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EAST TEXAS — Unofficial Returns March 6th Primary Election:

Regional Returns
Republican Primary Election
Contested Races
187 of 248 Precincts
United States Representative District 1
Louie Gohmert 51,812
Anthony Culler 5,229
Roshin Rowjee 1,693

Regional
Democratic Primary Election
Contested Races
164 of 242 Precincts
United States Representative District 1
Shirley McKeller 6,737
Brent Beal 4,431 Continue reading Election Returns

TYLER — In a hotly contested Republican race, Jacob Putman prevailed over Alicia Barkley and will be Smith County’s next district attorney. He told KTBB he’s very pleased with the outcome, saying it’s very encouraging. He said his family, friends and church had been working really hard on the election and expressed gratitude that the voters “saw the truth.” Putman says there’s a lot of work to do in the next several months, saying, “Between now and January we’ll be getting ready to have a smooth transition so that we can prepare to make Smith County the safest place it can be.” Gregg County will also be getting a new DA, with Tom Watson unseating incumbent Carl Dorrough.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau of Central East Texas Tuesday announced its 2018 Awards for Excellence Winners. The winner in the large business category was Texas Bank and Trust, United Heritage Credit Union took mid-size business honors, and the small business nod went to Tender Loving Elderly Care. CASA for Kids of East Texas took home the trophy in the nonprofit category. BBB officials say the honors were based on the winners’ ethical behavior and integrity in all aspects of operations. The awards were handed out during a luncheon at the Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Center in Tyler.

GILMER – Authorities have identified three Gladewater residents involved in a fatal Tuesday morning shooting in Upshur County. KETK reports the victims were Lisa Anne Moore, 49, and Dylan Moore, 19. Deputies have charged Josephe Lee Adkins, 53, with capital murder. The sheriff’s office says deputies found the bodies after they were called around 9:00 a.m. to a residence off FM 1844, near Highway 271, in Union Grove. A third person was found injured at the scene. Authorities believe the shooting was connected to ongoing domestic issues between the suspect and victims. The UCSO says Adkins was captured near the intersection of Highway 80 and West Loop 281 in Longview. The Texas Rangers are assisting with the investigation.

TULSA, Okla. – Federal prosecutors have reached a settlement in a lawsuit against an ambulance service with ties to ETMC. The ambulance service was accused of violating anti-kickback statutes with an Oklahoma emergency medical services company. The lawsuit, filed last year, alleges that Paramedics Plus and Emergency Medical Services Authority entered into a $20 million kickback scheme. The Tulsa World reports that the settlement also affects the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System, an affiliate of Paramedics Plus. Prosecutors said in a February court filing that the parties are “finalizing documents” for the agreement. A memorandum of understanding detailing terms of the agreement has yet to be filed.

JACKSONVILLE – A meet and greet event is planned next week for the two men in line to be Jacksonville’s next city manager. Both men have East Texas ties. Greg Smith is the former city manager of Henderson. He is currently city administrator at Shenandoah, just south of Conroe. Also in the running is Chuck Ewings, who was once assistant city manager in Longview. He is now city manager in Ennis. The meet and greet for the men will be next Tuesday following the city council meeting, which starts at 5:30.

LONGVIEW – An aviation student from Korea, who was raised in Fiji and attends school in East Texas, has been awarded a scholarship. Cecilia Kim, who attends LeTourneau University in Longview, has been selected to receive the American Airlines 5K scholarship. She also gets an all-expenses-paid trip to receive the scholarship at the Women in Aviation conference in Reno, Nevada, March 22-24. To qualify for the scholarship, Kim had to be a member of WIA and submit an application that described how the scholarship would help her achieve her career goals to become a professional aviator.

LONGVIEW – The entertainment lineup for Longview’s July 4 Fireworks and Freedom Celebration has been announced. Sammy Kershaw will headline the outdoor free-to-the-public concert to be held just before the big fireworks show. The Ray Johnston Band is also scheduled to perform. The entertainment will be at the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex on Wednesday, July 4th.

DALLAS — A Dallas County jury sentenced a Van Zandt County man to life in prison for sexually assaulting children. The man’s false claims of military service did not help. 45-year-old Stephen Price was found guilty of the aggravated assault of one stepdaughter and the continuous sexual abuse of another. Prosecutors say there was a third young child who came forward. Dallas County Assistant District Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh says when it came time for sentencing, the jury did not take kindly to Price’s claims that he had not only served in the military but that he had been severely injured by an IED overseas. Aulbaugh says Price’s military documents showed he made some false claims about his service. Aulbaugh says Price will not be eligible for parole.

UPSHUR COUNTY – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Department has announced Tony Glenn Dillard, 42, has been charged with the murder of Joseph Regan, 28 of Hallsville. He was stabbed around 4:00 Sunday morning outside a game room on Highway 259 South in Diana. He later died at a Longview Hospital. Dillard was later found hiding under a bridge in the area of Farm Road 3245 and Highway 259. He is being held under a $750,000 bond.

