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TYLER — Tyler’s firefighters are getting prepared for the 2010 Brookshire’s Firefighter Combat Challenge. The Challenge will be held from 4-10pm on Friday, September 24th, and 10am to 2pm on Saturday, September 25th, at Broadway Square Mall. Admission is free, and organizers say the public is encouraged to come and watch. Two local firefighter teams will be competing in the Challenge. Names of the first team are Jeff Hudgens, Jay McClung, Jeremy Driver, Brian Boyd, and Cody Fisher. Names of the second team are Terry Hawkins, Brandon Davis, Jeff Barnett, Brent Hail, and Glynn Ray.

“The Challenge is an opportunity for Tyler’s firefighters to compete against stations across the country in events that demonstrate the nature of firefighting and the incredible level of fitness required to perform the job,” said Tyler Fire Chief Neal Franklin. The Challenge simulates five tasks from the structural firefighter activities. The tasks include:
• the high hose carry
• the hose hoist
• forcible entry
• hose advance
• victim rescue

While competing in the tasks, firefighters must wear full turnout gear, including structural helmet, coat and pants with liners, gloves and boots. In addition, they are hooked up to Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA). “Many of the firefighters who compete in the Challenge can perform the five tasks in less than two minutes”, said Chief Franklin. “Some can actually perform the Challenge in less than 90 seconds.” Organizers say sponsors and volunteers for the 2010 Combat Challenge are still needed. For more information, you can contact Jeff Hudgens at the Tyler Fire Department at 903-245-3118.

TYLER — The City of Tyler has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its fiscal year 2009-2010 budget document. Tyler was one of 1,214 entities in North America that received the award.
“This award is a significant achievement reflecting the commitment of the City of Tyler to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting,” said City of Tyler Chief Financial Officer Daniel Crawford. The award was granted by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) and was presented to the City during the Wednesday, July 28, City Council meeting.

Officials say an impartial panel judged the City of Tyler’s current budget document and found that it met the standards of the awards program. The City of Tyler had to meet nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation to be considered for this award. These guidelines are designed to assess how well the City’s budget serves as:
· A policy document;
· A financial plan;
· An operational guide;
· A communication device.

As per the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award guidelines, the City of Tyler’s budget document was rated “proficient” in all four categories. The City has also received this award for its fiscal year 2006-2007, fiscal year 2007-2008 and fiscal year 2008-2009 budget documents. The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving over 17,600 government finance professionals throughout North America. The Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

KILGORE — The city of Kilgore is feeling a bit of relief as it prepares for its 2011 budget. According to KETK, early numbers from Gregg County officials projected double digit decreases in property taxes for the city. So the city held workshops over the past few weeks to decide what cuts to make to each department. But new numbers show the decrease in property taxes is not as bad as first thought. City officials say they expect their budget to be about the same as it was for 2010.

TYLER — A portion of downtown Tyler is finally getting a face-lift. Renovation of the three fire gutted buildings on Spring Avenue started Tuesday. According to KETK, crews are installing wall stabilizers to preserve the buildings facades then tearing down the most damaged parts. The buildings have been fenced off since a fire more than a year ago.

SMITH COUNTY — August 24th is the deadline for getting anything on the November ballot in Smith County. On Tuesday, Smith County Commissioners approved a local option election in J.P. Precinct 4, which means come November, voters will decide whether or not areas in Smith County will go wet. If passed it will allow alcohol sales of beer and wine in stores for off-site consumption.

TYLER — Smith County Commissioners met Tuesday to discuss more ways on how to balance the budget. Smith County is expecting to cut at least 5 million dollars from its 2011 budget. Friday Smith County Judge Joel Baker will propose the new budget plan to the court to look over. The commissioners will review current county tax rates August 2nd. Commissioner Warr says the sooner the jail plans to expand get on the ballot the better. According to KETK, Commissioners Phillips and Hampton say there are other options to make cuts along with the possibility of raising taxes.

