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CHAPEL HILL -Three persons have been arrested following a police chase in Smith County. It started Thursday with a state trooper chasing a pickup that had been speeding in south eastern Smith County. The truck finally stopped and the three persons in the truck fled on foot. Earl Nelson Jr., 38, of Tyler,(pictured) was arrested. The search then began for Trinity Driver, 28, of Arp, who was driving the pickup, and Kendall Durham, 28, of Tyler. One of the deputies’ dog tracked them to a home on County Road 2301. It took the sheriff’s department SWAT team to enter the house to arrested the two. Continue reading Chase Leads to 3 Arrests in Smith County

TYLER – Longtime Smith County Extension Agent Chad Gulley has retired. He has been the County Extension Agent in Smith County since 2011. He has also served the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services in Polk and Nacogdoches counties, for over 17 years. Gulley was honored this summer with state and national Distinguished Service Awards. He received the 2017 Distinguished Service Award at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah in July. A week later he was also honored with the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association Distinguished Service Award at its annual meeting in Odessa. Gulley retired on Friday to begin a new career working for Shelby Savings Bank.

TYLER – A topping out ceremony was held Friday morning for the future home of the College of Business and Technology at the University of Texas at Tyler. The four-story 140,000 square-foot building is expected to open for classes next fall. It will feature student meeting places, classrooms and specialized experimental labs. It will also contain faculty offices, a courtyard, second-floor terrace and specialized landscaping. Those who attended the ceremony were invited to sign the final beam that will be located on the tallest part of the building’s roof.The $56 million structure is part of a larger project that includes an adjacent parking garage, adding roughly 400 parking spaces, as well as renovations to the current Business Building. It will become the new home of the College of Arts and Sciences.

EAST TEXAS – Accidents in Henderson and Cherokee counties have left two persons dead and one injured. The Henderson County accident happened shortly after 5:45 Thursday afternoon on Farm Road 315, just south of County Road 4201, 10 miles north of Chandler. Dead at the scene was Austin Dale Boyles, 23, of Grand Saline. He was a passenger a pickup driven by Westin Dale Milliorn, 19, of Grand Saline. He is in serious condition at a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety reports he was heading north when he failed to negotiate a curve. When he went off the road he overcorrected and went off on the other side of the road where he hit a tree. Continue reading Two Die in Area Wrecks

SHREVEPORT, La. — A second death is reported in last week’s fatal house fire in Diana. According to KETK, a Shreveport hospital has confirmed James Hogue died early Wednesday from his injuries. His wife, Sherri Hogue, died during the fire, along with their three pets. Investigators say Mrs. Hogue was bedridden and unable to escape the flames. The Hogues’ 18-year-old grandson was the only survivor.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is putting out the word on a scam that has recently emerged. Police say several people reported a call from a person claiming to be with Microsoft Computers. The caller claims to need the call recipient’s computer IP address to determine if the computer has reported viruses that have been detected. The caller will then pretend to be looking into the problem and inform you that you have numerous computer issues. Then comes a request for a credit card number that purportedly allows the caller to add virus protection — and clean up viruses that don’t exist. The caller will then start charging on your credit card while keeping you on the phone with the phony problem. Continue reading Tyler Police Warn of Computer-Related Scam

TYLER – The body of a Tyler soldier returns home on Friday for funeral service which will be held early next week. The body of Specialist Alexander Wayne Missildine, 20, will be arriving at Tyler’s Pounds Field Regional Airport around 2:00 Friday afternoon. Serving with the 10th Mountain Division’s Louisiana-based brigade combat team, Missildine was killed October 1st by an improvised explosive device in Iraq. Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 2:00 at Green Acres Baptist Church. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Jackson’s Burks Walker Tippit Funeral Home.

LAKE PALESTINE – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reporting that Giant Salvinia has been found in Lake Palestine. It is generally in the rear of Saline Bay past the Farm Road 344 bridge. A containment boom has been put across the opening at the bridge with hopes of keeping the plant material inside the contained area. Texas Parks and Wildlife is asking residents to be patient while they try to keep this extremely invasive plant from spreading further. It can easily be spread from one body of water to another by boat or trailer. They are asking people to triple check boats and trailers when leaving the lake to make sure you not taking some of the plant with you.

LONGVIEW – Longview police are investigating an animal cruelty case. Animal control officers have found a dog that had been shot with a 20 inch arrow. The dog was taken to the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center where the arrow, which had pierced his lungs, was removed. On top of that, it learned the dog had been shot numerous times with a pellet gun and a pellet was still inside him. The dog, which was found near Rawley Court and Glover Drive, will live. If you recognize him, you are asked to contact Longview police.

