KTBB News, Weather, Talk

EAST TEXAS — Texas places 11 cities in the nation’s top 50 for economic and job growth, including a couple of East Texas towns. KETK reports Longview ranked 22nd, Tyler 40th among Area Development magazine’s leading locations for development. The report looked at 365 metro areas across the U.S. East Texas Council of Governments Executive Director David Cleveland credits area leaders who pay attention to the needs of business. Cleveland says when that happens, businesses want to come here, and those already here want to continue to grow.

JACKSONVILLE — A two vehicle accident in Cherokee County has left one person dead and one injured. The accident occurred around 8:30 yesterday morning on Highway 204 just outside of Jacksonville. Dead at the scene was Wayne Clinton Davis, 27, of Flint. His car was hit by a pickup driven by Tyler Glenn Sherwood, 24, of Jacksonville.

According to State Trooper Chaney Wade, Sherwood’s pickup was northbound when it swerved into the southbound lane of traffic. It collided head on with Davis’ car. Sherwood was taken to East Texas Medical Center-Jacksonville, where he is listed in stable condition.

TYLER — An East Texas man and woman have pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking crimes. Marco Aguilera, 34, of Tyler, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Heather Kee, 27, of Quitman, Texas, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.

According to federal prosecutors, in March 2012, Aguilera possessed and distributed methamphetamine in a Tyler apartment. He admitted to conspiring with others to distribute more than 150 grams of methamphetamine in the Tyler area. Kee admitted to assisting Aguilera in the distribution of methamphetamine and for being responsible for possessing 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine that she knew was intended for distribution. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on April 11, charging Aguilera and Kee with federal drug trafficking violations. Aguilera faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison. Kee faces up to 5 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been set.

TYLER — More details on a story we first brought you last week. According to KETK, the Texas Transportation Commission has approved granting free passage for select veterans on several Texas toll roads, including Tyler’s Toll 49. The decision will benefit veterans who are either disabled or recipients of the Purple Heart and/or Congressional Medal of Honor. In central Texas, those toll roads where some veterans will be able to drive free of charge include Loop 1, SH 45 North, SH 45 Southeast and SH 130 (Segments 1-4) in the Austin area. Additionally, qualified veterans will be able to travel free of charge on the Camino Colombia, which is SH 255 near Laredo.

House Bill 3139, passed by the Legislature in 2009 and enacted in the Transportation Code (Section 372.053), stated that the state’s toll authorities may develop a discount program for various veterans. Governor Rick Perry recently called on the Transportation Commission to begin implementing a program that would help support Texas veterans getting around Texas with less financial burden. “Our veterans are motivated by a higher calling that is rooted in the fundamental values of our nation,” Governor Perry said. “In Texas, we understand and appreciate the sacrifices the men and women of our armed forces make in defense of our freedom, and we consider it an honor to support them.”

Currently, there are 7,360 specialty license plates indicating drivers are disabled vets, Purple Heart and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties closest to the central Texas toll roads. Statewide there are 160,666 similar specialty plates. “We are able to celebrate our freedom each and every day due to the unwavering sacrifice of our military’s brave men and women, so making it a bit easier for them to move through our great state is the least we can do,” said Phil Wilson, Executive Director of TxDOT. “We thank Texas veterans for their service and hope the free use of our toll roads recognizes the price they paid for our freedom.”

The latest estimates show the cost of managing this program to be less than $1 million annually. The Transportation Commission has asked TxDOT to implement this program for qualified veterans by January 1, 2013.

HAWKINS — Authorities have released the identity of the victim involved in a weekend drowning. Despite posted signs indicating “No Swimming” Austin Gaffney, 16, and his 22-year-old sister tried to swim across Holly Lake. The woman made it, but Austin did not. His body was recovered late Sunday afternoon, several hours after he drowned. According to KETK, Austin was a JV football player at Rowlett High School. He was visiting his grandmother, who lives at Holly Lake Ranch, when the accident occurred.

TYLER — State District Judge Kerry Russell sentences Tara Kay McSwain, 38, to two consecutive six-year terms for prescription fraud. The first term also comes with a $10,000 fine. Seven other charges are being dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Authorities alleged McSwain tried to fill fraudulent prescriptions last year using her role as owner of East Texas Medical Billing. McSwain also operated Apple Swim and Fitness. KETK reported that business was shut down last month by foreclosure sale deed.

