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JACKSONVILLE— The man accused of killing a beloved Jacksonville coach has been indicted on a capital murder charge by the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office. KETK reports Jimmy Deshawn Mosley turned himself in on October 20, 2012. He is believed to have shot and killed “Coach” Stacey Hunter, 43, outside Stacey’s Club around 4:00 that morning. The alleged shooter was indicted on December 17. Authorities found Hunter dead inside the club, shot twice in the arm and chest. No other court dates have been set at this time for Mosley.

Hunter grew up in Jacksonville, playing for the Tribe football team in the 80s. Since then, he coached kids in everything from Pop Warner to Little Dribblers to little league baseball. Coach worked for Jacksonville Public Works for about 20 years, most recently as a code enforcement officer.

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – After overcoming a challenge from an East Texan, House Speaker Joe Straus (pictured) has started his third term in the powerful post by calling public education the priority of the new Texas Legislature. Straus also said Tuesday that lawmakers must take “bold, substantial action” in the next 140 days to address a mounting water crisis in the face of a rapidly growing population. Straus won re-election unopposed Tuesday after tea party favorite David Simpson of Longview withdrew his speaker candidacy during a defiant 10-minute speech to a packed House floor before bowing out. Simpson told lawmakers the House should operate without a “fear of retribution” from leaders in the chamber.

Straus is presiding over the most inexperienced House chamber in four decades. More than a quarter of the 150-member body are freshmen. One of those freshmen, Republican Matt Schaefer of Tyler, remarked, “If Rep. Simpson had been on the ballot, I would have voted for him. He pursued my vote with zeal, and I was persuaded by Rep. Simpson’s strength of character, conservative philosophy, and fresh ideas.” But in a statement, Schaefer continued, “The will of the House has been exercised and it is now time to move on, work together, and do the people’s business. I truly believe that Speaker Straus listened to the concerns raised by Rep. Simpson and those that supported him, and it is my hope that he will take those concerns to heart as we move forward.”

MARSHALL — Two longtime teachers, a janitor, and a self-described housewife were among eight people selected Monday to decide whether Gregg County is to blame for the 2010 death of a jail inmate. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the federal jury panel is to begin hearing evidence Jan. 22 in the wrongful death suit brought by the children and mother of Amy Lynn Cowling. U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap of Marshall sent the five-woman, three-man jury home Monday with strict instructions not to discuss their assignment, including on social media. Gilstrap said he expected the trial to run for about five days.

Cowling was 33 when she was brought to the Gregg County Jail Christmas Eve, after a traffic stop revealed two out-of-county misdemeanor theft warrants and some unpaid tickets. She died in a separation cell Dec. 28. Defense attorney Robert Davis told the panel during selection process that Cowling’s cause of death was “…a product of having abused drugs for years.”

A recovering opiate addict of seven years, Cowling was under a methadone regimen prescribed by a drug-addiction clinic in Tyler. She also was taking prescription medications. Those drugs, including the methadone, are not on the list of approved medications allowed by jail policy. Cowling’s family says the seizures and inability to communicate into which she lapsed were the result of withdrawal from her prescribed medications. Four jailers were fired within a week of Cowling’s death.

TYLER — The Smith County Elections Office is in the process of relocating to a new building within the downtown County campus. The new home of the Elections Office is at 304 E. Ferguson, just two buildings east of its previous location in the Smith County Courthouse Annex. The office is open and fully staffed while the transition is taking place. Anyone seeking the services of the Smith County Elections Office can visit the new location during normal business, 8::00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, or call the Smith County Elections Office at 903-590-4777.

The renovated facility at 304 E. Ferguson also features a new multi-purpose facility space that can be used for large gatherings, town hall meetings, jury pools, and other future needs. Details of a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Elections Office and multi-purpose facility are soon to come.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council gears up to hear a presentation this morning on the status of the City’s comprehensive plan, Tyler 21. Tyler 21 was originally adopted by the City Council on November 14, 2007, after nearly 18 months of community involvement and input. Officials say the 20-year plan created a strategic framework for future actions for the City and is a community-based plan. According to a news release, it defines a vision for the future linked to overall goals and policies, and it contains strategies and action items for achieving the goals.

The plan calls for annual reports to City Council on the status of implementation as well as a comprehensive review every three to five years to revisit the vision, goals, and principles. “This month we will launch a comprehensive five-year review of the plan,” said City Planner Heather Nick. “We have already begun preliminary work and analysis and are eager to involve the community in updating the plan.”

