KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Several of the Smith County roads damaged in storms on May 10 have been repaired and reopened, according to information from the county. Roads that remain closed due to washed-out/collapsed culverts include County Roads 496 (from CR 41 to CR 497; pictured) and 411 (between CR 472 and FM 849). All other roads affected by culvert washouts have been repaired and, although they still may need pavement replacement, have been reopened to drivers, according to officials. They include County Roads 42, 424, and 499. Continue reading Smith County Updates Road Conditions Following Storms

TYLER — The Smith County Road & Bridge Department is asking the public for help in identifying the people responsible for shooting road equipment last Sunday. Officials say a motor grader parked in the rural area of County Roads 26 and 246, north of Arp and Overton, was shot with a shotgun sometime during the night on Sunday. All of the switches and the electronic instrument panel, doors, windows, and seat of the machine were shot, County Engineer Frank Davis said. A stop sign was also shot and stolen. About 250 spent shotgun shell casings were found at the scene, as well as other items of evidence. A second motor grader parked in the area was not damaged. Continue reading Smith County Equipment Damaged

LONGVIEW — With no discussion and to grateful applause, the Longview City Council voted unanimously Monday to shut down red light cameras in the city. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. With the decision against renewing the city’s deal with the Phoenix-based company that has provided technology and equipment for the system since 2007, the photo enforcement program will end when the current contract lapses May 27. The move came after the urging of many Longview residents opposed to the system and against the recommendation of the Longview Police Department. It was one of the first votes by four members who had been sworn in to their new duties just minutes earlier. Continue reading Longview Council Votes to End Red-Light Camera Program

MARSHALL — Marshall Police Chief Jesus “Eddie” Campa has issued a warning about “flakka,” a new synthetic drug that has made its way into Texas. KETK reports the drug was initially reported as hitting the streets of Florida. News of its move into Texas came in a report earlier this month from the North Texas Poison Control Center at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. The drug, also known on the street as “gravel,” comes in crystalline rock form. It can be swallowed, snorted, injected, or used in an e-cigarette and vaped. Though there haven’t yet been any reports of the drug in Marshall, Campa warns citizens to be on the lookout as flakka can cause fatal side effects, which include agitation, incoherence, violent behavior, increased strength, increased body temperatures (up to 105 degrees) and paranoia.

HOUSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review an appeal from a 54-year-old East Texas man sent to death row for strangling his mother, leaving her body in the bathtub at her home for two days, and then burying her in her backyard more than 11 years ago. Tracy Beatty went to the high court after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last summer rejected arguments he had deficient legal help at his 2004 trial in Tyler for the slaying of Carolyn Click, 62. The justices refused his appeal Monday without comment. Beatty had been paroled to his mother’s home in Tyler from a 15-year prison term for theft from Dallas County. When arrested for her slaying, he already was in jail for auto theft and weapons possession.

WACO — Several East Texans have been arrested in connection with the Sunday fatal gang shooting in Waco. According to KETK, the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office names James Laray Gray, 61, of Tyler; Jason Lee Cavazos, 40, Arp; Marshall Mitchell, 64, of Longview; Jason Dillard, 39, of Winona and Kyle Smith, 48, of Kilgore. The Twin Peaks corporate office has revoked the franchise agreement of its Waco location following the biker brawl resulting in the deaths of nine people. The shooting happened outside Twin Peaks restaurant, just off Interstate 35, around noon on Sunday.

WHITEHOUSE — A special session of the city council is held in Whitehouse Monday night. Mayor Charles Parker said five city employees, including the city manager and police chief, were placed on paid leave last Friday pending the outcome of an investigation. The majority of the meeting was held in executive session, according to KETK. Parker spoke to the public saying City Manager, Kevin Huckabee, placed himself on administrative leave last week. After coming back from executive session, the council voted to continue his administrative leave pending a city investigation. Continue reading Whitehouse City Employees Remain under Investigation

