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EAST TEXAS – East Texans are preparing to usher in a new year. Local officials are urging people to keep safety in mind. They’re fun, but they could be dangerous. Each year thousands of people, often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks. The tip of a sparkler burns at a temperature which is hotter than the temperature that it takes to melt glass. Nearly 90% of emergency room firework related injuries involve fireworks consumers are permitted to use. There are city ordinances in Tyler and Longview that bans using fireworks within the city limits. And remember, you cannot discharge a firearm in the city limits. Those bullets are going up in the air and they have to come down somewhere.

LONGVIEW – One person has died from a injuries received last week in a Longview accident. Lisa Gail Wiley of Longview, 52, died Saturday at Good Shepherd Medical Center. She was involved in an accident shortly before 7:45pm on December 21st at the intersection of Pine Tree Road and East Sycamore Lane. Police say her vehicle failed to yield the right of way to an SUV driven by 27 year-old Kimberly Breanne Ward, of Longview. Ward and two passengers in her vehicle were injured. Police believe that Wiley may have been under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the accident.

KILGORE – A Kilgore police officer has exhibited a random act of kindness. To a mother with two small kids, he was an angel in uniform. Last month Corporal Jarrett Bradberry found a young mother with a three year old child and five month old child walking along US Highway 259. From another state, she was left stranded by her boyfriend with no means to return home. Bradberry and a concerned citizen helped put the family up in a local hotel until a member of her family could pick her up. They also provided meals. Corporal Bradberry even purchased some clothing items and toys for the children. The nursing staff at the Kilgore Good Shepherd Emergency Room learned of the situation and also chipped in to buy some items the family needed. According to their Face Book page, the department awarded Bradberry a Letter of Commendation for his actions.

ATHENS – A Henderson County man is being charged in his wife’s death. Daniel Joseph Scott, 28, who lives near Log Cabin, was arrested at East Texas Medical Center in Athens early Wednesday morning. He has been charged with the shooting death of Alicia Scott, 29. Further details about the case have not been released. The woman’s body has been sent to a Dallas lab for autopsy. Scott remains in the Henderson County Jail under a $3,500,000 bond. He is also being held on an outstanding arrest warrant, which stems from an assault charge out of Henderson County.

PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department has arrested three men allegedly involved in producing counterfeit money. KETK reports that after multiple reports of the counterfeit bills circulating through Palestine, early last week investigators received information that led to the alleged source of the crime. Arrest warrants were issued for Christopher Aherns, 43, Carlos Hull, 40, and Michael Sharples, 45. While serving the search and arrest warrants, police say they found several computers, printers, and counterfeit bills in denominations of $20s, $50s, and $100s.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man has been accused of pulling a gun on his sister and threatening her. Arrested was Steven Wayne Gilliam, 54. The incident happened around 4:00 Monday afternoon on West Hope Drive. It was said that Gilliam got into an argument with his sister because of her boyfriend. Gilliam said, he didn’t like him. He has been accused of aggravated assault with a weapon. Gilliam remains in the Gregg County Jail under a $7,500 bond.

LONGVIEW – An East Texas mother reports finding razor blades in shoes at a Longview Wal-Mart. Candi Mace of Tatum told the Longview News Journal she found four razor blades in different pairs of shoes on different parts of the aisle. The shoes were not near each other. She said the blades had been stuck inside the shoe alongside the paper and cardboard that is normally there, so they were pointing up. At last report, the store had not filed a report with the police department. Mace told police department spokeswoman Kristie Brian, the store’s manager told her the store’s security team would handle the matter.

TYLER – A pedestrian in Longview has been ticketed after being hit by a car. The accident happened shortly after 6:00 Monday night just north of the intersection of South High Street and Betty Drive. Taken to to Good Shepherd Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries was 28 year-old Dexter Jamar Stoker, of Marshall. He told officers he was looking down at his cell phone as he was attempting to cross the roadway, 30 feet north of the intersection, when he walked into the car driven by a Longview man. Stoker was ticketed for pedestrian failed to yield right of way to a vehicle.

TYLER – A Smith County man has been arrested on a charge of sexual assault of a child. According to the booking report from the Smith County Sheriff’s Departmnet, 31 year old Mark James Nunley of Lindale was booked into jail late last week. The charge, “Sex abuse of child continuous: victim under 14.” The child was forensically interviewed at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Tyler. During the interview, the youngster described being sexually abused repeatedly by Nunley for an extended period of time. An adult witness told investigators that they had actually caught the suspect in the act of abusing the child in the past. Nunley was arrested last Thursday after surrendering at the Smith County Jail. He is currently free on a $350,000 bond.

KAUFMAN – East Bound traffic on Interstate Highway 20 is flowing smoothly again in Kaufman County. An accident had traffic backed up for a while. The Department of Public Safety in Garland reported a car hit a concrete bridge pillar around the 508 Mile Marker. No word on any injuries.

