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TYLER — United States Attorney John M. Bales announced Wednesday that two men have pleaded guilty in Tyler to participating in a multi-state health care fraud scheme. Kevin Onwudiwe, 36, of Houston, pleaded guilty late Tuesday during an appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie. Jasper Ogbonna, 41, of Newark, Delaware, pleaded guilty before Judge Guthrie on September 27. A sentencing date has not been set for either man.

According to information presented in Court, from August 2005 through April 2008, Ogbonna controlled and operated Matrix Medical Equipment and Supplies, Inc., in Weirton, West Virginia. Onwudiwe assisted in the operation of Nicco Medical Services, LLC in Little Rock, Arkansas. Both companies provided durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries.

Ogbonna, Onwudiwe and their co-conspirators devised and carried out a scheme to defraud Medicare through the marketing of “ortho kits,” which consisted of a bag of orthotic items such as braces, wraps and supports. As part of the scheme, Ogbonna, Onwudiwe and their co-conspirators illegally obtained protected Medicare beneficiary health information, including names, dates of birth, and Medicare and Social Security numbers from elderly individuals. Approximately 509 Medicare beneficiaries in Texas and Louisiana were supplied with “ortho kits” which were not prescribed or authorized by a physician and were not wanted by the beneficiaries. In many instances, physicians’ signatures were forged and false claims were submitted by Medicare in the names of Medicare beneficiaries who were deceased.

Using protected health information, the defendants and their co-conspirators billed between $4,850 and $6,550 for each “ortho kit,” causing the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare of more than $2.8 million dollars. As a result of these claims, Ogbonna, Onwudiwe and their co-conspirators unlawfully obtained more than $1,095,000.00 from Medicare.

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Texas Office of the Attorney General – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU). The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nathaniel Kummerfeld.

BULLARD – A boil water notice from the City of Bullard is lifted Wednesday morning. Bullard Director of Public Works David Hortman says the boil notice went into effect Tuesday after a water main break. According to KETK, this morning, all test results were clean. The water is now safe to drink without boiling.

NACOGDOCHES — Investigators have one person in custody and are searching for another in the death of a Nacogdoches man. He was stabbed multiple times shortly after 10:45 Monday night at the Austin Place Apartments in the 3200 block of North Street. Thomas Grimes, 49, was found covered in blood in the apartment’s parking lot. Investigators believe the disturbance started inside Grimes’ apartment.

Arrested Tuesday afternoon at the Nacogdoches Police Department was Milton Brown, 18. The homeless man had been named in a murder warrant. Another homeless man has also been name in a murder warrant. He is identified as Nathan Welsh, 22. Nacogdoches police describe Welsh as a black male about 5’6” and weighing around 142 pounds. They say he should be considered armed and dangerous.

BIG SANDY — A big 10 to 12 acre fire north of Big Sandy has been contained. KETK-TV reports it was reported around 1:00 Tuesday afternoon with firemen from Big Sandy, Pritchett and Pleasant Grove Fire Departments along with crews from the Texas Forrest Service responding. Officials say the fire was started by a train.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Texas toy company has filed a lawsuit alleging toy maker MGA Entertainment stole its idea for a tiny robotic bug. Innovation First Inc. filed the suit in Hunt County, Texas last week over its Hexbug Nano toy. The lawsuit alleges that MGA copied Innovation First and marketed a copycat called “Legend of Nara Battling Bugs.”

The Greenville, Texas company is seeking damages and MGA’s profits from selling its version of the thumb-sized insect robots, plus interest. An MGA spokeswoman did not immediately return a call or e-mail.

MGA is also in a legal battle with toy giant Mattel over who owns the popular Bratz doll line. A California appeals court overturned a $100 million reward for Mattel in that case.
It will be retried in January.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler Alumni Association has recognized seven graduates as the 2010 Distinguished Alumni, Derrith Bondurant, director of alumni and foundation relations, announced. Dr. Wesley Dennis, Dr. Fredrick W. Kersh, Rick Rayford and Scott Rhame are recipients of the Professional Achievement and Attainment Award. Melinda Hermanns is recipient of the Young Alumni Award. Two awards added this year are the Service Award and Recognition Award. Terrence R. Ates and Michael J. Collins are the recipients, respectively. The seven outstanding alumni will be featured at a luncheon from 11:30 a.m. till 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, at the UT Tyler Ornelas Activity Center. The event is part of UTT’s 2010 Homecoming. Honorees are chosen based on outstanding contributions to their chosen profession, the university, or service organizations since graduation from UT Tyler.

