By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
LINDALE — Transportation officials fielded questions and presented details of Route G at a public meeting Tuesday night, where residents examined final drawings of the projected Loop 49 Lindale Relief Route that could cut through their land as early as 2012.
Route G would snake between Hideaway and Lindale, connecting Interstate 20 to U.S. Highway 69 about 2.5 miles north of Lindale. It affects fewer acres of residential land and costs less than previous routes, said project consultant John Goodwin.
He estimated initial construction costs for a two-lane road at $46 million and total costs for completion into four lanes at $72 million, more than $16 million less than initial projections.
“We’ve met with every property owner along this route,” he said.
Many attended the Tuesday night meeting to find their names upon a blueprint tacked on the wall with blue-green Loop 49 lines crossing their land.
Herschell Voyles, 82, pointed to his eight acres the Texas Department of Transportation will purchase. He built a home on it where he’s lived for 30 years, planning to hand it down to his children and grandchildren. He’s not angry, just saddened, he said.
“It’s hard to think about relocating — I have everything out there I want: my home, my shed, my barn, my garden,” Voyles said.
Other, more disgruntled residents, questioned the road’s necessity, but Lindale Mayor Pro Tem Jim Mallory said he has no doubts Loop 49 is crucial as traffic through downtown Lindale has accelerated to 20,000 to 25,000 cars and trucks a day.
“It’s wall to wall,” he said Tuesday. “If there’s any interruption, you should see the backup. But more than that, we’re concerned about hazmat trucks, it’s a terrible issue, and if one truck leaked or had a wreck in Lindale, we’d have a real mess.”
It frustrates landowners to be bullied by right of way purchases, Mallory said, and there’s no
Read the full story here.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
TxDOT To Present Final Lindale Relief Route At Tuesday Hearing
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
After a string of public meetings that entertained seven routes, transportation officials will present route G as the final Lindale Relief Route location at a hearing Tuesday, marking the start of design and financing for the Loop 49 segment they predict will carry the heaviest traffic.
“Public involvement has determined where the route is going to go, and it’s coming to a natural conclusion with this meeting,” said Larry Krantz, Texas Department of Transportation spokesman.
The Lindale Relief Route, or Segment 4 of Loop 49 planning, will connect I-20 between Hideaway and Lindale to US 69 north of Lindale. Construction could begin in 2012 at the earliest, Krantz said.
In January, Segment 2, from US 69 to Paluxy Road, was opened to the public. Together with Segment 1, from State Hwy 155 to US 69, the open toll road totals seven miles. Segments 3 and 4, which curl the loop northwest from State Hwy 155 to I-20 and across it, are next in priority for construction, said Jeff Austin III, chairman of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
“We’re prioritizing them to have a logical flow and logical completion to I-20 to the north,” he said Friday.Budget cuts have frozen federal and TxDOT money for the project, Krantz said, and financing won’t be on the table again until the legislative session in 2009. Meanwhile, design, right-away purchases and various approvals will keep the Loop 49 project in motion.
“The legislature is going to take a hard look at TxDOT as a whole and a hard look at how highways are funded,” Krantz said. “Still, we’ve got a long way to go with the design phase.”
Delayed funding could be quelled by alternative money sources, such as bonding and possible partnerships, Austin said. Plus, Tyler residents have warmed up to the seven miles of open Loop 49, generating more revenue than predicted, he said.
“The traffic on Segment 2 to Paluxy has exceeded our expectations, and we’re really fortunate it’s been accepted and people are using it,” he said. “We’ll take that revenue and help complete the other segments.”
From its start some 10 years ago, discussion about the Lindale Relief Route generated hands-on
Read full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
After a string of public meetings that entertained seven routes, transportation officials will present route G as the final Lindale Relief Route location at a hearing Tuesday, marking the start of design and financing for the Loop 49 segment they predict will carry the heaviest traffic.
“Public involvement has determined where the route is going to go, and it’s coming to a natural conclusion with this meeting,” said Larry Krantz, Texas Department of Transportation spokesman.
