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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert appeared on FOX News Monday talking about the “fiscal cliff” negotiations. He said the president’s current proposal is not serious. According to KETK, Gohmert also said the debt ceiling is leverage for the Republicans. Gohmert observed, “No bill can get passed, no amount of money can get appropriated, not a dime — unless the House is part of it. That’s leverage.” According to Gohmert, it’s important to fix the country’s overspending problem before the U.S. turns into Greece or Spain.

TYLER — Authorities have arrested Justin Wayne Staples, 30, of Tyler in the Thanksgiving weekend death of Chad Everett Davis, also of Tyler. Staples is charged with manslaughter, a 2nd degree felony. Bond is set at $100,000. Staples surrendered to authorities on November 30 and was booked into the Smith County Jail. Earlier, the investigation into Davis’s death revealed that he was killed by a vehicle that struck him in a wooded area. According to police, the vehicle was driven by a male acquaintance with whom Davis, 38, had been drinking that night.

Tyler Police received a call around 1:15 a.m. November 23 from East Texas EMS regarding an individual they were transporting to the East Texas Medical Center emergency room. EMS stated the man had somehow sustained serious injuries and police assistance was needed. Officers responded to the scene, which was located within a heavily wooded area northeast of Blue Mountain Boulevard in southwest Tyler.

Responding officers secured the scene and began speaking with those present at the time the individual was injured. During that time, officers were contacted by hospital staff and learned the individual, identified as Davis, had died. Major Crimes Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators were notified and responded to the scene. Davis’s body was sent to Dallas for autopsy.

AUSTIN — The reward for Jimmy Ray McMillan, 42, a Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offender and this month’s featured fugitive, has increased to $13,000 for information leading to his capture if the tip comes in during the month of December. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, in 1988, he twice sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl whom he was babysitting in Dallas. KETK reports he is currently wanted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Texas Crime Stoppers tips are guaranteed to be anonymous. McMillan’s last known address was in Nacogdoches, and he has family in the Dallas area, where he was born. He has also been linked to Springfield, Ohio, and Hot Springs, Arkansas. He has been known to work construction, roofing, and carnival jobs.

McMillan is 5 feet 10 inches tall and was last known to weigh approximately 155 pounds. His tattoos include “TEX” on his right arm and “J+V” on his left arm, and he has scars on his abdomen and right forearm. Authorities say he should be considered armed and dangerous. You can view McMillan’s wanted poster at: http://www.dps.texas.gov/Texas10MostWanted/SexOffenderDetails.aspx?id=164 for more information.

One offender from the Texas 10 Most Wanted Program is featured each month in hopes the higher reward money from the Governor’s Criminal Justice Division will generate additional tips. The higher reward amount will only be paid if the tip comes in the same month the fugitive is featured. All calls, texts, e-mails and Facebook tip messages are anonymous. Anyone with information can provide anonymous tips on the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477).

PALESTINE (AP) — A lieutenant at an East Texas prison has been charged with attacking his corrections-employee wife at their home.

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office says Elton Shawn Sims was arraigned Monday on counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, deadly conduct and interfering with an emergency call. Bond is $32,500 for Sims, who didn’t immediately have an attorney.

Sheriff Greg Taylor told the Tyler Morning Telegraph that alcohol may have been involved Sunday. Sims allegedly beat his wife and fired a gun into the air. Further details on the woman weren’t immediately available.

Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesman Jason Clark says the lieutenant’s employment is pending the outcome of the investigation. Sims works at the Gurney Unit. Clark declined to release details on the wife’s job.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A congressman who represents part of East Texas has become the oldest member ever to speak on the floor and cast a vote in the U.S. House. 17-term Congressman Ralph Hall of Rockwall is 89 years old and was re-elected in November. Congressman Pete Sessions of Dallas recalls that he and Congresswoman Kay Granger of Fort Worth once missed a flight “because Ralph Hall was telling the funniest stories.” Sessions says Hall was really mentoring Granger and himself. Hall cast his 18,549th vote in Congress last week.

WOOD COUNTY — A man wanted in a Dallas shooting is thought to be in the Wood County area. According to KETK, Dallas Police officials are looking for Curtis Steward, 34. He is believed to have been involved in a shooting November 11th, in which the victim was shot once in the face. A warrant has been issued for Steward. Authorities said he may be in the Hawkins or Mineola area. Steward is described as 5’4” and 125lbs and is thought to be driving a 1998 White 4-door Jaguar with an Oklahoma license plate 510FFV.

