KTBB News, Weather, Talk

HENDERSON COUNTY — Our news partners at KETK report that a 25-year-old man died following a crash about two miles northeast of Athens on Wednesday morning.

According to a preliminary DPS report, a 2014 Toyota Corolla was traveling west on Highway 175 around 6:53 a.m. The vehicle reportedly left the roadway to the north, struck a concrete culvert and vaulted into the air.

DPS said the driver, Aaron Nicholas Weeks, of Tyler, was ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

ANDERSON COUNTY – Our news partners at KETK report that a man is dead after drowning on Lake Palestine Thursday afternoon.

According to Cherokee County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 Rodney Wallace, 31-year-old Gary Woods from Jacksonville was pronounced dead around 4:22 p.m. Thursday. He reportedly drowned on the Anderson County side of Lake Palestine.

Woods’ family has been notified.

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Our news partners at KETK report that a Tyler woman who pleaded guilty on Friday to injury of a child was sentenced to one year deferred adjudication.

Jessica Fowler, 36 of Tyler, who according to an arrest warrant treated a special needs child “like a ragdoll”, was employed as a nighttime nurse for a child who had several medical conditions that need constant and sensitive care.

The warrant said that another nurse noticed the child had not been using their right arm prompting them to check a hidden camera in the home.

According to the warrant, more than 50 clips showed Fowler allegedly tossing the child “like a rag doll” from one side of their crib to the other.

An affidavit said there was also footage where Fowler allegedly tied the child’s arm behind her head that may have left bruising on their left arm.

The case investigator observed clips where Fowler allegedly was “using her phone light to inspect [the child] as though she was looking for any marks or bruising” and “would intentionally turn off the [heart rate] alarm alert on a monitor.”

As a part of her sentence, Fowler will also have to do 100 hours of community service.

UPSHUR COUNTY, TX – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office had issued a warrant for a suspect in relation to an aggravated sexual assault of a child.
Our news partners at KETK report that man, 41-year-old Quinton Branch, has now turned himself into authorities.

Branch, of Helena, Montana, was identified by authorities as a suspect in the case after an investigation. Officials said he is a former resident of Upshur County and has relatives and acquaintances in the area.

The victim and their family know Branch and said he allegedly had contacted them and threatened to harm himself, officials said.

NOONDAY — According to our news partner KETK an invasive species called hammerhead flatworms are found in several areas in Texas and have been a cause for concern for some residents, but experts say there is no reason to panic. You may have heard that they are highly toxic to pets, but the Texas Invasive Species Institute says that’s not completely true. “It’ll make your animals feel sick for a day or two, it doesn’t cause anything more severe than that,” said Ashley Morgan-Olvera, Director of Research and Education at Texas Invasive Species Institute.

The worms are also not harmful to people unless you are allergic, then you may have a reaction like you would with poison ivy. Experts say if you do come in contact with the hammerhead flatworm to wash your hands immediately and get rid of it. You can seal it in a bag with salt, or spray it with vinegar but never cut it in half. “They will regenerate so you can just end up creating more creatures instead of less,” said Morgan-Olvera.

We may not hear about the hammerhead flatworm often but they have been known to be in northern, central and eastern Texas since 1901. If you find a hammerhead worm, let someone know, send a picture and the place you found it to Texas A&M AgriLife or the Texas Invasive Species Institute so they can keep track of the population.

LONGVIEW – Authorities have arrested a Longview man for arson and murder. According to our news partner KETK, 21-year-old Donald Ray Miller Jr. was booked into the Gregg County Jail Thursday in the death of Ronnie Moody, 66, also of Longview. Longview Police say that Moody died early Wednesday morning in a building fire on East Avalon avenue. Investigators believe that arson was the cause of the fire with Miller as the suspect. They also add that even with the arrest their detectives are still conducting an investigation.

JACKSONVILLE – According to our news partner KETK, A $500 reward is being offered by the Cherokee County Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest and indictment of anyone involved in the vandalization of public restrooms in Jacksonville.

According to Jacksonville police, during Monday and Wednesday evenings, the public restrooms at the Lake Jacksonville Concession area were destroyed causing thousands of dollars in damages. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jacksonville Police Department or to remain anonymous, contact the Crime Stoppers tip line at 903-586-2546.

TYLER – A man was arrested in connection to the May shooting at Liberty Arms Apartment complex, and his warrant reveals more details about the incident. According to our news partner KETK, 21-year-old Marqus Gray was arrested on Tuesday and booked into the Smith County Jail on several charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct/discharge of a firearm.

