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

ANDERSON COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews on Monday and Tuesday this week are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs in the northbound outside lane of SE Loop 256 in Palestine in front of Palestine High School. A second crew is scheduled to make edge repairs in various locations on Farm Road 19 between Frankston and Neches. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

Also this week, traffic lanes will shift on Friday throughout the U.S. Highway 79 expansion project between Palestine and the Trinity River. Motorists are encouraged to use caution while navigating the new lanes.

KILGORE — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform spot-resurfacing work in various locations on Farm Road 2204 between U.S. Highway 259 and Pentecost Road. Once that work is complete, crews will move to perform edge work on US 259 between the south end of the Kilgore Bypass and Farm Road 850 in Rusk County. 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 zones.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 2661 between the railroad crossing south of State Highway 31 and Pine Cove. A second crew is scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on NB U.S. Highway 271 in and around the intersection with Farm Road 2908. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

Also this week, work has begun on the project to widen the shoulders of Farm Road 14 between Interstate Highway 20 north of Tyler and Farm Road 16 in Red Springs. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes to avoid delays on this project.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on U.S. Highway 80, beginning Monday between Edgewood and State Highway 19, then moving to perform the same work in various locations in and around Grand Saline. Meanwhile, a second crew is scheduled to perform spot resurfacing operations on Farm Road 16 in Van. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs in various locations on Farm Road 782 between U.S. Highway 259 in Henderson and Farm Road 1716 in Oak Hill. Then on Thursday, weather permitting, crews will begin several weeks of resurfacing operations on Farm Road 782 between Farm Road 1716 in Oak Hill and State Highway 149 near the Gregg County Line. Also this week in Rusk County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to perform edge work on US 259 between Farm Road 850 and the Kilgore Bypass. 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 zones.

WOOD COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make pavement and edge repairs in various locations on Farm Road 779 northwest of Mineola and perform spot-resurfacing operations on Loop 564 in Mineola. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 1911 east of U.S. Highway 69 near Wells. A second crew is scheduled to make edge repairs on Farm Road 13 between Troup and State Highway 42 in Price in Rusk County. 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 begin several weeks of pavement-repair operations on U.S. Highway 175 between SE Loop 7 in Athens and Farm Road 804. The work is being done in preparation for a seal coat application later this summer. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man convicted of murder 23 years ago will be free by summer. KETK reports the victims were a husband, his wife, and their toddler son. In April of 1984, Jerry and Brenda Morgan were found murdered in their home in Longview. Jerry had been shot multiple times. Brenda was shot once in the back of the neck and bled to death. Their 22-month-old son Devin had been held with one hand by the killer, and shot once in the face.

The case went cold until 1990, when the former wife of longtime drug dealer Alvin Kelly told authorities about the crime. Kelly was in jail on another murder conviction. He was convicted of the murder of the boy and given the death penalty. His accomplice, Ronnie Wilson, who was there but didn’t pull the trigger, was given 66 years.

KETK spoke with District Judge David Brabham in Longview, who was DA at the time. He only said they chose not to seek death for Wilson, but wouldn’t say why. Kelly was executed in 2009, still saying he didn’t commit the crime. And now, Wilson is about to be given parole. Lori Kubecka was 10 at the time of the murders of her uncle and his family. “I just don’t feel that he served enough time. We’re living through this daily,” she says. “If you’re helping with a murder, I don’t care who’s doing it. you’re just as guilty.”

GRESHAM — Nearby residents say they are not shocked over a fatal wreck last Thursday on FM 2813 in southern Smith County. Authorities say it happened after one driver — the one who was killed — failed to yield right of way. One resident tells KETK, “A lot of people out here don’t usually stop either. So I’m expecting a big accident outside of my house.” Some say the small roads seem to have a high accident rate. Smith County Sheriff’s Office PIO John Moore says, “Some of these intersections might not be as marked as when you’re traveling in the city. When you’re in the city you have red lights and things that call your attention more than you do in the county, so it’s twice as important when you’re in the county that you pay attention to oncoming traffic.”

Officials say 29-year-old Omar Saucedo died Friday. The accident happened at the intersection of FM 2813 and County Road 128. A pickup towing a trailer driven by Scott Pope, 43, of Hawkins, was traveling westbound on the farm road. According to state troopers, a white SUV driven by Saucedo was eastbound on the farm road when it turned left, failing to yield right of way to the oncoming pickup. The pickup struck the SUV as it turned in front of it. Both vehicles fell into a nearby ditch, and the SUV caught fire. A passerby managed to extinguish the flames before officials arrived on scene.