TYLER — A 32-year-old Tyler man will face up to 40 years in prison for drug trafficking charges. Sipriano Relles pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie Tuesday. According to information presented in court, on Feb. 20, Relles was found in possession of approximately 66.9 grams of actual meth, which he intended to deliver in and around the East Texas area. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on Apr. 11, charging Relles with federal violations. A sentencing date has not been set.

CHARLOTTE, NC — The Democratic National Convention put San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro in the spotlight last night. He delivered the keynote address in the same slot, on the same night of the convention, as then little known Illinois State Senator, Barack Obama, occupied at the at the convention in 2004, KTBB’s Paul Gleiser reported from Charlotte. It’s and audition slot for party “up & comers” and about the challenge, Mayor Castro said, “The most challenging part of the speech is not even the words themselves, it’s just having command of the actual arena.” Mayor Castro addressed the crowd in prime time last night.

Castro told the crowd last night “Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney “doesn’t get it.” In his keynote speech to the Democratic convention, Castro accused the Republican party of being “perfectly comfortable” with an America in which some people don’t get a chance to prosper.

Follow Gleiser on Twitter: @KTBBdecision12 and online at
http://www.ktbb.com/decision2012

NACOGDOCHES — Longtime Nacogdoches Judge Jack Pierce has died. He was 84. Pierce served as judge of the 145th State District Court for 37 years. He died on his birthday, August 30th.

According to the obituary from Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors, Governor John Connally appointed Jack Pierce to the court in 1963. He was one of the youngest state judges at that time. Upon his retirement in 2001, he was the longest sitting judge in the state of Texas.

A visitation is scheduled at the Nacogdoches County Courthouse on Friday from 4:00 till 8:00pm. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday morning at 11:00 at the First Baptist Church in Nacogdoches.

NACOGDOCHES — A Nacogdoches inmate has been charged with assaulting a public servant. According to KETK, Elizabeth Howard, 22, of Nacogdoches is accused of striking a female jailer. The jailer suffered minor injuries. Howard was originally arrested on a misdemeanor assault charge.

SWAN — A man ran into an unexpected problem Saturday as he headed to Tyler to visit his wife in the hospital. KETK reports his car caught fire along Highway 69 just north of Tyler Pipe. James Smith says smoke started pouring from his hood and flames sprang from under the dashboard. Smith said he had just filled up when the fire broke out. Lindale firefighters managed to douse the flames in a matter of minutes, but the car, which Smith termed his “pride and joy,” was destroyed. Smith noted, “At least I got out of it.” Southbound traffic was allowed to pass even though firefighters were attending to the vehicle.

LONGVIEW — Longview city crews resumed citywide mosquito fogging this morning as the region’s response to a record-breaking outbreak of West Nile virus continues. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the virus so far has been blamed for the deaths of three East Texans and more than three dozen other Texans. A morning and evening spray schedule began August 27, but this week’s spraying is scheduled to take place only during the early morning hours. That news came after state health officials Friday reported no new confirmed cases of West Nile were found in Gregg and several surrounding counties. Statewide, however, the number of cases was continuing to climb.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday no new cases had been confirmed since Wednesday in Gregg, Harrison, Upshur, Rusk, Panola, Smith, Cass, Camp, Titus or Van Zandt counties. Two new cases were reported in Bowie County in far Northeast Texas.

Fogging resumed from 4:00 to 6:00am Tuesday. However, city spokesman Shawn Hara said, crews may fog at other times if needed. If crews cannot spray on a particular morning because of weather conditions, they may have to spray the next night, he said. That means residents should be prepared for city crews to fog anytime in any neighborhood without notice. Director of Development Services Kevin Cummings said that despite the intense spraying, city crews were continuing to find West Nile virus-carrying Culex mosquitoes in traps placed around the city.

DAVENPORT, IOWA (AP/Staff) – Authorities say a North Texas-based pilot with Tyler connections was killed when his plane crashed during an air show in eastern Iowa. The Quad-City Times reported the death Glenn A. Smith of Frisco. Smith was CEO of the Warbird Educational Foundation that owned the Soviet-era jet he was flying. According to KETK, he was a life member of Tyler’s Historic Aviation Memorial Museum and owned two rare MIG-17s, now on display in Tyler. The crash Saturday created a fireball when Smith’s plane failed to pull out of a 45-degree bank and crashed into a field. No one else was hurt. Federal officials are investigating. Smith was part of the HopperFlight jet team that was performing at the Quad-City Air Show in Davenport. A squadron of planes flew over the crash site Sunday in the “missing man” formation before the air show continued.

