KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — In response to requests from Water Utilities customers wanting to go green and not receive a monthly paper statement, the Tyler Water Utilities Department is now offering e-billing as an option for their customers. City staffers say the process to sign up is very easy. Just visit the City website at http://www.cityoftyler.org and click on the “I want to” button at the top of the screen. A drop down of choices will appear; select “E-Billing” and fill out the required information.

Once the info is submitted, customers will be sent a confirmation email and the Water Department will receive the request. Staff will update customer accounts, and after the next billing cycle they will receive an email letting them know that their bill is ready to be paid. When customers click the notification they will see their current charges and total amount due. They can follow a link at the bottom of the screen back to the website and make a payment on their account using a debit or credit card.

“We are pleased to offer this new service to our customers,” said Joan Roberson, water business office manager. “Enhanced services like this are just one tactic that we are employing to provide our customers the best possible service.” For more information, you can contact the Water Utilities Business Office at (903) 531-1230.

LUFKIN — Authorities continue their investigating into the death of a Lufkin man pulled from his burning house last week. Richard Browning was pulled from his Mitchell Avenue home the night of January 28. Investigators say Browning had a large amount of blood on his head and clothing when paramedics arrived. Browning died in the hospital in Houston two days later. Lufkin police say they’re awaiting toxicology results from Browning’s autopsy.

TYLER — Tyler ISD’s Griffin Elementary School and Moore MST Magnet School have been recognized by the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) as 2010 Higher Performing Schools for Texas. Griffin received the recognition for its student achievement in reading and writing, Moore for its student achievement in math.

The NCEA released its 2010 Higher Performing Schools List for Texas at the end of January. The list identifies elementary, middle and high schools as NCEA Higher Performing Schools that have consistently outperformed their peers that serve similar student populations, and recognizes their achievement in bringing more students to college and career readiness than expected. NCEA (formerly known as Just for the Kids) began identifying Higher Performing Schools in 1998 and continues to annually release these lists as well as College and Career Readiness Charts for every public school in Texas.

LONGVIEW — Longview Police have arrested a woman on child endangerment charges. Friday night just before 11:15, officers responded to a 911 at 110 South Access Road. Upon arrival, officers were directed to room #223. Officers knocked several times on the door to the room, but no one answered the door. Finally, officers noticed a small child peering through the blinds at them. Once they were able to get the door open they observed a woman, later identified as Jennifer Franchell Lilly, 29, of Longview, lying on the bed. According to authorities, Ms. Lilly was unresponsive and smelled strongly of an alcoholic beverage. Once officers were able to wake Ms. Lilly up and she was taken into custody for three counts of abandoning or endangering a child/criminal negligence and transported to the Gregg County Jail.

LONGVIEW — A Longview home has been extensively damaged by fire. It was reported around 2:30 yesterday morning in the 700 block of Travis Avenue. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames. No one was at home when the fire started and no injuries were reported. Investigators say it appears as if some type of flammable liquid was used to start the fire on the porch near the front door.

TYLER — The East Texas Communities Foundation has numerous scholarships available for area students. On KTBB “Staff Meeting,” the foundation’s Dana Durman told us there’s a lot to be said for the scholarship process. Durman says it rewards students who have worked hard in school, sets them above the rest, and is a good way to honor the kids and tell them they’ve done a great job. Durman encourages kids to apply through her agency — and go after all the other scholarships available. She says students aren’t taking full advantage of what’s out there, often because they find the process difficult or time-consuming. “But,” she says, “the reward at the end is great, so follow through with the process.” Also, she’s available to help if you have questions.

The East Texas Communities Foundation’s application deadline is March 1. You can go to http://www.etcf.org to learn more. And as always, this week’s edition of “Staff Meeting” is available at http://www.ktbb.com/audio beginning early Monday morning.

BROWNSBORO — A 46-year-old Pflugerville man is dead as the result of a Saturday highway crash in Henderson County. A Department of Public Safety report says it happened around 1:45pm about three miles east of Brownsboro on State Highway 31. Authorities say L.C. Smith was headed east on the slushy highway when he crossed over into the opposite lane and collided with a vehicle driven by Charles Johnson, 27, of Corsicana. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnson was taken to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, where he was last listed in stable condition with a broken leg and an arm laceration. Both men were wearing seat belts.

WHITEHOUSE — The big problem Saturday in East Texas switched from driving to plumbing. Ricardo Guerra with American Plumbing has been in the plumbing business nearly all of his life. With about 100 hours below freezing, he says last week has been one of the busiest times since the 1980′s, when there was another giant freeze. And when pipes started bursting Saturday afternoon as we got above freezing, things got even busier. “It started right after lunch. Pop here, pop there, and so we’re going crazy now,” Guerra said. Guerra was working on plumbing fed by a well to a home in Whitehouse. The homeowners had not been able to use the water for days, and when ice started to melt, the PVC pipes just broke.