The Lindale Relief Route, or Segment 4 of Loop 49 planning, will connect I-20 between Hideaway and Lindale to US 69 north of Lindale. Construction could begin in 2012 at the earliest, Krantz said.
In January, Segment 2, from US 69 to Paluxy Road, was opened to the public. Together with Segment 1, from State Hwy 155 to US 69, the open toll road totals seven miles. Segments 3 and 4, which curl the loop northwest from State Hwy 155 to I-20 and across it, are next in priority for construction, said Jeff Austin III, chairman of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority.
“We’re prioritizing them to have a logical flow and logical completion to I-20 to the north,” he said Friday.Budget cuts have frozen federal and TxDOT money for the project, Krantz said, and financing won’t be on the table again until the legislative session in 2009. Meanwhile, design, right-away purchases and various approvals will keep the Loop 49 project in motion.
“The legislature is going to take a hard look at TxDOT as a whole and a hard look at how highways are funded,” Krantz said. “Still, we’ve got a long way to go with the design phase.”
Delayed funding could be quelled by alternative money sources, such as bonding and possible partnerships, Austin said. Plus, Tyler residents have warmed up to the seven miles of open Loop 49, generating more revenue than predicted, he said.
“The traffic on Segment 2 to Paluxy has exceeded our expectations, and we’re really fortunate it’s been accepted and people are using it,” he said. “We’ll take that revenue and help complete the other segments.”
From its start some 10 years ago, discussion about the Lindale Relief Route generated hands-on
Read full story here.
Cattle Barons' Gala Raises $575,000 For Cancer Society
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
FLINT - The rolling green hills of Threlkeld Farm transformed into a luxurious sunset-lit soiree Saturday night at the 21st Cattle Barons' Gala where the business of cancer research mixed with one of East Texas' swankiest pleasures.
This year's theme, "21 Gun Salute: Shootin' for the Cure" inspired elegant, sexy cowgirl style among some 2,200 in attendance. Guests mingled, beers in hand, and sampled tasty lobster, corn-stuffed avocados and tamales cooked fresh by Eddie Deen & Company Catering.
The party raised more than $575,000 for the local American Cancer Society.
"What a night to be out!" said Holly Howard, a gala committee member who's been a gala organizer since its beginning. "I've watched this grow from a small event, to a small fair."
Several cancer survivors, or "honorees," were among those in attendance, including Tyler resident Brenda Simmons who overcame breast cancer twice, five years apart.
"This is great," said Mrs. Simmons, smiling.She and her husband, Frank, chatted with friends Jorge and Nancy Negron of Whitehouse, longtime gala guests.
"We love it, come every year," Jorge Negron said. "This year's is the best one we've seen in
Read the full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
FLINT - The rolling green hills of Threlkeld Farm transformed into a luxurious sunset-lit soiree Saturday night at the 21st Cattle Barons' Gala where the business of cancer research mixed with one of East Texas' swankiest pleasures.
This year's theme, "21 Gun Salute: Shootin' for the Cure" inspired elegant, sexy cowgirl style among some 2,200 in attendance. Guests mingled, beers in hand, and sampled tasty lobster, corn-stuffed avocados and tamales cooked fresh by Eddie Deen & Company Catering.
The party raised more than $575,000 for the local American Cancer Society.
"What a night to be out!" said Holly Howard, a gala committee member who's been a gala organizer since its beginning. "I've watched this grow from a small event, to a small fair."
Several cancer survivors, or "honorees," were among those in attendance, including Tyler resident Brenda Simmons who overcame breast cancer twice, five years apart.
"This is great," said Mrs. Simmons, smiling.She and her husband, Frank, chatted with friends Jorge and Nancy Negron of Whitehouse, longtime gala guests.
"We love it, come every year," Jorge Negron said. "This year's is the best one we've seen in
Read the full story here.
John Tyler Graduates Celebrate Milestone
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Clad in cobalt blue robes, mortarboards and gold sashes, 315 John Tyler High School seniors let out a roar Saturday night as their graduation ceremony commenced at the Oil Palace arena.
"We're excited!" yelled Tiffany Rowland, 17, and Karen Silverio, 18, in unison as they jumped up and down, their tassels flailing.
