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KILGORE – Three dozen young women are the newest members of the world-famous Kilgore College Rangerettes dance and drill team. The announcement, made in a closed ceremony in Dodson Auditorium on the Kilgore campus, culminates a week-long tryout process that saw 107 hopefuls vying for a coveted position on the 71st Rangerette line. The new Rangerettes will join 35 sophomores to make a line of 71.

The Rangerettes were the first of their kind when they began in 1940 as a vision of the late Gussie Nell Davis. The organization created a unique combination of dance moves and precision drills that quickly earned them the reputation not only as the originators of dance/drill teams, but as the best in the world. Known for their high kicks and the jump splits, the organization has traveled around the world and entertained millions.

The new freshman members of the 2010-11 Rangerettes, listed by hometown:
Austin – Kimberly Hookanson, Alyssa Hutcheson and Kayla Kopp
Beaumont – Katie Canant
Buda – Amanda Bailey
Dallas – Bethany Ford and Malia Freitas
Friendswood – Jacquelyn Garza, Ashley Cupples and Amanda Nobles
Frisco – Cara Rzucidlo
Garland – Hope Boyd and Elise Smith
Grand Prairie – Jennifer Aguinaga
Houston – Rachel Bruno, Ellen Dutton, Ivette Armenta and Angela Lozzi
Keller – Lindsay Early
Kingwood – Jessica Pike
Longview – Carson Latus
Orange – Katelyn Norman
Pasadena – Rachel Keller
Plano – Kimberly Hackler
Richmond – Alli Schneider and Erica Trull
Rowlett – Gina Cross and Logan Roesle
San Juan – Ariana Salazar
The Woodlands – Mary Pennington and Kirstie Tullis
Tyler – McKenzie Robinson
Victoria – Lauren Chapman
Waco – Sydne Miller
Waxahachie – Kate Basinger
Whitehouse – Sarah Leonard

TYLER — A teenager is facing a variety of charges following an incident at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. Shortly after 12:15 this morning officers responded to a call at the center of shots being fired. The officers found a 16 year old from Kansas City, Missouri in a secured hallway within the facility. The youth had a gun to his head attempting to get officers to shoot him. They were able to convince him to put the gun down.

The youth had been arrested Friday night at the Tyler bus station. Around 9:00pm, Tyler Police received information that the juvenile was on a bus from Kansas City, Missouri to Tyler and he had outstanding warrants. He is wanted for assault, failure to appear, and being a runaway. Officers contacted the teen on the bus and took him into custody.

He was transported him to the Tyler Police Department and then to the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. While the he was being held in a secured intake room in the facility, he gained access to his personal duffel bag that contained a handgun hidden in his clothing. He took the handgun from the bag and fired several shots within the intake holding room. The intake officer took cover and was not injured. Tyler police spokesman Don Martin says no juveniles housed in the facility were in any danger during the incident. The teen had been searched at the time of the arrest; however his bag was not searched prior to being placed into the trunk of the patrol vehicle.

The juvenile was transported to East Texas Medical Center for minor injuries he sustained by cut glass during the incident. He was treated and released back into the custody of officers. The youth was charged with aggravated assault on a public servant, possessing a deadly weapon in a penal institution, possession of controlled substance marijuana and directive to apprehend from Missouri.

PALESTINE — Both of the suspects in the Thursday night robbery of the Palestine Wal-Mart Supercenter are now in custody. The suspects have been identified as Terrance Lavar Williams, 31, and Michael-Anthony J. Darkins, 21. Both are from Palestine. They have been charged with aggravated robbery. The robbery happened around 10:30 Thursday night. Reports indicate a shot was fired inside the store, but not injured.

MARSHALL — An inmate of the Harrison County Jail has died after hanging himself in his jail cell. Jecori Montra White, 34, of Marshall, was arrested Wednesday morning and charged with aggravated assault-family violence. He was believed to be under the influence of narcotics at the time of his arrest. According to a news release from the sheriff’s department, White was found hanging in his cell around 5:20 Thursday afternoon. He was rushed to Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.

TYLER – Tyler police have confirmed the suspect in the July 14 robbery of the BBVA Compass Bank has been arrested. According to KETK, Tyler FBI officials say 61-year-old Eddie Ray Myers was arrested without incident. Shortly after his arrest he was taken to East Texas Medical center after complaining of chest pains. Precinct 5 constables were doing surveillance when they saw Myers enter a house. Deputies pulled him over and arrested him. Myers was on parole in Arkansas, but was living in Tyler. It is unknown when Myers will be moved to a jail.

TYLER — The Sonic Drive-In on South Broadway in Tyler is temporarily closed. According to KETK, a spokesman for the chain says local health and police departments are investigating an allegation the restaurant may be involved in a food-borne illness or food tampering incident. No other information was immediately available.

EAST TEXAS — The American Red Cross in East Texas is partnering with Wells Fargo Advisors on Operation American Pride. According to a Red Cross news release, “In celebrating the greatness that is America, and our freedom, we can do no less than thank the young men and women, around the world, that serve as the guardians of our freedom.” The Red Cross and Wells Fargo have committed to filling boxes, during the month of July, with items needed by military personnel. The Red Cross has collected money and shopped for the items. Wells Fargo Advisors has collected approved items and will be paying all shipping costs involved to get the provisions to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Friday morning, the Smith County Red Cross delivered its items to the Wells Fargo Advisors offices in Tyler. In Longview, the East Texas Piney Woods Chapter delivered its items to the local Wells Fargo offices on Thursday.