“Tyler 21 was an unprecedented effort by the citizens, elected officials and City staff,” said Mayor Barbara Bass. “The plan’s success can be largely attributed to the extensive involvement of the community in its development. This plan is truly the vision of the people and we want to make sure it remains reflective of current opinions.” Go to http://www.cityoftyler.org/ for more information. You can visit http://www.cityoftyler.org/Tyler21.aspx for more information on Tyler 21.

ANGELINA COUNTY — Of the 44 licensed and registered day care facilities in Angelina County, 30 have received citations within the past 24 months for not conducting proper background checks on employees, in addition to other state-weighted high-risk deficiencies. According to the Lufkin Daily News and KETK, inspection reports made available by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services indicated that many local childcare facilities were inspected and given citations for high-risk violations such as improper background checks, not having required fire inspections, improper CPR training, not having required immunizations, and unsafe playground equipment. Some were also cited for workers not demonstrating competence, good judgment and self-control in the course of their duties.

TYLER — A Tyler City Council member has resigned to accept a job with newly elected Ted Cruz. According to KETK, Jason Wright will be the East Texas Regional Director for Senator Cruz. He made the announcement Monday afternoon. Wright said his new office will be in Tyler. Wright, a member of Grassroots We The People, was a big supporter of Cruz during the election.

LAIRD HILL — Last month, a number of East Texas school districts made a list of districts not in compliance with school safety measures. One of those was Leverett’s Chapel. But on Monday, that district completed the paperwork to be in compliance. School officials tell KETK the safety audit was completed, but a miscommunication kept the audit from ever being mailed. But after last month’s Connecticut school shooting, the district took one more look before sending off the paperwork. Superintendent Donna Johnson says, “We felt secure enough, but we went back and did make some changes in our plan, and it’s gonna be like a living plan. We’re gonna add to it all the time.” The district mailed the audit off after a special school board meeting Monday afternoon.

GULFPORT, MISS. (AP) – In a case with an East Texas link, U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III of Mississippi has sentenced a mother and daughter from Texas to prison terms on charges of bank robbery. The Sun Herald reports that Evie Mearlene Herrin, 58, and Amelia Darci Crew, 30, both of Cleveland, Texas, were fined $5,000 each. Gex sentenced Herrin to 5 years and 10 months in prison for using a BB gun to hold up a Regions Bank on U.S. Highway 49 in Gulfport, Mississippi, on March 26, 2012. Crew was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months.

Herrin and Crew pleaded guilty October 1. They are charged in Louisiana with robberies of a bank in Kinder, La., in February and another in Sulphur, Louisiana, in March. They are charged in a February heist in Henderson, Texas.

TYLER — The East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System Monday unveiled two new emergency transport helicopters, valued at over $9 million. Officials say they’ll provide patients in East Texas with critical, fast access to the region’s only level 1 trauma center at ETMC Tyler. The Eurocopter, EC135 P2+ helicopters will be stationed at ETMC Tyler and Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant. The EC135 that currently is stationed in Tyler is being upgraded and will be positioned at ETMC Athens. Officials say this allows ETMC to provide high quality care and rapid transport to residents within a 150-mile radius around each helicopter base, covering 38 counties in East Texas.

Art Chance, vice president of operations for ETMC, says, “Reducing transportation time to ETMC Tyler’s level 1 trauma center, helps severely injured or seriously ill patients arrive within the ‘golden hour,’ significantly improving their chances for recovery.” Operations coordinator Jim Speier adds, “The new helicopters have updated safety features, including a terrain avoidance warning system that gives an audible voice alert message if an obstacle appears along the flight path. They also have a traffic collision avoidance system to warn the pilot of another aircraft in close proximity.” Additionally, the helicopters have updated medical equipment, including a new ventilator. Other features include live weather radar, a black box recorder system, and more.

LONGVIEW — The Longview United for Growth Committee has turned in signed petitions to the City of Longview for verification. More than 9,000 signatures have been collected in the petition to get alcohol sales approved for the remaining dry portions of Longview. Longview United for Growth is the group heading up the push for alcohol sales. The group told KETK in December that it had reached the number of signatures needed to get the measure on the May ballot. The group began the petition in November, and within 6 weeks had gathered at least 6,000 signatures.

Longview United for Growth’s treasurer, Kimberly Fish, tells KETK, “I think everybody in the community understands that the way to get economic development to come to the area is to allow grocery stores and convenience stores to sell beer and wine.” The City of Longview secretary now must confirm the signatures before the issue can be officially put on the ballot.