EAST TEXAS – Plans are now being made to usher in the new year in East Texas. Let’s make this year’s celebration a safe one. Don’t plan to usher in the new year by firing guns into the air. Remember, what goes up, must come down. People have been killed and injured by those falling bullets. Keep your emotions and drinking under control at the new year’s eve parties. It’s not unusual to have stories of shootings and stabbing following those celebrations. And don’t drink excessively and then drive. Once again law agencies in Smith County will be out in force, looking for the drunk driver. And again, they won’t take no for an answer.

LONGVIEW — A nonprofit group supporting the Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center says it raised more than $11,000 from its Home for the Holidays fundraiser. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. “Every penny of that will benefit the animals in our care,” said Kristen Ishihara with Longview PAWS, which raises money to support the city’s six-month-old animal shelter. The fundraiser included a raffle for nine custom-made doghouses, and 1,500 raffle tickets were sold along with additional donations, Ishihara said. DCH Custom Carpentry, Johnson & Pace engineering firm, Thacker/Davis Architects, RLM Construction, Hugman Architecture and Construction, Chris Botto, Steve Pirtle Construction, Bates Construction, and Satterwhite Log Homes donated the doghouses. Continue reading Donations Raise $11K for Longview Animal Shelter

EAST TEXAS – Christmas tree recycling is now underway in the area. There are two Tyler locations for Christmas tree recycling. There are designated areas at Golden Road Park and Fun Forest Park. All lights, ornaments, garland and tinsel should be removed from the trees before dropping it off near the sign that says “Christmas Tree Recycling.” The trees at the parks are available for area fisherman to pick up and sink in nearby lakes to create fish habitats. In Longview, Christmas trees may be taken to the city’s compost site at 2020 Swinging Bridge Road. And in both Tyler and Longview, the trees can set out curbside with other yard waste.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been critically injured in a Christmas morning accident. It happened shortly before 1:15 on Highway 69 North, just south of the Tyler Market Center Pavilion. Taken to East Texas Medical Center was Darrus Evans, 46. At this time his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The accident occurred when a vehicle pulled out in front of an 18-wheeler. The truck took evasive action and pulled into the path of Evans pickup. The pickup became stuck underneath the eighteen-wheeler and caught fire. Police officers used handheld fire extinguishers and were able to keep it under control long enough to remove Evans from the burning vehicle. The vehicle that caused the accident did not remain at the scene.

MARSHALL – Two Longview teenagers are in custody in Marshall after shots were fired. No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred shortly before 10:45 Saturday morning at the Decker Place Apartments on East End Boulevard South. One of the rounds went through an apartment just above a couch where a young child was lying. Witnesses gave officers a description of the two suspects, who fled the area on foot. A short time later, a patrol officer spotted two young men matching the description. Arrested were Robert Rayson and Dallas Moore, both 17. Each teen was charged with possession of drugs and unlawful carrying of a weapon. More charges may be filed.

TYLER – One person has been killed in a two vehicle accident in Tyler. It occurred on Paluxy Drive near its intersection with Brandon Drive around 1:15 Friday afternoon. Killed was Kali Faye Randolph, 21, of Rusk. A Passenger in her car is hospitalized. Two persons in the other vehicle, an SUV, were treated at the scene and released. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW – The death of a woman whose body was found in a car, is now being investigated by Longview police as a homicide. The death is that of 28 year old Victorria Jasmine Sam of Longview. A report of a shooting resulted in officers going to Duncan Street shortly after 5:30 Monday afternoon. According to a police department statement, “Based on evidence investigators gathered at the scene and autopsy results, police are investigating this case as a homicide.” They have not released the cause of death. The victim’s mother told the Longview News Journal that her daughter had been shot. Continue reading Longview’s Latest Homicide

MARSHALL – A man found dead in Marshall has been identified, and officials are now referring to the case as a homicide. On Thursday at approximately 8:30 a.m., the Marshall Police Department received a call regarding a welfare concern. When officers arrived on the scene on North Hazelwood Street, they located a deceased male, lying in the yard of a residence, with what are believed to be gunshot wounds. The victim has been identified as 42-year-old Carlos Flores of Marshall. Chief Jesus “Eddie” Campa says officers are “working tirelessly to determine the circumstances leading up to the death.” Anyone with information is urged to call the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575 or the Marshall-Harrison County Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969.

TYLER – The cheer and drill teams from John Tyler High School and Robert E Lee High School faced off for the Salvation Army earlier this week. Friday, it was announced which of the two teams was the winner of the 1st Annual Christmas Kettle Spirit Award. Each team manned two separate doors at their respective locations. After the first day, only $17.07 separated the two schools. In the end, Robert E Lee won by only $87.60. The two schools raised a total of $3,249 for the Salvation Army. The goal for the local Red Kettle Drive is $400,000. This has been the goal the past two years, a goal that has not been met. And it appears it will fall short again this year. Continue reading First Christmas Kettle Spirit Award Handed Out

TYLER – Tyler police are looking for three or four persons responsible for shooting out a window on the city’s southeast side. It happened around 2:00 Thursday afternoon on Varsity Drive, near the University of Texas at Tyler. One round was said to have been fired from a moving vehicle, described as a 2014 blue Nissan Sentra. It was last seen heading south on Highway 110 toward Whitehouse. The suspects are said to be black males. There were no reports of any injuries.

