KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The City of Tyler hosted a ceremony Thursday to unveil three new Half Mile of History Stones in downtown Tyler. The stones are part of the Half-Mile of History heritage trail and honor W.E. Stewart, D.K. Caldwell and Walter Connally.

W.E. Stewart organized a total of 10 banks in Texas and Louisiana, including the First National Bank of Lindale in 1907. Stewart also served as the first president of Medical Center Hospital, now ETMC. The first Stewart blood bank building, equipment, and furnishings were donations of Stewart and his wife. The blood bank is now a facility of Carter BloodCare.

While working for Smith County, D.K Caldwell was influential in the formation of the State Highway Commission and the Texas Highway Department. He was a driving force in formation of the Smith County / Tyler Youth Foundation, which established Camp Tyler, and established the Caldwell Playschools, which existed for 41 years. Caldwell and his wife, Lottie, also started Caldwell Zoo. Additionally, he was responsible for building the first residential home for the elderly in Tyler.

Walter Connally’s business, Walter Connally and Company, grew into the largest machinery firm in East Texas, and one of the best-known firms of its kind in the South. Connally also operated a facility which became one of the largest private experiment farms in the Southwest. Connally Peninsula at Lake Tyler was once part of a large tract of land that he purchased in 1917. Portions of that acreage are now included in both Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East.

The City of Tyler’s historic preservation program, the Half Mile of History, resulted from a recommendation that came out of the Tyler 21 planning process. City officials say the goal of the Half Mile of History is to pay tribute to people, places and events that have contributed to the rich history of Tyler and Smith County. The Half Mile of History is a permanent, outdoor, half-mile loop that surrounds the square in the heart of downtown Tyler. Stone plaques are placed in the sidewalk along the Half Mile of History to commemorate significant people, places or events. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org/ to read more about the Half Mile of History program and the most recent honorees.

CUNEY (AP/STAFF) — The founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York City and author of the best-selling book, “The Cross and the Switchblade,” David Wilkerson, has died in a Cherokee County crash. Wilkerson, 79, died yesterday when his car smashed head-on into a tractor-trailer rig. His wife Gwen, 80, was critically injured. She is being treated at Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center. The truck’s driver, Fredrick Braggs, 39, of Beaumont, is being treated at ETMC in Jacksonville.

The accident happened on U.S. Highway 175 at the Neches River Bridge. The Department of Public Safety says, for some reason, Wilkerson’s car, which was east bound, swerved into the west bound lane and hit the truck.

Wilkerson’s World Challenge Inc. ministries confirmed on its website that he “went to be with Jesus.” Wilkerson founded the non-denominational Protestant church in 1987 in an area of Manhattan that was then riddled with X-rated movie houses, strip clubs, prostitution and drugs. Wilkerson also founded Teen Challenge, which uses a biblically based recovery program for drug addicts.

BEN WHEELER (AP) — The National Weather Service says a moderate tornado damaged more than 100 structures in an East Texas storm that left one woman injured. The agency said Wednesday a tornado with winds in the range of 90-100 mph hit a rural area in Van Zandt County on Tuesday. The weather service said three structures were destroyed. That included the mobile home of a woman who was hospitalized after the storm rolled her home and turned it into a pile of debris. Van Zandt County emergency management spokesman Chuck Allen says the tornado left a 1-mile-wide, 8-mile-long path of destruction between the towns of Ben Wheeler and Edom.

LONGVIEW — A late afternoon shooting at a West Longview trailer park sent one man to the hospital with gunshot wounds and another to the Gregg County Jail.

Gregg County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Riverside RV Park in the 3700 block of Texas 42 just after 3 p.m. Wednesday for a reported shooting.

Gregg County officials said they could not confirm the name of the victim or the man who was arrested, but said a man was transported to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries for a gunshot wound to the leg. Initial radio reports indicated the victim had been shot twice in the leg.

Officers were advised the victim and man arrested both lived at the RV park, 10 lots away from one another.

This is the second call sheriff’s deputies have responded to in the past nine months for a shooting at the RV park.