Dennis earned a bachelor of science degree from UT Tyler in 1989. A native of Athens, he serves as the Arlington Sleep Disorder Center medical director and has been a neurologist in private practice since 1998. Dennis is a past chair of the Neuroscience Department and past director of Neurological Rehabilitation Unit – Medical Center of Arlington.

A preeminent physician in the field of family practice, Kersh earned a bachelor of science degree from UT Tyler in 1982. He serves as medical director for the Direct RehabMed Business Health in Tyler and was a past medical director of the Emergency Centers for East Texas Medical Center.

Rayford earned a bachelor of business administration degree from UT Tyler in 1976. He’s served as president and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company since 2007. A 39-year partner of Brookshire’s, Rayford currently serves on the UT Tyler Development Board, UT Tyler College of Business and Technology Corporate Advisory Board and Regional East Texas Food Bank Board.

Rhame earned a master of arts from UT Tyler in 1975. Retired in May, he served as a high school band teacher, most recently at Carlisle High School. During his 41-year career, he received numerous honors as well as regional and state awards, including 13 consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Awards for his bands, and was a three-time Texas Music Association Honor Band winner.

Hermanns earned bachelor of science and master of science degrees from UT Tyler in 1995 and 1998, respectively. An assistant professor of nursing at UT Tyler, she has been recognized for her psychiatric mental health and Parkinson’s Disease research and scholarly excellence in clinical simulation. She holds leadership in the East Texas chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association.

Ates earned bachelor of arts and master of education degrees from UT Tyler in 2006 and 2008, respectively. He is the Tyler Prostate Cancer Awareness Program manager and People Educating Communities about Tobacco chair. Ates also is a planning member of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Conference and Prostate Health Initiative for Gregg and Smith Counties, as well as a member of several regional health coalitions and committees.

A licensed private investigator, Collins earned a bachelor of business administration degree from UT Tyler in 1994. He is the owner of Collins Investigations. A UT Tyler Alumni Life member since 2001, Collins also has served on the UT Tyler Development Board and as Alumni Association president since 2007.

TYLER — A local state House race takes center stage at a Tyler candidate forum. Republican District 7 hopeful David Simpson met Libertarian opponent Eric Brandt in the League of Women Voters event. Both support the tea party movement, and both have fiscal concerns. Brandt favors an extremely lean government, while Simpson is looking to cut spending and “stop chasing federal dollars.”

Several candidates were available for one-on-one questioning but didn’t take part in the forum because their opponents did not appear. The candidates on hand included Libertarian Charles Parkes III, who opposes incumbent Republican Louie Gohmert and independent Trent Gale in the District 1 congressional race. Also available was Democrat Lenis Pierce, who’s running against Republican District Attorney Matt Bingham. Democrat Blake Bailey was at the forum as well; he opposes the GOP’s Eva Guzman and Libertarian Jack Armstrong in the race for State Supreme Court, Place 9. In other activity at the forum, two entries from Whitehouse High School and one from Robert E. Lee were announced as winners in a student video competition on getting out the vote.

LONGVIEW — After a two day battle, a wildfire in North Longview is under control. The blaze started Saturday afternoon off Airline Road and East Plyler Precise. KETK reports it was finally contained early Monday morning, but smoke continued to waft into a nearby neighborhood. Fire officials say the smoke isn’t a danger, but an emergency burn ban has been issued for Gregg County.

TYLER (AP/Staff) – A jury in Tyler has ordered Apple to pay $625.5 million for violating patents owned by a firm founded by a computer science professor. Apple Inc. is challenging Friday’s verdict from the federal court in Tyler, saying the court has not yet looked at some of its counterclaims. If upheld, the verdict would be one of the largest in a patent suit. The plaintiff is Mirror Worlds, a company founded by David Gelernter of Yale University to commercialize his ideas. The patents cover characteristic Mac features such as Cover Flow, which lets the users skim through album covers or other content as if they were leaves in a book. Another is Time Machine, which performs automatic backups.

TYLER — Another Brookshire’s WWII Heroes Flight takes 36 World War II veterans to Washington D.C. to visit the World War II Memorial and other sites. There is no charge for the veterans selected for the trip, which began Tuesday and continues Wednesday.