TYLER — The City of Tyler is currently considering a request to change the ordinance dealing with off-site estate and garage sale signs. Residents can share their opinions through Tyler Speaks on the City of Tyler web site: http://www.CityofTyler.org

According to a release from the city, officials will read the statements and incorporate them into their decision process. The first discussion topic, off-site estate and garage sale signs, has been posted and residents may post their opinions on the page after registering.

The City of Tyler currently does not allow off-premise advertising of estate/garage sales. The City Council is considering a proposed Ordinance Amendment that would allow up to four off-premise directional signs on private property with permission
from the property owners.

To protect Tyler’s natural beauty, signs may not be posted on the light posts, traffic signal posts, sidewalk, fire hydrant, or any other public properties and rights-of-way.

TYLER — A portion of the John Soules Food plant north of Tyler has been damaged by fire. The fire on Farm Road 14 started when a transformer blew, starting the blaze in a storage building. No major damage was reported to the main building and no injuries were reported.

RUSK — Authorities are looking for two men who robbed two women at a Rusk business. It happened late Sunday night in the 100 block of North Main Street. One of the women was said to have been pistol whipped and pushed to the ground by one of the men. KETK reports the two suspects then fled on foot, both heading in different directions. If anyone has any information, you can contact Rusk Crime Stoppers at 866-586-7878.

MARSHALL — A professor at Wiley College in Marshall has been killed in a motorcycle accident. Killed was assistant professor of biology Valentyn Siniak, 37. Investigators say Friday night Siniak was westbound on his motorcycle on U.S. Highway 80 and a pickup was eastbound. The collision occurred when the pickup turned north onto Loop 390. Siniak was rushed to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall where he later died.

PALESTINE — Authorities search for armed robber in Palestine. It happened Saturday night around 8:15. According to KETK, officers from the Palestine Police Department were dispatched to the Family Dollar Store located in the 300 block of East Spring Street in reference to an armed robbery. Officers were advised that a black male had entered the store armed with a hand gun and demanded money. The suspect was given the money from the cash registers, then left the store with an undetermined amount of money. No one was injured during this incident.

Witnesses stated that the suspect was a black male just over 6 feet tall and had a thin build. The suspect was wearing a white jacket, white gloves, dark pants, and black shoes. The suspect was also armed with a black handgun. The suspect had some type of clothing, possibly a t-shirt covering part of his face. Police arrived on the scene within minutes of receiving the call and began a search for the suspect. After an extensive search of the area the suspect was not located. The Palestine Police Department is asking that anyone with information concerning this incident please call Detective Cathy Weber at 903-731-8422 or CRIME STOPPERS at 903-729-TIPS (8477).

GREGG COUNTY — Despite soaring prices and dwindling stock, gun and knife enthusiasts descended Saturday on a Longview gun show in force, pressing shoulder-to-shoulder in the hope of finding a rare deal. According to KETK, some shoppers waited more than 30 minutes to enter the exhibit building at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex when the Classic Arms Productions Gun & Knife Show began at 9:00.

Twice in recent months, news events have caused gun sales to skyrocket. First was the re-election of President Barack Obama. Second was a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school and the increased gun control rhetoric that followed. From Nov. 23 to 25, an FBI database shows 283,423 background checks were performed nationally, an increase of more than 30 percent from the same period in 2011.

Before doors opened Saturday at the gun show in Longview, a hundreds of buyers had formed long lines. Some shoppers said they waited almost 45 minutes just to get in. But vendors, many of whom travel from gun show to gun show, were not overwhelmed with the traffic and said that for the past month, guns and ammunition have been sold faster than they can be replaced. Ammunition also was in high demand at Saturday’s show. Large pallets of ammunition dwindled quickly as the day progressed, dropping from stacks of seven or eight boxes per stack to one or two.

MARSHALL — A Marshall man died Friday shortly after being shocked with a stun gun by Marshall police during an arrest. According to KETK, the incident started around 8:30 when police responded to a disturbance call near the intersection of East Houston Street and Scoggins Street in Marshall. According to a police statement, upon the officers arrival, they were confronted by an uncooperative nude black male. A struggle ensued and the black male was tased. Marcus Dewayne Slade, 32, was shocked and arrested and taken to the Harrison County Jail. Officials said an ambulance was called a short time later when Slade was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead by Harrison County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Kenneth Alford. An autopsy has been ordered. Slade’s death is under investigation by the Texas Rangers.

GREGG COUNTY — Lawyers for Gregg County and the family of a woman who died in its jail failed to reach an agreement Friday that would have avoided a trial, a plaintiff’s attorney said. Jury selection in the case is set begin Monday. According to the Longview News-Journal, attorney Todd Tefteller, who represents the survivors of Amy Lynn Cowling, also said the trial would begin Jan. 22 in the Marshall courtroom of U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap. Friday is the second time court-ordered mediation failed.

