KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — Three people, including a State Trooper, were hurt in a Thursday night crash. It happened along highway 64 just after 10:00 near Greenbriar road. According to authorities on the scene, the driver of a pickup crashed into the trooper’s vehicle. All three of the injured were taken to a local hospital. According to KETK, their injuries were not serious.

LONGVIEW – A woman arrested in Longview has been returned to Mississippi where she is accused of embezzling funds from her employer and then faking her kidnapping. Arrested Thursday morning was Linda Gale Reed, 66. She was picked up during a traffic stop.

Mississippi authorities at first thought she had been kidnapped. Her bloodied SUV was found in a wooded area on a logging road off Interstate Highway 55. She was last seen April 29th at a Wal-Mart about 20 miles South of Jackson. She was reported missing after she didn’t show up for work April 30.

As investigators looked into her disappearance, $20,000 was found missing from a petty cash fund to which she had access. She had been working as a bookkeeper for Moore Fabrications in Gallman, Mississippi. At the time of her arrest, she had been working in Longview as a bookkeeper. In Mississippi, Copiah County Sheriff Harold Jones says Reed was using her real name and Social Security number as she worked in Longview.

TYLER – The firms that will head up the construction of the new nursing and health science center at Tyler Junior College have been selected by school trustees. Named Thursday for the $1.8 million project were HGR Contractors of Tyler and Turner Construction of Dallas. The school hopes to open the new facility in the spring of 2015.

TYLER — Authorities have captured a man said to have been leading them on a three-county chase. The chase started as a motorcycle pursuit in Wood, Smith, and Van Zandt Counties. But it turned into a foot chase at Wood County Road 2220 in the Mineola area, according to the Mineola Police Department. KETK reports Michael Paul Koch, 32, of Grand Saline is behind bars in Smith County. He faces numerous charges, including evading arrest. Bail is set at $40,000. No injuries have been reported.

LINDALE — An alleged East Texas bank robber has been brought back to America after he was caught in the Philippines. The Lindale Police Department and FBI went to DFW International Airport Thursday, and with the assistance of U.S. Customs agents. Anthony Rios, 43, of Lindale, was arrested as he exited an airplane after arriving from the Philippines. KETK reports the accused criminal was transported to the Smith County Jail after he was processed in Grapevine. Rios was booked in for the aggravated robbery committed on September 12 at the Capital One Bank on South Main Street in Lindale.

Rios, who was wearing a towel wrapped around his face, allegedly entered the bank armed with a handgun and robbed it. He had last been seen making off with what officials term an unknown sum of money in his car, headed south on Highway 69 toward Tyler. The alleged thief’s car, which authorities say was covered in red from a dye pack explosion, was found afterward at the airport parking garage in Dallas. According to officials, law enforcement authorities suspected he was en route to the Philippines and were able to pinpoint the flight he had boarded.

TYLER — Smith County is now accepting applications for two positions on the Emergency Services District #2 Board, set to expire on December 31, 2012. Emergency Services Districts are political subdivisions of Texas that are entrusted with providing fire services to many unincorporated areas of the state. Applications will be accepted through November 15. An ESD is governed by a board of commissioners who are appointed for two year staggered terms. All members must own real property or be registered voters in the district where they serve.

You’re asked to visit the Smith County Website at http://www.smith-county.com if you’re interested in submitting an application. Applications can be found by selecting the “Government” tab on the home page, selecting the “Commissioners Court” page, then clicking on the tab labeled “Boards and Commissions.” You may direct any questions to the Smith County Public Relations Office at 903-590-4607.

LAKE O’ THE PINES — A big, bad plant has made an unwelcome appearance in Lake O’ The Pines. It’s giant salvinia, an invasive species from Brazil. Clay Church with the Army Corps of Engineers says the plant can take over a body of water if it’s not controlled. According to Church, “It will actually make a mat so thick that it’ll choke out the native vegetation, plus it makes it hard for aquatic wildlife then to be there.” He says the stuff doubles in size in some areas every week. The Corps closed a boat ramp and hopes it has the salvinia cleaned up, but it’s easily spread. Church says any people who use the lake must inspect their boats and gear anytime they leave one body of water and go to another.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Police investigate three aggravated robberies. KETK reports the robberies took place at CJ’s Quick Stop on Rusk Street and twice at the J&J Food Mart on South Jackson this month. Police say the men got away with cash in all three robberies. If you know anything, you’re asked to call police or Crimestoppers.