“Our first trip to Washington with World War II veterans was so rewarding for all of us we’ve decided to do it again with a new group of east Texas veterans,” said Rick Ellis, chief marketing officer for Brookshire Grocery Company, when the trip was announced in August. Ellis added that the response from the veterans desiring to go in May was overwhelming. “We received more applications for our May trip than we could possibly take,” Ellis said in August. “In fact we received so many that our October flight is already full from those who applied earlier and we still have additional applicants.”

In addition to the World War II Memorial, the group was expected to visit the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the United States Capitol. “We are very grateful for the service provided by these veterans,” said Ellis. “The freedoms we enjoy today were defended by these veterans and many others from different conflicts.” Veterans participating in the trip are from many different communities, including Tyler, Longview, Kilgore, Wills Point, Overton, Gladewater, Pittsburg, Canton, Whitehouse, Hideaway, Chandler and Mineola.

Veterans interested in participating in possible future opportunities can apply by calling (903) 534-3076 and requesting an application. Noting that the World War II Memorial was not built until 2004, Ellis added, “Most of these veterans have never had a chance to see their memorial. We’re thrilled to provide this opportunity to these 36 from our market area.” “We realize time is of the essence for this generation,” Ellis said. “While there’s no way of having an exact figure, the estimates are that we are losing them nationally at a rate of about 1,000 per day. We don’t have a lot of time left to honor them in this way.”

TYLER — At a breakfast Tuesday morning, Trinity Mother Frances announces a gift from Louis & Peaches Owen in the amount of $18 million to launch the Louis & Peaches Owen Heart Hospital. The facility will be a seven-story stand-alone hospital on the same campus as Trinity Mother Frances Hospital that is totally dedicated to cardiac care and surgery. Spokesman John Moore says the new structure will offer services not seen in the area before — “and a concentrated cardiac effort that we think is gonna bring patients from not just across the country, but from around the world.” It is slated for completion in 2012.

The Owen family gift constitutes more than half of the total amount necessary to complete the project. Trinity Mother Frances will soon begin a capital campaign in the community to raise the rest of the funds necessary to finish the hospital.

SMITH COUNTY — A truck driver from New York is in trouble in East Texas. A Smith County Deputy Constable pulled over Marcus Jarrett, 35, of Elmira, NY. He’s now in the Smith County Jail charged with a 2nd degree felony. According to KETK, on Sunday morning, Precinct 5 Constable Mark Waters stopped the trucker in Lindale for driving on the shoulder of the road. After Jarrett refused to give consent to a search, a drug dog indicated probable cause. After finding several bundles of marijuana in a closet of the truck, it was impounded for a full search and Deputy Waters says in all a total of 12 bundles and 309 pounds of marijuana were discovered. Jarrett’s bond is set at $500,000.

NACOGDOCHES — One person has been killed and one injured in a one vehicle accident in Nacogdoches. It happened around 6:00 Monday morning near the intersection of Southeast Stallings Drive and Press Road. Killed was Carolyn Burke Risinger, 67, of Lufkin. Her husband, Jim Risinger, 69, is being treated at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. Police report indicate the couple’s car left the road to the right and hit a culvert, became airborne for about 75 feet and hit a sign pole.

TYLER — To raise awareness of women’s cancer, Tyler Firefighters are inviting the entire community to don their pink shirts for the second annual Turn Tyler Pink event It’s today from 5:00 to 8:00pm on the Downtown Square. The event will feature the Pink Heals Tour, a caravan of pink fire trucks that travel the country to raise awareness of cancer. The trucks are signed by thousands of people who have been affected by the disease. There will also be a blood drive, health information, music, free screenings, food, and of course – firefighters in pink.

“The inspirational messages written on the trucks about the ravages of this disease and the spirit of those who are fighting it is something everyone should see,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass, a breast cancer survivor. “This event is an opportunity for the entire community to come out and honor those who have been affected by cancer. We are particularly excited to welcome “Tonya” (a Tyler Fire truck given to the Pink Heals Tour in 2009) back to Tyler, showing off her new pink paint and messages from cancer survivors from around the U.S.”

Turn Tyler Pink shirts and caps can be purchased at:

* Gallery Main Street – 110 W. Erwin;
* Carter Blood Care – 815 S. Baxter; and,
* Holiday Inn South Broadway – 5701 S. Broadway.

Proceeds from the sale of Turn Tyler Pink shirts benefit local cancer organizations. In 2009, the Tyler Firefighters CARE Fund donated more than $20,000 to organizations that support the fight against cancer.

