KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – Smith County residents have been given a look at a new county jail expansion plan. It was presented and discussed at a town hall meeting Thursday afternoon. The plan is to expand the existing downtown jail facilities and eliminate the need for out-of-county inmate transport. The $35 million plan includes an in-house infirmary, estimated to save the county $600-800,000 per year in hospital expenses, and an additional 384 beds to eliminate the average $2 million annual cost for housing Smith County inmates in alternate facilities. County officials say the plan will eliminate pressing safety issues, increase operating efficiencies and cut costs.

“In good and bad times government needs to strive to improve efficiencies and cut costs. There is never a good time to build a jail, however this plan offers the greatest impact at the lowest cost to the taxpayers,” said Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Warr, who worked to develop the plan.

“The facts are black and white. We have to keep criminals off the street and it makes more sense to own the space they are in than to rent it,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Cary Nix said. The plan offers few new amenities but reorganizes existing resources to operate more efficiently.

“The kitchen and laundry facilities are being moved to the low-risk campus to allow trustees full access to work there,” Commissioner Warr said.

“The visitation space will be replaced by an infirmary and all visitation will be done by remote video, increasing safety and eliminating the need for jail employees to monitor this function. Lack of contact with family members also works as an added detourant for offenders,” Commissioner Warr said.

“This plan is about organizing and maintaining efficient operations for our criminal justice system, not creating any extra comforts for those who are in jail,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Terry Phillips said.

The $35 million plan, if approved by a May bond election, would add one cent per $100 valuation to the Smith County tax roll for 15 years or a cost of about $13 per year to the average Smith County household.

“This proposal addresses numerous situations that our Sheriff’s office has dealt with for years in severely inadequate conditions, which will ultimately lead to greater safety for our deputies and jail personnel,” Precinct 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton said.

County Judge Joel Baker said that cooperation and extra work done by members of the court, along with the work that the District Attorney and the Judges have done to expedite the judicial process, will have significant benefit for all our Smith County citizens.

HENDERSON – Rusk County Crime Stoppers and the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office need help identifying a man who stole copper wire from Crims Chapel Water Supply on County Road 238. On January 11, deputies say he broke into the water supply by climbing a fence around the building. That’s when he is said to have picked up some copper wire lying on the ground, threw it over the fence, and climbed back over before leaving. The copper wire was worth about $500. Rusk County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1000 for any information leading to an arrest in this case. Call them at 903-655-TIPS (8477) or contact the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office at 903-657-3581.

TYLER – A 33-year-old Palestine man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking. Sterlynn Jeremiah Henry pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine, also known as PCP, Thursday in Tyler before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.

According to information presented in court, on October 7, 2009, Henry and a co-defendant, Andrea Rachelle Bailey, were found to be in possession of a mixture containing a detectable amount of PCP, which they intended to distribute in the Eastern District of Texas. Henry also admitted to being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of his criminal activity. Henry and Bailey were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 1, 2010. Henry faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. Bailey pleaded guilty on February 3, 2011, and faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been set.

CANTON — Four persons are arrested in Van Zandt County on drug charges. On Wednesday, a multi-jurisdictional investigation involving investigators from the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, Grand Saline Police Department, Canton Police Department, and Pct. 1 Constable’s Office executed a narcotics search warrant. Investigators had received information of illegal narcotics allegedly being sold at a location in Grand Saline. They executed the warrant at 134 W. Hickory St. in Grand Saline. Investigators say they seized a large amount of currency and methamphetamines from the location.

Upon execution of the warrant, four suspects were taken into custody: Tabbatha Jane Bretz, 28; Lacey Wayne Hipp, 26; Mindy Ann Roseman, 31; and Ronald Wayne White, 45. All have been charged with manufacture/delivery of controlled substance and are being held on $40,000 bond at the Van Zandt County Justice Center.

LINDALE — The Lindale Independent School District will hold classes on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 to make up for the district closure on Friday, February 4 due to winter weather. The May 31 date is already scheduled on the approved 2010-2011 LISD school calendar as a make-up day. June 1 is also scheduled as a possible makeup day in the event of another school closure. At this time, classes will only be held on May 31. “Every school day is important to our students and our school district,” Lindale ISD Superintendent Stan Surratt said. “Attendance on the scheduled make-up day is just as important as attendance any other day. I am sure there will be many end of the year exams, programs and presentations that our students will not want to miss as well.”

TYLER – Carter BloodCare is issuing a special call for donors, saying inclement weather resulted in a severely low blood supply. The organization requests all available donors make an appointment or attend community drives soon. All Carter BloodCare donor centers in East Texas reopened Thursday after Wednesday’s inclement weather conditions led the organization to shut down. This, following a wintry blast from Feb. 1st through 4th, that resulted in the loss of almost four days of blood collections for the blood center. During those days, blood drives were canceled and Carter elected to close donor centers, citing safety concerns for staff and donors.