Members of the Class of 2008 were known as jokesters who knew when to settle down and work, Miss Rowland said. Besides her good friends, she said she's even going to miss teachers.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm going to miss Ms. (Mary) Thurman," Miss Rowland smiled. "She always pushed me. I'm going to miss the teachers who tried to make us better."
Miss Rowland is headed to East Texas Baptist University for a teaching degree as Miss Silverio goes to cosmetology school, they said. Their friend Diego Reyes, 18, said he's pursuing graphic design, one of the many talented art students from John Tyler.
"We have some excellent ones," said art teacher Marilyn Koler, who said graduating senior Allie Smith was the only student to medal at state for art this year. Miss Smith is studying creative writing and French among other disciplines at college, she said.
This graduating class was the first group to push John Tyler back onto the TAKS chart in 2007,
Read the full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Clad in cobalt blue robes, mortarboards and gold sashes, 315 John Tyler High School seniors let out a roar Saturday night as their graduation ceremony commenced at the Oil Palace arena.
"We're excited!" yelled Tiffany Rowland, 17, and Karen Silverio, 18, in unison as they jumped up and down, their tassels flailing.
Members of the Class of 2008 were known as jokesters who knew when to settle down and work, Miss Rowland said. Besides her good friends, she said she's even going to miss teachers.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm going to miss Ms. (Mary) Thurman," Miss Rowland smiled. "She always pushed me. I'm going to miss the teachers who tried to make us better."
Miss Rowland is headed to East Texas Baptist University for a teaching degree as Miss Silverio goes to cosmetology school, they said. Their friend Diego Reyes, 18, said he's pursuing graphic design, one of the many talented art students from John Tyler.
"We have some excellent ones," said art teacher Marilyn Koler, who said graduating senior Allie Smith was the only student to medal at state for art this year. Miss Smith is studying creative writing and French among other disciplines at college, she said.
This graduating class was the first group to push John Tyler back onto the TAKS chart in 2007,
Read the full story here.
Lil' Wranglers Gives Party For Youngest Cancer Fighters
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
FLINT - It was an invite-only party Friday night boasting horse rides, a carousel, free lip-smacking hamburgers and live music for dozens of East Texas kids who share a legacy of kicking cancer.
For the 12th year, Li'l Wranglers, the first event of the Cattle Barons Gala, honored area pediatric cancer patients age 2 to 18 with an unforgettable night of fun and prizes.
For most, whether still in the throes of chemotherapy or newly cancer free, it was a hiatus from tedious recuperation.
Sunshine poured into the inflatable jumping room where 5-year-old Briana McPhearson smiled and laughed, flopping on her stomach in a yellow dress. A rare cancerous tumor led doctors to remove Briana's right kidney after radiation and chemotherapy when she was 3 - but dealing with her disease seems to have just started, says her caretakers and grandparents Dale and Liz Boxberger of Gresham.
"She's having a hard time right now," Mrs. Boxberger said. "It's like it's all caught up with her. It's a form of post-traumatic stress."
A retired nurse, Mrs. Boxberger said Briana's father died in fall 2007. But despite heartache and months of painful illness, Briana starts kindergarten in August.
"She's very lucky," she said. "We're so fortunate to have the medical community we have here."
More than 100 children and parents partied in the shade under a huge tent at Threlkeld Farm,
Read the full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
FLINT - It was an invite-only party Friday night boasting horse rides, a carousel, free lip-smacking hamburgers and live music for dozens of East Texas kids who share a legacy of kicking cancer.
For the 12th year, Li'l Wranglers, the first event of the Cattle Barons Gala, honored area pediatric cancer patients age 2 to 18 with an unforgettable night of fun and prizes.
For most, whether still in the throes of chemotherapy or newly cancer free, it was a hiatus from tedious recuperation.
Sunshine poured into the inflatable jumping room where 5-year-old Briana McPhearson smiled and laughed, flopping on her stomach in a yellow dress. A rare cancerous tumor led doctors to remove Briana's right kidney after radiation and chemotherapy when she was 3 - but dealing with her disease seems to have just started, says her caretakers and grandparents Dale and Liz Boxberger of Gresham.