Pope remained in critical condition at Mother Frances hospital in Tyler. His two passengers were listed as having non-incapacitating injuries and taken to ETMC and Mother Frances. Saucedo was initially listed as having critical injuries and taken to ETMC. Officials say he was wearing a seatbelt. His passenger was listed as having non-incapacitating injuries and taken to ETMC.

PALESTINE — A three-vehicle accident in Palestine has left one person dead. According to KETK, Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., police were called to the intersection of Loop 256 and Martin Luther King Blvd. During investigation police were able to find that a truck with a trailer was traveling southbound on Loop 256 when a van traveling westbound on MLK pulled into the path of the truck. The impact of the truck pushed the van onto MLK, where it hit a car. The drivers of the car and van were taken to a local hospital. The driver of the van was later taken to another local hospital for further treatment. A male passenger in the van was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The name of the man has not yet been released pending notification of family. The cause of the accident is still being investigated.

PALESTINE — One person is dead following an early Sunday morning traffic accident in Palestine. KETK reports that just after midnight, police officers responded to the scene on Crockett Road at Oakland Street. They found that a young man was walking down the street and was hit by a truck. The man, who has not yet been identified, was said to have been northbound. A truck was traveling northbound in the outside lane of travel. The man was struck by the truck as he walked along the roadway.

Members of the local fire department and EMS arrived on scene to treat the victim. The victim had serious injuries from the impact and died at the scene. Justice of the Peace Carl Davis pronounced the young man dead and ordered an autopsy be conducted at the medical examiner’s office in Tyler. The driver of the truck was not injured; officials say name of the truck driver will not be released at this time. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation, including why the victim was in the roadway.

The driver of the truck has cooperated with police concerning the accident, according to authorities. There was also another person walking with the victim at the time of the accident. Police have talked with this possible witness in an attempt to piece together what took place. Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Lynn Hubert is assisting with the investigation. Officials say additional information will be released when it comes available.

TYLER — One person has been killed and three injured in a vehicle-horse crash Thursday night in Smith County. Officials say it happened around 10:20 p.m. on Highway 31, 8/10 of a mile east of Tyler. A Dodge Neon driven by 22-year-old Jose Espinoza-Gallegos of Tyler was traveling westbound and struck a horse. Espinoza-Gallegos was pronounced dead Friday. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Two passengers were injured and listed in fair condition. The third person injured, also a passenger, was a minor on whom officials are not offering any details.

TYLER — A man has died following a Thursday accident in southern Smith County. Officials say 29-year-old Omar Saucedo died Friday. The accident at the intersection of Farm Road 2813 and County Road 128 was reported around 12:15 Thursday afternoon. A pickup towing a trailer driven by Scott Pope, 43, of Hawkins, was traveling westbound on the farm road. According to state troopers, a white SUV driven by Saucedo was eastbound on the farm road when it turned left, failing to yield right of way to the oncoming pickup. The pickup struck the SUV as it turned in front of it. Both vehicles fell into a nearby ditch, and the SUV caught fire. A passerby managed to extinguish the flames before officials arrived on scene.

Pope remained in critical condition at Mother Frances hospital in Tyler. His two passengers were listed as having non-incapacitating injuries and taken to ETMC and Mother Frances. Saucedo was initially listed as having critical injuries and taken to ETMC. Officials say he was wearing a seatbelt. His passenger was listed as having non-incapacitating injuries and taken to ETMC.

LONGVIEW — A known Longview gang member pleaded guilty Wednesday to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in the 124th District Court, according to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the DA’s office says sentencing for Timothy Earl “Trump Money” Johnson, 31, has been reset to an unknown date. Johnson is an active member of the 300 Davis Street Gang, according to the district attorney’s office. Johnson faces two to 20 years in prison when he appears before District Judge Alfonso Charles for sentencing.

KILGORE — Two Longview men were arrested Thursday near the Kilgore College campus after police say they found them in possession of multiple controlled substances. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Timothy Cloninger and William L. Blair, both 20, were arrested about 3:30 a.m. in the 1100 block of Broadway Street, Kilgore College police said. The men share a Longview address, according to police reports. The college said neither was a student.

After stopping the two men after they departed a restaurant, an officer saw what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette inside their vehicle. Blair told him it was K2, an illegal form of synthetic marijuana, the report said. When the officer searched the vehicle, he found six types of prescription drugs in a backpack. Cloninger and Blair were each charged with six counts of possession of a dangerous drug and booked into the Gregg County Jail. Blair was being held under bonds totaling $12,000. Cloninger was being held under bonds totaling $30,000.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Three teens are arrested in Van Zandt County after a burglary gone wrong. It happened along CR 4821. Deputies tell KETK a couple of youths kicked in the door of a house but then ran away after spotting the law. The boys were caught a short time later. Deputies arrested a third teen who they believe was involved.

