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TYLER — A Tyler rehab facility, Ellis Rehab “Just for Kids”, announced it will close. The facility provides physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology for children. Representatives at their main clinic site, located at 5609 Donnybrook Avenue in Tyler, tell KETK, that they are closing “to maintain the least possible damage to everyone concerned.” The exact reason for the closure has not been confirmed. The director of the clinic says they are notifying their clients, and they will provide them with a list of other pediatric doctors who will be able to provide therapy services for their children. He tells KETK that the clinic will be maintaining medical records.

One patient told KETK, she received a call Wednesday afternoon informing her that her child’s session scheduled for the next day was canceled, and that the services there would no longer be offered.

COFFEE CITY — Simmering disagreements in Coffee City have erupted into shouting and charges of corruption in city government. According to KETK, Mayor Tony Moore is under fire, and it’s coming from a group called the Concerned Citizens of Coffee City. The group formed at a meeting in 2010; back then they were worried about a property tax. Now, the causes are many. Lauren Savage edits two websites for the group, one a spoof and the other full of venom and, some would say, racist parodies of the mayor. Savage is also vice president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, whose members contend Texas is still a Republic and our statehood was illegal. He’s angry about what he terms illegal annexations.

Concerned Citizens member Pam Drost is a Coffee City alderman, and her concern is transparency and fiscal responsibility. Drost and Councilmember Darlene Jordan walked out of a recent Council meeting when the parody website was brought up; Drost later came back, then walked out again. Drost says even though Savage operates the Concerned Citizens website, the parody site doesn’t have anything to do with them. “It was not sanctioned by our group. The people that run it…they are Concerned Citizens…I don’t condone everything that is on that site, but I certainly condone his right to have that website,” Drost said. The arguments show no sign of ending anytime soon.

JACKSONVILLE — Lon Morris College will hold fall classes on campus in Jacksonville next semester. The announcement comes amid fears the school may close its doors, after recently filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Last month, our news partner KETK learned that the college would move forward with online classes, but officials with the school say that they will now be able to offer a full core course curriculum, although no athletics will be offered. Other programs, such as band, may be offered, depending on interest from the incoming student body. Dawn Ragan, the chief restructuring officer for the school, says tuition will also be reduced by a third. “Tuition last year was $13,500,” said Dawn Ragan, “but this next semester it will be scaled back to $9,000.”

The school will continue to offer federally funded financial aid, as well as funded scholarships. Ragan says any unfunded scholarships will no longer be offered. Registration for the fall semester has already begun. Lon Morris expects a good number of students for the fall semester, as many interested students have already registered. Those registered consist of both new and returning students. Lon Morris officials are in the process of contacting these students to see what their interests are, and to let them know what courses will be offered.

Ragan says that some of the faculty will also be returning as well, based upon who is still available after the furlough earlier in the year, and what the school will be offering. Some new faculty members may be hired. The school is still pursuing a financial partnership with another institution. Though it is not yet complete, the Lon Morris website already has information about registration and students are able to register. The completed website will be announced soon.

TYLER — The Smith County United Way’s 2012 campaign goal is $1.7 million. The news came at Wednesday’s campaign kickoff at Brookshire’s on Rice Road. Officials say the campaign funded 32 local programs last year that helped 64,000 people in Smith County — 1 out of every 3 residents. This year’s campaign theme is “Think Local. Give Local.” United Way President Nan Moore says, “As a community, we are all connected. We have been reminded over the past year that what affects one of our Smith County neighbors will in some way affect all of us. That is why we ask you to please join us in ‘Living United’ in 2012.” You can visit http://www.unitedwaysmithcounty.org to learn more. For more information about how you or your business can get involved, call 903-581-6376.

TYLER — As part of the City of Tyler’s plan to boost emergency response times and meet the needs of the growing community, the Tyler Fire Department celebrated the opening of the new Fire Station 5 on Wednesday. The opening was celebrated with a “hose cutting” ceremony and tours of the new station, located at 1532 S. Bennett. The new station will replace the existing Station 5, located at 2815 Frankston Highway, which has been in use since the mid 1980s. The $1.7 million structure was paid for in cash, with funds from the Half-Cent Sales Tax as well as a one-time donation from the Cascades Development.