AUSTIN (AP/STAFF) — Marijuana supporters are on the brink of a small victory they say is nonetheless significant in the conservative Texas Legislature. The Republican-controlled House on Monday approved Senate Bill 339, from state Senator Kevin Eltife of Tyler, legalizing trace amounts of a marijuana plant extract for medicinal purposes. The cannabis oil wouldn’t produce the high associated with other parts of marijuana. Parents of children with intractable epilepsy have pleaded with lawmakers all session, saying the oil helps control seizures. A doctor would have to provide a prescription if the law is signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott. Since current Texas law doesn’t allow any form of medical marijuana, advocates say this has been their most successful Texas legislative session in history. Other proposals to decriminalize marijuana penalties are unlikely to pass, but made notable progress after years of being stymied.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man is arrested on an arson complaint. Jason Virgil Hadley, 39, is also charged with resisting arrest or transport. His bonds total $21,000. He is accused of setting the fire that caused moderate damage inside a closet and minor smoke damage in a hall. The home owner had the fire out when firemen arrived. There were no injuries.

LONGVIEW — A Palestine woman has been arrested in Longview on a charge of aggravated assault/family violence. Bond for Joy Laquinneius Nelson, 22, was set at $5,000. She’s accused of hitting a man in the face with a shovel. She told a sheriff’s deputy, who is said to have witnessed the incident, that she was defending herself.

AUSTIN (AP/STAFF) — Republican Governor Greg Abbott has issued his first veto, striking down a ceremonial resolution saluting mental health professionals statewide. A House Concurrent Resolution by Nacogdoches Republican Representative Travis Clardy (pictured) commended mental health professionals as part of National Mental Health Month, observed each May. But Abbott said in a veto proclamation Monday that the Texas Constitution “requires all laws to be passed as bills” and “new law cannot be made by concurrent resolution.” He said the resolution “purports to direct the actions of state agencies in the manner of a law,” thus going “beyond the proper bounds of a concurrent resolution.” Abbott took office in January. As governor, he has 10 days to sign or veto laws approved by the Legislature, though any he takes no action on become law automatically.

TYLER — A come and go open house will be held at Tyler’s Glass Recreation Center today from 5:30 to 7 p.m. regarding the Palace, 26th, and Grand projects. City officials say members of the community are invited to view proposed plans for the area. Those include improvements along North Palace Ave. from West Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard to West 29th Street; North Grand Avenue from West Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard to West 29th Street; and West 26th Street from North Broadway Avenue to North Grand Avenue. Continue reading Open House for Palace, 26th, and Grand Roadway Project

TYLER — Drivers will want to plan ahead for some roadwork coming up later this month. City officials say milling and resurfacing of failed pavement in various areas along Rice/Shiloh Road will begin the week of May 24. Construction is expected to last a week and is dependent upon weather. Three locations will be resurfaced, including the curves of Shiloh Road around Sweetbriar Lane, Rice Road around Kinsey Drive, and Rice Road around Plantation Drive. Lane closures are to be expected in these locations from Tuesday, May 26, to Friday, May 29. Drivers should use caution due to possible uneven pavement conditions.

VAN (AP) – School has resumed in an East Texas town more than a week after a tornado killed two residents and left at least 40 people hurt. Students in grades four through 12 reported for classes Monday at three schools in Van. The other two schools in Van, 70 miles southeast of Dallas, were severely damaged in the May 10 twister and remain closed. Students in pre-kindergarten through third grade will not have to return this term due to that campus damage. Van schools spokeswoman Lynsey Admire says the Texas Education Agency has granted a waiver, so classes missed last week won’t be made up. Graduation will be held May 29 at Tyler Junior College. The last day of school is June 2, a date not changed by the tornado. Continue reading School Resumes in Van after Tornado

TYLER — Trinity Mother Frances Hospital facilities experienced a power surge that temporarily disabled several of their internal network systems Saturday. It included electronic medical records, transmission of orders and lab requests, according to KETK. The medical center enacted manual downtime procedures system-wide. All systems have been restored and validated for standard use. The exact cause of the power surge is being investigated. A team of technicians and specialists worked to diagnose and restore all systems to full capacity. Some elective procedures were canceled and the patients were notified.