LONGVIEW — A third sexually-oriented business, Venus, has been licensed in Longview. According to KETK, the owner hopes to have the adult novelty sex shop open in time for Valentine’s Day sales.

“Our busiest season is Valentine’s Day, when love is in the air. An end-of-the year opening also coincides with winter, the time of the year when people will be indoors,” said Robert Duggan, president of Gregg County Video.

Duggan’s September 13 application to open a sex store on FRJ Drive was approved October 17, after city staff determined it met requirements of Longview’s sexually oriented business ordinance. The application was delayed while surveyors determined whether the building site was far enough removed from a neighboring residence.

SMITH COUNTY — Lindale and Noonday firefighters battled a house fire Thursday morning in Smith County. According to KETK, it happened shortly before 3:45 in the 13000 block of County Road 46. No reports of any injuries.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council held a meeting Wednesday to hear a presentation by Heather Nick, Tyler City Planner, detailing the proposals on ordinance amendments, and variances, regarding zoning, signage and specific drive-through facilities. According to KETK, the proposals are in anticipation for the upcoming election, if the legalization of beer and wine sales passes for off premise consumption on November 6 in parts of Smith County.

The main topics addressed at the meeting were, where potential businesses are allowed to be, in proximity of schools, and churches. Another topic raised was the issue of signage. Specifically how many signs, how large, and where they are placed could be affected. The city says they have a uniformity code, so they are discussing signage for all businesses, not just potential alcohol stores that may come into Tyler if the law is voted in. Lastly, “beer barns” or drive-through packaged food and beverage facilities were discussed. The city of Tyler wants to restrict these types of businesses from being too close to city limits. They want to place them in “M2″ zones or more industrial areas, if the law is passed.

JACKSONVILLE – The Texas Attorney General’s office is investigating missing funds from Lon Morris College in Jacksonville. The $1.3 million comes from an endowment that should have gone to Sam Houston State University after the Jacksonville school declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July. At the center of the investigation is former school president Dr. Miles McCall. He headed the college from 2005 until his resignation this past May. Dr. McCall was questioned this week about the missing funds. Hal Morris with the State Attorney General’s Office says, at this time, they do not consider the money stolen.

RUSK COUNTY – A Rusk County woman is hospitalized in ICU at Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center after being attacked by a pack of dogs. The woman, said to be in her 80s, was attacked just before 9:00 Wednesday morning at her home on County Road 1113, between Kilgore and Overton. A neighbor, who saw the woman attacked when she went to get her newspaper, helped get the dogs off her and called 911. KETK reports the dogs have been captured and put down, and the investigation of the incident is continuing.

LONGVIEW – Longview police have arrested a man who threatened to use a metal pipe to kill his wife and her mother. Arrested early Wednesday morning was Patrick Wayne McCullough, 31. Police reports say witnesses stopped McCullough before he could hurt anyone. He is currently in the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $10,000 on charges of aggravated assault family violence with a weapon.

LONGVIEW — Sheriff Maxey Cerliano and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office request your assistance in identifying a burglary suspect. At around 2:30Sunday morning, October 21st, a white male entered the Glass Dragon Superstore at 4701 Estes Parkway by cutting a hole in the roof. The suspect took over $1500 in merchandise from the business. The suspect was wearing a light colored hoodie with netting covering his face. Call the sheriff’s office if you have any information.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to several early Wednesday morning break-ins reported at various Tyler businesses. The first happened just after 2:00 at the Laundry Room, 1811 ESE Loop 323. Officers located a broken window and as the investigation was underway, two subjects were stopped nearby and later arrested. Lucarus Butler, 20 (pictured) and Matthew Taylor, 17, both of Tyler, were charged with possession of criminal instrument and attempted burglary. Then, around 3:30, officers responded to a burglary call at the XLN club, 2109 East 5th and Mama’s Restaurant, 2105 East 5th. Officers found broken windows at both businesses. Officers searched the area but did not locate any suspects in the area.