“Moving Station 5 closer to the West Loop provides better spacing and coverage for a larger portion of Tyler,” said Fire Chief Tim Johnson. “The citizens of Tyler will benefit from the new station placement by having a more uniform response time.” Councilmember Darryl Bowdre added, “The Fire Station Number 5 relocation demonstrates the strong commitment of the Tyler City Council towards public safety. Most of us will remember that general public safety was one of the top concerns expressed by Tyler residents during the Tyler 21 planning process.” The new fire station was built with an expected lifespan of 50 years. You can visit http://www.cityoftyler.org for more on the new fire station.

CARTHAGE — Language changes included in the $140 million highway funding bill signed into law Friday are expected to speed completion of the state’s long-awaited Interstate 69 project. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, completed highway segments not connected to an existing interstate highway can now be added to the Interstate Highway System, paving the way for U.S. 59 to become part of the I-69 system. The North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority board of directors met Tuesday in Carthage to discuss the impact the change will have locally.

“This bill puts I-69 back to the way it was when the interstate system was first started in the 1950s,” said Charles Thomas. Thomas, a member of the Alliance for I-69 Texas, said the I-69 project, which will run from Brownsville to Texarkana in Texas and ultimately to the Canadian border, has been in the planning stages for more than 25 years. Because of the change in federal law, about 100 miles of I-69 routes already at or near interstate highway standards, including U.S. 59, can be part of the I-69 corridor. The exact I-69 route has yet to be determined, but is getting close, said James Carlow, who represents the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce for the I-69 project.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has unanimously voted to authorize Walker Parking Consultants/Engineers, Inc., to proceed to the final design stage for a parking structure in downtown Tyler and for construction of the garage, which will be named the Fair Plaza Garage. The Council previously authorized Walker Parking to conduct preliminary design in January 2012. The project has reached the 50 percent design stage and will now proceed into final design.

“This project is long overdue and key to the revitalization of downtown,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “We are now prepared to move forward with this important project. The garage will be an integral part of the entry point into downtown. “We are particularly pleased that the façade will be in keeping with the look, history and feel of our downtown.” Go to http://www.cityoftyler.org for more details on this story.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has unanimously voted to accept a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) totaling $7,605,000 for the new Taxiway Kilo construction and environmental assessments to reconstruct runway 4/22 at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. The grant will pay 90% of all eligible expenses related to this runway safety improvement project. “These funds will be used to address needed maintenance and safety improvements at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “We are pleased to see this award as quality transportation services are very important for boosting local economic growth.”

The reconstruction of runway 4/22 is a priority project within the Airport Master Plan due to the age of the pavement section exceeding 20 years. Additionally the runway weight capacity is below anticipated activity levels forecast within the next five years. The project also includes construction of Taxiway Kilo, which comes from a recommendation in the Master Plan to construct a full-length parallel taxiway along the western side of Runway 17/35 to enable a safe and expeditious transition of aircraft to and from the runway and other airport facilities. The project will reduce taxiing distances for the commercial carriers and improve safety standards on the airfield. The project is also the second step toward opening land on the airport for future corporate and industrial development opportunities.

“The airport’s hangar space and the land available for future airside development is fully occupied, so all future growth for general aviation and aviation industrial facilities will rely on this project moving forward,” said Airport Manager Davis Dickson. “In addition to the improvements to the airfield, this work will help create jobs and bolster the airport’s role as a key economic engine for the East Texas Region.” Visit http://www.cityoftyler.org to read more on this story.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council took a decisive step forward in its effort to improve traffic flow Wednesday when councilmembers voted unanimously to expand the City’s adaptive control system (ACS) to a section of NNW Loop 323. The ACS system uses cameras and radar to detect traffic volumes and makes signal timing adjustments in real time. “The ACS system is like having a traffic engineer at every intersection making constant adjustments,” explained Traffic Engineer Peter Eng. “This will be the fourth corridor where we have installed this technology. We are seeing significant improvements in traffic progression and anticipate a similar impact with this project.”

In addition to the camera and radar detection equipment, the City also will install a radio communication system using a combination of underground wiring and wireless equipment as well as a cable modem. “Tyler will be the first City in Texas to use this cutting edge technology that combines radar and camera detection,” said Eng. “This will allow for detection of oncoming vehicles up to 600 feet and will provide count, speed and occupancy data.”

