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NOONDAY (AP/Staff) — Authorities have released the names of two Lancaster residents who were victims in a Monday boating accident on Lake Palestine. According to KETK, the woman is 55-year-old Barbara Cooper. She was last reported in fair condition at a Tyler hospital. Her husband, who died, has been identified as 58-year-old Floyd Cooper.

Firefighters from Noonday on Monday afternoon responded to a report of a capsized boat on the lake. Fisherman Paul Dowdy says he and his girlfriend noticed part of a small boat sticking out of the water. Dowdy says they then saw a woman in the water, waving for help, then located her husband nearby.

Officials say the woman was hospitalized for treatment of hypothermia. An autopsy has been ordered on the man. The National Weather Service says conditions in the area Monday afternoon included temperatures in the 60s, with wind gusts topping 20 mph.

OVERTON — The driver of a tractor trailer was transported to an area hospital this morning after his rig went off the roadway and hit a tree near Overton. Department of Public Safety said the driver, Frances Robert Valdetero, 40, was traveling westbound on FM 850 at about 5:00 when the wreck occurred about a mile west of Overton. According to the Longview News-Journal online, when the rig hit the tree, the cab separated from the rest of the rig. Valedetero was transported to Trinity Mother Frances Medical Center in Tyler.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview couple was displaced from their home early this morning after fire department officials said the residents waited an hour to call for help. Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary said firefighters were dispatched at about 3:30 to the 2100 block of Eckman Street in connection with a residential house fire. Zackary said the couple who lived in the home reported smelling smoke an hour before flames dropped down from the attic into the living area.

Despite the delay in contacting the fire department, Zackary said the fire was contained to the attic and no one was injured. Officials are looking at the electrical system closely to determine what caused the fire. Damage was estimated around $10,000.

ANGELINA COUNTY — Crime Stoppers of Lufkin wants your help identifying the suspects in two theft investigations. Investigators have not found a connection between these crimes or suspects, but both cases involve young men stealing beer from Lufkin-area convenience stores.

The first suspect is a white male with short-cut brown hair wearing a black T-shirt with a white Young and Reckless logo on its front, blue jeans and white Adidas tennis shoes. He moved directly to the store’s beer cooler, grabbed a 30-pack of Coors Light and ran from the store. He appears to have a tattoo on his right forearm, and he fled in a light grey extended-cab Ford Ranger.

The second suspect is a white or Hispanic male wearing a black toboggan, white T-shirt, dark, hooded jacket, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. He too moved directly to a beer cooler and grabbed a 30-pack, he chose Bud Light, and headed for the door, but he stashed the beer when he saw employees watching him. Several minutes later, he picked up the stashed beer and fled the store with several other males in a black, two-door car, possibly an older Honda Civic.

You can view videos of the thefts at http://www.LufkinCrimeStoppers.com.

ANGELINA COUNTY — Bubbles floated through downtown Lufkin Monday morning, evidence of an act of criminal mischief at the Angelina County Courthouse. Although the courthouse was closed for MLK Day, motorists and nearby business employees stopped to stare at the ultimate bubble bath. So far, no suspects have been named.

DIBOLL — Diboll ISD administrators on Thursday apologized for failing to notify a parent after her son was mistakenly thought to be suicidal. As a result of a Facebook post, a high school student in Diboll was called to the counselor’s office because school officials feared he may have been a danger to himself or others. School officials told the student that they had received a phone call from someone who had seen the online post and thought it was a cause for concern. Upon talking with the student, Diboll High School principal Daniel Lopez said, it was apparent there was no threat and that the post had been misinterpreted by the person who called.

“Once we are informed of a potential danger to a student, we are required to follow up on it by law,” Lopez said. “The student involved is a great kid and a really smart young man, and after talking to him we quickly identified that he was no danger to himself or anyone else. In hindsight, it was at that time that we should have notified a parent.”

