KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — Due to recent rain, Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East are currently 1.33 feet above the spillway discharge elevation. As a result of high elevations and the potential for floating debris that could create a hazard to boating, the boat ramps at Lake Tyler and Lake Tyler East are temporarily closed to the public. Officials said once runoff conditions and lake elevations start to return to normal, the ramps will be reopened.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Solid Waste Department and Keep Tyler Beautiful are sponsoring a FREE bulky item collection for City of Tyler residential customers as a part of Spring Cleanup Week. According to a press release, Solid Waste will be picking up items for one week only, Monday, April 6 through 10. They ask that residents place their bulky items on the curb by Monday, April 6. Continue reading Free Bulky Item Collection Week Set for April

GLADEWATER — A Gladewater man has been arrested following a complaint of possible drug activity. It happened around 8:00 Monday morning in the 300 block of Oliver Street. Willie Skinner, Jr, 38, was apprehended during the investigation. According to KETK, approximately 25 grams of crack cocaine was seized. He’s charged with manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and evading arrest with previous conviction. Skinner has previous convictions for felony controlled substance violations.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter in connection with a fatal Smith County accident last week. Bond on Carl Wayne Crabtree, who turns 31 on Friday, has been set at $750,000 on each charge. Last Wednesday, Crabtree’s vehicle crossed the center line on the Old Jacksonville Highway and collided head-on with an SUV driven by Dana Regester, 41, of Flint. She was killed in the crash along with her front seat passenger, Pasha Zapolsky, 18, of Bullard. Two others in her SUV, along with Crabtree, were injured.

LONGVIEW — Longview crews weren’t able to save a home that caught fire near the intersection of Level and Twelfth Street. According to KETK, the Longview Fire Department was notified of the blaze by neighbors shortly before 2:45 Monday afternoon. When firefighters arrived at the scene, flames were seen coming from the back and front door. The wood-framed home was destroyed before the fire was extinguished within an hour. The cause was not immediately known. No one was home when the fire was reported, and no injuries occurred.

BULLARD — An assault charge has been upgraded to murder following a vicious attack that turned fatal hours after it happened. The suspect, James Bales, 31, Bullard, was initially booked into the Smith County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury with bond set at $200,000. KETK reports that bond has now increased to $500,000. The incident happened around 4:00 Friday morning in the 22000 block of Lakeway Harbor Drive in Bullard. Deputies initially responded to a disturbance call and, upon arrival, found two men involved in an altercation. Officials said one of the men had been attacked and repeatedly hit in the head with a baseball bat. The victim, identified as Bias Lot, was transported to a Tyler hospital where he underwent emergency surgery and died just after midnight Saturday morning.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have identified a dead man found in the area of Grace Creek Friday afternoon and have released the cause of death. According to KETK, Longview Police Public Information Officer Kristie Brian says the victim was Kendrick Hill, 32. She says Hill died of hypothermia and drowning. Hill’s body was found behind Heritage Mitsubishi, located off West Loop 281. Brian said Hill was not homeless and foul play was not suspected.

KILGORE — After months of allegations and assessments, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s final report is out on Kilgore College. According to KETK, the report makes no mention of asbestos violations but outlines five other issues to be resolved. Violations include failure to label used oil containers with the words “Used Oil”, failure to close the lid on waste paint thinner in the auto body workshop classroom, failure to label containers holding hazardous waste with their contents or as hazardous waste, failure to perform a hazardous waste determination, and failure to dispose of solid waste at an authorized facility. Continue reading Kilgore College Receives Final Report from TCEQ

TATUM — Parents of Tatum High School students are calling for action after a photo of a school resource officer asleep in his car became a hit on social media amid an escalation of fights on campus. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. “I got a text from my daughter today from school. She told me that there was a huge fight and that she was almost caught in the crossfire,” mother Heather Grindle said during a Tatum ISD school board meeting Wednesday – the day four fights broke out on campus. Continue reading Tatum Parents Seek Action after Fights Escalate at High School

