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WASHINGTON — The GOP taps an area congressman to talk about Obamacare in this week’s GOP media address, which is a key issue in this year’s presidential election. Representative John Ratcliffe of Rockwall pulls no punches, saying, “It’s the worst of all worlds.” He says the Affordable Care Act is far from its title, especially when factoring in this year’s rate increases. In Arizona, for example, rates are up 116 percent. Ratcliffe adds, “It’s higher costs and fewer choices. It’s less freedom and more government. It’s more uncertainty and less peace of mind.” Donald Trump started making Obamacare a higher-profile issue after the administration announced the higher rates a few days ago. Ratcliffe’s District 4 stretches to parts of Northeast Texas, including Rains County and a portion of Upshur County.

PALESTINE — Two are dead in what Palestine police say was an apparent murder/suicide. KETK reports police were called around 2:20 Saturday afternoon to a North Jackson Street location in reference to a domestic disturbance. The responding patrol officers were unable to make contact with anyone at the door. Officials say the officers forced entry into the residence due to the nature of the call and found two people with gunshot wounds. The officers contacted emergency medical services, but both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene. Officials say the incident is being investigated as a murder/suicide based on the evidence found at the scene and the ongoing investigation. The identities of the deceased were not immediately available.

TYLER — Authorities continue to investigate what they believe to a gang-related shooting Friday at a home on Keystone Drive in northwestern Smith County. Sheriff Larry Smith says Quinshard Barnes was transported by private vehicle to East Texas Medical Center after being shot three times, with two gunshots entering through the stomach area and one striking the buttocks. The sheriff says the wounds are not life-threatening. He added that no witnesses remained at the scene when deputies arrived. Continue reading Authorities Investigate Smith County Shooting

TYLER — Tyler Junior College police are investigating a report of a person who exposed himself to a female victim at the main campus library. KETK reports that around 1:20 p.m. on Friday, a man allegedly sat down down next to the victim inside Vaughn Library on a bench and exposed himself to her. The man is described as African-American, slim build, about 6 feet tall, with short black hair. He was wearing a maroon pullover with long sleeves and blue jeans and had a gray backpack with him. The man was last seen heading out the north end of the library. Continue reading Officials: Man Exposes Himself at TJC Library

LIBERTY CITY — Authorities in Gregg County say a 32-year-old Kilgore woman rammed a man’s truck with her car and then chased it out onto a road before wrecking her vehicle in a field. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Cherine Angela White was held at last report on bonds totaling $76,000. She’s charged with driving while intoxicated, driving with a license invalid with previous conviction/suspension without financial restitution, and aggravated assault of a date/family/household member with a weapon. Continue reading Authorities: Intoxicated Kilgore Woman Rammed Truck, Wrecked Car

RUSK — According to Rusk Interim City Manager Jim Dunaway, a recent investigation involving Chief of Police Jamie Campbell has resulted in Campbell’s resignation, effective October 30. KETK reports the investigation stemmed from a complaint about the chief’s treatment of officers. Dunaway said the interim police chief is Russell Pancoast, a retired police chief from Bee Cave, Texas. He will start duty Thursday morning. Continue reading Rusk Police Chief Resigns Following Investigation

TYLER — Police in Tyler are investigating a predawn Saturday robbery that happened while the victims were giving a ride to an unknown man. Officers responded to the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Frankston Highway around 3:40 a.m. and contacted 3 victims. According to a police news release, the victims said they were attending a party somewhere in Smith County off highway 64 West. Upon leaving the party, they were approached by a black male who asked for a ride. Continue reading Tyler Police Investigate Predawn Robbery

TYLER – One person is in custody in a Tyler stabbing. It happened in Times Square off South Broadway. It started around 3:00 Friday afternoon with a parking lot altercation. When a person tried to cut a woman’s car tire, she is said to have stabbed him in the chest. Tracey Harris was hospitalized with a non-life threatening injury. Arrested and charged with aggravated assault was Pamesha Brown.

TYLER – A Smith County man has been arrested on a charge of Injury to a child. A bond of $750,000 has been set on Douglas Wayne Burks Jr., 24, of Lindale. He is accused of severely injuring his 5 month old daughter. Burks was arrested on Friday and booked into the Smith County Jail. Last week, the infant was taken by ambulance from her Lindale home to East Texas Medical Center. After it was determined she was suffering from a severe head injury, she was flown to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. Dallas doctors determined she was suffering from a traumatic brain injury consistent with child abuse. Sheriff Larry Smith said, during a Wednesday interview at the sheriff’s office, Burks admitted he caused the little girl’s injuries.