WHITEHOUSE — The Whitehouse City Council has called a special meeting for tonight after Mayor Charles Parker released a statement Friday announcing multiple city employees are under investigation. According to KETK, Parker says as of May 15, five employees, including the city manager and police chief, were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into possible violations of city personnel policies by an outside and independent entity. According to City Secretary Stefani Wright, Reserve Officer Dan Finkelstein with serve as acting police chief.

TYLER — Texas Ranger Brent Davis is investigating the death of a man in his Smith County jail cell. Jasen Mosley, 24, of White Oak, was found dead in his cell Saturday morning. He had reportedly been placed in a holding cell after he was found to be uncooperative. He was found unresponsive in the cell around 3:00. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Mosley hung himself from the divider in the toilet area of the holding cell. He was in the cell alone at the time of the incident. Mosley was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead by Precinct #1 Justice of the Peace Quincy Beavers. His body was transported to Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas for autopsy.

SMITH COUNTY — Two burglars are behind bars after being held at gunpoint by a homeowner. The Smith County Sheriff’s Department received a call about a burglary in progress in the 5400 block of Twin Lakes Drive. The homeowner told deputies he saw a gray Dodge Durango in the carport of his storage building next to his house. He reportedly saw a man and a woman in the storage building and held them at gunpoint. The woman fled the scene in the Durango, narrowly missing the homeowner. Continue reading Armed Homeowner Interrupts Burglars

VAN — A Van man claimed he was falsely accused of looting and now wants his name cleared. He’s been a van resident for years, but recently, a video of “Isidro Hernandez” surfaced on a local media site, claiming he was a looter, taking advantage of the items left in the rubble from damaged houses in Van, but that wasn’t the case. According to KETK, Mr. Hernandez said he was actually with his family, helping to clean up the debris. Since the false report, the Hernandez family claims they are sending him death threats on social media. Several people have jumped to the defense of Mr. Hernandez. Continue reading Van Man Accused of Looting Wants Name Cleared

SMITH COUNTY — U.S. Marshals in Spokane, Washington arrested Robert Dean Reese, 54, a Smith County fugitive that has been on the run for thirteen years. According to KETK, since 2002, Reese has been wanted by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office for Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, bond forfeiture, and several Indecency With a Child Warrants. On April 20, the Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force (JETF) in Tyler received a tip that Reese was in Tacoma, Washington. The tip was initiated through the John Walsh show “The Hunt.” After verifying the information, a request for assistance was sent to the USMS in Tacoma, Washington. Continue reading Smith County Fugitive Arrested after 13 Years

BROWNSBORO — A Brownsboro Independent School District teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave after an allegation of striking a student on the arm with a ruler. According to KETK, officials say the student reported the allegation to the campus administration and the teacher was promptly removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation. The student was evaluated by campus personnel, and campus administration is working with the parent to coordinate support for the student and parent, according to officials. “The safety of our students is our first priority and we are taking this allegation very seriously,” Superintendent Dr. Chris Moran stated. “An investigation will be conducted to determine what factually has occurred and we will respond accordingly.”

TYLER — A Smith County jail inmate has lost his trusty status after walking away from a county facility and then being caught, according to Sheriff Larry Smith. Smith says around 10:30 Friday morning, 42-year-old Shawn Lynn Grossman escaped from custody from the Smith County Animal Shelter (12828 FM 3311), where he was assigned as a trusty. Grossman was in the custody of the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office, which oversees the facility. According to Smith, Grossman was picked up by his girlfriend, Amanda Brownlee, outside the facility, and both fled in a vehicle. Grossman had been a trusty for over a month. Jail trusties have been utilized at the animal control facility for several years to perform duties such as cleaning and feeding the dogs. Continue reading Sheriff: Trusty Caught after Walking Away from Facility

WHITE OAK — White Oak police served a search warrant Thursday afternoon at a Longview residence in connection with allegations a White Oak ISD employee exchanged inappropriate text messages with a student. According to KETK, the Longview News-Journal is not naming the suspect because he has not been arrested or charged in a court of law. The warrant states that the student told police the employee sent her text messages of a sexual nature and an explicit photo — in addition to attempting to arrange a sexual encounter. A different student also told police the employee sent him photographs of nude women about two years ago. Police seized more than 20 computer, photo and memory storage devices while executing the warrant in the 600 block of Milligan Drive.