Both Gray and 18-year-old Kerick Johnson are accused of taking part in the north Tyler shooting. Gray’s warrant states that surveillance video from Liberty Arms apartment complex cameras show the May 22 incident. A red Hyundai Elantra is seen in the parking lot when two women exit the vehicle and one of them begins to speak with Gray, who appears in frame to be wearing an orange mask over his head, according to the warrant.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler offers nonprofit management certification classes to East Texas professionals through a partnership with United Way of Smith County. Previously available only at the United Way Building in downtown Tyler, workshops will now also be available in Longview at the UT Tyler Longview University Center.

“Since moving to Longview, I have noticed the community’s strong commitment to giving back, and it’s an infectious culture that permeates the entire area,” said Dr. Rodney Ellis, LUC director. “As a consequence, there is a need to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of those currently in the nonprofit industry here in the area or those who desire to be in the industry.”

The UT Tyler Department of Social Sciences is collaborating with United Way of Smith County to manage the East Texas Center for Nonprofits, which provides the workshops to enhance the skill sets of nonprofit professionals. This expansion comes on the heels of UT Tyler’s new Master of Public Administration nonprofit management track.

“We will be merging these efforts so ETCN workshops will lead students to MPA degrees,” said Dr. Thomas Guderjan, UT Tyler professor and department chair. “Community members who serve on nonprofit boards or staff members of nonprofits will now be able to further their education and earn a quality UT Tyler degree.”

Registration fees vary between workshop/certification and includes Continuing Education Units and workshop materials. Partial scholarships are available. Attendees must attend all classes to receive certification.

UPSHUR COUNTY – The Sixth Court of appeals of Texarkana Wednesday affirms the conviction of an Upshur County man of eight counts of indecency with a child. According to our news partner KETK, 49 year-old Matthew McCoy was found guilty in 2022 of the charge with a 10-year old child and sentenced to 125 years in prison. Upshur County DA Billy Byrd said the child testified in addition to the physical abuse, McCoy had threatened to kill the childs family.

LONGVIEW – Longview police are investigating a homicide after finding a body while working a structure fire early Wednesday morning. According to our news partner KETK, Longview Fire Department responded to the scene in the 100 block of East Avalon Avenue around 1:15 a.m. Firefighters extinguished the fire and found a body. “Upon initial investigation foul play is suspected, and Longview Police Department is currently investigating this as a homicide,” officials said. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1110 or Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-7867.

RUSK – A historic psychiatric hospital in Rusk has a new $200 million state-of-the-art patient complex and administration building, and officials say they hope it will be a model for future builds in the state. The new three-story, 227,368 square-foot patient complex includes a 100-bed non-maximum security unit and expanded their maximum security unit from 40 beds to 100, and features single-person rooms, natural light in rooms and common areas, outdoor spaces and a variety of therapeutic, recreational and social experiences to prepare patients for life outside the hospital.

State Sen. Robert Nichols, State Rep. Travis Clardy and State Rep. Cody Harris took on the job to get it done. Construction began in 2017 and $200 million was raised.

“Not only is this newest, state-of-the-art, it is one of a series that follows, so it kind of lays the formula for the rest of the state on how to do it,” Nichols said.

Gov. Greg Abbott sent a message to local officials saying the new Rusk State Hospital is just the start of making mental health a priority in our hospitals.

MARSHALL – According to our news partner KETK, Just after 1:30 a.m., Marshall’s emergency dispatch received calls about a person lying in the roadway on Alexander Street. When they arrived, officers found a young male dead from an apparent gunshot wound. “Investigation showed that the young man had been lying in the street long enough for at least two cars to drive past, yet they did not call police,” according to Marshall police.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call MPD at 903-935-4575. Anyone who wants to remain anonymous is asked to call Marshall/Harrison County Crime Stoppers at 903-935-9969.

Because the victim is a juvenile, police will not release any identifying information.

TYLER – Ernest Blanton of Tyler went missing Sunday night after he walked into some woods. However, Ernest has dementia. He has a Project Lifesaver bracelet from the Alzheimer’s Alliance of Smith County. The radio tracking bracelet is waterproof. So, when Ernest was missed, his wife called the Tyler Police Department with his bracelets tracking number. And they located Mr. Blanton quickly. Claudia Blanton said, “We are very thankful to have the bracelet. We would be a loss without it.. To me it is a Godsend. I appreciate Tyler Police Department.” According to the National Alzheimer’s Association, the survival rates of dementia wanderers falls to about 34% after 24 hours