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CHANDLER — Chandler adds its name to the list of towns considering alcohol sales. John Camper with the Chandler Chamber of Commerce is part of the “Buy Chandler First” committee the chamber has put together. According to KETK, Camper says there had been no real plans to put beer and alcohol on the ballot until Smith County JP2 announced their petition drive. They realized they could be in serious trouble if it ends up passing.

“You have upwards of $25,000 to $150,000 a week in beer and wine sales in grocery stores. If it were to pass in JP2 we would lose that potential revenue gain for our local businesses,” Camper said. Camper says the petition aims to put 2 separate items on the ballot packaged beer and wine sales for convenience stores and beer, wine and mixed drink sales for restaurants.

“Neither one of these proposals is for liquor stores. So there won’t be any liquor stores in Chandler. And the way it’s set up, there can’t be a bar either,” Camper said.

Camper tells KETK there is already somewhat of a public outcry. He says Faith Baptist Church has asked them to drop them as a member of the chamber because of it.

WOOD COUNTY — Wood County investigators Thursday arrested a woman on a drug charge months after being severely burned in the explosion of a meth lab. Shanda Gail Simmons, 29, of Yantis bonded out of the Wood County Correction Facility Friday, according to a Wood County Sheriff’s press release. Her bond was $25,000 on a manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance charge.

ETMC Quitman Hospital notified the sheriff’s department Dec. 31 that a woman was being treated for severe burns she said she received in a meth lab explosion near her residence. Simmons was later transported to Parkland Hospital in Dallas for treatment.

The Wood County Sheriff’s Department later identified the woman as Simmons. Simmons had been dropped off by her boyfriend, 38-year-old Russell Allen Love. Love was arrested later that night after police responded to his residence on County Road 2150 in the Clear Lakes area. Upon officers’ arrival, Love was detained for investigation after giving written consent to search his residence. According to KETK, deputies said they found a functional meth lab in the kitchen.

The Wood County narcotics team responded to the scene for processing and collected numerous items, including drug paraphernalia and two containers which tested positive for methamphetamine, investigators said.

LONGVIEW — The murder trial for a former 911 supervisor has been delayed. Harry Goodan is charged with killing his police officer wife in December 2010. On Monday, court officials said the trial was postponed and re-set for June 18. According to KETK, Goodan was arrested in December 2010 when he summoned police to the Tryon Road apartment he shared with his wife, Jamie Ellyn Goodan , and son, Nicholas, now 9.

A police report of the incident said Goodan told officers he had shot his wife, a Longview police officer since 1998. The report, partially released under an open records request, says the couple had been fighting and that the husband struck Goodan to the ground. It also says he didn’t recall shooting her.

Goodan faces up to life in prison on the murder charge. Goodan was freed in January 2011 after his initial $500,000 bond was reduced to $75,000.

GULFPORT, MISS. (AP) – A federal judge has delayed the armed bank-robbery trial of a mother and daughter while decisions are made on whether to consolidate similar charges in two other states for prosecution in Gulfport, Mississippi. Evie Mearlene Herrin, 57, pictured here, and Amelia Darci Crew, 30, both of Cleveland, Texas, were set for trial June 4 on an armed bank robbery charge in the March 26 holdup of a Gulfport bank. The women have since been indicted in the robberies of two Louisiana banks, and a similar charge is pending in Henderson, Texas. According to court documents, a BB gun was used in the robberies. U.S. District Judge Walter J. Gex III on Monday agreed to continue the Gulfport trial, and set a new date of October 1.

MARSHALL — Authorities say a blown tire was responsible for an accident that killed an off-duty Arp police officer. Richard Wayne Johnson, 37, died after his vehicle blew the tire, then flipped on Interstate Highway 20. According to the Department of Public Safety, Johnson was traveling westbound in Harrison County near Highway 80, when he lost control of his vehicle, veered into oncoming traffic and overturned his vehicle just after 1:00 Sunday afternoon. KETK reports, two juveniles were also in the vehicle with Johnson at the time of the wreck, but were not injured. Johnson was not wearing a seatbelt.

Johnson had been with the Arp Police Department for about three years, and was also the Arp ISD school resource officer.

