KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW Another candidate has filed in the May 9 city election in Longview. Business owner David Wright, 58, joins Ben Shelton, 34, in the race for the unexpired City Council District 5 seat. Shelton is director of operations at Pathway Church. The seat is being vacated by Richard Manley, who faces two opponents in the mayoral election.

AUSTIN The Texas Education Agency Friday released accreditation statuses for school districts and charters across the state. KETK reports one East Texas school has been warned following what was termed a poor performance, either financially or academically. More than 400 students attend the UT Tyler Innovation Academy’s three campuses in Longview, Tyler, and Palestine. In the most recent accountability ratings, the Longview location was listed as “improvement required.” According to the TEA, an Accredited-Warned status means a district or charter exhibits deficiencies in academic and/or financial performance that, if not addressed, could lead to probation or revocation of its accreditation status. Continue reading UTT Claims Issue Resolved Regarding Accredited-Warned Status

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler and Tyler Junior College have strengthened their collaboration and partnership through the Patriot Pathway program, according to a UT Tyler news release. The “Patriot Pathway” articulation agreement was signed Friday on the UT Tyler campus to officially establish the program. It includes strategies that will provide a seamless transition of TJC graduates to UT Tyler, according to the release. The Patriot Pathway will increase educational access for students throughout East Texas, said Dr. Ross Sherman, UT Tyler interim provost and vice president for academic affairs. Students will be able to transition from TJC to UT Tyler to achieve their baccalaureate degree without loss of credit, time or additional expense. Continue reading UT Tyler, TJC Establish Patriot Pathway

TYLER — The East Texas Human Needs Network (ETHNN), the Tyler Area Business Education Council, Educate Texas, Smith County independent school districts and area colleges and universities have partnered on a FAFSA Super Saturday today. According to press materials, the event is intended to provide assistance for prospective college students and their parents to apply for federal financial aid. Volunteers will man computer stations at four Tyler locations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., to help individuals complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and thus become potentially eligible for financial assistance for post-secondary attainment. Continue reading FAFSA Super Saturday Targets Prospective College Students

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Van Zandt County law enforcement is looking for a man and his wife allegedly connected to a recent theft. According to KETK, the Van Zandt Co. Constable Precinct 4 Office says Jacob Aaron Cooksy is wanted by authorities for theft greater than $1,500. The fugitive has been jumping from house to house in the Van/Jamestown/Garden Valley/Enchanted Lakes area and only stays for a few hours at a time in one place, according to officials. Continue reading Man, Wife Sought in Recent Theft

LONGVIEW — Three members of a family facing charges related to selling synthetic drugs from three Longview stores are scheduled for arraignment next week on a new indictment that would increase their prison time and fines. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the superseding indictment against Jeremy Chad Tidwell; his wife, Shanna Peek Tidwell; and his brother, Brian Tidwell, was returned this past week in Tyler. The indictment includes notice that the government intends to seek criminal forfeiture of millions of dollars in cash and property seized in a Dec. 3 raid on three smoking paraphernalia stores owned by the married couple. The notice to seek forfeiture also lists a home in Upshur County, the Longview Candle Store on Estes Parkway, a semi-automatic 9mm pistol, and ammunition. Continue reading Three Face Arraignment in Synthetic Drug Case

FRANKSTON — Funeral services are set for Ray Wakeman, who was serving as Coffee City mayor when he died Wednesday at age 78. Services will be held at 4 p.m.today at Autry Funeral Home Chapel in Frankston with Chaplain Robert Fisher, according to the funeral home website. Interment will be at Frankston City Cemetery. According to KETK, Wakeman’s son says the mayor suffered a major stroke. Wakeman was sworn into office in December 2012. He lived in Coffee City for more than 30 years and previously served on the city council. According to his Facebook page, Wakeman attended Marshall High School.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man who is a suspect in an apartment complex standoff has been arrested and charged. Shayne Daniel Afzal, 20, of Longview, is being held in the Gregg County Jail on bonds totaling $200,000. Public Information Office Kristie Brian said officers responded at 5:46 Thursday, February 19, to an “unknown problem” call at the Saddle Brook Apartments located at 1400 H.G. Mosley Parkway. Police found there was a person in an apartment at the complex and there were believed to be gunshots from inside. Continue reading Longview Apartment Standoff Suspect Arrested

MARSHALL — A 19-year-old East Texan died in a fiery one-vehicle crash near Marshall. According to KETK, DPS says shortly after 8:45 Wednesday night, Mason Duvall’s truck was traveling north on Farm Road 1997 at an unsafe speed while on a curve. The vehicle left the east side of the road, hit a tree, and caught on fire. Duvall was pronounced dead at the scene. DPS said the road was wet at the time of the accident.

