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RUSK — A Rusk man was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for the aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14. According to Cherokee County prosecutor Charles Breaux, Rafael Villegas, 54, sexually assaulted a girl in 2000. Officials were able to charge the convict because of an amended law allowing the state to prosecute crimes committed within 10 years of the victim’s eighteenth birthday. Therefore, the statute of limitations did not apply, according to KETK. Villegas was found guilty Tuesday by a jury. Continue reading Rusk Man Gets Life in Prison for Sexual Assault of Child

TYLER — Judge Jack Skeen sentenced a man convicted of murder in last summer’s P.T. Cole Park shooting to life in prison Thursday morning. KETK reports Dennis Bendy was found guilty by a Smith County jury August 12 in the murder of 20-year-old Briana Young. The victim was killed after she was caught in crossfire with her 3-year-old son at the park on Tyler’s west side. During the trial, the state said Elisha Williams fired the fatal shot but Bendy had also fired eight bullets from his 9mm Glock. In the closing arguments, state prosecutors argued Bendy could be found guilty as an individual or as a party with transferred intent: if a group has intent to cause harm and a felony is committed, everyone in the group can be charged. Rakheem Goldstein and Elisha Williams are also charged with murder in this case. A fourth suspect, Ke’Avier Jarrod Wilson-Hurd, was no-billed.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council authorized Tyler Pounds Regional Airport to accept a new FAA Grant totaling more than $9.6 million. According to a press release, the major portion of the grant will be used to begin reconstruction of the airport’s longest runway, portions of which date back to World War II. Having been in the planning and design phase for the past five years, a proactive plan has been set in motion to enhance the runway. Continue reading Tyler Airport Authorized for Millions in FAA Grant

DENVER (AP) — Denver television news anchor Mike Landess is signing off after 50 years in broadcast journalism. Landess’ last newscast is Thursday’s 10 p.m. broadcast on KMGH-TV. Landess began his broadcast career as a high school senior at KLTV-TV in Tyler, Texas and has also worked for stations in Dallas, Cleveland, Atlanta and Washington D.C., covering stories including the Sept. 11 attacks. He worked for KUSA with Ed Sardella in Denver for 16 years starting in 1977 before returning to Denver to work for KMGH in 2002, covering wildfires, the Aurora theater shooting and last year’s flooding. Landess has won more than two dozen Emmy Awards, including five for best anchor.

KILGORE — One of Kilgore College’s treasures, The East Texas Oil Museum, will bid farewell this month to a man who has been with the museum since its inception 37 years ago and who has devoted half of his life to the preservation and public education of the East Texas oil field. Joe White, the only director the museum has ever had, was recently named Director Emeritus by the KC Board of Trustees. White plans to retire, but he won’t be a stranger to the museum. He said he’ll return to the museum next week to work half-time to write a history of the museum and to continue work on fundraising. Merlyn Holmes, of Kilgore, will take over as director of the museum effective September 15, per board approval. Continue reading Joe White Retiring from East Texas Oil Museum

JACKSONVILLE — Police continue to search for a 28-year-old man who has been missing since January. Randal Rahushun Roberson reportedly left Jacksonville about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 21, en route to New Summerfield, and never arrived at his location. He also never returned to his residence. According to KETK, he was traveling in a white 1995 Mercury Cougar, which police say was found abandoned the following Thursday on a county road just north of New Summerfield. Continue reading Jacksonville Police Continue Search for Missing Man

LONGVIEW — A 50-hour online auction benefiting the family of an East Texas man killed in a recent accident got underway Wednesday night. KETK reports Conner Wilson, 32, of White Oak was killed August 12 in Rusk County after he accidentally hit a live 12-inch pipeline while operating a mulching machine. The line ruptured and instantly killed Wilson. A memorial was held for Wilson on August 15 and he was laid to rest the following day. He leaves behind four children and a wife. The auction will run until 10:00 Friday night. You can go to https://www.facebook.com/wilsonbenefitauction for more information. You can click on http://www.youcaring.com/other/support-for-kristin-and-her-family/218178 if you’d like to donate.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved a design contract with Adams Engineering to provide design and construction phase services for new sidewalks using the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Transportation Enhancement Grant Sidewalk Project. The proposal is for the design of five-foot-wide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalks. The sidewalk locations were selected using the Pedestrian Master Plan published by the Metropolitan Planning Organization in 2010. “The project includes approximately 7.2 miles of sidewalk throughout the City of Tyler that are greatly needed,” said City Engineer Carter Delleney. Continue reading New Sidewalks Coming to Tyler

TYLER — For the eighth straight year, the city of Tyler has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its fiscal year 2013-2014 budget document. “This award is a significant achievement reflecting the commitment of the city of Tyler to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting,” said the city’s Chief Financial Officer, Keidric Trimble. The award was granted by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) and was presented to the city during Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

TYLER — One person was killed when a vehicle left the road and struck a tree about two miles north of Tyler. According to Department of Public Safety Trooper Jean Dark, at 1:00 Wednesday morning, Keith Williams, 24, of Tyler, was headed south on Farm Road 14 when he drifted into the oncoming lane and overcorrected. KETK reports the car traveled back across the southbound lane and off the road into a tree, then rolled into a field. Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 James Cowart pronounced Williams dead at the scene. There is no suspicion of an alcohol-related crash, stated Dark.