Carter BloodCare is the largest blood center in Texas and its 56-county operation means that when blood collections are low in East Texas, the blood center’s Dallas/Fort Worth and Waco operations can help meet the demand. However, the recent weather conditions affected all of Carter BloodCare’s service area – eliminating this benefit – and leaving the blood supply severely low, according to Carter officials.

Officials say patient needs were met during the crisis because of strong relationships that Carter BloodCare has forged with other community blood centers statewide and across the country. The blood center imported blood from as many as eight other centers. But Carter officials say this type of arrangement is not sustainable.

A community blood center relies on local volunteer blood donors. Officials say Carter BloodCare needs to see at least 1100 donors a day, system-wide, in order to keep up with local hospitals’ needs. A wide range of patients use blood on a daily basis, and there is no substitute for human blood. Patients battling cancer are the largest consumers of blood and blood products, but blood is just as necessary for patients undergoing joint-replacement surgery, sickle cell disease treatments, emergency labor and delivery cases, and emergency trauma care.

Potential donors can be 16 years old with a parent’s consent; 17-year-olds may donate independently. There is no upper age limit for donating blood. All donors must weigh at least 110 pounds, be in good general health and present a photo ID. Ideally, a donor should also eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids before giving blood. For more information about donor eligibility, visit http://carterbloodcare.org or call Carter BloodCare at 1-800-DONATE-4.

KILGORE — Kilgore public school administrators say all departments are being considered for cuts as the district faces budget trimming in light of the state’s deficit. The district is expecting a state funding cut ranging between 3.2 to 6 million dollars. The state legislature has until July to make decisions, Kilgore Schools have only until April to renew those teacher contracts.

LUFKIN — A 19-year-old Lufkin man died early Wednesday morning, and three other people were injured, during a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 69 north. The accident happened at 12:35 a.m. Wednesday one mile south of FM 843, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety report. The driver of a 1995 Lexus, Isaac Tucker, 19, of Pollok, crossed the center line heading southbound and collided with a Kenworth truck towing a trailer, the report stated. Nicholas Zayne Anthony, a passenger in the Lexus, died at the scene.

Tucker was transported to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin and is listed in serious condition. Another passenger, Ryan Walton, 19, also of Pollok, was taken to Memorial and is listed in poor condition. The driver of the truck, Michael Sutton, 40, of Louisiana, was also taken to Memorial and was listed in good condition. The report stated that everyone was wearing a seat belt.

EAST TEXAS – East Texas is getting back to normal after winter weather plagued the area. It turned out, at least for the Tyler and Longview area, to be not nearly as bad as predicted. Still, there are some scattered problems and some schools will have a delayed start today. Here’s the list:
Slocum opens at 9:30
Azleway Charter School opens at 9:30
Frankston starts at10:00am
Laneville starts at 10:00am
Van starts at 10:00
Quitman starts at 10:00
Yantis starts at 10:00
Rusk opens at 10:00
LaPoyner starts at 10:00
Wells starts at 10:00
Union Hill opens at 10:00
Malakoff has a two hour delay
Jacksonville has a two hour delay
Alto has a two hour delay
Nacogdoches has a two hour delay
Sulphur Springs has a two hour delay
Quitman has a two hour delay

TYLER — The public is encouraged to attend a community input meeting on the newest Smith County Proposal for jail expansion. Officials say you can get information, ask questions, and submit comments this afternoon starting at 4:00 in the County Courthouse’s Central Jury Room. According to officials, proposal highlights include a 384-bed expansion of the existing facility, improved employee and community safety, improved efficiencies and cost savings, and elimination of out-of-county inmate housing. You can also go to http://www.Smith-County.com for more information or to email questions and comments.

TYLER — City of Tyler sales tax revenues deposited for the month of February have increased .58% as compared to February 2010, resulting in a 3.78% cumulative year-to-date increase. City officials explain that the current month increase was 1.51%; however, an out-of-period audit adjustment resulted in the .58% increase.

The reported revenue of $3,927,247.40 comprises of $2,618,164.93 general sales tax revenue and $1,309,082.47 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from December 2010 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

“The City budgeted for a two percent increase in sales tax revenue for 2010-2011, so we are staying on track to meet our budget projections,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “We will continue to watch expenditures closely heading into the next budget cycle as another difficult fiscal year is anticipated due to deflated property values and a slow economic recovery. One of our biggest concerns at this point is potential ramifications from budget cuts at the State level.”

The City received more than $1.1 million in State funding this fiscal year, of which $722,000 came from Federal grants passed through the State. “The Federal funding passed through the State is primarily special law enforcement grants, as well as transit and transportation funding,” explained McDaniel. “Some of this funding may no longer be available on the Federal level. Additionally, the State may choose to eliminate some of its funding to help balance the State budget or pass along unfunded mandates to the local level.”

The law enforcement grants account for more than $200,000 of the total State funding and allow for special enforcement programs such as the Auto Theft Task Force and Click It or Tickit programs. “If the State chooses to reallocate these funds in the future, most likely we will cease these special enforcement programs,” explained Police Chief Gary Swindle. “However, it would not cause us to lose officers as most of this State funding is used for overtime pay.”