PALESTINE – There is a new head of the Palestine Economic Development Corporation. The Palestine city council named Gayle Cooper to the post at a meeting last week. Cooper comes to Palestine from Winnsboro, where she was the director of the Winnsboro Economic Development Corporation. Before coming to Texas, Cooper worked with several economic development organizations in Metro Phoenix, including the City of Goodyear and the Greater Yuma Arizona Economic Development Corporation. Corporation.

TYLER – Voters head to the polls from 7:00 to 7:00 on Tuesday for voting in the primary election. The election will include contested races for U.S. and state representatives, judges, district attorney, district clerk, commissioner and justices of the peace. Most of the contested races will be decided in the primary election. Smith County voters will be able to cast their ballots at any of the county’s 34 polling locations. You can go to https://www.smith-county.com/Government/Departments/Elections/CurrentElection.aspx to find a list of the polling locations. You can also find sample ballots at the same link. There was an increase in early voting with nearly 13,000 votes cast. This is up nearly 10% from the 21014 total. You can follow the returns Tuesday night KTBB as well as KTBB-dot com.

TYLER – A Henderson County man is jailed in Smith County for making a terroristic threat. Tyler James McGill, 20, of Brownsboro, was arrested shortly after 2:00 Monday morning at a south Tyler apartment. The arrest stemmed from a Snap Chap video that showed two firearms and the text which said, “coming to a school near you.” Also in the video was a Whitehouse-Troup road sign. Friends said they thought McGill was joking. Sheriff Larry Smith said his office takes any potential threat seriously and will act accordingly. McGill was booked into the Smith county jail under a $25,000 bond.

WHITEHOUSE – Two persons have received minor injuries in a three vehicle accident involving a Whitehouse school bus. It happened around 7:15 Monday morning on Farm Road 346 at County Road 15. The bus had stopped, preparing to turn, and a car was stopped behind the bus. A second car didn’t see the vehicles had stopped and hit the stopped car which in turn hit the bus. A child on the bus was taken to a Tyler hospital with minor injuries. The driver of the car that had been stopped was taken to a Tyler hospital in stable condition. The Department of public Safety reports the accident remains under investigation.

TYLER – UT Health East Texas has announced Vicki Briggs has been appointed chief executive officer of UT Health Tyler. Briggs brings a 30-year healthcare career to Tyler. UT Health Tyler was formerly East Texas Medical Center. Ardent Health Services and The University of Texas Health Science Center Tyler, UT Health Northeast, completed the purchase of ETMC on March 1. The purchase forms the 10-hospital UT Health East Texas system.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of March 5th. Schedules are always subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.

SMITH COUNTY — Night work necessitating full lane closures of I-20 is planned for the FM 849 Bridge Replacement Project at Hideaway. Traffic will be moved to the ramps overnight Tuesday and Wednesday as the contractor removes bridge forms. Eastbound lanes will be closed from 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6 to 6 a.m., Wednesday, March 7. Westbound will be shut down from 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 7 until 6 a.m., and Thursday, March 8. Use alternate routes to avoid delays. Continue reading TXDoT Project Updates for the Week of March 5th

GLADEWATER (AP) — A boat parade planned for this weekend in Gladewater in East Texas has had to be rescheduled because there’s too much water. Heavy rains last week have led to flooding along the Sabine River, where a Mardi Gras boat parade regatta was planned for Saturday. Organizers said it’s been reset for later this month. Residents say low-lying roads near the river typically get flooded after heavy rains. In this latest round of flooding, the swollen river has inundated roads as far as a half-mile from the river.

GREGG COUNTY — An East Texas woman has been found guilty of unlawful restraint and assault on a local doctor. According to KETK, a Gregg County jury sentenced Crystal Ausborn, 37, to five years in prison for the unlawful restraint, while tacking on an addition two years for burglary of a building for an assault on a pediatrician. On March 13, 2017, a pediatrician with the Diagnostic Clinic of Longview was working after hours in her private office on the third floor of 707 Hollybrook Drive. The physician was alone on the pediatric floor when Ausborn entered her office, unexpectedly, and began hitting and punching the doctor in the face. Continue reading Longview Woman Sentenced in Beating of Local Doctor

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department is investigating the deaths of two people. Officers were conducting a welfare check around 1:40 Friday afternoon at a home on Fannin Street. The bodies of two men, 31-year-old Leon Bowman and 30-year-old Justin C. Williams, both of Marshall, were found inside the duplex. During their investigation, it was discovered that 46-year-old Jesus Molina Delatorre killed Bowman and Williams before fleeing the scene. Delatorre is listed as the sole tenant in the residence where Williams and Bowman’s bodies were found. A warrant was issued for Delatorre charging him with Capital Murder. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Marshall Police Department at 903-935-4575 or Marshall/Harrison County Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969.