“Addressing traffic congestion was the number one concern identified in the Tyler 21 comprehensive plan,” shared Mayor Barbara Bass. “The City has taken many steps to improve traffic flow in the last three years and has made a lot of headway. I think this enhancement will keep us moving in the right direction.” You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org to read more.

TYLER — Grassroots America – We the People has agreed to a one-time showing of videos of the Smith County sheriff’s candidates. The videos show interviews conducted by Grassroots America in its effort to choose a candidate for endorsement; the group ended up endorsing Larry Smith. According to KETK, in June, Chris Green’s campaign asked that tapes of all four original candidates be made public. Now Grassroots has agreed to release only the tapes of the remaining candidates, Green and Smith.

If you would like to see the videos for yourself, you can do so tonight at Lakeview Church of the Nazarene, 10818 University Blvd. (Spur 248), Tyler. The event runs from 6 till 8:30 p.m., including preliminary activities; total run time of the tapes is 2 hours and 15 minutes. Grassroots will not allow recording of any kind at the event, even by the media. Grassroots Executive Director JoAnn Fleming adds, “These videos will not be posted on-line, will not be made available for download, nor will they be reproduced in any way for distribution.” Fleming said her group consulted its attorney before making its decision to show the tapes and implement the rules for the showing.

EAST TEXAS — Officials with the Angelina County Sheriff’s office have linked a 26 year old to theft crimes in several counties. On June 27, Cherokee County officials arrested Ricky Schakosky outside of a hotel in Jacksonville. According to KETK, he was charged in Cherokee County for failure to identify, forgery, and failure to appear in court. He was booked into Cherokee County Jail.

Sgt. Mike Jones, an investigator for Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, filed paperwork to charge Schakosky for several theft cases in Angelina County as well. A hold has been placed on Schakosky, and he will be transferred to Angelina County Jail once he is released from Cherokee County.

WHITEHOUSE — A vehicle struck the YMCA in Whitehouse around 8:00 Wednesday morning. According to KETK, a woman reportedly plowed over a fence, through the playground and into the gym entrance of the building. Police say an 83-year-old member of the YMCA was parking her Cadillac and hit the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal. There were children inside the gym during the crash, but they were not injured. After firefighters pulled her vehicle out of the building, the woman was able to drive away.

LUFKIN – A woman and pet dog have died in a Lufkin fire. Two other persons and a dog escaped. The fire was reported shortly before 1:45 Monday morning in the 600 block of Humason Avenue. The body of Dora Ramos was found nearly ten hours later. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, but investigators feel it started in the kitchen. Authorities say there were no working smoke detectors in the house.

KILGORE – Starting August 27th, Kathryn “Kat” Jackson will be the new leader/instructor for Kilgore College’s new Culinary Arts Program. The late-afternoon and evening classes will be held at Longview High School’s state-of-the-art commercial kitchen.

Jackson has 15 years of industry experience from working with hotels as the senior manager overseeing restaurants/food and beverage. She started with the Marriott at the Renaissance Hotel of Dallas before moving to the Worthington Renaissance Hotel of Fort Worth. In the last year and a half, Jackson started a business that caters medium and large events in North Texas.

“I am very proud to be a new member of the Kilgore College faculty. I have worked in the service industry for my entire professional career, but I can honestly say that I’ve never been as excited about a position as I am now about teaching the new culinary arts curriculum,” Jackson said.

LONGVIEW — Following a storm that resulted in several fallen trees and limbs throughout Longview, the City of Longview Sanitation Department is encouraging residents to utilize bulky item pick up and the compost site. Both services are free of charge for Longview residents and are available throughout the year.

The Compost Site, located at 280 Hearne Road, accepts residential yard waste throughout the year at no charge for Longview Sanitation residential customers. The Compost Site is open from Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:30am to 4:30pm. The site is closed on Sunday and Monday. The compost site also provides free compost and mulch for residential customers.

Through Bulky Item Pick Up, residents can set large items curbside for collection by the City of Longview bulky item trucks. To schedule a collection, a request is required by calling 903-237-1250. Brush and limbs will be transported to the compost site. Separate from yard waste, bulky item requests may also be made for items such as furniture, lawn equipment, and appliances.

