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SMITH COUNTY – Westbound Interstate Highway 20 at Mile Marker 565 near Farm Road 2015 in Smith County reopened early Thursday morning after an overturned tanker truck containing a hazardous material shut down lanes. The wreck occurred around 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. TxDOT crews were on scene providing traffic control. TxDOT says special equipment had to be brought in, the truck had to be returned to the upright position before it could be removed, and its cargo — now known to be sulfuric acid — had to be pumped off.

PALESTINE – Because of a network hack earlier this year, several Palestine residents have received emails that are said to be from city personnel. But city spokesman Nate Smith says those emails are not officially from the city. They are from whoever hacked into the network and stole email contacts from city email. No other data, including personal financial information, was stolen or accessed during the hack. Smith says if you receive an email from a City of Palestine employee with a link to an invoice, do not click on that link. The link is part of an email phishing scam the hackers are using to steal information. Palestine does not send invoices via email. All invoices and statements from the city are sent using regular mail.

EAST TEXAS – Three area schools are among the nation’s top 150 community colleges. They are eligible to compete for the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1million dollars in prize funds. On the list are Tyler Junior College, Kilgore College and Trinity Valley Community College. The three East Texas schools, and 147 other community colleges announced Wednesday, were selected from a national pool of more than 1,000 public two-year colleges using publicly available data on student outcomes. The schools will now submit an application containing detailed data on degree and certificate completion, including progress and transfer rates, labor market outcomes, which covers employment and earnings, and student learning outcomes. Ten finalists will be named next May. A panel will select a grand prize winner and a few finalists with distinction in the spring of 2019.

TYLER – A man charged in three counts of robbery, one of those was football star Patrick Mahomes, has pleaded guilty in a Tyler courtroom. In a plea agreement Michael Blake Pinkerton, 35, was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison for each robbery. The terms will be served concurrently. Mahomes and three others who were with him told deputies that a man that they believed to be armed with a handgun confronted them and demanded personal property from them as they were exiting their vehicle. Pinkerton and a companion were arrested a short time after the May robbery. Pinkerton was scheduled to go on trial in the case next Monday.

LONGVIEW – Two brothers are going to prison for a shooting death in Longview two years ago. The brothers pleaded guilty Wednesday to the September 2015 shooting death of Fedrick Louis Jones, 35. He was shot near the intersection of Scenic and Fairway drives. Devante Damon Darden, 19, (pictured) was sentenced to 50 years in prison. Deiontray Dewayne Darden, 20, was sentenced to 40 years. A third person, a juvenile was also arrested in the case. The three were arrested about a week after the shooting.

AUSTIN – Sales tax allocations from the state will soon be received by area cities. The state comptroller’s office is sending out $660.4 million in local sales tax allocations for October. This is nearly 2% percent more than last October. These allocations are based on sales made in August. Tyler’s allocation tops $3.4 million, which is over 9% above the same period last year. For the year, Tyler has received nearly $34 million, just over 4% more last year. Longview’s allocation for October is $2.4 million, an increase of over 7 1/2%. For the year, Longview’s total is over $24 million, which is down about half a percentage point from last year.

TYLER – The Tyler City Council has denied a $1.58 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to KETK, several councilmembers cited difficulty finding the necessary matching funds in the city’s already tight budget. The funding, over a three year period, would have seen the hiring of 12 additional firefighters. Just under a million dollars in matching funds would have been required over that period. With the exception of essential positions, the city has been under a hiring freeze because of falling sales tax allocations from the state.

MARSHALL — Cabot Norit Americas Inc. announced Tuesday it is eliminating about 40 positions from its activated carbon plant in Marshall. According to KETK, the decision was driven by the need to better match the business’s production capacity. “Unfortunately, I’m letting about 40 positions go today,” General Manager Gavin Barrack said. “It’s a market driven issue. The volumes we expected to come through have not come through. To protect the 95 plus jobs that will remain onsite we have to take this action. Demand for powdered activated carbon following the implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) regulation has been lower than originally expected, resulting in overcapacity.

AUSTIN – The governor has appointed four persons to the Texas Commission On Fire Protection. One of them is Longview Fire Chief J.P. Steelman. Besides his duties as fire chief, Steelman is an instructor at the Kilgore College Fire Academy. He serves as regional director for the Northeast Region of the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Steelman was appointed for a term to expire February 1st of 2023. The Commission develops and enforces statewide fire service standards and provides education and assistance to the industry.

TYLER – The Tyler city council is scheduled to discuss Wednesday a $1.58 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.The funding, over a three year period, would be for the hiring of 12 additional fire fighters. But a possible problem is, the city must provide matching funds, just under a million dollars over that period. With the exception of essential positions, the city has been under a hiring freeze. This was instituted because of falling sales tax allocations from the state. With a tight budget, the matter should generate a lot of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting. Continue reading City Council to Discuss Proposed Federal Grant

TROUP – Some counterfeit bills have turned up in Troup. There were three bills, one was a $20 bill and two were $100 bills. The $20 bill was passed before it was discovered to be counterfeit. The two $100 bills were found on some railroad tracks. The investigation of the bills is ongoing.