Cowling’s family sued Gregg County in June 2011, six months after she was found unresponsive in a separation cell where she’d been placed after exhibiting symptoms of seizure and disorientation. A recovering opiate addict, the 33-year-old brought prescriptions for methadone, Xanax and Seroquel to the jail when she was arrested on a misdemeanor theft charge and unpaid tickets. But those drugs are not on the list of approved prescriptions set by Gregg County Health Authority Dr. Lewis Browne. The doctor, by phone, prescribed Librium for anxiety and Haldol, an anti-psychotic drug, for Cowling, according to documents filed in federal court by Cowling family attorneys. Browne’s weekly jail visit was the day after Cowling died, the filings stated.

Jailers and other inmates, the Cowling family filing says, reported her crying and howling, shaking uncontrollably and unresponsive days before her Dec. 28, 2010, death, five days after her arrest. The family is seeking unspecified damages in the wrongful death suit.

GREGG COUNTY — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department is asking for the public’s help with finding a missing woman. Jacklyn Arredondo was last seen in the area of Skinner Road in Gregg County at about 8:15 AM on January 4th. She is described as a thirty year old white female, 5’5″, 150 pounds and has shoulder length brown hair with blond streaks. Arredondo was wearing a red hoodie, white jogging pants and black shoes. She was driving a 2005 silver Chevrolet Cobalt with Texas License #DC7B701. Please contact Investigator Cecil Shelton at (903) 738-1034 with any information.

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County Constable was involved in a three-vehicle wreck Friday morning. According to Smith County DPS officials, Precinct 4 Deputy Constable Bobby Sanders was driving southbound on Loop 323 when he attempted to make a left turn onto American Legion Road around 9:00. According to KETK, a driver in a Ford F-150 pickup truck heading northbound struck Sanders, pushing him into a Fed Ex delivery van that was waiting at the light on American Legion Road. Smith County Precinct 4 Constable John Smith said three people were taken to the hospital but were not seriously injured. Sanders was also checked at a Tyler hospital as a precaution but is expected to be okay. According to Smith County DPS authorities, Constable Sanders was at fault in the wreck.

TYLER — The new Mountain Bike Trail at Lindsey Park is ready for use. The opening ceremony is this morning at 9:30. The event will be held at the south side of the park near the softball fields. That will be followed by a four-hour endurance race.

The completion of this trail adds to the already impressive lineup of public biking/hiking trails in the Tyler area including those at Faulkner Park, The University of Texas at Tyler, and Tyler State Park.

“The Lindsey Park Mountain Bike Trail came about through a creative partnership between the City of Tyler, the Tyler Bicycle Club, and the Smith County Justice System,” said Tyler Parks Director Stephanie Rollings.

The trail winds 10 miles through the 130 acres of Lindsey Park on Spur 346 west of town. The entrance and exit can be found across the park road from the parking lot for the lower softball fields.

“Tyler Bicycle Club volunteers, along with Smith County jail trustees and folks doing community service for their probation with Smith County Court-at-Law #3, cut the trail through the forested tract during the past 18 months,” added Rollings. “The City of Tyler is so excited to offer to our citizens this type of recreational opportunity at now two of our park facilities. It is with these types of partnerships that such great projects come to fruition.”

TROUP — Funeral services are scheduled in Tomball today for Jerry Vessels, 68 and his wife Madeleine, 66. Today would have been Jerry’s 69th birthday. The couple was killed in a fire in their Cherokee County home outside of Troup.

The Vessells’ two story log home in the 1100 block of County Road 4706 was destroyed by the fire around 11:30 Monday morning. The blaze was triggered by an explosion in the house. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

GILMER — A third suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the death of a Longview man. Andrew Conrad Norwine, 21, was extradited from the Vernon Parish Jail in Louisiana and brought back to Upshur County this morning. According to KETK, Norwine was arrested Christmas Day by Vernon Parish sheriff’s deputies on an outstanding capital murder warrant out of Upshur County with a bond of $1 million. Two other suspects, Sarah Haslam, 20, and Daniel Jones, 19, were arrested Dec. 19 and charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder in the slaying of Ronnie Gammage, 27. They remain in the Upshur County Jail.

