Today is
Tuesday November 26, 2024
AUSTIN – Tyler and Longview’s sales tax allocations continue to run ahead of the previous numbers. The State Comptroller’s office is sending Tyler a February check of $4,648,037.66. This is 4.66% above the same figure from last year. The year to date figure comes to $8,286,561.80, an increase of 5.37%. Longview’s February check is for $3,562,214.14. This is an increase of 6.58% from last year. Longview’s year to date figure of $6,186,953.91 is an increase of 4.29%. The state is sending out checks totaling $953.9 million. This is up 4.6% from February of last year. These allocations are based on sales made last December
MARSHALL – A Marshall arsonist is heading to prison. A state district judge has sentenced Willie Earl Elder, 59, of Marshall, to 15 years in prison. The Marshall News Messenger also reported that Elder was ordered to pay the management company of the Navajo Trail Apartments nearly $14,000 in restitution. The fire was reported early in the morning of May 5th, 2017. Fire officials say it was fortunate that no one was home when the fire started.
AUSTIN – If you are planning a trip to Tyler State Park, or any other state park, planning that trip has been made easier. New on line features have been unveiled with the state parks’ reservation system. The new options allow visitors to reserve a specific campsite, buy day passes in advance and buy or renew a Texas State Parks Pass online. State park officials say the system includes online features that are mobile-friendly and easy to use. For some of the parks, you can even set your arrival time. Anyone planning overnight trips at a Texas State Park can now choose a specific site when making reservations up to five months in advance. Photos and details of campsites, shelters and cabins are available online. Larger families and groups can also select and reserve neighboring sites, so they can enjoy the outdoors together. You can visit visit http://www.texasstateparks.org/reservations for more information about the system, or to make a reservation to a state park.
TOOL – The State Highway 274 Bridge at the Cedar Creek Reservoir Spillway remains closed for repairs. The bridge, located between Trinidad and Tool, was first closed late last month as a precautionary measure. An exposed roadway joint was noticed during a routine inspection. A thorough inspection by bridge experts found some concrete deterioration under the structure that required keeping the bridge closed until repairs could be completed. Work is expected to begin on Thursday. The repairs should be completed and the bridge returned to normal traffic flow by the end of the month.
PALESTINE – The city of Palestine has issued a boil water notice for the Asian City Restaurant and the Palestine Mall. The action was taken because of a water leak repair in the area. City officials say no other residences or businesses are affected by the advisory.
TYLER – There are some new additions to the board of the Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas. Troy Bevill, Jr., owner of Proforma Horizon Total Source has been elected board chairman. He succeeds Paul Ingle, Director of Sales for Design Center Signs, a Comet Signs Company. Ingle remains on the board as immediate past chair. Other officers elected were:
Vice Char/Chair Elect— Camille Brown, Stepping Stone School
Vice Chair – Driedra Brelsford, Brelsford Personnel
Treasurer – Ray McKinney, The Genecov Group
Secretary – Criss Sudduth, Ark Assurance Group
Legal Counsel – David Dobbs, Dobbs and Tittle, PC
Mechele Mills was re-elected president and CEO Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – There will be a special celebration at the Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home in Tyler late Wednesday afternoon. They will host a 100th birthday party for one of their residents, Mrs. Leola Shamburger. She moved into the veterans home in 2013 after the death of her husband, US Army Staff Sargent Thomas Jefferson. One of few women living at the Home, the veterans home officials says she is held in high esteem, and her advice and conversation is often sought after by both veterans and staff.
MARSHALL – The Marshall Police Department and the Marshall School District are reminding drivers about the new ordinance in effect for the school zone at the Marshall Junior High School. Last October, the Marshall City Commission designated the 2700 block of East Travis Street, Farm Road 31 in front of the junior high, a “No Parking and No Standing†zone. The changes came after numerous traffic violations and unsafe practices occurred in the area. This zone change is designed to keep students from having to walk across a 4-lane roadway to get to school. The signs showing the new ordinance will be put up on Wednesday. Marshall police officers and Marshall ISD officers will remain present in the school zone during drop off/pick up hours to help ensure the safety of all students.
TYLER – Tyler set another temperature record on Tuesday. The morning low of 63 degrees was a record high minimum temperature. The previous record was 61 degrees which was reported in 1911 and 1927. By Friday and Saturday morning, the lows will be around freezing.
TYLER – A man accused of stealing heavy equipment has been arrested by Smith County sheriff’s deputies. Nathan Andrew Yacyszyn, 33, has been charged with theft. The Caterpillar skid steer was stolen off highway 69 north of Tyler Tuesday morning. About a mile and a half from where it was stolen a deputy saw a man with a heavy duty pickup pulling a trailer with a Caterpillar skid steer on it. When it was determined it was the equipment stolen from the construction site, Yacyszyn was arrested.
KILGORE – Texas Mutual Insurance Company has awarded a $100,000 grant to Kilgore College to fund the school’s Risk Management Institute. Jeremy Hansen, manager of safety services for the Dallas region of Texas Mutual presented the check Tuesday morning. This is the 12th-consecutive year the company has given a $100,000 grant to the college. The Risk Management Institute at KC provides free workplace safety courses for community employers, workers and the general public.
TYLER – A man wanted for a Tyler robbery has been arrested. They had been looking for Gabriel Lamando Johnson, 41, of Flint. He was wanted for the robbery of Razzoo’s, on South Broadway, that occurred last November. Tyler police spokesman Don Martin says he was arrested in Nacogdoches late last month during a traffic stop. Johnson remains in Nacogdoches County Jail for numerous drug violations and a parole warrant. He has a lengthy criminal history. His bond on the Tyler aggravated robbery case was sent at $1,000,000.
AUSTIN – The governor is calling for two new anti gang centers in Texas, one in Tyler. Governor Greg Abbott said that we must do more to crack down on the gangs that bring drugs, weapons, and violence into our communities. In his state of the state address, he called for two new anti-gang centers in Tyler and Waco to rid the areas of dangerous gangs. The governor said, by doing this, we will make our neighborhoods safer, dismantle criminal enterprises and put more gang members behind bars.
TYLER – Seven persons have been arrested following a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking activities in Upshur County. All of the suspects are from Gilmer. They were indicted by a federal grand jury in Tyler last month. The indictment was unsealed on Monday after the final defendant was arrested. Several of the suspects were charged with weapons violations. All of them have been charged with with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charges stem from a multi agency investigation that started in 2017. If convicted, they could each face from five to 40 years in federal prison. Read the rest of this entry »
TYLER – The Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has started updating the Metropolitan Transportation Plan. It’s a long range transportation plan for the community. In order to understand the needs and priorities of Tyler’s residents, the Tyler MPO has created a website to get your input. If you go to https://atginc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=85c62f6efa36404da2fa877756c4e3b3, you will open an interactive map where you can zoom into different areas of town. You can then leave them comments about issues and opportunities that you have seen. They will even ask you to tell them about you. This will help them understand who is responding so that they can reach all parts of the community.