LINDALE – A Lindale man has been killed in a motorcycle accident near Lindale. Dead at the scene was Kenneth Wayne Calip, 55. The Department of Public Safety reports his motorcycle left the road on a curve and hit several trees. The accident occurred just after 5:00 Monday afternoon on County Road 431 one mile west of Lindale.

FAIRFIELD – Two Trinity Valley Community College football players have been killed in a two vehicle accident in Freestone County. Killed were freshmen Tyler Spillman and Bryce Cook. They were returning to Athens from the Houston area when their vehicle and an 18-wheeler hit head on. The Freestone County Times reports the crash occurred near Fairfield on Farm Road 488 around 4:00 Monday morning.

Tyler’s annual Texans Against Crime block parties will be held on Tuesday from 6:00 to 9:00pm. Over 70 are scheduled. The parties are designed to encourage neighborhoods and businesses to get to know one another and to promote crime prevention.The City of Tyler’s Municipal Court is hosting its annual Texas Night Out “Block Party” in the parking lot of the Municipal Court Tuesday night from 6:00 to 8:00. There will be face painting, a bounce house, games, music, food and so much more. The event is meant to strengthen the relationship between the community and law enforcement officers. To find a block party near you, go to http://www.tylerpolice.com and the go to the “Community” tab and go to “Police Community Events.”

MARSHALL – East Texas Baptist University President J. Blair Blackburn and University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeff Levin have signed an articulation agreement. The Tyler health center will now accept qualified ETBU students into select graduate degree programs. Students will also receive special consideration for available scholarship awards following acceptance to the program.

TENNESSEE COLONY – An inmate in a prison in Anderson County is in the hospital after he was speared by another prisoner. KETK reports an inmate threw a 24-inch paper spear from his cell at the Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony. He was first was taken to the prison infirmary and then transferred to a Palestine hospital. He was then taken to a Tyler hospital. Doctors had to perform surgery to remove the tip of the spear. He is listed in stable condition following the Monday morning incident.

MARSHALL – Marshall police are working on the thefts of semi-trailers loaded with various types of building materials. The thefts occurred on July 29, September 16 and September 30. The semi-trailers were parked at different locations throughout Marshall and the tractor used to move them was captured on surveillance video. During the September 30 theft, the suspect was captured on the truck’s interior camera system before he stole both the tractor and trailer. The tractor was found abandoned in Marshall and the trailer was located in Dallas, were the other trailers were also found. You can go to https://www.dropbox.com/l/scl/AACo93iYCbnk332tWwW__gnvbe7RqJ64Kf4 to see the trailer surveillance video.

TYLER – If you are not registered to vote in the November 7th election, today is the deadline for you to register. The deadline pertains to new registrations and address changes only. Smith County residents can register at the elections office on East Ferguson. You can also register online at Votetexas.gov. If registering online, the application must be printed out, signed and postmarked by October 10. The election will include the Smith County bond proposal for road and bridge projects, elections for the cities of Arp and Whitehouse, and several statewide Constitutional Amendments. Early voting starts October 23rd.

LONGVIEW – Concern over racing on Loop 281 in Longview has resulted in two arrests. Arrested Friday night were Cody Glen Green, 20, of Hallsville (pictured) and Jesus Roldan, 19, of Longview. They were clocked at speeds of nearly 80 miles an hour in a 50 mile per hour zone. They were arrested for racing and their cars were impounded. The police department has assigned officers along Loop 281 and Eastman Road and other known racing locations. Racing is a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by fine up to $2,000, and or confinement in jail up to 180 days.

TYLER — Smith County has released an informational video on the road bond election set for November 7. The 3-minute-and-48-second video discusses Smith County roads, the Road and Bridge Capital Improvement Project, information about the $39.5 million bond election, and the financial impact it could have on voters, if approved. The money received from the bonds would be used to pay for major county road and bridge projects over three years – Phase I of the six-year road plan. County Judge Nathaniel Moran says county officials want voters “to make an informed decision, whether for or against, when they vote.” You can go to http://www.smith-county.com/ for further information.

TITUS COUNTY — Environmental groups are celebrating the announced closing of a massive coal-burning power plant in Northeast Texas. The Sierra Club calls it “one of America’s dirtiest coal plants.” The energy company Luminant announced late last week that it will retire its Monticello facility near Mount Pleasant. The Monticello Steam Electric Station is a 3-unit plant that uses lignite from coal mines in Texas and Wyoming. Luminant blames the closing on an abundance of cheap natural gas. The Sierra Club says Monticello by itself causes or contributes to more than 5,800 asthma attacks, 156 premature deaths, and more than 23,000 lost or restricted work days every year. Luminant says the plant will shutter in January, with about 200 employees losing their jobs.