Investigators believe the suspects slashed a tire on Gammage’s truck, then tricked him into taking a ride in Haslam’s car. The suspects beat and killed Gammage before burning and attempting to hide his body in a desolate area in Upshur County. Gammage was reported missing Dec. 8 by his mother. After a two-week search, his body was found after authorities released a bank security video that led to the identification of the suspects.

GILMER — According to the Upshur County District Attorney’s office, Anthony George Bassler, Ore City, pleaded guilty to cruelty to livestock and now faces 18 months in prison. According to KETK, he has also waived his right to an appeal. In addition, he is required to pay $610 to the Gilmer Animal Clinic.

Bassler was indicted on a charge of cruelty to livestock animals after being accused in June of hanging a donkey by the neck from a tree. The 35-year-old remains in the Upshur County Jail on $50,000 bond. He was arrested July 3 after he was seen abusing a donkey in June, two days before hanging it in the woods behind his house on Janis Street in the Camp Joy community. Upshur County Sheriff’s Lt. Freddie Fitzgerald testified in July that witnesses saw the donkey try to kick Bassler as he tied a rope around it.

TYLER (AP) – A 50-year-old man on death row for the slaying of an East Texas man during a home break-in more than 21 years ago has been set to die April 9. State District Judge Christi Kennedy in Tyler set the date Thursday for Ricky Lynn Lewis. Lewis was convicted of the September 1990 shooting death of 45-year-old George Ray Newman. Evidence showed he also raped Newman’s fiance at their home in Smith County and stole her car. She managed to call police to report the attack. A federal appeals court in November rejected Lewis’ claims he’s mentally impaired and ineligible for the death penalty, clearing the way for the execution date to be set. Lewis is among at least nine inmates already scheduled for lethal injection in Huntsville this year.

UPSHUR COUNTY — Authorities have found the body of a woman reported missing and officials said there did not appear to be evidence of foul play. Gladewater police were called to the 600 block of Gay Avenue around 3:30 Thursday morning. Heather Marie Holcomb, 39, who had been staying at that address when the resident reported her missing. Holcomb had allegedly walked away from the house during the night and was brought back inside after being found.

Later in the morning, she was once again discovered missing and reported to the police. Holcomb is said to have suffered from mental health problems. Authorities immediately began to search the area for woman. After daylight, a larger search party was formed. She was eventually found dead in the 700 block of Gay Avenue, well off the road and into a heavily wooded area.

According to KETK, Chief Farrell Alexander said a combination of the elements and health problems could have contributed to the woman’s death, but until an autopsy is completed and returned there is no known cause of death. There were no signs of a struggle or life-threatening injuries, the police chief said.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A man who allegedly led police on a chase in Jacksonville has been captured in Louisiana. According to Jacksonville Police, Curtis Simmons, 26, was taken into custody after nearly a month on the run. KETK reported in mid-December that a man escaped after leading police on a car and foot chase in ended in a man, now known to be Simmons, shooting at officers. No officers were injured during the incident. Police and K9 units searched the wooded area, but could not find Simmons. Simmons was arrested on New Year’s Eve by officials in Calcasieu Parish, La, in the Lake Charles area. He was pulled over for a traffic violation and was taken into custody for his crimes in East Texas. He’s awaiting extradition back to Texas.

TYLER — A northeast Texas man has been formally charged in connection with a fatal accident near Overton. Justin Echols, 30, of Diana is charged with criminally negligent homicide in the accident happened on County Road 217 on October 11th.

Authorities say Echols lost control of his pickup while turning a corner and hit a tree. A passenger in the truck, Michele Allen, 27, of Harleton, was thrown from the truck and pinned underneath it. She later died from her injuries. Authorities say after the accident, Echols, hopped on an ATV, traveled away from the crash site and crashed again. He then reportedly ran from the area.

Echols later turned himself in at the Upshur County Jail and was later transfered to the Smith County Jail. He is currently free on a $250,000 bond.

WASHINGTON (AP/STAFF) — Despite a small revolt among the Republican rank and file, John Boehner has easily been re-elected as speaker of the House. It happened yesterday as the 113th Congress took power. Tyler Republican Louie Gohmert didn’t vote for Boehner. He cast his vote for former Florida Congressman Allen West.

According to Gohmert, “As this nation continues plunging deeper and deeper into debt every minute of every day, I could not cast a vote for ‘business as usual.’ With so many talented, brilliant members of Congress, it certainly seems that seven years after our current leader was elected Majority Leader and with our goals now even farther away, it is time for a change from ‘business as usual.’ Since the Constitution does not require the Speaker of the House to be a Member of the current Congress, my vote for Allen West was for a man who knows how to stand for principle and has always been faithful to those he was entrusted to protect.”