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TYLER — The City’s Tyler Against Graffiti (TAG) team and Keep Tyler Beautiful Board announce the beginning of a partnership with the Smith County Juvenile Services office to put young offenders to work cleaning up the City’s graffiti. Starting Monday morning, June 20, 2011, the TAG team will be putting the partnership into action. Organizers say the partnership is aimed at using young people who have been found guilty of violating Tyler’s graffiti ordinance to clean up the tags found around the city. The youth range in age from 14 to 17.

“This is a very exciting opportunity to get at-risk youth involved with the community in a positive way,” said Marjorie Mustard, board chairperson for Keep Tyler Beautiful. “We are hoping that this program will show young offenders that graffiti is harmful to the community; it takes hard work to clean up and it is expensive.” By engaging these young offenders in cleaning up graffiti, it is also hoped that they will take on some ownership and have some pride in their work, Ms. Mustard added.

Smith County Juvenile Services Director Ross Worley says he is very excited about the program and is optimistic over its future. “We look forward to being involved with the TAG program again and partnering with the City of Tyler to help eradicate graffiti while fostering a sense of responsibility and community with our juvenile offenders.” The City of Tyler spends nearly $24,000 per year on graffiti abatement through the TAG team efforts. The team averages about 40 reports per month. The TAG program is sponsored by Keep Tyler Beautiful.

LONGVIEW — Pilgrim’s Pride is headed to court Thursday in a federal lawsuit filed by former chicken growers. The lawsuit is a combination of two 2009 complaints filed by the city of Clinton, Ark., and Shelia and James Adams, who own or have owned 368 poultry farms in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, including in Nacogdoches and Mount Pleasant. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the lawsuits were originally filed in federal bankruptcy court, but a Fort Worth federal court consolidated the cases and moved the venue to Marshall.

The lawsuits allege Pilgrim’s violated the Packers and Stockers Act through its plan to manipulate the price of chicken, its creation of an insider system of advantages and its retaliation for and termination of growers who refused to continually make capital investments in their facilities. Pilgrim’s denies the allegations. Formerly headquartered in Pittsburg, Pilgrim’s Pride filed bankruptcy in 2008. It emerged from bankruptcy in late 2009 after selling a majority stake to Brazilian meat producer JBS USA. Company headquarters was moved from East Texas to Greeley, Colo., in 2010.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview seek the public’s help in solving a laptop theft that happened last month. On May 6 at around 2:00 p.m., thieves took the laptop from a store located in the 1800 block of West Loop 281. According to surveillance video and witness statements, three people, two black males and one black female, entered the store during regular business hours. Once inside, the female took an Acer laptop and put it down the front of one of the suspect’s pants. That suspect then went over to another male and put the laptop down the back of his pants.

The female is described as being between 23 and 40 years of age. She was wearing a black wig, black tight-fitting dress with cutouts down the side of the dress, red belt, and red high heeled shoes. The two male suspects are described as being between 20 to 40 years of age and both were wearing white shirts and blue jeans. Anyone who recognizes these individuals is encouraged to contact Detective Gary Shirley with the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199. Information may also be reported anonymously by contacting Gregg County Crime Stoppers at http://www.greggcountycrimestoppers.com or 903-236-STOP.

LUFKIN — Former Hudson High School debate teacher Jesus Gonzalez, 23, has turned himself in on charges he had an improper relationship with a 17-year-old female student. According to an affidavit, an exchange took place between Gonzalez and the girl on a school trip to Austin in March and again in a car in Hudson a week later. According to Hudson ISD superintendent Mary Ann Whiteker, Gonzalez resigned when allegations were made known. Angelina County District Attorney Clyde Herrington said in 2009 a law was passed making sexual relationships between an educator and student illegal no matter the student’s age. Gonzales is out of the Angelina County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

MARSHALL – A Marion County man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug violations. Dever Lee Applewhite, 54, of Jefferson, pleaded guilty in January to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. He was sentenced Tuesday in Marshall to 72 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge T. John Ward.

According to information presented in court, on January 10, 2010, Applewhite purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a WalMart, a Walgreens and a CVS in Marshall. The purchases were all made within less than 30 minutes of each other. Applewhite’s co-defendants have already been convicted and sentenced in this case. Summer Berry Applewhite was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on April 20, 2011, and Ralph Arthur Finley was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison on May 18, 2011. The case was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2010.

