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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Losing money at the rate of $8 billion a year, the postal service is now considering closing more than one out of ten post offices, including a couple in East Texas. Over 3500 facilities are on the review list; those include the ones in Cuney, in Cherokee County, and Sacul, in Nacogdoches County. The government recently announced that the post office in Easton, which straddles the Gregg-Rusk County line, will be shutting its doors. The U.S. Mail has taken a huge hit financially as much of its first-class service has moved to the Internet. Along with closings, also being considered are doing away with Saturday deliveries and some method of reducing the $5.5 billion USPS puts into a retiree medical fund each year.

KILGORE — Nineteen students graduated Tuesday night from the Kilgore College Fire Academy No. 80. The evening marked the final class to graduate under the direction of Mike Earley, the originator of the KC Fire Academy in 1989. Earley, who has served 35 years with KC, will retire in August as Dean of Public Services – overseeing the Fire Academy, Police Academy, Workforce Development and Continuing Education divisions.

The KC Fire Academy is accredited by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and the State Firemen and Fire Marshal’s Association and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The academy offers certification schools for NFPA 1001 Basic Structural Firefighter I and II certification, the Texas Volunteer certification, Fire Inspector and Fire and Arson Investigation courses. It is also a designated institution by the Canadian Province of British Columbia.

The following candidates, listed by hometown, are part of KC Fire Academy No. 80:
Campbell River, B.C. Canada: Neil Blasky
Chandler: Brandon Walker
Gladewater: Joseph Bernard
Henderson: Matthew Morris
Longview: Coy Adams, Lance T. Harrod and Taylor Latus
Mineola: Jacob Ledkins and Logan Ledkins
Mt. Enterprise: Justin A. Royer
Mississauga Ontario, Canada: Ryan J.J. Rocha
Osoyoos B.C., Canada: Wyatt Thompson
Palestine: Michael Chance Wesson
Rothesay New Brunswick, Canada: Jonathan Stanley
Salmon Arm B.C., Canada: Brenden Bradley Ramsay
Surrey, B.C., Canada: Jeffery Kyle Allan
Vernon B.C., Canada: Colin Fitzgerald
Whitehouse: Alan D. Miller
Wills Point: Taelor Brewer

GREELEY, COLO. (AP) — A voluntary recall of thousands of pounds of ready-to-eat chicken has been expanded over concerns that the meat could be contaminated with bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Pilgrim’s Pride on Tuesday announced the recall now includes about 7,000 pounds of Pilgrim’s Pride Brand Fully Cooked Chicken Breast Nuggets that were shipped to dozens of Dollar General stores in the following states: West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

The recall began last week over fears that more than five tons of ready-to-eat chicken was potentially tainted by Listeria monocytogenes. The Center for Disease Control classifies listeriosis as a serious infection that primarily affects older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems.

Pilgrim’s says it is not aware of any reported illnesses.

KILGORE — Authorities seek a suspect in a Gregg County aggravated robbery. On Tuesday at about 5:00 a.m., Gregg County Deputies responded to the EZ Mart, 4402 FM 349 outside Kilgore. The clerk reported that a man entered the store and demanded money. The suspect was described as a black male in his mid to late twenties, approximately 5’2” to 5’6”, 160 to 180 pounds. He was wearing a light color gray or blue ball cap, red t-shirt, long khaki cargo shorts, and black and white tennis shoes. The suspect displayed a small silver colored knife. There were no injuries, and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken. There is no vehicle information available at this time. Contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office at (903) 237-2506 with any information.

TYLER — East Texas lakes are taking on a whole new look from our ongoing drought. Lake levels are driving people away — ending a popular summer pastime for many. New sandbars and exposed stumps are potential hazards on the water now. East Texas stands 12 inches behind on rainfall this year. Most boaters can’t even get their craft in or out of the water at area lakes. Smith County game wardens tell KETK they’ve seen 90 percent less activity on area lakes. If the drought continues, some boat ramps into Lake Tyler will close. Boats that are 20 feet or larger are having the biggest difficulties. Anglers and boaters with smaller flat-bottom craft say they’re not having any problems.

