A&M-Commerce President Dan Jones welcomes guests Gale Gordon and Jalinna Jones, Shannon Carter and Dr. Fred Tarpley, Dr. Deb Porter and Greg Mitchell.

The President's Table, 10-21-09

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A couple of Greenville organizations will take part in National Make a Difference Day this weekend, with activities to take place at the former Austin Elementary School location.

Keep Greenville Beautiful and the City of Greenville are partnering on the efforts between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.

By Brad Kellar

Hunt County – A Hunt County man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing metal from a convenience store.

James Bryan Compton, of West Tawakoni, entered the plea during a hearing Wednesday. Under a plea bargain arrangement, he was sentenced to six months in a state jail.

By Scott Harvey

Paris – Two former murder suspects in a Paris dragging death found themselves in jail again Tuesday for charges of driving while intoxicated.

Shannon Finley and Charles Crostley were arrested in separate incidents within hours of each other. It was Finley's third DWI charge. Both have been released on bonds of $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.

The two became widely known after their arrest in the death of Brandon McClelland in September of 2007. Those charges would later be dismissed.

By Scott Harvey

Washington – The National Transportation Safety Board meets next week to discuss an investigation of the bus crash near Sherman that killed 17 members of Houston's Vietnamese community last year.

The public meeting Tuesday in Washington, D.C., will examine how a coach carrying 55 passengers to a Catholic retreat in Missouri skidded off the highway.

The bus veered off the road when a retreaded tire on the right front axle deflated. Federal regulations prohibit retreads from being used on the front of buses.

By Scott Harvey

Paris – 18-year-old Jeremy Fulbright, of Paris, decided to plead guilty to two robbery charges and accept a 30 year prison sentence.

The guilty plea came just moments after a jury was chosen in the case.

Fulbright was accused of beating the clerk with a gun in one robbery. He must serve at least half his sentence before being eligible for parole.

By Brad Kellar

Hunt County – The number of confirmed H1N1 cases in Hunt County has increased.

There has now been six confirmed cases of the strain, according to the Hunt County Health Department. No deaths have been reported locally. There is currently a limited supply of the H1N1 vaccine.

The Health Department and Hunt Regional Medical Center have indicated they have no clinics scheduled for seasonal flu shots, as there is no seasonal flu available. Some local pharmacies have also stopped scheduling clinics.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A Greenville man has admitted to making threats to a city code enforcement officer.

Gerald Dwayne Jones was alleged to have threatened to assault the officer while he was on duty in April. He entered the guilty plea Tuesday.

Under a plea bargain arrangement, Jones was placed on five years of deferred adjudication probation with a $300 fine. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and write a letter of apology to the officer.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A local man is sentenced to prison, after pleading guilty to kidnapping and organized crime in connection to a Greenville incident one year ago.

Under a plea bargain arrangement, Gregory Wayne Anderson Jr., of Greenville, was sentenced to eight years. He also had probations for assaulting a public servant, felony theft and escape revoked, resulting in an additional eight year prison sentenced and two years in a state jail. All sentences will run concurrently.

By Scott Harvey

Cumby – A high number of student illnesses continue to plague area schools, as the Cumby ISD has closed for the remainder of the week.

Reports show 18 percent of Cumby students were out sick Tuesday.

Schools will typically wait until they've reached a 15 percent absentee rate before determining whether to hold classes. Earlier this month, five other area school districts had to close its doors for several days.