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NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A Texas man has pleaded guilty to conspiring with a New Orleans police captain to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a kickback scheme. Thirty-seven-year-old Joseph Branch faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine after Thursday’s guilty plea. His sentencing is set for June 16. Federal prosecutors say Branch, owner of Brownsboro, Texas-based Gladius Inc., negotiated a contract at inflated rates to provide armed guards to Entergy Services Inc. after a hurricane. The plot called for parts of the federally reimbursed contract to be kicked back to Branch and Capt. Michael Roussel. Roussel’s trial is scheduled to begin March 28.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was charged with assault Thursday after police say he attacked family members. Vernon Lee Ahrenhoersterbaeumer, 35, was arrested shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday at the 300 Mobile Home Park, in the 5700 block of Gilmer Road. Ahrenhoersterbaeumer told authorities he was fighting with his brother and 16-year-old nephew when he grabbed a steel frying pan and hit his brother in the back. Ahrenhoersterbaeumer also grabbed his brother from behind in a choke hold, impeding his ability to breathe, arrest reports show.

When Ahrenhoersterbaeumer’s father tried to pull the brothers apart, Ahrenhoersterbaeumer grabbed the pan, and swung it at his brother and his father, reports showed. Ahrenhoersterbaeumer remained in the Gregg County Jail on $10,000 bond Thursday charged with two counts of aggravated assault/family violence with a deadly weapon.

TYLER – It took Tyler firemen about 15 minutes to bring an apartment fire under control. It was reported shortly after 4:00 Thursday afternoon at the Bullard Creek Apartments, 5621 Old Bullard Road. The fire originated on an upstairs balcony, in a laundry closet, but the cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported. Fire damage was minimal. Four families have been temporarily displaced due to power being disconnected to the building while firemen extinguished the blaze.

TYLER — ETMC Tyler was recently the site of the first East Texas implantation of an MRI-friendly pacemaker, which allows magnetic resonance imaging as a diagnostic option for patients whose hearts need electrical correction. Called the Revo MRI SureScan pacing system from Medtronic, it is the first system designed, tested, and FDA-approved for use in an MRI environment. “Previously a patient with a pacemaker only had a CT scan as an advanced imaging option,” said Alex Petrakian, MD, a cardiologist with Cardiovascular Associates of East Texas and the ETMC Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Petrakian implanted the first device at ETMC Tyler, and believes it will be an option for many patients.

DENVER, Colorado — A new study from HealthGrades again names Tyler’s Mother Frances Hospital among the nation’s top hospitals for patient safety. This is the fifth straight year Mother Frances has made the list. The HealthGrades study found that patients have a 46% lower risk of experiencing a patient safety incident at a top-rated hospital compared to a poorly-rated hospital. The study which analyzed 40 million
Medicare patient records from 2007 to 2009. HealthGrades is considered a top source of physician information and hospital quality outcomes.

QUITMAN — A motion to have former Mineola teacher JoAnn Stephens’s attorney removed from her defense is set to be heard in Wood County District Court in Quitman this afternoon at 1:30. Stephens, 43, has been indicted on five charges that include two counts of sexual assault of a child, two counts of improper relationship between an educator and student, and one count of online solicitation of a minor with intent to engage in sexual activity. The case involves a male student who was 15 years old at the time of the alleged offenses. The student has since graduated.

The motion was filed Tuesday by Attorney Thad Davidson, representing Kerry Duncan and the alleged victim in the case. The motion was the second filed in as many days concerning the case. Dan Wyde, Stephens’ attorney, filed a motion Monday to require the state to reveal any agreement or reason to cause the alleged victim to change his testimony. Wyde’s motion discusses dates on which the boy testified to the grand jury, the most recent being March 1, and the outcome of those sessions.

Wyde stated in his motion that the grand jury is entitled to know if there was any agreement or understanding to cause the alleged victim to change his testimony, such as a grant of immunity against prosecution for perjury. He said refusal to reveal any agreement constitutes violations of Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Davidson’s motion was ordered sealed after it was obtained by the Wood County Democrat and Mineola Monitor under a Freedom of Information request. The motion states that according to Kerry Duncan, Wyde recommended Ferguson, who is his friend. It also indicates Wyde is representing Ricky Stephens, JoAnn’s husband and principal at Mineola High School.

