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.

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.

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.

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 Chris Underhill made a hit list of people he wanted to kill, testimonies that didn’t seem believable but required investigation, said Assistant Principal Rob Tyner on Saturday night.
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.

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.

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 North Tryon Road. Several items were stolen from them, including the couple's truck. Robbery is still the only determined motive, the sheriff said.
"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 Longview, was relieved to learn of the arrest Saturday afternoon.
"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.

Farmers' Market Opens Saturday With Homegrown Produce

Article published May 18, 2008
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
The sunniest produce section in town opened Saturday to hundreds of customers hungry for homegrown vegetable.
“You know summer’s here when the Farmers Market opens,” said Mary Shorthose of Tyler who paused near a table of red potatoes at 8:30 a.m.
It was C. C. Claiborne’s table, a 73-year-old farmer from the Jacksonville area who dug up the potatoes himself.
“It gets in your blood and you can’t quit it,” he grinned. “I love it. You watch stuff grow, and you work the land.”
Local farmers from five counties have dropped their tailgates at the open-air East Texas Fair Grounds for 25 years now. On Saturday, customers hit the stands at 7 a.m. Farmers often stay until they sell out.
“The green beans and greens went fast this morning,” said Winona farmer Joan Lowery. “You try to figure out what folks want — otherwise you’re eating all the extra.”
A few tables down, Charles Claiborne, son of C.C., dunks a bushel of turnips in a bucket of water.
He and other farmers said the cool weather has delayed summer vegetables and fruits. His favorite is watermelon.
“Today’s a good start, though,” he said.
The Claibornes, an extended family of farmers, made up about half the vendors on Saturday.
“That’s my nephew, and that’s my son, and other son, and sister,” C.C. said pointing to other farmers.
Daniel Baker, a grower from just outside Tyler, sold out of dewberries early Saturday morning.
“They went fast,” he said. “It’s late for them, barely any left. Only me and one other farmer had
Read the full story here.

Bucking Into High Gear

Article published May 16, 2008

By LAUREN GROVER

Staff Writer

LINDALE — The gate bangs open and Rockin’ Robin flies out with Cobin Williams on her back. Five … six … seven … eight seconds, and the crowd lets loose. The young cowboy’s perseverance earns him 80 points, a solid bronc riding score.
Without a pause, the Lindale Championship Rodeo had a muddy kickoff Thursday night with fast-riding cowgirl beauties, gritty riders and lasso-swinging calf ropers.
With more than $60,000 in the prize pot, some 700 contestants strapped on spurs and broad-brimmed hats to compete in a rodeo that’s gained recognition as the No. 4 event in the United Professional Rodeo Association.
“This takes a lot of home practice,” Lindale resident David Thadford said during the women’s breakaway roping event. “As opposed to the rough stock (like bronc riding) where riders mostly practice at rodeos.”
Thadford estimated about 25 percent of the competitors already held their professional rodeo card through previous competition. The East Texas area boasts a notable reputation for molding rodeo winners.
The 2007 Steer Roping World Champion Trevor Brazille competed in Lindale at youth rodeo camps when he was a boy, Thadford said.
A community gem, the rodeo has brought folks to the Lindale Arena for 21 years now. Thursday night saw 2,000 in attendance, organizers said. First-timers got a particularly sweet thrill as horses shot along the railing near enough to throw mud on spectators.
“I just love all of it,” said 88-year-old Elizabeth Ray, of Lindale, who settled into a folding chair just inches from the railing. “I grew up around horses, but I haven’t been to one of these in a long

Read the full story here.

