KTBB News, Weather, Talk

HARRISON COUNTY — A multi vehicle accident in Harrison County has left one person dead. The wreck occurred around 8:45 Wednesday morning when a car traveling west in the east bound lanes of Interstate Highway 20, just over a mile east of Longview, collided headon with a Ford F-650 truck. Dead at the scene was Christine Johnson, 63, of Homer, Louisiana. The driver of the truck, and the driver of the truck he swerved into trying to avoid the accident, were not injured.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Fire Department is investigating multiple fires which are believed to have been “intentionally set” late Tuesday and early Wednesday. KETK reports the first three fires crews responded to were on Tuesday night. The string of fires began at about 8:39 p.m. when firefighters were dispatched to Twelfth Street near the Wells Street intersection for a house fire. Officials said a hallway, closet, and bedroom were damaged. Continue reading Official: 4 Longview Fires “Intentionally Set”

TYLER — Due to a failed drainage culvert and street washout, the City of Tyler Street & Stormwater Management has closed a section of West 33rd Street at the railroad tracks (between the 1300 & 1400 block area). City officials say “No Thru Traffic” signs are posted to the east of the work zone at Carter Boulevard and West 33rd Street and to the southwest at Commonwealth Drive and Ada Avenue. Residents to the east of the railroad tracks will have access to their property from Carter Boulevard. Residents to the west of the railroad tracks will have access to their property from Commonwealth Drive. The closure will remain in effect till further notice, with officials saying they hope to get the work done as quickly as possible.

TYLER — Smith County Precinct 4 Commissioner JoAnn Hampton and Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson will host a town hall meeting to help community churches understand the new Open Carry Law, which went into effect January 1. According to a county news release, leaders of 75 churches in and around their precincts have been invited to the meeting. It’s set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, January 19, at the Smith County R.B. Hubbard Facility, “The Hub,” on E. Ferguson Street in downtown Tyler. Hampton and Jackson say they want to make sure church leaders and congregations know their rights when it comes to allowing or not allowing people to carry guns openly in churches in East Texas. Continue reading Town Hall Meeting on Open Carry Set for Local Churches

TYLER — The Women in Tyler Planning Committee has announced its 2016 honorees: Debra Davis, Regina Davis, Gayle Helms, Maxine Herbst, Gillian Sheridan, and Astilma Vargas. Event co-chair Tamma Isabell says the committee asked for nominations from the public in August that fit the 2016 theme, Women With a Cause. In a news release, event co-chair Louellen Lowe, says the honorees “have cared for our youth, energized women to get life-saving mammograms, provided for beloved pets of the elderly, restored significant pieces of history in Tyler, and challenged us all to consider adoption.” Continue reading Women in Tyler Announces Honorees for Upcoming Luncheon

CHEROKEE COUNTY — New info about the man who reportedly walked into an East Texas church with a weapon in October. A court ordered psychological evaluation of Rasheed Abdul Aziz, 40, was recently completed in Fort Worth. Doctors found Aziz did not appear to suffer from any mental issues that would impair his ability to understand what he was doing. Therefor, Aziz is mentally competent to stand trial. Continue reading Man Accused of Threatening Church Deemed Competent

GILMER — One person is dead and another has been hospitalized following a plane crash in Upshur County. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a single-engine Cessna 172 carrying two people crashed shortly before midnight near Gilmer. According to KETK, the crash is located just west of Highway 271, near Eagle Road. The deceased pilot, also the registered owner of the plane, has been identified as Samuel Oliver Lucky, 73, of Gladewater. His wife, Pamela Rickman Lucky, 57 was flown to a Tyler hospital and is reported to be in critical condition. Continue reading Gladewater Man Killed in Upshur County Plane Crash

HALLSVILLE — A man has been killed in Harrison County when pulled into a concrete pumping machine. The accident happened around 3:30 Tuesday afternoon at a home construction site on Walkers Mill Road in Hallsville. Fellow workers say for some reason, it appeared that the man had reached into the machine and was pulled into it. He was killed by the blades in the machine. His name will be released after relatives are notified.