TYLER — The Smith County Phone System will be upgraded Saturday, affecting service to all county landlines. Smith County Chief Information Officer Don Bell said from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, the phone system could be unavailable at different extended times. It could only be brief, intermittent outages or longer, continuous outages, Bell said. The phone system upgrade includes all landlines serving the Central and Low Risk Jails, the Juvenile Attention Center, the Sheriff’s Office, Adult Probation Department and Animal Control. It will not affect emergency dispatchers and 9-1-1, Bell said. Bell says the county apologizes for any inconvenience and appreciates the public’s patience.

TYLER — As part of an ongoing criminal investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety Special Agents have arrested Richard Edwin Peck Jr., 36, of Tyler. DPS Sgt. Jean Dark says Peck was booked into the Smith County Jail without incident for possession of child pornography, a third degree felony. KETK reports he’s being held on $50,000 bond. Dark says the investigation is ongoing and no additional information is currently available.

TYLER — Smith County deputies have made an arrest following a standoff that lasted over two hours. Around 4:30 Thursday afternoon, deputies tried to serve multiple arrest warrants at a home on County Road 326 East. Officials say the wanted man, 35-year-old Excsau Duran, locked all entry points but was was soon found hiding under the residence. Authorities say Duran first refused to surrender but was captured around 6:42 p.m. after a SWAT team was called in. He’s now being held without bond for possession of a controlled substance and a parole violation.

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department has released the final version of this year’s Tornado/Severe Weather Response Plan. Public service agency representatives recently met to discuss the plan and offered suggestions for improvements. Officials say the plan is designed to serve as a guide and to provide useful information to the public. It includes tips on preparing for possible severe weather, as well as recognizing the conditions that are often associated with tornadic activity. Additionally, it highlights resources that are available to the public during the season, including sheltering locations. The plan is available on the Tyler Fire Department’s website (http://www.tylerfiredept.com). Scroll down to Quick Links section towards the bottom of the page, on the right-hand side.

MINEOLA — One person was taken to a local hospital following a high water rescue in Mineola Thursday morning. KETK reports the Mineola Fire Department helped the man out after his pickup truck became submerged on Wood County Road 1804. Authorities say the driver went around barricades to get through the street. The driver’s condition wasn’t immediately known. Officials continue to ask residents to avoid high water areas; it’s always, “Turn around, don’t drown.”

RUSK COUNTY — An update on three Rusk County firefighters taken to a local hospital following a rollover accident. Officials say two have been released but the third remains in ICU. The firefighters, with the New London Volunteer Fire Department, were responding to a grass fire on FM 850. Sheriff’s officials say the driver lost control of the vehicle and it rolled, trapping them inside.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was jailed Thursday on $3,500 bond after threatening to slam a police officer to the ground. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, Tristan Terrell Taylor, 21, is charged with terroristic threat against a peace officer. Longview police arrested Taylor around 8:30 Wednesday night on Webster Street. Taylor became “extremely aggressive and started to clinch his fists” when an officer asked if he was a subject in a previous call, police said. The officer said Taylor pointed at the officer’s uniform and suggested he could “take my weapon from me,” the officer wrote. Continue reading Longview Man Jailed for Threatening Officer

GREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — A Texas man has been arrested in a hit-and-run accident that killed a man in Kansas in November. Great Bend police say Rodney Campbell Jr., 58, of Anderson County, Texas was arrested Thursday in Texas. The Hays Post reports Campbell Jr. is accused of hitting 65-year-old James Zager with his car in November while Zager was walking across a street in Great Bend, Kansas. The driver then fled the scene. The Barton County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Campbell on Wednesday for failure to stop or remain at the scene of the accident.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Roads 490 and 4132 were reopened to drivers Thursday afternoon after trees and downed wires were cleared. CR 420, CR 421 and CR 2180 remain closed due to high water over the roadways. They will remain barricaded until the water recedes enough that they are safe for drivers, according to county officials.

TYLER — Ardent Health Systems and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler announced Thursday that the merger of the clinical operations of UT Health Northeast and those of the ETMC Regional Healthcare System has been completed. The former ETMC network of clinics and hospitals has begun operating under the new banner, “UT Health East Texas.”

Ardent Health Services CEO David Vandewater announced that Moody Chisholm will serve as president and CEO of UT Health East Texas. UT Health Northeast president Dr. Kirk Calhoun will assume the role of board chairman of the new organization.

According to a statement, Ardent and the University of Texas system plan to invest $125 million over five years to “support operations and fund improvements.” Existing ETMC locations will be re-branded as the new UT Health East Texas logo replaces the ETMC brand.

Some duplicative job positions will be eliminated during the consolidation of operations, according to Vanderwater. But he stated that in the long run, the new entity hopes to eventually employ more workers than it does now.