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TYLER — The Park of East Texas, Inc., has completed design work on Phase I of the planned entertainment complex known as The Park of East Texas. Park officials term the move a significant step toward fulfilling the vision set forth by the former East Texas State Fair Association board of directors.

“The Park, as it has come to be known, is an entertainment and conference development located in west Tyler. The Phase I plan includes an event center, meeting rooms, exhibit space and ballrooms. The event center will have 4,500 fixed seats with the ability to increase to 8,000 when floor seating is utilized,” said John E. Sykes, President and CEO of The Park of East Texas, Inc. “To accommodate the needs of local education institutions, business development and the growing economy, the board of directors of The Park of East Texas, Inc. initiated a search for a design team to establish a master plan for The Park. The search led to a collaborative effort between Tyler-based firm Ron Mabry Architects and GH2 Equestrian Architects of Oklahoma.”

The need for such a development has been explored in the Tyler community for decades; the recent findings of The Industry Growth Initiative and a local survey by the Tyler Convention and Visitors’ Bureau have reiterated the desire from the community for such a development. “The configuration of Phase I is now complete. In a cooperative endeavor with local entities, the first phase is being broken into sub-phases to best meet the needs of the community in the most efficient manner,” continued Sykes. Lonny Uzzell, Board of Directors Treasurer, says he recognizes the importance a project such as The Park can and will mean to the community. “A project of this scale will have significant impact on the local economy and will require a public/private partnership to commence construction,” says Uzzell.

Officials say The Park of East Texas will attract national tours, conventions and tradeshows in addition to national and regional equestrian events. They say The Park will create commerce for Tyler and East Texas through the development process and as the complex is utilized for various events. Phase I economic impact during construction is predicted to generate over $50 million according to an economic impact study prepared by Impact DataSource from Austin, Texas.

TYLER — Information from the Texas Comptroller indicates that total City of Tyler sales tax revenues deposited for the month of January have increased 9.34 percent as compared to January 2010, resulting in a 4.98 percent cumulative year-to-date increase. The reported revenue of $2,710,337.24 is comprised of $1,806,891.49 general sales tax revenue and $903,445.75 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from November 2010 collections, as there is a two-month period before revenue is reported.

“The City budgeted for a two percent increase in our sales tax revenue for 2010-2011,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “It is tremendous to see that we have already met that projection only four months into our fiscal year. Still, we have taken a very conservative approach in filling vacancies frozen last year and will continue to monitor expenditures closely as we prepare for the next fiscal year.”

SMITH COUNTY — A seriously injured Tyler baby has been released from the hospital. CPS says the girl is in a foster home and they believe she will suffer permanent brain damage. The suspect, who first said his infant suffered a head injury after her sister jumped on top of her, admitted later that he is the one who injured the baby. The 2 month old girl suffered a head fracture last month. Saul Lino-Porcayo, 23, Tyler, was taken into custody after admitting to authorities he was drunk and frustrated when he hit the child.

LUFKIN — Former Congressman Charlie Wilson now stands immortalized in front of the clinic that bears his name and his passion. A 10-foot statue entitled “Standing Tall with Charlie Wilson” was unveiled at the Charles Wilson VA Outpatient Clinic during a remembrance ceremony Wednesday. Charles “Charlie” Nesbitt Wilson, 76, died Feb. 10, 2010. Friends and former colleagues spearheaded the fundraiser for the project, garnering nearly $50,000 in honor of Wilson.

TYLER (AP) – Two men already sentenced to life in prison for torching a series of East Texas churches face new arson charges. A Henderson County grand jury on Tuesday indicted 21-year-old Jason Robert Bourque on three arson counts, and 23-year-old Daniel George McAllister on two arson counts. In a statement, Henderson County District Attorney Scott McKee said bonds of $500,000 were set against each defendant.

Both were sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to arson counts in neighboring Smith County. Nobody was hurt in last year’s blazes that damaged or destroyed 10 churches, leading to an investigation that included state and federal arson experts. Three churches were burned in Athens in Henderson County, two in Van Zandt County and five in Smith County.

TYLER — The SPCA of East Texas has formally retained the services of a specialized architectural firm for the study and design of a Regional Animal Services Center. Animal Arts of Denver, Colorado, has been contracted to perform a feasibility study for the assessment of the needs of the community. The SPCA of East Texas will be hosting an all day workshop this Friday, January 14th, for City of Tyler Animal Control, Northeast Texas Public Health District (NETPHD), Smith County Sheriff’s Department, Smith County Animal Control, Animal Rescue Fund (ARF), the Humane Society of East Texas, SPCA of East Texas and several other members of local government.

Currently, over 10,000 dogs a year are being euthanized in the Tyler/Smith County community. The 2007 cancellation of the city and county animal contracts by the Humane Society left the community with no local animal shelter or adoption facility. Officials say the creation of a Regional Animal Services Center would provide numerous important services to the community that are currently unavailable locally. Funding for the new center is being sought through the SPCA of East Texas Capital Building Campaign. A kickoff benefit concert is scheduled for February 12th at the Lone Star Event Center in Tyler.

