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TYLER – The Northeast Texas Public Health District is spotlighting the month of August for a couple of reasons. NETPHD is joining a worldwide campaign during August to increase public awareness of the many benefits of immunization. NETPHD is celebrating National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) by encouraging residents of Smith County of all ages to make sure they are fully vaccinated.

As families prepare for the new school year, officials say, they need to take a moment to ensure their vaccinations are all up to date to avoid any delays in getting their children enrolled. “We have the power to prevent many diseases with a simple vaccine,” said Sylvia Warren, RN, Director of Immunization for NETPHD. “Vaccines aren’t just for babies. From a child getting vaccinated against measles and whooping cough, to an adolescent being protected from meningitis, to an older adult avoiding the pain of shingles, there are good reasons for all of us to discuss vaccines with our health care providers.”

Health officials say vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. According to NETPHD press materials, they not only help protect vaccinated individuals, but also help protect entire communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases. Immunization services are available at the Northeast Texas Public Health District’s newly renovated facility at 815 N. Broadway, Tyler. For more information about National Immunization Awareness Month, contact the Northeast Texas Public Health District Immunizations Department at 903-535-0030 or visit http://www.healthyeasttx.org for vaccinations.

NETPHD is also joining a worldwide campaign this month to increase public awareness of the many benefits of breastfeeding. Health officials say when it comes to breastfeeding, every single ounce counts towards the health of mom and baby. That is why this year’s Texas WIC Program World Breastfeeding Month theme is Every Ounce Counts: Supporting Moms beyond the First Weeks. NETPHD officials say Texas is exceeding the Healthy People 2010 objective for a 75% breastfeeding initiation rate.

But the officials note the state is not on target to reach the objectives of 40% exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months, 17% exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months, 50% any breastfeeding at 6 months, or 25% any breastfeeding at 12 months. The Health District says this indicates a great need to support breastfeeding women beyond the first few weeks to help them reach their personal breastfeeding goals.

According to NETHPHD staffers, moms are faced with new challenges as their breastfed infants grow older. The staffers say helping breastfeeding moms overcome different challenges will help improve breastfeeding duration rates in Texas. Often, say health officials, it is the compassion provided by family, friends, health care providers, and communities that supports a lasting duration of the breastfeeding relationship. Tecora Smith, NETPHD WIC Director, stated that “health professionals will agree: breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for babies. Breast milk costs absolutely nothing, decreases the chance of breast cancer, fights against obesity, and creates an amazing bond between mother and baby.”

You can Join the Northeast Texas Public Health District in the celebration of World Breastfeeding Month on August 21, 2010 at the Salvation Army, 633 N. Broadway Tyler, Texas 75702. The event will be from 8:30am to 1:00pm. For more information about the celebration of World Breastfeeding Month or breastfeeding, visit http://www.healthyeasttx.org or call the Northeast Texas Public Health District WIC Department at 903-535-0030.

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

SMITH COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Interstate Highway 20 service roads across Smith County. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

GREGG COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform seal-coat operations on State Highway 149 between State Highway 322 in Lakeport and Farm Road 2906 (Easton Road). Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

Also this week in Longview, after a last-minute delay, the newly-installed traffic signals on State Highway 300 at George Richie Road and Cheryl Street are scheduled to be activated as early as Wednesday. Motorists are encouraged to use caution in and around newly signalized intersections.

VAN — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin resurfacing efforts on the westbound Interstate Highway 20 exit at Farm Road 314 in Van. The exit ramp is being extended back to the east to allow for greater deceleration in advance of the FM 314 intersection. The outside lane of IH 20 will be closed for roughly one mile leading up to the FM 314 exit, but the exit itself will be open to traffic. Motorists should expect delays on westbound IH 20 while the work is in progress.