TYLER — Smith County has received the Texas Association of Counties 2010 Safety Award for its record of involvement and commitment to safety in the workplace, as well as for controlling workers’ compensation claims. The Award was presented in Commissioners Court Tuesday, during a regular meeting. To qualify for the Texas Association of Counties Safety Awards, a county must have a safety program rated in the top 15 percent of approximately 300 governmental entities that collectively self-insure their workers’ compensation through the Association’s Risk Management Pool. Smith was one of only 23 counties honored with a 2010 award. “We are honored and excited to receive this award from the Texas Association of Counties,” County Judge Joel Baker said.

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith says a man suspected of stealing copper from numerous churches in East Texas is now in custody. He says video from one of the churches showed a suspect’s car and Monday, Evergreen Memorial Cemetery called in a report of a suspect stealing bronze markers. Deputies arrested 25-year-old Bryson Jamar Anthony of Kilgore. Smith says Anthony eventually confessed to 13 thefts of air conditioning units to obtain copper. Anthony was booked into the Smith County Jail on numerous charges with bond set at $390,000. The sheriff says other counties where Anthony is suspected of copper theft will be given opportunities to question Anthony.

TYLER — Effective August 15, Tyler’s Social Security office will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 – 3:30, a reduction of 30 minutes each weekday. While agency employees will continue to work their regular hours, this shorter public window will allow them to complete face-to-face service with the visiting public without incurring the cost of overtime. Congress provided Social Security with nearly $1 billion less than the President requested for the budget this fiscal year, which makes it impossible for the agency to provide the amount of overtime needed to handle service to the public as we have in the past.

Most Social Security services do not require a visit to an office. For example, anyone wishing to apply for benefits, sign up for direct deposit, replace a Medicare card, obtain a proof of income letter or inform us of a change of address or telephone number may do so at http://www.socialsecurity.gov or by dialing our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213. People who are deaf or hard of hearing may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A federal grand jury indicted 13 Angelina County people for an alleged conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine since 2008. The indictment states the various coconspirators purchased pseudoephedrine from Sam’s Pharmacy, Walmart Pharmacy, Walgreen’s Pharmacy and CVS Pharmacy for the purpose of manufacturing a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of meth.

They would then rent motel rooms to manufacture the illegal substance and then transport it to Angelina County from Nacogdoches, Liberty, Smith, Dallas, Collin, Anderson, Jasper, Galveton, Kaufman, Walker, Polk, Cherokee, Tarrant, Denton, Orange, Jefferson, Hardin, Shelby, Newton, Tyler, Harris and Montgomery counties, according to the indictment.

The penalties could be up to 20 years in prison, a fine from $250,000 to $500,000, or both.

NACOGDOCHES — A man police said “ate” numerous narcotics and is accused of driving while intoxicated led police on a high-speed chase through several parts of the city and county Sunday. After a nearly 24-hour hospitalization, he was booked into the Nacogdoches County Jail. Johnny Stanley, 29, of Nacogdoches, was arrested shortly after 2:15 Sunday afternoon and charged with evading arrest and driving while intoxicated.

LINDEN – A Smith County man has been killed and two persons injured in a Cass County accident. It happened around 4:00 Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 59. Killed was Loren Jay Larson, 61, of Bullard. He died about 2½ hours after the accident in a Longview hospital. Injured were Linda Larson, 61, and Elizabeth Larson, 82. According to the Department of Public Safety, Larson, whose pickup was towing a travel trailer, ran off the road and overturned. He was tossed from the pickup.

LONGVIEW – Longview police have arrested a Denison, Texas, man on a charge of online solicitation of a minor. In the Gregg County Jail under a $30,000 bond is Donnie Smith, 58. He spent his birthday in the jail Sunday following his arrest.

Longview police say Smith is accused of having an online communication for several months with a fictitious juvenile female. He is even accused of sending a webcam of his genitals in an attempt to set up a meeting. According to court records, he thought he was communicating with a 14 year old girl.

LONGVIEW –Longview Mayor Jay Dean is announcing a program designed to provide heat relief to area citizens in need. With triple-digit heat a norm this summer, Mayor Dean, along with partner agencies and private donors, is launching the “Mayor’s Beat the Heat Project.” This program is designed to provide window air conditioning units to residents around Longview who do not currently have air conditioning in their homes. “There are many residents out there that are suffering with this heat right now, and we just want to be able to help them get some relief,” says Mayor Jay Dean.