LAMARQUE — Authorities in LaMarque have released the names of a Lufkin couple killed in what’s now been ruled a murder and suicide. They are Gary Frank Parker, 63, and his wife Kathleen, 57. Their bodies were found Wednesday morning in their travel trailer at an RV park on Interstate Highway 45. Investigators say the husband shot his wife in the head and then shot himself in the chest.

TYLER – A police chase that started near Tyler Junior Collage ended on Highway 64 East in front of Chapel Hill High School. Taken into custody yesterday was Anthony Boyd, 42, of Athens. Around 1:15 Wednesday afternoon, A Tyler Junior College police officer reported seeing Boyd driving erratically, nearly hitting a TJC police car. The officer radioed for assistance and started the pursuit. It ended when Smith County sheriff’s deputy was able to cut off Boyd’s vehicle and stop him. He is facing a variety of charges.

MARSHALL — A Marshall mother and her three children are without a home after a fire extensively damaged the inside of the house. The fire was reported Wednesday morning in the 300 block of Hawley Street. Investigators say it appears the fire was started by a space heater. No injuries were reported.

TYLER – No major damage was reported in a fire at Distant Lands Coffee on Highway 64 west. A roaster caught fire, causing a lot of smoke. The fire was quickly extinguished.

TYLER – Traffic along a portion of U.S. Highway 69, just under a mile north of Tyler, had to be blocked off for around an hour yesterday. The problem was a broken gas line. A contractor who was putting in a city water main accidently cut the pipe with a backhoe.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An attorney for the wife of a former Oklahoma prison warden accused of helping a prisoner escape wants to tap the state’s lengthy trial fund and boost jurors’ pay when the case goes to trial May 16.

Bobbi Parker is charged with helping convicted killer Randolph Dial escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite on August 30, 1994. The two were discovered living on a chicken ranch near Center, Texas, in 2005. Dial has since died.

Her attorney, Garvin Isaacs, said Wednesday Parker’s trial could last up to two months and Parker doesn’t want to create financial hardships on jurors because of their lengthy service. Jurors are routinely paid $20 a day. The lengthy trial fund allows payment of up to $200 a day per juror for trials that last more than 10 days.

Greer County District Judge Richard Darby has not yet ruled on the motion.

TYLER – A 36-year-old Hutchins man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas. Cary Lee Guess pleaded guilty on Sep. 10, 2010 to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison Wednesday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Guess was also ordered to forfeit more than $22,000 cash seized at the time of his arrest, as well as a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $20,000. According to authorities, beginning in January 2008, Guess possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute to others in and around the Longview area. A federal indictment was returned on Oct. 7, 2009, charging Guess and four other individuals with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

TYLER – A 35-year-old Grand Saline man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank robbery. Carl Ray Davis pleaded guilty on Mar. 31, 2010, and was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison Wednesday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis. According to prosecutors, on Nov. 2, 2009, Davis entered the Mineola Community Bank, S.S.B., in Grand Saline and ordered a teller to give him the cash from the teller drawer, which he then took from the bank. On Nov. 4, 2009, a federal grand jury returned a federal indictment charging Davis with bank robbery.

TYLER — Noted economist Dr. Ray Perryman says there are some positive economic signs in the Tyler area right now, and he feels “pretty good” about its prospects. At the local edition of his 27th Annual Economic Outlook Conference Thursday, Perryman said the community is seeing some encouraging job and investment announcements. According to Perryman, the area’s job growth numbers have been up “pretty consistently” about 1.9 per cent for the year, which he terms a good number. Overall, says Perryman, Tyler figures to have a period of modest growth in the near future, and the community should begin to see a little more stabilization in the housing market in the next few months.

Perryman says Tyler is already doing a lot of things right. He says that includes great economic development leadership, along with plans for a new convention center and art museum. According to Perryman, the latter two factors can set Tyler apart and make it a destination. He also points to continuing development of the health sector, including the biomedical sector, and the energy industry.

Perryman also says the state as a whole is doing quite well in spite of the recession. He says there’s been a significant comeback in job growth over the past several months, and other indicators, such as retail sales, are on the upswing. Perryman figures economic growth in the state over the next five years will average about four per cent.

As for the United States overall, Perryman says the country is gaining momentum, but it’s still not going fast enough to bring the unemployment rate down as much as he’d like. He thinks that’s still a few months away as the country awaits a little more certainty about the impacts of the health bill and some other things. But, adds Perryman, corporate America is holding a lot of cash right now, and there are some encouraging signs that the corporations will begin to spend that cash fairly soon — and once they do, he says, we’ll see more significant growth nationwide.

This year, Perryman also scheduled a special Thursday evening appearance at TJC on behalf of the Tyler Museum of Art. His presentation’s title: “The Potential Impact of the Proposed New Tyler Museum of Art on Business Activity in the Tyler Metropolitan Statistical Area.”