HUDSON — A Lufkin man believed to be one of the last ranking Aryan Brotherhood members in Angelina County was arrested during a Thursday morning methamphetamine raid in Hudson, according to Angelina County Sheriff’s Office investigator Tom Matthews. For the last two months, the ACSO had been doing surveillance on the Meadowbrook trailer home of Aundria Whitehead Barrett, 39, after noticing AB Sgt. Tommy “Gunz” Smith, 40, coming in and out, according to Matthews. Barrett’s home is in the trailer park, located directly behind the Hudson Police Department off Mt. Carmel Road, which Matthews termed “a gutsy move.”

LONGVIEW – With the aid of a DPS helicopter, two Longview burglary suspects have been arrested. Officers were dispatched to the 100 Block of West Avelon Street for a report of a burglary in progress. Witness told officers that two black males were seen entering a residence and then seen coming back out of the residence with what was believed to be the victim’s property. The two suspects fled the scene. The first suspect was located in the 100 Block of West Avalon. He is identified as Lonnie Sibley Jr., 19, of Longview. After a short foot pursuit a second suspect was apprehended in the 100 Block of Peterson Place. He was identified as Terry Fields, 17, of Longview. Both suspects were arrested for evading arrest and burglary of a habitation.

WASHINGTON — Longview’s East Texas Regional Airport will receive a Federal Aviation Administration grant worth $461,555 for improvements, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Thursday. “These funds will be used to address needed maintenance and safety improvements at East Texas Regional,” Sen. Cornyn said. “In addition, quality transportation services are important for boosting local economic growth. I commend the area leaders who worked to secure this funding.” The grant will provide money for the rehabilitation of an airport terminal entrance road and parking lot. Officials say both pavement surfaces have deteriorated to the point of pavement failure, creating hazardous driving surfaces for passengers. Cornyn says the project will enhance the life of the pavement.

TYLER — If you want to buy a fruit you’ve never heard of, watch a chef create a gourmet meal, or have an adult beverage while you shop, there’s a new store in Tyler offering just that. It’s FRESH by Brookshire’s, which opened Thursday on Tyler’s Old Jacksonville Highway. With 250 different kinds of cheese, fruits and veggies straight from the farmer’s field and dozens of varieties of water, it gives the name “FRESH” a whole new meaning.

General manager Steve DeLello says a lot of people have been traveling outside the area to get items they can’t find in East Texas, and he wants to keep more of that traffic local. Shelves are lined with everything from regular Ragu to homemade secret sauces. DeLello adds, “You’ll see that on the grocery aisle you’ll have gourmet items right next to the every-day items. If you get confused by all the gourmet names, you can find someone with lime green shoes and they’ll give you all the answers you need.”

FRESH also has a wine and beer selection. According to DeLello, “You actually can purchase a glass of wine and have it while you’re shopping, but the intent is with a meal.” DeLello promises affordability and business to local farmers. He says the store will stock “everything from tomatoes to strawberries to onions when they’re in season,” adding, “We’ll do our best to support the local vendor.”

TYLER —Tyler’s sales tax revenues deposited for the month of March have increased 1.38% as compared to March 2010, resulting in a 3.43% cumulative year-to-date increase. The figures come from the Texas Comptroller. Officials say the current month increase was 2.60%; however, an out-of-period audit adjustment resulted in the 1.38% increase. The reported revenue of $2,525,125.45 comprises $1,683,416.97 general sales tax revenue and $841,708.48 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from January 2011 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

“During this same month in 2010, we saw a 4.19% decrease and were running 9.49% percent down for the year,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “To say we are pleased with the recovery this year would be an understatement.” The city budgeted for a two percent increase in sales tax revenue for 2010-2011, so remains in a good financial position at the midpoint in the fiscal year. “We are watching gas prices closely as well as the State budget process,” added McDaniel. “For the first half of the fiscal year, the City was under budget on our gas expenditures. However, as gas prices have risen, we are edging closer to the budget threshold. Should prices continue to rise, we will be implementing additional conservation activities and possibly looking to biodiesel to control our costs.”

One of the other budget concerns is potential ramifications from budget cuts at the State level. The city received more than $1.1 million in state funding this fiscal year, of which $722,000 came from Federal grants passed through the state. Officials say state funding only represents 1.2% of the city’s operating budget. They add that although the cessation of the grants would not result in staffing decreases, there is concern that the state could choose to require cities to continue the programs without providing the funding, thereby creating an unfunded mandate. “We have worked diligently to balance our budget and make the cuts needed to stay within our means through these tough economic times. Mandates to continue state programs with local resources could be devastating to city budgets,” added McDaniel.

