By Scott Harvey

– A day of persistent, severe thunderstorms in North Texas continued deep into the night in East Texas, spawning tornadoes that caused widespread damage in at least one county.

Officials say multiple suspected tornadoes late last night ravaged the area in and around the East Texas town of Crockett, about 130 miles north of Houston. Confirmed tornadoes were also reported earlier in the day near Abilene, and twisters were spotted in Ellis County, south of Dallas.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – Prison sentences have been issued in an oil fraud case in connection to a Wolfe City oil company.

Chad Michael Hayes, of McKinney, was convicted by a jury on 17 felony counts last Thursday.

He received 25 years in prison on the securities fraud charge, and 10 years in prison on each of the remaining counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Hayes was also ordered to pay $372,000 in restitution to the victims.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – The potential for severe weather brought out one of the teams from the Discovery Channel series Storm Chasers to Greenville.

Their TIV, or Tornado Intercept Vehicle, commanded by IMAX Filmmaker Sean Casey, spent Sunday night in the City and ventured out Monday afternoon.

During the lunch hour, the crew was parked briefly along SH 224 at the northeastern Greenville city limits.

By Scott Harvey

– Oncor was reporting scattered outages this afternoon mainly in Collin, Fannin, Lamar and Hopkins counties as severe storms continue to abuse the region.

A handful of severe thunderstorm warnings had been issued for parts of the listening region, as storms followed a northeasterly track from south of Dallas-Fort Worth up across the Red River into Southeastern Oklahoma. Hail has been reported in a number of communities, including Rockwall, Bonham and Cooper.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – The reconstruction of Traders Road in Greenville is one step closer to getting started, as officials will soon know how much the project will cost.

City officials have begun advertising for bids, which are due by May 11.

Traders Road, which runs between Jack Finney Boulevard and Wesley St, has an average daily traffic count of 5,000 vehicles, but has never been ungraded from its originally paved condition.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – A punishment hearing is today for a Collin County man, found guilty of securities fraud involving a Hunt County oil company.

A jury last Thursday convicted Chad Hayes, of McKinney, on 17 counts, including acting as an unregistered dealer, selling unregistered securities and securities fraud.

Hayes is one of five defendants indicted in the case. Prosecutors have alleged the five were involved in a scheme to defraud investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – Attorneys for Hunt County are hoping for a quick resolution to at least part of a lawsuit involving their Criminal Justice Center.

Attorneys for the plaintiff have filed a motion for partial summary judgment against at least some of the defendants in the case. That hearing is set for Thursday. A trial date has not been set.

By Scott Harvey

Lamar County – A Lamar County man was killed after wrecking his 4-wheeler early Sunday morning.

State Troopers say 35-year-old Rodney Brock Stevenson, of Blossom, struck a dear while traveling along CR 44800. The crash ejected Stevenson from the ATV, throwing his body into a tree.

He was pronounced dead shortly before 4 a.m.

By Scott Harvey

Yantis – Opponents of the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline that would run through parts of East Texas are holding a town hall meeting Monday night in Yantis regarding the Department of State's recent supplemental environmental impact statement.

Eddie Radillo is a member of STOP (Stop Tar Sands Oil Pipeline).

By Scott Harvey

– The Texas Department of Transportation has delayed putting traffic on a newly constructed section of U.S. Highway 380 until Monday.

The section runs from 0.3 miles East of FM 903 to the KCS railroad crossing in Greenville. For the next six months, motorists will be directed to travel on this new roadway while the existing 380 highway and bridges are reconstructed.