TYLER — The Northeast Texas Public Health District has named Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun, President, UT Health Northeast, as the 2013 winner of the W. T. “Doc” Ballard Award for Excellence in Public Health. He was recognized for his commitment to improving public health, addressing health disparities, and advocating for public health at the local, state, and national levels.

According to the health district’s announcement, For more than 30 years Dr. Calhoun has served as a physician, educator, researcher, and administrator. As President of UT Health Northeast since 2002, Dr. Calhoun understands that quality of life is directly related to the health of our population and he knows the public health importance of access to care. In an era of nationwide provider shortages, 80% of the family medicine physicians trained at UT Health Northeast remain in Texas, and the majority stay in our community. This is a testament to Dr. Calhoun’s focus on improving the health of our community through improved access to care.

The “Doc” Ballard Award is the District’s highest accolade for outstanding service contributing significantly to the enhancement of public health. Doc Ballard, a registered professional engineer for the Texas Department of Health and mentor to NET Health, was a leader in protecting the health of the public. His expertise and administrative skills ensured the environmental controls crucial to the quality and safety of public drinking water and public food service; the proper disposal of wastewater and solid waste; and the monitoring of radiation.

AUSTIN (AP) — Charter schools in Texas would have to offer the pledge of allegiance or a moment of silence each day under a bill given preliminary approval by the House. The measure overwhelmingly passed Thursday but not without friction. Republican state Representative David Simpson of Longview wanted to soften the language from asking students to “recite” the pledge to doing so “freely without coercion.”

Simpson is among the most prominent tea party members in the Legislature. He told the House that although he supports students saying the pledge, the U.S. Constitution “requires that we not compel people.” Lawmakers quickly lined up to block Simpson’s amendment. Republican Marsha Farney said her bill doesn’t compel charter-school students to say the pledge but merely gives them the opportunity.

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Senate has voted to place new restrictions on spending from the state’s Major Events Trust Fund, which is typically used to help stage large sports events such as car races or Super Bowls. The Senate bill would bar the state comptroller from pledging money from the fund before all program requirements are met. The bill also prevents money from being spent before the event is held. It also limits how much could be spent on structural improvements to stadiums, such as a new roof or scoreboard.

Lawmakers have been scrutinizing the fund since Comptroller Susan Combs pledged to spend $250 million to help stage the Formula One car race in Austin, which began in 2012. The bill by Greenville Republican Senator Bob Deuell now goes to the House.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin woman didn’t go easily when police tried to arrest her during a Wednesday night disturbance in the 600 block of Weaver Avenue. Officers say Marquita Shamica Higgins, 30, was the one causing the disturbance. As they started to arrest her, she is said to have assaulted several officers, who had to use a taser on her to get her under control.

Higgins is facing a variety of charges; assault on a public servant, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance between 1 and 4 grams. She was also said to have had some outstanding municipal warrants out on her.

HUNTSVILLE (AP) – A Texas inmate has been executed for fatally shooting one of three people he and a partner abducted during a Rusk convenience store robbery nearly 11 years ago. 29-year-old Richard Cobb received lethal injection Thursday evening for using a 20-gauge shotgun to kill Kenneth Vandever in a field where two women also were shot and one was raped. The punishment was carried out after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-day appeal. Cobb’s lawyers contended a prison expert gave false testimony at Cobb’s trial in 2004 that tainted his punishment. State attorneys argued the testimony was accurate and the appeal was a meritless attempt to delay the execution. It’s the fourth execution this year in Texas. Cobb’s partner, Beunka Adams, was put to death a year ago.

TYLER — A former Tyler photographer has been arrested on child exploitation charges. Todd Fleming, 53, was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 17 and charged with 24 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography. The offenses are said to have occurred while Fleming lived in Tyler. He now lives in McKinney.

Fleming went before U.S. Magistrate John D. Love in Tyler for his initial court appearance on Wednesday. According to the indictment, from 1999 to 2007, Fleming coerced or persuaded minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of photographing such conduct. The victims were said to be from 12 to 17 years of age. Federal authorities say at least 8 victims have been identified and confirmed and they may be additional victims.

KAUFMAN (AP) — Investigators are combing for evidence in a vehicle they suspect was used in the January slaying of a North Texas prosecutor. A search warrant affidavit released Wednesday says the silver 2001 Mercury Sable was found at a Dallas wrecking yard. Workers said it had been towed from a self-storage complex where Eric Williams (pictured) had a storage unit rented for him. Owners of the complex said the car was abandoned there.

