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TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday awarded the sale of the Fair Foundation Building (FFB), the Lindsey Building, and the attached vacant lot to the highest bidder, Invest In Tyler, LLC. According to a city news release, the sale of the Fair Foundation Building was advertised in the newspaper for three consecutive weeks and subsequently posted in an online auction with Auctioneer Express. The auction ended on March 18, with a maximum bid of $678,888 given by Invest in Tyler, LLC. Sealed bids for the sale of the Lindsey Building and attached vacant lot were solicited in the newspaper for two consecutive weeks and then opened on March 24. The highest bid was for $888,888. Continue reading Council Approves Sale of Two Downtown Buildings

TYLER — A familiar face is throwing his hat back in the ring for the position of Smith County sheriff. KETK reports that former Game Warden Chris Green, 53, announced Wednesday at the Smith County Courthouse Annex that he would run for sheriff in 2016. In 2012, Green ran against Donn Rust, Bobby Garmon, and current Sheriff Larry Smith. A runoff between Green and Smith was required with Smith, a former ATF agent, walking away with 53 percent of the vote. Rust was a former deputy constable with Smith County Precinct 3, and Garmon held the position of chief deputy under past sheriff J.B. Smith. After conceding to Smith in the previous runoff, Green began working as a landman. Continue reading Chris Green to Run Again for Smith County Sheriff

MT. PLEASANT — An East Texas man has been arrested for possession of child pornography. Mount Pleasant Police Detectives Monday arrested Timothy Paul Rovell, 41, for child porn possession. According to KETK, detectives received a criminal complaint about Rovell from Arkansas State Police on an unrelated criminal offense which lead investigators to the suspect. During an interview with Rovell, detectives determined he had child pornography on numerous electronic devices. The devices were seized and will be examined further by the FBI forensics lab to recover additional information. Rovell was booked into the Titus County Jail with bail pending. This is an ongoing investigation that could result in additional charges against Rovell.

HALLSVILLE – A Hallsville man has died in a motorcycle accident. The accident occurred just before 9:00 Monday night on Farm Road 450 just off U.S. Highway 80. Steven Ullrich, 39, reportedly slid off his motorcycle while trying to avoid a car. He was pronounced dead at a Longview hospital. According to the Longview News Journal, Hallsville Police Chief Paul Montoya said officers were investigating circumstances surrounding the death.

MANSFIELD (AP) – Authorities say a 44-year-old man being held on drug charges has died in a Mansfield jail. The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Wendale Webb of Emory. Fort Worth police say Webb was arrested after officers found him inside a vehicle with less than 2 ounces of marijuana on him. He was transferred Sunday night from the Fort Worth jail to the Mansfield jail. Mansfield police spokesman Officer Thad Penkala says that Webb was found unresponsive shortly afterward in a holding cell. Jail staff and Mansfield emergency personnel tried to revive Webb, but he was pronounced dead early Monday. The medical examiner didn’t release a cause or manner of death as of Monday night.

UPSHUR COUNTY — New Diana coach Keith McKinley, who had been hospitalized in Dallas after suffering a heart attack on March 29, died on Tuesday. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, New Diana head football coach and athletic director Brett Ratliff confirmed McKinley’s death. McKinley, who coached football, basketball and baseball at New Diana, collapsed due to a heart-related ailment and was flown to a Dallas hospital. He was 40. McKinley was at New Diana for two years. He was the special teams coordinator in football and the first assistant in both basketball and baseball. McKinley was previously the head baseball coach and defensive coordinator at Ore City. He is survived by his wife, Nikki, and three children.

PALESTINE – Two persons have been arrested in Anderson County with the Easter Sunday murder of Michael Cecil Espinosa, 34. Charged with murder are James Robert Kennedy, 26, and Juan Fernando Rangel, 35. Each are under a $1 million. Sheriff Taylor says Kennedy was arrested around 3:34 Tuesday afternoon at the Whispering Pine Apartments in Palestine. A short time later Rangel was arrested in Crockett. Continue reading Two Arrested in Anderson County Murder

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — An East Texas couple confesses to stealing from graves. Van Zandt County Constable Pat Jordan says Ruby Brown and her husband, Jackie, were caught stealing brass plaques from grave sites and selling them at scrapyards. Jordan says he knows people come upon hard times, but that they just can’t resort to stealing, especially “from cemeteries and so forth — there’s no excuse for that.” He says the two were using the money to buy drugs. They’ll face four years’ probation.

