KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department has a new chief and assistant chief today. Yesterday morning, Don Dingler, pictured here, took the oath of office as the new Chief of Police. Chief Dingler has served in a variety of capacities during his 37 years with the Longview Police Department, including serving as Assistant Chief since 2003. Dingler succeeds Chief J.B. McCaleb who recently retired.

Following the swearing in of Chief Dingler, the Police Department also swore in Michael Bishop as an Assistant Chief for the department. Serving in the position previously held by Dingler, Assistant Chief Bishop will provide oversight to the Administrative Bureau.

LONGVIEW — Three persons have been arrested and a Longview massage parlor has been shut down. An undercover officer entered Sakura Spa at 2010 Gilmer Road and made arrangements for a 2 person massage. When it was agreed upon, officers entered the business and requested to see the massage therapist licenses. Two women who did not have licenses through the state of Texas to perform massages were detained. The owner, Sam Gee, 60, of Bellerose, New York, was arrested for operating a massage establishment without a license. The women, Thye Ng, 51, and Vivan Huang, 46, both of Longview, were charged with massage without a license.

MARSHALL — One East Texas city is taking steps to help out its most vulnerable citizens during this cold snap. The city of Marshall is opening an emergency shelter for residents who can’t escape the cold on their own. City Manager Frank Johnson says the shelter will be open until the weather warms up, probably sometime this weekend.

TYLER — Austin Bank was recently selected as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Texas 2011. This is the third year for Austin Bank to receive the award. The awards program is a project of Texas Monthly magazine. “Austin Bank is especially proud to receive this honor because it came from the input of our employees,” said Jeff Austin III, Vice Chairman of the Board. “The success of our bank has been built by a wonderful team of dedicated, professional employees.”

TYLER — With the snow and freezing temperatures, the City of Tyler is recommending continued precautions. Residents are encouraged to wrap exposed faucets, use caution if driving and turn off any irrigation and sprinkler equipment that could potentially reach streets and sidewalks.

“Commercial faucet covers and pipe insulation are available to reduce the chances of freezing,” explained Public Works Director Greg Morgan. “However, if commercial products are not available residents can also use newspaper or towels duct taped around the faucet to provide some protection from the freezing conditions and help prevent breakage.”

During episodes of freezing temperatures, residents are encouraged to avoid driving if possible. Overpasses and bridges are typically the first areas that freeze, so extreme caution should be taken in these locations. Sand trucks have been fully loaded and stand ready should icy conditions manifest. However, the Police Department advises avoiding the following areas should the temperature fall below freezing:

Beckham Street Overpass near Gentry Parkway; Fifth Street Overpass near Beckham; Fleischel and Saunders Overpass; Shiloh Road east of Paluxy (sloping road) and Loop 49 at overpasses.

The airport has completed all winter storm preparation procedures, including ensuring that de-icing materials are available, checking all generators to confirm they are operational, preparing sidewalk cleaning equipment and materials, and readying tractors for quick response. Travelers are urged to check the City web page at
http://www.cityoftyler.org for the latest flight information.
In the event of extreme weather, Transit service may be briefly postponed or cancelled. Check the City web page for the latest information.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl was found not guilty by an Angelina County jury Monday afternoon. Felix Aguirre, 46, stood accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl in his family from the time she was age 13 to age 16. The girl testified last week that Aguirre would come into her room after her mother went to sleep and force her to have sex with him about three times a week.

The jury heard a recording the girl made of her and her mother confronting Aguirre about the abuse was brought into evidence. At one part in the tape, the mother can be heard asking Aguirre for money, $15,000 and she would “keep her mouth shut,” according to testimony. Aguirre took the stand Friday, saying he never sexually assaulted the girl and he believed it was about money to the girl and her mother.

TYLER — A Rusk County woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. Ivana Robinson Adkins, 35, of Mt. Enterprise, pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the violation. A sentencing date has not been set. Federal prosecutors say Adkins traveled to various pharmacies in the East Texas to purchase cold pills containing pseudoephedrine to aid her in her methamphetamine manufacturing activities.

KAUFMAN, Texas (AP) — A 21-year-old Virginia man is hospitalized in fair condition after falling 110 feet from an East Texas water tower. A Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman says Brandon Milley of Hampton, Va., fell Sunday morning while painting the North Kaufman Water Supply tower.

Spokeswoman Pat Laney tells The Dallas Morning News that Milley employed by Worldwide Industrial Corp. of Butler, Pa., which has the tower maintenance contract. She also says he was wearing a safety rig when the fall happened and an investigation continues into just how it happened.