Almost one hour later, officers responded to a burglary call at Midway Food Mart, 533 South Broadway. Authorities said there were signs that business had been broken into. Damarian Amie, 18, Tyler, was located nearby and arrested for attempted burglary. Later, police discovered another business, Taqueria El Lugar at 2121 East Fifth Street, was burglarized Wednesday morning. Investigators are following up on evidence recovered on Damarian Amie that reportedly links him to this burglary. All three suspects were booked into the Smith County Jail.

MT. PLEASANT — A Louisiana woman and mother of six chained herself to the front gate of a Keystone XL Pipeline yard Wednesday morning in Titus County. The action prevented workers building the southern leg of the TransCanada pipeline from getting in. While chained to the fence, Cherri Foytlin explained what brought her to Texas to join in the protest. Foytlin said, “It all started with the BP oil spill, and I was just awakened to the fact that these companies, in this case a foreign company just like BP, are not being responsible to our earth and to our people.” About an hour later, Foytlin was arrested and taken into custody.

TYLER — A U.S. magistrate judge found a Tyler man mentally competent to stand trial. KETK reports Todd Edward Jacobs, 44, will stand trial for allegedly conspiring to burn down a drug recovery center in Tyler. Jacobs is also accused of attempting to hire someone to kill his co-conspirator so he could not testify against him. Jacobs was indicted in June. He’s charged with solicitation of arson, witness tampering and “murder for hire.” Jacobs is facing up to 30 years in prison.

LUFKIN — A 49-year-old Lufkin man has been sentenced for disposing of hazardous wastes without a permit. David Overdorf pleaded guilty on March 18, 2011 and was fined $50,000. Overdorf was also sentenced to five years probation with six months of home confinement.

Overdorf was the former owner and president of H.O.T. Transport, Inc., a Lufkin-based chemical transportation business which offered commercial transportation of industrial liquids such as caustics, ethanol, methanol, hot wax, cresol, and formaldehyde. During the normal course of business, Overdorf directed HOT employees to wash out the interiors of trailer mounted tanks at HOT’s place of business knowing that the tanks contained hazardous wastes.

On March 10, 2006, Overdorf directed a HOT employee to transport approximately 45,000 tons of tank wash wastewater containing hazardous wastes in a trailer mounted tank from the business to Quala Wash in Houston for disposal and authorized payment of $450 to Clinton Promise for the disposal.

As part of his plea agreement with the government, Overdorf has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine. He must also hire an independent environmental engineering firm within four weeks to determine the full extent of soil contamination at HOT’s former business site. Overdorf must also spend up to $250,000 towards the costs of cleaning up any contamination left at the site. HOT is no longer in business.

TYLER – A man wanted in connection with a recent incident at Tyler’s Varsity Place Apartments has been arrested. Sirbrycelon Shelton, 19, of Kilgore, was arrested Monday after his release from the hospital and charged with burglary.

Tyler Police were called to the scene of a shooting that occurred around 9:30 a.m. Friday at Varsity Place Apartments, at 3400 Varsity Drive. Officers contacted Bradley Jackson, 19, of Dallas, who attends Tyler Junior College and lives in apartment 804. Jackson told officers that he believed he was being robbed by another suspect who was armed with a handgun standing at the doorway of his apartment. That suspect has been named as Shelton.

Police say Jackson produced a handgun and shot Shelton in his doorway. According to authorities, Shelton fled on foot, leaving a blood trail that ended up in building 21 of the complex. Officers searched the apartment and failed to locate anyone inside. Investigators discovered narcotics at the scene of the incident and believe they played a role in the motive of the shooting.

ATHENS – Funeral services will be held this weekend for long-time Henderson County Justice of the Peace Henry Ashford. The 65 year old Ashford died this past Saturday in Waco where he had gone to visit family members. It appears he died of a heart attack.

Ashford was first elected the Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace in 2002. It will now be up to Henderson County commissioners to appoint Ashford’s successor. That person would serve out the remainder of Ashford’s term, which ends December 31, 2013.

Funeral services for Ashford will be held on Saturday at 11:00am at First Baptist Church in Athens.

ANGELINA COUNTY — In a strange occurrence, a Diboll man has died after being struck with an arrow Tuesday morning. Angelina County deputies were dispatched to the scene located in the 100 block of Tidwell around 8:30. According to KETK, Sheriff’s officials are currently investigating the death, but could not give a detailed account of what happened at this time. The Lufkin Daily News – http://lufkindailynews.com – reports the man apparently shot himself in the chest with a crossbow. The name of the victim has not been released, pending notification next of kin.