"She's having a hard time right now," Mrs. Boxberger said. "It's like it's all caught up with her. It's a form of post-traumatic stress."
A retired nurse, Mrs. Boxberger said Briana's father died in fall 2007. But despite heartache and months of painful illness, Briana starts kindergarten in August.
"She's very lucky," she said. "We're so fortunate to have the medical community we have here."
More than 100 children and parents partied in the shade under a huge tent at Threlkeld Farm,
Read the full story here.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Lindale Land Dispute Could Hamper $50M Convention Center Plan
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
LINDALE — A lingering land purchase dispute could hamper the construction of a $50 million hotel and convention center, a project city officials call an “economic dream” for this burgeoning town.
Hotel magnate John Q. Hammons, whose 71 hotels span 24 states, has made a verbal proposal to buy 14 acres for about $1.3 million at the northwest corner of Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 69 from Tyler Rose Nursery Inc. owner Joe Tew, Tew said Wednesday.
Hammons was unavailable for comment on Wednesday.
The $50 million development would boast a 10-story hotel and adjoining convention center, plus hundreds of new jobs and a flourish of tourism, said mayor pro tem Jim Mallory.
“This is the deal of the century for Lindale,” Mallory said. “It’s something that would impact every household, every person … when you calculate the economic impact, it’s astronomical.”
But those 14 acres are within a chunk of land tangled in an appealed lawsuit filed in November by Thedford Crossing LP, a group that attempted to buy 300 acres from Tew in 2005.
Previous to the failed sale, Thedford Crossing spent months hiring engineers and designers to map out development on Tew’s land — including discussions with Hammons about building a hotel and convention center, said attorney Deron Dacus, of Tyler.
He says Thedford Crossing drew Hammons to Lindale long before he talked with Tew.
“Thedford Crossing brought John Q. Hammons to Lindale in the beginning,” Dacus said. “He would have never known about the property otherwise.”
Tew didn’t finalize the sale to Thedford Crossing in 2005, leading Thedford Crossing to sue in an attempt to enforce the purchasing contract, Dacus said. Tew said the contract wasn’t complete, but Thedford Crossing said he pulled out of it for no apparent reason.
A district court judge ruled in favor of Tew in October 2007, but Thedford Crossing has appealed, leaving discussion with Hammons in a stalemate, Tew said.
The appeal process could take a year, said Tew’s attorney, Mike Gazette. The land title remains lis pendens, or in question, until then.
“Mr. Hammons basically told me if we could get this title cleared he’s ready to purchase it,” Tew said Wednesday. “I’m disappointed by this roadblock. If I could get this lis pendens removed I’d sell it tomorrow.”
But Tew and Thedford Crossing’s attorney said Wednesday both parties are open to negotiation
Read full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
LINDALE — A lingering land purchase dispute could hamper the construction of a $50 million hotel and convention center, a project city officials call an “economic dream” for this burgeoning town.
Hotel magnate John Q. Hammons, whose 71 hotels span 24 states, has made a verbal proposal to buy 14 acres for about $1.3 million at the northwest corner of Interstate 20 and U.S. Highway 69 from Tyler Rose Nursery Inc. owner Joe Tew, Tew said Wednesday.
Hammons was unavailable for comment on Wednesday.
The $50 million development would boast a 10-story hotel and adjoining convention center, plus hundreds of new jobs and a flourish of tourism, said mayor pro tem Jim Mallory.
“This is the deal of the century for Lindale,” Mallory said. “It’s something that would impact every household, every person … when you calculate the economic impact, it’s astronomical.”
But those 14 acres are within a chunk of land tangled in an appealed lawsuit filed in November by Thedford Crossing LP, a group that attempted to buy 300 acres from Tew in 2005.
Previous to the failed sale, Thedford Crossing spent months hiring engineers and designers to map out development on Tew’s land — including discussions with Hammons about building a hotel and convention center, said attorney Deron Dacus, of Tyler.
He says Thedford Crossing drew Hammons to Lindale long before he talked with Tew.
“Thedford Crossing brought John Q. Hammons to Lindale in the beginning,” Dacus said. “He would have never known about the property otherwise.”
