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LINDALE — Smith County officials met with about 60 people Thursday evening to listen to their road concerns at the second Road and Bridge Strategic Planning Citizen Input Meeting. County Judge Nathaniel Moran and Commissioners Terry Phillips and JoAnn Hampton, as well as County Engineer Frank Davis, hosted the second of several citizen input meetings planned throughout the county to gather residents’ opinions to develop a long-term road plan. Phillips and Hampton were both upbeat about the session. The next meeting is scheduled for July 27 at New Harmony Baptist Church, in Precinct 4. You can go to http://www.smith-county.com for more information.

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – A state panel has suspended the medical license of a Texas doctor who federal authorities say wrote unnecessary prescriptions for powerful drugs that contributed to the overdose deaths of at least seven people. KETK reports one of the victims was from Sulphur Springs. A disciplinary committee of the Texas Medical Board took the action Thursday against 56-year-old Howard Gregg Diamond. His practice was based in Sherman. The board says in a statement that Diamond “poses a continuing threat to public welfare.” The suspension will remain in place until the board takes further action. A federal indictment unsealed last week alleges that Diamond began issuing prescriptions in 2010 that had no legitimate medical purpose. People who received the prescriptions died in Texas and Oklahoma. An attorney for Diamond wasn’t immediately available for comment Friday.

MARSHALL — Two Florida residents are facing charges in Marshall after authorities say one of them tried to pass counterfeit money Thursday morning at Hibbett Sports on East End Boulevard. Police got a call about the incident, but the customer left before they arrived. Detectives found the suspect vehicle in the Walmart parking lot. The say the occupants had more than $2,000 that was evidently counterfeit and matched the money left at Hibbett Sports. 37-year-old Waylon Franklin Simms, Jr., and 34-year-old Devin Kaye Harrison were jailed on forgery charges. The crime is punishable by up to a $10,000 fine and/or 2 to 10 years in prison.

TYLER — The Smith County Republican Party has passed a resolution supporting a change in leadership in the Texas House. The party claims Speaker Joe Straus “habitually rejects the planks of the Republican Party of Texas Platform and has disparaged Governor Greg Abbott’s conservative agenda for the Special Legislative Session.” Straus has endured continuing complaints from many Republicans that he’s not conservative enough. The Smith County GOP also passed a resolution supporting Abbott’s and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s agenda for the session.

GREGG COUNTY — A Diana man was killed Thursday in a wreck north of Longview after his vehicle was struck head on by another driver. Benjamin Murphy, 34, was traveling south just before 9:00 Thursday night on U.S. 259 when a pickup truck traveling north stuck Murphy’s vehicle head-on. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup, Danny Lee, 61, of Longview, was taken to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview with injuries.

AUSTIN – There was a slight uptick in Tyler’s unemployment rate last month. But, it is still beating the state and national rates. Tyler’s unemployment rate went from 4.1% in May to 4.3% in June. A year ago, Tyler’s unemployment rate was 4.8%. In Longview. June’s unemployment rate was 5.6%. That’s up from 5.3% in May. But that’s still better then a year ago when Longview’s unemployment rate was 6.9%. The June unemployment rate for Texas was 4.6% while the national rate was 4.4%.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Traffic Engineering Department is installing a new traffic signal cabinet at the intersection of Paluxy Drive and Shiloh Road today. Work began at 9:00 and is expected to wrap up by 1:30. The intersection will be a four-way stop until work is finished. Drivers are advised to use alternate routes if possible.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating an early morning shooting. Officers were called to Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital around 12:30 this morning regarding a man with a gunshot wound. The victim said he was shot while sitting in his parked car on Nutbush Avenue. Several people reportedly found him in the roadway and drove him to the hospital. His identity has not been released. Contact Tyler P-D with any information. Call Tyler Police with any information.

MARSHALL — Students attending Marshall ISD will enjoy two extra weeks of summer because the new junior high school under construction is behind schedule. After looking at the options, officials made the decision to postpone the start of school. MISD Director of Communications David Weaver said classes for all students in the district will begin on September 11. The school year will end one week later, and the school day will also be extended a little to make up the time.

LONGVIEW — The Department of Public Safety is looking for a vehicle involved in a crash around 12:35 Thursday afternoon on Highway 31 near Longview. Witnesses reported seeing a white Dodge pickup truck stopped on the northbound shoulder. The truck made a U-turn from the shoulder to travel south toward Kilgore. At the same time, the driver of a Ford F-150 was traveling north on Highway 31 and had to take evasive action to avoid the Dodge, causing the Ford to run off the roadway to the right and begin rolling. The driver of the Dodge, for an unknown reason, did not stop. DPS is asking the public for information leading to the identification of the driver of the Dodge. The two vehicles did not collide. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office at 903-236-8400.