TYLER — Starting Wednesday, the City of Tyler will be replacing the water main on North Hill Avenue from Harmony Street to the dead end north of West Nutbush Street. The work is expected to last three weeks. The street will not be closed completely to traffic, but it is advised that drivers plan alternative routes during the day.

CAMP COUNTY — A Mount Pleasant woman has been killed when the van she was driving ran into the back of a tractor-trailer on U.S. Highway 271 south of Pittsburg. According to the Longview News-Journal, Donna Couch, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck, which occurred about 4:30 yesterday morning in Camp County. Dark said the van burst into flames when it slammed into the rear of the southbound tractor-trailer, which had slowed to make a left turn. Dark said the investigation of the crash is ongoing and could not release further details about the incident.

TYLER – The jury that convicted a man in a cold case Smith County murder has also given him life in prison. He was also fined $10,000. Monday afternoon, Shams Emil Masters, 34, was convicted of the 1999 murder of William Thomas Young, 19. He died at the Woodland estates subdivision, off Noonday Road, from a single gunshot wound. He was sentenced Tuesday morning to life.

At the time of the shooting, authorities suspected Masters of murdering Young, but did not have enough evidence to charge him with murder. Masters was taken into custody at the time of Young’s death for possession of methamphetamine, which law enforcement found on him. He received a 6-year prison term.

To go to trial, Masters had to be extradited from a prison in Colorado, where he was already serving time for seven bank robberies.

LUFKIN — Crime Stoppers of Lufkin is asking for the public’s help in locating Andrew Esqueda. According to KETK, as of October 22, Angelina County Community Supervision and Corrections Department and Lufkin Municipal Court hold active warrants for the arrest of Esqueda. He’s wanted for a revocation of probation warrant from an original charge of burglary of a habitation. The court`s warrants are for a misdemeanor traffic offense, public intoxication, theft and failure to appear. The 27-year-old, white male is said to have black hair and brown eyes, approximately 5’11″ and weighs 135 pounds. His last verified address was on Paul Avenue in Lufkin but he is believed to be living in or around Nacogdoches. If you know the location of Andrew Esqueda, call Crime Stoppers of Lufkin at 936-639-TIPS or click here to submit an anonymous tip.

LONGVIEW (AP) – A small East Texas county is awaiting word from the secretary of state on what to do with more than 250 ballots already cast after an error was discovered on the first day of early voting. Camp County clerk Elaine Young says officials made “emergency ballots” Monday while they waited for new ballots to be printed. The Longview News-Journal reports that Libertarian candidate Sherri Little was listed as a Democrat in a State Board of Education race. Young says Little pointed out the error about 2:00 Monday afternoon. Young said it was the second time ballots had to be reprinted for the November 6 election. Longtime Republican U.S. Representative Ralph Hall was left off the first ballot.

LONGVIEW – A Gregg County man was arrested early Monday morning after holding officers at bay most of the night. Taken into custody was Jesus Salaiz, 21, of North Hidden Forest. Salaiz was said to have barricaded himself inside the residence and would step outside to speak with officers. Officers circled the house and finally were able to talk Salaiz into surrendering. They are said to have found a couple of semi-automatic weapons near the front door.

During the standoff, an officer fired one round when it appeared that Salaiz was taking aim at a Gregg County deputy. The suspect was not hit.

He has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant and disorderly conduct (vulgar language). He was also charged with resisting arrest after struggling with officers booking him into the Gregg County Jail.

NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches traffic stop turned up a dozen alleged illegal aliens. It happened shortly before 2:45 Monday afternoon when an officer stopped an SUV when the driver failed to signal a lane change. There were 12 people in the van. When their travel information didn’t make sense, he called a translator to the scene. The translator was able to determine that the group had paid money to travel into the U.S. illegally. None of the people in the SUV had identification papers. The group ranged in age from 19 to 30.

CENTERVILLE – An Angelina County man was one of two persons killed in a Leon County wreck. It occurred early Monday morning on State Highway 7, about 16 miles east of Centerville. Dead at the scene was Marcus Jabbar Nichols, 30, of Lufkin, and James Dewayne Johnson, 30, of Jasper. The Department of Public Safety reports a tractor trailer rig had slowed to make a right turn when the victims’ car rear ended the trailer.