KILGORE — Gregg County authorities investigate a shooting at a local club. Around 2:00 Sunday morning, field deputies were sent to a reported shooting at Tony’s Wild Thing on Texas 31 west of Kilgore. Through the investigation, investigators learned that a 21-year-old-male had been shot and was taken to an area hospital for emergency treatment and surgery. Investigators have identified a suspect in this shooting and have charged Ricky Walker, 21, of Kilgore by criminal complaint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Investigators want Walker to contact them. The victim was shot in his upper body, and his condition is unknown today. Others who have information about this case or Walker can call 903-236-8400 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County authorities report two Tallulah, Louisiana, residents were busted for cocaine on I-20. Authorities say a Sheriff’s investigator arrested the two men late Sunday night after the investigator allegedly found cocaine in their vehicle during a search after stopping the vehicle for speeding. Both men were transported to the Gregg County Jail. Sheriff’s Captain Mike Claxton says Investigator Tracy Freeman “developed information regarding the two occupants that was suspicious, and the pair showed signs of nervousness.”

Claxton says the driver gave consent to conduct a search, which reportedly turned up a plastic bag containing some 63 grams of cocaine hidden in a food container. Claxton says the street price locally is estimated at $12,000. Kalvin R. Banks, 45, and Charles Coleman, 56, were arrested and jailed on a second-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $100,000.

NEW CHAPEL HILL — With seasons changing and drier than usual conditions upon us, East Texas is starting to see an increase in brush fires. Kelly Acker with the Chapel Hill Fire Department says for his troops, there are nine brush fires on record for September — and they’ve responded to several already this month. But Acker says you can help keep brush fires to a minimum by following some simple safety tips. He tells KETK that if you’re going to do outdoor burning, stay with the fire. Acker points out that sometimes people go inside for just a minute — only to come back out and see fire everywhere.

Acker says dry weather happens every year around this time to different degrees — but this year we haven’t had a substantial rain in over a month. He adds that one of the best ways to prevent brush fires is to plan your outdoor burning according to the dry and windy weather — something we’ve seen an abundance of. And even though certain counties are not under a burn ban, Acker says it’s best to hold off on outdoor burning until we get some rain. According to Acker, “The good news is, it does look like the winds will be going light this week” — but he says that’s only one factor of many.

In the meantime, fire departments like the Chapel Hill station say they’re doing everything they can to be prepared. One of Chapel Hill’s tools is an animated indicator map. Acker says, “The map is what they call the KBI index. It monitors soil moisture, and it’s a pretty good indication on where you’re gonna have fires that are easily ignited and may be more than what your resources in that area may be able to handle.”

LONGVIEW — Considerable damage is reported in a Longview fire. Officials say at or around 2:00 a.m. on Monday, the Longview Fire Department responded to a detached garage at the residence located at 300 N. Lane Wells. On arrival, fire crews found a fully involved stand alone structure. The content, which included a pickup truck being restored, was a complete loss; the garage was also a total loss. The cause of the fire was faulty electrical wiring. The fire was unintentional, and no injuries were reported.

TYLER – In an effort to better educate communities throughout the U.S. about smoke alarm recommendations, the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA ) is promoting “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” as the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign. Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 3-9, and the Tyler Fire Department is it supporting locally. NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 88 years.

“Many homes in the City of Tyler may not have any smoke alarms, not enough smoke alarms, alarms that are too old, or alarms that are not working,” says Paul Findley, Fire Marshal of the Tyler Fire Department. “We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level (including the basement), outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. And, if a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced.”

According to Findley, smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in a fire. NFPA statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so. The association’s data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

NFPA and the Tyler Fire Department agree that interconnected smoke alarms offer the best protection; when one sounds, they all do. This is particularly important in larger or multi-story homes, where the sound from distant smoke alarms may be reduced to the point that it may not be loud enough to provide proper warning, especially for sleeping individuals.

“Most people have a sense of complacency about smoke alarms because they already have one in their homes. Fire Prevention Week provides an excellent opportunity to re-educate people about smoke alarms, new technologies and expanded options for installation and maintenance,” says Judy Comoletti, division manager for NFPA public education. “Ultimately, we want this year’s campaign to serve as a call to action for households nationwide to inspect their homes to ensure that their families have the full smoke alarm protection that’s recommended.”

The Tyler Fire Department offers the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

· Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
· If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
· Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.
· Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in the City of Tyler, you can contact the Tyler Fire Department at (903)535-0005. Visit NFPA’s Web site at http://www.firepreventionweek.org to learn more about “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!”