State funding only represents 1.2% of the City’s operating budget. Although the cessation of the grants would not result in staffing decreases, there is concern that the State could choose to require cities to continue the programs without providing the funding. “The potential of unfunded mandates or fees emerging from the State budget process is something we are watching closely,” added McDaniel. “Over the last two years we have worked diligently to balance our budget and make the cuts needed to stay within our means. Mandates to continue former State programs with local resources could be devastating to city budgets.”

In 2010, the City of Tyler froze more than 125 positions mid-year, delayed capital expenditures, renegotiated contracts, launched a Lean Sigma efficiency program, limited salary adjustments and took many other actions to ensure the City ended the year in a positive financial position. “Tyler is in a much better position that many other cities across the country,” shared McDaniel. “Because we have no general obligation debt and pay cash for most capital improvement projects, we are able to respond to changing financial conditions. And thanks to our Blueprint, Called to SERVE and Lean Sigma programs, Tyler has maintained its culture of continuous improvement for greater efficiencies.”

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department follows up on a big robbery. More than $50,000 worth of equipment was discovered missing from a city-owned building early Tuesday. The equipment includes stage monitors, speakers, a 50-foot projection screen, mixing boards, amplifiers, and other audio and video equipment. Marshall’s Main Street director, Bo Ellis, says the loss of equipment is devastating for his department, charged with organizing most of Marshall’s community events. The Marshall Police Department is not commenting, but is investigating the case.

TYLER — Tyler Police Chief Gary Swindle made a presentation Wednesday to City Council to explain the amendments to the Community Response Crime Prevention Program and introduce each of the Community Response Officers, along with a description of the geographical beats for which they are responsible.

On October 13, 2010, the Council approved the acceptance of a grant for four additional police officers from the United States Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Police Services (COPS). This grant will be for a three year period and save the City of Tyler $853,000. The additional officers allow the expansion of the department’s Community Response Officers (CROs) program from six officers to ten. This will reduce the geographical regions or beats for which each CRO is accountable. Police say the CROs will be able to respond faster to problems and work to develop more partnerships within the community to prevent crime.

Police say the CRO serves as liaison for the community; other local entities, private and public; and the police department, giving the citizen direct access for problem resolution. According to police, the patrol officers are deployed to the same geographical areas and work to resolve the community problems along with the CRO. Police say the CRO meets regularly with community groups and other entities to develop partnerships and coordinate problem resolution. Police add that when a problem is identified, the CRO, the community, the officers, and other resources are brought to bear to resolve the problem. According to officials, at the conclusion of the grant period the Police Department will retain these positions and will fully fund the positions within the Department’s budget.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council received a presentation Wednesday on the outcomes of the Fall 2010 Neighborhood Empowerment Works (NEW) Program. Officials say during the 10th NEW Program, City of Tyler Departments came together and made many improvements to a neighborhood in City Council District Three. The boundaries of the neighborhood selected as the 10th NEW were West Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Border and Palace Avenues to West Vance Avenue between Moore and Palace Avenues to Franklin Street.

Officials say the NEW program enhances the quality of life for Tyler residents – one neighborhood at a time – by intensely concentrating City services in a specific area for four weeks. Working in partnership with the neighborhoods, the City’s goal is to raise awareness of code and zoning ordinances, provide information on accessing City services and promote clean and safe neighborhoods. Various City departments use information gathered from a neighborhood meeting as well as an examination of the area to identify services that could make an immediate impact on the neighborhood.

Outcomes from the 10th NEW program include:
· 33 junk vehicles were tagged for removal;
· 109 lots with high vegetation were mowed;
· 24 trashed lots were cleaned;
· 2.6 miles of curb and gutter were edged and 8 miles of curb and gutter were repaired;
· 1.238 square feet of street base repairs were performed;
· 2.6 miles of right-of-way were mowed;
· 15 stop signs were replaced;
· 12 street lights were repaired;
· The Tyler Police Department issued 23 police citations and made two arrests. They supplied a total of 80 man hours;
· The Solid Waste Department removed 425 yards of solid waste;
· Trees were trimmed and 40 cubic yards of waste removed; and,
· Keep Tyler Beautiful planted daffodil bulbs on the T.J. Austin Elementary School campus.

“The NEW program is an important tool that the City uses to stop neighborhood decline in its tracks,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ralph Caraway. “The program has made great progress throughout the City since its inception and the 10th program has certainly continue the success of NEW.” The next NEW program will begin this spring and will be held in City Council District Two.

LONGVIEW — A Longview family escaped without injuries but is displaced from their home after an early morning blaze. Firefighters were dispatched to the 100 block of West Birdsong Street about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday for a fire that started in the home’s attic. Longview Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary said residents told investigators their breaker tripped repeatedly, but they kept resetting it. He said the fire, which caused about $25,000 worth of damage, was caused by faulty wiring in the home. Zackary said the fire could have been prevented if the residents had heeded the electrical breaker warning. He said if a breaker trips in your home multiple times it is important to leave it off until an electrician can diagnose the issue.