Laney says Milley was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital after the 9:21 a.m. Sunday accident in critical condition and saw his condition improve by Monday.

TYLER — East Texas is again expecting very low temperatures this week. So far, this winter, PATH has given out more blankets than ever before. The need for heat during these extreme temperatures will result in higher than normal utility bills for families that simply can’t afford it.

“We don’t have any blankets right now,” said Christina Fulsom, executive director of PATH. “This is really a dangerous scenario. People, especially children, the ill and elderly, are at risk in these extremely low temperatures.”

PATH officials urge supporters to donate new blankets or money towards helping people with their utility bills. “Those on fixed incomes may be inclined to keep their heaters off to avoid the higher utility bills,” she added. “And some may need to purchase propane to keep warm. …Donations towards this kind of assistance are always needed and can literally save lives.”

You are asked to bring new blanket donations to the PATH office, 402 West Front Street Tyler from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Monetary donations can be designated for blankets or heat assistance and can be mailed at the West Front Street address or you can go http://www.PATHhelps.org and make a donation online.

TYLER — A Tyler hospital is among entities paying close attention after Monday’s Florida ruling on health care reform. Physician Hospitals of America (PHA) and Texas Spine and Joint Hospital are challenging the constitutionality of Section 6001 of Healthcare Reform in Texas Federal Court. An official decision is awaited in that case. Section 6001 bans further expansion or construction of Physician Owned Hospitals (POHs).

In response to the Florida ruling, lead attorney Scott Oostdyk of McGuireWoods says, “The Florida federal court has declared the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional in its entirety. Section 6001 of that law bars expansion by only one type of hospital — those that are physician-owned. We are hopeful that the Florida decision will stop the enforcement by the federal government of all unconstitutional limitations on hospital expansion, and PHA will seek that relief in the courts.” A news release from the hospital says PHA and its attorneys will continue to analyze this ruling and their various options moving forward.

There are currently 285 POHs in 34 states. These hospitals include general acute care, long term acute care, emergency medicine, multispecialty, women’s, children’s, rehabilitation and psychiatric.

JACKSONVILLE (AP) – An East Texas woman cited as the world’s oldest person has died at the age of 114. Patricia Ellis of Boren-Conner Funeral Home of Jacksonville says Eunice G. Sanborn of Jacksonville died Monday morning at her home. A message left with Sanborn’s caretaker, David French, was not returned Monday. The Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group in Los Angeles listed Sanborn as the world’s oldest person, based on data from the 1900 census. Robert Young of the group said the title now passes to 114-year-old Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia, who is 114 years and five months old. Sanborn acquired the distinction November 4 upon the death of a French nun, Eugenie Blanchard, on the French Caribbean island of St. Barts. She was 114.

TYLER — Tyler police say that it will not be up to the drivers of the vehicles involved in a Monday accident on Highway 271 to file charges against each other. A report on the incident, outside Loop 323, will be sent to a property claims department, where it will be decided whether or not both drivers will face charges.

Witnesses tell officers a Volkswagen was driving too close to a pickup truck, and the driver of the truck began tapping his brake to get the driver of the car to let up. When the VW driver went to pass the truck, witnesses say the driver of the truck jumped to the other lane to prevent the car from passing. Eventually the vehicles hit. One vehicle ran off the road and hit a power pole. No outages were reported. One driver was taken to the hospital but was quickly released. The vehicles were both towed away. Witnesses say both drivers were at fault. Police say it is fortunate that the incident did not cause a head-on collision.

TYLER — Over a month after they were discovered, some good news for a group of abused horses in Lindale. Two of them made their way to a new home in Tennessee on Sunday. In December, after numerous complaints about a herd of malnourished horses, rescuers found 43 emaciated horses and about a dozen skeletal remains. The SPCA of East Texas and the Humane Society brought the horses to the East Texas State Fairgrounds for rehabilitation. For the past month, they’ve been getting good food, exercise and vaccinations, all in preparation to find the horses a new home.

TROUP — Alcohol measures could possibly make the ballot again in East Texas. Troup’s city manager says he’s heard of petitions circulating in his community. He says petitions must have 115 signatures and be turned in by Friday. If the signatures are verified, the measures would be on the May 14th ballot.

SMITH COUNTY – Smith County deputies say a car crashed inches from a house Monday off Highway 110, south of Interstate Highway 20. Officials say the driver was speeding on a curved portion of the highway, lost control and slid off the wet road. The car crashed through a homeowner’s fence and yard, sliding to a halt on its side just inches away from the house. No one was injured during the accident. The driver was ticketed for traveling at an unsafe speed.