FRANKSTON – Anderson County authorities continue their search for a suspect involved in a weekend shooting. It happened early Sunday morning on County Road 312, southwest of Frankston. Derek Blake Cole, 45, of Frankston, was shot once in the left hip. He has undergone surgery at Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center. The shooting is thought to have occurred following a dispute over the sale of some livestock. Authorities say they are looking for a known suspect in the case.

EDOM – The Executive Chef of the Edom Bakery and Grill, Jackson York, is the recipient of the Texas Chef Association’s 2010 Texas Chef of the Year. York received the gold medal award and trophy at the TCA’s annual convention in Beaumont.

Each of the 15 chapters of the TCA nominates one of their members as a candidate for Chef of the year. Chef Jackson, having served as the East Texas chapter’s president, was its nominee. Of all 2010 nominations, only 3 chefs met the rigorous standards set by the Texas Culinary Federation for the finalists. York was deemed most deserving under the criteria established for finalists, which included not only culinary expertise but extraordinary community involvement.

The owners of “The Bakery,” Bud and Annie Berry, were ecstatic on receiving the news of their long time friend’s recognition. According to Bud, “It shows that nice guys can finish first”. The traveling trophy representing the award is on display at the Bakery in downtown Edom.

TYLER — Thanks to information received from Tyler Smith-County CrimeStoppers, police have arrested a suspect in the July 3 robbery of the CVS Pharmacy at 1702 South Broadway. He’s Jerry Craig Jr., 32, of Tyler. Police say Craig submitted to a voluntary arrest by investigators and was booked into Smith County Jail. Police were called to the drug store shortly after 3:30 a.m. July 3. Employees told officers that an unknown male approached the sales counter and told them he had a gun. He then fled the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of merchandise.

TYLER — Thanks to information received from Tyler Smith-County CrimeStoppers, police have arrested a suspect in the July 3 robbery of the CVS Pharmacy at 1702 South Broadway. He’s named as 33-year-old Jerry Craig Jr. of Tyler. Police say Craig submitted to a voluntary arrest by investigators and was booked into Smith County Jail. Police were called to the drug store shortly after 3:30 a.m. July 3. Employees told officers that an unknown male approached the sales counter and told them he had a gun. He then fled the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of merchandise.

NACOGDOCHES — The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the report of a sexual assault that occurred near Etoile late Monday evening. According to KETK, The victim and her husband were traveling along State Hwy. 103 en route to San Augustine County when the vehicle the couple was riding in ran out of gas. The female victim remained with the vehicle while her husband went on foot to get gas.
A short while after the husband left his wife, a white male with long, gray tinted hair worn in a pony tail stopped his vehicle, a silver colored pickup, where the victim was parked. He pretended to offer the victim assistance and then grabbed the victim and forced her into his vehicle where he immediately began a sexual assault on her.

The victim retrieved a beer bottle from the suspect’s vehicle during the attack and struck the suspect on the head hard enough to shatter the bottle. The victim then managed to get away from the suspect and exit his vehicle. She ran to her vehicle and locked herself inside. The suspect then fled the scene in his vehicle. Upon the husband’s return, the victim informed him of the attack, and they drove to San Augustine County and reported the incident. She was later transported to a hospital in Lufkin where she was treated and released. Residents and motorists that may have passed through Nacogdoches County along Hwy. 103 between the hours of approximately 7:00-9:00 p.m. and observed the suspect’s vehicle stopped behind the victim’s vehicle are asked to contact the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office.

LINDALE — The Lindale ISD board of trustees has been named the Region VII 2009-2010 School Board of the Year. The board was nominated by Lindale ISD Superintendent Stan Surratt. To earn the top honor, trustees were judged on a number of criteria: commitment to ethics, support for educational performance and improvement, financial support for the school system and focus on student welfare. The LISD board of trustees is now eligible for selection as a Texas honor school board through the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). In September, TASA will name the Texas Outstanding School Board.

“This is a great honor for the Lindale school district,” Surratt said. I am proud that the Texas Association of School Administrators has recognized the results and successes of our school district and this school board.” “Their leadership and vision has been tremendous. They have focused on academic excellence, improved facilities, and improved teacher and staff pay, all while increasing the financial strength of the school district.”