Elsewhere in Van Zandt County, crews will also be performing base and pavement repairs in various locations on Farm Road 773 between Farm Road 16 and State highway 64, and on Farm Road 857 south of Silver Lake between Farm Road 1255 and Farm Road 1253 in Smith County. 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.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on Stat Highway 64 between State Highway 42 in Turnertown and Loop 571 in Henderson. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on Farm Road 3062 between Malakoff and the end of state maintenance near Star Harbor. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on U.S. Highway 175 between Jacksonville and Farm Road 855 in Cuney. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform edge repairs on Farm Road 515 near Winnsboro, and ditch maintenance on Farm Road 2710 west of Farm Road 14. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

HIDEAWAY Three persons have been killed and two injured in a one vehicle accident on Interstate Highway 20 in Smith County. The accident, around 7:45 Saturday morning, occurred just east of State Highway 110 when a car left the roadway following a blown tire and hit a tree. The Department of Public Safety reports that two of the victims were not wearing their seat belts. Those killed in the wreck have been identified as Michael Sanchez, 20, of Kennedale; Ruban MicasVargas, 18, of Fort Worth; and Emilio Banda-Hernandez, a Mexican national living in Fort Worth. Another passenger, Jermaine Bailey, 37, of Fort Worth, is in critical condition at Tylers East Texas Medical Center. The cars driver, Enrique Martinez, 28, of Fort Worth, suffered minor injuries.

WINONA — A home in northern Smith County has been destroyed by fire. It was reported just after 11:00 Saturday morning on Farm Road 16 just east of Farm Road 14. KETK-TV reports the family saw smoke coming from a water heater in a bedroom. Fire fighters report the home was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. No injuries were reported and the exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.

TYLER – A man who is accused of trying to break into his wife’s house is in custody today. KETK-TV reports the man’s wife had a restraining order against him and he wasn’t suppose near the woman or her house.

She called law officers and when they arrived, the man ran. Sheriff’s deputies finally arrested him after a chase that lasted around an hour. Before the incident, the suspect had been accused of assaulting his wife. No word on what additional charges may be filed.

ATHENS (AP) — Authorities say the Texas Rangers are investigating whether a suspected check forger was beaten after his arrest by officers who were injured and stabbed while taking him into custody. Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt says his officers showed restraint and praised them for saving the suspect’s life.

Donald Ray Huback Jr., 19, is in the Smith County Jail facing five counts of aggravated assault on a public servant and forgery of a check charge following his Tuesday arrest. His bonds total more than $2 million.

Officials say four officers were stabbed while trying to arrest Huback and a fifth was struck on the head with a soda bottle. Huback’s mug shot shows his face covered in bruises and cuts.

PALESTINE — Palestine police continue looking for a man who used a baseball bat to rob the Family Dollar Store on West Oak Street. The robbery occurred shortly before 9:15 Thursday night. The man was wearing a blue toboggan with eye holes cut into the material, and socks covering his hands. The suspect forced one of the clerks to the rear of the store, hitting her in the stomach with the baseball bat. A second clerk, who was elsewhere in the store, called 911. The suspect grabbed some money from the cash register and fled south on Oak Street. The injured employee was taken to Palestine Regional Medical Center for treatment. Palestine police describe the suspect as a black male about six feet tall.

TEXARKANA, ARK. (AP) — A former Northeast Texas state trooper, who is a registered sex offender, has pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges in Arkansas, including sexual indecency with a child. Travis McCrae, 45, entered the plea Thursday in Miller County Circuit Court in Texarkana. He’s charged in connection with a string of crimes on May 14. Police say he’s suspected of breaking into several homes – including one where he awoke a sleeping 14-year-old girl and molested her.

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s sex offender registry says McRae served two months in prison after he was convicted in 1991 of indecency with a 13-year-old girl. DPS officials say McRae was a DPS trooper in Bowie County for four years before resigning in 1990.

MANGUM, OKLA. (AP) — A trial for a warden’s wife accused of helping an inmate escape from prison remains on schedule to start September 20 after a pretrial hearing in the case. Greer County Assistant District Attorney David Thomas says a judge on Thursday set an August 20 deadline for attorneys to file pre-trial motions in the case of Bobbi Parker. He says arguments on those motions likely will be held in early September. Defense attorney Garvin Isaacs says several motions will be heard. He declined further comment other than to say he is preparing his witness list and will be ready for trial. Parker is accused of helping convicted killer Randolph Dial escape in 1994 – then living with him on the run. The two were discovered living on a chicken ranch near Center, Texas, in 2005. Dial has since died.

