TYLER — Tyler Police release a photo of two suspects wanted in an alleged robbery. It happened June 28th on 3400 block of Cain Street where a 33-year-old Hispanic man says he had met two men earlier in a club and was later lured outside the club. One of the suspects got out of a 2006 to 2008, Gray, GMC Yukon and approached the victim’s car while the other suspect stayed in the vehicle. The victim was repeatedly beat in the head and robbed of his wallet. He was able to run into a wooded area to get away from the suspects. The suspects are described as a white male 25 to 27 years-old and a Hispanic male 20 to 23 years-old. Anyone with information about the suspects involved in this crime is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers, at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).
Murder Suspect Caught in East Texas
MARSHALL – A fugitive on the run from Tulsa, Oklahoma has been caught in Marshall after making his way through parts of East Texas. According to KETK, 19-year-old Gregory Carter is a suspect in the murder of a 21-year-old who was found dead Friday morning. Detectives say Carter held someone at gunpoint and forced that person to drive him from Tulsa to the Super 8 at Highway 59 and Interstate 20 in Marshall. U.S. Marshals and Marshall police arrested Carter at the motel; he was there with his infant daughter. Carter’s awaiting extradition to Oklahoma.
Fire Destroys Hideway Home
HIDEAWAY — A weekend fire has destroyed a familys home at Hideaway, in northwest Smith County. The fire, said to have been caused by a lightning strike, occurred around 3:30 Saturday afternoon at 229 Winged Foot Drive. No injuries were reported.
Angelina County Traffic Fatality
HUDSON A one vehicle accident in Angelina County has left one person dead. The wreck occurred around 9:45 Saturday night on Farm Road 945. Dead at the scene was Ruben Esparza, 39, of Lufkin. The Department of Public Safety report said Esparzas pickup left the road on a curve, hit a curve signed and then flipped over several times. The cab of the pickup was crushed when it came to rest upside down.
Cuban Says NBA Should Examine How Heat Got Big 3
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says the NBA should examine how free agents LeBron James(notes), Chris Bosh(notes) and Dwyane Wade(notes) all ended up with the Miami Heat.
Cuban tells a group of reporters at the NBAs summer league in Las Vegas that he intends to ask the leagues Board of Governors to inquire about the situation.
According to a story posted on the Cleveland Plain Dealers website Sunday, Cuban says the league needs to develop more definitive rules governing the issue of player tampering.
NBA owners are scheduled to meet Monday in Las Vegas.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have no plans to push for an NBA probe into the circumstances that led to LeBron James joining Team USA colleagues Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, according to sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking.
NBA commissioner David Stern said Sunday that the league would investigate the Heat’s signings of James and Bosh for any illegal negotiating or planning before free agency officially started if the Cavaliers or Toronto Raptors make that request.
Reached Sunday by ESPN, Stern said: “Whenever a team lodges a tampering charge, it is investigated.”
The Cavaliers declined official comment Sunday, but one source briefed on Cleveland’s intentions told ESPN.com that — in the wake of owner Dan Gilbert’s vitriolic open letter to Cavs fans that slammed James for leaving his home-state team — the organization wants to try to keep the focus from here on its post-James future as much as possible.
Toronto likewise declined comment, but one source with knowledge of the Raptors’ thinking indicated that they will not press for an inquiry, either, preferring to let league officials decide if any sanctions are warranted with regard to recent acknowledgements from the three players that they have been talking about teaming up for some time.
Stern also declined further comment but is expected to expound on the subject Monday night when he is scheduled to meet with reporters in Las Vegas following an owners meeting devoted to the league’s ongoing labor negotiations with the NBA Players Association.
Although labor matters were initially expected to dominate the agenda, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said Friday that he intends to push for renewed discussion about the league’s tampering rules and how they are enforced.
Concerns about this issue have been mounting since an ESPN.com report in late June that James, Wade and Bosh met face-to-face before free agency to discuss their plans. Yet the league’s general position has been that players are not subject to the same tampering restrictions as teams except for “the most egregious cases,” when it can be proven that a player was operating as a direct extension of team management.
Miami’s counter to any tampering claims figures to center on the premise that James, Wade and Bosh have openly dreamt of playing together at some level since the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and that the Heat turned out to be the only team in the league in the long-anticipated summer of LeBron that had the requisite salary-cap space to sign all three players.
