KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler Police say they deployed stop sticks to stop an 18-wheeler miles away from an accident in which the vehicle was involved. Police were notified of a hit and run accident at Old Bullard Road and WSW Loop 323 around 8:10 a.m. Thursday involving the tractor trailer and a Cadillac. The Cadillac, driven by Patricia D. Williams of Tyler, was traveling south on Old Bullard through a green light. The 18-wheeler, driven by Bill Crum from Colcord, Oklahoma, was westbound on Loop 323. Witnesses indicated that Crum ran the red light, striking the Cadillac in the intersection and failed to stop at the scene of the accident. Williams suffered minor injuries from the crash.

Witnesses followed the 18-wheeler around the Loop and kept officers posted on its location until they could catch up to the vehicle. Officers caught up to the 18-wheeler at Van Highway and Loop 323 and attempted to pull it over near 69 North and Loop 323. Police say Crum failed to pull over for officers, who now had their emergency lights and siren activated. Crum continued to travel east on Loop 323 at normal speeds, but police say he would not pull over for emergency vehicles. Crum traveled to the 271 North extension and headed north on 271, then turned left onto 271 and was now heading back towards Loop 323 and 271.

Officers deployed tire deflation devices at 271 and Loop 323 as Crum entered the intersection with officers still following. A second set of spike strips was deployed at Hillsboro and E. Gentry. Police say Crum finally pulled the 18-Wheeler over near the intersection of Beckham and E. Gentry after the tires were flat and he was driving on his rims.

Crum’s wife was asleep in the cab of the truck at the time of the incident. Police say when officers interviewed Crum, he was extremely confused and was not aware of his surroundings. Officers did not detect any signs of alcohol on Crum, and no narcotics were present on or about his person. Crum was transported to East Texas Medical Center Hospital by EMS for medical observation. Police say they believe that by getting the vehicle stopped, they prevented further injury and property damage. The case remains under investigation.

NACOGDOCHES — A Nacogdoches construction worker is in serious condition after being buried alive in a trench late Wednesday night. The incident happened at the Central Heights High School. Reports say Rafael Perez was working seven feet underground on a cable when the dirt caved in on him. KETK reports Perez was trapped for about eight minutes until being rescued. When they pulled him out he was unconscious.
He remains in intensive care at Nacogdoches Medical Center.

EAST TEXAS — Several events in East Texas celebrate Veterans Day:

The Historic Aviation Museum at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is offering free admission to Veterans this month. A program on WWI Thursday covered Trench Warfare, the Air War Escadrilles, the Red Baron and General Blackjack Pershing. A ceremony honoring the Korean War Veterans was held at the Senior Citizens Center on Garden Valley Road in Tyler. Bell Elementary School’s program was Thursday morning in the school cafeteria. Students sang patriotic songs and shared essays they wrote honoring their Veterans. Robert E. Lee High School scheduled a free public concert Thursday evening at 6:00 in the Fine Arts Center. Griffin Elementary and Bishop T.K. Gorman also held events.

Students at Velma Penny Elementary in Lindale served lunch to WWII veterans who were recently flown to Washington D.C., as part of the Brookshire’s “World War II Heroes Flight” program. After lunch, veterans addressed different classes and shared their experiences from the war. Lindale Primary School recognized Veterans with a ceremony. LISD School Board President and Brigadier General James “Red” Brown was the guest speaker.

Local actors in Longview told the story of “Seven World War II Vets” at the Westminster Place nursing home. The actors have written about their lives and read them during a 45 minute performance to honor the Veterans. It detailed their experiences before, during and after the war.

Wills Point High School presents a salute to the veterans by performing a 1940’s USO show at the Hollywood Canteen. Following a Thursday evening presentation, the program is due to be repeated Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and then at 2:30 on Sunday. Ten percent of all ticket sales will go to the Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial. Volunteers are needed to staff the selling of bricks, ball caps and other veterans memorial items.

TYLER – Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith confirms the 15-year-old brother of murdered Chapel Hill student Amanda Anderson has been arrested in the case. Mark Nathaniel Anderson was taken into custody yesterday afternoon. According to KETK, Amanda Anderson, 19, was found murdered in her house in September, shot four times in the head. The arrest affidavit says that inconsistencies in the younger Anderson’s story led authorities to believe he might be the killer. Ms. Anderson was shot 4 times in the head with a .22 caliber weapon, which authorities believe to have been a semi-automatic pistol belonging to her brother. Sheriff Smith says from the start of the investigation all of the evidence has pointed to the girl’s brother.

HENDERSON – Rusk County authorities are investigating the death of a youngster that was attacked by a pit bull. Kaden Muckleroy, 2, was attacked in his grandfather’s yard on County Road 421 around 11:00 Wednesday morning. At the time of the attack, the dog had been chained to a tree. The boy was later pronounced dead at East Texas Medical Center-Henderson. Following the attack, the grandfather, Kelvin Muckleroy, is said to have turned over the dog, and over two dozen other dogs he had kept in a kennel, to Rusk County authorities.

LONGVIEW — A pickup being chased by State Troopers has crashed, killing one person. Killed in the Wednesday morning accident at the intersection of East Loop 281 and Page Road in Longview was Robert E Smith, 62, of Longview. His car was struck broadside by the pickup driven by Charles Ray Owens, 37, of Longview. Owens was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center where he is listed in serious but stable condition. Authorities say Owens, who has been living in Longview, was wanted in Michigan for burglary.

