LOCAL NEWS

Worker Killed at Palestine High School

PALESTINE -- An accident at Palestine High School has killed a construction worker who was working under a portable building. According to KETK and an official school district statement, no students or employees of PISD were involved or injured. According to Superintendent Dr. Thomas Wallis, preliminary investigations have concluded that the ground was wet and saturated due to the recent rains. Wallis says the weight of the portable building and the saturated ground caused the building to shift and fall off the jacks supporting the building, killing the man working under the structure. Wallis adds, "This is a tragic and unfortunate accident and the entire PISD staff and family send their prayers to the family, friends, and co‐workers of the deceased." Wallis says no names have yet been released.

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City Sales Tax Decline Begins to Level Off

TYLER -- Reflecting a statewide trend, the city of Tyler's sales tax collection decline is beginning to ease up. Information from the Texas Comptroller indicates that City of Tyler sales tax revenues deposited for the month of March have decreased 4.19 percent as compared to the same period in 2009. This translates to $108,790 less funding than in the same month in 2009. Year-to-date revenues have declined 9.49 percent with a total revenue decrease of $1,768,184. “The statewide monthly average decrease was 6.80 percent,” commented City Manager Mark McDaniel (pictured). “Tyler is rebounding better than many other communities around the state and country due, in part, to our diverse economic base.”

The reported revenue of $2,490,399 comprises $1,660,266 general sales tax revenue and $830,133 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from January 2010 collections, as there is a two-month period before revenue is reported.

“Although the decline in sales tax revenue is significant, it is beginning to level off,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “In November and December our shortfalls were nearly $300,000 each month. I am pleased to see this upward trend; however, we will continue to monitor receipts closely and maintain the actions we have taken to ensure we end the fiscal year in a positive position.” Actions in place at this time include a hiring freeze, limited training and curtailing non-critical spending.

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Child Hit by Car Dies at Local Hospital

KILGORE -- A 5 year old is dead and a driver is charged after the child was struck by a vehicle while walking to a school bus stop around 6:20 Thursday morning. According to KETK, the Kilgore Police Department responded to a report of a traffic accident involving a small child on Gulf Hercules Road in Kilgore. When police arrived, they found Jae McNaughton of Kilgore had been struck by a vehicle and was seriously injured. McNaughton was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview Texas by Champion EMS. After arrival at the hospital, Jae succumbed to his injuries and died.

Another child identified as James Lane White, 16, Kilgore, was also struck by the same vehicle. James White suffered minor injuries but was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center as a precautionary measure.

A Preliminary investigation revealed Jesus Martinez Soto, 28, Kilgore, reportedly made a left turn from Burns Street onto Gulf-Hercules Road and hit the two when they were crossing the intersection of Burns St. and Gulf Hercules Road. A third child was also walking with the two other children, but was not struck by the vehicle. It is believed the children were walking to the school bus stop. Soto has been charged with criminally negligent homicide; he'd already been detained for driving without a license.

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United Way Campaign Raises $1.75 Million

TYLER -- The United Way of Tyler/Smith County hits 87 per cent of its $2 million campaign goal, with $1.75 million. United Way President Nan Moore says there is some good news: the allocation to United Way agencies will remain the same. According to Moore, the shortfall was in the area of corporate gifts -- and she's optimistic about the next campaign. Moore says the United Way has some new business partners, and she's "thrilled" about developing those relationships, along with getting some more small businesses engaged. Moore also hopes the economy will be on stronger footing for this year's 70th anniversary campaign, which kicks off in July.

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Suspicious Item at Postal Facility

TYLER -- Federal authorities continue their investigation of a suspicious item found at the United States Post Office East Texas Processing Facility in Owentown. KETK-TV reports the item was a beer bottle filled with gasoline and with wick sticking out of it. Employees came across the bottle while sorting the mail Tuesday night. The Smith County Sheriff's Department says the bottle was probably put in a collection box where it went unnoticed until it was found at the plant.

Postal inspector Amanda McMurrey said finding suspicious and potentially dangerous items in the mail happens pretty often. "We've found firearms, we've found narcotics, we've found rolled money, we've found all kinds of stuff in the mailbox. We've even found cats and other animals stuffed into mailboxes, so it’s not that unusual."

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Arrest in Reklaw Murder

REKLAW -- Rusk County Sheriff Danny R. Pirtle says a 34-year-old man has been arrested for the murder of Rusk County resident Eugene Snitker, 76. According to KETK, Pirtle says Joe Don Turner was arrested in Dallas County on a 1st degree murder warrant. Snitker died at an area hospital from trauma. The incident occurred at the victim's home on Rusk County Road 4276D off Highway 84 in Reklaw. Sheriff Pirtle is thanking the Texas Rangers office, Smith County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Unit, Rusk County District Attorney investigator and the Hutchins Police Department for their assistance.

