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KILGORE — Two people were injured and Kilgore College briefly put on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after a shooting outside an apartment complex near campus. According to KETK, Kilgore police were called around 2:45 p.m. to South Street outside of several apartments near the intersection of Houston to reports of numerous gunshots. Witnesses told officers a suspect fled the scene in a truck. The two injured men were taken to a Longview medical center with injuries that were not life-threatening. One victim was shot in the abdomen, while the second was shot in the leg. the shooter was described as a black male with dreadlocks. No arrests had been made. Contact Kilgore Police with any information.

LONGVIEW — The Longleaf Pine Protection and Restoration Exhibit runs through October 28th at the Gregg County Historical Museum on North Fredonia Street in Longview. There will be a lecture on “Pinus Palustris: The Longleaf Pine” by Ellen Anderson today from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the museum’s Ann Lacy Crain Exhibit Center. For more information, go to their website, http://gregghistorical.org or call 903-753-5840.

GILMER — Gilmer ISD officials are considering selling a piece of land to the East Texas Yamboree Association. KETK reports board members voted Monday night to make a counter offer to the Yamboree. Under the deal, the Yamboree would get the land, but both entities would contribute $50,000 for a splash pad within the city. This year’s Yamboree celebrations kicked off Wednesday in Gilmer. This year’s queen-elect is Madison Dean (pictured with Yamboree President Brandon Garmon). Headlining the festival’s barn dance this year is country music star Jack Ingram.

PITTSBURG – Twelve persons were injured when a pickup hit the rear of a Pittsburg school bus. The bus had stopped to pick up students at the time of the accident. The accident happened around 7:00 Wednesday morning on Highway 271 south of Pittsburg. Nine students were taken either by ambulance or private vehicle to a Pittsburg hospital for treatment of minor injuries. The students ranged in age from 7 to 18.The pickup’s driver, 29 year-old Angelika Resendez, of Mt. Pleasant, was treated at relesed at the Pittsburg hospital. Two children in the pickup have been flown to a Dallas hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

TYLER – The 84th Texas Rose Festival, begins its 4 day run in Tyler on Thursday. This year the festival will be celebrating with displays of roses and activities such as the Rose Show, the Coronation, Queen’s Tea, and of course, the Texas Rose Festival Parade on Saturday. Activities get underway Thursday morning at 10:00 with the ribbon cutting and prayer service at the Rose Garden Center. Presiding over this year’s activities is Queen Emily Kaye Evans. Last year, around 46,000 out of town visitors attended the various rose season activities. The estimated economic impact for the community was $2.5 million. You can go to http://www.texasrosefestival.com for more information and a complete schedule of activities.

TYLER – The Smith County Commissioners Court Tuesday approved an interlocal agreement with Tyler Junior College’s Veterinary Technology Program to provide services to the Smith County Animal Shelter. Animal Control Coordinator Lekisha Stinecipher said she believes the agreement with the TJC North campus in Lindale will improve the shelter’s adoption rates and reduce the amount of times dogs stay at the shelter. County Judge Nathaniel Moran said the agreement won’t only benefit the students at the new TJC facility in Lindale with education, it will also benefit the county by getting dogs out of the shelter more quickly. Moran said he wanted a report in six to eight months about how the program is progressing.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County has been placed under a burn ban due to what officials term the lack of rainfall that has placed the community in drought-like conditions. Citizens are being asked to use any open flame cooking appliances such as BBQ grills and propane cookers with extreme caution. It is highly recommended that when cooking outdoors, citizens have a water hose or some other type of fire extinguishing capability available. Citizens of the City of Longview are reminded that once the burn ban is lifted it is still illegal to burn within the incorporated city limits. A fine for unauthorized burning can be up to, but cannot exceed, $2,000 per citation issued.

KILGORE — Kilgore College has been selected to receive a U.S. Department of Education 2017 Part F Title III Strengthening Institutions grant worth $2,998,352 over a five-year cycle. College officials say KC was one of only two two-year colleges to receive a Part F grant and the only Texas college to be awarded a grant from either of the two Title III programs. Only seven colleges nationwide received the Title III grant out of 103 institutions that applied. According to a news release, the grant will be used at KC to upgrade the college’s technology infrastructure, improve student retention, and drastically increase the number of online class options at KC with about 50 online courses being designed or redesigned.

LONGVIEW – Authorities say the number of incidents has increased from 60 to about 72 as they continue to investigate numerous vehicle windows shot out in the Longview area. Police say the estimated damage is about $18,000. Most of the crimes happened early Monday morning. Police have released a surveillance photo that shows what they say is a suspected truck. The vehicle, caught on surveillance in two locations, is a light-colored Chevrolet extended cab pickup, roughly between a 1997 and 1999 model. According to KETK, police said a suspect or suspects used an airsoft gun to break windows in vehicles parked outside residences. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867 or the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1170.