MARSHALL — Charges are pending in Harrison County against a driver who ran a stop and hit a car, killing the car’s driver. The crash around 8:15 Tuesday morning occurred at the intersection of State Highway 43 and Farm Road 2625. The victim, Pamela Stoker Greene, 44, of Marshall, died just over an hour after the accident at Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – A man on trial in Sulphur Springs on charges of intoxication manslaughter has been found guilty of DWI, a misdemeanor, and accident involving injury or death failure to stop and render aid, a felony. James Blake Spinks, 25, of Yantis was charged with hitting Nathan Spataro, 21. He was found dead along side Interstate Highway 30 Service Road in June of last year. Spinks, who had spent the prior afternoon and evening drinking, thought he had hit a deer. Authorities were not called until several hours after the incident, and then by a man at a business who Spinks told he thought he had hit something and needed a place to hide out.

Becky Hicks, Nathan Spataro’s mother, gave a victim impact statement directed toward Spinks. “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my son. I think constantly about how you left my son in the ditch like he was nothing.” She went on to say that “drinking and driving had a whole new meaning to me. Part of me is so angry I could scream, while part of me is so numb from pain I can’t scream. You had a choice that night. No one made you get in your car and drive; no one made you leave him (Nathan) in the ditch. We can’t choose how we die, but we can choose how we live. Those who think that facing 10 years in prison for taking a life while driving under the influence is too severe have never faced a life sentence without their loved one. ”

TYLER — Tyler Police respond to a reported shooting Wednesday night. It happened around 8:30 in the 600 block of Lyons Street. Authorities say they went to the home and were then contacted by a local hospital reporting the two gunshot victims. Shamika Miller, 35, of Tyler, was transported to Trinity Mother Frances Hospital by private vehicle and was treated for one gunshot wound. She’s currently listed in stable condition. The second victim was identified as Jonathan Paul Hart, age 34, of Tyler. Hart was transported to East Texas Medical Center Hospital by private vehicle and was treated for four gunshot wounds. He’s currently listed in critical condition.

Officers on the scene of the incident stated that the suspect showed back up and told the officers he was involved in what had occurred. The suspect is identified as James Earl Miller Jr., 38, of Tyler. Investigators determined that Miller had followed Shamika Miller, his wife and Jonathan Hart from his residence and got into an altercation. Police say Miller pulled out a revolver and fired several shots at both subjects. He’s charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and was transported to Smith County Jail.

TYLER — Tyler sales tax revenues deposited for the month of November have increased 3.17% as compared to the same period in 2009. According to the Texas Comptroller fiscal year-to-date revenue is up 6.59% over the same period in the prior year.

The reported revenue of $3,164,191.42 is comprised of $2,109,460.95 general sales tax revenue and $1,054,730.47 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from September 2010 collections, as there is a two-month period before revenue is reported.

“This is the third consecutive month that we have seen an increase in our sales tax collections over the prior fiscal year,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “We are remaining very cautious and holding the line on expenditures; however, we are certainly seeing a marked improvement in the local economy.”

TYLER — Want to buy a building in downtown Tyler? Smith County is preparing to take bids to sell the Smith County office building. The building, which dates back to the 1950s, was formerly the Carlton Hotel.

Adrienne Graham with Smith County tells KETK-TV, “As an ex-hotel, it’s never really suited our needs as a county facility, and now we are looking at finally putting this building up for sale and moving everyone into a new facility.” Graham says they’re hoping the building could be turned into a hotel again or even a retail facility.

TYLER — A Harrison County man has appeared in Tyler Federal Court to plead guilty to distributing cocaine. Rodney Kirk Jenkins, 41, of Karnack, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Everingham, IV. Jenkins faces up to 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

Federal prosecutors contend from 2007 through April of 2010, Jenkins maintained a place in Harrison County in order to produce large quantities of crack cocaine, which he conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine throughout East Texas. Jenkins was indicted by a federal grand jury in August.

AUSTIN (AP) — A Wood County Republican has withdrawn his support for Texas House Speaker Joe Straus, saying that Straus allies have been threatening to use redistricting to punish his political adversaries. Representative Bryan Hughes of Mineola is one of 76 Republicans on a list of supporters Straus released last week, saying he had enough pledges of support to be elected to another term as speaker.

But in a statement Wednesday, Hughes said he wouldn’t support Straus for another term because of threats of retribution by “a member of Speaker Straus’s leadership team.” Hughes said the conversation “saddened and then disgusted” him. Straus is a moderate San Antonio Republican being challenged by Rep. Warren Chisum, a more conservative Republican from Pampa who has spearheaded a movement to pressure conservatives into opposing Straus.

TYLER – Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith confirms the 15-year-old brother of murdered Chapel Hill student Amanda Anderson has been arrested in the case. According to KETK, 19-year-old Amanda Anderson was found murdered in her house in September, shot four times in the head. The arrest affidavit says that inconsistencies in the younger Anderson’s story led authorities to believe he might be the killer. Ms. Anderson was shot 4 times in the head with a .22 caliber weapon, which authorities believe to have been a semi-automatic pistol belonging to her brother. KTBB will bring you more information as it becomes available.

TYLER — The debate team at The University of Texas at Tyler is now ranked fourth among the more than 350 collegiate teams across the nation, Dr. Dennis Cali, Department of Communication chair, announced. Much like national rankings for college sports, the debate rankings play a major role in the seeding of teams for the national tournament, according to Dr. Charles Walts, assistant professor of communication, who is in his second year as director of forensics.

“This is a major accomplishment for the program,” said Walts. “The higher your rank, the better chances you have of succeeding.” Previously, UT Tyler’s highest rank held was 60th during the 2009-10 season. “This kind of jump in the rankings is an indicator of how well we are debating this year and how we have transitioned from a regional program to a national contender,” Walts added.