GLADEWATER — The Gladewater Police Department is asking for help locating a work truck taken from a local property. According to KETK, police said officers were dispatched to a property in the 400 block of Riverside Drive in reference to a report of theft on August 21. When authorities made it there, the caller, a JDW Services employee, told officers a truck and flatbed trailer hauling a John Deere backhoe had been taken. The stolen pickup is described as a white 2009 Chevrolet 3500 flatbed with Texas license plate number AH77635. It is believed the truck was used to take the yellow 2013 John Deere backhoe which was already loaded on the trailer. Later on the same date, Gladewater detectives, assisted by Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies, found the trailer and backhoe. The pickup has still not been recovered. Continue reading Authorities Search for Work Truck Stolen from Property

TATUM — The Tatum Police Department is investigating an alleged murder-suicide that took place over the weekend. According to a release put out by the department, on Saturday at 7:45 p.m., possible gunshots at a local home were reported. KETK reports Tatum officers and Rusk County deputies responded to the scene and found a man and woman dead. The man was killed by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Tatum Police Department, Rusk County’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Rusk County District Attorney’s Office, and the Texas Rangers are investigating the case. J.P. Precinct 4 Darlene Childress ordered an autopsy.

TYLER – A bicyclist has been injured when hit by a SUV in the 7500 block of the Old Jacksonville Highway. The accident happened shortly before 8:15 Tuesday night. Injured was Kristin Blaise, 42. Tyler police report that a group of cyclists were riding north bound in the outside lane when Blaise was struck by a vehicle. According to Sgt. Wendell Gardner, she sustained serious injuries that are not believed to be life threatening at this time. She was transported to East Texas Medical Center for treatment. The driver, identified as Devin Hunter, 20, was ticketed for failure to control speed.

TYLER — A portion of South Broadway which had been closed due to road construction is back open. It had been closed in all directions between the intersections of Houston/South Broadway and 4th/South Broadway.

BEAUMONT — A 39-year-old Lufkin, Texas man has admitted he deliberately drove his $1 million car into Gulf waters so that he could collect insurance on the vehicle. Andy Lee House pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with wire mail fraud yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin. House faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set. Continue reading Officials: Man Deliberately Ruined His $1M Car

TYLER — A joint investigation between the Tyler Police Department and the FBI has led to the arrest of a corporate security consultant-investigator for Capital One Bank in the robbery that occurred at a Capital One Bank in Tyler August 11. The suspect is identified as Daniel River Burson, 37, of McKinney. Burson was arraigned in federal court Tuesday in Tyler and will have a detention hearing on Aug. 29. If convicted, Burson faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Continue reading Security Expert Arrested in Tyler Bank Heist

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court Tuesday approved the county budget and tax rate for 2014-15 by a 3-2 vote. The budget includes a slight tax rate increase from .323564 to .33, which is projected to generate $915,884 in additional revenue that will be dedicated solely to road projects. For the average-priced home of $144,817, the annual increase in County property taxes would be an estimated $9. County Judge Joel Baker says Smith County will maintain one of the lowest county tax rates in Texas. Continue reading County Budget, Tax Rate Approved by 3-2 Vote

TYLER – The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released accountability ratings for school districts and charter schools across the state, and eight Tyler ISD campuses earned a total of 20 distinctions for the 2014 school year. Schools that received a “Met Standard” rating can earn up to seven additional honors, or distinctions, for outstanding performance in various areas in relation to a comparison group of campuses. Continue reading Tyler ISD Campuses Earn 20 Distinctions in Accountability System

AUSTIN — The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) announced Tuesday that six outstanding educators from across Texas, including one from Lindale, have been chosen as finalists in the Texas Teacher of the Year program. The elementary school finalists include Whitney Crews, a sixth-grade science and social studies teacher at E.J. Moss Intermediate in Lindale ISD. Three elementary and three secondary school educators were selected from the 40 regional Teachers of the Year from each of the state’s 20 education service centers. The finalists will now contend for the honor of being named Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year and Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. Continue reading Lindale Educator Named Finalist for Teacher of the Year

LONGVIEW — An Gregg County man is in jail after officials say he stabbed his brother. Officers with the Longview Police Department arrested Ivan Lee Tabor Jr., 57, of Longview, after police say he stabbed his brother David Tabor in the stomach. Longview Police Department Public Information Officer Kristie Brian told KETK, authorities responded to the reports of the incident Monday in the 100 block of White City Street in Longview. David Tabor was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries but is expected to recover. Ivan Tabor was charged with aggravated assault family violence with a weapon and is currently in the Gregg County Jail on $25,000 bond.