KENNER, La. (AP/Staff) – The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the East Texas native who was unaccounted for after an explosion on an oil platform in Lake Pontchartrain near Kenner, Louisiana. Forty-four-year-old contractor Timothy Morrison of Katy, Texas, was still missing after the Sunday night explosion. According to KETK, Morrison spent his childhood in Athens. Seven other people were injured, three critically. Cmdr. Zac Ford said in a statement Monday night, “The decision to suspend a search is never an easy one. We send our thoughts and prayers to the Morrison family and all those affected by this incident.” The fire on the platform, which is owned by Clovelly Oil Co., was extinguished Monday morning.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department is investigating a murder committed on Bertha St. around 11:53 Monday night. Arriving officers found 61-year-old Lonnie Halton with multiple gunshot wounds. Halton died shortly after arrival at Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center. According to police, the initial investigation indicates the suspects targeted this location and it was not a random act. Police continue to seek suspects and witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1170 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867.

LONGVIEW — A suspect believed to be connected to a weekend killing has been arrested. According to KETK, Cody Dewayne Fortman, 21, of Longview, was apprehended around 1:30 Monday afternoon. Investigators identified the suspect through the cooperation of a witness. Fortman has been charged with the murder of Nicholas Trevion Johnson, 22, of Longview. The victim was found early Sunday morning inside a home on Annette Drive with multiple gunshot wounds. The suspect was booked into the Gregg County Jail. His bond has been set at $175,000. Johnson’s death marked the sixth recorded homicide in Longview in 2017.

TYLER — Residents of nine units at a Tyler apartment complex have been displaced by fire. Firefighters headed to the Bullard Creek Apartments on Old Bullard Rd. around 12:30 Monday afternoon. Fire officials say crews were able to bring the flames under control in about 30 minutes. Bullard Creek management has been working to get the residents another place to stay. Investigators believe the fire started on the patio of a first floor unit. The tenant had discarded a cigarette in the trashcan just moments before the fire, which entered the chimney space and quickly spread to the second floor. After investigation, this matches the area where investigators believe the fire started. There were no injuries reported.

TYLER — Tyler police say a man stabbed his girlfriend numerous times. The initial call came in late Monday morning from a home on Emerson Avenue. Arriving officers found the victim and suspect at the residence along with several family members who were present at the time of the incident. Officers say 20-year-old Chrishawn Polk had attacked 26-year-old Allyson Smith. Both live at the home with some of Polk’s extended family members. Smith was transported to ETMC by ambulance; her condition wasn’t immediately known. Polk was was booked into the Smith County Jail on charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of interfering with an emergency call. Bond has not been set.

LONGVIEW — Jay Garland has been selected as chair of The University of Texas at Tyler Longview University Center’s Development Council. Garland (right) will succeed Tom Tibiletti (left). Linda Robinett will serve as the council’s new vice chair. This year the council also welcomed new members Judge Alfonso Charles, Miles Darby, Margaret Dodson, and Drew Jackson. In a news release, LUC director Dr. Van Patterson said, “Over the years funds raised by the organization have been invested in new equipment and scholarships that benefit students.”

HOUSTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused an appeal from a man sent to death row for torturing and drowning an East Texas woman in his bathtub and then stuffing her body into a barrel with cement mix and lime before dumping it in a ravine. The high court, without comment Monday, declined to review arguments that 50-year-old Troy Clark had deficient legal help at his Smith County trial in 2000. Clark was condemned for the May 1998 slaying of a former roommate, 20-year-old Christina Muse of Tyler. Evidence showed Muse was hit with a stun gun, beaten, bound and kept in a closet before she was drowned at Clark’s Tyler home. Records indicate Clark and a friend were using and selling methamphetamine and were worried she would snitch on them.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man remains jailed for double-murder. According to KETK, the court decided to delay the trial of Kyron Templeton. He’s accused of fatally stabbing two people inside Good Shepherd Medical Center Ambulatory Surgical Center in Longview. The 26-year-old has been in prison on a 2.5 million dollar bond since the murders in 2013.The trial was scheduled to start today but the district judge granted a delay due to questions over Templeton’s mental competency. His lawyers say he is not competent to stand trial. Another hearing has been scheduled for December 8. A nurse, Gail Sandidge, 57, and a hospital visitor, Harris Teel, 82, were killed in the attack. Three other people were seriously injured.

MARSHALL — A pedestrian died after being struck by a pickup truck late Saturday on U.S. 59 about 3 miles outside Marshall. According to the Longview News-Journal, Gilbert Eugene Kasler, 42, of Marshall was struck at 11 p.m. by a northbound pickup driven by Andrea Janise Chaddwick, 45, of Shelbyville. The Texas Department of Public Safety said Kasler was pronounced dead at the scene.

