By Scott Harvey

Commerce – Following two days of town hall meetings, the Commerce ISD will begin conducting early voting for its August 14 tax ratification election.

The district is asking voters to approve a 13 tax rate hike to cover a nearly $700,000 budget shortfall.

Commerce is joined by Royse City and Terrell as other area ISD's conducting tax ratification elections this year.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A sentence is expected this week in connection to the death of a child in Greenville.

Christina Renee Rodriguez entered an open plea of guilty last month on a charge of criminally negligent homicide in the 2008 death of an infant.

A punishment hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning.

Luke talks fishing this week with guide Jason Barber.

Outdoors with Luke Clayton

By Scott Harvey

– Severe thunderstorms, first forming in Kaufman County, brought heavy rains and pea-sized hail to the region Monday afternoon.

Thunderstorm warnings were issued for a majority of the listening area as storms worked their way from south to north; bringing minor flooding, scattered power outages, lightning and gusting winds at up to 70 mph.

Calling into KETR, Captain Prigmore with the Campbell Fire Department described the scene from his vantage point.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – The first of two town hall meetings by the Commerce ISD to address its upcoming tax ratification election is in the books.

Monday night at the Norris Community Center, Superintendent Blake Cooper broke down the district's financial situation. He focused largely on the lack of funding from the state, combined with increased expenditures.

"There are two ways we can get money for schools: More students, and tax revenue," said Cooper.

By Brent Lyday

Commerce – Sigma-Aldrich, a leading life science and high technology company, recently assessed the environmental health and safety (EHS) programs in the Texas A&M University-Commerce Science Building on July 14. The group's objective was to evaluate safety practices related to laboratory operations and support functions.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – Approximately 269 pounds of marijuana were seized by authorities and two people were arrested Monday in Greenville.

Officer Robert Pemberton and K-9 Ceiko were working a drug interdiction assignment shortly before 9 a.m. along Interstate 30.

A truck failed to yield to an emergency vehicle and Officer Pemberton initiated a traffic stop.

Consent to search the vehicle was obtained and the search revealed drugs. Estimated street value was put between $161,000 and $188,000.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A Kaufman County woman will face an October trial for allegations she set two children on fire.

Misty Laverna Mayo was one of two people who had pleaded not guilty to multiple indictments, including indecency with a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child.

A judge has now ordered a tentative trial date for Oct. 11 for Mayo on all charges.

Charles Dwayne Mayo Jr., with a Terrell mailing address, is facing a trial August 16 on the same charges.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – Bond has been reduced for one of two suspects charged in a home invasion robbery in Lone Oak earlier this month.

During a hearing Monday, Joshua William McLemore, of Winnsboro, was granted the reduction from $500,000 to $100,000.

The 23-year-old McLemore was one of two suspects arrested in connection with a July 11 home invasion on CR 3221. Also arrested was 30-year-old Silas G. Reppond, also from Winnsboro.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – The Commerce Community Garden hopes to receive grant funding to help expand what's become an increasingly popular site since its creation two years ago.

Hunt County Commissioners Monday gave approval to move forward on obtaining a pass-through grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The grant, if approved, would provide more than $36,000 in funding for the construction of a fence around the garden, plus a sheltered educational facility to be built on site.