By Scott Harvey

– The National Weather Service in Ft. Worth has confirmed at least seven tornadoes swept through East Texas on Tuesday, with another four suspected.

The strongest was categorized as an EF1, which hit between Edom and Ben Wheeler in Van Zandt County at close to 90 mph, destroying several homes and damaging over 100 others. One woman was severely injured.

An EF0 was reported to hit Mabank in Kaufman County, while another EF0 hit just to the south in Henderson County at Cedar Creek Lake.

By Scott Harvey

Merrick County, Nebraska – A Nebraska county board is supporting the proposed pipeline to carry Canadian tar sands oil to refineries near the Gulf of Mexico, a move that would affect sections of East Texas.

The Merrick County Board voted Tuesday to write a letter of support for TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which is being reviewed by the U.S. State Department. The 1,700-mile project is designed to carry oil from Canada across Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – The second meeting for the Small Area Plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Fletcher Warren Civic Center in Greenville.

The session will focus on preliminary land uses and transportation strategies for the site, which is just west of Greenville and includes the I-30 corridor through the City.

The Small Area Plan, which also includes a proposed giant municipal utility district covering 6,000 acres, is expected to help outline the development between Greenville and Caddo Mills.

By Scott Harvey

Wolfe City – The Wolfe City Chamber of Commerce is hosting a candidates forum Thursday night, which will feature two contested races for the school board.

Incumbents Ron Ferguson and Phil Tanner are seeking re-election to serve full terms. Doug Skinner has filed for the Place 7 seat, currently held by Ferguson, and Steven Cherry has filed seeking the Place 1 seat, currently held by Tanner.

By Scott Harvey

Austin – After a marathon debate that dragged into the wee morning hours, the GOP-led Texas House has approved a redistricting plan that would all but guarantee a continued Republican majority - albeit a smaller one than the party has now.

The map, approved on a 92-52 vote Thursday, would pit several Republicans against each other, including local state representatives Dan Flynn and Erwin Cain, should the two run again in 2012.

By Scott Harvey

Paris – According to police, Demetra Hall was stabbed to death following an argument at a Paris residence Wednesday afternoon.

Hall's son, 25-year-old Nicholas Edwards, is now facing murder charges.

Police don't know what the argument was about. The investigation is continuing.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – Up to $25,000 is up for grabs as area high school bands participate in the State Farm Original Score Contest, and they need your support.

Commerce High School is among the participants. Now until midnight Saturday you can vote for their music video titled Adventure!, written by senior Jason Anthraper.

By Scott Harvey

Quitman – The Humane Society of North Texas is awarded custody of nearly 80 snakes seized from a residence last week near Quitman.

A Wood County judge also ordered the snakes' former owner, whose true identity has been revealed as Damon James Heynen, to pay the costs for animal care. To date, that totals $4,000.

Heynen is also wanted under aliases in five other states.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – The Greenville City Council Districts will also need to undergo redistricting, due to shifts in population over the last ten years.

During Tuesday's work session, Jacob Limon with Barney Knight & Associates said the City's total deviation between the population of their largest and smallest districts is currently over 27 percent. In general, lines need to be redrawn in the deviation exceeds ten percent.

The process will eventually require review and approval from the U.S. Department of Justice.

By Scott Harvey

– East Texas was the site of nearly a dozen suspected tornadoes, some of which caused major damage Tuesday.

Van Zandt County emergency management spokesman Chuck Allen estimated that "easily 100-plus" homes were destroyed or damaged north of the tiny East Texas town of Edom. He said one woman suffered fractures when her mobile home was destroyed.

Allen described a damage track one mile wide and eight miles long extending from Edom to the north.