Tew didn’t finalize the sale to Thedford Crossing in 2005, leading Thedford Crossing to sue in an attempt to enforce the purchasing contract, Dacus said. Tew said the contract wasn’t complete, but Thedford Crossing said he pulled out of it for no apparent reason.
A district court judge ruled in favor of Tew in October 2007, but Thedford Crossing has appealed, leaving discussion with Hammons in a stalemate, Tew said.
The appeal process could take a year, said Tew’s attorney, Mike Gazette. The land title remains lis pendens, or in question, until then.
“Mr. Hammons basically told me if we could get this title cleared he’s ready to purchase it,” Tew said Wednesday. “I’m disappointed by this roadblock. If I could get this lis pendens removed I’d sell it tomorrow.”
But Tew and Thedford Crossing’s attorney said Wednesday both parties are open to negotiation
Read full story here.
Mother Frances Hospital NICU Campaign Nears $1.7M Goal
Health
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Mother Frances Hospital has raised $1.2 million toward construction of the region’s first neonatal intensive care unit scheduled to open in September, campaign chair Mary Dale Thomas said Wednesday.
The campaign goal rose from $1.3 million to $1.7 million to adjust for rising construction costs, spokesman John Moore said. Hospital officials announced Wednesday a $10,000 donation was received from Baker Hughes, a Houston-based oil and gas company.
“They have caught the vision,” Thomas said.Some 80 babies a year are transferred from Mother Frances Hospital to a NICU in Dallas because the region can’t support critical infant patients, said clinical manager and specialized nurse Linda Doyle. The current nursery can support babies born six weeks early, but the 12-bed NICU will be equipped to care for babies as premature as 28 weeks, or 2.2 pounds.
“It will add quite a bit and keep moms and babies together,” Doyle said.
Moms cannot accompany babies transported to Dallas and it creates a stressful scenario for
Read full story here.
By LAUREN GROVER
Tyler Morning Telegraph
Mother Frances Hospital has raised $1.2 million toward construction of the region’s first neonatal intensive care unit scheduled to open in September, campaign chair Mary Dale Thomas said Wednesday.
The campaign goal rose from $1.3 million to $1.7 million to adjust for rising construction costs, spokesman John Moore said. Hospital officials announced Wednesday a $10,000 donation was received from Baker Hughes, a Houston-based oil and gas company.
“They have caught the vision,” Thomas said.Some 80 babies a year are transferred from Mother Frances Hospital to a NICU in Dallas because the region can’t support critical infant patients, said clinical manager and specialized nurse Linda Doyle. The current nursery can support babies born six weeks early, but the 12-bed NICU will be equipped to care for babies as premature as 28 weeks, or 2.2 pounds.
“It will add quite a bit and keep moms and babies together,” Doyle said.
Moms cannot accompany babies transported to Dallas and it creates a stressful scenario for
Read full story here.
Smith County Donates Building To Community Health Clinics of Northeast Texas
Health
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
The Community Health Clinics of Northeast Texas is preparing to become proud owners of its Primary Care Clinic, 928 N. Glenwood Blvd., donated by Smith County last month.
Board members tabled the motion to accept the building as negotiations with the county are pending.
“It’s nice, we’re going to have the option to do some remodeling,” said Kleanthe Caruso, interim executive director for the clinics, who came on board in early April. CHCNET has conducted a lead and asbestos test for the building and could be asking the county to foot the bill for an asbestos abatement before remodeling can be performed, Caruso said.
Board members, on Tuesday evening, discussed using $100,000 from an unused grant to fund parking lot improvements and a new floor plan for the clinic.
“It’s going to be really upgraded for our patients,” said Dr. Bennie Webster, CHCNET chairwoman.
In other business, CFO Ron Rippe presented a $34,193 net income loss in April, and said that as a new accounting system is put into place in the next two months those numbers should
Read full story here.
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
The Community Health Clinics of Northeast Texas is preparing to become proud owners of its Primary Care Clinic, 928 N. Glenwood Blvd., donated by Smith County last month.
Board members tabled the motion to accept the building as negotiations with the county are pending.
