Tennessee Colony News

Three Anderson County volunteer fire departments battled an intense grass fire that burned several acres near the Coffield Prison Unit Saturday afternoon.

Back row, from left: Edgar and Barbara Brown, Mayor John Cook, Cathy Reynolds, and Nancy and Frank Evans.

An autopsy performed Thursday on the body of a 56-year-old Palestine man found deceased inside his Anderson County residence earlier this week showed nothing unusual, according to authorities.

Texas Department of Public Safety troopers are investigating a fiery fatal accident that occurred around 10 a.m. Wednesday on FM 320, just west of the Palestine city limits.

Elmer Wayne Henley, his once-long hair now cropped closely and flecked with gray, shakes his head three times.

'No. No. No,' he mutters softly, as his ice-blue eyes study the artist's renderings of three unidentified murder victims. 'I don't recognize any of these people.'

Henley, who turned 52 in May, sits behind a glass divider in the visiting room at the Michael Unit, a Texas prison set amid cow pastures and sprawling ranches about an hour south of Dallas.

Henley is serving six life sentences with little chance of parole for his role in the torture and murder of 27 young boys in the early 1970s _ at the time, the worst mass murder in the country's history.

From left, Shawn Berry, Lawrence Brewer and Bill King - the three men held responsible for the slaying of James Byrd Jr.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice's investigation into an assault at a Tennessee Colony prison unit last month which sent three inmates to area hospitals continues, according to a prison spokesperson.

A 58-year-old Tyler woman who was allegedly in possession of a small amount of methamphetamine this past fall has been indicted by an Anderson County grand jury.

“She has been a member for three months and she has been to every meeting”

The new president of Trinity Valley Community College was the keynote speaker at this month's Athens Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday. via Athens Daily Review

“The mom and daughter wanted to leave and he wouldn't let them leave”

A 60-year-old Palestine man who allegedly threatened to kill his family and then scuffled with officers this past fall has been indicted on multiple charges by an Anderson County grand jury. via Palestine Herald-Press

A 27-year-old former Anderson County jailer has been indicted by an Anderson County grand jury on two counts of prohibited substance in a correctional facility, according to records released by the Anderson ... via Palestine Herald-Press

In 1997, Western Gas Resources selected the LO-CAT process to treat the amine acid gas generated in their Pinnacle Gas Processing plant located in Tennessee Colony, TX. via Oil and Gas Online

“He's going to leave some mighty big boots to fill, but I think I can fill them.”

The Athens City Council's selection to replace retiring Director of Utilities Don Herriage has a familiar name. via Athens Daily Review

“The confidential nature of the survey precludes further investigation, so it is difficult to make definitive statements regarding the findings.”

A national survey of prison inmates showed the William P. Clements Jr. Unit near Amarillo to have the second-highest rate of sexual victimization. via Amarillo.com

“Most of my family lives in Houston”

Anderson County resident Voida Reed finds much fulfillment in her life by holding true to what she considers to be three important "F's" in life - friends, flowers and faith. via Palestine Herald-Press

The community was saddened by the deaths of two more pioneers this in March: Mary Ernestine McKenzie-Winkle, whose age was listed as 79 years, and Jessie Brown, listed as 102 years. via Palestine Herald-Press

“We learned through investigation that most of these items were traded for drugs”

Authorities believe a 19-year-old Anderson County man already in jail on unrelated charges may be responsible for a handful of burglaries in the Tennessee Colony area, with some of those offenses dating back to ... via Palestine Herald-Press

Palestine Health Care Center needs LVN or RN for 2p-10p shift, Monday-Friday. Apply in person at: 1816 Tile Factor ... >MORE F/T OFFICE NURSE F/T Office Nurse - LVN/Medical Assistant, require 1 year experience, ... via Palestine Herald-Press

“I feel the verdict was absolutely appropriate based on the evidence”

A federal jury was asked to decide between an accident or excessive force in the civil suit stemming from the incident at Marshall Regional Medical Center following a shoot-out at Smith Street Park. via Marshall News Messenger

Leo Serrano lowers a hydraulic lift from near the roof of the Redlands Building Wednesday afternoon while doing facade work on the historic structure. via Palestine Herald-Press