Officers were dispatched to the park July 21 after 34-year-old Brian Keith Barnett was found shot in the head near his trailer. James Nathan Alexander, 34, was arrested a few days after Barnett’s death after an attorney arranged for him to surrender.

Alexander was released from Gregg County Jail on $100,000 bond after two days. He was indicted in October for murder and is awaiting a trial date.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has adopted a resolution urging the Texas Legislature to support the continuation of the high-cost gas investment tax credit. In 1989, the Legislature created the credit to encourage natural gas exploration and production in areas that are difficult and expensive to develop. The credit was extended several times and made permanent in 2003. Under the current credit, natural gas producers receive a partial tax reduction for each qualifying gas well, certified as “high-cost” by the Texas Railroad Commission, based on the actual drilling and completion costs for that well. “The Oil & Gas industry is important to Tyler’s economic future,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “We have a vested interest in ensuring we are proactive in supporting its success because it means jobs and revenue for our community.”

It is estimated that the high-cost gas tax credit currently generates $4 of economic growth for every dollar invested and generates nearly 40,000 jobs a year. City officials say the investment tax credit is critical to the state’s position as a national energy leader. They say it has encouraged the development of important new sources of Texas natural gas. Between 1990 and 2009, high-cost gas production, as a percentage of statewide gas production, increased from 5.5 percent to 56 percent. During this time, according to city officials, Texas was the only major producing state to increase natural gas production.

In early 2010, the Tyler City Council and several other community boards and elected bodies came together to jointly adopt a measure to support the Industry Growth Initiative (IGI). The IGI is a twenty-year plan that contains strategic tactics focused on achieving an Innovation Economy which brings higher paying jobs, economic growth, job creation and a higher standard of living. One of the IGI’s ten building blocks is 21st Century Energy.

“For generations, the Oil & Gas sector has been a mainstay in the Tyler economy; it has provided jobs and stability when other areas of the country have struggled in tough economic times,” added Mayor Bass. “This legacy industry still has so much more in store for us. With the development of horizontal drilling and the discovery of the Haynesville Shale, the Oil & Gas sector will play an important role in Tyler’s economic future.”

City officials say discontinuing the investment tax credit would increase taxes on natural gas – termed one of the state’s most vital economic engines – and have what officials call negative consequences. Officials say it would discourage investment in new production and expansion of natural gas operations and would put Texas at a competitive disadvantage with states like Louisiana and Arkansas that have substantial high-cost gas incentives.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council has voted unanimously to authorize the City Manager to award a $5,125,344 contract to S.J. Louis Construction of Texas, Ltd. for the construction of the Highway 69 /Interstate 20 Corridor Sanitary Sewerage System improvements. “It is gratifying to see Tyler move forward with economic development projects that are designed to spur private investment,” commented Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “Development follows the path of infrastructure and this project will pave the way for growth in this area. Tyler is taking an important step to ensuring we are prepared for future growth and fulfilling the vision outlined in Tyler 21.”

A total of 10 proposals were received during this competitive sealed process. S.J. Louis was recommended for award of the contract based upon the following criteria:
· Proposal price;
· Experience with projects of this specific type and magnitude;
· Experience and references of key personnel;
· Company profile and general experience;
· Ability/commitment to respond to City needs in a timely fashion; and
· Safety record and financial profile.

Funding for the project was allocated from the 2008 Tyler Water Utilities Revenue Bond Fund and will be paid for from revenues collected from the sale of water and sewer services – not from property taxes. The City paid off all general obligation (tax supported) debt in 2008. “We are pleased with how competitive the pricing on this project came in,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “It will allow the project to come in well under budget.” The project was first identified during the Tyler 21 planning process, which called for the revitalization of North Tyler as well as balanced growth in all areas of the community.

TYLER – Officials with Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics broke ground Wednesday on the region’s first freestanding heart hospital. The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital, named after the Tyler couple that donated $18 million toward the cost of construction, is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012. It will be located on the campus of Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler.

The Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital is a two-phase project. Phase One, located in the Ornelas Tower, was completed in December. Construction is underway on Phase Two, a freestanding structure located between Saunders Street and South Fleishel Avenue. The hospital will be six stories; include comprehensive cardiac, thoracic, and vascular services; and stand east of and adjacent to Mother Frances Hospital. It will connect to the main hospital and to the Medical Arts Plaza building in several locations, allowing specialists and clinical personnel to easily access both buildings.

“Our administrators, physicians and many others have worked very hard over the last five years to gather the best ideas for delivering cardiac care, and today, construction is underway,” said Lindsey Bradley, FACHE, president, Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics. “Building the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital is the crowning achievement of cardiac care, not only for our patients, but for us as proud medical providers.”

Hospital officials say Phase Two will include:

• Three floors with 72 ICU-capable patient rooms dedicated exclusively to cardiac patients and designed to provide all levels of care, from admission through discharge
• New dedicated cardiac and thoracic OR suites, with ability to expand to more rooms as technology changes
• On-site Cardiac Rehabilitation Center
• Inpatient and Outpatient Cardiac Diagnostics
• Conference Center for community events and heart screenings
• Separate entry and driveway accessible from East Dawson Street with valet parking and patient assistance available
• Connectivity at all times to the Ornelas Tower of Mother Frances Hospital to allow for access to other hospital based services
• Spacious multi-level lobby with amenities including gift shop and dining
• Meditation Room/Chapel to meet spiritual needs of patients, families and caregivers
• Patient and Family Education Center and Resource Center
• A single one-stop registration using a new electronic medical record that supports all in and out patient offices
• Room Service dining

WOOD COUNTY — A former Mineola teacher, JoAnn Stephens, has been sentenced for having an improper relationship with a student. Stephens received 180 days in the Wood County Jail and 10 years probation. If Stephens were to violate her probation, she would receive an additional 5 years confinement.

The 43-year-old was arrested December 16 after a four month investigation into the relationship. Mineola Police say they started the investigation after receiving a complaint from Child Protective Services on August 4. The alleged relationship was between Stephens and a male student who has since graduated. Stephens and the student reportedly were communicating by cell phone calls and text messages on a trac phone that she provided for the student.

Stephens had resigned as an elementary and middle school physical education teacher at Mineola ISD.

TYLER — The Special Meeting of the Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees that kicked off Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. had to be moved due to a power outage. The meeting was relocated to conference room B at the Tyler ISD Administration building, 1319 New Sunnybrook Drive.

TYLER — Tyler police investigate a stabbing. Police responded to 435 S. Bonner at 10:18 Wednesday morning. Officers located the suspect allegedly involved in the incident at Front and Bonner; they say he had also called police. The suspect was identified as 49-year-old Donald Franklin of Tyler. Franklin was detained and later charged at the scene with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police say the incident started when Franklin went to 435 S. Bonner, where his baby boy lives with his mother. Franklin got into an argument with the boy’s mother over the child. According to a police report, 45-year-old Marcus Horn, who now lives with the mother, stepped in and got into a physical altercation with Franklin. Franklin allegedly pulled out a knife during the altercation with Horn and stabbed Horn multiple times. Horn was transported to East Texas Medical Center Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

OVERTON — Leverett’s Chapel ISD was closed Wednesday due to a water outage. No official word on the cause or when classes will resume. But according to KETK, the Tuesday storms are considered the likely reason for the outage.

ANGELINA COUNTY — An Angelina County man was arrested Tuesday for reportedly seriously injuring his brother with a baseball bat. According to an arrest affidavit, Gary Wayne Hodges, 52, has been charged with second-degree aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, for the incident which took place Tuesday. Hodges allegedly hit his brother in the head, knocking him to the floor. Hodges’ wife told deputies she and her son tried to pull him away from his brother It is unknown how many times Hodges hit his brother in the head. The son dialed 911 and Hodges fled in his truck, an affidavit stated.