Anyone with information regarding this suspect or the Jaguar is asked to contact the Dallas Police Department Crimes Against Persons Division, 214-671-3584 or Detective Chris Anderson, 214-671-3616 or Crime Stoppers.

LONGVIEW – A fire that appears to have started in a kitchen has extensively damaged a Longview apartment. It was reported around 3:30 Sunday afternoon at the Magnolia Ridge Apartments in the 1600 block of Eastman Road. Smoke and water damage was reported in neighboring apartments. No injuries were reported.

SMITH COUNTY – Toll collection began Monday at 12:01am on the newly opened segment of Toll 49, which connects State Highway 155 in Noonday with State Highway 31 west of Tyler. The segment, officially known as Segment 3A, opened to traffic on November 9.

The toll for the six-mile segment is 60 cents with a TxTAG, and 80 cents for customers without a TxTAG. The TxTAG rate for driving Toll 49 from SH 31 to State Highway 110 in Whitehouse is $1.55, and $2.05 without a TxTAG.

Customer service representatives from TxTAG, the toll tag that can be used on any toll road in Texas, will be on duty to open new accounts or service existing accounts between 8:00am and 6:00pm Tuesday-Thursday this week only in the rear parking lot at Harvey Convention Center in Tyler, just across from the Rose Garden Center main entrance. “If you still need a TxTAG, this is your last chance for a while to buy one in person,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “These three days you can walk in with a need and walk out with a TxTAG, put it on your windshield and go.” Texans can purchase TxTAGs anytime by logging on to http://www.txtag.org or by calling TxTAG customer service during regular business hours at 1-888-Go-TxTAG.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY — After a planned Monday wrapup of their work on State Highway 64 (Glenwood Boulevard), TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to move to State Highway 31 east of Tyler for one day’s work near Farm Road 850 on Tuesday. Once that work is complete, weather permitting, crews are scheduled to begin pavement-repair work on State Highway 64 inside West Loop 323 between the Loop and Glenwood. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

WOOD COUNTY – TxDOT contract crews this week are scheduled to begin about two weeks of base and pavement repair on Farm Road 2966 between State Highway 154 in Yantis and Loop 173 in Quitman. The work is being done in preparation for a seal coat application next summer. Also this week in Wood County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to perform edge repairs in various locations on Farm Road 1801 east of Mineola, and on Farm Road 515 and Farm Road 2225 near Lake Fork. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

HENDERSON -Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue pavement-repair work on U.S. Highway 79 Business (East Main Street) between US 79 and Marshall Street. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

GREGG COUNTY -Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue approximately two weeks of pavement-repair operations on both eastbound and westbound Interstate Highway 20 main lanes and various entrance and exit ramps between State Highway 322 (Estes Parkway) and the Harrison County Line. Daytime lane closures and various temporary ramp closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

HENDERSON COUNTY -Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin pavement-repair operations on Farm Road 2636 south of Malakoff between Farm Road 3441 and the end of state maintenance. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY -Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform fog seal operations on State Highway 243 between Canton and the Kaufman County Line. A second crew is scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on Farm Road 47 between Wills Point and the Rains County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid lengthy delays associated with fog seal work.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue shoulder work on Farm Road 855 between U.S. Highway 69 in Mount Selman and U.S. Highway 175 near Cuney. A second crew is scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on State Highway 204 between U.S. Highway 84 and the Nacogdoches County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 1990 between U.S. Highway 79 south of Palestine and State Highway 294. A second crew is scheduled to continue edge repair operations along various highways throughout northwestern Anderson County. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

ANCHORAGE (AP) — A man charged in the death of an Alaska barista has killed himself, and authorities say he was linked to at least seven other slayings or possible slayings in three other states. Israel Keyes was found dead in his Anchorage jail cell Sunday morning. Officials say it was a suicide. Keyes was facing a March trial in federal court for the murder of 18-year-old Samantha Koenig, who was abducted from an Anchorage coffee kiosk last February. He was later arrested in Lufkin, Texas after using the victim’s debit card.