(photo by Jaime R. Carrero/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Lindale Pushes Forward After Mayor’s Sudden Death

Article published May 14, 2008
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
LINDALE — City officials said Tuesday the transition has been somber but smooth as city hall picks up this week following the sudden death of Mayor Rev. James Ballard.
Ballard, 67, died Saturday in a Tyler hospital from symptoms related to congestive heart failure.
“We have a great team in place and I just don’t see any transitional issues at all,” said Mayor Pro Tem Jim Mallory. “We’re in a growth situation and our entire city staff is tuned into that now.”
City Council members could appoint a new mayor, move Mallory up and appoint a new mayor pro tem, or leave things as they are at their upcoming meeting Tuesday night.
“There are several options for the council,” said Owen Scott, city administrator.
Mallory said if the council chooses him for mayor he “would be honored” to take the position.
City Hall is adjusting to the news that caught everyone off-guard, Scott said.
“Last Tuesday, James was alert and talking about the future,” Mallory said. “There was no hint. He’s gone into the hospital and stayed a couple of days before, and we really thought that was going to happen.”
Ballard was elected in 2006 and ran unopposed again in March for a second term. A longtime chaplain for local police, he was known as a kind peacemaker.
“He was a minister as our mayor,” Mallory said. “Very calm, thoughtful — it was such a privilege
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Couple Who Drowned When Car Ran Into Pond Identified

Article published May 12, 2008
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
An elderly Tyler couple died Sunday night after their vehicle ran off their neighborhood road into a pond on the 2000 block of Woodlake Drive.
Police identified the couple who drowned after their car plunged into the pond as Jake Smith, 87, and his wife, Betty, 81. They were from Tyler.
Mr. Smith is a former president of Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce and was active in the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum.Services are pending at Burks Walter Tippitt Funeral Home in Tyler. The cause of the Sunday accident accident remains under investigation this morning.
Tyler police and fire officials responded at 9:19 p.m. when neighbor Doug Marshall called 911 to say a car had sped down his road through two yards and into a pond.Marshall shed his clothes and jumped into the water when he saw headlights shining some 6 feet below.
“I thought ‘There are people drowning under the water,’” he said. “But the lights turned off. I couldn’t find anything.”
Upon arrival, four police officers dove in with Marshall, located the car, found an open window and pulled a woman out.They then returned to the car and struggled to pull a man out.
“Oh god, oh god,” said Marshall, recalling the moment he identified his dead neighbors.
On the normally quiet private unlit street, the noise of a speeding car caused Marshall to initially leave his home and follow the tracks to the pond. He called 911 as he went.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Marshall said. “But I saw the car lights in the water and thought ‘There are people in there.’”
Tyler Fire Department divers swam into the pond at 11 p.m. to attach a hook to the car to be towed. Martin said the car was traveling fast as it careened down a grass hill and crashed into a tree before sinking into the pond.
Officers who first dove in to retrieve the bodies stood wrapped in towels holding
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Three Rescued from Watery Crash After Driver Suffers Chest Pain

Article published May 12, 2008
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
LONGVIEW — Three White Oak residents were rescued from a truck submerged waist deep in a slough Sunday afternoon after the driver suffered chest pain and veered off Highway 42 just south of White Oak.
Charles Williams thought he was having a heart attack when his wife grabbed the steering wheel of their Dodge Ram truck, careening the vehicle down a muddy bank into the water, said Trooper James Ammons, Department of Public Safety, who arrived on scene at about 3:15 p.m.
Williams, his wife, Evangeline, and mother-in-law, Lee Dehowas, 87, were taken by ambulance to Good Shepherd Hospital with minor injuries, Ammons said. “They were shaken up,” he said standing on the bridge over the water.A guardrail extends the length of the embankment and some 20 feet further both directions. Headed north on Hwy 42, Mrs. Williams pulled the wheel right so it wouldn’t hit the guardrail, which might have caused the truck to roll down the embankment, Ammons said. Instead they drove head on into the shallow water.
DPS officials used a floating backboard to remove each person and get them to shore. It is unclear whether they were wearing seatbelts, Ammons said.
Highway 42 between I-20 and River Road was blocked for nearly two hours as
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Van City Official Edges Out Victory Against Incumbent Mayor