Hodges’ brother was taken initially to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin but then transferred to Medical Center in Nacogdoches. Hodges remained in the Angelina County Jail Tuesday, as his bond had not yet been set. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

LUFKIN — Lufkin radio station owner Stephen Yates will remain in the Polk County Jail for at least the next three weeks after appearing before Polk County Judge Elizabeth Coker Monday morning. Yates, who is in jail for allegedly violating the terms of his probation a second time, was denied bond by Coker, according to Polk County District Attorney Lee Hon. Yates has been on probation since 2007 for his third DWI conviction, according to court records. Yates has a revocation hearing set for 9:30 a.m. May 16. At that time, Coker could reinstate his probation or sentence Yates to up to 10 years in prison.

A week and a half ago, Yates was arrested in Lufkin after his Angelina County-based probation officer saw him driving a vehicle without the Interlock system, one of the conditions of his probation, according to Angelina County Adult Probation Supervisor Dustin Fore. Although Yates is on probation in Polk County, the court system has allowed Angelina County to supervise him. Yates violated the terms of his probation the first time in June 2007, after failing a mandatory drug screen. At that time, he was sentenced to 90 days in rehab after spending 12 days in jail, the story stated. Yates owns and operates local radio stations Y•100, Super Mix 101.9, Hot 96.3, KRBA 1340 AM and ESPN 1260.

EAST TEXAS (AP-STAFF) – Amid powerful thunderstorms that produced tornadoes and funnel clouds, emergency sirens wailed Tuesday night and residents took cover from mother nature’s fury. Authorities arranged an aerial survey of parts of rural East Texas where at least one tornado damaged homes, knocked down power lines, and caused at least one injury.

The National Weather Service says a moderate tornado that carried winds of 90-100 miles an hour roared through an area between Ben Wheeler and Edom. The agency says more than 100 structures were damaged, and three structures were destroyed. That included the mobile home of a woman who was hospitalized after the storm rolled her home and turned it into a pile of debris. Van Zandt County emergency management spokesman Chuck Allen described a damage track one mile wide and eight miles long extending from Edom to the north. The storm passed through the area about 6:00 p.m.

In Mabank, widespread roof damage was reported after a series of tornadoes struck. Police Chief Kyle McAfee reports widespread tree damage and damage to shingles and other roof features from the Tuesday afternoon twisters. No injuries had been reported, though. There were reports of shoppers at the Brookshire’s supermarket in Mabank seeking shelter in a walk-in freezer until the danger passed.

The storms brought torrential rains and high winds to Tyler. Flooded intersections and power outages were reported. A funnel cloud was reported in the vicinity of the University of Texas at Tyler. Among the storm reports received Tuesday night:
*Several trees and power lines were reported down on County Road 3123 and Morningside Drive near Tyler’s northeast loop. A tree was reported down on a house in the 2600 block of Cecil.
*Shortly before 6:30 a funnel cloud was observed by the Department of Public Safety south of Lindale just south of Interstate Highway 20 near County Road 420.
*Shortly before 6:30 Tuesday night, over 3 inch size hail was reported in the Lindale area.
*Numerous tree limbs were reported down on the campus of Tyler Junior College.
*Home destroyed on Blocker Road, four miles Southeast of Marshall, in Harrison County.
*Four miles south southeast of Marshall, a home was damaged along Farm Road 2625 and Taylor Road.
*Four miles south of Marshall, cars were off the road and trees snapped along U.S. Highway 59.
*One mile north of Tatum in Rusk County, trees were down, and a shed destroyed on County Road 2214. Damage was also reported to a house on County Road 2187.
*West of Tatum, trees snapped, home damaged and a barn was destroyed on County Road 149 and County Road 2187.
*In Wood County around 7:00 Tuesday night, a tornado briefly touched down about a mile north northeast of Hawkins and quickly went back up.
*Trees reported down along Highway 60 near Cuney in Cherokee County.
*Just before 5:00pm, golf ball size hail fell for some ten minutes on Farm Road 2138, about nine miles south of Jacksonville.

CROCKETT — Monday’s thunderstorms are responsible for one East Texas death. In Houston County, a woman was critically injured when her car struck a fallen tree. The accident happened around 11:00 Monday night on State Highway 21, just over 6 miles east of Crockett. Renee Miller, 53, of Cocoa, Florida, died from her injuries early Monday morning in a Crockett hospital.