LONGVIEW — The Pine Tree ISD Foundation Thursday announced a memorial fund set up in honor of a former student murdered in Cedar Park on February 17. According to KETK, the Katie Eager Memorial Endowment will be open to receive donations starting on Monday, March 2. The money will be used to help fund teacher grants and unique opportunities for children, according to the foundation. Continue reading Memorial Fund Set Up for Ex-Pine Tree Student Killed in Cedar Park

AUSTIN — State Representative Matt Schaefer of Tyler has filed a bill requiring photo identification and the recipient’s name on food stamp cards. The District 6 Republican says the cards would also include the fraud hotline number and a statement saying, “Paid for by the American taxpayer.” Claiming there’s a lot of fraud in Texas, Schaefer says right now the cards don’t even have the person’s name on them and that they’re being sold and used for currency. According to Schaefer, “If the state of Massachusetts can put photo ID and the names on the food stamp cards, we can do it in Texas. We need integrity in our food stamp program.”

TYLER — Tyler has joined Lumina Foundation’s Community Partnership for Attainment, according to a news release from the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. With support and oversight from the Tyler Area Business Education Council, a cross-sector group of community members will work with Lumina, according to the release. Officials say the group will develop and execute strategies that will increase the percentage of residents who possess a postsecondary credential. Tyler is one of the final 20 cities in Lumina’s 75-city community-based attainment network. “The selection of Tyler as one of 75 cities to work with Lumina and other national thought leaders shows that the work in this community is being recognized on a national level,” said Tyler Mayor Martin Heines. Continue reading Tyler Joins National Network to Increase Post-High School Attainment

MINNEAPOLIS (AP/Staff) – A federal judge has cleared the way for Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson to be reinstated. U.S. District Judge David Doty issued his order Thursday, less than three weeks after hearing oral arguments. Doty overruled NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson’s previous denial of Peterson’s appeal. The league suspended the former Palestine star through at least April 15 for his involvement in a child abuse case. But Doty said in his 16-page ruling that Henderson “simply disregarded the law of the shop and in doing so failed to meet his duty under the” collective bargaining agreement.

WOOD COUNTY — One person is dead after a two-vehicle collision around 9:30 Wednesday morning in Wood County. According to KETK, DPS says emergency crews responded to the accident on Highway 11, nearly 7 ½ miles east of Winnsboro. A tractor-trailer traveling westbound crossed over the center line when driving into a curve and struck a car heading eastbound head-on. The driver of the car, identified as Velma Dismukes, 42, of Winnsboro, was pronounced dead at the scene by Judge Cindy Weems. Dismukes was taken to Beaty Funeral Home in Winnsboro. The driver of the semi, Mitchell Bartram, 56, of Euless, was not injured in the crash. There was no immediate word on possible charges.

LONGVIEW — A murder charge has been filed in a Longview shooting that turned fatal. The move follows the death of Jerrad Hunt of Longview nearly three weeks after he was shot at a gas station. “I can confirm that Jerrad Hunt did pass away around 6:00 p.m. on Monday at Good Shepherd Medical Center,” Hunt’s attorney, Kirby Portley, said Tuesday. The charge filed against the suspect, identified as Christian Earl Sibley, 21, of Longview, has been upgraded from aggravated assault. Police say they responded to the gunshot call in the 3000 block of Estes Parkway just before 10:30 a.m. February 3. When they got there, Hunt, 22, had already been taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

TYLER – Area schools and businesses are getting back to normal following Wednesday’s snowfall. The Tyler Municipal Court opened at noon. All dockets for the court have been canceled from 8:00am through noon. The Municipal Court will mail out resets for these docket settings. Call the Municipal Court at 903-531-1266 for further information.

EAST TEXAS — Numerous weather-related outages have been reported in the East Texas area, especially in Gregg County. According to KETK, over 20,000 customers had been affected in the region Wednesday at one point. Oncor reported scattered outages in the Tyler area, and Upshur County Rural had quite a few as well. Crews have continued working to restore power.

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Senate Transportation Committee has approved a plan funneling part of the revenue from the state’s vehicle sales tax into building and maintaining roads. Sponsored by Sen. Robert Nichols, a Jacksonville Republican who chairs the committee, Wednesday’s vote means the proposal can be considered by the full Senate. Taxes collected on vehicle sales currently flow into the state budget’s general revenue. Nichols’ plan would divert tax collections over $2.5 billion annually for road infrastructure beginning in 2018. Nichols said it could generate more than $2 billion annually. Governor Greg Abbott has made transportation infrastructure spending a priority, fast-tracking related bills through the Legislature. Lt. Governor Dan Patrick oversees the flow of Senate legislation and praised the plan, saying the Legislature previously had “relied too heavily on debt and tolls.”

TYLER — The Tyler City Council Wednesday approved a special use permit and zoning change for the Cenikor substance abuse treatment center. KETK reports planners had proposed the site on Gentry Parkway, but some companies in the area voiced their concerns about it hurting their business. Cenikor said the location makes sense because it’s located near the medical district. Cenikor Sr. Vice President Jerry Hall says the rehab center will provide help for those with all types of substance abuse problems. Hall remarks, “The Tyler-Longview area in just the last 12 months has referred almost 500 of the residents of this area to our Waco program, and less than half of those people could actually attend because of the transportation barriers.”