LONGVIEW — A man is in custody after police say he bit an officer. According to a police report, at around 12:01 Monday morning, a Longview officer stopped a vehicle for speeding in the 3100 block of South Eastman Road. Once the vehicle was stopped, the officer made contact with the driver, but police say the driver fled from the officer on foot. According to authorities, the officer caught the driver, Devarduus Hawkins, on Lilly Street. But police say as the two struggled, Hawkins managed to escape by removing his shirt. Authorities say the officer continued to chase Hawkins and captured him again in a wooded area.

Officials report that as the officer attempted to get Hawkins under control and into handcuffs, Hawkins bit the officer twice on the arms. Other officers arrived to assist, and police say Hawkins was finally handcuffed and placed under arrest. The 22-year-old Hawkins, of Longview, was booked into the Gregg County Jail for assaulting an officer, evading arrest, and possession of dangerous drugs. The officer was treated at Good Shepherd Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

LONGVIEW — In an effort to improve services to citizens, the Longview Police Department has implemented an on-line service for obtaining copies of traffic accident reports. This service will allow the public, and their insurance companies, the flexibility of receiving reports on-line and will eliminate the need to travel to the Police Department to obtain an accident report.

To search for an accident report, you must have the report number OR date of accident AND last name of the driver. The report is then immediately displayed and available for printing. The cost of the on-line service is $9.00 per report. Citizens will still have the option of coming to the Police Department to obtain a report for $6.00. Only reports for accidents that have occurred after September 1, 2010 are available on-line.

The Longview Police Department recommends that you allow a minimum of five working days after the accident has occurred before attempting to access the report. Some accidents may require additional time to process. Go to http://www.longviewpolice.com to locate the link to the online accident reports under the “quick links” section.

LONGVIEW — Three suspects are in custody after a neighbor holds one at gunpoint. Kevin Bender, 22, Cleon Smith Jr., 21 and Christopher Lister, 19, all of Longview, were arrested Friday after officers responded to a “shots fired” call at 514 Level Street. When officers arrived, they found a citizen detaining Lister at gunpoint. The citizen told officers he had seen the trio burglarizing a neighbor’s house at 514 Level Street and attempted to stop them when two of the suspects fled in a vehicle. When Lister then exited the house with the victim’s property in-hand, the citizen fired a shot into the air and demanded Lister to get on the ground. Lister complied and was taken into custody by officers.

An officer located the suspect vehicle at 111 Brooks Street. Smith Jr. and Bender were located hiding inside the residence and were taken into custody. All three suspects were booked into the Gregg County Jail for burglary of a habitation.

VAN — Van High School is still battling a staph outbreak, so parents are invited to a meeting to help guard their children from the dangerous infection. Many of the students are infected, most being football players. According to KETK, it’s because football players are more likely to have open wounds. The type of staph infection found at Van, MRSA, is resistant to many types of drugs and can be deadly. The meeting for parents will be at the Van High School library tonight at 7:00 p.m.

MARSHALL — East Texas Baptist University has announced it has received a $500,000 gift from the estate of Frances Louise “Peggy” Nehls. The Nehls Nursing Scholarship will be used to help worthy students to achieve their goal of becoming a nurse. “We are so thankful for the gift that Peggy Nehls has left ETBU and the School of Nursing,” said Leslie Borcherding, ETBU Interim Dean of the Nursing Department. “The scholarships will benefit nursing students tremendously.”

According to the school’s website, Frances Louise “Peggy” Nehls passed away on June 20 in Longview. She lived in Graham and Kilgore before moving to Marshall in the late 1930s. Ms. Nehls, was affectionately known to her many friends as “Peggy.” According to her friends she was a very generous and kind person, helping many throughout her life.

The ETBU nursing program began in 1992 and has produced 319 graduates. Many graduates remain in East Texas to work. The last three graduating classes have achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination. The NCLEX-RN examination is the national licensing exam that students must pass to legally work as a Registered Nurse.

UNDATED — Here’s a quick look at events and work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation

HENDERSON COUNTY — Preliminary construction work is scheduled to begin this week on the State Highway 198 bridge at Twin Creek Lake just south of Gun Barrel City. The $21 million Twin Creek project, which is being built by the same contractor, Concho Construction Company, Inc., of Garland, will be nearly identical to the Caney Creek project, which was completed in August. The Caney Creek project, which was the first of the three SH 198 bridges on Cedar Creek Reservoir to be rebuilt, called for building a new, two-lane bridge next to the old, existing bridge, then shifting traffic to the new bridge while the original bridge was replaced. The end result is four lanes of traffic on SH 198, with the northbound and southbound traffic running on separate bridges.