TYLER – Senior math majors at the University of Texas at Tyler have been recognized for outstanding academic research. Senior mathematics major Vincent Villalobos of Tyler won an Outstanding Student Presentation Award at the 2017 National Math Fest Conference. Also, senior mathematics major Yansy Perez of Tyler placed second in the 2017 University of Texas System Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Research Conference. According to a news release from the school, both students participated in this year’s LSAMP Summer Research Academy. This is where individual research projects are prepared under the supervision of science, technology, engineering and mathematics faculty at the school. It is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

TYLER – A trial date has been set next year for a Smith County capital murder suspect. The trial for Gustavo Zavala-Garcia was set for March 19 during a Thursday pretrial hearing. The date was scheduled for next year as prosecutors await forensic testing on some evidence. The test results are expected to be in early next year. He has been charged with the death of Kayla Gomez-Orozco, 10. She disappeared last November from a Bullard church during worship service. Her body was found days later inside a well on the suspect’s property. According to an arrest affidavit, a witness said they saw the man with Kayla shortly before her disappearance. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

TYLER – More credit card skimmers have turned up in Tyler. A Fraud Task Force investigator has found two credit card skimmers in the gas pumps at the service station at Commerce and NNE Loop 323 in Tyler. Investigators have found several skimmers at this location over recent months. Skimmer devices will capture your credit card information allowing the suspect to clone a new credit card and charge on your account. Continue reading Credit Card Skimmers Found in Tyler

TYLER – Sunday’s Tyler Rose Run has been cancelled, but all hope is not lost. The city was informed Wednesday that the half-marathon and 5-mile race would not be run. The company staging the race said the reason for the cancellation was very low attendance. Mellew Productions also said there would be no refunds issued. And the company told KETK that they had ceased operations. Now, instead, Tyler runners plan to host a DIY race, a replacement for disappointed runners. They’re calling it the “Homemade Half.” Runners plan to meet at Rose Rudman Park between 7:30 and 8:00 Sunday morning. Organizers say when there are enough runners for a race it will start. We’ll keep you posted on further developments.

SMITH COUNTY – Westbound Interstate Highway 20 at Mile Marker 565 near Farm Road 2015 in Smith County reopened early Thursday morning after an overturned tanker truck containing a hazardous material shut down lanes. The wreck occurred around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. TxDOT crews were on scene providing traffic control. TxDOT says special equipment had to be brought in, the truck had to be returned to the upright position before it could be removed, and its cargo — now known to be sulfuric acid — had to be pumped off.

PALESTINE – Because of a network hack earlier this year, several Palestine residents have received emails that are said to be from city personnel. But city spokesman Nate Smith says those emails are not officially from the city. They are from whoever hacked into the network and stole email contacts from city email. No other data, including personal financial information, was stolen or accessed during the hack. Smith says if you receive an email from a City of Palestine employee with a link to an invoice, do not click on that link. The link is part of an email phishing scam the hackers are using to steal information. Palestine does not send invoices via email. All invoices and statements from the city are sent using regular mail.

EAST TEXAS – Three area schools are among the nation’s top 150 community colleges. They are eligible to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1million dollars in prize funds. On the list are Tyler Junior College, Kilgore College and Trinity Valley Community College. The three East Texas schools, and 147 other community colleges announced Wednesday, were selected from a national pool of more than 1,000 public two-year colleges using publicly available data on student outcomes. The schools will now submit an application containing detailed data on degree and certificate completion, including progress and transfer rates, labor market outcomes, which covers employment and earnings, and student learning outcomes. Ten finalists will be named next May. A panel will select a grand prize winner and a few finalists with distinction in the spring of 2019.

TYLER – A man charged in three counts of robbery, one of those was football star Patrick Mahomes, has pleaded guilty in a Tyler courtroom. In a plea agreement Michael Blake Pinkerton, 35, was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison for each robbery. The terms will be served concurrently. Mahomes and three others who were with him told deputies that a man that they believed to be armed with a handgun confronted them and demanded personal property from them as they were exiting their vehicle. Pinkerton and a companion were arrested a short time after the May robbery. Pinkerton was scheduled to go on trial in the case next Monday.

LONGVIEW – Two brothers are going to prison for a shooting death in Longview two years ago. The brothers pleaded guilty Wednesday to the September 2015 shooting death of Fedrick Louis Jones, 35. He was shot near the intersection of Scenic and Fairway drives. Devante Damon Darden, 19, (pictured) was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Deiontray Dewayne Darden, 20, was sentenced to 40 years. A third person, a juvenile was also arrested in the case. The three were arrested about a week after the shooting.

AUSTIN – Sales tax allocations from the state will soon be received by area cities. The state comptroller’s office is sending out $660.4 million in local sales tax allocations for October. This is nearly 2% percent more than last October. These allocations are based on sales made in August. Tyler’s allocation tops $3.4 million, which is over 9% above the same period last year. For the year, Tyler has received nearly $34 million, just over 4% more last year. Longview’s allocation for October is $2.4 million, an increase of over 7 1/2%. For the year, Longview’s total is over $24 million, which is down about half a percentage point from last year.