The vehicle resembles one witnesses said was used in the killing of Kaufman County prosecutor Mark Hasse. He and District Attorney Mike McLelland won a theft conviction of Williams, costing Williams his justice of the peace position and law license. Williams and his wife, Kim, are charged with capital murder in the slayings of Hasse, McLelland and McLelland’s wife, Cynthia.

MARSHALL — A Marshall man who died shortly after being shocked with a stun gun by Marshall police is said to have died from phencyclidine (PCP) toxicity. That was the coroner’s ruling in the death of Marcus Dewayne Slade, 32. A Harrison County grand jury has no billed officers in the case.

The incident started on January 4th when police responded to a disturbance call near the intersection of East Houston Street and Scoggins Street in Marshall. According to a police statement, officers were confronted by an uncooperative nude black male. A struggle ensued and the man was tased. Slade was shocked and arrested and taken to the Harrison County Jail. Officials said an ambulance was called a short time later when Slade was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead by Harrison County Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Kenneth Alford. He died three days before his 33rd birthday.

LONGVIEW — Texas Department of Transportation officials Thursday announced they would keep the Martin Luther King overpass at I-20 in Longview closed until further repairs could be made to the structure. “We never gamble with the safety of the traveling public,” said TxDOT Tyler District Engineer Randy C. Hopmann, P.E. “We are in the process of initiating a contract to make the necessary repairs to re-open the structure as quickly and safely as possible.”

Local TxDOT engineers closed the overpass early Monday morning as a safety precaution after an 18-wheel truck ran off the roadway, then burned underneath the overpass. A Mississippi woman died in the wreck. Engineers from TxDOT’s Bridge Division inspected the site the following day and informed the Tyler District Thursday morning of their findings and subsequent recommendation that the overpass should remain closed pending repairs.

“This will be handled similarly to other bridge-hits we’ve had along Interstate 20 and elsewhere,” Hopmann added. “Our goal is to get this work done quickly and safely, and get the overpass re-opened to traffic as soon as possible.” There is no timeline for the work to begin, or estimate on the potential cost, but officials say plans for the repairs are already underway.

KILGORE — Kilgore officials say they have determined through investigation that a previously reported robbery at Dr. Sam Fino’s Clinic on North Henderson Boulevard on March 26 did not occur. Police say the robbery was staged by two clinic employees along with two other parties. One clinic employee, Mikela Veronica Zermeno, 21, of Longview, was arrested on April 24 for False Report to a Police Officer, a Misdemeanor. The second employee, identified as Cierra Cheri Ballard, 23, of Rusk, is still being sought by police due to an active warrant for False Report to a Police Officer. Two additional arrests are also anticipated along with additional criminal charges for theft of money from the clinic.

LONGVIEW — The Longview school district will join a nationwide group that identifies students who could become violent and tracks them throughout their education — regardless of where they move. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, LISD officials said Wednesday the district will participate in the Student Safety National Alliance starting in the 2013-14 school year. “What we are offering and introducing to you today is the Walmart for student safety and security,” said interim district Superintendent James Wilcox.

About 70 school administrators and campus police officers from 25 school districts attended a school safety conference at the district’s education safety center to learn about the alliance. Profiler Dan Korem, author of “Rage of the Random Actor,” told school officials Wednesday, “We’re here because of what happened at Sandy Hook. If we weren’t having these catastrophic acts, we wouldn’t be here.” The database will not conflict with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act because the stored information will not be open to the public, officials said.

The school safety alliance is not without its critics, though. Branden Johnson, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, said although the database could have a positive effect on campus safety, there is a huge drawback to tagging students as troublemakers as early as kindergarten. Johnson added there is nothing stopping a principal from discussing a student’s profile in the system with his or her teacher, something he said will damage the teacher/student relationship in the classroom. “This will adversely affect minority children,” he said. “But hey, if the school district thinks this will help, OK. We are dealing with elected officials. If people don’t like this, they can vote those trustees right out of office.”

JACKSONVILLE — Due to conditions which have occurred recently in the water system, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the Craft-Turney Water Supply system to notify all the customers involved in the repair area to boil their water prior to consumption. KETK reports the area included is Farm Road 747 South between County Roads 3211 (Earle’s Chapel Rd.) and 3206, including both county roads.

Officials say to ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, water system officials say they will notify customers.

