LOCAL NEWS

Kilgore Child Killed-Driver Charged

KILGORE -- A 5 year old is dead after he was struck by a vehicle while walking to a school bus stop around 6:20 Thursday morning. The driver, Jesus Martinez Soto, 28, Kilgore, pictured here, has been charged with criminal negligent homicide. He's in the Gregg County Jail on $250,000 bond.

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 Michael McNaughton of Kilgore had been struck by a vehicle and was seriously injured. McNaughton was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview by Champion EMS. After arrival at the hospital, he was pronounced dead.

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

A Preliminary investigation revealed Soto reportedly made a left turn from Burns Street onto Gulf-Hercules Road and hit the two when they were crossing the intersection of Burns Street and Gulf Hercules Road. A third child was also walking with the two other children, but was not hit. It is believed the children were walking to the school bus stop when the accident happened.

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Troup Man Killed in Palestine Accident

PALESTINE -- An accident at Palestine High School has killed a Smith County man. Zachary Eggens, 26, of Troup, was working under a portable building when the building shifted and fell on him. An official school district statement said no students or employees of the school district were involved or injured. The accident happened around 11:00 yesterday morning. 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."

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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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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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Berman and the Education Debate

AUSTIN -- As the Texas State Board of Education met yesterday in Austin to consider revisions to public school curriculum standards, state Representative Leo Berman of Tyler joined with other conservative state legislators in submitting written testimony from the Texas Conservative Coalition, the conservative caucus of the Texas Legislature.

According to Berman, "I am fighting to ensure that the Judeo-Christian heritage of the United States and Texas is taught to Texas public school students without being censored for political correctness." He continued: "These revised curriculum standards will impact the education of the next generation of Texans, and they must be accurate."

The TCC letter reads, in part:
We value a strong system of public education that prepares students to be productive citizens of Texas with a full and accurate understanding of the history that created present-day Texas and the United States. We urge that the TEKS continue to reflect the Judeo-Christian underpinnings of our nation and society; that America's greatness not be undermined; and that history and historical figures continue to be taught to Texas public school students.

Berman concluded: "Our curriculum standards must remain strong, reflecting the historical roots of our nation and state, as well as the individuals whose intellect and efforts made America and Texas exceptional and unique."

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Tyler Police Offer Bike Safety Demo Today

TYLER -- The Tyler Police Department, East Texas Auto Theft Task Force and Target will sponsor a Bike Rodeo, V.I.N etching and H.E.A.T (help end auto theft) registration today at Target located at 7003 S. Broadway, from 10:00 - 2:00. Officers of the police bicycle team will conduct a bicycle safety rodeo for the age groups between 4-13 years old. The bike rodeo will begin with a parent registration and safety check for both the rider and the bicycle. The safety check for the rider is the helmet and bicycle fit. Officers perform a quick-check for proper air in the tires, check to see that the brakes work properly and check that the chains are on properly. There is a short lecture on bicycle safety and children's knowledge of bicycle riding etiquette. The rodeo will consist of a road course for the participant to ride in, which is usually the children's favorite part.


V.I.N. etching puts the vehicle's unique identification number on all of the windows, making it harder to sell for parts. H.E.A.T. stickers give the owner's permission to have police stop their vehicle with a H.E.A.T sticker on it during late night hours, the time most vehicles are stolen. It also allows border agents to stop a vehicle before it enters into Mexico and check it for proper ownership. Police say many stolen vehicles find their way into Mexico to be sold or disassembled for parts.

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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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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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STATE NEWS

Texas Execution

HUNTSVILLE (AP) -- Texas has executed a 31-year-old Indiana man whose cross-country crime spree with his girlfriend a decade ago ended in a gun battle with police in San Francisco. Joshua Maxwell was put to death yesterday for gunning down an off-duty sheriff's officer in San Antonio and stealing his truck.