TYLER – The Tyler City Council has denied a $1.58 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to KETK, several councilmembers cited difficulty finding the necessary matching funds in the city’s already tight budget. The funding, over a three year period, would have seen the hiring of 12 additional firefighters. Just under a million dollars in matching funds would have been required over that period. With the exception of essential positions, the city has been under a hiring freeze because of falling sales tax allocations from the state.

MARSHALL — Cabot Norit Americas Inc. announced Tuesday it is eliminating about 40 positions from its activated carbon plant in Marshall. According to KETK, the decision was driven by the need to better match the business’s production capacity. “Unfortunately, I’m letting about 40 positions go today,” General Manager Gavin Barrack said. “It’s a market driven issue. The volumes we expected to come through have not come through. To protect the 95 plus jobs that will remain onsite we have to take this action. Demand for powdered activated carbon following the implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) regulation has been lower than originally expected, resulting in overcapacity.

AUSTIN – The governor has appointed four persons to the Texas Commission On Fire Protection. One of them is Longview Fire Chief J.P. Steelman. Besides his duties as fire chief, Steelman is an instructor at the Kilgore College Fire Academy. He serves as regional director for the Northeast Region of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Steelman was appointed for a term to expire February 1st of 2023. The Commission develops and enforces statewide fire service standards and provides education and assistance to the industry.

TYLER – The Tyler city council is scheduled to discuss Wednesday a $1.58 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.The funding, over a three year period, would be for the hiring of 12 additional fire fighters. But a possible problem is, the city must provide matching funds, just under a million dollars over that period. With the exception of essential positions, the city has been under a hiring freeze. This was instituted because of falling sales tax allocations from the state. With a tight budget, the matter should generate a lot of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting. Continue reading City Council to Discuss Proposed Federal Grant

TROUP – Some counterfeit bills have turned up in Troup. There were three bills, one was a $20 bill and two were $100 bills. The $20 bill was passed before it was discovered to be counterfeit. The two $100 bills were found on some railroad tracks. The investigation of the bills is ongoing.

LINDALE – A Lindale man has been killed in a motorcycle accident near Lindale. Dead at the scene was Kenneth Wayne Calip, 55. The Department of Public Safety reports his motorcycle left the road on a curve and hit several trees. The accident occurred just after 5:00 Monday afternoon on County Road 431 one mile west of Lindale.

FAIRFIELD – Two Trinity Valley Community College football players have been killed in a two vehicle accident in Freestone County. Killed were freshmen Tyler Spillman and Bryce Cook. They were returning to Athens from the Houston area when their vehicle and an 18-wheeler hit head on. The Freestone County Times reports the crash occurred near Fairfield on Farm Road 488 around 4:00 Monday morning.

Tyler’s annual Texans Against Crime block parties will be held on Tuesday from 6:00 to 9:00pm. Over 70 are scheduled. The parties are designed to encourage neighborhoods and businesses to get to know one another and to promote crime prevention.The City of Tyler’s Municipal Court is hosting its annual Texas Night Out “Block Party” in the parking lot of the Municipal Court Tuesday night from 6:00 to 8:00. There will be face painting, a bounce house, games, music, food and so much more. The event is meant to strengthen the relationship between the community and law enforcement officers. To find a block party near you, go to http://www.tylerpolice.com and the go to the “Community” tab and go to “Police Community Events.”

MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University President J. Blair Blackburn and University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeff Levin have signed an articulation agreement. The Tyler health center will now accept qualified ETBU students into select graduate degree programs. Students will also receive special consideration for available scholarship awards following acceptance to the program.

TENNESSEE COLONY – An inmate in a prison in Anderson County is in the hospital after he was speared by another prisoner. KETK reports an inmate threw a 24-inch paper spear from his cell at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony. He was first was taken to the prison infirmary and then transferred to a Palestine hospital. He was then taken to a Tyler hospital. Doctors had to perform surgery to remove the tip of the spear. He is listed in stable condition following the Monday morning incident.

MARSHALL – Marshall police are working on the thefts of semi-trailers loaded with various types of building materials. The thefts occurred on July 29, September 16 and September 30. The semi-trailers were parked at different locations throughout Marshall and the tractor used to move them was captured on surveillance video. During the September 30 theft, the suspect was captured on the truck’s interior camera system before he stole both the tractor and trailer. The tractor was found abandoned in Marshall and the trailer was located in Dallas, were the other trailers were also found. You can go to https://www.dropbox.com/l/scl/AACo93iYCbnk332tWwW__gnvbe7RqJ64Kf4 to see the trailer surveillance video.