Lopez said the student was asked if he would like to call his mother, but that he declined. School officials said the failure to notify the boy’s mother was a mistake.

LONGVIEW — About a hundred people united in force, pounding the pavement of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to celebrate the civil rights leader’s birthday. The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march down the street that bears his name brought into fruition the Baptist minister’s dream, as black, white and Hispanic people walked through South Longview. Sponsored by the Longview Area Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, the event began at Broughton Recreation Center and proceeded north five blocks to Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, where a memorial service was held.

“We come to this citywide celebration to celebrate the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” the Rev. D.J. Nelson said.

The event, as Nelson described it, brings together individuals under the umbrella of an effort “to maintain the unity that we have discovered,” as well as to find new efforts to stand behind it, united. He encouraged those in attendance to stand together as a united force to improve the city, state, nation and world.

LONGVIEW — Despite a still-recovering economy, Scott Zhorne with Premiere Management said he is charging ahead with a two-building, 30,000-square-foot warehouse/industrial center on Interstate 20 and East Loop 281 in Longview. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Zhorne said the project has one industrial tenant locked in early. Zhorne said the firm was pleased to sign a long-term lease with a strong industrial tenant expanding to the Longview area from Houston. The tenant, Forum Energy Technologies, is a worldwide energy conglomerate that operates in 32 facilities in more than 16 countries and employs 3,000 people across the globe. Sales for Forum topped $1 billion in 2011.

The company has a range of specialties, from testing and certifying frac iron and valves to offering a comprehensive field of remotely operated vehicles for energy construction on the ocean floor. Zhorne said construction is moving along on the site, and he expects Forum to take possession in May. The company expects it will employ up to 10 people at the start. Sales for the company surpassed $1 billion in 2011.

CANTON — Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers authorized a total of $9,275 in rewards for specific anonymous tips in 2011 – twice the value of the rewards offered in 2010, the organization has announced in its annual report to the public. In addition, the group authorized five separate rewards of up to $1,000 each over the course of the year to encourage tips for some still-unsolved crimes. Those additional rewards are still open and waiting for a caller to phone in the right information.

Tips received by Crime Stoppers in 2011 resulted in the arrests of 15 individuals who were wanted by police agencies and sheriff’s deputies for various violent, drug-related, or property crimes, or on active court warrants. Crime Stoppers pays out cash rewards to people who call the tip line, 903-567-STOP (567-7867), and give information anonymously that leads to an arrest.

Among the rewards that are still open and waiting for tips are three older arson fires, the destruction of a modular home along I-20 at Van in August 2010, the November 2010 home and truck arson in connection with a wave of burglaries near Canton, and the Rockin’ H Family Place Café fire in Edgewood in June 2010. There is also an open reward for information about the assault on a Canton police officer behind a shopping center on State Highway 243 in December 2010, as well as vandalism at the city park in Edom in early 2011.

For 2012, Andy Flowers, president of the Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers board, said the board continues to seek additional members, and is also looking for donations that will enable Crime Stoppers to make the public more aware of its activities and the importance of anonymous tips in helping solve crimes. In 2011, Crime Stoppers participated in various festivals and a range of other activities to raise public awareness of the tip line. More information about Crime Stoppers is available online at http://www.vanzandtcrimestoppers.org or on Facebook.

TYLER — Tyler observes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Monday. It all began with a 9 a.m. rally on the square that was followed by a march down Broadway and an ecumenical service at 10 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Keynote speaker for the service is Texas College President Dr. Dwight Fennell.

Monday’s downtown activities were arranged by the Tyler Together Race Relations Forum. Forum chair Steve Russell says Dr. King and other civil rights leaders worked to “lift all boats.” Russell says, “It was a rising tide that brought everyone up, and so many other things have been accomplished because of the work done in the civil rights movement.” Forum vice-chair Mary Ransom says, “I think Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., came to give everyone that’s downtrodden, hopeless, some type of hope.”