After conducting an extensive facilities study in August 2009, the LISD board of trustees called a $42 million, two-proposition school bond election that passed overwhelmingly. In July 2009, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) issued its accountability ratings, giving Lindale ISD a rating of “Recognized” and Lindale High School, E.J. Moss Intermediate School, Velma Penny Elementary School and Lindale Primary School a rating of “Exemplary,” the highest accountability rating. Lindale Junior High School received a rating of “Recognized.” LISD and the five campuses also received 21 Gold Performance Acknowledgements from the TEA. The Region VII Education Service Center serves 106 school districts, in 17 East Texas counties. Region VII is the largest ESC in the state.

TYLER — The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a public meeting from 6:30 to 8:00 tonight to gain community input on the preliminary draft of the 10-year master plan for the Tyler parks system. To ensure the plan reflects the needs of the citizens of Tyler, officials say the planning process included a citizen’s survey, focus group meetings, and four public meetings. The information gathered from the citizens of Tyler has been compiled into the master plan, and now the City is seeking feedback on the plan.

The public is invited to come to the Rose Garden Center and hear a presentation on the planning process; the needs analysis; and the park, recreation, and open space projects proposed to meet these needs in the future. After the presentation, attendees will be able to provide feedback about the preliminary plan. After citizen feedback is received, the finalized version of the master plan will be presented to the Parks Board for recommendation to the City Council for adoption. “I am delighted that we are in the final steps of the creation of a new parks master plan,” said Mayor Barbara Bass. “It has been more than 10 years since the City’s current parks master plan was created; the City has grown, and we need a plan that reflects our current and future parks needs.”

In 2009, the Tyler City Council awarded a contract for the Parks and Recreation and Open Space Master Plan to local consultant MHS Planning and Design. The new parks 10-year master plan will replace the current plan that was created in 1998. The need for an updated parks master plan was identified in the Parks, Open Space, Recreation and Lakes portion of the Tyler 21 Plan. Funds for the creation of the plan were included in the fiscal year 2008-2009 budget. The goal of the new parks master plan will be to help guide the City toward completing the objectives laid out in the Tyler 21 Plan. You can visit http://www.TylerParksandRec.com for more information on the Parks and Recreation Department or the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan 2010-2020.

AUSTIN – East Texas is very much in the picture as The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) recognizes volunteers from across the state who have assisted aging Texans and Texans with disabilities. It happens at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the annual DADS Vision Awards Ceremony at the John H. Winters Human Services Complex in Austin. Awards will be presented to nine individuals and volunteer groups for exemplary volunteer service in three categories: wellness, dignity and choice. In the wellness category, Good Shepherd Medical Center (Longview Texercise Program) and Dicque Oliver (Sulphur Springs DADS Silver Lining Program) will be honored. Under the dignity banner, an award will be presented to Randy George of the Lufkin State Supported Living Center.

According to press materials, The DADS Vision Awards were established to honor outstanding volunteers who have contributed to the department’s mission, which is to support older Texans and persons with disabilities through services that promote and enhance individual wellness, dignity, and choice.

TYLER — Tyler police say two suspects allegedly involved in a June 28 robbery have been arrested and jailed. Police name them as Joel Correa, 22, seen on the left, and Forrest Edward Frazier, 21. Both are from Tyler. According to police spokesman Don Martin, one suspect was picked up by the sheriff’s department and the other was turned over by adult probation. The Tyler Police Department had an outstanding warrant for their arrest for robbery, a second degree felony. Bond is set at $250,000 on each man.

On June 28, police responded to the 3400 block of Cain Street in reference to an aggravated robbery of a 33- year-old Hispanic male. According to police, the two suspects had met the victim in a club earlier in the night and saw that the victim had a large amount of money in his wallet. Police say the two suspects lured the victim onto a side street where one of the suspects got out of a 2006 to 2008 gray GMC Yukon and approached the victim’s car while the other suspect stayed in the vehicle. The suspect who had gotten out of the Yukon allegedly demanded the victim’s wallet and started beating him about his head in an attempt to get his money. After taking a severe beating, police say, the victim was able to run into a wooded area to get away from the suspects.