TYLER — Smith County has been added to the state’s list of counties declared disaster areas following recent storms. KETK reports Governor Greg Abbott made the announcement Friday morning. A local disaster declaration was issued by County Judge Joel Baker on Wednesday, and a letter was sent to Governor Abbott asking him to include Smith County in the state-wide disaster declaration. Meanwhile, the Smith County Office of Emergency Management has completed a door-to-door survey of the Jamestown Providence area of the county affected by last weekend’s tornado outbreak. All residents have been accounted for and cleanup operations are currently underway, according to a news release. No injuries were reported as a direct result of the storm in Smith County. Damage estimates are still pending but are expected to be well into the millions. Continue reading Smith County Added to State Disaster List; Storm Victims Assisted

AUSTIN — Governor Greg Abbott Friday signed Senate Bill 788 (Eltife, R-Tyler; Paddie, R-Marshall), also known as “Kari’s Law,” to require direct dialing of 9-1-1 from multi-line telephone systems across the state. According to KETK, Abbott was joined by members of Kari’s family at a signing ceremony hosted in the Governor’s Public Reception Room. “There’s a lesson virtually every parent teaches their child – if you face an emergency, call 9-1-1,” Governor Abbott said. “I am signing Kari’s Law to ensure that whenever there is an emergency, any child and any adult who dials 9-1-1 is going to be able to connect with emergency personnel to ensure they come to the rescue of those who need help the most. Today cements in history the important role Kari Hunt has played and I’m thankful for her and her family in changing the course of the future of the State of Texas.” Continue reading Abbott Signs “Kari’s Law”

VAN — Save Us From The Storm, an animal rescue organization, has found three dogs in the Van area and is seeking to reunite them with their owners. Two of the dogs were found 10 miles north of Van on Jamestown Highway. The white/brown hound/terrier mix is male, and the brown pitbull is female. Continue reading Rescue Group Seeks to Reunite Pets with Owners

AUSTIN — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Friday that businesses affected by the recent severe weather in certain Texas counties can postpone filing and paying state taxes. The affected counties are Van Zandt, Bosque, Clay, Denton, Eastland, Gaines, and Montague. Businesses needing additional time to file or pay can simply call the comptroller’s office to request a 90-day extension. “I want those affected by the severe weather to be able to focus on cleaning up the damage and getting back to normal,” Hegar said. “These businesses are important to the Texas economy and deserve the benefit of additional time to file and pay state taxes if they need it.” Continue reading Tax Deadline Extension Offered in Areas Affected by Severe Weather

VAN — On Friday morning, Van city officials announced the American Red Cross has closed the shelter for tornado victims at First Baptist Church in Van. As of Thursday morning, all displaced residence had been placed in temporary housing. People still in need of assistance are urged to go to the Van Church of Christ, Van Assembly of God or the Van Community Center. According to KETK, all volunteers are to report to the Van baseball and softball fields located on North Maple Street. Food donations can be taken to the East Texas Food Bank, in Tyler, but please specify if you want your donations going toward Van residents. Clothing donations can be taken to a large warehouse located at 901 South Oak Street in Van.Monetary donations can be made at any Austin Bank or Van Community Ministries Tornado Relief Fund. Continue reading Monetary Donations Needed for Van Tornado Relief

VAN – In a heartfelt message Thursday, Van Superintendent Don Dunn reflected on the past, the current and the future of their school and community, according to KETK. “The last several days have been unbelievably intense and busy. This is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and communicate to our faculty and staff, our parents, our students, and our community. First and foremost, we are grieved at the loss of David and Brenda Tapley. They were both active in our community and will be missed tremendously. Van ISD would like to send our sincere condolences to their family. As for our buildings, we are still in the process of assessing the extent of the damage. Continue reading Van Superintendent Issues Heartfelt Statement to Community