TYLER — Tyler’s First Church of Christ, Scientist plans to return its sanctuary to its mint condition after it was destroyed by arsonists in January. KETK reports the Historical Preservation Board Wednesday allowed the church to renovate the building. The congregation has been meeting at the First Presbyterian Church of Tyler. The congregation hopes to start reconstruction within weeks.

TYLER — Vandals are leaving their calling card across Tyler — and graffiti marring new bathrooms, parks, and trails is causing the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department to spend unnecessary cash. According to KETK, that’s money they say they don’t need to spend at a time when the city is dealing with a tight budget. The latest rash of vandalism happened at the Rose Garden, where 30 nozzles were stolen from the fountain at a cost of more than $5,000. Parks and Recreation Director Stephanie Rollings says money they’re using to clean up the mess could have been used elsewhere. According to Rollings, “The vandals doing this I don’t think really know the massive effect they’re having on the city’s budget as well as the citizens of Tyler.” Rollings says every citizen who uses those parks is affected. So far, all the graffiti has been cleaned up, and stolen items have been replaced.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say the death of a Kilgore woman found in a hotel room on July 2 was ruled accidental due to “combined drug toxicity” by Justice of the Peace Sam Lawson. The body of 25-year-old Danielle Davison of Kilgore was located in a room at the Express Inn at 3120 Estes Parkway by hotel management. Investigators located evidence of narcotics usage inside the hotel room and found no obvious signs of trauma to Davison’s body. Dr. Tommy Brown, of the Southwest Texas Forensic Center in Tyler, performed the autopsy.

LUFKIN — Police in Lufkin are following up on some motorcycle thefts, according to KETK. Sometime during the early morning hours of July 22, an unidentified thief or thieves stole three motorcycles from outside of the 1400 and 1500 buildings at Deer Cross apartment complex, located at 3000 South First Street. The complainants reported that all three motorcycles were accounted for as of 2:00 A.M. on July 22, when one of the complainants left home for work.

The complainants identified the three motorcycles as:
-A 2002 Honda CBR600 displaying Texas personalized license plate 1FOX, with a unique black and white “Sharpie” paint job, a stretched swing arm, and a camera built into the fuel tank.
– A 2006 Suzuki GSXR750 displaying Texas license plate 3UP301, with a blue and white paint job that included black and white gun decals, and damage to the right side fairing.
– A 2006 Yamaha R6S displaying Texas license plate 3EU084 with a factory black paint job.

If you can identify the thieves, or if you can provide any information concerning this crime or the location of the stolen motorcycles, you”re asked to leave an anonymous tip at http://www.LufkinCrimeStoppers.com or call Crime Stoppers at (936) 639-TIPS. Police say you never have to give your name, and Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest or arrests related to this crime.

WINNSBORO — Kathie Glass, the Libertarian nominee for Texas governor, has scheduled a campaign appearance for 7:00 p.m tonight at the Winnsboro City Auditorium, 959 Wheeler Dr. at City Park. Glass plans to discuss four main issues that spokespeople say distinguish her from other candidates: border security, state sovereignty, dramatically lower taxes, and strengthened property rights.

LONGVIEW — A man is wounded during an attempted robbery. It happened July 31 around 6:10 p.m. Longview Officers responded to the Sunbelt Mobile Home Park at 1203 State Highway 31 South for a report of an attempted robbery. Officers arrived and located the victim, Benito Martinez, who had been shot in the leg and was bleeding. Martinez told officers that he was parked in his driveway looking for something in his car when he was approached by three young males who demanded his wallet. Martinez refused to give them his wallet and was subsequently shot in the leg by one of the suspects. The suspects then fled the location and were last seen running eastbound, where they jumped a fence and ran towards the Autumnwood Apartments. Martinez was transported by the Longview Fire Department/EMS to Good Shepherd Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. The suspects are described as three black males between the ages of 15-16, one wearing long black shorts, no shirt with a semi-automatic handgun.