LONGVIEW – One of four persons injured in a Longview wreck is said to have received life-threatening injuries. The two vehicle accident happened on Alpine at Loop 281 shortly before 5:30 Monday afternoon. According to Longview police, a car failed to yield the right-of-way and was T-boned by another vehicle. Two people were transported to Longview Regional Medical Center and two to Good Shepherd Medical Center.

KILGORE — Authorities continue to investigate after a customer is killed in an industrial accident Friday at East Texas Lumber in Kilgore. Police say a pallet of lumber fell on Joseph Barber, 56, of New London. The company says a forklift operator was lifting the wood into place when it suddenly dislodged. Police were asked if the mishap would be called a freak accident. According to KETK, they’re leaning toward yes but are still investigating whether the lumber yard is at fault.

QUITMAN — During the last week, Wood County deputies have issued six warrants for the suspects involved in what authorities call illegal gambling raids made April 5. The warrants are for engaging in organized criminal activity. KETK reports officials made seizures at three locations. The first five suspects listed below have been arrested for engaging in organized criminal activity, a state jail felony. One person is still at large.

Authorities seized 54 machines at Debbie’s Dream Game Room, located on the 4800 block of N. FM 17 in Alba. James Paul Joseph III, 55, from West Tawakoni; Robert Logan Boyd Jr., 43, from Quitman; and James Troy Cotton Jr., 21, from Sulphur Springs, operated Debbie’s Dream Game Room.

At Lucky Star, located at FM 515 East & County Rd. 4990 in the Pleasant Grove Community, 31 machines were seized. Karlyn Donnell Bellows, 22, from Yantis, and George Allan Eason, 66, from Rockwall, operated Lucky Star. Angela Lanel, 33, from Quilan, remains at large; she also operated Lucky Star. The owner of The Gate store, Sheila Byrd, was arrested the night of the raids for multiple charges. That location was on State Highway 154 near Quitman. All suspects’ bonds were set at $5000.

SMITH COUNTY — A mobile home fire in Smith County keeps crews busy. It happened on Fox Hollow Drive, just south of Tyler near the intersection of Old Jacksonville and Loop 49. Witnesses tell KETK the fire began just after 5:00 Sunday afternoon on the south side of the house and then quickly spread. No injuries were reported. Firefighters say the tin roof made it harder to fight the flames. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

TYLER — Smith County officials say they now have an easy online video demonstration that takes voters through the step-by-step process of voting with the specific machines utilized in all Smith County elections. The video is available on the Elections page of the Smith County Web site and on the official Smith County Facebook page.

When you’re voting with an iVotronic electronic voting machine in Smith County, an election volunteer will first activate the system for you. The volunteer then steps away to allow the voter privacy. The voter is then given instructions to follow the prompts on the screen as they complete the process of selecting the candidates for the races they wish to vote in.

Once the voter has made his or her selections, the iVotronic machine will list all of the candidates they selected, and ask the voter to review the list for accuracy. The voter then has an opportunity to go back and make changes to their selection or move forward to the confirmation screen. Once on the confirmation screen, the voter will have one more opportunity to review, make changes or ask for help before confirming their choices and officially casting their ballot electronically.

An iVotronic practice machine is also available to the public for practice through Tuesday, May 29. The machine is located at the Elections Office, Smith County Courthouse Annex, Fifth Floor, 200 E. Ferguson, Tyler. You can contact the Smith County Elections Office for further details at 903-590-4774.

Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Smith-County/145385946351

Elections page link: http://www.smith-county.com/Government/Departments/Elections/Default.aspx

SAND FLAT — A Red Springs firefighter battles a blaze at his own home in Sand Flat. On Sunday night, around 8:40, a house caught fire on County Road 313 near Winona due to a curling iron that had been left on. When crews arrived at the scene, they contained the fire within eight minutes. According to KETK, No injuries were reported. A cat and 4 kittens were rescued.

TYLER – The Kimberly Cargill trial’s punishment phase moves into its second day today. On Friday, a jury found Cargill guilty of capital murder. She could get life without parole or the death penalty.

Cargill was charged with the June 2010 death of Cherry Walker. Walker was killed one day after she was subpoenaed to testify in a custody hearing over Cargill’s 4-year-old son. Cargill testified Wednesday that walker died of a seizure. Cargill said she tried CPR on her, but was unsuccessful. She then testified that she burned the body.

