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MOBILE, Ala. (AP/Staff) – The immediate past president of UT Tyler is among three finalists to become president of the University of South Alabama. Dr. Michael Tidwell joins Damon Andrew, the education dean at Florida State University, and former U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner, chief of staff of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey. Dr. Kirk Calhoun took over as UT Tyler president this year as part of an administrative shuffling aimed at securing a medical school for his institution. The South Alabama candidates will meet with members of the university community in October before a selection is made. South Alabama had an enrollment of 13,136 students in the spring, according to its website. The university announced then-president Tony Waldrop’s retirement in February.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say a man has been found safe after going missing Wednesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, 72-year-old Robert Smith Freeman had last been seen Wednesday morning leaving in his vehicle. The family worries that he has early signs of dementia and said he may have become lost.

TYLER — Construction began this week on a sidewalk project in Tyler’s north end. The sidewalks will be installed on North Palace Avenue from Gentry Parkway to West Queen Street, from West Queen Street to the entrance of the new Hidden Palace subdivision, and on North Moore Avenue from West Harmony Street to West Franklin Street. According to a news release, the project is a continuation and second phase of a 2018 project that added two quarter-mile-long sidewalks on North Moore and North Palace. The sidewalks will provide continued connectivity in the area near T.J. Austin Elementary School and the new Hidden Palace subdivision. The City Council approved the construction contract in July. The project is funded through an allocation from the 2020-21 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) public facilities budget designated for sidewalk improvements. Construction is scheduled to be completed in January 2022.

EAST TEXAS — A federal judge has ordered Texas to suspend a new law that has banned most abortions in the state since September. The order Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman freezes for now the strict abortion law known as Senate Bill 8. It bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks. That is before some women even know they’re pregnant. The decision is the first legal blow to the Texas law since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed it to take effect last month. The bill was authored by Senator Bryan Hughes, of Mineola. Continue reading Judge orders Texas to suspend new law banning most abortions, Sen. Hughes weighs in

WILLS POINT — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a teenager who hasn’t been seen for nearly three weeks. According to our news partner KETK, 18-year-old Nate Greene was last seen on September 17 in Wills Point. He was reported missing on September 23. The department did not say why there was a six-day gap before a missing person report was filed on Greene. He moved down from Illinois to live with his grandparents roughly two months ago. He has blue eyes and blond hair. Green drives a 2006 Silver Focus with the license plate number JYL8180. The sheriff’s office said that the back driver’s side window is busted out.

SMITH COUNTY — An arrest has been made in a Smith County homicide investigation. On October 6, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call stating a female was being stabbed by her son on East Grove Club Lake Road, near Whitehouse. Bernice Slabaugh, 60, of Whitehouse, was transported to a Tyler hospital where she died a short time later. The suspect, identified as Carson Aaron Epifano, 24, was arrested following a traffic stop on Golden Road in Tyler. Epifano has been charged with murder. His bond was set at $2,000,000. Additional details, including a motive, were not available.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is looking for two men considered “armed and dangerous.” According to our news partner KETK, the suspects are wanted for aggravated assault. Traedyne Kristopher Walker, 19, is a suspect in two incidents. One incident happened on Don St. on Aug. 22 and another on Aug. 31 on E. Erwin St. near the Clayton Avenue intersection. Two warrants have been issued for Walker for aggravated assault, and his cumulative bond was set at $500,000. Joshua Andrew Mumphrey, 21, is also suspected of being involved in the incident on Aug. 22. Officials issued a warrant for him for aggravated assault and his bond was set at $250,000. If you know their whereabouts, contact Det. Gardner at 903-535-0192 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

LINDALE — Seven men were arrested early Wednesday morning after a prostitution sting at a hotel in Lindale. According to our news partner KETK, all were charged with solicitation of prostitution and booked into the Smith County Jail. The suspects are 47-year-old Rodney Barbee of Tyler, 45-year-old Richard Leon Bishop of LaRue, 53-year-old Kenneth Cossey Brantley of Tyler, 54-year-old Larry Lacey of Whitehouse, 56-year-old Thomas Scott Griffith of Murchison, 31-year-old Jeremy Stallings of Decatur, and 52-year-old Victor Urieta-Luna of Tyler. Griffith and Stallings were also charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon. The operation was headed by the Department of Public Safety in coordination with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the Lindale Police Department. Further details weren’t immediately available.

JACKSONVILLE — A 4-year-old Jacksonville boy died Tuesday in what police are calling an accident at a home. According to our news partner KETK, officers responding to a report of an unresponsive child on Beaumont Street found a four-year-old boy unconscious. First responders and EMS workers attempted life-saving measures as he was taken to UT Health in Jacksonville, but he was later pronounced dead. Investigators at the scene said witnesses reported the boy became entangled in a cord attached to window blinds. Police say it appears the child struggled to free himself prior to becoming unconscious. Relatives quickly found the child and called 911. An autopsy was ordered, but officers believe the incident was “a tragic accident.”