“We’ve been very fortunate with our funding when it comes to bridges,” Krantz said. “We’ve had these SH 198 bridge projects ready to go as soon as funding was available, and now we’re working on the second of the three bridges.” No funding has been identified for the third bridge, which is between Twin Creek and Caney Creek.

Also this week in Henderson County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to continue base and pavement repairs on Ranch Road 2588 south of LaRue, and to perform resurfacing operations on Farm Road 2010 between Farm Road 279 near Edom and Farm Road 315 in Chandler. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue several days of resurfacing operations in various locations along State Highway 43 between Henderson and Tatum before moving to U.S. Highway 84 later in the week.

A second crew is scheduled to perform shoulder repair work on U.S. Highway 259 south of Kilgore. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on U.S. Highway 287 between Cayuga and the Freestone County Line. A second crew is scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 315 between U.S. Highway 175 in Poynor and Farm Road 837 in Brushy Creek. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement repair operations on Farm Road 751 in the northwest corner of the county between the Hunt County Line and Farm Road 47 in Wills Point. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on U.S. Highway 80 in and around Hawkins. Crews are also scheduled to perform edge repairs on State Highway 154 east of Farm Road 312, and on Farm Road 778 between Farm Road 49 and US 80. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

TYLER — Tyler developer Ed Thompson is kicking his North Chase project into high gear. Thompson says he wants to revitalize Tyler’s north side through affordable housing along with retail, commercial, office, and green space. On KTBB “Staff Meeting,” Thompson said he’s had success with other northside efforts that initially met with skepticism. Now he’s inviting the public to support his new effort at North Broadway and the Loop. As one example, Thompson says he’d like to hear from you if you know of organizations that might be willing to relocate. According to Thompson, North Chase will kick off with a pair of quality affordable housing communities. The development has drawn lots of support from the city. You can go to http://www.northchasetyler.com for more information. The “Staff Meeting” show can be heard online at http://www.ktbb.com/audio beginning early Monday.

TYLER — The League of Women Voters of Tyler/Smith County holds a candidate forum for the November elections tonight at 7:00 at the TISD Plyler Complex, 807 West Glenwood. The League’s Shirley Hightower says, “We see this as part of our most important mission of informing voters and encouraging voters to have a voice.” She adds that this is your chance to meet the candidates, find out what they’re all about, and then make up your own mind on how you’re going to vote. Local candidates for Congress and the state legislature have been invited, as well as hopefuls for agriculture commissioner and State Supreme Court Place 9. The League will also present the winners of a student video competition on getting out the vote. You can go to http://www.lwvtexas.org to download the League’s statewide Voters Guide. Don’t forget, today’s the last day to register to vote in the November elections.

NEW YORK CITY — The chairman and CEO of Tyler-based Southside Bancshares, Inc., presided over the NASDAQ Opening Bell ceremony Monday morning. B. G. Hartley did the honors at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York City’s Times Square as part of Southside’s 50th anniversary celebration. Hartley says, “We are honored to celebrate this milestone with one of our most valued partners. Our association with NASDAQ has been extremely positive, providing Southside Bancshares, Inc. increased exposure that has been an integral part of our growth.”

GREGG COUNTY — A brush fire near Longview closes streets and sends smoke in the air visible for miles. According to KETK, it happened Saturday near the intersection of Pliler Precise and Airline. Several fire departments were on hand to put out the blaze, which burned through a pasture across the street from a neighborhood. The cause of the blaze is unknown. The intersection of East Pliler Precise and Airline was closed Saturday afternoon. The fire has been brought under control.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert is weighing in on border security following a recent shooting. That’s according to KETK. David and Tiffany Hartley were sightseeing on jetskis on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake when a group of pirates shot David in the back of the head. Tiffany tried to rescue her husband but could not. Saturday morning Gohmert appeared on “Fox and Friends,” where he said if the border were more secure, this wouldn’t have happened. “If we had people on this 16-mile lake who are out there to protect American citizens, then the bad guys know they gotta go somewhere else. You see that all the time in police action. If people know that you are going to defend your land, then they go somewhere else.”

Gohmert is the co-sponsor of a bill that calls for 10,000 more national guardsman along the Mexican border. “It would be really shocking except this is like the fifth reported incident this year, this is not anything new,” Gohmert said.