LINDALE — Smith County emergency crews responded to a reported car fire on Farm Road 16 in Lindale. According to KETK, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said multiple fire departments were called to the scene of the wreck. Three people were in the car at the time of the wreck, all of which got out safely before emergency crews arrived. One of the passengers was a 2-year old in a car seat. He was not injured. One adult was treated at the scene by EMS.

BULLARD (AP) – A 91-year-old World War II veteran who lost everything when a wildfire torched his northeast Texas home last September has had his nearly dozen military decorations restored. Lloyd Wells says it was really great to be surprised with the replacement medals, including a Bronze Star, during a weekend ceremony at a school in Bullard. U.S. Rep. Louis Gohmert presented the Bronze Star and other medals to Wells as part of an observance of Armed Forces Day. His daughter, Kim Baker, told the Tyler Morning Telegraph she had hoped to be able to brighten her father’s life by finding a way to get a replacement set of decorations. Wells was in the Army from 1941 to 1945 and participated in operations in North Africa and Europe.

TYLER — Area law enforcement once again will be participating in the Click-It-or-Ticket enforcement program this Memorial Day period. Officers will be stopping violators for not wearing their seat belts from today through June 3. Texas law requires every person sitting in the front or rear seat of a vehicle to wear a safety belt. A child less than eight years old and less than four feet, nine inches tall must be secured in a child safety seat.

Drivers can be stopped and ticketed for a safety belt violation if they, or any of their passengers under the age of 15, are not buckled up or properly restrained. Traffic fines for failing to use a seat belt or secure a child in a safety seat can run from $25 to $200, plus court costs. One continuing challenge for authorities: people in pickup trucks. Larry Krantz of Tyler’s TxDOT office says only some 80% of passengers in pickups use seat belts, compared to 92% of passengers in other vehicles.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University plans to launch a new bachelor’s degree program in Health Information Systems, beginning Fall 2012. The program is pending approval from the Council of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

This new program, which is available both in classes on campus and fully online, applies computer science to the health care field. This new degree seeks to fill the growing need in health care for professionals who have computer science training and experience and who can manage and maintain both software and hardware systems effectively. This new degree takes an interdisciplinary approach to a computer science degree, combining courses in computer science, business, and health care management. Graduates from this program will be able to answer the growing need for employees able to fill roles in computerizing patient information, clinical informational technology jobs, and other healthcare technology positions.

“It’s no secret that healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States,” said Dr. Larry Frazier, LETU’s dean of Arts and Sciences. “While we often think of doctors and nurses, we fail to recognize that every healthcare facility will require a staff of computer experts, who can maintain the facility’s technical infrastructure.”

Employment in the field of health information management is projected to grow faster than average; with overall health management employment expected to grow 16% by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means approximately 45,400 additional positions in health care management including health information systems will be created, Frazier said. Federal law requires that computerization of patient information must be secure, and the health care industry will require managers with a solid background in health, business and computer science to integrate and implement new technologies.

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

SMITH COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to conclude pavement repairs on Westbound Interstate Highway 20 between State Highway 110 south of Van and Willow Branch Road near the Van Zandt County Line, then move to State Highway 57 (Grande Extension) in Tyler between State Highway 155 and Farm Road 2493 (Old Jacksonville Highway). Additional repair work by a contractor is under way for the next several months on Interstate Highway 20 between U.S. Highway 69 in Lindale and State Highway 110. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

LONGVIEW — Beginning Tuesday, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin several days of seal coat work on South Loop 281 between Farm Road 2205 (Jaycee Drive) and Estes Parkway. Crews will skip over the area near Farm Road 2087 where the overpass is scheduled to be built. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application.