AUSTIN (AP) — A section of roadway in Smith County has made Texas’ list of the most congested roadway segments in the state. The Texas Department of Transportation released a list of the top 100 roads on its website. Number 82 on the list is U.S. Highway 69 from Grande Boulevard to Kilrush Drive.

A stretch of Interstate 35W in Fort Worth tops the list. I-35W from Interstate 30 in downtown Fort Worth to State Highway 183 totaled 1.2 million hours of delay in 2011, according to TxDOT’s data. Next on the list was Interstate 635 in Dallas County between I-35E and U.S. Highway 75. Parts of I-45 in Harris County, I-35 in Travis County and the Woodall Rodgers Freeway in downtown Dallas rounded out the top five. The full list is available on TxDOT’s website.

TYLER — Gateway to Hope, a new day resource center for Tyler’s homeless population, opened Monday at 601 East Valentine Street. Gateway to Hope officials say homelessness affects adults and children, and they specifically point to its effects on veterans. The resource center’s mission is “To provide the needed resources and training to help people find and obtain employment and thus end homelessness.” Gateway to Hope offers photo IDs, mailboxes, a message center, computer access, a barber shop, showers, laundry facilities, and opportunities to network with social and job agencies. Go to http://www.gatewaytohopetyler.org or call 903-752-9343 to learn more and find out how you can help.

TEXARKANA (AP) — Texas A&M University-Texarkana is searching for a new school president. The Texarkana Gazette reports that the campus has formed a 19-person search committee. The previous president, C.B. Rathburn III, resigned last month due to health reasons. The committee expects to identify and hire a new president by early next year. The branch campus has an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

TYLER — The Texas Department of Transportation’s Tyler District announced it had let three projects totaling $16 million in August and has plans to let an additional $43 project in September. The project scheduled to let in September calls for expanding US 79 in Anderson County to four lanes between Palestine and the Trinity River. Crews will be building the new lanes adjacent to the existing lanes, then swapping traffic to rebuild the existing lanes. “Most of this project should be pretty pain-free,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “But it will have its moments, particularly as we make room for and build the new lanes closer to Palestine’s Westwood High School and the industrial district on the south end of town. In the end, though, this project is sorely needed and we’re excited about being able to finally get off the starting line.” The project is scheduled to take approximately four years to complete.

In Wood County, construction contractor Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd., of Longview, was awarded a $2.8 million contract to replace the State Highway 154 bridge just west of Quitman with a larger structure. This project is in conjunction with a second project which calls for adding 10-foot shoulders to SH 154 between State Highway 37 in Quitman and the Lake Fork Reservoir Bridge just north of Farm Road 288. The second project, which has an estimated cost of $6.5 million, is scheduled to let in October, with work beginning during the winter. The work on bridge portion of the project is scheduled to last approximately nine months. “Planning for the bridge replacement was tricky since we had to keep one lane open in each direction,” Krantz said. “The lanes will be pretty narrow, and it may cause some traffic backups, but it will be open with the exception of some daytime lane closures. Once it’s all finished, the bridge will have shoulders that match the width of the shoulders being added in the second project.”

In Van Zandt County, contractor A.L. Helmcamp was awarded a $6.7 million contract to begin the second project to add passing lanes on State Highway 64 between Tyler and Canton, this one running from Farm Road 314 at the west end of the current project, and ending at Farm Road 858 in Ben Wheeler. Preliminary work on this project is scheduled to begin over the winter.

In Henderson County, contractor APAC-Texas, Inc., was awarded a $6.3 million contract to add passing lanes on State Highway 19 between Athens and the Anderson County Line. Preliminary work will begin over the winter.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repair operations on Farm Road 1615 southeast of Athens. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs in various on U.S. Highway 69 in Alba and on Loop 564 at Cap Ranch Road in Mineola. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

LONGVIEW — A wanted Smith County sex offender has been arrested. The arrested followed a stakeout by officers. Taken into custody on Interstate Highway 20 was Michael Shannon Stephens, 40, of Henderson. Officers had earlier watched him go into a room at an East Marshall Avenue motel and then later leave the room. When served with the Smith County warrant, officers found six rocks of cocaine in his shirt pocket. He has now been charged with possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $170,000.