The Heat will also undoubtedly point to the fact the Cavaliers and Raptors — to ensure that neither team lost its franchise player without compensation — just willingly completed sign-and-trade deals with Miami for James and Bosh.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported in Sunday’s editions that James, Wade and Bosh actually hatched the idea of playing together during a stint with Team USA in the summer of 2006 at the World Championships in Japan, which contributed to each of them signing new contracts in 2007 containing an opt-out clause after three seasons to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2010.
Tensions nonetheless remain high in various cities around the league, starting obviously with Cleveland, some 72 hours after James announced in a one-hour special on ESPN that he would be leaving the Cavaliers after seven seasons to play alongside Wade and Bosh.
A comment made by Bosh at a welcoming rally Friday night in Miami has only fueled accusations that the three stars began plotting their joint move to South Florida well before they were technically allowed to. Bosh initially told the assembled crowd that the trio had been talking about landing with the same team for “months” before catching himself and amending that statement to “days.”
Cuban told a group of reporters Friday at the NBA’s annual summer league in Las Vegas that he would urge Stern to look into the matter whether or not Cleveland or Toronto asks, saying: “I’m going to bring it up to the league that we really do have to re-evaluate the issue of player tampering. Who knows what will happen? But I have to suggest it to them because there has to be more definitive rules.
“It’s not just the Cavs,” Cuban continued. “It could be any team. It could be the Heat in a couple years. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. But there has to be a way to keep these guys away from each other for the last week anyway.”
Wade and Bosh are represented by the same agent — Chicago-based Henry Thomas — and were together throughout the league’s moratorium period between July 1-7 when teams and free agents could meet and negotiate deals to the point of reaching agreements in principle. Thursday was the first day that teams and players could actually execute new contracts.
James and two of his closest advisors — business manager Maverick Carter and agent Leon Rose — took a different approach, inviting six teams to the Cleveland area to make their pitches over a three-day span before committing to the Heat.
But James and Wade acknowledged at a press conference Friday night that the three players were in frequent contact as they finalized their decisions where to sign, with the information flow also facilitated by the fact that Thomas joined Rose at CAA in July 2009.
Wade acknowledged Friday night that what he termed as “the possibility” that all three stars could someday wind up on the same team was established “a long time ago.”
Stern, however, has made it clear that he would not punish player-to-player interaction with the same vigor that the league threatens to punish team contact with players that they don’t employ, suggesting that it is unrealistic to try to put limits on or police player fraternization.
At the NBA Finals, when asked about the prospect of various top free agents holding a so-called “summit” — as Wade playfully suggested to the Chicago Tribune in late May — Stern said he would not try to stop it or punish participants for getting together.
“They can have it,” Stern said on June 3.
ESPN.com reported June 28 that James, Wade and Bosh held a scaled-down version of the summit to seriously discuss the prospect of playing together with the Heat.
Sources in the initial report told ESPN.com that the sitdown took place in Miami during the weekend before July 1, which was subsequently denied strenuously by Thomas. But sources close to the process reconfirmed to ESPN.com on Wednesday that the players convened at least one face-to-face meeting before July 1, except that sources now acknowledge that the meeting was on James’ Northeast Ohio turf on the Saturday before the NBA draft.
The Plain Dealer reported in Sunday’s editions that Wade flew with Bosh to Akron to meet at James home, where Wade– still under contract to the Heat — pointed out that only Miami had the cap space to afford all three players.
The newspaper also reported that the Cavaliers were aware of a November meeting Heat president Pat Riley had with James and Michael Jordan in Miami, with Jordan in town to do some Nike work with Wade. But Cleveland, according to the Plain-Dealer, did not register a tampering complaint with the league about the meeting, believing that Riley’s primary purpose was convincing James that more modern players need to pay homage to Jordan, who at the time had not yet become majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
After James’ Cavaliers beat Wade’s Heat on Nov. 12, with Riley and Jordan watching together courtside, James made the announcement that he no longer wants to wear No. 23 and that all players, in a bow to Jordan, should forsake that number.
Bagwell Taking Over as Astros Hitting Coach
Former Astros All-Star Jeff Bagwell is taking over as Houstons hitting coach after the team fired Sean Berry on Sunday.
