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TYLER — Tyler Police arrest a suspected drunk driver after he wrecks into a house. It happened around 5:40 Saturday morning on the 300 block of north Parkdale Ave. When officers arrived, they learned the suspect had fled the scene on foot, leaving his tan 2000 Ford F150 in front yard of the residence. Authorities say they found the intoxicated suspect, Jair Zarate-Cobos, 25, Tyler, a short time later near the 1300 block of Bellaire Drive. Zarate-Cobos is the registered owner of the wrecked truck and officers determined he was the operator of the truck at the time of the incident. He was arrested, booked into the Smith County Jail and charged with DWI and leaving the scene of an accident. A resident was injured as a result of the crash and transported to the East Texas Medical Center emergency room for minor injuries.

KILGORE (AP) — Five graduates will face misdemeanor charges over dozens of damaged school buses that forced classes to be canceled for a day in an East Texas district. Kilgore police initially said the students could face felony criminal mischief charges. Gregg County District Attorney Carl Dorrough says the former Kilgore High School students have been charged with misdemeanor vandalism offenses. The Kilgore Independent School District called off classes April 8 after 39 buses were discovered with valve stem damage. All five seniors were then sent to an alternative school, but were allowed to graduate June 3. The students have apologized and agreed to pay the $3,100 in damage. The misdemeanor charges carry a sentence of up to a $500 fine.

LONGVIEW — Two men charged with sexually assaulting children entered guilty pleas Thursday. Willie Markham III, 29, of Longview accepted a four-year prison sentence under a plea agreement. Markham admitted to having sex with a girl in August 2009 when she was 14, making it a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. If Markham is convicted of another sexual offense involving children, he could face an automatic life sentence, according to a stipulation in his plea agreement.

Also Phillip “Bubba” Hudson III, 20, of Longview entered a guilty plea to indecency with a child. A Gregg County grand jury in September indicted Hudson on second-degree indecency charges for touching a girl younger than 17 around Christmas 2009. Sentencing was set for July 5 to allow Hudson to find suitable employment and housing. Hudson is eligible for parole because this is his first felony conviction. Hudson is out of jail on $11,000 bond.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have arrested a second teen in connection with a May 5 aggravated robbery at a local park. Officers took 19-year-old Erica Angela Pena of Longview into custody on Thursday, charged in the robbery and beating of a man and woman at Willow Park, in the 300 block of East Birdsong Street. Pena remained in the Gregg County Jail without bond on Friday.

Seventeen-year-old Eunice Abigail Zavalla remained jailed Friday on $50,000 bond following a Tuesday arrest related to the case, authorities said. The women are charged with aggravated robbery, punishable by up to 20 years in prison upon conviction.

LUFKIN — A ban on burning and fireworks has been filed by Angelina County Judge Wes Suiter due to drought conditions across the county. According to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News, Suiter said the burn ban must be extended by county commissioners within seven days and the fireworks ban must be approved by Gov. Rick Perry’s office within 60 hours. As for the yearly city display, Suiter said he is exempting organized fireworks shows under fire department supervision.

TYLER — The teen accused of stabbing and killing John Tyler High School teacher Todd Henry in 2009 is headed back to a mental health facility. According to KETK, a judge ordered 18-year-old Byron Truvia to spend a maximum of 120 days in the facility. It’s all in an effort to try and get Truvia to regain competency, and see if he’s fit to stand trial. He could be tried as an adult on capital murder charges.

TYLER — Smith County is encouraging Internet safety for minors by providing East Texas parents with free parental Internet monitoring software, according to officials. The software, called Computer COP, is available at most Smith County offices including all constable and JP offices, the Courthouse Annex, Sheriff’s Office and Cotton Belt Building. “This provides parents insight into who their children are talking to online,” Sheriff J.B. Smith said. “Parents have a responsibility to monitor and protect their children online just as they do in real life.”

According to a county news release, the software helps parents monitor what their children are doing online by compiling an image review and text review which flags key words and phrases from emails and online conversations. The software runs off a disc and does not need to be downloaded onto the computer’s hard drive. It is compatible with Windows 95 through Vista. “Consistent monitoring and awareness of our children’s activities are critical to their safety,” County Judge Joel Baker said. ”This is a tool that can help parents combat on-line predators and encourage Internet safety.”

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office purchased the programs with drug forfeiture funds. More than 3,000 copies are available on a first come, first serve basis. Organizations wishing to pick up multiple copies of the program can contact Public Relations Liaison Adrienne Graham at 903-590-4607.

TYLER — After what was termed an extensive national search, Total Healthcare Center appointed Stephanie Jones-Theaker as its new Chief Executive Officer. According to press materials, the center is Federally Qualified and in 2010 served 8,416 patients with 16,969 visits from thirteen counties. The center’s mission is to provide a medical home for patient-centered access to affordable, quality primary and preventive health care. The center accepts patients with Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP, private insurance, and no insurance.

Theaker, daughter of Bessie and Willie T. Jones, is a native of Columbus, Mississippi. Theaker was the former Chief Operation Officer of Tampa Family Health Centers, Inc. Tampa, Florida, which is also a Federally Qualified Health Center. She was in charge of the day to day operations of seven health centers and 250 employees. Theaker also served as the chairperson of the Health Education and Social Services committee in East Tampa. She has been in the healthcare field for fifteen years.