LONGVIEW — An October 16 trial date has been set for a man accused of fatally stabbing two people and injuring others in November 2013 at a Longview hospital facility. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report 26-year-old Kyron Templeton of Longview is charged with capital murder in the incident at what then was the Good Shepherd Medical Center Ambulatory Surgical Center. District Judge Alfonso Charles in April ordered Templeton to undergo a psychiatric competency evaluation. He was later found competent to stand trial. Templeton also faces three aggravated assault charges stemming from the attack.

AUSTIN – The Texas Water Development Board has approved over $677 million from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas program to the North Texas Municipal Water District (Rains, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall counties). According to a news release, by using the SWIFT program, the District could save some $5 million over the life of the $44,650,000 loan that they will close on this fall. Additional savings will occur when the District closes on the other portions of the loan, according to the release. The assistance will allow the District to perform pre-construction work associated with Lower Bois d’Arc Reservoir and its associated water treatment plant. The assistance also includes the construction costs of the treatment plant.

EAST TEXAS — Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in a chase Thursday morning on I-20. KETK reports the call came in to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office shortly after 9 a.m. in reference to a robbery. After responding to the Texas Best Smokehouse on Highway 271 at I-20, authorities determined it was a theft. They say a man reached over the counter, took money, and left. Lindale police began chasing him on the interstate, following him into Van Zandt County. The DPS then put out spikes on the interstate, and that stopped the vehicle. The suspect was arrested in following a foot chase. The vehicle was reportedly stolen from the Dallas area.

LONGVIEW – A man accused of stealing an electric cart from the Wal-Mart in Longview has been arrested. Edward Mark Dickard, 52, of Longview, is said to have taken the cart from the store on Loop 281 shortly after 6:45 Wednesday morning. He wasn’t hard to find. Police found him driving the cart, valued at $4,000, on Highway 259. Dickard was arrested without incident and booked into the Gregg County Jail on a charge of theft of property.

TYLER — One woman is arrested after police she intentionally ran over another woman following a fight. Officers said it happened around 12:30 this morning at a car wash on Bow Street. The victim told officers she had gotten into an altercation earlier that night outside the Banana Tree night club on Gentry. The victim was on foot when she was hit by a gold Nissan, driven by Keria Mumphrey, 21, Tyler. Mumphrey was found a short time later at her home. She was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Her bond was set at $30,000.

TYLER — Tyler Police are searching for the suspect wanted in an early morning shooting that sent a young teen to the hospital. Just after 3:00 Thursday morning, officers were called to a home on McDonald Road in reference to an aggravated assault. Several bullets had been fired into the house, one hitting an 13-year-old boy in the leg. He remains hospitalized. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tyler Police.

TYLER — Tyler’s East Texas Christian Academy will begin offering classes to home school high school students this fall. Secondary Principal Curtis Williams says parents may not have the time or do not feel qualified to teach certain subjects and the school will offer courses to meet that need. Subject areas include English, math, science, social studies, and electives. Visit http://www.etca.org for more information.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department is investigating an attempted ATM theft that caused extensive damage to an E-Z Mart on West Pinecrest Drive shortly before 6:00 Tuesday morning. Surveillance video at https://youtu.be/6NWLH69v8kw shows the unsuccessful pair in action. The vehicle used has been reported stolen and not recovered. It’s described as a red Chevrolet extended cab pickup truck with Texas plates AC11120. This is the second time this summer this EZ Mart has been targeted in an attempted ATM theft. The first crime occurred May 19 and the suspects in that case have not been identified. Continue reading Marshall Police Probe ATM Theft Attempt

TYLER – A 30-year-old Longview man has been indicted in Tyler federal court in a student financial aid fraud scheme, and his sister has pleaded guilty. Robert Brisco is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, multiple counts of mail fraud, and multiple counts of student financial aid fraud. From June 2013 to September 2015, Brisco and others are accused of conspiring to use wire communications and the mail to fraudulently obtain student financial aid funds through the Pell Grant Program and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. If convicted, Brisco faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Continue reading Longview Man Indicted for Financial Aid Fraud Scheme; Sister Pleads Guilty