TYLER — Hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts gathered Saturday in the north parking lot of Broadway Square Mall before their 100-mile ride throughout East Texas collecting school supplies for the annual PATH School Supply Train. The 2nd annual “Bikers Rule 4 School” will get underway around with Mayor Barbara Bass will kick things off.

The caravan left Broadway Square Mall at on a route that took them to several stops throughout East Texas. Those include Brookshire’s/Bullard,, Brookshire’s/Whitehouse, Brookshire’s/Troup, Arp City Park, Chapel Hill Bethel Baptist Church, New Zion Baptist Church/Winona, Lowe’s/Lindale and back to Broadway Square Mall/Tyler.

PATH distributes school supplies to elementary, middle and high schools in Smith County prior to the beginning of the ’10-’11 school year. PATH staffers say parents who need help with school supplies for their children should contact their school before the beginning of the fall semester. For additional information, you can contact PATH at 903- 597-4044, ext. 120.

TYLER — The Smith County District Attorney’s office will not block a complete mental evaluation of the teenager accused of fatally stabbing his John Tyler teacher last September. That’s according to a brief filed by his attorney. The student was 16 at the time of the incident. According to KETK, Texas law requires such an examination be made before trying someone as young as Byron Truvia as an adult.

PALESTINE — One person is in custody and one being sought in the robbery of the Palestine Wal-Mart Supercenter. The robbery happened around 10:30 Thursday night. Reports indicate shots were fired inside the store and that one store employee was pushed to the ground, but not injured. According to KETK-TV, one suspect was arrested near an apartment complex shortly after the robbery. They are still looking for the second suspect.

TYLER – Cuts made by the state to funding for community colleges and no increase in property tax revenues are the main reasons Tyler Junior College is facing a projected $1.5 million budget shortfall. KETK-TV reports the school’s taken action to address the problem.

School officials have instituted a near-hiring freeze, construction projects are being delayed, technology upgrades are delayed, and august graduation ceremonies have been done away with. So far, not too many cuts have affected students, but school officials say if money troubles continue, students could be more directly impacted.

TYLER – A 49-year-old Henderson woman has pleaded guilty in Tyler to federal health care fraud-related charges. Sheena Shelton pleaded guilty to health care fraud and wire fraud Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.

According to officials, from 2003 to 2009, Shelton controlled and operated KC Medical Supplies, a durable medical equipment supplier in Longview. During that time, Shelton devised and carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by submitting fraudulent claims for equipment and supplies which had not been prescribed or authorized by a physician. Shelton prepared documents that falsely represented that physicians had prescribed or ordered medical equipment for certain beneficiaries although they had not. Shelton forged the signatures of local physicians to fraudulent claim forms before submitting them to Medicare and Medicaid for payment.

Shelton faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the health care fraud charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud charge. A sentencing date has not been set.

TYLER – A 26-year-old Carthage man has pleaded guilty to federal drug violations. During an appearance Thursday in Tyler before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love, Jeremy Kristopher Ivie pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. According to information presented in court, on Jan. 31, 2009, Ivie purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Wal-Mart in Longview in addition to making three other purchases that same day at other stores in the area, all in furtherance of his methamphetamine manufacturing activities. A federal grand jury returned a 256-count indictment on Feb. 2, 2010, charging Ivie with federal drug violations. Ivie faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

TYLER — A bit of a scare, but it could have been much worse as a Tyler restaurant catches fire. According to KETK, the Tyler Fire Department responded to the two-alarm blaze just before 7:15 Wednesday night at Bourbon West, 1523 East Erwin. The fire began in a bucket near an outside grill that was used to store ashes from the grill. Flames then traveled up an outside wall and entered the attic space. There was approximately $1,500 in damages and no injuries were reported.

TYLER — A new $20 million, six-level parking garage with over 950 spaces opened recently on the east side of the ETMC Tyler campus. The skywalk now extends over Hospital Drive to connect to the new east parking garage. “We are now directing visitors to park there,” said Bob Hampton, vice president of property services for ETMC. “The spaces are extra wide so all types of vehicles will easily be able to get in and out of their slot. Visitors will also be able to enter the hospital on the new extension of the skywalk.” The front parking lot where the helicopters are located will now be used for handicap parking, valet and clergy as space allows.

“Another change will be no parking anymore on Hospital Drive, the street that goes around ETMC,” said Hampton. “The street will be converted to a boulevard and will have designated turn lanes. Without cars parking on Hospital Drive, it will be a lot safer for drivers and pedestrians.” Plans for the front of ETMC involve creating a new entry way from Hospital Drive. Over the next several months, sections of the Olympic parking garage will close so the spaces can be redesigned to make them bigger and easier to maneuver like the new east garage. Next to the new parking garage is a new central plant for heating, cooling and supporting the hospital.

Other construction updates for ETMC Tyler:

– ETMC Tyler is also working to beautify the campus with more green spaces. Hospital officials say beautiful plants and trees, native to Texas, were planted around the new east parking garage.

– Behind the hospital, the area used by the construction crews will be converted back into spaces for the Pavilion conference center. A small building was razed, and that area will become green space.

– The physician office on Beckham street across from the hospital moved in mid-July to a new clinic space at Fifth Street and Beckham. The old building will be leveled, and a green space will be created.