Authorities say they have confirmed that Keyes killed a Vermont couple missing since last year. Federal and state investigators said at a news conference in Vermont on Monday afternoon that 34-year-old Israel Keyes provided details about the abduction of Bill and Lorraine Currier that authorities had not released to the public. The bodies of the Curriers have never been found, but Vermont investigators had said they found evidence to support the claims by Keyes that he killed them. Authorities say Keyes also indicated he killed four others in Washington state and one person in New York state, but did not give the victims’ names.

JACKSONVILLE (AP) – The grounds of the oldest junior college in Texas appear to be frozen in time. They’re deserted, but otherwise little-altered as they wait to go on the auction block. The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported Saturday that books still line the library shelves. At the theater building, sheet music and pianos occupy one classroom. Signs designate “cheerleader seating” in the gymnasium. Inside the cafeteria, athletic uniforms and cheerleading items are on tables, along with framed theater photographs and a certificate marking Lon Morris’ 130th anniversary. The only occupied facility is the administration building, where a limited staff continues to work. All of these buildings will go on sale when the college auctions off core facilities Dec. 13 in Dallas. Lon Morris has suspended classes after filing for bankruptcy this summer.

DALLAS (AP/Staff) – Deaths at railroad crossings in Texas have doubled in the last year, renewing questions about whether the thousands of miles of track in the state is being safely maintained and monitored. The deaths include not only the Nov. 15 accident in Midland that claimed the lives of four military veterans on a parade float, but an equally horrific accident that killed three generations of one family in Diboll last March. Figures compiled by The Associated Press from federal data and other sources show the spike in fatalities has reached 32. It comes after a four-year period in which Texas had lowered its death toll significantly. It also comes with the state in the midst of implementing a federally mandated plan aimed at improving rail-crossing safety.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting the seventh annual Holiday in the Park and Bazaar on December 7 and 8 at Bergfeld Park. The event includes a “tubing hill,” a snow play area, shopping, entertainment; a kid’s zone featuring pony rides, a bungee jump, and rock wall; plus more than 85,000 pounds of snow.

The fun begins on Friday, December 7, from 4:00 to 8:00pm with “Snow Play” and the Kids Zone in the park. On Saturday, December 8, the Bazaar will run from 10:00am until 5:00pm and will feature more than 50 vendors displaying a wide variety gift items for your friends or family…or maybe yourself. “Snow Play and the Kids Zone” will be open from 11:00am to 7:00p.m. for kids of all ages. Local dance groups and choirs will entertain from 11:30am until 5:00pm. Finally, the evening will wrap up with a showing of “Arthur Christmas” in the amphitheater at 6:00pm. The weekend’s events will also include the unique and exciting arrival of Santa Scirto around 3:45pm on Saturday, December 8. Photo opportunities with Santa will be available between 3:45 and 5:30pm.

The Holiday in the Park event also invites citizens to bring toys, games, and clothing for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree. Gifts are needed for both children and senior adults. A drop-off station will be located by the snow hill area and can be brought to the event both Friday, December 7 between 4:00 and 8:00pm and Saturday, December 8 between 10:00am and 7:00pm.

LONGVIEW — While holiday revelers are rockin’ around the Christmas tree this year, Longview’s fire marshal is urging the use of safety precautions to keep festivities from going up in smoke. “Our hope here is to prevent a fire during the Christmas holidays,” said Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary. According to KETK, to illustrate the danger, Longview’s fire department staged a Christmas tree fire Thursday at the department’s training facility, 200 Fair St.
Trees were set up, trimmed with all the usual decorations — twinkling lights, glittery garland and shiny ornaments. The trees were placed near living room furniture, just as they typically are placed in homes. In about 30 seconds, the trees were fully engulfed in flames. In less than a minute, nearby furniture was on fire. Thick, black smoke was billowing throughout the room.

GREGG COUNTY — A new animal shelter in Longview will most likely be built on property owned by the Humane Society of Northeast Texas, according to KETK. The 4.3-acre site on Kermit emerged as the favored location after Humane Society board members agreed during their November meeting to convey the property off H.G. Mosley Parkway, near West Loop 281, to the nonprofit group created by the City of Longview and Gregg County.

The vote was unanimous, said Terry Moore, vice president of the Humane Society of Northeast Texas. Members of Longview’s Animal Shelter Task Force agreed this week the new shelter should be built on the land which was purchased about 10 years ago. At the time, the Humane Society planned to build a new shelter, but financial difficulties stalled those efforts.