Berry became a victim of circumstances as the offense sputtered this season, general manager Ed Wade said. He believes the offense can do more and hopes Bagwell helps that happen.
We know we can get better, but we also know there are players here that should be better and hopefully with a different voice in Jeff Bagwell, theyll recognize the measure of accountability that they have in this whole process so we will get better, Wade said.
AdChoices
Bagwell had been thinking about what his next challenge would be when Wade approached him about the position.
There comes a point in time where you realize you have to do something and that your life has to go on, Bagwell said. Im 42 years old and its time for me to do something else. This is what I know. I know baseball. Hopefully were going to find out in a couple of months that I know a little about hitting too.
The move gives Houston hitters a chance to work with one of the most beloved and successful players in franchise history.
In 15 seasons with the Astros, the former first baseman set club records with 449 home runs and 1,529 RBIs. Bagwell was the National League rookie of the year in 1991, the NLs MVP in 1994 and a four-time All-Star.
Berry, who has been the hitting coach the past five seasons, was given a chance to remain with the franchise in a development role. He hadnt decided if hell accept that opportunity.
Bagwell hasnt been promised anything past this season and said the remainder of this year will be a sort of test for him.
This is 2 1/2 months to see if Im any good at it, can I get some results out of these guys and ultimately is this something that I want to do full time, he said.
Wade knows great players dont necessarily make good coaches, but believes Bagwell will be successful after what hes shown working with the team as special assistant to the general manager since retiring in 2006.
Hes very levelheaded, Wade said. He communicates very well, particularly with regard to the nuances of the game. Weve seen him have a significant impact on some of our minor league hitters with the information hes able to convey. So hes got the interest and the passion in doing this and we think its appropriate to give him the opportunity to see if it works or not.
Bagwell was not in uniform for Sundays game against the Cardinals and will join the team Thursday in Pittsburgh for a workout. Houston starts the second half on Friday.
Fans love Bagwell, so thats the first thing. Hes a legend here, center fielder Michael Bourn said. (He) did a lot of damage here, so of course he knows how to hit.
The Astros entered Sundays game with the second-worst batting average in the majors (.237), the worst on-base percentage (.295) and tied for 28th with just 57 home runs. Only Seattle and Pittsburgh have fewer hits than the 691 that Houston has managed this year.
This is going to be interesting, Bagwell said. Im going to give it everything Ive got. Im going to try to prepare the guys the best I can so that when they get in that batters box, they have the best opportunity to succeed.
Star slugger Lance Berkman entered Sundays game hitting .252 and cleanup hitter Carlos Lee is batting .238. Each has 12 home runs. Second baseman Jeff Keppinger has the best average in Houstons starting lineup at .279.
Berkman said it stings to know the struggles of the offense cost Berry his job.
I havent hit and Carlos hasnt hit like he can and others havent and its not Seans fault, Berkman said. Its one of those things that when things arent going well with the players, you have to shake something up and the most expendable pieces a lot of times are the coaching staff.
Though he was disappointed to see Berry leave, Berkman looks forward to working with Bagwell.
Jeff has always been one of my mentors in the game and Im excited that hes going to be around more, Berkman said. I told him (Saturday) that he helps me more than anybody even when hes not around just from all the things that he told me during the time that we played together. So it will be great to have him around and have his expertise available.
Lots Happening at Tyler Art Museum
TYLER — Among current attractions at the Tyler Museum of Art is an exhibition called “Cherokee Beadwork: Finding a Lost Art.” On KTBB “Staff Meeting,” Museum spokesperson Zoe Lawhorn says it was organized by Tylerite Martha Berry. Lawhorn calls Berry one of the only experts in the world on that particular type of art. Lawhorn says the art of Cherokee beadwork has indeed been virtually lost — and Berry “took it upon herself to do some really heavy, in-depth research and to find the remaining examples.” The exhibition remains up for several more weeks, along with another one called “The American Indian through the Eyes of Edward s. Curtis” and the popular “Babar’s Museum of Art.” Go to http://www.tylermuseum.org for more on what’s happening at the art museum. You can also go to http://www.ktbb.com/audio to listen to the “Staff Meeting” show beginning early Monday.