GUN BARREL CITY — Five law enforcement officers were attacked, four of them suffering knife wounds Tuesday evening after two Gun Barrel City Police officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant on the man. The suspect was identified in a Wednesday afternoon press release from the Gun Barrel City Police Department as 19-year-old Donald Ray Huback, Jr., was finally apprehended inside a recreational vehicle he had been living in on Rising Star Trail in the Cherokee Shores subdivision. By Wednesday morning, Huback was in Smith County Jail held in lieu of bonds for aggravated assault on an officer, totaling $2.5 million. Another $5,000 was added for an alleged check forgery.

LUFKIN (AP) — An east Texas police officer has resigned following a videotaped stop in which he is heard and seen berating a speeding driver rushing a passenger to a hospital. KTRE-TV reports 73-year-old Johnny Hodge of Seven Oaks says his insurance would not pay for an ambulance. Diboll Officer Grant Jones on July 27 stopped the pickup in nearby Lufkin. Dashcam video, obtained in an open records request by KTRE, shows Jones with his gun drawn, breaking the driver’s side window and hauling out 75-year-old Tracey Lott.
A police review found that Jones, who resigned Tuesday, violated policy by not waiting for backup officers. A ticket Jones wrote to Lott, for speeding and failing to stop, has been dropped.

EMS examined Hodge, who refused transport. Lott then drove Hodge to the hospital, for treatment of respiratory and blood pressure problems.

LUFKIN (AP) — A poke in the eye is worth three years in prison for an Angelina County man. Alex Yanez on Tuesday pleaded guilty to assaulting a public servant for gouging the eye of a Lufkin police officer. A warrant said Yanez, during a June 29 traffic stop, snatched the sunglasses from the face of Officer Brad Lawrence and poked him in the eye as the lawman questioned the suspect over three warrants. Lawrence, who suffered a minor eye injury, managed to arrest the 20-year-old Yanez. He faced up to 10 years in prison for the third-degree felony, but accepted the plea deal. Yanez has a criminal history to 2008, including charges of theft, engaging in organized criminal activity and giving a false report to an officer.

PALESTINE — An Anderson County woman is in custody, charged with capital murder, in the death of a toddler. Jennifer Jill Whitehead, 38, of Palestine, was indicted Wednesday in the death of her 16-month old grand daughter, Emma Nicole Whitehead. She turned herself in to authorities Wednesday afternoon at the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. She remains in the Anderson County Jail in lieu of a $1 million bond.

The little girl suffered head injuries on May 4th. The grandmother told authorities the youngster was injured in a fall from a playpen. The youngster was taken by family members to Palestine Regional Medical Center. She was transferred to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas where she died on May 5th.

A Dallas lab performed the autopsy. It said the cause of death was “blunt force trauma.” The autopsy listed the death as a homicide.

TYLER – As the result of the work of ten area law enforcement agencies, nine persons are in custody and a multi county theft ring has been busted. KETK-TV reports it started June 7th with a Lindale man reporting the theft of a 4-wheeler. The investigation led to two young men. After interviewing them, it led to the arrest of the man who is accused of being the ringleader of this group, Johnny Michael Moore, Jr., 39, of Grand Saline, who is pictured here. That led to the investigation of more thefts.

According to Constable Dennis Taylor, “Once we arrested Johnny Moore, it just kind of broke open.” Officers continued looking into more thefts. The investigation led to nine arrests. One suspect is still at large.

Officers from five counties were involved and over $100,000 worth of merchandise has been recovered. Most of it farm and ranch equipment, tools and vehicles like ATV’s and golf carts. According to Constable Taylor, “45 cases, $100,000 in property that people would not have gotten back. I just know that in my 31 years, this is the best cooperation between departments that I’ve ever seen.”