MARSHALL — The East Texas Baptist University Board of Trustees has elected Dr. J. Blair Blackburn of Dallas as the university’s next president. The announcement came from ETBU Board of Trustees chair Hal Cornish after a special called trustee meeting Tuesday afternoon. Dr. Blackburn will succeed Dr. Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver, who left to become the president of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, on June 1, 2014. Continue reading ETBU Trustees Elect Dr. J. Blair Blackburn as President

TYLER — Officials with UT Health Northeast announced that Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s free public cancer conference on Prevention and Early Detection. It’s scheduled for Saturday, April 25, at the UT Health Academic Center Amphitheater. The public event will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and includes continental breakfast and lunch. Presentations conclude at 1:30 p.m. The annual cancer conference is provided as a public service for those who are interested in learning more about early detection, treatment, and advancements in cancer care. Physicians and nurses who attend for a fee will be eligible for continuing education credits. Continue reading American Cancer Society’s Chief Medical Officer to Speak in Tyler

EAST TEXAS (Staff/AP) — Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers executed arrest warrants Tuesday morning in Wood and Van Zandt Counties as a result of sealed indictments handed down from both a Van Zandt County grand jury and a federal grand jury. KETK reports a seven-month-long investigation conducted by the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, the Canton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives yielded the indictments. Officials say at least 16 people were arrested. Continue reading Multi-Agency Raid Carried Out in East Texas Counties

EAST TEXAS — Two Texas Baptist universities, East Texas Baptist and Houston Baptist, go to federal court today demanding exemption from having to provide birth control in their health care plans. It’s essentially the same as the Hobby Lobby case. But attorney Adele Keim of the Becket Fund says the Obama administration has refused to extend that Supreme Court ruling to religious-affiliated universities. She says this case, heard by the Fifth Court of Appeals in Houston, could affect Christian affiliated colleges from Notre Dame to Brigham Young, as well as all religious charities.

LONGVIEW — One person has been killed in a head-on collision near Longview. It happened just before 12:00 Monday afternoon on Farm Road 2208 near Alpine Road in Harrison County. Rachel Elizabeth DeLorme, 19, of Hallsville, was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Department of Public Safety report, DeLorme’s car swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a pickup driven by Phillip Lamar Martindale, of Arp. Martindale was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Continue reading Hallsville Teen Killed in Monday Wreck

TYLER — A senior Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) student at John Tyler High School, Breana Mobley, received first place in the Joseph S. Raumbaugh Oration Contest hosted by the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) at their state convention in Houston. Breana will represent the Texas SAR as she competes in the National Sons of the American Revolution Congress Convention June 28 in Louisville, Kentucky. In the Oration contest, contestants prepare and deliver a speech that must be original, no less than five minutes or more than six minutes, and must discuss an event, personality, or document that pertains to the Revolutionary War. The event discussed must also show a relationship to America today. Continue reading John Tyler Student Wins Oration Contest

UNDATED (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will meet with the NFL on Tuesday to discuss his playing status. The person spoke Monday to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Peterson, a Palestine, Texas native, was suspended under the NFL’s personal conduct policy through at least April 15 due to a child abuse case involving his young son, a decision he appealed. Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he planned to meet with Peterson before that date to determine his status.

TYLER – A policy change has been instituted at the Smith County Sheriff’s Department pertaining to the timely filing of cases. According to a news release, the policy change states, Pursuant to Texas Criminal Code, Article 17.151, within 90 days, a defendant accused of a felony and detained in jail pending trial of an accusation against him must be released either on personal bond or by reducing the amount of bail required, if the state is not ready for trial of the criminal action for which the defendant is being detained. In such a case, a judge makes the determination of personal bond or reduced bail, but does not dismiss the charges for which the defendant was jailed. Continue reading Sheriff Smith Mandates Policy Changes & Comprehensive Case Filing Process

TYLER — There was a school bus crash near the intersection of Loop 323 and the Old Troup Highway in Tyler Monday afternoon. It occurred shortly before 3:45. A pickup struck the rear of the bus as it was preparing to stop at the railroad tracks. There were only a few students aboard the bus and none were injured.

PALESTINE — Several agencies are investigating an Easter Sunday homicide in Anderson County. According to KETK, Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor says deputies were dispatched to a home in the 3000 block of FM 320 at around 6:06 p.m. When law enforcement made it to the scene, they found a man on the front porch of the house with an apparent gunshot wound to his abdomen. The victim was take to a Palestine hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The man was identified as 34-year-old Michael Cecil Espinosa. An autopsy was performed in Tyler on Monday. Taylor said officials are awaiting the results. Continue reading Anderson County Slaying under Investigation

TYLER — Arrest warrants were issued Monday by State District Judge Christi Kennedy of Tyler for two robbery suspects recently caught in Alabama. Kennedy set bonds on each suspect at $150,000 on each count. Both suspects were charged with two counts of aggravated robbery. Both are expected to be transported back to Smith County in the near future to await trial. Continue reading Warrants Issued for Robbery Suspects Caught in Alabama

MARSHALL — An East Texas man was arrested Friday night after police allegedly found him in possession of meth. KETK reports the arrest happened just before 7:00 p.m. in the 5600 block of E. End Blvd. in Marshall. Officers were conducting a traffic stop when they became suspicious and requested permission to search the vehicle, according to to police. Officers say that during the search, they located a clear plastic bag containing meth hidden in the rear of the vehicle. They also reportedly found a .25 caliber pistol in the glovebox. The driver, Michael Easley, 25, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm.