LONGVIEW — In honor of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The MLK Planning Committee, the City of Longview, and other community sponsors present the annual MLK Citywide Celebration with events that began Friday and continue through Monday. Under the theme “The Dream, From the Community to the World,” several events have been planned including a banquet, essay contest, art contest, jazz concert, parade, festival, humanitarian celebration, worship service, and a memorial march. You can go to http://longviewtexas.gov/news/news-releases to get details on the activities.

LONGVIEW — Longview wraps up a weekend of activities honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday’s events began with a Table of Brotherhood Breakfast from 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. at Johnny Cace’s Seafood and Steakhouse. That was followed by the MLK March from Broughton Recreation Center to Mt. Olive Baptist Church, where a midday Memorial Service was held.

WHITEHOUSE — Smith County fire investigators believe they know what sparked a house explosion Saturday morning. According to KETK, a call went out that a home along the 800 block of Corey Drive in Whitehouse was on fire. Investigators say there were several oxygen tanks inside, which most likely were a factor in that explosion. They add that someone was asleep in the home and tried to turn on a lamp, accidentally knocking it over and breaking a light bulb — possibly igniting the explosion. Firefighters believe there were about four people inside at the time of the blast. No one was seriously hurt. Their animals, though, did not make it out alive.

TYLER — Hundreds turn out again for the 26th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day rally, march, and ecumenical service in downtown Tyler. Texas College President Dr. Dwight Fennell keynoted the service and said it’s time to move forward with Dr. King’s lessons. According to Fennell, “We should stop dreaming now and take certain actions. I think our responsibility is to have a vision of the forward needs of our nation.” This year’s events were organized by the Tyler Together Race Relations Forum.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — One person is killed in a one-vehicle accident Saturday in Van Zandt County. The DPS reports it happened around 9:30 p.m. on I-20 at the 516 mile marker. Authorities say the victim was 50-year-old Georgia resident Geral Lynn Pankey, a commercial truck driver. According to the DPS report, he was headed east driving a Freightliner Conventional towing a flatbed trailer when the vehicle traveled off the roadway and overturned. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

MARSHALL — 2012 will be a year of celebration for East Texas Baptist University in Marshall as the school marks its centennial year. Dr. Samuel “Dub” Oliver is president of the university. According to Oliver, “It’s a phenomenal opportunity, both as a university and a community and as a community, to celebrate to celebrate all that has been, God’s faithfulness, and really a celebration of all who have given so much to see the institution grow and become all it is now.” Oliver says the school will be scheduling dozens of activities and events to celebrate the milestone.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Mayor Kenneth Melvin says the “Clean Air Committee” has been meeting for a few months now. And after much research, the committee has proposed a city wide ordinance that would ban smoking in all public places. He says the dangers of second-hand smoke are at the heart of the committee’s findings — along with various other public health items. “Some of the communities that have already banned smoking in the facilities…their heart attack rate was down 47%” Melvin said. Melvin says they also took an online poll on the city’s website. “It was almost 50/50, but not quite 50/50…the majority wanted the ban,” Melvin said.

But Jacksonville man Virgill Davis tells KETK he is not a part of that majority — he doesn’t agree with the ban. “I don’t think that’s right ’cause people still like to smoke their cigarettes around,” Davis said. He says he’s been smoking for a long time. “I’ve had open heart surgery and got a pacemaker in there on the count of my heart’s slowed up, but otherwise, it don’t bother me, it kind of settles my nerves down and keeps me from…being so nervous,” Davis said. MeanWhile, others are just tired of breathing in the smoke, “because the people that have asthma and breathing problems — they could get sick,” said East Texan LaQuinda Simpson.

Melvin says city officials hope to discuss the proposed ban further at the next city council meeting in February. “My thought is, that this may be an issue that we need to put to the voters — much like we did the beer and wine sales,” Melvin said. The Jacksonville ban would also include e-cigarettes.