LONGVIEW — Authorities reduced the Gregg County Crimestoppers’ Most Wanted list Tuesday with the arrest of a Longview man. Gregg County sheriff’s deputies took Brad Hagen “Sledge” Hammer, 36, into custody Tuesday morning following a grand jury indictment for felony drunk driving. District Judge Alfonso Charles set Hammer’s bond at $30,000 and scheduled a June 24 arraignment hearing.

The charge stems from Hammer’s Nov. 11 arrest on drunk driving charges. Prior to his arrest, he completed a three-year jail term for a 2009 drunk driving conviction in which a drug possession charge was dismissed. He remained in the Gregg County Jail on Tuesday afternoon.

TYLER — A man who held off SWAT team officers for about 2 hours before he was taken into custody. He’s now being sought after Smith County jailers mistakenly let him go. Officials are searching for Steven Ehrlish, 33, Lindale, after his accidental release on May 31. A jailer reportedly received a teletype from the Watauga Police Department stating a warrant they had for Erlish had been dismissed. The jailer mistook that message as the prisoner’s holding warrant and released him. They realized the mistake several hours later. If you have any information about his location, contact authorities.

SMITH COUNTY — A Smith County Sheriff’s Deputy that was arrested over the weekend for DWI has resigned. Officials say Albert Lee Hill, 47, was found passed out in his vehicle at the intersection of Sunnybrook and Old Jacksonville Friday night. Hill was released from the Smith County Jail on a $500 bond.

TYLER — A dead body has been found in a vacant field in Tyler. Just before 7:45 last night police were dispatched to the 400 block of the North Northeast Loop. The remains were found by a man who was mowing the field with a brush hog. The body was badly decomposed. Due to the state of decomposition, the initial investigators are not yet able to determine the manner of death, age, race or sex of the individual. An autopsy has been ordered.

NACOGDOCHES – A four vehicle accident in Nacogdoches has killed one person. It happened around 5:45 Tuesday afternoon in the 1800 block of Loop 224. The victim is identified as Cherylee Anne Silva, 61, of Nacogdoches. Investigators say the accident occurred when a north bound pickup veered into the south bound lane and hit Silva’s car. The accident caused a truck to hit Silva’s car and the pickup struck another truck.

GLADEWATER — A man has drowned in Lake Gladewater. It happened around 5:15 Tuesday afternoon. His body was found about two hours later. Witnesses say Aceon Jones, 25 of Gladewater, was swimming when he suddenly went under. Game wardens say there is a drop off where the man drowned. The victim’s family says the man was in good shape.

TYLER — A young boy is hospitalized after being pulled from a Tyler swimming pool. It happened just before 8:15 Tuesday night at The Cambridge Apartments, 3088 Old Omen Road. Aston Wade, 4, was found floating in the pool. A Bystander was administering CPR when police and emergency personnel arrived. The youngster was first taken to East Texas Medical Center and later transferred to Children’s Hospital in Dallas. Investigators say the child, and the adults he was with, live in Tyler but do not live at the apartments where the pool is located. The investigation is continuing.

TYLER — Tyler police are sorting through conflicting reports concerning an overnight shooting. Shortly after 9:15 Tuesday night, Kenneth Mass, 56, was found lying on a porch at a home in the 1900 block of North Gaston. He had been shot once in the shoulder. He was taken to the hospital for treatment. Investigators are trying to sort through the conflicting stories to determine what happened as well as establish a motive for the shooting.

HUNTINGTON – A Tyler man has been injured in a one car accident on U.S. Highway 69 between Huntington and Zavalla. Flown to Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center was Ryan Edmund Morgan, 28. The Department of Public Safety reports Morgan’s car left the road, rolled several times, and then ended up side down on a creek embankment. He is said to have suffered a broken arm and leg. What caused the accident remains under investigation.

EAST TEXAS — A Whitehouse man suffered severe injuries after being struck by a vehicle on State Highway 31 near Smith County Road 24 late Monday night. He is identified as Kyle Bush, 43. According to the Department of Public Safety, Bush’s truck was traveling west on State Highway 31 when it veered into a PT Cruiser that was stopped at a stop sign on CR 24. The truck flipped upon impact. Bush was able to get out and started walking for help when he was struck by a third vehicle.