AUSTIN – A Gregg County man has been selected by the governor to serve on the Commission on Jail Standards. He is Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt. He was named by Governor Abbott as presiding officer of the commission. His term will expire January 31st, 2019. Three others were also appointed to the panel. The commission establishes standards for the care and treatment of county prisoners, construction, maintenance and operation of county jails. Continue reading Judge Stoudt Named to State Commission

TYLER – Those who are voting early in downtown Tyler are getting a glimpse into history. Two historic voting booths were recently uncovered in storage. One is on display in the Smith County Elections Office lobby on East Ferguson. The Smith County Commissioners Court could vote to donate the other to the Smith County Historical Society. The Douglas Manufacturing Corp. steel collapsible voting booths with red, white and blue canvas curtains were invented in 1906 by Elizabeth Douglas in Nebraska. When Smith County began using the punch card voting systems, in 1978, they used the Douglas Manufacturing booths. They were in use in Smith County until the mid 1980s. Continue reading Old Voting Booth On Display in Tyler

TYLER — The public is being offered a chance to weigh in now that Tyler Parks and Recreation has entered into an agreement with Halff Associates to create a master plan for the Rose Complex area. According to information from the city, the Parks and Recreation Department and Halff Associates will be conducting two planning and design open houses on the item next month at the Rose Garden Center. They’ll be held Thursday, Nov. 10, from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. in the Rose Room and Friday, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Azalea Room. Analysis diagrams and preliminary goal statements for the project will be on display. Officials say the public is invited to attend, learn more about the project, and offer input. Continue reading Public Invited to Rose Complex Master Plan Open Houses

TYLER – It looks like it will be a record turnout in Smith County for next month’s presidential election. Through Thursday, 23,840 persons have voted early in the county. That’s nearly half of the 50,567 people who cast ballots during the entire two weeks of early voting in the 2012 Presidential Election. And the polls will be open this weekend. According to Smith County Elections Administrator Karen Nelson, weekends have typically seen the slowest traffic in past elections. There are five early voting locations in the county, as well as temporary branches for early voting. Continue reading Early Voting Heavy in Smith County

EAST TEXAS – Tire thefts appear to be popular. The Wills Point Police Department is reporting the thefts of 8 wheels and mounted tires in the area of the Ford and Chevrolet dealerships. It happened between 9:30 Wednesday evening and 6:30 Thursday morning. In August, $250,000 worth of wheels and tires were stolen from Tyler’s Peltier Chevrolet on the West Southwest Loop. They were taken from 48 cars. At the time, investigators said they thought it was the work of a professional ring that strike car dealerships all over the state, traveling from city to city.

KILGORE – Kilgore College will have honorary homecoming king and queen Saturday. The honor goes to a pair of military service dogs. On the homecoming court nomination list were Duke and Lulu. They are service dogs who aid two military veteran students on campus. They received enough votes to make the final homecoming court ballot. Since it’s against homecoming bylaws for the king and queen to have four legs, the college decided to name Duke and LuLu as “honorary” homecoming king and queen as a tribute to military veterans. The college said this would be a great way for the school, not only to promote veterans and their service, but also a way to educate people about the trained animals that help veterans navigate civilian life.

AUSTIN – A Gregg County man has been named to to the Sabine River Compact Administration. Governor Gregg Abbott has reappointed Jerry Gipson of Longview for a term to expire on July 12th, 2022. The compact is made up of two representatives from Texas, two representatives from Louisiana and one representative from the United States. The commissioners are responsible for administering the provisions of the Sabine River Compact entered into by Texas, Louisiana and the United States. Continue reading Jerry Gipson Reappointed to State Panel

TYLER – An associate professor of accounting at The University of Texas at Tyler is a 2016 recipient of the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Outstanding Accounting Educator Award. The award goes to Dr. Veronda Willis. The statewide award honors Texans who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and who have distinguished themselves through active service to the accounting profession. Willis has been at UT Tyler since 2009. As the former faculty adviser for Beta Alpha Psi, Willis helped UT Tyler students achieve state and regional recognition.

LONGVIEW – A Longview businessman has been taken to a Dallas hospital after being severely burned. Dudley Lang, owner of Dudley’s Cajun Café, suffered second and third degree burns Wednesday afternoon. He was airlifted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas for treatment. According to the Longview News Journal, Lang was burned by a flash fire after apparently trying to light a pilot light on a burner in the restaurant’s catering trailer. Lang, who was the only person in the trailer, was able to put out the fire himself.