EARLE’S CHAPEL — A Sunday afternoon house fire has caused big damage in Earle’s Chapel, just off Highway 79 West, outside Jacksonville. According to KETK, fire officials say the house was owned by an elderly man and woman who had been eating lunch when the fire started. With the exception of a purse, which the woman grabbed before leaving the burning house, all of their belongings were lost in the blaze. An investigation as to how exactly the fire started is underway.

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff J. B. Smith says an inmate died early Saturday morning after she was found gasping for air in her cell. The inmate was identified as 57-year-old Sonya Armstrong. According to Sheriff Smith, Armstrong was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead at 3:30 a.m. An autopsy has been ordered, and the Texas Rangers are investigating the death. Sheriff Smith also confirmed that Armstrong had a history of heart disease. She was in custody on a parole violation.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – North Dakota’s Sen. John Hoeven is pushing the Keystone XL pipeline project to carry oil from Canada to Texas Gulf Coast refineries during the Republicans’ weekly radio and Internet address. President Barack Obama faces a Feb. 21 deadline to decide whether the pipeline is in the national interest. The GOP has been pounding him on the issue, saying it’s a question of whether he wants to create jobs and import energy from a close friend and ally, or lose jobs and see Canadian oil go to Asia. Hoeven said Saturday the $7 billion pipeline expansion will reduce the nation’s dependence on oil from the Middle East and keep down the cost of fuel for Americans. Plans call for the pipeline to pass through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma. It would also pass through East Texas, including eastern Smith County.

TYLER — In 2011, the Tyler Professional Fire Fighters Association raised $16,871.77 to assist in the fight against cancer. The Tyler Fire Fighters Cancer Awareness & Relief Effort (CARE) sold pink t-shirts and hosted two golf tournaments to raise these funds. The fire fighters are donating $7,500 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in Tyler, $3,500 to the American Cancer Society in Tyler, and $5,871.77 to the Tyler Fire Fighter Cancer Foundation. The Tyler Professional Fire Fighters Association began their efforts in the fight against cancer four years ago to assist a brother fire fighter’s family battling cancer.

“Since our efforts began in 2008, we have encouraged fire fighters across Texas and the entire nation to get involved in this fight. In the last four years, Tyler Fire Fighters have raised and donated over $70,000 to local cancer organizations,” said Tyler Fire Captain Steve Countryman. “We plan to continue hosting Turn Tyler Pink, the CARE golf tournament and wearing pink t-shirts in October to help raise awareness of those women and families battling cancer. This terrible disease continues to terrorize our communities. Fire fighters are committed to continuing this fight until cancer is extinguished from all our lives.”

TYLER – Robert E. Lee Principal Roger McAdoo was awarded the 2011 College Readiness Award presented by the Texas ACT Council. “I am honored to have received this award,” McAdoo said. “At Robert E. Lee High School we make every effort to prepare our students for college, and we are determined to continue this pattern of educational excellence.”

The College Readiness Award recognizes Robert E. Lee for increasing its ACT scores over the past five years, while also maintaining or increasing the number of students who took the test. Approximately 10 percent of high schools across the state accomplished the same results as Robert E. Lee, according to the Texas ACT Council. “These results show that your school’s faculty and staff are providing the kind of education that makes a positive difference for all students in preparing them for college and the workforce,” said the Texas ACT Council.

Last year, more than 170 students at Robert E. Lee took the ACT test. On average, those students scored 22.6 points, beating the statewide average of 20.8 points and the national average of 21.1 points.

AUSTIN – Charles Privett of Brownsboro knew just what to wear when he headed to the Texas Lottery claim center in Tyler Friday to cash in a winning scratch-off ticket. For Privett, it was an obvious choice to wear the “Maybe It’s Your Lucky Day” T-shirt he’d picked up on a previous visit to claim a prize. Friday, Privett walked out with a lot more than the shirt on his back—he also walked away with a Big Money top prize of $100,000.