TYLER — A well-known musician who owns a music store in the Flint area is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. According to KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office says 55-year-old Grant Edward Cook of Flint was arrested Monday. The incident reportedly took place July 4 on Highway 155 in the Flint area, at a location where the suspect’s girlfriend and two grandchildren were spending the night. The victim, who is under age 14, made an outcry to her sister, who in turn told the grandmother. Authorities received word about the alleged crime on July 9 from the grandmother. Continue reading Local Musician Arrested for Child Sex Assault

TYLER — With an eye on improved safety, the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority held a news conference Wednesday to announce a two-phase project that will see some upgrades for Toll 49. Both phases will include adding pavement to the existing roadway to create a four-foot flush median between travel lanes, repaving with new asphalt, adding rumble strips, restriping, adding reflectors, and additional signage. Segment 3B (from SH 31 to I-20) is being widened by four feet. Work has already started, and it’s expected to be done by the end of this year. The second phase involves 15 miles of Toll 49, from SH 32 to SH 110. That phase will start next year.

TYLER — Tyler police say a vice investigation has spurred two arrests in a case of aggravated promotion of prostitution, but one suspect remains at large. According to a news release, On April 20, Tyler officers responded to the Rodeway Inn Hotel on SSW Loop 323. The 17-year-old caller said she had been picked up the day before from a restaurant in Fort Worth and brought to Tyler by three men. They were later identified as 25-year-olds Cederrick Monshod Shaquil Clarkson (pictured) and Demarcus Franshun Davis, along with 24-year-old Kentrell Dewayne Davis. Continue reading Two Jailed, One Sought in Prostitution Promotion Case

GREGG COUNTY — A Tyler woman was arrested Monday after police said she pulled a small plastic bag of methamphetamine from her bra. According to the Longview News-Journal, Michelle Nicole Coward, 30, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of a dangerous drug and tamper/fabricate physical evidence with intent to impair. Coward was a passenger in a car stopped around noon Monday in Kilgore for a defective brake light. A Gregg County Deputy Constable reportedly found several prescription pills in Coward’s possession, which she said she got from her grandmother. The deputy also said she was in possession of a glass pipe and two small plastic bags she had hidden in her bra, one of which contained meth. Coward was booked into the Gregg County Jail with bonds totaling $11,000.

LUFKIN — Tony Houston, 37, Lufkin, was arrested Tuesday night after the Lufkin Police Chief witnessed him stealing tires from a Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot a restaurant. Cops initially received a report around 4:30 regarding a suspect stealing two tires from the vehicle in the parking lot of parked in Cafe Del Rio. The suspect was gone when officer arrived. Around 7:10, Chief Gerald Williamson was at the restaurant when Houston returned and saw him remove the remaining two tires. A chase ensued and Houston was arrested at his home. He was booked into the Angelina County Jail. The tires were recovered and officers put the wheels back on the vehicle.

MARSHALL — The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office says a man has been found in Overton after being reported missing in May. According to KETK, Lt. Jay Webb reported Tuesday that 54-year-old Daniel Leroy Knox is “well and living in Gregg County.” The case has been closed.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Fire Department announces the promotion of Kevin May to fire marshal and public information officer. May has been an employee of the Longview Fire Department since August 2000. He had served as a deputy fire marshal since February 2012.

BOSSIER CITY, La. — A registered sex offender from Gladewater has surrendered to police in Bossier City, Louisiana, after being charged with video voyeurism. According to KETK, police say 34-year-old Russel Cole Harty is accused of placing a cell phone under a dressing room partition at Old Navy in Bossier City to view a 17-year old girl who was trying on clothes in a dressing room stall. Police say the victim and a store employee confronted Harty as he left the store. Video and photos, reportedly of Harty and his vehicle, were taken by a customer who was inside the store at the time of the incident. The customer then posted what she captured on Facebook.

SMITH COUNTY — 57-year-old Abraham Silverio Lopez of Grand Saline is dead in a Monday accident in northern Smith County. The DPS says according to a preliminary investigation, Lopez was driving westbound on U.S. 80, some six miles west of Mineola. Sgt. Jean Dark says for an unknown reason, the vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene.

KILGORE — Kilgore attorney Tom Watson has announced he’s running as a Republican for Gregg County District Attorney. In a news release, Watson cites his “energy, dedication and over 22 years of experience in law enforcement, prosecution, and litigation in Gregg County.” Watson will challenge incumbent and fellow Republican Carl Dorrough. Watson says he’ll “aggressively act to convict murderers and violent offenders in a timely fashion…improve teamwork and communications with all Gregg County law enforcement, and represent Gregg County in court as a fearless and effective prosecutor.”