Gregg County Fair both expected to draw large crowds this weekend to Longview’s Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex, overflow parking and shuttle buses have been made available for the weekend at nearby Lear Park. To accommodate the needs of both events, there will be no access to the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex from Lake Lamond Road or Jaycee Drive. Continue reading Lear Park to Provide Overflow Parking for Fair and Blues Fest

TYLER — The 6th Annual East Texas Book Fest will take place on Saturday, September 13th, at the Tyler Junior College West Campus, 1530 SSW Loop 233. Hours are 10:00 a.m. till 3:00 p.m. The free event is open to the public. Organizers say some 60 Texas authors who write in many genres and for all ages will display their books and chat with readers. The Honorary Chair and featured guest speaker for the book fest is Hawkins resident and international book club celebrity Kathy L. Murphy (formerly Patrick). Kathy is founder of The Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Club, an international book club with 550+ chapters nationwide and in 15 foreign countries. You can go to http://www.etxbookfest.org for more information.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man faces a charge after Longview police say he assaulted a woman in a room at a local hotel. According to KETK, Michael Battaglia III, 29, was arrested Wednesday night for allegedly throwing a woman against a wall and slamming a door on her. Battaglia was booked into the Gregg County Jail on a single charge of assault causing bodily injury/family violence. He has since made his $1,000 bail.

TYLER — PATH Week activities in Tyler culminated Thursday night with the annual Philanthropy Celebration. The highlight came as former PATH Executive Director Nancy Lamar was recognized with the agency’s highest honor — the Gertrude Windsor Award. Former Mayor Barbara Bass, last year’s Gertrude Windsor Award winner, introduced Lamar as “truly a servant leader” who made PATH a better and stronger organization. Continue reading Lamar Honored at PATH Week Philanthropy Celebration

GREGG COUNTY — A Big Sandy man has been arrested after sheriff’s deputies say he burglarized an abandoned home belonging to a District Attorney. According to the Longview News-Journal, Daniel Leonard Souza, 30, is being held on bonds totaling $7,500. He’s charged with burglary of a building and possession of a controlled substance. Souza was arrested Wednesday morning after a Gregg County sheriff’s deputy responded to a suspicious vehicle call at a home in the 100 block of Dorrough Road in Gladewater, which belongs to D.A. Carl Dorrough. Continue reading Big Sandy Man Accused of Burglarizing Home

ANGELINA COUNTY — An Angelina County SWAT team was called in early Thursday morning to arrest a man threatening to harm law enforcement. According to the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, James Dean Mitchell, 25, Lufkin, was identified as the alleged attacker in a domestic violence incident on Wednesday. According to KETK, he reportedly left the scene before deputies arrived. Officials learned that Mitchell had stated he would not go to jail and would kill a cop. Just after midnight,the sheriff’s office received information that Mitchell was at his home alone. SWAT members were sent to the scene, located in the 100 block of Live Oak, on a revocation of probation warrant and arrested Mitchell without incident.

AUSTIN — The Texas Medical Board announced the discipline of more than 40 doctors Thursday. Included in the August 29 disciplinary actions were physicians from Palestine and Jacksonville, according to KETK. The Board and Laurence W. Cunningham, D.O, of Jacksonville entered into an Agreed Order requiring Dr. Cunningham to submit to an evaluation by the Physician Health Program (PHP) and comply with any and all recommendations made by PHP. The Board found Dr. Cunningham admitted his unprofessional conduct and intemperance with alcohol, his summary suspension and subsequent resignation from a hospital, and his arrest for disruptive behavior. Continue reading Area Doctors Disciplined by State Officials

WASHINGTON – Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Traci L. Kenner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas was one of 243 members of the Department of Justice recognized by Attorney General Eric Holder and Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. According to a news release from the Eastern District, the recognition came at the 30th annual Director’s Awards Ceremony Wednesday in Washington D.C. The Eastern District was one of 44 districts represented at the ceremony which was held in the Great Hall at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. Continue reading Attorney General Recognizes Tyler Federal Prosecutor

LONGVIEW — Longview police are on the hunt for an attempted robbery suspect. On Thursday at 10:04 a.m., police were dispatched to the 1400 block of West Marshall Avenue. When officers arrived they were told a black male had just tried to rob the store. Witnesses said the suspect, wearing a long-sleeved white shirt and a hat with a goatee on his face, came into the store, brandished a handgun, and demanded money. However, the store employee did not give him any money and he left prior to police officers’ arrival. According to KETK, anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of this suspect is asked to contact Longview police at 903-237-1170. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by contacting Gregg County Crimestoppers at 903-236-7867.