AUSTIN — Are you still feeling the effect of springing forward? A state lawmaker from Van wants to get rid of Daylight Saving Time. A public hearing will be held this week in Austin on Representative Dan Flynn’s bill calling for the Lone Star State to take advantage of an exemption the federal government offers to states that want to opt out of the time change. Flynn says, “The more I started asking, the more I found out that everyone was just like me — it was a very frustrating time.” Continue reading Flynn Wants to End Daylight Saving Time in Texas

ATHENS — Henderson County Crime Stoppers is looking for new information in a 1987 cold case murder. KETK reports that on March 8, 1987, the body of Ricky Herriage, 29, was found near Athens on Old Malakoff Highway near “Thunder Bridge.” He had been shot several times and thrown off the bridge. Officials are not sure where the shooting took place. If you have any information on this case, contact authorities at 800-545-8477. All tipsters remain anonymous.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Two East Texans were injured when their plane went down near the Cherokee County Airport in Rusk about 1 p.m. Saturday. The passengers, Robert Gatewood and Jake Wise, were piloting a new Rans S-12 aircraft that Gatewood had recently purchased. The S-12 is an ultralight aircraft that requires two pilots to fly. According to the Longview News-Journal, the plane went down off of County Road 1614 and County Road 1621 in Cherokee County. The wreckage was found about a quarter of a mile in the woods, and both passengers were removed from the craft before being life-flighted to ETMC, according to officials on the scene. The Federal Aviation Administration was on the scene late Saturday afternoon investigating.

NACOGDOCHES – One person has been killed and three injured in a two vehicle accident in Nacogdoches. It happened shortly before 2:00 Sunday afternoon on West Loop 224 near the intersection of Sandia Street. Pronounced dead at the scene was Shannon Brown, 31 of Nacogdoches. The injured were said to have suffered non life threatening injuries. According to KETK, Brown’s vehicle, which has pulled to the side of the road, tried to re-enter the traffic. She pulled into the path of a car driven by Thomas Lee, 35, of Shreveport, Louisiana.

SMITH COUNTY – The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler were due today to conduct mill and inlay work on Interstate Highway 20 eastbound at Mile Markers 570-571. The outside lane will be closed so look for message boards and other traffic control to help you through the work zone. On Tuesday, crews will be milling the east end of Farm Road 2813 under one way traffic with flaggers. Wednesday’s work consists of placing an overlay on FM 2813 from U.S. Highway 69 to a mile west of U.S. 69. Expect a lane closure with flaggers providing traffic control. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects

TYLER — A Tyler man who raised more than $350,000 for Mitt Romney in 2012 is putting his money on another out-of-state candidate for president. Oil and gas attorney Gaylord Hughey is the Republican Party’s top bundler for East Texas — and he says he’s going to raise money for former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. SMU political scientist Cal Jillson says, “People are also looking at former Governor Rick Perry, but he’s tainted by his failure in 2012. And they also see Senator Ted Cruz as a fairly narrow acquired taste.” Jillson says the big bundlers tend to support more moderate, institutional Republicans. He says Bush’s problem will be winning over skeptical social conservatives in places like Iowa and South Carolina.

KILGORE — Two persons have been killed in a wreck in Kilgore. The accident happened just a few miles north of the Interstate Highway 20 overpass on Highway 31 around 8:00 Saturday night. Department of Public Safety Troopers said the drivers of the two vehicles, David Denman, 55, Kilgore, and Benjamin Sanchez, 46, Conroe, crashed head-on. They were both killed in the collision. Troopers said Heather Sanchez, 33, a passenger in Sachez’s vehicle, was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. She is said to be in stable condition. Two children were also taken to a nearby hospital. One child is in critical condition. The other child is in stable condition. Their ages are unknown at this time. Troopers are still investigating the wreck.