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association, focusing on smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, to promote this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety.” According to a news release, this year’s campaign from October 3 through October 9 works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. The department is sharing several tips. Among them: A continuous set of three loud beeps means smoke or fire. Get out, call 9-1-1, and stay out. Also, a single chirp every 30 or 60 seconds means the battery is low and must be changed. And all smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years. Click here for more information.

AUSTIN — Sales tax allocation figures for October are up again in Tyler and Longview, according to the state comptroller’s office. Tyler receives $4,290,319.71, a big jump from the $3,670,364.45 allocated in October 2020. Longview is getting $3,051,313.34, compared to $2,647,870.72 a year ago. Year-to-date figures for both cities are also up. The figures in both the monthly and year-to-date categories reflect a statewide trend.

LONGVIEW — Texas A&M and CHRISTUS Health Wednesday announced a new collaboration. Texas A&M University College of Medicine will serve as the academic affiliate for the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Internal Medicine Residency program in Longview. In addition to the agreement with Texas A&M, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has also approved transitioning the CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Internal Medicine Residency sponsorship from the University of Texas at Tyler to CHRISTUS Health. According to a news release, the moves “will help ensure that Northeast Texas will have access to world-class health care for generations to come.”

TYLER –The University of Texas at Tyler announced its plan to offer a new Master of Science degree program to help build the cybersecurity workforce in East Texas and beyond. Pending approval of the UT System Board of Regents and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Master of Science in cybersecurity and data analytics is anticipated to launch in fall 2022 in UT Tyler’s Soules College of Business. “There is a critical need to strengthen the defense against cybersecurity threats not only in East Texas but also across the state and nation,’’ said UT Tyler President Dr. Kirk Calhoun as quoted in a news release. The UT Tyler graduate degree will be the first in the state to combine the disciplines of cybersecurity and data analytics.

CANTON — DPS Troopers responded to a wreck involving multiple vehicles, including a school bus, in Van Zandt County Wednesday morning. The DPS report said Canton ISD bus #31 was involved in the wreck. No students were injured in the collision. The students were transported to school on a different bus. The crash occurred on HWY 64, east of Canton. Additional details were not available.

LONGVIEW — A court hearing on whether to suspend Longview ISD’s mask mandate has been set for next week. According to our news partner KETK, the district is being sued by the State of Texas under Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order he issued in late July that bans such mandates. After school began in August, the school district reported a spike in coronavirus cases among its 8,000 students and staff. In response, the school board approved a mask mandate in violation of Abbott’s order. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed several lawsuits across the state to varying districts that have also chosen to issue their own mandates. Continue reading Longview ISD’s mask mandate will be argued in court next week

RUSK COUNTY — A Henderson woman was arrested Monday afternoon after reportedly offering money to have a family member killed. According to our news partner KETK, Cheryl Thibodeaux, 42, of Henderson was detained in an investigation conducted by the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for criminal solicitation for capital murder. The sheriff’s office said Thibodeaux planned to commit capital murder of a family member. Investigators went undercover and arrested the woman after she allegedly provided money as compensation for the murder solicitation. Thibodeaux is being held at the Rusk County Jail. Her bond was set at $100,000.

TYLER — A portion of Cambridge Road, between Harvard Drive and Oakway Drive, will be closed today from about 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. while contractors work in a manhole under the street. Detours will be in place at Harvard and Oakway. Drivers are urged to use caution in the area, follow directions of the crews and obey all detours and traffic signs.

TYLER — Retired TJC President Dr. Mike Metke is honored with the Tyler Area Chamber’s annual T.B. Butler Award as the top citizen of the year. The Chamber’s Henry Bell says the honor was “kind of a culmination” of everything Metke accomplished at TJC — with Chamber members feeling the accolade was “long overdue.” Stuart Hene, elected to the City Council earlier this year, received the W.C. Windsor Award as the community’s leading citizen under age 40. Previous winner Wade Washmon presented the award and talked about the organizations and groups Hene has been involved with in recent years. Those awards and others were handed out Tuesday at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting. Hospitality Health ER was named Large of Business of the Year, and Servpro of Tyler was recognized as Small Business of the Year.

TYLER — In spite of an upswing in new COVID-19 case numbers for Smith and Gregg counties this week, NET Health’s George Roberts notes that those numbers are trending downward over the past two or three weeks. But he cautions that East Texas remains in the substantial spread category. He continues sounding the call for vaccinations and reminds you that vaccines remain readily accessible. Roberts notes booster doses of Pfizer vaccine are now available to certain specific age groups. Also, third doses of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are available 28 days after prior vaccination for people who are immunocompromised. A reminder: NET Health has moved its vaccination clinic to Tyler’s Majesty Event Center, with a testing site now set up at Tyler’s St. Louis Baptist Church. Click the link in the “Coronavirus update” story on this website for more information.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court has appointed Shawn Scott, a retired law enforcement officer and security company executive, as interim Precinct 2 constable. Officials say Precinct 1 Commissioner Neal Franklin serves the same area as the Precinct 2 constable, so he led the search. According to a news release, Scott will begin serving as soon as he takes the oath of office and meets the bonding requirements. He’ll fill the post until a new constable takes office following next year’s election. Former Precinct 2 Constable Josh Black was removed from office after being found guilty of official oppression. He’s now serving time for that offense. Click here for further details.