LONGVIEW — A man accused of stealing metal valves is jailed in Longview. Thursday afternoon at 5:00 p.m., police were dispatched to a suspicious activity call in the 5000 Block of West Loop 281. The victim told police he saw the suspect, identified as 35-year-old Jason Scott Coleman, take several stainless steel valves from his property. According to authorities, Coleman and a female took the stainless steel valves to a local scrap yard and sold them. The victim went to the scrap yard and identified his property for police. The valves were valued at approximately $3500.

Coleman, a Longview resident who has prior convictions, was arrested for theft of property and an outstanding felony theft warrant issued by Harrison County. He was transported to the Gregg County Jail without incident. The female and a child passenger in the vehicle were released at the scene. The valves were returned to the owner.

NEW LONDON — An East Texas student is stabbed in the back on campus. That’s according to West Rusk CCISD Superintendent Tommy Alexander. The student was released from the hospital Friday and is expected back in school next week. Earlier, an official with the school district confirmed that there was a “situation” at the district’s junior high school Thursday. The assistant superintendent for the school district said the event was isolated, and had been resolved, but the school district sent a letter home with sixth- through twelfth-grade students. According to KETK, the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident is being investigated and New London police had transported a juvenile to the Juvenile Detention Center in Longview in connection with the assault.

TYLER — The Tyler Salon owner accused of practicing medicine without a license will spend the next 18 years behind bars. KETK reports Carmel Foster was sentenced to 8 years on the first count, and 10 years on the second. The sentences are to be served consecutively. She will also have to pay $29,000 in fines. Foster was accused of injecting an unknown gel into a woman as part of a breast augmentation. Foster owns the Queen Divas salon in Tyler, where the injections allegedly took place.

On February 19, 2012, Tyler Police were contacted by family members of a victim who said she had a breast augmentation procedure performed on both her breasts at Foster’s salon. The victim, Sheena Bradford of Longview, was admitted into a Longview hospital for severe chest pains and spent some time in the hospital. Tyler Investigators determined that the procedure was conducted for a fee in a back room of Queen Divas Hair Salon in Tyler. Carmel Foster pleaded guilty to the charges. However, soon after, she called the KETK newsroom, claiming her attorney, O.W. Loyd, misrepresented her. There’s no word on whether that claim will be pursued.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Four marijuana patches in all have been located in Cherokee County by authorities investigating a huge pot farm spotted in an aerial search. According to the sheriff’s office, the farm is in a heavily wooded area near the banks of the Angelina River, approximately 1.5 miles south of FM 343, on the eastern border of the County.

Throughout the night Thursday and Friday, law enforcement personnel from Cherokee County and DPS Narcotics continued removing plants in the biggest patch. By daylight, that location had been cleared, with a count of 7,500 plants. Officials say the three remaining patches were cleared throughout the morning hours, and investigators left the area with two 16-foot trailers and a pickup truck loaded with all the plants. They were brought to an undisclosed location where the plants were incinerated. The total number of plants recovered from the 4 patches was 18,288. Texas DPS Narcotics estimates the value of a plant at roughly $1,000. That brings the total street value to $18,288,000.

As for the investigation, camping and irrigation equipment was seized, as were the firearms, ammunition and other items of potential evidentiary value. Officials say because of the nature of this type of investigation, locating who is responsible for the grow operation is difficult. Investigators said they would make contact with the landowners to make them aware of what was found, and continue following any leads that may develop. No arrests have been made at this time.

TYLER – A 28-year-old Dallas man has been sentenced in federal prison in Tyler for drug trafficking violations. Rafael Maciel pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider. According to federal prosecutors, on January 26, Maciel was in possession of around 3 kilograms of cocaine which he intended to deliver to others in East Texas. Maciel was indicted by a federal grand jury in March.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Cherokee County Sheriff officials tell KETK Precinct 3 Constable Eddie Lee is involved in a pursuit of a person near Cherokee County Road 3115 in the Lake Jacksonville area. The person was on a dirtbike when Constable Lee attempted to pull him over around 9:00am Friday, but he or she drove away, resulting in a chase. Officials say the person eventually wrecked the bike and ran into the woods. The pursuit continues on foot at this time. Sheriff officials do believe the person may be armed, as a related call about a reported gunshot came in not long before the chase. The gunshot has not yet been confirmed by officials, but they are treating the situation with caution.