Privett, a longtime Texas Lottery player, said he was “pretty emotional” when he realized how much he’d won, and he already has a plan for what to do with his winnings. “I was about to cry after I saw what I had,” said Privett. “I can use this money to put my kids through college!”

“I want to congratulate Mr. Privett for both his good luck and for his good plan to use his prize to fund his children’s education,” said Texas Lottery Executive Director Gary Grief. “The Texas Lottery supports education in Texas and has contributed more than $13 billion to the state’s Foundation School Fund.” Privett purchased his ticket at One Stop located at 12666 State Highway 31 W. in Tyler.

LONGVIEW — Police continue to seek a suspect after a pharmacy was robbed in Longview around 4:20 Friday afternoon. Police tell KETK that a man, claiming to be armed, walked into the Walgreens on North 4th Street and Loop 281. When the man told the pharmacist he had a gun, the pharmacist handed over some drugs. The suspect fled the scene and is now being searched for by authorities. Police say the suspect is a white male, about 5’9″ and clean shaven, wearing a black hoodie, camo hat, black shoes, and black pants.

TYLER — Authorities have found two people who had been missing from Smith County since Tuesday. 29-year-old Justin Ray Thore (pictured) and 30-year-old Malenna Dempsey are said to be “fine and healthy” after being located in Henderson County and welfare-checked by Coffee City police. Smith County sheriff’s officials say the two walked away from their residence in the Woodcrest Mobile Home Park, located at 10130 Highway 64 East in Tyler, on Tuesday morning.

TATUM — Tatum officials are investigating allegations brought against the police chief by a woman who said she was forced by the chief to leave her home in her vehicle while she was intoxicated. Meanwhile, according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, another Tatum police officer is on an unpaid leave of absence. Tatum Mayor Phil Cory said the city was looking into the allegations brought against Tatum Police Chief Ron Martin during Monday’s city council meeting by Tonia Camancho, a Tatum resident. Cory wouldn’t comment on why another officer is on an unpaid leave of absence.

Camancho said she asked to be placed on the city council meeting’s agenda to speak because Martin was refusing to let her file complaints regarding the situation and threatened to arrest her. In the city council meeting, Camancho said the issue started Dec. 15 at her Tatum residence, which is in the 100 block of McNeese Circle. Rusk County Sheriff’s officers responded to Camancho’s home, which she shares with Tatum Police Officer Jeffrey Brock, in connection with a domestic issue.

“I called the sheriff’s office again, but this time (Martin) intercepted the call. The chief came into my home, didn’t ask me any questions and said ‘get your stuff and get out of here.’ What could I do? He said he was going to take me to jail if I didn’t do what he said,” Camancho said. “I told him three times I was too intoxicated to drive, and he shined a light in my eye and said, ‘You’re not too intoxicated to drive. Get in your car and drive.’” She also said Martin grabbed a basket of her clothes and put her out in the rain while she was wearing one shoe.

The mayor wouldn’t confirm whether Brock was on an unpaid leave of absence. According to the city council minutes, Camancho asked officials why Brock had been suspended because of the investigation, but Martin had not been. Cory said the city council is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday to finish discussing the allegations brought against Martin. Monday, the city council met until almost midnight discussing Camancho’s allegations. “We really haven’t completed the investigation. It got late and we decided we couldn’t go on,” Cory said. “We have an officer under investigation, but I can’t comment on why, or who. We’re going to follow the law. If there’s anything criminal going on, we’re going to address it.”

Cory said the situation was brought to the city’s attention within the past few weeks. He noted that aside from this situation, no complaints had been filed against Martin. “Now we have complaints from people who disagree with getting a ticket, but as far as any official complaints, there have been none,” he said. Martin couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.

