By Scott Harvey

– Beginning today, Texas residents can vote early for the November 3rd constitutional amendment election.

Locally, Quinlan and Wolfe City will decide whether to allow the sale of beer and wine, the community of Cash could become incorporated, Bonham residents will decide on a school bond item, plus the Paris ISD will hold a tax rollback election.

By Scott Harvey

– Newman Smith 55
Greenville 28

Royse City 17
Rockwall Heath 31

Pearce 43
Rockwall 36

Mt. Pleasant 6
Texarkana Texas High School 27

Bonham 6
Commerce 42

Paris 27
N. Lamar 14

Van Alstyne 28
Anna 7

Farmersville 36
Rains 12

Quinlan Ford 19
Lovejoy 42

Bells 20
Honeygrove 13

Tom Bean 55
Melissa 6

Gunter 27
Leonard 13

Redwater 14
Prairiland 20

De Kalb 14
Rivercrest 33

By Scott Harvey

Hopkins County – Jurors deliberated until early this morning before convicting a Pickton man for a second time for murdering his brother.

John Arlen Walters had previously been convicted and received a 32 year prison sentence. That sentence was overturned on appeal. This time, his conviction resulted in a 12 year sentence, and is expected to receive get credit for time already served.

Walters has testified he shot his brother in self-defense.

Alice joins the Morning Blend to talk about the weekend movie lineup on Friday, Oct. 16.

Alice Reese, Movie Reviewer

By Brad Kellar

Greenville – Crews from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have returned to Greenville to remove more contaminated soil near the Ardis Heights area.

Crews are excavating dirt from both sides of Forrester Street/FM 499 and Fannin Street. In September 2008 the EPA added the former ESCO manufacturing plant as well as dozens of nearby locations to the Superfund list.

By Brad Kellar

Caddo Mills – Bond reduction is denied for a Caddo Mills murder suspect. 47-year-old Randall Douglas Smith was seeking another reduction in bond, even after a judge last month cut in half his $1 million to $500,000.

Smith remains in custody at the Hunt County Jail, charged with the murder of 49-year-old Gregory Poteet, also of Caddo Mills. No additional hearings have immediately been scheduled.

A preliminary autopsy report indicated Poteet died as the result of multiple gunshot wounds.

By Brad Kellar

West Tawakoni – A West Tawakoni man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of domestic violence for the second time in four years.

Following a two day trial, 34-year-old Jason Steven Zimmerle was found guilty Wednesday on one count of assault causing bodily injury with prior conviction. The panel found him not guilty on a second count of the same charge.

By Brad Kellar

West Tawakoni – A West Tawakoni man has been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of domestic violence for the second time in four years.

Following a two day trial, 34-year-old Jason Steven Zimmerle was found guilty Wednesday on one count of assault causing bodily injury with prior conviction. The panel found him not guilty on a second count of the same charge.

By Scott Harvey

Rains County – State Senator for District II Robert Deuell and Rains County Judge Joe R. Dougherty are scheduled to speak this afternoon during a rededication ceremony of the Rains County Courthouse.

The building was recently restored to its classic 1908 condition, thanks to a $2.4 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission (THC) through its Courthouse Preservation Program. The program provides partial matching grants to Texas counties for the restoration of their historic courthouses.

By Scott Harvey

Bells – The Bells ISD in Grayson County has cancelled classes for today due to a high rate of flu-related absences.

Officials say 23% of its students were absent Thursday. Crews have begun to clean and sanitize all schools and may work through the weekend to have things ready for Monday.

Earlier this week, classes resumed at several schools in Hunt, Hopkins, and Fannin Counties after being closed last week because of high absenteeism.