The Area Agency on Aging (AAA) will administer the in-take process. Residents in need should contact the Area Agency on Aging at 903-984-8641 or 800-442-8845. Preference will be given to elderly ages 60 and above and/or disabled residents that live in a Longview area zip code 75601, 75602, 75603, 75604, 75605, 75606, 75607 and 75608. As supply allows, other low income residents in the Longview area may also be considered. Only one unit will be given per household.

Several area agencies have partnered together to bring this project forward. The Hiway 80 Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, and AMBUCS will work together with other volunteer groups to help distribute and install the air conditioning units.

Funding for the Mayor’s Beat the Heat Project has been provided entirely through private donations. At this time, Mayor Dean has secured pledges in the amount of $25,000 from various Longview businesses, organizations, and citizens. The money raised will be used to purchase 200 air conditioning units rated at 5,000 BTU from local home improvement stores.

“I understand we are not going to be able to solve the problem of heat relief for every needy citizen with this program this year,” says Mayor Jay Dean. “My hope and my expectation is that, next year, this program will be administered by our partner agencies. My idea was to just get the ball rolling for the future. We want to do what we can this year to help, but then hopefully see the community put a program in place that makes sense going forward.”

BROWNSVILLE (AP/Staff) – Researchers in Tyler are trying to overcome a language barrier to teach safety to Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishermen in America’s deadliest commercial fishery. With Vietnamese and Spanish the dominant languages among some Gulf shrimp fleets, researchers at UT Health Science Center at Tyler are developing outreach programs in fishermen’s native languages. The government-backed researchers are designing safety signs based on universal symbols and preparing to release an interactive CD in three languages on how to make mayday calls. The UTHSCT researchers have found that many fishermen wouldn’t use their radios to call for help because they didn’t speak enough English. A federal study shows 55 Gulf shrimping deaths between 2000 and 2009. 29 of them were fishermen who fell overboard.

Despite the researchers’ efforts, funding for their work may be cut. The national program under which the researchers operate is targeted for elimination in the President’s 2012 budget proposal.

LUFKIN — Lufkin’s newest city council member, Sarah Murray, said she will introduce an ordinance to keep people from selling animals from the roadside. The proposed ordinance, drafted by the city’s attorney, specifically states: “It shall be unlawful for any person to sell, trade, barter, lease, rent, give away or display for a commercial purpose any live animal on a roadside, public right-of-way, commercial parking lot, or at an outdoor special sale, garage sale, swap meet, flea market, or similar event within the corporate limits of the City of Lufkin.” According to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News, the ordinance is restricted to domesticated animals, and does not include livestock.

Murray, a longtime animal rights activist, said she sees people selling animals in commercial parking lots and finds it appalling. “The animals that are brought to sell are from puppy mills,” said Murray, who represents Ward 6. “Sometimes these dogs are inbred. Another thing is they have no immunizations, no vaccinations, they are not spayed or neutered. I’m against euthanasia. My idea is if they’re not born, then they don’t have to die.”

Murray claims some of the dogs are selling for up to $500 and are not AKC (American Kennel Club) registered. Many of the animals could have diseases, such as parvo. “Parvo is deadly,” Murray said. “If it isn’t detected, the dog can give parvo to the rest of your animals, and they will all die.” Most importantly, she said the animals wait in inhumane conditions to be purchased. She said some don’t have enough shade or water to endure the East Texas heat or bitter cold temperatures of winter.

“It was freezing last year, and people had brought in birds in cages, and they were sitting out in the cold, cold weather,” Murray said. “To me it’s just unethical. These animals have no choice.” The side-of-the-road sale also encourages impulse buying, Murray said, which leads to more animals in the shelters, Humane Society or dumped in neighborhoods and on country roads.

LUFKIN — The man sentenced to 30 days in jail last week for resisting arrest in his Lufkin home was fighting police because he feared deportation to his native country of Honduras, according to a Lufkin Police offense report released Friday. That’s according to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News. Marco Sauceda, 30, who does not speak English, told a Spanish-speaking officer he stayed silent during the March 15, 2009, incident in spite of being pepper-sprayed and shot with a pepper ball gun because, as an illegal immigrant, he was afraid he would be deported. During the scuffle, Sauceda suffered a gash to the top of his head that required medical attention.