MT. SELMAN – There has been another arrest in the area concerning an illegal game room. Cherokee County Sheriff’s deputies served a warrant this week at the Hot Spot convenience store in Mt. Selman. The action came after the sheriff’s department received reports of people placing bets on gambling devices and winning cash prizes. At the business, they seized gaming equipment, a large game table, money and documents. Arrested was the store’s owner, Feroz Abdul Aibani. He is currently free after posting a $1,500 bond.

LONGVIEW – The Texas Supreme Court will be in session in East Texas next year. The justices will be hearing oral arguments on two cases in the Belcher Center on the campus of Longview’s LeTourneau University. The public is invited to attend the oral arguments on February 16th, from 9:00 to 11:30 that morning. The two cases the court will hear will be set in the next few weeks. Following the oral arguments there will be time for a question and answer session with the justices. That afternoon the justices will hold breakout sessions on campus for students and at the Gregg County Courthouse for attorneys and other legal professionals. The Texas Supreme Court’s visit is designed to educate students and the public about Texas government and how the highest court in the state, for civil appeals, operates.

TYLER — Planning for the future, Tyler ISD has selected architects for a possible bond for local high schools. KETK reports that the school district selected architectural firms to renovate John Tyler and Robert E. Lee. According to one of the firms, completely renovating John Tyler will cost $87 million and Robert E. Lee $122 million if a bond is passed. The firms will be now contracted into what is called the building phase.

JACKSONVILLE – A suspected drug dealer, who lives close to a day care facility, has been arrested in Jacksonville. Arrested was Kevin Durell Cox. His arrest came as narcotics investigators and officers with the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, executed a search warrant on North Ragsdale. They seized 15.1 grams of suspected crack cocaine, and about 13 ounces of marijuana. Both drugs were packaged for resale. The officers also seized a digital scale, plastic baggies commonly used to weigh and package narcotics, and $951.00 in cash. Cox, who lives within 1,000 feet of a day care facility, has been charged with delivery of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana in a drug free zone.

EAST TEXAS – Plans are underway to close six Workforce Solutions East Texas offices in the area. They will shut down December 30th. This reduction in centers was passed unanimously over a week ago by the group’s board. It was also approved by the Chief Elected Officials board which is comprised of 14 county judges in East Texas and the mayors of Tyler and Longview. The closings come because the $31 Million budget fell almost $730,000 this year. The centers that are closing had the lowest foot traffic, in the region. They averaged 68 visits last year. The centers that are closing are located in Carthage, Emory, Gilmer, Jefferson, Pittsburg and Quitman. The other centers, including those in Tyler and Longview, will remain open.

BULLARD – When you hear reviews of high schools, they normally deal with the quality of education that’s inside. There’s one list of top schools that’s all about the exteriors. One of the schools on the list is in Smith County. These schools are honored in Architectural Digest, and they are called the “most beautiful schools in Texas. The website Aceable took a look at the designs of the schools around the state, and selected the top 25 in Texas. Number 4 on the list is Brook Hill School, which sits on 280 acres in Bullard. It is an independent, Christian day and boarding school for students in grades PreK-12. It opened in 1997 with 31 students. Today, there are over 600 students.The most prominent structure on its campus is the dome-shaped Founder’s Hall, which houses The American Freedom Museum and upper school classrooms.

TYLER – Investigators have not been able to determine what caused a weekend Tyler fire. It happened around 10:15 Sunday morning in a two story structure near the intersection of Border Avenue and Selman Street. The house suffered heavy fire damage. Due to the instability of the structure, investigators were unable to conduct a full investigation. The cause of the fire is undetermined pending further information. The investigation is closed at this time. But they say they have no reason to believe the fire was intentionally set. A Tyler firefighter was transported to to a hospital following a medical issue that occurred outside of the structure. He has been released from the hospital and should make a full recovery.

LONGVIEW – One person is in custody following a hit and run accident in Longview. It occurred shortly before 9:30 Tuesday night. on West Loop 281. Police public information officer Kristie Brian said a witness followed the suspect’s vehicle and told officers where it went. Arrested was 39 year old Angela Delois Bridges of Longview. Jail records show she has been in custody over a dozen time since 1999. Besides being charged with an accident involving damage over $200, she also has five outstanding warrants against her. The other driver was hospitalized. No word on the extent of her injuries.

UPSHUR COUNTY — The trial of a man accused of killing two young Harmony women in a head-on crash on graduation night this year has been moved to Longview. Robert William Frazier was indicted in September on two counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault. His trial in Longview will be scheduled next year. Frazier remained Tuesday in the Upshur County Jail on a $500,000 bond set by 115th District Judge Lauren Parish. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, both sides agreed in an order signed Tuesday by Parish that “great prejudice” in the community against defendant Frazier prevents a fair trial in Gilmer. Continue reading Trial Moved for Driver Accused of Two Upshur County Deaths