ANGELINA COUNTY — Lufkin Police Department Detectives will seek additional warrants for the arrest of Corey Lee Fleming for the offense of burglar of a habitation.

On November 06, officers arrested Corey Fleming after a witness saw him in a neighbors yard. Fleming fled on foot, but officers quickly established a containing perimeter and stopped Fleming’s car in the 100 block of Temple Boulevard. Fleming was sweating profusely, his shoes and pants were wet from contact with the wet grass and shrubbery, and he refused to cooperate with officers. Fleming was arrested for Transportation Code violations, No Driver’s License and Failure to Yield Right of Way from a Private Drive. Authorities then began investigating him as a possible suspect in more than twenty burglaries and attempted burglaries incidents that occurred between August and November at residences in the Lufkin area.

A search of Fleming’s residence resulted in the recovery of evidence linking him to at least one recent burglary. The item had the victim’s name on it. Detectives seized other items from Fleming’s residence for further investigation.

Lufkin PD detectives will seek two warrants for Fleming’s arrest for the burglaries of several other residences where they recovered jewelry linking Fleming to additional burglaries on October 4 and 19. The investigation into the burglaries will continue so that detectives may identify any other burglaries committed by Corey Fleming.

LINDALE — Two people were killed in separate wrecks in the Lindale area on Thursday evening. According to KETK, the first happened on Hwy 69 North near County Road 4148, about a mile north of Lindale, just after 5:00pm. The driver, Lonnie WIlliams, 65, from Lindale, was heading north on Hwy. 69, when officials believe he had a medical issue that caused him to veer off the road. Williams crossed into southbound lanes and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second wreck happened at 7:45pm on FM 16, about 2.5 miles west of Lindale. Lindale Police officials tell KETK that an officer attempted to pull over the driver, Kamron Vickers Geis, (pictured) 36, of Van, for a minor traffic violation near the Rodeo Arena, but Geis sped away. The officer opted not to pursue Geis, who was heading westbound on FM 16. Smith County DPS officials say that Geis crashed about two miles from the scene of the attempted stop. He had driven off the road, hitting a fence and several trees. Geis was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas court has rejected an appeal filed by landowners who argued a Canadian company did not have the right to condemn their land to build a pipeline designed to eventually transport tar sands oil from Canada to Texas refineries.

The 9th Court of Appeals in Beaumont handed down its decision Thursday, rejecting arguments presented by Rhinoceros Ventures Group, Inc. and Batson Corridor, LP. The landowners’ attorney Robert Wade says they plan to appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.

The court battle is one of many in Texas as landowners fight TransCanada’s construction of the oil pipeline across the state. The larger, cross-border project still doesn’t have the necessary approval to proceed from the U.S. State Department. The portion of the pipeline from Oklahoma to Texas is under construction. A portion of the pipeline is scheduled to go through eastern Smith County.

AUSTIN — Retired chemist and landowner Mike Bishop of Douglass, in Nacogdoches County, comes to Austin to protest the Keystone XL pipeline, and to file the first of several lawsuits. He says when he refused to allow the oil pipeline to go through his land, the pipeline firm said there was no chance of his winning a case against the company. He said the firm told him it has the right of eminent domain as a common carrier. Bishop says his lawyer told him he had no choice but to settle. He says he’s concerned about pipeline spills and the pipeline’s effect on the environment. He’s already filed a lawsuit against the Texas Railroad Commission. He says he also plans to file suits against the Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas Legislature.

TYLER – A man wanted in a Tyler shooting has surrendered to authorities at the Smith County Jail. Tyler police were told yesterday afternoon that Marquel Jermon Scott, 33, of Tyler, had turned himself in. Scott was wanted in an early Monday morning shooting at Hyena’s motorcycle club in Tyler that killed Keeston Dwone Fields, 26 and critically injured John T. Woods, 33. He is now listed in fair condition. Scott is held on one count of homicide and one count of aggravated assault. Bond was set at $750,000 and $500,000 respectively.