The jury of five men and one woman who found Sauceda guilty of resisting arrest Wednesday made its decision without knowledge of his immigration status due to a motion filed by Sauceda’s attorney, Ryan Deaton, and granted by County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Derek Flournoy on July 15, according to records from the trial. The motion, called a “motion in lemine,” claimed Sauceda’s alien status could have prejudiced the jury. “We could not go into that without the court’s permission at trial, whether he was legally in the country or not,” said Angelina County Attorney Ed Jones, who assisted in the prosecution of Sauceda’s case.

Attempts to reach Deaton for comment on his client’s immigration status Friday afternoon were not successful. With credit for time served, Sauceda is now a free man, as no immigration hold was placed on him Wednesday when he booked in and out of the Angelina County jail, according to jail records.

LONGVIEW — Bond was set at $100,000 Sunday for a Longview man authorities determined was wanted on a murder warrant in Europe after he was jailed in connection with an assault Saturday in Longview. Donald Adkins, 44, was arrested around 7:00 Saturday in Broughton Park on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Justice of the Peace Arthur Fort said Sunday that Adkins had given a false name during booking, but jail personnel were able to determine his identity and discover the foreign warrant. Fort said he was not certain which country issued the warrant, or details of that charge. The local charge stemmed from an attack that left another man with two knife wounds, one to the eye, the other in the chest.

WINONA – A one vehicle accident in northern Smith County has left one person dead. Killed in the crash shortly after 11:15 Friday night was George Douglas Nolan, 40, of Tyler, a former member of the Winona Volunteer Fire Department.. The Department of Public Safety says his car left the road and hit a tree and then burst into flames. The wreck occurred on County Road 334, a couple of miles north of Tyler. What caused the crash remains under investigation, however firemen on the scene said that Nolan had a cell phone in his hand.

LONGVIEW — East George Richey Road, located east of Gilmer Road, opened to traffic Monday. The 3,500 foot extension project was funded equally by Gregg County and the City of Longview. The total project cost was approximately $1.96 million. This project was constructed by Knife River of Bryan, Texas.

WHITEHOUSE — The Future Farmers of America has selected its new state president Peyton Gilbert, 18, of Whitehouse. After winning several local awards in high school, he figured it was time to run for statewide office. Over the next year, he’ll be traveling all over Texas to teach students about agricultural education and awareness. Afterwards, Gilbert plans to attend a four-year university in Texas before heading off to law school.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man and woman were arrested Wednesday night for reportedly breaking into vehicles in the parking lot of Pilgrim’s Pride. Georgia Ann Taylor, 44, and Walter Allen Starnader, 46, were reportedly caught in the parking lot with stolen items from two vehicles, according to a Lufkin Police report. They were charged with burglary of a vehicle. Starnader received an additional charge of possession of drug paraphernalia for 0.1 grams of marijuana in his possession. They were arrested and taken to the Angelina County Jail

EAST TEXAS — The Better Business Bureau has alerted East Texans of a scam aimed at local hotels to get credit card information from guests over the phone. The calls are typically made in the middle of the night from a person claiming to be a hotel employee. The caller says the hotel computer has crashed and asks the guest for credit card information. The caller may also offer a discount on the room for the inconvenience.

EAST TEXAS — A 29-year-old Rusk man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison for threatening President Barack Obama. Robert Lee Berkley Jr. was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison on July 12 by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Berkley, who was imprisoned in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice center in Rusk, wrote a letter June 16, 2010, saying he planned to travel to Washington to kill Obama and his family after he was released from prison. Berkley confirmed his plan during at least two interviews with law enforcement officers. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 23.

ALTO — Fourteen days after the Alto City Council sent its police force on a six-month furlough in June, the Wall Street Journal got wind of the story and ran an article entitled “The Day the Law Left Town.” The next day, Forbes and the Business Insider caught onto the story. By July 7, Alto had attracted the attention of the CBS News Morning Show. A cursory Google search of “Alto Texas police” yields ten of eleven first-page results about the potential for increased crime rates in Alto since the council furloughed the police force. The national coverage of the issue has left some Alto citizens perplexed and some outraged.

The Corner Market convenient store, robbed at gunpoint July 19, was one of the latest locations hit in Alto. Minister Frederick Shaw said he thinks coverage doesn’t help the crime situation. According to Sheriff Campbell, several towns in East Texas have disbanded their police forces before. “Several times before New Summerfield, Wells and Cuney have furloughed their police forces. Though this is the largest town to do away with their police department that I can remember.”