Article published May 11, 2008
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
VAN — It was a squeeze, said Billy Wilson, who won the mayoral race here against incumbent Billy B. Smith by five votes Saturday night.
“It was tight, and I knew it was going to get down to the wire,” said Wilson, who has served on Van’s City Council for one year. “I’m very excited. I worked hard, called a lot of people.”
The complete, unofficial results Saturday night were 127-122 in Wilson’s favor. Smith, who beat Wilson two years ago by about 50 votes, said a change in trash service upset some residents working in commercial business and led to opposition in this race that was “too much for me to overcome.”
“I’m still going to be interested in doing anything in the city I can,” Smith said Saturday night. “I called Mr. Wilson and indicated if I could help him as he transitions into the job I would do it.”
Early voters helped Wilson take a 39-32 vote lead going into Saturday. On Election Day, Wilson received 88 votes to Smith’s 90 votes. Turnout was excellent, perhaps even a record for early voting, said Wilson and Smith. About 1,400 voters are registered in Van.
“The more citizens involved the better community you have,” Smith said.
Both men seemed to bear no hard feelings toward one another in their second clash for mayor.
“I knew it would be close because Mr. Smith is a good man,” Wilson said.
Opening the line of communication between city hall and taxpayers is first on the agenda, Wilson said, followed by encouraging Van’s growth as a thriving
Read the full story here.

Tyler Junior College Place 9 Race Heads To Runoff

By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
A runoff election will be necessary to determine whether Melinda Coker or Rohn Boone will win the TJC seat up for grabs.
In a three-way race for the Place 9 seat, Mrs. Coker led with 2,628 votes (41.2 percent) to Rohn Boone's 2,541 votes (39.8 percent). Steven Sherwood trailed with 1,209 votes (18.9 percent).
A candidate must win at least 50 percent of the vote to win the Place 9 seat. The runoff election will take place no later than May 31.
Mrs. Coker could be the third woman on the nine-person board. The Place 9 position opened earlier this year when David Couch decided not to run for re-election.
Incumbents Ann Brookshire and David Hudson went unopposed Saturday with 4,871 and 4,769 votes, respectively.
Mrs. Coker said her eight years of experience as a leader in TJC's career planning office gives her perspective on the college's eclectic student body, talented faculty and hard-working staff, one that should be voiced on the board.
"My strength is knowing what the students need and what the TJC community is about," she said in April at a meeting with the Tyler Paper's editorial board.
"You can have so many numbers people. I had my own business, I know how to read a financial statement, but we have plenty of experts on the board who can
Read the full story here.

Mission Of Mercy Soothes Hundreds Of Hurting Mouths

East Texas Health
By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
For the fifth year, Texas Mission of Mercy in Tyler was a triumph, said participating dentists, volunteers and dental students.
Through the charity efforts of hundreds of volunteers, including dozens of dentists, some 700 patients received care, including 554 dental patients on two Saturdays in April.
The cost of free care was $200 to $5,000 per patient, said Dr. David Nichols, a participating dentist and organizer.
“An average of three teeth per patient were extracted,” he said. “Several had over 10 extracted, and one patient had 26 teeth removed.”
Read full article here.

Margo's Story: Fighting Cancer Before It Starts

By LAUREN GROVER
Staff Writer
Her hearty laugh is bold, like her ink-black hair that refuses to gray, and encircling Margo Adams' small, graceful frame are two long scars that meet at her spine and curl around to her chest.
For Margo, cancer wasn't a shock. At 18, she watched her mother fight and lose to it. And, like her mom, the disease has always been with her, a part of her very make-up.
"Cancer was never 'Poor me,'" said Margo, 59, sipping wine over a plate of sushi on Tuesday. "My mother died of it at 42. I was 18, my brother was 15, and we didn't get it. I wanted to outlive her."
Read the full story here.
Read Margo's Story, Part 2 here.
(photo by Herb Nygren Jr./Tyler Morning Telegraph)