GILMER – Representative David Simpson invites citizens from District 7 and the surrounding area to a slideshow presentation and report about his week-long tour of the southern Texas border. The townhall meeting will take place tonight from 6:00 to 7:30 at the Upshur Rural Electric Co-op, 1200 West Tyler Street in Gilmer. After the report, the floor will be open for questions and comments from the audience about immigration and border security. According to press materials, the event is free and open to the public. A similar meeting is planned for September 21 in Kilgore.

LONGVIEW – One person has been killed and one injured in a Gregg County accident. The wreck occurred just before 5:00 Sunday morning on Interstate Highway 20, six miles southwest of Longview. Killed was Edward Bradley, 71, of Salt Lake City, Utah. He died about three hours after the accident at Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center. The driver of the other vehicle, Dylan Brown, 19, of Longview, remains hospitalized in critical condition at Good Shepherd Medical Center. According to the Department of Public Safety report, Brown was west bound on the interstate when his pickup crossed the median and hit Bradley’s vehicle.

TYLER – Student enrollment numbers for Tyler ISD are in after what officials term a successful first day of school. First day enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year increased slightly, totaling 17,085, while enrollment for the first day of classes in the 2013-2014 school year was 17,048. First day numbers showed increases at 12 campuses, while 15 campuses saw a drop in opening day enrollment. The school with the largest first day enrollment increase, compared to last year, was John Tyler High School. They saw an increase of 100 students. The largest drop was at Moore Middle School, which was down 69 students from opening day last year. According to school officials, first day of school enrollment numbers fluctuate from year to year, and District leaders anticipate enrollment changing in the coming weeks.

TYLER The Smith County Commissioners Courts final budget and tax rate hearing for the coming fiscal year is set for this morning at 9:30 in the Courthouse Annex. Commissioners have scheduled a vote on the budget and tax rate immediately following the hearing. In the budget draft, County Judge Joel Baker says, To support improvements in county roads, I am presenting a budget that is structured against a tax rate of .33000, an increase from .323564, or 1.952%. This would bring a projected $915,884 in additional revenue that would be dedicated solely to road projects. Continue reading Smith County Commissioners Poised to Pass Budget, Tax Rate

RUSK — Authorities in Cherokee County are requesting the public’s help in solving several recent burglaries. On Wednesday, July 23, a burglary was reported on CR 3708 near Bullard. The property owner returned home Wednesday afternoon to discover the door to his shop open. Upon checking the shop he discovered several thousand dollars of equipment and tools missing. He stated that the burglary would have occurred sometime between 7:00 p.m. Tuesday and at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday. Continue reading Cherokee County Authorities Seek Leads on Several Burglaries

TYLER — A man on a motorcycle led Arp police, Smith County deputies, and state troopers on a high speed chase over the weekend, but they weren’t able to catch him. KETK reports it started in Arp Saturday, after police saw the biker going more than 100 miles per hour. They, along with deputies and troopers gave chase through Chapel Hill and into Tyler. That’s when they say the biker turned into a neighborhood near Highway 64, forcing them to give up the chase for safety reasons.

TYLER — Tyler firefighters say a child playing with a lighter was the cause of a fire at a home off Travis Street. Crews tell KETK the child accidentally lit a room on fire. Mother and child managed to make it out safely. A neighbor who saw flames grabbed a water hose and began fighting the blaze. The room was destroyed in the weekend fire; the rest of the house sustained smoke damage.

KILGORE — A man who was shot by the Kilgore fire marshal during a weekend disturbance has been arrested. KETK reports Kilgore police officers took Kenny Davlin into custody Sunday upon his release from Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview. Davlin was arrested due to a warrant of arrest for the charge of aggravated assault on a public servant. Davlin was transported and booked into the Rusk County Jail in Henderson. No bond has been assessed at this time. Continue reading Suspect Arrested after Shooting Involving Fire Department

LONGVIEW — The cause of a house fire in Longview is under investigation. According to Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary, fire crews responded just after 6:20 Monday morning to the 1200 block of Webster Street. Zackary tells KETK the residents were out of the home by the time crews arrived on scene. There’s no word on amount of damage, but officials say it took till around an hour to extinguish the blaze. Zackary says no injuries were sustained.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to animal cruelty charges. Patrick Allen Johnson, 28, was arrested in February 2014 after his pitbull, named Chico, was left chained to a tree, January 7. According to a report filed by police officer Debra Stiles, Chico was found dead by Longview Animal Control Officer Chris Kemper. Continue reading Longview Man Sentenced after His Dog Was Found Frozen