In response to the storm, the City of Longview welcomes Longview businesses to bring fallen limbs and branches to the compost site at no charge now through July 20. The compost site is normally open for residential customers only. Businesses will still be responsible for transporting the yard waste to the compost site.

For more information, contact the Longview Sanitation Department at 903-237-1250.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College is stepping up to the plate for ex-employees of Lon Morris College. TJC will conduct a job fair for upcoming part-time and full-time faculty and staff positions in Jacksonville. According to a TJC news release, the job fair is intended for former Lon Morris employees as well as others who are qualified for available or pending positions. The job fair will take place today at ETMC Jacksonville, in the Godfrey Board Room, from 10:00am until 4:00pm. Individuals interested in applying for employment with TJC are encouraged to go to http://www.tjc.edu/tjcjobs to view available positions. Applicants who attend the job fair are encouraged to bring resumes, official or unofficial college transcripts, curriculum vitae if applicable, and letters of recommendation, if available.

Lon Morris has let the majority of its staff go in the face of continuing financial woes. According to KETK, representatives for Lon Morris were in court last Thursday for the first of several hearings on LMC’s petition for bankruptcy.

TYLER — The United Way of Smith County kicks off its 2012 campaign today from 11:30 to 1:00 with a celebration at Brookshire’s Rice Road in Tyler. The program will include guest speakers and check presentations by local companies who have “set the pace” for this year’s campaign. A free hot dog lunch is being provided by Brookshire Grocery Company, as long as supplies last. Drinks are being provided by Coca-Cola. Last year, volunteers served over 350 hot dogs at the campaign kickoff. This year, community leaders will be dunked to help raise money for local programs through United Way.

Since 1940, local businesses and individuals have come together to support the work of non-profit agencies in Smith County through the United Way. Last year alone, over 64,000 Smith County residents were helped by programs supported by people who give to the local United Way. This year’s Campaign theme is “Think Local. Give Local.” United Way President Nan Moore says, “As a community, we are all connected. We have been reminded over the past year that what affects one of our Smith County neighbors will in some way affect all of us. That is why we ask you to please join us in ‘Living United’ in 2012.” You can visit http://www.unitedwaysmithcounty.org to learn more. For more information about how you or your business can get involved, call 903-581-6376.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County law enforcement officials have taken one person into custody after a foot chase along Old New Harmony Road. According to KETK, the suspect has been identified as DeWayne Paul Geraldon, 18. He was pulled over for a drug charge, but authorities say he took off on foot into a wooded area, then through a pasture. Law officers report that K-9 units were called to the scene to assist in his capture, which officials say took place in a nearby field. Authorities reportedly found a large knife, a rifle, and syringes in his car.

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview Parks and Recreation Department announces that Teague Park has been closed temporarily due to storm damage. The park is located at 415 American Legion Blvd. Several trees and limbs fell throughout the park as the result of a strong storm that occurred Monday. The park is expected to be closed for multiple days while cleanup efforts are underway. During the closure, the Longview Parks and Recreation Department encourages park users to visit one of the many other parks located in Longview. For more information, go to http://www.Parks.LongviewTexas.gov or contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 903-237-1270.

SMITH COUNTY – A man fell to his death trying to help another motorist on Interstate Highway 20. The incident occurred around 11:30 Monday night on the 1-20 bridge at U.S. Highway 69. Killed was Steven Kloppe, 26, of Tyler. He had stopped on the bridge to assist a motorist who had spun out after loosing control of his pickup.

Kloppe was said to have jumped onto the bridge railing in order to assist the pickup’s driver. The rail was wet from the rain and Kloppe slipped, falling some 30 feet. He was rushed to Tyler’s Mother Francis Hospital where he died around 4:30 Monday afternoon.

TYLER — The trial of Carmel Foster is now set for next Monday in Smith County’s 7th District Court. That’s after Foster made court appearances Monday and Tuesday of this week. According to KETK, Foster is accused of injecting an unknown substance into a woman’s breast during an illegal breast augmentation, after which the victim was hospitalized. She is charged with practicing medicine without a license. Foster, on the right in the attached picture, owns the Queen Divas salon in Tyler, where the procedures allegedly were performed. She faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a $10,000 fine if she is convicted.