MABANK — A petition is being circulated to bring back Mabank’s library cat. “Whisper” was kicked out of the Tri-County Library October 1 after the city of Mabank took control of the facility from a nonprofit. She called the place home for eight years. Animal lover Sydney Busch of Cedar Creek Lake brought her in as a kitten. Busch says, “She’s not a sit-in-your-lap cat, but she would come and sit on the table where you were reading or working, and if you wanted to pet her, she would let you pet her, and she was everywhere — everywhere that she was wanted.” Busch says she’s gotten more than 150 signatures on that petition to reinstate the friendly feline. The Mabank City Council will put Whisper’s fate to a vote when it meets on Tuesday.

TYLER — Officials have released the name of the woman killed in a hit and run in Tyler. Jana Dykes, 41, Tyler, was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The accident happened around 7:45 Wednesday night on Highway 64, just west of Loop 323. The vehicle, described as a 2001 or 2002 gold Honda Civic, left the scene. Authorities said it will have passenger side front end damage and possibly a damaged or inoperable passenger side headlight. A second vehicle struck Dykes but remained at the scene.

EAST TEXAS — A wreck involving an overturned 18-wheeler has the right eastbound lane of I-20 closed, the left lane is open. The wreck happened just after 6:00 this morning near the Hideaway exit. Drivers can expect delays.

EAST TEXAS — The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that two missing teenagers, 15-year-old Abigail K. Logsdon and 14-year-old Joshua Young were found Wednesday night at approximately 11:30 p.m. According to KETK, the two teenagers went missing on Tuesday, October 25. An Amber Alert was not issued because Logsdon was considered a runaway, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office tells KETK. Young went missing from the Kilgore area. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office say they received information earlier this week leading them to believe Logsdon may have been with Young.

PALESTINE – A Palestine police officer has been arrested following his indictment by the Henderson County Grand Jury. Facing criminal charges is Corporal Joseph Hesseltine, 35, of Malakoff. Jail records show he has been charged with injury to a child/elderly or disabled person, criminal negligence and two counts of abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence. He was arrested on Tuesday. His bonds total $15,000. Nate Smith, the city’s Communications and Best Practices Officer says the police chief has placed Hasseltine on temporary unpaid leave.

LONGVIEW – A traffic stop near the Longview mall has resulted in two persons charged with drug violations. Arrested Tuesday were Jennifer Lynn Laudner, 34, of Longview and Johnathon Ray Neal, 30, of Huntington. They have been charged with possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 200 grams, two counts of possession of a controlled substance less than 1 gram and possession of a controlled substance less than 28 grams. Neal was also wanted in Angelina County for fraud. Continue reading Two Busted for Drugs in Longview

TYLER – The Tyler City Council has recognized Assistant Chief Steve Sharron for 30 years of service. The action came at Wednesday’s city council meeting. Sharron began his career with the Tyler Police Department in 1986 as a patrol officer and rose up the ranks to Assistant Chief in 2001. Continue reading Special Recognition For Tyler’s Assistant Police Chief

TYLER – A man wanted in a Tyler stabbing is in custody. Officers had been looking for Steven Bryant Chastain, 55. He is said to have stabbed a man on East Commerce Street around 7:15 Tuesday night. The victim was taken to East Texas Medical Center for surgery. Tyler police announced Wednesday Chastain was arrested by Cherokee County authorities. Acting on a tip, he was found in a wooded area and taken into custody. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and his bond was set at $150,000.

LONGVIEW – A Gregg County man has been sentenced to 340 years in prison for numerous robberies in Gregg County. Darrin Gerrard Brinkley, 26, of Kilgore, pled guilty to committing 17 robberies. He was given 20 years in prison for each robbery, with the terms to be served concurrently.The robberies were in numerous Gregg County towns, including Longview, Kilgore, and White Oak. His last robbery was on Estes Parkway in January. He led authorities on a chase from Longview to Smith County, where he crashed into a pond off Farm Road 1252.

TYLER – The City of Tyler has been presented a couple of awards. At Wednesday’s city council meeting, budget and beautification awards were given to the city.

The City of Tyler has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its fiscal year 2015-2016 budget document. This is the tenth consecutive year that the City of Tyler’s budget document has received this special recognition. The award comes from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. The city had to meet nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation to be considered for this award. Continue reading Tyler Wins Two Awards