LONGVIEW — A fatal shooting Tuesday night was a wake-up call to the community. City officials said it’s time to take action and they are calling on the community to help. In a news conference Friday, Mayor Jay Dean announced a series of strategies to reach the community, such as increasing the Crime Stoppers award to $2,000, hosting neighborhood watch meetings and easing confidential conversations between citizens and police. According to KETK, an increased police presence in high crime areas is another measure that will be taken. A majority of the violent crimes have taken place in District 3, and Councilwoman Kasha Williams said they know people out there have information, and they know there is a reason people are not speaking up. Continue reading Longview Officials Respond to String of Violence

TYLER — The Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau is anticipating the 56th Annual Azalea & Spring Flower Trail. Because of the long winter, the blooms are taking their time coming out, but the Trail will start rain or shine March 20, according to bureau officials. As always, you will be able to enjoy such Trail favorites as Historic Tyler on Tour and the Rose City Artisan and Flower Market. To get more information and stay up-to-date on the progress of the blooms, you can use one of these links — https://www.facebook.com/VisitTyler or http://www.visittyler.com/azaleatrail — or go to the VisitTyler Instagram page.

AUSTIN (STAFF/AP) — The two top East Texas markets are showing January unemployment numbers that are up from December but down from a year ago. KETK reports that according to the Texas Workforce Commission, the Tyler area is slightly above the statewide average at 4.7%, and Longview is just under the mark at 4.3%. Tyler is up from 4.1% and Longview rose from 3.8% in December. Year-over-year, Tyler and Longview’s unemployment rates fell from 6.1% and 5.7%, respectively. The statewide unemployment rate fell to 4.4% from 4.6% in December.

PALESTINE — A man who had been sought by authorities in Palestine is now in custody after being found in Mississippi. According to KETK, officials say at approximately 12:30 Friday morning, members of the Gulf Coast Regional Task Force located and apprehended Troy Mason of Palestine in a Forest, Mississippi, truck stop just off I-20. The Palestine Police Department, the Palestine City Marshal’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Joint East Texas Task Force, The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, and the Anderson County District Attorney’s Office had been working in conjunction to locate Mason. Continue reading Police: East Texas Fugitive Captured in Mississippi

TYLER — Tyler Police are letting drivers know of marathon preparations, including traffic delays and reroutes due to the 15k marathon planned for this morning. It will be starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending around 10:00 a.m. The races will have approximately 3000 runners on specific courses throughout Southwest Tyler. Continue reading Tyler Police Issue Traffic Advisory Ahead of This Morning’s Race

TYLER — Tyler Water Utilities recently experienced a wastewater collection discharge that meets the notification requirements of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. But the city stressed:
* There is no potential danger to human health or safety resulting from the discharge.
* The well that is in closest proximity to the discharge was not in operation, nor is it now.
* Water supplied by the City of Tyler is safe for the public to consume and complies with all requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Continue reading Tyler Reports Wastewater Collection Discharge

JACKSONVILLE – School trustees in Jacksonville have made it official, Dr. Chad Kelley is the district’s new school superintendent. He was officially hired at Thursday’s called school board meeting. Last month he was named as the lone finalist for the post, succeeding retiring Superintendent Dr. Joe Wardell. Dr. Kelly has been Superintendent of Taft ISD since 2007. He previously served as high school principal for San Marcos CISD, Sinton ISD, and Mathis ISD. Dr. Kelly has also taught graduate courses as an adjunct professor at Texas State University in San Marcos and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Dr. Kelly will join the Jacksonville school system March 23rd. Dr. Wardell retires from the post March 31st.

MARSHALL — A Marshall jury Thursday sentenced Brad Allen Dunn to 99 years behind bars and a $10,000 fine in the murder of his wife, Kari Rene Dunn. According to KETK and the Marshall News-Messenger, the defendant pleaded guilty this week in the violent 2013 incident. The case drew attention after the couple’s daughter unsuccessfully tried to call 911 from a hotel room — not knowing she had to dial 9 first. Efforts to implement direct calling in such cases have become known as “Kari’s Law.”