TYLER — Smith County finished installing new benches at the T.B. Butler Fountain Square (Tyler Downtown Square) just in time for families to gather and watch Thursday night’s Christmas parade. Officials say the new benches are sturdier and more durable than the aging wooden benches removed from the park several months ago. They are also specially designed to allow for Square patrons to sit, but discourage sleeping. According to a news release, Smith County worked with the Heart of Tyler to find benches that were a better fit both functionally and aesthetically for the Downtown Tyler area. The previous wooden benches were originally removed for repairs by Smith County. But according to officials, they were in poor condition and it became more cost-effective to replace them with sturdier, long-term seating.

RUSK — Three people have been jailed for alleged railroad property theft in Cherokee County. On Wednesday at approximately 1:45 p.m., Game Warden Brian Bearden contacted the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and requested assistance on CR 4807 with some individuals who were allegedly stealing the material. Officer Bearden had been investigating an earlier call in the area when he observed three people walking down the railroad tracks pulling a home-made cart that ran on the rails of the track. Bearden said when he called out to them, they removed some items from the cart and placed them in the woods.

According to authorities, Officer Bearden was able to detain one of the suspects but the other two fled from the scene. Bearden learned that the suspects had allegedly been removing railroad spikes and “hooks” from the railroad bed and selling them as scrap iron. Officer Bearden was also able to ascertain the identity and possible location of the two suspects who allegedly fled.

When Deputy McNeely arrived on scene, he was briefed on the situation. He and Bearden traveled to a residence in the 2900 Block of Highway 177 in the Mixon community. The remaining suspects were arrested at that location without incident. All three were transported to the Cherokee County Jail. Authorities say the stolen spikes and hooks and the home-made cart were brought to the Sheriff’s Office as evidence. According to officials, the property that belongs to the railroad will be counted, photographed, and released back to the railroad. The cart will remain with the Sheriff’s Office as evidence.

The suspects, all from the Troup/Mixon area, are named as Lance Lee Adams, 22 (pictured); Briana Michelle Hale, 18; and Dustin Scott Massey, 24. All three were charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and interference with railroad property. Each charge carries a $2,000 bond for each suspect. Authorities say there may be more charges filed if there is more damage to the railroad than was known at the time of the arrests.

ATHENS — The controversial Christmas display in Athens has gone up again. Last year, a national atheist foundation called for the Nativity scene to be dismantled because it sat on the courthouse lawn. The Freedom from Religion Foundation claimed that the religious display was unconstitutional because it blurred the lines between church and state. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott showed his support for Henderson County’s decision to keep the Nativity scene in place — as did hundreds of demonstrators who crowded the courthouse square last Christmas. The Freedom from Religion Foundation may make claims again this year. It’s already asked to put up its own display in Athens in response.

TYLER — The City of Tyler will install new manholes and an eight inch sewer main extension on South Fannin Avenue for the Smith County Jail expansion project today. Because the construction will cross the entire street, South Fannin Avenue will be closed between East Erwin Street and East Elm Street from 7:00am to 10:00pm today to complete the work. Drivers should use an alternate route. Recommended southbound alternate route:

At East Erwin Street and South Fannin Avenue, drive east to South Centre Avenue, south on Centre Avenue then west on East Elm Street back to South Fannin Avenue.

Recommended northbound alternate route:

On South Fannin Avenue, turn west on East Elm Street, then north on South Spring Avenue, then east on East Erwin Street back to South Fannin Avenue.

EAST TEXAS — Five East Texans have been arrested in the past 10 days and charged with some variety of sexual abuse of a child. According to KETK, Ronald Dison, 51, Gladewater, Peggy Weinberg, 26, and Cassandra Stone, 32, Kilgore, were arrested November 19. Weinberg and Stone, along with Jesse Smith, who was previously arrested and had charges increased, were arrested in connection with the molestation of a 2-year-old boy.

Guillermo Morales, 17, White Oak, was arrested November 22nd and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child after he was accused of abusing a 3-year-old girl. Christopher Townsend, 34, Longview, was arrested Nov. 21. He’s accused of molesting a girl who was 10-years-old at the time of the interaction. All five suspects are currently in the Gregg County Jail.

AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety has commissioned the Tactical Marine Unit’s sixth and final new patrol vessel at a ceremony in Austin. The boat is named in honor of the late Trooper Scott Burns, who was shot and killed in the line of duty at the age of 39 in Marion County on April 29, 2008.