TYLER — Tyler ISD trustees met Monday for the first time to discuss a replacement for Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid. Reid was recently named the sole finalist for the superintendent job in the Keller school district. By state law, the Keller ISD board must wait 21 days before finalizing its decision. But Tyler school trustees tell KETK it’s important to move quickly and fill Reid’s shoes. Reid has been with Tyler ISD for the last five years. He says, “We’re excited; we have mixed emotions. Tyler’s been a great place for my family and I. We are excited about the opportunity to move to a larger district and be back close to my family as well.” Reid says he plans to help the new interim superintendent get acclimated before he takes off. The board can’t take action, though, until after July 23. That’s when Reid is on track to be officially named Keller’s superintendent.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating missing a missing Tyler teen. Jadarion Buckley, 18, was last seen around 5:00 Monday afternoon at Trinity Mother Francis Hospital where he was being evaluated. Against medical advice, Jadarion left the hospital. He was last seen wearing a hospital gown and may have been picked up by a waiting vehicle. Jadarion is not in immediate physical danger but is possibly suicidal and in need of further evaluation. Anyone with information on Jadarion’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

SMITH COUNTY — A woman falls asleep at the wheel before driving her car off the road. Witnesses tell KETK News the driver was speeding before the crash. It happened on Highway 64 in Smith County around 8:00 Monday morning. The car flipped sideways, and then rolled over into some trees. The driver was taken to a local hospital, where she was last listed in stable condition.

TYLER — In the next week, a random sampling of 2,000 Tyler residents will receive a survey in the mail asking for their input about City services and community planning. This is all part of the five-year update to Tyler’s comprehensive plan, Tyler 21. “It is hard to believe that it has been almost five years since the Council adopted the Tyler 21 Plan,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “Much has been accomplished toward implementation of the original goals; however, the plan calls for an update every five years to ensure it remains current and reflects the desires of the community.” The formal planning phase will start in November; however, the City is conducting the community survey now so that the results will be available as the process moves forward.

“A cornerstone of the planning effort is citizen input and involvement, including the citizen survey,” added Bass. “The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and will aid the City of Tyler in taking a resident-driven approach to making decisions that will enrich the future of the community and positively affect the lives of its residents.” ETC Institute, an independent consulting company, was selected to administer the survey. ETC will compile the data received and present the results to the City. Individual responses will remain confidential.

The mailed survey will contain a link that allows for it to be completed on the web. Also, two days prior to receiving the mailed survey, each of the selected households will receive an electronic voice message informing it about the survey. Approximately 10 days after the surveys are mailed out, extensive phone follow-up will be conducted either to encourage completion of the mailed survey or to administer the survey by phone. “This approach allows us to ensure that the demographic distribution of the sample matches the actual composition of the community,” said City Planner Heather Nick. “This survey is intended to ‘take the temperature’ of the community for a reading on the prevailing concerns on residents’ minds.” You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org to read up on the background of Tyler 21.

TYLER — A two-alarm fire destroyed a Tyler house in a matter of minutes. Firefighters responded to 3125 Old Noonday Road just after 5:00 yesterday morning. KETK reports the roof of the vacant house was gone when fire crews arrived. All units had cleared the scene by 9:45am. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

TYLER — A Regional Transportation Call Center is one step closer to reality. The East Texas Council of Governments, the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Smith County Commissioners Court, NDMJ Ltd. Transportation Services, LLC Transportation, and EasTexConnects have been awarded a $231,000 Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative Capital Grant. The money comes from the U.S Department of Transportation through the Texas Department of Transportation. The grant is to establish a One-Stop Regional Transportation Call Center to provide a resource for transportation and mobility information in the fourteen-county East Texas region. The Call Center is a major component of the Smith County Regional Coordinated Traveler Management System (CTMS) which will be located in Smith County.

According to officials, the Call Center seeks to increase the value of transportation assets to veterans and other East Texans — along with reducing congestion, enhancing safety, improving air quality, and expanding economic opportunity. Officials say the Call Center will include joint dispatching operation capabilities and offer all residents of the region, particularly veterans and those with mobility challenges, a streamlined service to assist them in meeting their mobility needs. Advanced systems such as inter-operable communications, automated vehicle locators and GPS technologies will be used to improve accessibility and contribute to broader traveler mobility.