LUFKIN — With less than two weeks before jury selection in the capital murder trial of a former Lufkin dialysis nurse accused in the bleach injection deaths of five patients, an Angelina County judge ordered a state health agency to release a report of the nurse’s then-employer, DaVita Dialysis. That report comes from KETK and the Lufkin Daily News.

Since her 2008 arrest, defense attorney Ryan Deaton has maintained that DaVita is using his client, Kimberly Saenz, 37, and her eight-month tenure at the clinic as a scapegoat for their mistakes. Those mistakes, including 68 “adverse occurrences,” Deaton said, are detailed in the Texas Department of Health and Human Services report in question. Although the Attorney General’s office tried to prevent Deaton’s access to the report, citing HIPAA violations, state District Judge Barry Bryan ruled the agency must hand over the information, as Saenz’s life is on the line.

“I understand this is a serious case, but I don’t know it trumps patient right of privacy,” said Dennis McKinney, an official with the Attorney General’s Office speaking via telephone to those in the courtroom. “I think it does when the state is seeking death penalty for Ms. Saenz,” Bryan told McKinney. Prosecutor Clyde Herrington asked that the report be made available to the state as well.

Jury selection in the case is set to begin Jan. 23 and is expected to last nearly a month as each member of the 12-panel jury is individually selected. The trial is scheduled to begin March 5 and will likely last three weeks to a month.

TYLER — If re-elected, State Representative Leo Berman (R-Tyler) plans to file a bill in the next legislative session which will allow individuals who hold a commercial driver license (CDL) to take defensive driving, if ticketed while driving their own privately-owned vehicle (unless it is a commercial vehicle). Berman said, “We hold truck drivers to a higher standard, but if they receive a traffic citation while driving their own automobile and not a commercial vehicle, they should be allowed to take defensive driving like every other driver license holder.” The citation asks if the individual was driving a commercial or privately-owned vehicle. Representative Berman added that the change was suggested to him by a law enforcement officer. Berman faces Matt Schaefer in the Republican primary.

TYLER — Smith County Judge Joel Baker announced Friday that partial reimbursement has been received for a 2008 lawsuit against the County alleging violations of the Open Meetings Act. During the 2008 jail bond election both Baker and former Commissioner Pct. 1 JoAnn Fleming were sued in a taxpayer lawsuit claiming they violated the Texas Open Meetings Act while forming the proposed 2008 jail bond plan. In 2009 a jury found that there were no open meetings violations after a five-day trial. The judge also found the defendant, Smith County, was entitled to reimbursement of court expenses by the plaintiff. Total payment to the county by the plaintiff with interest is $68,880.

“We have many worthy projects underway that will benefit from this money and I am pleased to see the return of taxpayer dollars used to defend this lawsuit. The citizens of Smith County are the ultimate beneficiaries of this payment,” Baker said.

PRITCHETT — Upshur County officials are investigating reports of animal cruelty at a residence in the Pritchett Community that residents said they have been complaining about for several years. Upshur County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Freddie Fitzgerald said reports of animal cruelty are being investigated at a residence near the intersection of Crabapple and Chinaberry Road, but he couldn’t confirm any details of the investigation. Authorities wouldn’t confirm the resident’s name, but according to Gregg County records, 29-year-old Amber Jean Long lists the residence in the 3600 block of Crabapple Road as her home. Long could not be reached for comment. Upshur County officials said they couldn’t confirm whether she was the resident being investigated.

Officials said at the residence, there were about six horses, four miniature horses, about 20 dogs, a donkey and several chickens. Thursday afternoon, three horses were killed by dogs on the property.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Lufkin woman is arrested Wednesday night after locking herself in the men’s bathroom of a restaurant. 26-year-old Rachel Cole was found by officers crying with a needle in her arm. She reportedly told them she had been injected morphine. Officers also found that she had a small bag of marijuana, a spoon and another used needle.

After determining she had three outstanding Lufkin Municipal Court warrants, she was taken into custody. She was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana. Cole remained in jail at last report on a collective $5,700 bond.