ALTO — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement repair operations on State Highway 21 between U.S. Highway 69 in Alto and the Nacogdoches County Line, followed upon completion by the same work on Farm Road 177 in Mount Selman. Also this week in Cherokee County, construction crews are scheduled as early as Monday to begin resurfacing operations on U.S. Highway 175 between Farm Road 855 and State Highway 155 in Frankston.
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.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement-repair operations on Farm Road 859 south of Edgewood. Meanwhile, construction work continues on Farm Road 859 between Farm Road 1395 and State Highway 19 near the Rains County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 1716 between State Highway 43 and Farm Road 2011. The work is being done in preparation for a seal coat application later this summer. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing work on Farm Road 17 between State Highway 182 and Farm Road 515 and on State Highway 110 north of Van. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform edge and pavement repairs on Farm Road 3225 in Tool between State Highway 274 and the End of state maintenance. A second crew is scheduled to be at work on Farm Road 316 between U.S. Highway 175 in Eustace and Farm Road 1861 near Purtis Creek State Park. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

TIMPSON (AP) — A slight earthquake was registered in East Texas near the Louisiana border, four days after a sharper shock struck the area.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports a 2.7 magnitude quake was registered about 1:30 Sunday afternoon just over a mile south of the town of Timpson. A dispatcher for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in nearby Center said no damage or injuries were reported.

A moderate, 4.3-magnitude earthquake had rattled the area early Thursday. A Shelby County sheriff’s dispatcher that morning reported fallen dishes and broken windows from the quake, but the only injury was an elderly woman who fell out of bed and cut her arm.

TYLER – An off duty Tyler policeman is being credited with saving a man’s life. It happened around11:15 Saturday night near the intersection of Loop 323 and Tanglewood Drive.

As officer Jason Compton was heading home he saw a group of people standing near the intersection. He found that a 42 year old man had stabbed himself six times in the chest and was lying bleeding in the street. From his first aid kit he used “quick clot,’ a chemically inert material in a mesh bag that speeds coagulation of blood. He held pressure on the man’s chest until EMS arrived. The man was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment.

VAN – A water main break is responsible for a boil water notice from Carroll Water Supply. The notice, for customers south on Interstate Highway 20, is in effect until this afternoon. The break, that caused the problem, has been repaired.

LONGVIEW – Investigators are trying to determine what caused a fire that destroyed a Longview home. It was reported around 4:30 Saturday morning in the 1700 block of Lafoy Lane. No one was at home when the fire started and no injuries were reported. It’s not sure if anyone was living in the house, there was a for sale sign in the front yard.

KILGORE — A man is dead after an industrial accident at East Texas Lumber. Kilgore Police Capt. Roman Roberson tells KETK officers were called to the company Friday afternoon after a stack of materials fell on a customer, killing him. He has been identified as Joseph Barber, 56, of New London.

TYLER — Tyler Police Investigators along with the F.B.I. believe that the suspect responsible for Thursday’s bank robbery at Compass Bank at 6910 South Broadway may also be responsible for several other bank robberies. The suspect has now been dubbed as the “Loan Ranger Bandit” due to the suspect allegedly having robbed banking institutions where loans are given and where the suspect wore a Texas Ranger hat. Investigators believe that he robbed the Summit Bank on 1114 Highway 35 North in Benton, Arkansas, on January 16, 2009, and again on June 30, 2011. According to Tyler police, the suspect then came to Tyler and robbed the Altra Federal Credit Union located at 5523 Troup Highway. on August 11, 2011 before robbing the Compass Bank Thursday afternoon.

Investigators determined that the suspect ran east of the bank yesterday and more than likely jumped into a getaway vehicle. Police are seeking any information from any person who may have observed the suspect get into a suspect vehicle. 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) or 1-800-575-CUFF. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to arrests and charges filed against the suspects in this case or any felony case.

TYLER — Endorsements keep coming in for the May 29 GOP primary. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has announced his endorsement of Leo Berman (R-Tyler) for re-election to the Texas House of Representatives, District 6. General Abbott stated, “Leo Berman is a man of honor and tremendous courage. He is the best qualified candidate in the race with a conservative voting record to prove it.” Berman responded, “Greg Abbott is one of the greatest attorneys general Texas has ever had. He is a tireless defender of our constitutional rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I am extremely honored to have his support.”

Also, the board of Smith County-based Grassroots America – We the People has endorsed Republican Ted Cruz for the United States Senate. The conservative action organization’s executive director, JoAnn Fleming, said, “Constitutional Conservatives in Texas must wrest this United States Senate seat from the Austin establishment crowd and send a proven defender of the Constitution to Washington, D.C. We won’t have to worry about whether or not Ted Cruz understands the Constitution, his proven record of fighting and defending liberty is legendary.”