LONGVIEW — Federal agents raided a Longview pharmacy Wednesday in a cooperative action of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and Health and Human Services. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, the agents were seen removing more than a dozen boxes from McCann Road Pharmacy, 501 North Spur 63. Agents on scene told a News-Journal photographer that the action was taking place in coordination with the raid of a Dallas facility. The pharmacy also houses the Fino Pain Clinic, which has another clinic in Dallas. Phone calls placed to the Dallas offices of the DEA and Health and Human Services were not returned Wednesday evening. A Kilgore Police Department vehicle also was seen at the Longview site.

FLINT — Authorities Thursday released the names of victims and updated the conditions of survivors in a double-fatal two-vehicle accident Wednesday evening in the Flint-Gresham area. The wreck happened around 6:15 on the Old Jacksonville Highway near County Road 140. According to DPS, a truck driven by Carl Crabtree, 30, of Bullard, was traveling southbound on Old Jacksonville Highway when it crossed the center line and collided head-on with a northbound SUV. The driver of the SUV, Dana Regester, 41, of Flint, was pronounced dead at the scene. Pasha Zapolsky, 18, of Bullard, who was sitting in the passenger’s side front seat, was taken to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. Continue reading Names Released, Conditions Updated in Double-Fatal Smith County Wreck

TYLER — Tyler Police Department investigators are seeking the identity of the suspect pictured here. According to the department’s Facebook page, police believe that she is responsible for several cases in which she is allegedly using a stolen debit card. If you recognize this suspect, call Detective Turner at 903-535-0194.

KILGORE — The Kilgore Police Department is actively seeking Hunter Alexander, 17 , of Kilgore. According to KETK, Alexander has been identified as the person who reportedly committed numerous car burglaries in the southern residential areas of Kilgore. Authorities say Alexander has three outstanding Rusk County burglary of a vehicle arrest warrants. Alexander is short in stature and may be living somewhere just south of Kilgore, according to officials. Police have located one photograph of Alexander, but it may be aged and his current appearance is unknown. If you have any information on the location of Alexander, call Detective Tim Dukes at 903-218-6904, Use Tip411(text your anonymous tip to 847411+KILGORE+your tip), or call Gregg County Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP (7867).

BOSSIER PARISH, La. — A Longview man was involved in a Louisiana crash that killed a Shreveport man. KETK reports that at 12:40 a.m. Thursday, Louisiana State Police Troop G responded to a report of the two-vehicle wreck on Interstate 20, about one mile west of Goodwill Road in Bossier Parish. The preliminary investigation revealed a car driven by 20-year-old Rodney L. Clemmons Jr. of Shreveport was traveling east on I-20 when, for reasons still under investigation, his vehicle veered off the left side of the roadway and struck the cable barrier. It re-entered I-20 directly into the path of a truck driven by 19-year-old Greggory R. Lebus of Longview. The truck then struck the car on the driver’s side door, and both vehicles came to rest partially off the roadway. Clemmons was pronounced dead at the scene by the Bossier Parish Coroner. Continue reading Longview Man Involved in Crash that Kills Shreveport Resident

TYLER — The Tyler Junior College West Campus Energy Center held its grand opening Thursday morning. Remarks were offered by TJC President Dr. Mike Metke, Smith County Judge Joel Baker, Tyler Mayor Martin Heines, and Tyler Economic Development Council Board Chair/TJC Trustee Lonny Uzzell. According to information from the college, construction began in February 2014 on the new workforce-training center to serve the area’s growing energy sector and address other industry needs. The Energy Center is a $7.56 million, three-story addition to the Skills Training Center on the TJC West Campus. Funded primarily through tax increment financing, the center expands some of the existing programs and adds new ones. Continue reading TJC Energy Center Holds Grand Opening