“It’s nice, we’re going to have the option to do some remodeling,” said Kleanthe Caruso, interim executive director for the clinics, who came on board in early April. CHCNET has conducted a lead and asbestos test for the building and could be asking the county to foot the bill for an asbestos abatement before remodeling can be performed, Caruso said.
Board members, on Tuesday evening, discussed using $100,000 from an unused grant to fund parking lot improvements and a new floor plan for the clinic.
“It’s going to be really upgraded for our patients,” said Dr. Bennie Webster, CHCNET chairwoman.
In other business, CFO Ron Rippe presented a $34,193 net income loss in April, and said that as a new accounting system is put into place in the next two months those numbers should
Read full story here.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
UPDATE: Child Killed in Wreck Identified As Man's Son
JACKSONVILLE — The child who was killed in an accident after his father lost control of his pickup on Highway 79 just west of town was identified as the man’s son, 3-year-old Logan McShan of Elkhart.
His daughter, Kylie McShan, 2, was flown to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas on Monday after paramedics removed her from a car seat in the back seat of the truck that lay mangled and askew after rolling into a tree.
A hospital spokeswoman said Kylie was in good condition at 1:45 p.m. today and could be heading home soon.
Read full story here.
His daughter, Kylie McShan, 2, was flown to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas on Monday after paramedics removed her from a car seat in the back seat of the truck that lay mangled and askew after rolling into a tree.
A hospital spokeswoman said Kylie was in good condition at 1:45 p.m. today and could be heading home soon.
Read full story here.
Photo by Lauren Grover
Man, Child Die in Wreck Near Jacksonville
By Lauren Grover
Tyler Morning Telegraph
JACKSONVILLE — A 23-year-old Elkhart man veered and lost control of his pickup on U.S. Highway 79 just west of town, rolling his truck into a pine tree and killing himself and a 3-year-old passenger on Monday evening. A 2-year-old passenger was flown to a Tyler hospital.
Gary Lynn McShan was driving eastbound at 5:55 p.m. on Highway 79 near County Road 3210 when his right tires dropped to the shoulder, said Department of Public Safety Trooper Jimmy Dunklin.
McShan overcorrected, swerving his vehicle across the westbound lane where he spun 180 degrees, rolled the cab into a pine tree and broke it off as the pickup flipped and came to rest in a thicket, Dunklin said.
Crushed by the tree, McShan and the 3-year-old were pronounced dead on the scene by Justice of the Peace Theresa Phifer, of Alto. Dunklin said it did not appear alcohol was involved.
Jacksonville Volunteer Firefighters helped remove a 2-year-old from the backseat of the mangled truck.
The 2-year-old was flown by helicopter to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler with “lacerations all over” the dispatcher said. Both children had been restrained in booster seats, Dunklin said. Read full article here.
Hawkins Veterans Memorial Honors 1,000 Area Vets
By Lauren Grover
Tyler Morning Telegraph
HAWKINS – Soldiers should be honored, no matter the war or what folks think of the war, says veteran Lt. Col. Herman Peace, a resident of this little town who helped erect a beautiful memorial that’s hard to ignore.
The Greater Hawkins Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 2000 and now bears names of some 1,000 military men and women from Hawkins or Holly Lake. About $100,000 has been raised to dedicate it, add new names to the plaques, maintain the grounds and erect an AH-1 Cobra Gunship helicopter over the pond.
Lt. Col. Peace, who flew 35 missions on B-17s in World War II and the Korean War, said it’s the least the town can do.
“People don’t realize how valuable freedom is — it’s everything,” he said Thursday. “We get up every in the morning and realize we’re way ahead of the rest of the world.”
Plaques on the memorial wall list all wars since the Civil War during which Americans fought, and those honored include U.S. Maritime Service members during World War II who were just recently acknowledged by Congress, Peace said.
“Their part in the war was tremendous, and their losses, some were greater than ours,” Peace said, a retired Air Force pilot.
Retired Col. Jeanette Sterner of the Texas National Guard did the legwork for the Cobra
Read the full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
HAWKINS – Soldiers should be honored, no matter the war or what folks think of the war, says veteran Lt. Col. Herman Peace, a resident of this little town who helped erect a beautiful memorial that’s hard to ignore.
