By Scott Harvey

Wills Point – Two Hunt County residents were arrested yesterday following a lengthy chase which stemmed from a burglary in Wills Point.

The men were alleged to have stolen a truck there and when pursued by law enforcement they attempted to flee, leading authorities on a chase through four counties with speeds topping 100 mph.

By Scott Harvey

– Emergency crews and South Texas residents are preparing for Hurricane Alex to make landfall.

Over 500 first responders and over 100 boats are ready to respond, should there be flooding. The National Hurricane Center says the Category 1 storm is the first June Atlantic hurricane since 1995. The Alamo Regional Command Center has been activated, with 100 buses for evacuation on standby.

Area counties are preparing for the possibility of housing evacuees, should coastal residents be displaced and choose to head this way.

By Brent Lyday

Commerce – Mary Bonham, co-creator of the J-B WELD Company, will be presented with an honorary doctorate from Texas A&M University-Commerce at commencement on August 14 in the A&M-Commerce Field House.

By Scott Harvey

Greenville – A number of energy-related projects in Greenville are to be performed thanks to a recently awarded grant from the state.

The Texas Comptroller's office says the City's State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) Block Grant application has been approved in the amount of $86,365.

Greenville applied for the grant back in November, after the City Council authorized staff to pursue all energy efficiency and conservation grants available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – Funeral services have been scheduled and are pending for the two victims of a fatal collision in Greenville.

61-year-old Wayne Giroux of Lone Oak and 23-year-old Cordney Guinyard of Greenville died in the wreck, which occurred Sunday morning.

A mass and Christian burial for Giroux will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Williams Catholic Church in Greenville. Funeral services are pending for Guinyard with Grace & Mercy Funeral Home in Greenville.

By Scott Harvey

Greenville – The City of Greenville this Friday is scheduled to break ground on its new wastewater treatment plant, the largest construction project in the City's history.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Friday, July 2, 2010, at 9 a.m. at the facility, located at 100 Division Street, just East of Interstate 30.

Gracon Construction of Mesquite, Texas will soon begin the two year, $20,484,070 construction of the new Sequencing Batch Reactor Wastewater Treatment Plant.

By Scott Harvey

Paris – Texas State Representative for District 3 Mark Homer is applauding Tuesday's Supreme Court ruling of the highly controversial case of McDonald vs. Chicago. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that the Second Amendment applies to states and local governments, a major victory for millions of Americans who lawfully own and carry firearms.

By Scott Harvey

Paris – A Paris man is charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after he allegedly stole a truck out of Commerce.

Paris Police on Monday noticed a man changing tire at a store the 1600 block of North Main Street, when they observed the truck was the one that had been reported stolen.

Taken into custody was 20-year-old Grayson Lee Taylor.

By Scott Harvey

Commerce – An August tax rollback election has been scheduled by the Commerce ISD, in hopes of winning approval of a 13 cents tax rate hike from residents.

During Monday's meeting, Director of Finance John Walker informed the school board of a projected budget shortfall of nearly $700,000. The funding gap comes despite efforts district-wide to cut expenditures, as all campuses were asked to cut three percent of their budgets, totaling nearly $400,000 in savings.

By Brent Lyday

Commerce – The Texas A&M University-Commerce department of educational leadership will host area superintendents, principals, assistant principals, school board members, and local business leaders at the Summer Leadership Conference on Thursday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The conference will be held in the Sam Rayburn Student Center.