In 2010, the city of Tyler froze more than 125 positions mid-year, delayed capital expenditures, renegotiated contracts, launched a Lean Sigma efficiency program, limited salary adjustments and took many other actions to ensure the city ended the year in a positive financial position. “Because we have no general obligation debt and pay cash for most capital improvement projects, we are able to respond to changing financial conditions,” said McDaniel. “Thanks to our Blueprint, Called to SERVE and Lean Sigma programs, Tyler has maintained its culture of continuous improvement for greater efficiencies.”

OVERTON — An East Texas officer gets into a verbal and physical fight this week with a man who officers say was drunk. It began as a domestic disturbance between a mother and son. Overton police thought it had died down. But when Captain Clayton Taylor arrived at the scene, the fight was far from over. Authorities say Jonathan Earl Stuckey, 27, lashed out at Taylor as he was trying to calm Stuckey down. Taylor got Stuckey to the ground. But while handcuffing him, Taylor realized he was badly hurt, so he called for backup and an ambulance. A broken knuckle is fortunately the worst of Taylor’s injuries.

As for Stuckey, he was booked in the Smith County Jail that night. Later transferred to the Rusk County Jail, he faces multiple charges of assault on a public servant, assault family violence, and resisting arrest. And this isn’t the duo’s first encounter with the law. They both have a rather extensive rap sheet for causing trouble in the past.

TYLER — KTBB’s Garth Maier had a chance Thursday morning to speak with former Arkansas Governor and 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate, Mike Huckabee, who is currently on tour promoting his new book, “A Simple Government”. Huckabee says government today is overly complicated. He says it’s important for people to recognize that the government the founders created was a simple government. He says the Constitution was 20 pages long and the Obama Bill is 2,300 pages long, so that’s an indication of how different things are approached.

Huckabee goes on to talk about the Tea Party movement saying he thinks it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in the American political theater since he’s been born. He explains that it’s an indication that people recognize that they are the bosses and not slaves, servants and surfs. Huckabee will be in Tyler Sunday, March 13, 2:00, at Hastings for a book signing. Click on the link below to listen to the full interview.

Listen to the Mike Huckabee Interview

LONGVIEW — A man arrested for a Longview murder is related to a pro football player. Dexter Levi Prince is the brother of Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Demorrio Williams. Longview Police arrested Prince, 19, Tuesday for two violation of probation warrants. Late Tuesday night he was charged with the murder. Police are continuing their investigation. Just after 10:00 Monday morning, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 100 block of East Melton Street. Upon arrival they located 25-year-old Danielo E. Nelson of Longview, dead inside the house.

NACOGDOCHES — Two suspects are under arrest in Nacogdoches after a drug sweep. The Nacogdoches County Constable’s office searched a mobile home off County Road 408. During the search, they found more than a pound of methamphetamine. Two people are charged with possession with intent to manufacture a controlled substance.

TYLER – One person has been killed and five injured as the result of a two vehicle accident on Tyler’s southeast side. It happened shortly after 4:15 Thursday afternoon at the intersection of University Boulevard and Patriot Drive.

Witnesses tell investigators a GMC SUV and a Ford SUV were westbound on University with the Ford in the inside lane and the GMC in the outside lane. The driver of the Ford attempted to turn right onto Patriot and turned into the path of the GMC. The vehicles collided and the Ford overturned and caught fire. Two bystanders tried to rescue the driver of the burning vehicle but were unable to before the vehicle was engulfed with flames.

The driver of the Ford SUV was dead at the scene. The victim’s name has not yet been released. The occupants of the GMC SUV were treated for minor injuries. The two witnesses that attempted the rescue received minor burns.

BROWNSBORO – Two persons have died in a house fire near Brownsboro. The fire was reported just before 10:45 Wednesday morning on Farm Road 317 just south of Brownsboro. Once firemen extinguished the blaze, they found the victims. The names of the victims have not been determined and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — Following the receipt of preliminary census data, the city of Tyler has taken the initial steps to address redistricting based upon changing population patterns since the last census. Redistricting is the adjustment of electoral district boundaries to ensure that the number of voters in each district is the same; this process brings the city in compliance with the Federal Constitutional Goal of one person, one vote.