The Greater Hawkins Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 2000 and now bears names of some 1,000 military men and women from Hawkins or Holly Lake. About $100,000 has been raised to dedicate it, add new names to the plaques, maintain the grounds and erect an AH-1 Cobra Gunship helicopter over the pond.
Lt. Col. Peace, who flew 35 missions on B-17s in World War II and the Korean War, said it’s the least the town can do.
“People don’t realize how valuable freedom is — it’s everything,” he said Thursday. “We get up every in the morning and realize we’re way ahead of the rest of the world.”
Plaques on the memorial wall list all wars since the Civil War during which Americans fought, and those honored include U.S. Maritime Service members during World War II who were just recently acknowledged by Congress, Peace said.
“Their part in the war was tremendous, and their losses, some were greater than ours,” Peace said, a retired Air Force pilot.
Retired Col. Jeanette Sterner of the Texas National Guard did the legwork for the Cobra
Read the full story here.
25-Year-Old Man Drowns in Hawkins Lake
By Lauren Grover
Tyler Morning Telegraph
HAWKINS LAKE — Despite efforts to revive him at two hospitals, a 25-year-old man died after drowning under the County Road 2869 bridge on Monday while swimming with friends.
Texas Game Warden Derek Spitzer was flagged down by a group of young people at 1:40 p.m. who said their friend had slipped under the water less than a minute before.
“We took off our gun belts and began diving for him, and after about five minutes found him about 10 feet down,” Spitzer said Monday night.
Read the full story here.
Tyler Morning Telegraph
HAWKINS LAKE — Despite efforts to revive him at two hospitals, a 25-year-old man died after drowning under the County Road 2869 bridge on Monday while swimming with friends.
Texas Game Warden Derek Spitzer was flagged down by a group of young people at 1:40 p.m. who said their friend had slipped under the water less than a minute before.
“We took off our gun belts and began diving for him, and after about five minutes found him about 10 feet down,” Spitzer said Monday night.
Read the full story here.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
High School Student Jailed For Alleged Death Threats
By Lauren Grover
Tyler Morning Telegraph
EUSTACE — One week before graduation, a Eustace High School senior who suffers a behavioral disorder is in jail on a felony charge for allegedly making death threats to classmates despite school officials trying to pacify the situation.
Students and parents told administrators that 18-year-old
No list has been found, he said, and calls he received were “very overdramatic, students and parents telling me they were No. 1 on the list.”
Though Underhill suffers an attention-deficit disorder that qualifies him for special education, he has excelled in mainstream classes, Tyner said. But his opinionated, attention-getting behavior stirs up trouble and draws harassment from other students, he said.
“He’s kind of starved for attention,” Tyner said. “Chris brings a lot of this harassment on himself … I think if these threats occurred it was him just running his head.”
Underhill was moved to alternative school last week so security could monitor him, searching him each day as they drove him to and from school, Tyner said. He was warned to quit any threats.
But on Monday an incident at the alternative school led officials to call police who later arrested Underhill on Thursday and booked him into the Henderson County Jail, Tyner said.
“I don’t know what else we could have done,” Tyner said. “We were just as concerned for Chris as Read the full story here.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Mental Health Patients Face Hampered Access To Care
East Texas Health
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
A recent state mandate has carved out a new treatment path for indigent mental health patients, one local officials are calling unhelpful and carelessly brought about.
All state-funded mental health centers are now required to outsource their in-patient, outpatient and residential treatment to as many willing private providers as possible.
The process began in April and won’t be completed for at least two years.
In Tyler, the Andrews Center held a public forum Tuesday to hear comments about its transition into a mental health authority, where it was once a primary provider.
“We will still be the local authority, doing screenings, but at that point patients will be given a list of providers and able to choose,” said presenter Jim Hartung, a director at the Andrews Center.
Though upbeat, Hartung said the future is a bit grim. In its 40th year, his facility has developed a network of mental health care it’s being asked to walk away from.