The Cherokee County sheriff’s department tries to keep a patrol car in the area at all times, yet some citizens are concerned the national coverage will cause an influx of crime from out-of-town offenders. Sheriff Campbell said national coverage has not yet greatly increased the number of crimes committed by outsiders. He said most of the crimes committed in Alto are done by locals.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department’s non-emergency telephone lines have now been restored and are fully functioning once again. The department began experiencing telephone problems around 7:00 Saturday night. All 911 calls to the Tyler Police Department were being routed through the Smith County 911 Center. Officials said the department is still received all emergency 911 calls and there was no delay in response times for emergency calls for service.

HENDERSON — Henderson ISD trustees froze teacher pay and took actions on a construction model to move them one step closer to a November bond election. Director of Human Resources Stacey Sullivan said Thursday the 2010-11 salary schedule will be in effect for teachers in the 2011-12 academic year, as approved by the school board Wednesday night. “The schedule reflects no increase in salary whatsoever,” Sullivan said. Trustees also selected a construction method for a possible November bond election. The school board chose the construction manager at-risk model, which calls for a construction manager to complete the project within a guaranteed maximum price. Trustees also selected Claycomb Associates as the architect firm to represent the district on the bond.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Police Department officers Christopher Bell and Jonathan Shobert arrested seven women Sunday afternoon who descended upon Nu Time Truck Stop at 729 Frankston St. to brawl about a man. Soni Brooks (pictured), Terrie Dirck, Brittany Spink, Elizabeth Cova, Skyla Singleton, and Christina Thornton, ranging from ages 20 to 38, were each charged with riot participation and bail was set at $1,000. Shana Darty, age 19, incurred additional charges for threatening to injure nearby witnesses and failure to provide accurate information to authorities. Authorities set Darty’s bail at $10,000 for threatening retaliation, and $1,000 for falsifying information, according to police reports. JPD Detective James Oden said the feud began earlier in the afternoon when Thornton and Brooks exchanged threatening text messages. “Soni had been bragging about sleeping with Christina’s ‘baby daddy,’ as they call it in Jacksonville,” Oden said.

The altercation began around 4 p.m. when a white car pulled into the first pump, said Nu Time Truck Stop worker Javed Ahmed. A woman dressed in black emerged from the car and began stirring up controversy with another customer. Ahmed said shortly thereafter another car pulled up to the gas station, and more women emerged to join the fight. The fighting subsided when the police arrived, but re-ignited after a few minutes. “You’ve got to know this crowd. They’re frequent flyers. We get a report on one of them every week. Common sense is not their strong suit,” Oden said. Ahmed said the altercation lasted approximately 10 minutes, and within 25 minutes, it was over. “They were all regular customers,” Ahmed said.

LONGVIEW — A 37-year-old Longview woman is accused of trying to pass a forged check from a Judson-area church. Longview police arrested Natalie Kristi Midler shortly before 7 p.m. Wednesday, after security noticed that she tried to cash a check made out to her from Northwood Baptist Church on Tryon Road, according to arrest reports. A teller at Texas Bank and Trust contacted church personnel, who said that several checks had recently been stolen from the church and that no check had been issued to Midler, reports showed. Furthermore, Midler had not authority to cash a check. She remained in the Gregg County Jail on $2,500 bond Friday.

HALLSVILLE — West Harrison Fire and Hallsville Fire responded to a grass fire on Normal Lee Lane Friday afternoon. When the fire crews arrived five acres were involved. Two unoccupied mobile homes were destroyed. The fire is currently under control and crews are working to put out a few hot spots. No injuries have been reported at this time. The cause of the fire is currently undetermined.

ANGELINA COUNTY — An alleged Moffett methamphetamine cook was released from jail last week only to be arrested again Thursday after the federal government indicted him on his existing charges. David Arthur Dunman Jr., 52, was taken into custody Thursday by Angelina County investigator Mark McLin on three federal charges, according to jail records. Dunman had been in jail since December, after his second methamphetamine arrest inside a three-month window, without the option to bond, but on July 12 was released on a $100,000 bond, jail records state.

The federal charges Dunman faces include manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance; possession of certain chemicals with the intent to manufacture; and maintaining a place for the manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine. While not commenting directly on Dunman’s case, McLin said the charge of “maintaining a place for the manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine” is a charge specific only to the federal government. According to the federal penal code, it carries a sentence of up to 20 years and/or a fine of up to $500,000.