“Having a central transportation call station that is easily accessible to all East Texans is a big step in the right direction as we look to the future of transportation in our region,” said Smith County Judge Joel Baker. Smith County Precinct 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton added, “County residents will have the means to plan a trip to the grocery store or to the DFW airport with a simple phone call.” EasTexConnects, a transportation coordination committee administered by ETCOG, identified the Call Center as a high-priority strategy in its 2006 Regional Transportation Coordination Plan, which was updated in 2011.

Officials say the project will be executed as soon as the implementation plan, which includes the project schedule, has been approved by the grant recipients. Smith County officials expect the funds to be available in October; they say the implementation plan will be completed prior to that date.

KARNACK – The pilot of a twin engine airplane died when the plane crashed in Harrison County over the weekend. The pilot has been identified as Jerome Jaquin, 52, of Mexico. The plane went down about two miles south of Karnack, near State Highway 43. The wreckage was discovered late Saturday morning.

The Department of Public Safety reports the airplane was flying from Dekalb, Illinois to Brownsville, Texas when it crashed. It appears as if the plane was caught in a thunderstorm and lost its wings and an engine at 12,000 feet, and then fell to the ground. Federal authorities are investigating.

LUFKIN – One person has been killed and one injured in a two vehicle accident near Lufkin. The crash occurred around 1:00 Sunday morning on U.S. Highway 69 just north of Loop 287. Killed was Victor Songcuan, 51, of Lufkin. The Department of Public Safety reports his motorcycle rear ended a car driven by Gloria Taylor Martines, 61, of Nacogdoches. Songcuan died about six hours after the accident at Lufkin’s Memorial Hospital. Martines is hospitalized at Lufkin’s Woodland Heights Medical Center.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY — The Texas Department of Transportation’s annual preventative maintenance program known as “District-Wide Seal Coat” is scheduled to begin work later this week in Smith County, weather permitting. Crews are scheduled to apply a seal coat to the following roads:
*State Highway 31 between West Loop 323 and Farm Road 206 (Old Goodyear Plant);
*State Highway 57 (West Grande Extension) between State Highway 155 (Frankston Highway) and Farm Road 2493 (Old Jacksonville Highway);
*Farm Road 2964 (Rhone’s Quarter Road) between State Highway 110 in Tyler and Farm Road 346 in Whitehouse;
*Farm Road 346 between State Highway 110 in Whitehouse and State Highway 110 in Troup
Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two lane areas. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

Also this week in Smith County, construction crews are scheduled to continue several weeks of nighttime work on Tyler’s WSW Loop 323 between State Highway 155 (Frankston Highway) and Bellwood Drive, which is just south of the railroad overpass near West Front Street.

Crews are scheduled to work from 7:00pm to 5:00am, Sunday-Thursday repairing and then resurfacing the roadway. Temporary lane-closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

Finally in Smith County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on Farm Road 16 in Lindale on either side of U.S. Highway 69. Daytime lane closures will be in effect, and flaggers will control traffic.

GREGG COUNTY — The Texas Department of Transportation’s annual preventative maintenance program known as “District-Wide Seal Coat” is scheduled to continue work this week in Gregg County, weather permitting. Crews are scheduled to apply a seal coat to:
*Farm Road M 1252 between State Highway 135 near Liberty City and SH 42;
*Farm Road 2087 between Loop 281 in Longview and Farm Road 349 in Kilgore;
*Farm Road 3053 between State Highway 31 and Rusk County Line
Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two lane areas. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

Also this week in Gregg County, TxDOT maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin ditch work on State Highway 149 between Farm Road 2906 (Easton Road) and the Rusk County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin approximately two weeks of pavement repairs on U.S. Highway 79 east of Henderson between the city limits and the Panola County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin seal coat operations on Farm Road 1653 between Farm Road 858 in Martins Mill and State Highway 64. Once that work is complete, crews are scheduled to perform the same work on Farm Road 17 between State Highway 64 in Canton and Interstate Highway 20. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application.

Also this week in Van Zandt County, TxDOT crews will be performing edge work on Farm Road 2339, between Farm Road 773 and Farm Road 279 in Edom.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — TxDOT maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin edge work on Farm Road 855 between U.S. Highway 69 in Mount Selman and Farm Road 2137. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on Farm Road 753 southwest of Athens between State Highway 19 and Farm Road 59 in Cross Roads. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 860, between U.S. Highway 287 and State Highway 19. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.