PALESTINE — Five people are taken into custody as authorities conduct a drug bust in Palestine. On May 17th around 2:45pm, members of the Palestine Police Department along with the tactical team of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department served a narcotics search warrant at a residence located at 626 South Dorrance Street. Officers seized several grams of suspected cocaine, marijuana, PCP, and prescription medications as well as several items of drug paraphernalia. Additionally officers recovered two pistols on or near the property.

KETK reports that four of the five people arrested were arraigned Friday morning. LaBarius Robinson, 18, and Kevin Birdow, 31, were charged with first degree felony manufacturing or delivery of a controlled substance. Each received a $10,000 bond. Other persons charged, who were at the scene at the time of the warrant execution, were Isaiah Ringer, 22, and Diavonte Lockett, 18. They were charged with possession of marijuana under 2 oz. Each of those suspects received a $1,500 bond. An additional 63-year-old man, who was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, had not been arraigned at the time of inquiry.

WOOD COUNTY — Wood County officials tell KETK they have found the body of a missing man. Authorities say a man reported finding Gerald Haley, 62, in a wooded area. When deputies arrived on scene, they confirmed it was in fact Haley who had disappeared from his house on May 15. The body was sent to Dallas for autopsy. Officials said they do not suspect foul play.

TYLER — Three arrests are made in connection to a fatal March shooting. Tyler investigators have ruled the death of James Caleb Stanley, 19, accidental. Officials responded March 6th to the East Texas Medical Center facility on South Broadway and found the victim with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was transported to ETMC hospital where he died a short time later.

Investigators determined that Stanley and his girlfriend, Brittney Mizzles, 19, were involved in an argument on the night the incident. Mizzles had thrown a clothes basket at Stanley inside their residence that had a 22 caliber revolver handgun lying between some clothes in the basket. The gun discharged striking Stanley in the abdomen. The gun was sent off to be tested and the results indicated that the gun has safety malfunctions that would allow a cartridge to be fired without the trigger being pulled.

Brittney Mizzles told police that Stanley had been shot out in the street on Muller Garden and Fasulo and Farrer had taken the gun and attempted to hide it from police at the scene. Mizzles, (pictured) along with Justin A. Fasulo, 19, and Kavan J. Farrer, 19, were arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail. Mizzles is charged with false report to police, with bond set at $5000. Fasulo and Farrer are both charged with tamper / fabricate physical evidence; bond was set at $10,000 each.

HAWKINS — A Hawkins High School student died Thursday, a day after sustaining a head injury while playing flag football in his high school athletics class. Hawkins authorities say Jacob Gatlin, 15, died on Thursday morning of a fractured skull and a subdural hematoma. According to KETK, Jacob was not taken by ambulance from the school after the injury, but went home, where he started feeling ill. He was taken to a local hospital by EMS, and later to Dallas Children’s Hospital, where he died shortly after 9:30Thursday morning.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating an aggravated assault. It happened Friday morning shortly after 1:30 at the intersection of West 28th Street and North Border Avenue. Officers said the victim claims he was sitting in his uncle’s truck when an unknown male got in the drivers seat and an argument ensued. The suspect reportedly exited the vehicle and began walking down the street when the victim attempted to stop him. The suspect allegedly fired several gun shots in the direction of the victim. He was not injured. The armed man is described as a slender African-American, around 5’7 – 6 ft. tall, weighing between 150 – 180 pounds. He was said to be wearing a black shirt and black sweat pants.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say a transient was arrested Wednesday when police found drugs in her hotel room. According to the arrest report, Longview police went to a room at a hotel in the 2700 block of Eastman Road Wednesday afternoon to follow up on a tip they had received from Crime Stoppers. According to the Longview News-Journal, Amanda Wilkerson, 37, Winnsboro, allowed the agents to search her room and told them that she did have drugs in the room. She proceeded to show them where the drugs were located in a bedside nightstand. Police found marijuana and methamphetamine. Wilkerson was arrested and is being held on a $100,000 bond in Gregg County Jail for manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.