The City has hired the same consulting firm that will be used by Smith County and the Tyler Independent School District, Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP, to evaluate the population information in an effort enhance coordination and ultimately make the voting process easier for the community. Preliminary data was released to the consulting firm in early March, and the firm is in the process of creating GIS maps and initial demographic reports for the city to assess. It is anticipated that an introductory proposal will be released to the public for comment by June and a public meeting will be held to gather community feedback. The final plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice by July 31 with an expected effective date of January 1, 2012.

“Federal law requires the City to move forward with the redistricting process even though we are not necessarily in agreement with the preliminary numbers we have been given,” shared Planning Director Barbara Holly. “Based upon the number of households that the City submitted to the Census Bureau, we believe that the final census will be higher than the preliminary count. We are working with the regional Census office to address the issue.”

DIANA — A Diana couple is under arrest in connection with a burglary. Jason Paul Warlick, 30, and Wendy Day, 28, were arrested after Upshur County Deputies reportedly caught them burglarizing Jim’s Car Wash in Diana. Deputies say the cash taken during the burglary was found in the couple’s vehicle. They’re charged with burglary of a building.

GLADEWATER — An East Texas company is trying to find work for employees after fire destroys one of their plants. Southwest Plastics Recycling had 28 employees working at their Gladewater facility before Monday’s fire. Company officials say they will moving some of their employees to their Longview Plant. Some of them, however, will be without a job. Owners of the company are not sure if they’re going to rebuild the Gladewater site. The fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — A Van Zandt County constable is in a surgical intensive care unit after being trampled by a horse late Tuesday afternoon. Precinct 2 Constable C.B. Wiley was flown to Trinity Mother Frances in Tyler on Tuesday, Sandra Plaster, a court clerk for the precinct, said Wednesday. Wiley will have to undergo at least three surgeries for several broken bones, she said. Plaster said Wiley was leading the horse, which he purchased on Monday, when it reared up and knocked him down.

TYLER — A 44-year-old Tyler man pleaded guilty to child pornography violations in a Tyler courtroom. Thomas Alvin Boyd, Tyler, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography on Mar. 8 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie.

According to information presented in court, on Mar. 29, 2010, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Boyd’s residence and seized several computers, USB drives, CDs, DVDs, and other forms of digital media. A forensic examination of the seized items was conducted and found to contain several thousand images of child pornography and, at a minimum, 250 videos of child pornography.

Boyd was aware that the settings on the peer-to-peer software allowed certain other users to download child pornography from him and acknowledges that the illegal images were distributed in that they were accessed and downloaded by others. Some of the images depicted prepubescent minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and some of the images are considered sadistic or masochistic. Boyd was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 6, 2010.

TYLER (AP/STAFF) — Governor Rick Perry says the Legislature should keep its hands off the state’s Rainy Day Fund. Perry repeated his position against tapping the fund Tuesday at an appearance at the Brookshire’s distribution facility on the Tyler loop. Perry said using the fund now would simply “kick the can down the road” and make Texas vulnerable to financial pressures in 2013.

Perry said the Rainy Day Fund is a valuable insurance policy against “a future that continues to be uncertain on a national and global scale, and must be used as an absolute last resort, not a quick fix.” According to Perry, “Here in Texas, we know you can’t tax and spend your way to prosperity, and as long as we remain committed to our job friendly principles, such as low taxes and a fair legal system, we will continue along a successful path for Texas families and employers.”

The Governor declined to say whether he’d veto any bill that taps the fund. He said his policy remains to avoid discussing legislation before it reaches his desk.

Texas is facing its worst budget crisis in generations. Some Republican lawmakers have proposed tapping the state’s Rainy Day Fund to make up for a $27 billion shortfall. But Perry continues to oppose any effort to raise more state revenue, or to tap the fund.

Strengthening the principles that have helped Texas lead the national economic recovery and add more jobs than any other state in 2010, including keeping taxes low, and maintaining a predictable regulatory climate and fair legal system, remains a priority for the governor. The governor said he is committed to keeping taxes low in order to help small businesses continue to succeed and create jobs, and reiterated the need to make permanent the small business tax cut that was passed last session. This measure cut taxes for 40,000 small businesses, and allowed them to focus on job creation and growing their businesses.