Trooper Burns was fatally shot in 2008 while pursuing a suspect near the intersection of FM 729 and FM 1969, northeast of Lake of the Pines. A massive manhunt ended with the suspect fatally shooting himself as law enforcement closed in on his location.

“This is an historic day for the state of Texas, as the Scott Burns completes a fleet of six state-of-the-art patrol vessels that represent a significant enhancement in department’s ability to deter and disrupt illegal activity along the Texas coast and the Rio Grande River,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Trooper Burns was an avid outdoorsman and loved his job as a DPS trooper. His legacy will live on as the boat named in his honor will join the fight against criminal elements in the state of Texas along the coast and border. It is a fitting tribute to this brave young man who gave his life protecting the people of Texas.”

The Scott Burns joins five other 34-foot shallow water interceptors that will ultimately patrol the Rio Grande River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Each vessel is named in honor of a DPS officer killed in the line of duty.

JACKSONVILLE — Authorities are still at a loss to explain why a 20-something-year-old Jacksonville man was shot Sunday night. KETK and the Jacksonville Daily Progress say he’s refusing to talk to police about what happened. Police say the incident took place about 9:00 Sunday night, but authorities are still a bit murky. They say it could have happened in the parking lot of Stream Global on Willowcreek Drive, at a nearby park, or at a nearby hotel.

ATHENS — A Mabank teen, Anthony Shane Morgan, 18, has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for heavily vandalizing a home during a burglary. According to KETK, county officials say Morgan was remanded into custody of law enforcement after a sentencing hearing in Athens. During the hearing, the court heard testimony from a victim whose family’s home sustained nearly $50,000 in damage.

Vandalism included squirting various liquids and powders throughout the house, shattering glasses, breaking windows, ripping wiring out of the wall, and what appeared to be an attempt to start a fire inside the house. Morgan admitted to stealing alcohol from the home so that he could throw a party. The homeowner testified that there was vomit and urine throughout the house and that one of his toilets had been clogged after someone defecated in it. So much damage was done that all of the carpet in the home had to be replaced. Multiple items were stolen from the home including a stereo.

The homeowner also testified that entry had been made into his boathouse. where it appeared that several people had been “living hard”. Alcohol and cigarettes were found along with makeshift beds made of pool floats. The homeowner added that his family’s clothing had been worn and that it was obvious that someone had gone through their personal belongings. Officials say an irreplaceable family heirloom was also ruined during the burglary. During an interview by Investigator Monte Mansfield of the Gun Barrel City Police Department, Morgan admitted to entering the home on four different occasions.

HENDERSON — An East Texas man is set for sentencing after a Rusk County jury found him guilty Monday of driving while intoxicated at a high rate of speed. That’s according to KETK. On November 26, 2011, a sergeant with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office stopped Courtney Chambless, 34, of Anderson County, for driving 126 miles per hour on Highway 79, heading toward Louisiana. After authorities performed standardized field sobriety tests on Chambless, he was arrested and a breath sample was refused. Judge Chad Dean presided over the trial.

HENDERSON — Emaciated horses seized from a Rusk County pasture last week have been awarded to Safe Haven Equine Rescue and Retirement Home on Tuesday. Rusk County Justice of the Peace Pct. 5 Joe Sorrells presided over the seizure hearing, which resulted in the three horses and three dogs being taken from the owners. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the animals were found on the pasture on County Road 4223 in south Rusk County.

The horses were seized November 21 by Rusk County sheriff’s deputies because they were extremely malnourished and “had taken a turn for the worse,” said Safe Haven Executive Director Richard Fincher. The seized horses — a gelding and two mares — were taken to Safe Haven in Upshur County, where after thorough examination they were found to have a body condition score between one and two on a one to nine scale, with one being starving and nine being obese, Fincher said. Fincher said the Rusk County sheriff’s department had been monitoring the condition of the animals and a Nov. 20 check in prompted the animals’ seizure.

Viki Penny, spokesman for the Rusk County sheriff’s office, said it was unknown at this time if the animals’ owners would face criminal charges in connection with the animals’ conditions. The land where the starving animals were found had no house or barn on it, Penny said. The dogs were given to Henderson Animal Shelter, Sorrells said. Sorrells added that the woman who represented the animals’ owner was Carolina Lowe; however, Lowe was not available for contact late Tuesday.