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SWAT and CODE Serve Two Narcotics Warrants

LONGVIEW -- Two narcotics warrants are served, one arrest is made. The Longview Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics Team assisted the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit Wednesday afternoon around 3:40. The first was served at 1013 Chappell Street. The SWAT and CODE Investigators found small quantities of marijuana and crack cocaine during their search. Tovoris McKinley, 25, Longview, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.

The second search warrant was served about an hour later at the Texas Lodge at 1507 East Marshall Avenue, room #23. Investigators discovered crack cocaine inside. No arrests were made at the scene, but the suspect is known to investigators and he will be charged with possession of the narcotics.

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UTHSCT Specialist Honored by National Organization

TYLER -- A physician and researcher at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler has been honored by the premier professional society of lung specialists in the United States. Richard Wallace, MD, professor of medicine and microbiology at UTHSCT, has been named the recipient of the prestigious CHEST 2010 Murray Kornfeld Memorial Founders Lecture by the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). “Dr. Wallace has made all of us at the Health Science Center very proud. His contributions to the fields of chest disease and infectious disease have been outstanding,” said UTHSCT President Dr. Kirk A. Calhoun. "Because this award is given annually to one person out of the 16,500 members of the American College of Chest Physicians, it is both significant and unique,” he added.

Dr. Wallace will present a lecture during CHEST 2010, the 76th International Scientific Assembly of the ACCP, which will be held Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2010, in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. This lecture was established in 1974 in memory of Murray Kornfeld, who founded the Federation of American Sanatoria – forerunner of the ACCP – in 1935. Kornfeld, a successful entrepreneur who had tuberculosis as a young man, envisioned a professional society that would promote the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the chest through publishing a journal.

The Kornfeld award is conferred on a “trailblazer” – a pioneer in pulmonary and critical care medicine who is developing innovative approaches and therapies that are likely to guide medicine for decades to come. Calling the award “an incredible honor,” Dr. Wallace added, “I believe the award reflects the quality of research and clinical care we have provided for patients with non-tuberculosis lung disease. It also acknowledges the support I have received from The University of Texas Health Science Center over many years for what was once considered an 'orphan,' or rare, group of lung diseases. That group of diseases is now more prevalent in the United States than tuberculosis.”

Dr. Wallace is board certified in internal medicine and infectious disease. He specializes in treating people with infections caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria, microbes commonly found in the soil and water. He and his research team developed the standard treatment for one mycobacterial disease – mycobacterium avium complex, or MAC, which once was rare but now is becoming more common. Patients from all over the United States who have MAC are referred to Dr. Wallace for treatment, as he is one of a few researchers who see patients with this disease on a regular basis.

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STATE NEWS

"Buckets of Hope" Drive

DALLAS (AP) - Thousands of Texas Baptists are responding to a nationwide "Buckets of Hope" food drive for earthquake victims in Haiti. Participants are packing each 5-pound plastic bucket with enough rice, beans, flour and other staples to feed a Haitian family for about a week. State organizers say more than 9,000 buckets with roughly 270,000 pounds of food have been collected.

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Gas Prices Up

IRVING (AP) - Retail gasoline prices are up across Texas for a third week in a row. The weekly AAA Texas survey shows the price of regular unleaded gas rose an average of 8 cents at Texas pumps to $2.65 per gallon. Nationally, the average price was $2.78 per gallon.

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Obama Discusses Immigration Laws

WASHINGTON (AP) - Advocacy groups say President Barack Obama has assured them that he remains committed to overhauling U.S. immigration laws. The president spent more than an hour Thursday at the White House discussing his promise to rewrite U.S. immigration laws. He was to meet later with senators drafting a bill on the issue.

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School History Standards Debated

AUSTIN (AP) - An effort to require Texas students to learn about congressional Medal of Honor recipients turned into an emotional debate about race for the State Board of Education on Thursday. The board ultimately rejected the effort to list the names of one black and two Hispanic recipients for a world history class. The board is updating statewide curriculum standards.

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Armed Burglary Suspect Captured

DALLAS (AP) - A standoff between Dallas police and an armed burglary suspect at a house with three children inside ended with the man's arrest. Police say 26-year-old Jerry Wagner was taken into custody without incident Thursday and the children were found safe. The incident began when a man who police spotted in a vehicle burglary at a Dallas high school fled to the home.

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Report: Climate Change Threatens Birds

AUSTIN (AP) - An Interior Department report says global climate change poses a significant threat to migratory bird populations already stressed by the loss of habitat and environmental pollution. U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar joined scientists and conservation organizers at an Austin news conference Thursday to release a study entitled "The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change."