The governor also emphasized his commitment to further strengthening Texas’ legal system by creating a “loser pays” system to provide stronger protections against frivolous lawsuits, establishing an early dismissal option for frivolous lawsuits, ensuring new laws cannot create causes of action unless expressly established by the Legislature, and setting up expedited trials and limited discovery for lawsuits with claims between $10,000 and $100,000.

VAN – A one vehicle accident in Van Zandt County has left one person dead. It occurred just before 7:00 Monday night on State Highway 110, two miles north of Van. Killed was Donald Garrett, 24, of Van. According to state trooper Josh Sneed, Garrett was northbound when his car hit a horse and then a tree. The victim was not wearing a seat belt.

PALESTINE – A two vehicle accident has killed one person and sent another to a Tyler hospital. The wreck occurred around 5:15 Sunday evening on U.S. Highway 287, about a mile south of Palestine. Killed was Pamela Crowson, 47, of Crockett. She was on the back of a motorcycle driven by her husband James Marcus Crowson, 49. He was flown to Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center where he is listed in fair condition. The Department of Public Safety report says it appears as if the motorcycle was attempting to make a U-turn when it was hit by a pickup pulling a trailer. The report said both persons on the motorcycle were not wearing helmets.

NACOGDOCHES – A parent’s complaint has the American Civil Liberties Union upset with the Nacogdoches school system. The problem stems from bible’s that were handed out last year at a Nacogdoches middle school. The A.C.L.U. claims members of the Gideons handed out the bibles during a lunch hour last year and that the school principal was encouraging the students to take the books.

A statement released by the school system Tuesday said, “We take the concerns of our students, teachers and community very seriously and were shocked to learn of the A.C.L.U.’s concerns.” Nacogdoches school officials say they have yet to receive any written correspondence on the matter but have contacted legal counsel and are researching the situation.

AFTON GROVE — There is a boil water notice in effect for Afton Grove Water Supply in the Jacksonville area. The notice includes all of CR 4215 between Highway 79 East and Myrtle Drive (CR 4205). According to KETK, the boil water alert will continue until further notice. If you have any questions, you can contact Loretta Sorenson with the Afton Grove Water Supply Corporation at 903-586-2969.

TYLER — Police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect in a recent robbery. On Saturday, March 5, a black male suspect entered the Valero Gas Station located at 1736 E. Gentry around 5:00 p.m. Police say the suspect observed the cashier counting the money in her cash drawer and saw an opportunity to steal a large amount of cash sitting next to the cash register. According to police, the suspect distracted the cashier so that he could reach over the counter and take the bundle of cash. The suspect ran out the store, got into a dark green Cadillac, and got away.

Anyone with information about the suspect involved in this crime is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers, at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833). Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest and charges filed against the suspect or suspects in this or any felony case.

DIBOLL — Less than a week after the resignation of Diboll’s longtime police chief Kent Havard, a new interim chief is announced. Donald R. Morris, retired Texas Ranger and career lawman, will serve as interim chief until a permanent replacement can be found, according to Diboll City Manager Dennis McDuffie. “I will be appointing Donald R. Morris as interim chief March 14,” McDuffie said in a city council meeting Monday night. “We intend to take our time finding a permanent chief.” Havard resigned March 2, following an ongoing investigation, according to Diboll City Attorney Jimmy Cassels. Because the investigation is active, the details could not be released as of Monday. In the meantime, Sgt. Steve Baker is acting as interim chief.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview say they’ve brought in a Gladewater man in an aggravated kidnapping case. On Monday, officers responded to a domestic dispute in the 100 Block of Evergreen Street. Upon arrival officers were told that there were no problems. Upon further investigation they spoke with relatives of the victim. They told police they had located the victim’s vehicle in a ditch near the intersection of Brentwood and Clinton Streets with what appeared to be new damage to it.

Police say through further investigation by the officers, and with the assistance of the Gladewater Police Department, police were able to locate the involved parties and bring the case to a peaceful conclusion. The victim told police the suspect, 24-year-old Kransten Turner, had struck her vehicle with his SUV, causing her to veer off the roadway. He then allegedly forced her out of her car and into his SUV. Turner then reportedly drove to his home in the 300 Block of Allison Drive in Gladewater, where officers located him and the victim a short time later. Turner was taken in to custody for an outstanding warrant for assault family violence and was also charged with aggravated kidnapping.