The root cause of the problems was said to have been methamphetamines. All of the suspects arrested were said to have been meth users. And Moore, the ring leader, is accused of selling methamphetamines.

TYLER — Tyler voters may have a school bond proposal on the ballot in November. That will be the recommendation that Tyler School Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid will present to school trustees later this month. On Thursday the school board looked over renovating or replacing Rice and Dixie elementary schools as well as building a new middle school in southwest Tyler. It is estimated that building the three new schools would cost around $90 million. The board will consider a bond proposal when it meets August 23rd.

MT. PLEASANT — A fireman suffered minor heat related injures in fighting a fire at the Pilgrim’s Pride Feed Mill in Mt. Pleasant. The fire in the mill on South Jefferson Street is said to have followed a dust explosion inside a conveyor belt. The damage was said to be minimal.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville’s fire department has received a generous donation after losing all its donated life jackets. According to KETK, the fire department asked for donations for new jackets after 18 went missing from Lake Jacksonville. Tyler-based Kent Watersports donated three dozen life jackets to the department this week. Fire officials say Kent Watersports manufactures life jackets, so it was very generous of the company to donate them. According to the fire department, people who have used life jackets may also donate them — such as jackets that kids have outgrown.

TYLER — Tyler police report a serious injury at the intersection of S. Beckham and E. Houston Street, where a motorcycle crashed into the back of a mini-van around 11:55 a.m., Thursday. Officers were told by witnesses that the mini-van was traveling south in the outside lane on Beckham when it stopped to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle. An ambulance was traveling east on Houston approaching the intersection with lights and siren activated. A 59-year-old man riding a motorcycle was behind the mini-van and, unable to stop in time, crashed into the rear of the mini-van.

The driver of the motorcycle was not wearing a helmet and suffered severe head trauma. The ambulance responding to another emergency stopped immediately to attend to the motorcycle victim. He was transported to East Texas Medical Center while the three occupants of the mini-van reported no injuries.

TYLER – Tyler’s Total Healthcare Center and Bethesda Health Clinic will each receive an equal share of an estimated $2.6 million payment in damages and transferred assets of Doctors Memorial Hospital, Inc. (DMH). That’s under an agreed judgment negotiated by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Officials say both health care providers were selected for the funding because of their longstanding commitment to serving East Texas’ indigent population.

“Total Healthcare Center and Bethesda Health Clinic are not just world-class clinics and pillars of the Tyler community — they are institutions that have demonstrated remarkable commitment to serving financially disadvantaged Texans,” Attorney General Abbott said. “By allocating remaining assets to Total Healthcare Center and Bethesda Health Clinic, we have ensured that more than $2 million worth of charitable resources will remain in Tyler and will help support two of the community’s finest institutions.”

In 2009, the Attorney General’s Office filed an enforcement action against DMH, its directors and officers. A review by the Charitable Trusts Section indicated that the hospital’s board of directors approved paying full salaries and benefits to Chief Executive Officer Olie Clem and his daughter, Lisa Blaine, the Chief Operations Officer. Officials say that was despite the fact that the charitable hospital had closed its doors on August 31, 2000. In addition to their post-closure salaries and benefits, the two senior employees also received $550,000 in severance payments. According a news release from the attorney general’s office, after DMH closed, its board of directors continued paying Clem and Blaine full salaries and benefits for four years – and authorized severance packages so that both former executives received full salaries and benefits for two additional years.

To resolve the State’s legal action, DMH and its directors and officers agreed to distribute its remaining assets to Total Healthcare Center and Bethesda Health Clinic to fund indigent health care in the Tyler area. Additionally, former executives Clem and Blaine agreed to repay $675,000, which will also be distributed to the two health care clinics upon the wind up of the receivership. The former hospital’s temporary receiver will file a certificate of termination for DMH after the hospital’s debts are paid and its assets are distributed.