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Stand-Off Suspect Arrested

DALLAS (AP) -- Dallas police have arrested armed burglary suspect after a stand-off at a house with three children. Police say Jerry Wagner, 26, was taken into custody without incident and the children are safe.

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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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Texas Donations for Haiti

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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Man Sentenced in Wife’s Death

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A 26-year-old San Antonio man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his new bride. A jury sentenced Charles Reese to the maximum sentence Thursday, two days after convicting him of shooting Shanika Sanford, 18, to death. The couple had been married less than a month when she was killed last March.

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Cell Phones and Accidents

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Records obtained by San Antonio TV station WOAI show cell phone use has been cited as a factor in more than 17,000 automobile accidents in Texas since 2005. Those crashes led to more than 7,000 injuries and 167 deaths.

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Whooping Crane Deaths Suit

DALLAS (AP) -- A conservation group has sued Texas environmental regulators over a record die-off of endangered whooping cranes. The Aransas Project filed the federal lawsuit Thursday in Corpus Christi. The suit alleges policies of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality allowed excessive amounts of water to be drawn from rivers, harming the birds in violation of the Endangered Species Act. The agency didn't comment on the suit Thursday.

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Jerry Jones Lawsuit

DALLAS (AP) -- A lawsuit accuses an oil and gas company owned by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones of aiding an alleged $15 million fraud. The suit filed in federal court in Dallas doesn't name Jones, but rather Blue Star Oil and Gas and exploration manager Lonnie Williams. It stems from a 2008 federal case alleging fraud committed by a Louisiana businessman who works with Blue Star.

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AT&T CEO Bonus and Pay Rises

NEW YORK (AP) -- Calculations by The Associated Press show that the chief executive of Dallas-based AT&T Inc. was paid $20.2 million for his work last year. A regulatory filing Thursday also shows that Randall Stephenson accepted a 2009 bonus of $5.85 million. The total compensation is up by a third from 2008, when he declined a bonus because of the recession and company job cuts.

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Gas Prices Up Again

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 went up 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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American Airlines’ Labor Problems

DALLAS (AP) -- The union representing mechanics and other ground workers at American Airlines is asking federal officials to let them take a big step closer toward a possible strike against the nation's second-largest carrier. The Transport Workers said Thursday they asked federal mediators to declare a deadlock in their negotiations over a new contract. The flight attendants' union at American has made a similar request.

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Baylor Wrestles Off Texas, 86-67

LaceDarius Dunn went from no factor in the first half to leading factor in the second.

Benched with three fouls and two points less than 5 minutes into the game, Dunn exploded for 17 points after intermission and No. 20 Baylor romped past Texas 86-67… More

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Texas A&M Survives Nebraska to Reach Semis

Nebraska missed its chance to make some history at the Big 12 tournament.

Donald Sloan scored 23 points, Bryan Davis had a key three-point play at the 1:01 mark and No. 23 Texas A&M stopped the upset-minded Cornhuskers 70-64 in a close and cleanly contested… More

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SFA Back In SLC Title Game

Walt Harris scored a team-high 15 points and sank three free throws in the final 33 seconds Thursday to lead Stephen F. Austin to a 60-53 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the semifinals of the State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament. The win moves… More

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Cayuga Routs Spurger to Reach State Title Game

Billy Duncan scored 16 points, including four of five three point shots, to lead the top-ranked Cayuga Wildacts past Spurger 82-48 in a UIL Class 1A Division I boys basketball semifinal at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

Now Bronte is all that stands in… More

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Rangers Rock Rockies for 16 Runs, 23 Hits

Aaron Cook was hit hard in his second spring start, allowing nine hits and nine runs, five earned, in 2 2/3 innings, and the Colorado Rockies were pounded by the Texas Rangers 16-5 on Thursday.

Cook hit Ian Kinsler with a 1-2 pitch during a… 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
(2)Kansas State 83 (7)Oklahoma State 64 – Final
(3)Baylor 86 (6)Texas 67 – Final

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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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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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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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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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Shreveport Radar

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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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