By Scott Harvey

Commerce – 24 faculty members at Texas A&M University-Commerce are recipients of the A&M System's 2011 Student Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence.

University Provost Dr. Larry Lemanski says the institution is committed to recruiting and retaining the very best and brightest faculty from across the country, and that the students are the beneficiaries.

The list of recipients is as follows:

College of Arts and Sciences :

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – According to Director of Public Works Massoud Ebrahim, the city could go out for bids on the Monty Stratton Parkway by as early as next month.

The project is expected to cost about $2.8 million, and will help ease traffic congestion and open up access between Interstate 30, both campuses of Paris Junior College and Greenville High School.

The project includes two concrete lanes with raised median and open ditches on either side between the connection with the interstate and Lions Lair Road.

Alice previews the new Harry Potter and Winnie the Poo movies.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A response of general denial has been issued by a New Orleans-based company in their defense of an illegal dumping lawsuit filed by the City of Commerce.

Fountainbleu Management Companies is alleged to have illegally dumped thousands of pounds in asbestos at a local landfill and buried even more on their apartment complex property site in Commerce.

By Scott Harvey

Greenville – State Senator Bob Deuell and State Representative Dan Flynn addressed the recent legislative session Wednesday morning to a crowd in Greenville.

One of the main topics discussed by the two Northeast Texas lawmakers was school finance, both of whom this session fought for a change in the current target revenue system and inequity in school funding.

Greenville – A recent vote to eliminate three positions within the Hunt County Sheriff's Office has Sheriff Randy Meeks claiming he wasn't notified ahead of time.

The Greenville-Herald Banner is reporting that the decision to remove Undersheriff Joe Knight, a lieutenant and a clerk position was made during a budget meeting late last month. Judge John Horn tells the paper that the sheriff's office was administratively top heavy, and commissioners did not want to cut street operations.

– 78 children have drowned in Texas so far this year, yet too few people know just how drowning occurs.

Drowning is often a silent death for children

"They can fall into something as shallow as two inches of water and not be able to get themselves to the surface," says Anita Foster wit the Red Cross. "So just fall very quietly and that's why so often we'll find them at the bottom and nobody even knew that the child was in danger."

Alice previews the new Harry Potter and Winnie the Poo movies.

Alice previews the new Harry Potter and Winnie the Poo movies.

By Scott Harvey

Greenville – Hunt County fire crews battled a scrap yard fired in Greenville for several hours Thursday afternoon as large plumes of black smoke were visible for miles.

The fire at the New Phoenix Metals plant along Industrial Drive reportedly burned dozens of salvaged vehicles and tires. No one was injured. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at around 1:45 p.m. Thursday.

This week, Ken Blackstock compares electric off road vehicles to those with gas engines.