TYLER — Daily commuting in Tyler these days involves more stopping than going. The city’s growth has made navigating our streets a daily battle. City Hall is aware of the driver frustration. In 2007, The Tyler 21 Steering Committee mapped out a plan, and transportation was on that list then. The group, now known as Tyler 1st, posts monthly surveys asking citizens to weigh in on what they think the city needs to improve on. City planners tell KETK they review the plan every five years.

City Engineer Peter Eng says to help alleviate some of the traffic, Tyler converted about fifty of its traffic signals to flashing yellow arrows. The city will also be adding a fifth adaptive control system, which calculates what happens at an intersection every fifteen minutes and predicts how it should adjust itself to accommodate traffic. Along with that, the city hopes work on Grande Boulevard and Toll 49 will relieve some of the congestion.

TYLER — Police are warning about scammers targeting the elderly. According to KETK, they say a Tyler man was arrested after he tried scamming a 97-year-old woman out of more than $20,000 this month. Oscar Lee Newberry, 19, reportedly drove the woman to a bank and had her withdraw $25,000 from her bank account. Authorities also say the elderly woman had already paid Newberry $7,000 to work on her house.

TYLER — A Tyler shooting is under investigation today. It happened just before 7:00 Wednesday night at the D&N Grocery in the 1000 block of West Bow Street. Witnesses report someone in a black truck drove down Bow Street and fired shots at the business. No injuries were reported, but at least one vehicle in the parking lot was hit by gunfire.

TYLER — The Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Association put out a crime watch recently in East Texas after nearly 20 cows were stolen from a ranch in Wood County, and many from other counties as well. According to KETK, local ranchers say that cattle criminals must be stopped. Livestock means money for ranchers in East Texas, and that’s exactly why thieves want the animals. Cattle rustling is on the rise in recent years, and officials say agencies are cracking down on the rustlers. But officials say the cows’ value means cattle theft will likely continue to go up.

TYLER — A suspect is in custody in an aggravated robbery that happened Monday in Tyler. Police say Jarome Antoine Wilson, 25, surrendered to investigators Wednesday. Police say the case remains under investigation. They continue looking for other suspects in the incident.

On Monday afternoon, shortly after 3:15, police responded to the Pinnacle at North Chase Apartments at 3651 North Broadway. Police say three black males forced their way into an apartment that was occupied by a woman and three young children. The suspects displayed a handgun while they ransacked the apartment and stole numerous electronic items. Investigators were able to identify one of the suspects as Wilson. They say he’s a known gang member who was considered armed and dangerous. His bond was set at $500,000.

Anyone with information about the suspects 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 arrests and charges filed against the suspects in this case or any felony case.

LUFKIN — A judge in Angelina County declares a mistrial in the murder case of a former Texas prison guard. KETK reports his decision came when jurors couldn’t reach a verdict in Timothy Malone’s trial. Malone was charged in the killing of Terry Adams but contends he shot Adams in self-defense. He’d been in jail since 2010 after being found guilty of shooting Adams’s acquaintance Joel Gresham in the leg.

BEAUMONT — Six Shelby County residents have been arrested in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy in East Texas. A 13-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on Apr. 17, 2013 charging the following individuals with federal gun and drug crimes:
Lakeva Shillette Hill, a/k/a Sugar Momma, 35;
Lester Earl Pitts, 48;
Vincent Jermaine Lathan, a/k/a Reed Cartwright, 36;
Cornelius Vansharles Gray, 36;
Anthony Gene Chumbley, 46; and
Andrae Demarkqudell Pegues, a/k/a Mark, 33.

The indictment alleges that beginning in May 2010, Hill, Pitts, Lathan and Gray were involved in a conspiracy to distribute marijuana and crack cocaine in East Texas. Hill, Pitts and Gray are also charged with conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Pitts is charged with three counts of providing a firearm to a drug trafficker and three counts of providing a firearm to a convicted felon. Hill and Chumbley are charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pegues is charged with providing a false statement to a federal agent.

The defendants were arrested on April 18 and made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin this week.

If convicted of the drug conspiracy charge, the defendants each face up to life in federal prison. The firearms conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The firearms possession charges carry a penalty of a minimum of five years in prison. For providing a firearm to a drug dealer or a convicted felon, the defendant faces up to 10 years for each charge. For being a felon in possession of a firearm, the defendants each face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison. The false statement charge has a penalty of up to 5 years in federal prison.

LUFKIN — An Angelina County man has been sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. David Smith, 69, of Lufkin was sentenced yesterday. Last May, he was sent to a psychiatric hospital for a mental health evaluation.

The investigation started in July 2011 when an employee of Best Buy reported to police they found files on a computer hard drive that was suspicious of child pornography. Investigators later found on the hard drive pornographic images of children.