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#1 Kansas Pulls Away From Texas Tech

Kansas reached a major milestone, one just two other programs can claim. A nice accomplishment, worthy of the trophy case.

There just isn’t time for the Jayhawks to enjoy it. Not after struggling against Texas Tech, not with more important goals still out there.

Leaning… More

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Big 12 Tournament Schedule/Scores

Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO

Thursday March 11

(1)Kansas 80 (9)Texas Tech 68 – Final
(4)Texas A&M 70 (12)Nebraska 64 – Final
6:00pm – #2 Kansas State vs. #7 Oklahoma State
8:30pm – #3 Baylor vs. #6 Texas

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Boys Basketball State Tournament Pairings/Scores

UT Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

Class 1A Div. I State Semifinals

Cayuga 82 Spurger 48 – Final
Bronte 47 Gruver 32 – Final

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Mavs Rally Past Nets, for Lucky 13

Top scorer Dirk Nowitzki was struggling, and the Dallas Mavericks needed points from other sources. Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, rookie Roddy Beaubois and Shawn Marion picked up the slack.

Kidd had 20 points and nine assists, hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, and the… More

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Texas Tops Iowa State, 82-75

Damion James had 28 points and 16 rebounds, and Texas pulled away from plucky Iowa State on Wednesday night, beating the Cyclones 82-75 in a hard-fought Big 12 opening-round game.

James, a Nacogdoches native, had three points, three rebounds and an assist during an 11-0… More

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Sabres Skate Past Stars, 5-3

As tall as he is, Tyler Myers’ stock on the Buffalo Sabres grew even larger after the rookie defenseman enjoyed a career-best performance.

At 6-foot-8, Myers had a goal and three assists to spark the Sabres’ sluggish offense in a 5-3 win over the Dallas… More

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Rangers Fall to M’s, Drop to 1-4 in the Spring

Cliff Lee pitched his first three innings of the Cactus League season, threw 46 pitches, gave up five hits and one run, said he felt no pain in his left foot and perhaps most importantly, finished the day with the same team with whom he… More

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Lady Cards Beat TJC For Region 14 Title

The Trinity Valley Lady Cardinals continued their strangle hold of the Region XIV Conference on Monday night by winning the post-season tournament title game 88-71 over Tyler Junior College at UT Tyler’s Herrington Patriot Center. The victory gives the Lady Cards their third straight conference… More

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Region 14 Basketball Tournament Scores

March 4-8, 2010
Herrington Patriot Center – UT Tyler

Monday, March 8 (Men’s/Women’s Finals)
Women’s Championship – Trinity Valley 88 Tyler 71 – Final
Men’s Championship – Navarro 55 Paris 46 – Final

Sunday, March 7 (Men’s/Women’s Semifinals)

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Cowboys’ Marty B Wants Offense to Change

Tight end Martellus Bennett has a wonderful personality. Sometimes that voice gets him in trouble with the organization, like when he made a rap video last year and used a gay slur when talking about quarterback Tony Romo.

On the field, Bennett came into the… More

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OSU’s Anderson named Big 12 Player of the Year

Oklahoma State’s James Anderson was named the Big 12 Player of the Year on Sunday. Kansas center Cole Aldrich earned Defensive Player of the Year over Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh, who was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year.

Anderson, a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team choice,… More

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Neches Lady Eagles Win State!!!

East Texas has a Girls Basketball State Champion. Sophomore Roddricka Patton scored 15 points and had eight steals in leading Neches to the Class 1A Division II state crown with a 61-32 win over McLean. Patton was also named the title game’s MVP.

Neches overwhelmed… More

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Navarro Ends Apaches Season

Unfortunately, the third time was not the charm for the Tyler Junior College men’s basketball team Saturday night, as they fell to Navarro 69-59 in the quarterfinal round of the Region 14 Tournament at UT Tyler’s Herrington Patriot Center. The loss to the Bulldogs is… More

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Girls Basketball State Tournament Scores

Saturday March 6 – UT Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX

Class 1A Div. II State Championship Game

Neches 61 McLean 32 – Final

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Shreveport Radar

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Animated Version (Weather Underground site)

Ft. Worth/Dallas

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Thanks to Weather Underground for the use of the maps!

East Texas Traffic Report

TYLER--

=(Winona) Hwy 155 north of FM 16--construction.
=Hwy 69 north of Mineola--construction to widen the roadway.
=Hwy 69 at FM 344--ongoing overpass construction.
=I-20 between Hwy 271 and Joy-Wright Mountain Rd.--repaving work scheduled.

LONGVIEW--

=Hwy 31 north of I-20--construction scheduled.
=Judson Rd. between Loop 281 and Hwy 80--roadwork.
=Silver Falls between Birch and Pine Tree--road widening project.

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