TYLER — On Thursday at 6:00 a.m., law enforcement officials teamed up to knock on doors of 117 registered sex offenders who live in the City Limits of Tyler. Police say the purpose is to verify that they reside at the proper location on file with the Tyler Police Department. The Tyler Police Department along with the U.S. Marshal’s Office, members of the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and Tyler Smith County Crimestoppers formed into six teams of three to complete this task.

According to police, a registered sex offender must report within seven days to local law enforcement authorities of the address that he or she will be living at or moving to. Failure to comply with the notification of change of address is a violation of the law and is a felony offense.

With the new school year about to start, police say it is extremely important that authorities monitor registered sex offenders regarding where they live, where they are employed, and what they drive. This information is kept on file in case incidents involving a registered sex offender occur. The Tyler Police Department conducts this unannounced verification process twice a year.

The results of Thursday’s compliance check of the 117 registered sex offenders are as follows:
– 81 offenders verified of proper location of residence
– 24 offenders – no contact made
– 12 possibly have absconded (further investigation required)

If you would like more information on registered sex offenders in your area, you can go to http://www.txdps.state.tx.us and click on sex offender registry search.

PITTSBURG — Three weeks after signing an agreement to resume poultry imports, Russian officials have voided the lists of U.S. facilities that had been approved to export product — including an East Texas supplier. Pilgrim’s Pride CEO Don Jackson says his company has three plants filling Russian orders and hopes to add three more within 90 days. According to Jackson, “Within a few days, we had sold out our entire August production volume for our Russian-approved plants, with prices quickly moving to the 60-cent range.” Russia is questioning whether some of the disinfectant rinses to be used in place of chlorine are compliant with what they agreed to.

PALESTINE (Staff/AP) – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s Cyber Crimes Unit has arrested Allen Lynn Ward, 47, of Palestine, for child pornography possession. At the time of his arrest on Wednesday, Ward indicated he was employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) as a prison guard.

Officials say Wednesday’s arrest stemmed from a referral by the Oregon Department of Justice, which notified the Cyber Crimes Unit that Ward’s e-mail account appeared to be involved in trading child pornography. Cyber Crimes Unit investigators conducted a search of Ward’s residence. According to investigators, Ward possessed numerous illicit images of young children on his home computer and in print. Officials say investigators will examine the seized evidence and determine whether Ward should face additional charges. At this time, all evidence involves Ward’s personal property. Neither state nor TDCJ resources are implicated.

The arrest was a joint operation by the Texas Attorney General’s Office and Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor. State officials say the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Office of the Inspector General also fully cooperated with the investigation and provided assistance to the Cyber Crimes Unit. Ward remains in Anderson County Jail charged with child pornography possession – a third-degree felony – in lieu of a $1 million bond. If convicted, Ward faces two to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Texas prisons spokeswoman Michelle Lyons says Ward worked since February at the Gurney Unit in Anderson County. She says he resigned Wednesday.

LINDALE (AP) — An east Texas woman who allegedly was trying to set up a drug sale turned out to be mistakenly texting law officers. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office says 51-year-old Debra Langham of Lindale was booked Monday on a marijuana possession charge. She was freed the following day on $5,000 bond. Jail records did not list an attorney for Langham. Investigators say she was caught after agreeing to meet an alleged buyer at a certain location. Langham had provided a description of her vehicle. Deputies recovered about $400 worth of marijuana. Lt. Tony Dana says Langham apparently put in the wrong number when the sheriff’s office began receiving the texts several weeks ago.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Commissioners continue to talk about the new budget. Over the next few weeks, commissioners will come up with their budget battle plan. However, compromise doesn’t seem to be in the near future. Judge Joel Baker says Smith County has never experienced budget problems like we have now. By the end of August, the court has to reach a decision. But, according to KETK, this week, they are struggling to agree.

More than 30 county jobs may be eliminated from the county and elected officials are defending their departments. One official says the court has already taken almost everything away from their employees. Another man begs to keep his employees, saying they cannot do the job with one less person. Smith County Commissioner Jeff Warr says he hopes they will reach a budget that is fair to everyone. Warr says, “There’s no agreement on many major issues, but that’s part of the process–especially when you’re in tough economic times.”