EAST TEXAS – The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG), in partnership with 46 agencies across East Texas, will host a three-day Mass Fatality Exercise April 7th through April 9th. The Tyler and Longview areas will be just two of the communities involved. This exercise will incorporate local and regional hospitals, volunteer agencies, cities, counties, school districts, and various state/federal agencies. The exercise will simulate a widespread influenza outbreak causing mass fatalities. The purpose of the full-scale exercise is to test mass fatality preparedness, to practice use of the mobile medical unit, and to train on techniques such as medication disbursement and agency coordination, according to information from ETCOG. Continue reading 17 East Texas Counties Join Together for Regional Preparedness

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A Tyler man on death row for the slaying of a 93-year-old woman a decade ago at her home in Tyler has lost an appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices Monday, without comment, refused to review the case of 31-year-old Clifton Lamar Williams. Williams was condemned for the July 2005 beating, strangling, and stabbing of Cecelia Schneider. Her body was set on fire and her car and purse containing $40 were stolen. DNA and fingerprint evidence linked Williams to her slaying. Prosecutors said he used the money to buy crack cocaine. Appeals lawyers contended Williams had deficient legal help at his 2006 Smith County trial and that he was mentally impaired, making him ineligible for the death penalty. Williams doesn’t yet have an execution date.

DAINGERFIELD — One person is dead, another behind bars following a stabbing Saturday night in Daingerfield. KETK reports it happened just before 10:00 in the 400 block of McReynolds Street. Officers say they found 63-year-old Lester Williams dead with several stab wounds. They later found and arrested 56-year-old Mark Frazier. He has been charged with felony murder. Officials are still investigating.

WILLS POINT — An East Texas town is coming together to honor the victims and survivors of a November fatal crash. The Wills Point Baseball/Softball Association will host its first ever Hardman/Watson Memorial Scholarship Tournament, April 11-12. According to KETK, the tournament will honor the memory and legacy of a family whose lives were lost on their way to Disney World for a vacation. Continue reading Scholarship Tournament Set In Memory of Local Family

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of April 5. Schedules are subject to change due to weather or equipment related issues.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler continue to perform base repairs on State Highway 135 between Troup and Arp with the roadway reduced to one travel lane and flaggers conducting traffic. The same work is being conducted on Farm Road 2015 from Farm Road 16 to Farm Road 14 Expect lane closures. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

CAMP COUNTY – A body has been recovered following a drowning in Camp County. The drowning occurred around 3:30 Saturday afternoon at Barefoot Marina on Lake Bob Sandlin. Camp County Sheriff Alan McCandless tells KETK the body of Dante Thomson, 18, of Cason, was pulled from the water about an hour later. Witnesses tell investigators Thomason had been jumping into the water off of a nearby bridge before the incident. The drowning remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW – A member of the Longview Police Department K9 team has died. According to the Departments Face Book page, K9 Vestos died Friday due to kidney disease. Vestos served with LPD Officer Anthony Minyard for several years. The department said “Vestos was an asset to the team and will be greatly missed.

CANTON – A three vehicle accident in Van Zandt County has killed one person. The accident happened around 10:15 Saturday morning on State Highway 19, about 3½ miles south of Canton. Killed was Clayton Cleaver, 77, of Canton. The Department of Public Safety says his southbound pickup failed to yield the right of way and turned into the path of a pickup driven by John Forrester, 21, of Frankston. When they crashed, a pickup driven by Sharilyn Moore, 60, of Fairfield, who driving behind Cleaver, hit the other vehicles.

TYLER (AP/STAFF) – Some in East Texas were able to witness a lunar eclipse Saturday morning. Clouds cleared out in the Tyler area so the eclipse was visible in Smith County. The total eclipse of the moon lasted only a short time, but it still dazzled. Early risers in the western U.S. and Canada should have been able to catch a glimpse before dawn Saturday. The moment when the moon was completely obscured by Earth’s shadow lasted several minutes, making it the shortest lunar eclipse of the century. The total eclipse was unusually brief because the moon passed through the upper part of Earth’s shadow. Longer eclipses occur when the moon passes through the middle of the shadow. The next total lunar eclipse occurs in September.

JACKSONVILLE – One person has been killed and one injured in a two vehicle accident in Cherokee County. It happened just before 6:15 Friday night on U.S. Highway 175, about 3½ miles northwest of Jacksonville. Dead at the scene was Larry Hinton, 63, of Jacksonville. Injured was Jerry Houser, 56, of Jacksonville. He was flown to Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center for treatment. The Department of Public Safety reports Houser was traveling northwest when he left the road and lost control. He is said to have overcorrected and came back on the road, ending back up in the opposite lane of traffic when he collided with Hinton’s vehicle.