TYLER — The Tyler Professional Fire Fighters Association has announced that the City of Tyler Fire Department was awarded a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.) Subject to Tyler City Council approval on Oct. 11, the SAFER Grant will provide the city with $1.58 million in funding over a three-year period for the hiring of an additional 12 fire fighters. Acceptance of the grant would be another step towards maintaining the city’s current favorable ISO Rating (Insurance Services Office), which saves residents and businesses millions of dollars on insurance premiums. Continue reading Tyler Fire Department Wins $1.58 Million Staffing Grant

LONGVIEW — A Longview woman has been charged after police said she ran over an officer’s leg while he was working security at the Longview Mall. According to KETK, Whitney Chevonne George, 30, was booked into the Gregg County Jail on $250,000 bond, charged with aggravated assault against a public servant in the Sept. 27 case. George told police she was parked in the fire lane at Dillard’s at the mall waiting for her cousin. Eventually, she said, she walked inside the store. When she and her cousin came out, they were confronted by a police officer in uniform. George said the officer asked her for identification and reached in and grabbed her car’s gear shift. Continue reading Longview Woman Arrested after Running Over Officer’s Leg

WINONA — Crash investigators have determined what led to a fatal crash in Winona. Two people died in the September 21 accident. According to KETK, the Department of Public Safety report stated the car involved was headed north on Highway 155 at an unsafe speed and the driver lost control of the vehicle while navigating a left curve. The car went into a side skid across both lanes, overturned and hit Uncle Mike’s Pizza Parlor. The car came to a stop upside down inside the building, where the vehicle caught on fire, along with the business. Both the driver and passenger died in the crash. They were later identified as Subhrajit Paul, 28, and Dhaval Bhatt, 34, of Frisco. The pizza parlor, which had only been open for six days, burned to the ground. he owners and their son living in an upstairs apartment were able to get out safely, however, five dogs died in the blaze.

LONGVIEW — A Longview woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after shooting her father in the face twice and failing to follow probationary terms. According to KETK, in June 2013, Tabetha Evans, 28, shot her father, Carlos Warren, three times with a .38 revolver. He was struck by bullets twice in the face and once in the abdomen, but he survived the shooting. Evans was caught by law enforcement walking away from the crime scene carrying a tote bag. The gun was located inside the bag. She was using drugs at the time of the offense. In December 2013, Evans pleaded guilty to aggravated assault against a family member and was placed on ten years deferred probation with intensive in-patient drug treatment as a condition, stated the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office. Continue reading Woman Sentenced for Shooting Her Dad

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been arrested following a warrant for animal cruelty. Curtis William Taylor, 31, was arrested on October 6 around 3:30. On September 27, the Longview Police Department was contacted about a cat that had been intentionally injured. Police said Taylor had become upset with the cat because she had scratched his puppy across the nose and a short time later attacked the puppy again. Taylor then struck the cat with a baseball bat. The veterinarian said the cat, Anastasia, had a fracture on the left side of her skull and her left eye had to be removed. Anastasia is recovering with her owner John Mills. Taylor remains in Gregg County jail without bond.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been charged with intoxication manslaughter after a deadly wreck Friday night. The crash happened around 10:15 on Eastman Road. Police said Corie Michael Murray, 27, was heading north when he drifted into oncoming traffic, hitting a vehicle head-on. That driver, Lanette Andrews, 47, and the passenger, her mother, Billie Griffin Andrews, 64, both from Woodville, were taken to a local hospital. Billie Andrews died as a result of her injuries. Lanette Andrews was treated for non-life threatening injuries. Murray refused medical treatment at the scene and was arrested for intoxication manslaughter with a vehicle, intoxication assault with serious bodily injury and possession of marijuana. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail on $51,000.00 bond. He was previously arrested July, 9 for possession of marijuana.

TYLER – Following recent reports of sexual assaults on campus, Tyler Junior College is banning non-resident visitation beyond the ground floor lobby at campus dorms. They are also increasing police patrols. Because of the ongoing investigation, the school will not discuss the incidents, but, In a letter to employees,TJC President Dr. L. Michael Metke says the incidents do not fit the bill of a stranger upon stranger attack and there is no immediate threat to safety. He added, “Students should take reasonable precautions about allowing admittance to dorms and private rooms. Anyone with concerns about their safety should call campus police. They can provide escort services on campus and address any safety issues.” Continue reading Non-Resident Students Banned from TJC Dorms

TYLER – The five suspects identified in a recent Tyler burglary are now in jail. The five are accused of stealing five rifles, ammunition and a variety of other items, from Atwood’s on the WNW Loop Sunday morning. The store manager discovered when he arrived at work that the front glass doors had been broken out. One of the suspects, the only one from Tyler, was in custody on a probation violation. The other suspects, three from Hawkins and one from Big Sandy, were booked into the Smith County Jail on Thursday and Friday. Continue reading Suspects Arrested in Tyler’s Atwood’s Burglary