TYLER — Plans have been finalized for the 29th annual Cattle Barons’ Gala in Tyler. The annual event, this year entitled “Two Step, One Cure,” is to remind us that two steps forward help us toward one cure. The headline entertainer this year will be Grammy Award winning artist, Vince Gill. The plans for the annual fundraising event benefiting the American Cancer Society were announced last night at a kick-off event. The event’s honorary chair is the Jim Denson family, who has served as a friend and volunteer for the American Cancer Society and many other area causes for many years. Since Tyler’s first Gala in 1988, thousands of volunteers have raised over 10 million dollars for cancer research, education and patient services. Continue reading Vince Gill at the Cattle Barons’ Gala

RUSK — A nurse in Cherokee County is going to prison for the sexual assault of an elderly woman in a nursing home. Ernest Palmer, 63, was found guilty Tuesday of the assault that occurred in December 2013 in Rusk. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison. The victim was a 79 year old woman who had physical limitations and dementia.

TYLER — Smith County sheriff’s Office is looking for a pair of theft suspects. They are believed to have stolen a wallet at a local gas station, and went to a local store where they used a stolen credit card. They are identified as Chelsea Leanne Remedies and James Dempsey Martin, who also goes by LD Martin. Continue reading Pair of Theft Suspects Sought

TYLER — One person has been indicted in connection with a November 1st fire that either destroyed or extensively damaged 8 units of a Lindale apartment complex. The Smith County Grand Jury has indicted Tiffany Lashay Collins, 26, a resident of one of the apartments. She is said to have admitted to a deputy county fire marshal that she had started the fire. Continue reading Lindale Woman Indicted in Arson Fire

TYLER — Smith County Commissioners have recognized the First Baptist Church in Whitehouse for the work it is doing for local children. Church members Tony Black and Christi Sowell were presented with a resolution today, proclaiming January 12, as “Grace EmBEDed Day,” for the more than 40 beds their ministry has built for kids served by Child Protective Services of Smith County. Commissioner Cary Nix said he wanted to recognize the church for going above and beyond for their community. Continue reading Whitehouse Ministry Recognized

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler graduate nursing programming is recognized as being the best in Texas by U.S. News and World Report. The announcement comes from UT Tyler President Rodney H. Mabry in a UTT news release. In the 2016 “Best Online Nursing Programs” edition, UT Tyler master’s and doctoral degree programs are ranked seventh nationwide out of all online graduate nursing programs surveyed. The university moves up two rankings from last year’s report to achieve the top spot among all Texas institution listed. In the news release, Mabry calls the recognition “a great honor” and says UTT nursing programs “have long been a cornerstone of excellence” at his institution. Continue reading UTT Grad Nursing Ranked Tops in Texas by U.S. News

LONGVIEW — The new Longview Animal Care and Adoption Center is set to open in June. But KETK reports that when it does, the Humane Society of Northeast Texas might have to close. The animals from the Humane Society will be moved to the new facility. Now the Humane Society is looking at selling its building, or possibly running it as a foundation under a board of directors. The society’s also considering using it as a spay-and-neuter or vaccination clinic. The Humane Society board and new shelter personnel plan to sit down together before the opening to discuss all of their options.

WHITEHOUSE — Thieves broke into several vehicles in the Whitehouse area over the weekend. KETK reports all of the targeted vehicles were on Pennsylvania Road and appeared to be unlocked. Thieves got away with money and other items left in the vehicles. No arrests have been made at this time. If You have information, you’re asked to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office.

GILMER — The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office has charged a teenager with online solicitation of a minor under 14 and aggravated sexual assault of a child. He is identified as Bradley Dillon Parmer, 18, of Harrison County. His bonds total $200,000. The investigation began when authorities were told the teen had been communicating with a child younger than 14 in an inappropriate manner. Parmer was supposedly sending sexually explicit messages and nude photographs of himself to the child. When questioned by authorities, Parmer was said to have confessed to meeting the youngster and performing a sexual act on the child. It was then he was charged and booked into the Upshur County Jail. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

TYLER — We’ll find out tonight what the Tyler Cattle Barons’ Committee’s plans are for this year’s gala. To be announced at the kick off event will be the gala chair, honorary chairs, Li’l Wrangler, the theme as well as this year’s headline entertainer. This year’s gala is set for August 20, and again it will be at the Harvey Convention Center. The cancer society’s Mauri Douglas says August falls during a time of year when more entertainment is available. Last years event was a big success, with nearly $526,000 raised for the American Cancer Society. Douglas says attendees responded very well to changes made in last year’s event. Those included a switch from outdoors to indoors, at the Harvey Convention Center, and the addition of a mobile bidding app.