Like others around the state, Andrews Center officials have become professional dollar-stretchers. Last month, the center used its state funds to see 900 patients more than it was paid to treat. Last year, it gave out $2 million in free medications to patients.
“Through this new structure, it’s the people outside our target that are potentially left out,” Hartung said. “There are cracks that people fall through.”
The mandate was pushed through the state Legislature to give indigent mental health patients more choices for care.
Center officials said this might be a good move if mental health services weren’t parched all over the Texas — the state is listed 48th in mental health funding per capita.
“We’re almost dead last,” said Susan Rushing, CEO of Burke Center in Nacogdoches.
What’s confusing is the mandate requires more work, but no extra funding, Rushing said.
Services outsourced must be coordinated and monitored by the local mental health authority, many, like the Andrews Center, that have no money to spare.
“I’m concerned about how to manage that,” Rushing said. “To have oversight, that
Read full article here.
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
A recent state mandate has carved out a new treatment path for indigent mental health patients, one local officials are calling unhelpful and carelessly brought about.
All state-funded mental health centers are now required to outsource their in-patient, outpatient and residential treatment to as many willing private providers as possible.
The process began in April and won’t be completed for at least two years.
In Tyler, the Andrews Center held a public forum Tuesday to hear comments about its transition into a mental health authority, where it was once a primary provider.
“We will still be the local authority, doing screenings, but at that point patients will be given a list of providers and able to choose,” said presenter Jim Hartung, a director at the Andrews Center.
Though upbeat, Hartung said the future is a bit grim. In its 40th year, his facility has developed a network of mental health care it’s being asked to walk away from.
Like others around the state, Andrews Center officials have become professional dollar-stretchers. Last month, the center used its state funds to see 900 patients more than it was paid to treat. Last year, it gave out $2 million in free medications to patients.
“Through this new structure, it’s the people outside our target that are potentially left out,” Hartung said. “There are cracks that people fall through.”
The mandate was pushed through the state Legislature to give indigent mental health patients more choices for care.
Center officials said this might be a good move if mental health services weren’t parched all over the Texas — the state is listed 48th in mental health funding per capita.
“We’re almost dead last,” said Susan Rushing, CEO of Burke Center in Nacogdoches.
What’s confusing is the mandate requires more work, but no extra funding, Rushing said.
Services outsourced must be coordinated and monitored by the local mental health authority, many, like the Andrews Center, that have no money to spare.
“I’m concerned about how to manage that,” Rushing said. “To have oversight, that
Read full article here.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Longview Man Charged In Double Murder
Gregg County Crime
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
LONGVIEW — A 44-year-old Longview man was arrested by Gregg County deputies late Friday night and charged with the brutal April 18 murder of an elderly Longview couple.
Brett Michael Birdwell did not resist arrest at midnight at his apartment on the 700 block of Golfcrest and was arraigned this morning and booked into the Gregg County Jail on $1 million bond, said Sheriff Maxey Cerliano.
Birdwell used credit cards or checks belonging to the murdered couple, evidence that allowed investigators to obtain an arrest warrant, Cerliano said. He was a key suspect since investigators interviewed him two days after the murders, he said.
Neil and June Killingsworth, both 83, were attacked on April 18 and died of blunt and sharp force injuries in their home on the 400 block of
"This was a horrendous crime," Cerliano said today. "It's been a difficult last 28 days and a lot of investigators haven't taken a day off, working nights and weekends, trying to come to a resolution. But there are still leads and this investigation is not over."
Birdwell was convicted of two previous felonies since 2005 and served jail time, county records show.
Cousin of the deceased, Chas Killingsworth, 81, of
"It's good to know somebody's in jail over this," he said.
He described Neil and June Killingsworth as healthy and active despite their old age, who spent time "out in their yard, piddling around like every else does," he said.
"They were fine people, didn't bother nobody, went to church every Sunday and worked in the church," Killingsworth said. "There wasn't any cause for that."
Neil Killingsworth worked at a drug store more than 30 years and his wife raised three boys, Chas Killingsworth said.
"They helped everybody who needed help, all you had to do was call them," he said.
The Longview Police Department and Texas Rangers are assisting in the investigation, the sheriff said.
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