TYLER – A young child was killed when hit by a car in Tyler. Killed was two year old Braylon Lee. The accident happened at the Liberty Arms Apartments on North Broadway around 2:30 Sunday afternoon. Investigators say the driver was driving slowly in the parking lot due to children in the area and that Lee suddenly ran out in front of her vehicle. They say the driver was not a fault in the accident.

MARSHALL – A burn ban went into effect in Harrison County on Sunday. The burn ban was ordered after a consultation with the County Fire Marshal. Drought conditions have developed and it appears as if the conditions will probably continue to deteriorate. Cooking outside on enclosed pits or grills will be allowed, but open fires outdoors and outdoors burning are prohibited until the ban is lifted. The news release from the county said, “with the passing of another dry cold front and the expectation of lower humidity and high wind gusts, it is dangerous to burn outdoors.” It will take a substantial amount of rainfall before the ban is lifted.

TYLER – The League of Women Voters of Tyler/ Smith County is hosting a parley to debate the proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments on Monday in the Taylor Auditorium, Tyler Public Library. The League has teamed up with Jersey Mike’s and Good Shepherd School for a fun and informational public meeting, Parley & Poorboys. The deadline for ordering food was at noon on Saturday. Members of the Good Shepherd School Debate Team will present the pros and cons of the proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments, and Judge Nathaniel Moran will provide a brief, neutral, update on Smith County Proposition A – the issuance of $39,500,000 tax bonds for road construction and improvements. Copies of the LWV-Texas Education Fund’s *Voters Guide *on the proposed amendments will be available (free) to take home.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of October 16th. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Smith County – Tyler Maintenance plans to conduct edge repairs on Farm Road 1252 with a second crew performing ditch maintenance on roadways around the county. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/051-2017.html and see the project update for TxDOT’s Tyler District.

LONGVIEW – A man has died in an early Sunday morning shooting in Longview. Nicholas Trevion Johnson, 22, of Longview, was shot at home on Annette Drive. He was taken to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center where he later died. The investigation is continuing.

LONGVIEW – Four Longview firemen have been injured in a fire that displaced a family of four. Fire Marshal Kevin May told the Longview News Journal no other injuries were reported in the fire on Gay Street. It was reported around 11:00 Friday night. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

CHAPEL HILL -Three persons have been arrested following a police chase in Smith County. It started Thursday with a state trooper chasing a pickup that had been speeding in south eastern Smith County. The truck finally stopped and the three persons in the truck fled on foot. Earl Nelson Jr., 38, of Tyler,(pictured) was arrested. The search then began for Trinity Driver, 28, of Arp, who was driving the pickup, and Kendall Durham, 28, of Tyler. One of the deputies’ dog tracked them to a home on County Road 2301. It took the sheriff’s department SWAT team to enter the house to arrested the two. Continue reading Chase Leads to 3 Arrests in Smith County

TYLER – Longtime Smith County Extension Agent Chad Gulley has retired. He has been the County Extension Agent in Smith County since 2011. He has also served the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services in Polk and Nacogdoches counties, for over 17 years. Gulley was honored this summer with state and national Distinguished Service Awards. He received the 2017 Distinguished Service Award at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah in July. A week later he was also honored with the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association Distinguished Service Award at its annual meeting in Odessa. Gulley retired on Friday to begin a new career working for Shelby Savings Bank.

TYLER – A topping out ceremony was held Friday morning for the future home of the College of Business and Technology at the University of Texas at Tyler. The four-story 140,000 square-foot building is expected to open for classes next fall. It will feature student meeting places, classrooms and specialized experimental labs. It will also contain faculty offices, a courtyard, second-floor terrace and specialized landscaping. Those who attended the ceremony were invited to sign the final beam that will be located on the tallest part of the building’s roof.The $56 million structure is part of a larger project that includes an adjacent parking garage, adding roughly 400 parking spaces, as well as renovations to the current Business Building. It will become the new home of the College of Arts and Sciences.

EAST TEXAS – Accidents in Henderson and Cherokee counties have left two persons dead and one injured. The Henderson County accident happened shortly after 5:45 Thursday afternoon on Farm Road 315, just south of County Road 4201, 10 miles north of Chandler. Dead at the scene was Austin Dale Boyles, 23, of Grand Saline. He was a passenger a pickup driven by Westin Dale Milliorn, 19, of Grand Saline. He is in serious condition at a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety reports he was heading north when he failed to negotiate a curve. When he went off the road he overcorrected and went off on the other side of the road where he hit a tree. Continue reading Two Die in Area Wrecks

SHREVEPORT, La. — A second death is reported in last week’s fatal house fire in Diana. According to KETK, a Shreveport hospital has confirmed James Hogue died early Wednesday from his injuries. His wife, Sherri Hogue, died during the fire, along with their three pets. Investigators say Mrs. Hogue was bedridden and unable to escape the flames. The Hogues’ 18-year-old grandson was the only survivor.