TYLER — A ribbon cutting ceremony Monday morning has officially opened the Tyler Police Department south Tyler substation. It is located at 574 West Cumberland Road. Construction for the new 17,500 square foot facility began in March of last year. The $4.8 million project was funded by the city’s half-cent sales tax. City officials say the police substation will allow patrol officers assigned to south Tyler to maximize patrol time in their assigned areas. It will also reduce call time for service in South Tyler. The substation, which will provide short term property and evidence storage, will also allow ease of access for the department’s criminal investigators and community response officers. According to the city’s figures, the substation will create annual savings of over $200,000, primarily in officers’ time and gasoline. Continue reading Tyler Police Substation Officially Opened

LONGVIEW — Two Longview fires remain under investigation today. Arson is suspected in both fires. The first started just before 1:00 Sunday morning at a home on Butler Drive. The fire was contained to the garage and an adjacent room. That fire appears to have been intentionally set. Then, around an 1 1/2 hours later, a second fire was reported less than two miles away on Oden Street. A pickup on the lawn was reported on fire. No injuries were reported in either fire.

TYLER — Oak Alley, between Three Lakes Parkway and Dueling Oaks Drive, will be closed to through traffic today. It will be closed from 7:00am till 5:00pm to install a manhole. Drivers should use caution due to the construction activities. Continue reading One Tyler Project Starting, One Completed

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of January 11. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

SMITH COUNTY – Tyler Maintenance plans to conduct ditch work on various roadways
around the county with flaggers directing traffic through these areas. Motorists can also expect crews to reduce State Highway 64 to one lane near the State Highway 135 Overpass as base repairs are performed. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects

The Queen of the Texas Rose Festival has been announced. The queen for the 2016 festival is Mallory Kristine Curtis, 19, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bradley Curtis. Mallory says it’s an honor to be selected, and “to say that I’m excited is a bit of an understatement.” She adds, “It’s important to remember that the Rose Festival is not just about the breathtaking costumes, but about promoting Tyler and the rose industry.” Mallory is a graduate of Robert E. Lee and will soon be transferring to the University of Oklahoma. The Duchess of the Rose Festival is Mary Birdsong Gabriel, daughter of Pam and Matt Gabriel. The theme for the 83rd festival is “Museum of the Majestic.” It will be held October 13th through 16th. The announcement about the Rose Festival activities was made Saturday night at the 24th annual Winter Gala at the Willowbrook Country Club.

LONGVIEW — As part of ongoing narcotics investigations, the Longview Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit has arrested five more persons on various drug charges. Six drug houses were targeted this week, resulting in 20 arrests. Four of the drug houses targeted were in Longview earlier in the week. According to the police department’s Facebook page, 2 arrests were made Friday in Woodland and 3 in Kelso on Friday after the SCU served search warrants at two homes. During service of the search warrants, officers recovered a firearm, methamphetamine, heroin, packaging material, scales and other drug paraphernalia. Continue reading Drug Arrests in Longview

LONGVIEW — Longview police say there are no new developments in the city’s first homicide of the year. The victim is identified as Tony Bernard Nelson, 20. Police received a call of a shooting just before midnight Friday night in the 1600 block of 12th Street. They found Nelson’s body inside a house. Investigators say the house is a known drug house, so they believe the shooting was narcotics related. The investigation is continuing.

LONGVIEW — An East Texas doctor is free on a $30,000 bond after being indicted for indecency with a child by exposure. Arrested was William Kenneth Huff, 62, of White Oak. The indictment says the East Texas Medical Center-Quitman doctor touched the breast of a child younger than 17 years old and had her expose her genitals. ETMC Affiliate Marketing Manager Deleisa Johnson told the Longview News Journal, after information from the indictment was released, Huff was fired.

WINNSBORO — The Winnsboro Police Department has completed it’s investigation into the death of 16 month old Madison Cannon. The youngster was found unconscious on April 9th. She was declared “brain dead” at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas and pronounced dead on April 11th. The death has been ruled a homicide. On the department’s Facebook page, they say the investigation has been completed and the case will be presented to the Texas Attorney General for possible action. An autopsy performed last summer indicated the youngster died from blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators had previously said there are persons of interest in the case, but no names have been released and police stated there is no reason to believe someone outside the home would have harmed the child.