Air Quality Meeting Today in Longview
LONGVIEW — An East Texas meeting on air quality standards is set for today. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting a series of meetings around the state to inform the public about, and receive comment on, potential nonattainment boundaries and designations for new ozone standards. These standards were proposed by the EPA in January 2010 and are expected to be finalized in August. Longview’s Maude Cobb Activity Center will host a meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday.
Earlier this year, the EPA announced potential new ozone standardsa primary standard in the range of between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million and a cumulative secondary standard of 7 15 ppm-hours. The EPA has published a compressed schedule for the new standards, with the ozone standards to be announced on August 31 of this year. The state must submit recommendations for which counties should be designated nonattainment for ozone standards by January 2011. Due to the EPAs shortened schedule, the TCEQ is holding these meetings prior to the standard being finalized to provide available information and receive comment.
The EPA designates areas as either in attainment or nonattainment with respect to National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone. A nonattainment designation may require measures be taken to bring an area into compliance. Officials say the meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the process the state will follow as it develops its recommendation. The state must submit a recommendation to the EPA no later than January 7, 2011 according to the federal Clean Air Act. You can go to http://www.tceq.state.tx.us to learn more about TCEQ and its work.
UTHSCT Is a Partner in Scholarship Offer
TYLER — Scholarships of up to $10,000 each are available for qualified students accepted into a new graduate training program in health information management technology. The program is being delivered through the Northeast Texas Consortium of Colleges and Universities (NETnet) and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. The one-year program is being offered by Texas State University, which has contracted with UTHSCT through NETnet to provide access to the program for about 25 Northeast Texas students in two groups over two years, said Mickey Slimp, the projects local director. Slimp is executive director of NETnet and the East Texas Interactive Health Network, a partnership of area health providers from Livingston to Mount Pleasant.
Called the Professional University Resources and Education for Health Information Technology (PURE HIT), the project is funded by a $5.4 million federal grant divided among academic institutions throughout Texas, said Texas State project director Susan H. Fenton. It is estimated that nationally, 50,000 new health information technology (HIT) professionals will be needed to help hospitals and physicians implement electronic health records by 2014, Dr. Fenton said. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology awarded the grant to Texas State. Students admitted to the program will take courses on the UTHSCT campus, with instructors at Texas State teaching classes via videoconferencing, said Dr. Slimp.
Dr. Slimp urged anyone who is interested to apply as soon as possible, because scholarships are limited and will be awarded to qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. Classes start Aug. 25. To apply, visit http://www.health.txstate.edu/him/PURE-HIT-Training-Consortium.html for more information and an online application.
Cooking Fish Leads to Massive Blaze
FLINT – A mobile home fire sparked while a family cooked dinner. According to KETK, it happened in the Pine Trail Shores subdivision in Flint off of Highway 155 just before 8 o’clock Friday night. Numerous fire departments were called to the scene to help battle the blaze. Fire officials say it appears the fire started while the family was cooking fish. No injuries are reported, but the home is a loss.
Accident Kills One, Sends Ten to Hospital
LONGVIEW — One person is dead, and ten have been hospitalized in a Longview wreck. On Friday at approximately 9:29 p.m., Longview Officers were dispatched to a report of a major accident in the 4300 block of West Loop 281. Officers arrived to find four vehicles involved and numerous people injured. The Longview Fire Department/EMS transported seven children and four adults involved in the accident to Good Shepherd Medical Center for treatment. One of the adults, 31-year-old Saberina Evette Howard of Longview, was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Sam Lawson shortly after her arrival.
As of late Friday night, Traffic Investigators were able to determine that Howard had been traveling northbound in the 4300 block of West Loop 281 in a Buick LeSabre when she rear ended a GMC Canyon pick-up truck that was also traveling northbound. After the initial collision, Howards Buick went into oncoming lanes of southbound traffic and struck a Lincoln Navigator and a Ford Taurus. As a result of the crash, West Loop 281 was closed to traffic until approximately 11:15 p.m. Blood samples have been sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety for testing, and the investigation is ongoing.
Off-Premise Alcohol
TYLER — More than 1,700 signatures of people who want to vote for or against an alcohol option are turned in this week. According to KETK, the option is for off-premise alcohol in Smith County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4. Were the option to pass, residents could buy beer or wine from companies and take it home. In a May 2009 election, this same option was given, but it did not pass. However, some voters think there is reason to believe the results may turn out differently this time. Resident Peyton Neill says, “I don’t think it will pass, but if it does, I will not be surprised because of the amount of alcohol people want right now.”