Total Healthcare Center spokespeople say Theaker worked her way up the ladder, originally starting out as the office manager of a clinic. During her time with Tampa Family, she was promoted from Office Manager to Administrative Manager, Director of Administrative Services, Deputy Chief of Operations and finally Chief Operations Officer. THC officials say Ms. Theaker wrote many grants for the organization that provided additional services in the East Tampa area and throughout Hillsborough County. Officials say she attended many community meetings in order to help educate the community about the healthcare services in Tampa. During her time at Tampa Family, Ms. Theaker earned her MBA from the University of South Florida in 2009, and she holds a Bachelor of Science, Health Care Management, from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

Spokespeople say the Total Healthcare Center organization is excited about having a CEO who has extensive Federally Qualified Health Center experience. A special reception is being planned later this month to introduce Theaker to the entire community.

SMITH COUNTY — Department of Public Safety Officials are investigating a wreck Friday morning that sent one man to the hospital. Authorities say alcohol was a factor in the wreck. It happened a little before 8:00 on Hwy 110 near County Road 2234 south of Whitehouse. DPS officials say a truck was driving northbound on Hwy 110, when it was struck by a driver heading westbound on County Rd 2234 who failed to yield. The driver who failed to yield right of way had reportedly been drinking. One man was pinned in his vehicle and had to be removed.

TYLER — The teen arrested for an arson fire in Tyler was in a Smith County courtroom Thursday. The judge ordered the teen to undergo a mental health evaluation and to be detained at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center until the next hearing, set for June 27. The teen has been charged with arson. The fire was reported around 9:15 Wednesday morning at Dollar General Store on Erwin. Tyler Fire Department spokesman Paul Findley said damage was minimal.

GREGG COUNTY — A Hallsville woman has been charged with forging prescriptions after she tried to pick up diet and pain pills at a Walmart pharmacy. Mary Cecilia Acosta, 25, remained in the Gregg County Jail on $5,000 bond. She was arrested about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday after authorities said she forged a doctor’s signature to obtain prescriptions of Vicodin and Phentermine.

LONGVIEW — Recent LeTourneau University graduate Matthew C. Bradley has been recognized as a 2011 Texas Student Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas. Bradley graduated in May and did his student teaching in the spring of 2011 semester at Pine Tree ISD, teaching fifth grade language arts and 7th grade Texas history.

State judging took place during the Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Education (CSOTTE) summer conference recently in Austin, Texas. Bradley has been hired by Tyler’s Hogg Middle School to teach seventh grade language arts beginning in the Fall 2011 semester.

Dean of LETU’s School of Education Dr. Wayne Jacobs said Bradley’s honor is indicative of the quality of the school’s students and its program. “We are proud of Matthew’s accomplishments in student teaching,” Jacobs said. “He is an example of the quality of students we are blessed to have in our program. Our teachers are some of the best in the state, and we are excited to have another ‘shining star’ recognized in this way.”

TYLER — Officials have tentatively identified a dead body found in Tyler this week in a vacant field by an individual who was mowing the field with a brush hog. Investigators located a wallet on the badly decomposed body, found Tuesday in the 400 block of NNE Loop 323. A Mexican identification card was discovered in the wallet that belonged to 49-year-old Asuncion Baldovinos-Toribio. Investigators also located a cell phone and apartment key that belonged to Baldovinos-Toribio in the immediate area of the body.

Investigators have talked with family members of Baldovinos-Toribio, and they confirmed that Baldovinos-Toribio has not been seen in the last month. Investigators believe at this time that the remains are those of Baldovinos-Toribio. Tests are being conducted, such as DNA testing, for final confirmation. The cause of death has not been determined and is still under investigation. Baldovinos-Toribio is also identified by the name of Valdovinos Chon in judicial records

HUDSON — The case against a former Hudson High School teacher charged with having an improper relationship with a 17-year-old student will be difficult to prosecute, as the two are now married, according to Angelina County District Attorney Clyde Herrington. Jesus “Jesse” Gonzalez, 23, and the girl, who is now 18, filed for a marriage license June 11 in Cherokee County, according to a Cherokee County records clerk. Herrington said that turn of events could affect the state’s decision to prosecute.

“I found that out (Wednesday) and the charges had already been filed for several days. It could present a difficult situation with the husband/wife privilege where in the young lady does not have to testify against him,” Herrington said. “For now we will leave the charges pending, complete the investigation and then make some sort of decision as to how to proceed.” Gonzalez’s attorney, Al Charanza agreed that the marital status of the two will impact how the case is handled.

TYLER — Area residents are being advised of a gun safety presentation occurring on the UT Tyler campus today. The presentation will include the firing of 10 shots of blanks, and university officials want to make sure it’s not mistaken for an emergency situation. The Outsiders, an Old West reenactment group, will fire 10 shots of blanks between 8:15 and 8:45this morning. According to a news release, UT Tyler campus police officials are working with the group to ensure safety. UT Tyler Chief of Police Mike Medders also has notified city law enforcement officials.