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating an early Tuesday morning armed robbery. According to a police release, just after 4:00, two armed black males entered the the Eagle Mart on south Broadway Ave. and stole an undisclosed amount of cash and property from the store. The two fled the scene in a dark-colored Texas Edition Chevrolet Silverado with black and silver wheels. The attached photo is of 2 of the 4 suspects along with the suspect vehicle. Police say there were 2 people in the truck. The truck was recovered in Marshall, but the suspects are still unidentified. If you have any information on this case you can contact Det. Holt at 903-531-1028 or call Tyler-Smith County Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful are sponsoring a free bulky item collection for City of Tyler residential customers (excluding multi-family home communities and businesses) from Monday, Oct. 18, through Friday, Oct. 22. Those participating in this campaign should place bulky items on the curb by 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, and no sooner than 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 15. After crews have collected on your street, you’re asked not toplace more bulky items on the curb. These items will be charged a special pickup fee. Bulky items to be picked up at no charge include furniture, appliances, carpet, fence material, old toys, and other large items that would normally require a special fee. Click here for all the details.

RUSK — Cherokee County deputies discovered 24 illegal immigrants in an SUV during a routine traffic stop on Sunday morning. According to our news partner KETK, around 2:15, CCSO deputies stopped a Chevrolet Suburban on Highway 69 south and FM 84 east in Rusk after observing the vehicle make a traffic violation. The driver of the Suburban is identified as Maria Lopez. After further investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, it was determined that all of the passengers entered the U.S. illegally except for Lopez. Continue reading 24 illegal immigrants found during traffic stop in Rusk

TYLER — A Lindale man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty on Friday to two counts of murder in the deaths of his ex-girlfriend and another man. According to our news partner KETK, David Reed, 41, was arrested after a violent wreck last December that killed 26-year-old Shelby Duarte and 43-year-old Timothy Nelson Jr. They died after they were hit by a truck driven by Reed. An arrest warrant obtained at the time by KETK News said Reed was also trying to blow himself up and had loaded his vehicle with propane tanks. Investigators at the scene found that Reed drove his white pickup into a camper trailer, which destroyed it. Duarte and Nelson were thrown 65 feet as a result of the crash, hitting the front of a house. The warrant said Duarte had recently left Reed and that he was the subject of several cases of alleged abuse against her, including kidnapping and assault.

TYLER — Tyler’s PATH agency kicks off its annual Coats for Kids campaign. According to the PATH website, heating costs and winter wardrobes can be out of reach for a family that lives paycheck to paycheck, leaving children vulnerable to illnesses like hypothermia and pneumonia. Every year, the PATH Coats For Kids Drive helps hundreds of families by giving kids a warm coat to keep them healthy and safe through the winter, according to the site. Click here to learn more.

TYLER — Pipeline Analysis will continue smoke testing sewer lines in sewer meter basins 13 and 17 as part of the City of Tyler’s ongoing sanitary sewer inspection program. Officials say smoke testing helps locate breaks and defects in the city’s sanitary sewer system. The information is used to repair and improve the sewer system, according to a news release. The testing will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, through Friday, Oct. 8. Continue reading Smoke testing locations for this week

TYLER — TxDOT is underway with another week of roadwork in the Tyler District. Tyler maintenance planned to begin mill and inlay operations on US 271 at I-20. Work will be performed on the main lanes through intersections under I-20. Expect daily lane closures. Longview maintenance will be finishing culvert and storm drain maintenance on northbound FM 1845 at Silver Falls Rd. Crews will also continue patching on various roadways throughout Gregg County. Click here for the full rundown of roadwork throughout the district.

TYLER — Texas College will host a public COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Tuesday, October 5, from 9:00 a.m.. until 3:00 p.m. The college will be collaborating with NET Health, The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. GOOD HEALTH WINs initiative, and Tyler City Councilmember/Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Shirley McKellar. The clinic will be open to the public, and no appointment will be necessary to receive the vaccine. According to a news release, members of the community as well as Texas College students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to receive the vaccine if they have not already done so. Continue reading Vaccine clinic at Texas College

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Marine has been jailed after violating a gag order. Marine lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller has been put in the brig after speaking out against the Military’s handling of the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan. Congressman Louie Gohmert of Tyler, who visited the jailed Marine, tells “Fox and Friends Weekend” what he predicts may be next in the process, along with his thoughts on the situation. Gohmert says officials will review Scheller’s being incarcerated. The congressman says he and others hope “they’re going to realize this is not a way to go. You don’t (want to) be meaner than you treat the enemy.” Lt. Col. Scheller has not yet faced formal charges.

NASHVILLE — A Tyler woman was killed late Sunday night after she lost control of a Lime scooter in downtown Nashville. According to our news partner KETK, police reported that 54-year-old Melinda Lovelady was riding a Lime scooter on 3rd Avenue at Symphony Place. Lovelady reportedly lost control of the scooter and crashed into the rear tires of a moving semi-tractor heading in the opposite direction. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Additional details were not available.