LUFKIN — An Angelina County grand jury indicted a Lufkin man in the stabbing deaths of his girlfriend and her brother. According to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News, Terrance Demound Barnes, 31, was indicted on a charge of capital murder, according to county records. Barnes confessed to stabbing Rosa and Pepe Pina to death July 26 at the home they shared on John Kolb Road east of Lufkin, according to Angelina County Sheriff’s Office investigators. Following a 20-hour manhunt on state Highway 103 east, Barnes was found hiding under a log inside a hunting lease off Farm Road 1669, 10 miles from where the murders took place.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department will participate in the “No Refusal” enforcement campaign for this Labor Day Holiday. Since January 1, the department has arrested 256 drivers for DWI. Law enforcement agencies in Smith County will be out in force during the Labor Day Holiday, on the lookout for intoxicated drivers on streets, highways, and lakes. Again, officers won’t be taking “no” for an answer once again. The No-Refusal initiative got underway today and continues through Monday.

A multi-joint effort involving the Smith County District Attorney’s Office and police agencies from all over the county will participate. Upon the arrest of a suspected drunk driver, he or she will be asked to blow into a breath-test instrument or take a blood test. If the driver refuses, officers will obtain an immediate search warrant signed by an on-call judge to have blood drawn by a certified nurse on staff at the Smith County Jail. The blood will then be analyzed to determine whether the driver’s blood-alcohol concentration is 0.08 or higher, the legal limit for driving in Texas.

Police say it is the intent of all law enforcement agencies that this joint effort will act as a deterrent, persuading people to avoid driving while intoxicated because they know that police officers will be determining sobriety with or without the driver’s consent.

TYLER — A 44-year-old San Bernardino, California man has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges. Reginald Lavann Eastern faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to information presented in court, on March 1, Eastern was in possession of about 1 kilogram of cocaine which he intended to deliver in East Texas.

SMITH COUNTY — The parents of 2-year-old Jacob Kimbley, who was found dead near his home last week, have been indicted and arrested on charges of child endangerment. Sabrina and David Kimbley were arrested during a hearing in a Smith County courtroom on Thursday. According to KETK, they were charged with 13 counts of child endangerment/abandonment. They are currently in the Smith County Jail. Bail is set at $1.3 million a piece.

Officials with Child Protective Services cited “neglectful supervision” of so many children, which resulted in Jacob’s death, as the reason for the indictment. Earlier reports said Jacob went missing during a game of hide-and-seek.

The Kimbleys’ five remaining children have been in foster care since the incident, and will stay in foster care during the course of the hearings. KETK has been told that the children are doing fine, and are undergoing medical check ups. The Kimbleys will not be allowed to visit their children during this time. Officials say there will be several more hearings over the next few months.

DALLAS (AP) — Ashes of celebrated car designer Carroll Shelby have finally been buried in East Texas after months of bickering between his children and wife over how to bury him. A family statement to The Dallas Morning News says the Wednesday burial was in a family plot in Leesburg, in Camp County.

Shelby died in a Dallas hospital May 10 at 89. His three children say their father signed a document giving them permission to have his body cremated, but his last wife Cleo said the document was a forgery. Late last month, the family finally reached agreement to cremate Shelby’s body and divide the remains five ways between his children, his wife and Wednesday’s burial.

Shelby built souped-up versions of the Cobra, Mustang and Viper sports cars.

CANTON — Van Zandt County authorities say two people have been caught but another remains at large following a pair of burglaries earlier this month. On Friday, August 10, a residence in Van Zandt County was burglarized; numerous electronic devices, jewelry, and a spare truck key were stolen. The burglars took the spare key and later stole the victim’s truck from his job. The suspects have been identified as Christopher Deweese and Michael Schwankner, also know as Big Mike. Deweese was arrested on Wednesday for burglary of a habitation. Bond has been set at $50,000.

On Friday, August 24th, two additional residences in Van Zandt County were burglarized; several guns, electronic devices, and money were taken. The suspects were identified as Crystal Jordan and Michael Schwankner. Jordan was arrested on Tuesday for burglary of a habitation times two. Bond is set at $50,000 for each charge.

Michael Schwankner is still at large. Schwankner has several felony warrants from Van Zandt, Kaufman, and Hunt counties. According to authorities, he is known to carry a firearm on him at all times and is considered to be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office or Crime Stoppers in Van Zandt County.