LONGVIEW — A Longview family is displaced after its house was damaged in an early morning fire Wednesday. KETK reports the blaze sparked just before 2:30 Wednesday morning in the 800 block of Noel Drive from a controlled fire in the fireplace. Due to deteriorated joints in the chimney, the embers escaped and began burning parts of the chimney and attic, according to authorities. Crews were able to contain the fire before it could destroy the house. No one was injured, and the residents went to stay with other family members. Around 9:00 in the morning crews were called back out to the house due to a rekindling. They were able to put it out before it could do any more significant damage.

UNDATED (AP) — A federal jury says Apple should pay nearly $533 million to resolve claims that the payment system tied to its iTunes product infringes on patents issued to a business named Smartflash. Smartflash said in a 2013 complaint that the patents cover a portable data carrier for storing data and managing access to it through payment information rules. Apple Inc. says it plans to appeal the decision and that Smartflash was “exploiting our patent system to seek royalties for technology Apple invented.” The litigation was filed in the Tyler, Texas, division of the U.S. District of Court, Eastern District of Texas. In 2011, a federal judge reversed another jury verdict against Apple from a Tyler patent trial in which the software company Mirror World was awarded $625.5 million.

TYLER — The City of Tyler Fire Department and Emergency Management officials continue to monitor the weather conditions in our area.
Emergency service capabilities are at full strength and City departments are in frequent communication with each other to ensure that all necessary preparations are in place, according to officials. Additionally, officials are in communication with the local school district, County and State Emergency Management offices, and local EMS. Emergency Management officials continue to monitor the situation and will respond as appropriate, according to a news release. Continue reading Tyler Emergency Management Officials Monitoring Weather Conditions

TYLER — TxDOT crews are again out inspecting roadways and treating them as necessary to make driving conditions as safe as possible for the traveling public, according to a news release. Click on this link for TxDOT’s Winter Safety Guide — http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/safety/winter_guide.pdf — which includes information pertinent to driving in current weather conditions, and more information on winter driving. Continue reading TxDOT Responds to Wintry Conditions

LONGVIEW – Former Gregg County District Attorney Robert Riter Foster has been arrested on a variety of charges. He was arrested Tuesday for driving while intoxicated, unlawfully carrying weapon and possessing a controlled substance. His bonds total $22,000. KETK reports Foster graduated from the Texas Tech University School of Law, J.D., in 1976, is a member of the State Bar of Texas, and was a recipient of the Thomas Jefferson Award in 1982.

TYLER — Tyler firefighters battled a structure fire near the intersection of N. Spring Street and East Oakwood Tuesday. KETK reports crews were dispatched at 1:26 p.m. Officials said it was a vacant building. No injuries have been reported. There was no immediate word on what sparked the fire or extent of damage.

WASHINGTON (AP/Staff) – President Barack Obama has vetoed a Republican bill forcing construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline. The White House sent notice of the veto to the Senate on Tuesday, shortly after the bill was received at the White House. It’s the third veto of Obama’s presidency. The move puts a freeze on a top GOP priority, at least for now. It also reasserts Obama’s authority over a project that’s become a flashpoint in the national debate about climate change. Congressional Republicans may try to override Obama’s veto, but have yet to show they can muster the two-thirds majority in both chambers that they would need. Sen. John Hoeven, the bill’s chief GOP sponsor, says Republicans are about four votes short in the Senate and need about 11 more in the House. If approved, the Keystone XL would tie in with existing pipelines, including one that passes through eastern Smith County and other parts of East Texas.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police officers have honored a 10-year-old Tyler, Texas girl who sent hundreds of thank you cards to the NYPD after two officers were fatally shot. Savannah Solis told officers in a Bronx precinct Tuesday that she wants to thank the police “for what they do for us.” Savannah made about 200 cards for New York officers and 300 for police throughout Texas. She’s already visited officers in her home state. A Bronx officer acted as a go-between for Savannah. A cousin of his wife knows the girl’s family. Savannah was greeted by an NYPD helicopter flyover in the Bronx. Then she was given an NYPD hat she wore for the ceremony inside the stationhouse. Savannah told the officers she appreciates the sacrifices they make.

LONGVIEW — Longview emergency crews worked a major accident Tuesday on Judson Road where a vehicle landed in an embankment. According to KETK, a tweet from the Longview Police Department at around noon said they were responding to a possible entrapment accident in the 1400 block of Judson Road. Officers at the scene said two wreckers responded to remove the vehicle. Longview PD said this was the worst weather-related accident they had come across in the previous 36 hours. The driver reportedly slid off the road because of ice. No injuries were reported in the crash.

RUSK COUNTY — A former machine shop employee was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday for embezzling more than $150,000 over several years. According to the Longview News-Journal, Tanya Marie Warrell McMillian, 43, Whitehouse, was found guilty of second-degree theft, but the prosecution was able to enhance her punishment to first-degree theft because of three prior felony convictions. McMillian also was assessed a $10,000 fine. The Rusk County District Attorney said McMillian stole approximately $156,000 from her employer by altering the books or forging signatures. McMillian was arrested May 11 by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.

SHREVEPORT – The winter precipitation is over for the time being, but the National Weather Service in Shreveport says sleet accumulations remain on some area highways. If travel is necessary today, you’re still advised to use caution. Some additional winter precipitation will be possible late tonight into Wednesday across the area. The precipitation types and amounts are uncertain at this time.