Smith County Elections Administrator Karen Nelson says voter turnout may be higher this time because there’s a governor’s race, which may draw more attention from voters.
JP Precinct 4 touches the north and east side of Loop 323. The number of signatures needed was turned in yesterday, three weeks before the deadline. Officials are now verifying them to make sure there are enough valid signatures to hold the election. Business owners KETK spoke with from stores that are already selling alcohol in Winona say they are worried. If the vote gets on the ballot and passes, it could hurt business.
Pittman Trial Continues
TYLER — In state district court in Tyler, the trial of Dennis Boyd Pittman, 47, continues. He is accused of forcing several children to dance and engage in sexual activity. KETK-TV reports, for a 13 year old witness Thursday it was a day of claims and contradictions.
The teens original taped children’s protective services interviews from 5 years ago was played. In them she denied there was sex in the club. She denied she was ever naked in the club. But she told juries in earlier trials the opposite. When confronted with the contradiction, she claimed over and over she didn’t remember.
On the tape she was asked if she had ever seen any adult naked. She replied only her mother. But again, she told earlier juries that other people in the club were naked. There was even a claim that she had seen Patrick Kelly, Booger Red, murder someone. But no body was ever found and no missing persons report was ever filed.
Testimony continued Friday in the so-called Mineola swingers club trial.
Rangers Get Lefty Cliff Lee From Mariners For Smoak
Cliff Lee was going to a contender no matter what. Turns out it was the Texas Rangers, not the New York Yankees. “Just heard from [Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik],” Lee texted to ESPN The Magazine’s Amy K. Nelson. “It’s official. From last [place] to first.”
After talks between the Seattle Mariners and Yanks fell apart Friday afternoon, the Rangers jumped in and reached agreement on a trade for the left-hander.
The M’s sent Lee and reliever Mark Lowe to Texas for first baseman Justin Smoak and minor-leaguers Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matthew Lawson.
The Mariners will also send $2.5 million to the Rangers to subsidize the $4 million still owed to Lee. Texas has financial limitations due to bankruptcy hearings associated with the sale of the team. There has been speculation that the Rangers — despite leading the AL West — would not be able to add weapons for the stretch run.
Lee is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA this season for the Mariners, his first in Seattle. The Phillies traded him this offseason after acquiring Roy Halladay.
Lee won the Cy Young while with Cleveland in 2008. Over nine seasons he is 98-55 with a 3.84 ERA.
It’s unusual for a team to trade a start pitcher within it’s own division, but the Mariners have been a huge disappointment. Heading into Friday’s action, they trailed the Rangers by 16 games.
When asked how he felt about the deal, Lee texted “good I guess. Gonna be on a very good team. Definitely gonna be hot!”
The Yankees had offered Seattle a three-player package, centered around catcher Jesus Montero — who is rated as one of the best prospects in baseball, despite questions about whether he can be a catcher in the big leagues — second baseman David Adams and a young prospect.
But the deal began to unravel, a source told ESPN.com, when the Mariners became concerned about the health of Adams, who is out with a sprained ankle.
A source told ESPN.com that Seattle and Texas were very close to a deal for Lee on Wednesday. But the Mariners were pushing for Smoak, the Rangers balked and that deal stalled.
So on Thursday, the Mariners turned their attention to the Yankees and began closing in on that deal. But when those talks blew up, the Rangers — who by then were aware of all the reports about that Seattle-New York deal — got back into the picture and agreed to trade Smoak. So the pieces came together very quickly at that point because the two teams almost had a deal done 48 hours earlier.
And now Lee is on his way to Arlington.
“Bout to go get my stuff from the field,” he texted. “Gonna miss my teammates and coaching staff! Good people!”
Leak Capped at TJC
TYLER — Tyler Junior College officials say a gas supply line leak has been capped. According to KETK, a crew was replacing a driveway at Palmer Avenue across from the Health and Physical Education Center before the line ruptured Friday. Officials say it busted because it was close to the surface. They evacuated a soccer camp from campus as a precaution. The Tyler Museum of Art also evacuated the area. TJC does not hold classes on Friday. No injuries have been reported.