Guerra says proper insulation is key for keeping pipes warm, and it’s also good to keep the water flowing somehow, for example, by leaving faucets dripping. Guerra says in the future it’s important for East Texans to know how to shut their water off when pipes start to freeze. “A lot of people don’t know how to cut their water off. So it’s a good thing to get you a meter key, make sure you can cut your water off or have a plumber install a new shutoff valve to your house and show everybody in the family how to shut it off,” Guerra said. And even though it feels like the calm after the storm, East Texas is expected to have another cold spell in the coming week. Guerra says as more cold weather approaches, it’s very important to get those hoses off your outdoor faucets and cover up the faucet with either a hard covering, or even an old rag will do.

TYLER — PATH is winding down its annual canned soup drive – Souper Bowl Sunday. PATH has been encouraging residents to get groups together and hold their own contests to see who can collect the most soup. Those who collect the most become the MVPs of the PATH Souper Bowl. There’s one winner from the “community” category and one “congregational” winner. You’re asked to bring soup donations to PATH the week following Sunday’s Super Bowl. After all the soup has been weighed, PATH will name the community-wide MVP and the congregational MVP. For more information, contact Becky Duncan at becky@pathhelps.org or call 903-597-4044, ext. 120.

TYLER — As part of the Mayor’s Tree Initiative, the City of Tyler is partnering with LT 24 to hold Tree Tyler Day on March 19, 2011. Officials say Tree Tyler Day will give the community the opportunity to come together to work toward reaching the Mayor’s goal of planting 5,000 trees in five years at an inaugural community-wide tree planting event. “We are so pleased to be partnering with LT24 to move this initiative forward,” commented Mayor Barbara Bass. “I already have my overalls and shovel ready – but it is up to the community to decide how dirty they will get. I am hoping we will see the entire city come out to help grow our urban forest.”

The partnership sprouted when Mayor Bass spoke with members of the Leadership Tyler 24 class and challenged them to get on board to support the Tree Tyler Initiative. Many members of the class met several times to discuss how they could become involved and ultimately formed LT24. “We wanted to contribute to Tyler in a lasting and visible way,” shared LT24 member Brian Pearson. “What better opportunity than to help preserve the natural beauty that Tyler is known for. Our goal is to get every facet of the community involved in sponsoring trees for Tree Tyler Day.”

Between now and the March event, LT 24 will be seeking sponsors for the tree planting event. With sponsorship opportunities ranging from a single tree all the way to 100 trees, the entire community, from school classes to the City’s largest businesses, is encouraged to participate. You can log on to http://www.TreeTyler.com or http://www.cityoftyler.org for a flyer detailing Tree Tyler Day sponsorship opportunities. To sign up as a Tree Tyler Day sponsor, you can contact the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department at (903) 531-1370.

TYLER — A woman has been killed in a weekend accident in Tyler. Saturday afternoon shortly after 1:15, Tyler Police Department officers responded to a major accident in the 2600 block of W. Gentry. A red Chevrolet Corsica had exited the Taco Bell/Long John Silver’s parking lot and was struck by a black Hummer H2 westbound on W. Gentry as the Chevrolet crossed the westbound lanes. The driver of the Chevrolet, a 63-year-old from Tyler, was transported to East Texas Medical Center and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police withheld the name of the deceased pending notification of the family.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Court records indicate that the owner of a Brownsboro, Texas, security firm might plead guilty in a case accusing him of plotting with a New Orleans police commander to get kickbacks from a hurricane security contract. Both Joseph Branch of Gladius Inc. and police Capt. Michael Roussel are scheduled for trial March 28, but records show Branch has a change of plea hearing scheduled March 10. The Times-Picayune reports that both pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal wire fraud in a six-count indictment that replaces a single count handed up in June. The five new counts involve alleged statements in e-mails and a phone call. The men are charged with scheming to inflate a contract with Entergy Services Inc. – one eligible for Federal Emergency Management Administration coverage.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview say a woman left children alone in a vehicle Friday and now faces charges. Around 10:21 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 2400 Block of Gilmer Road for an assist child call. Upon arrival officers were informed by several witnesses that a small child was found wandering around in the busy parking lot of the location. Officers located the mother of the child, identified as Angela Denise Massengill, 27, of Gladewater. Officers say they also determined that Massengill had left her other two children inside the truck located in the parking lot of the location. Officers say that after further investigation, they determined that Ms. Massengill had gone in and out of the store several times and not carried the children inside the location with her. Massengill was arrested for abandoning/endangering a child with intent to return, a state jail felony.

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department responded to a two-alarm structure fire Friday at 1:24 p.m. at 1514 N. Dargan. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. Three pets were rescued by firefighters. The fire was contained to one bedroom and a closet area. There were no injuries reported. Units cleared the scene around 2:20 p.m. The fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — No injuries reported as the Tyler Fire Department responded to a two-alarm structure fire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday at 1612 N. Confederate. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. The owner arrived home to find the structure filled with smoke. Investigators determined that the fire originated near a wall outlet where a space heater was plugged in. The fire spread inside the wall space and gained access into the attic. Units cleared the scene around 1:30 a.m. Friday.