KTBB News, Weather, Talk

AUSTIN — Members of the state Legislature, including an East Texan, are sending a message to the federal government — don’t mess with Texas. More than a dozen bills have been filed to challenge what lawmakers consider to be federal overreach. State Representative Dan Flynn of Van has filed a proposal asking Congress to repeal the Dodd-Frank Law — which he says applies to small community banks that had nothing do with the financial meltdown of 2008. Flynn says Texas is successful because it doesn’t get in the way of business. In comments to “Texas Insider,” Flynn said, “If we want to have a business climate that’s not full of regulations, then we can continue to grow.” The 84th Texas Legislature convenes Tuesday.

HOUSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to consider an appeal from an East Texas man facing execution in March for a shootout that left two Henderson County sheriff’s deputies dead nearly eight years ago. The justices made no comment Monday in turning down 55-year-old Randall Wayne Mays. He’s scheduled to die March 18. A federal appeals court last July rejected arguments the former welder and oilfield worker had deficient legal help at his 2008 trial and that executing him would be unconstitutionally cruel because he’s mentally ill. Mays was convicted of slaying sheriff’s deputy Tony Ogburn. A second officer, Paul Habelt, also was killed and a third was wounded. The shootings occurred after Mays barricaded himself in his house in Payne Springs, about 55 miles southeast of Dallas.

TYLER — The Magic Nails and Spa in the 7000 block of South Broadway Avenue has been damaged by fire. The fire was reported shortly after 8:15 Saturday morning. Firefighters said the small fire started in the attic space of the business and quickly spread to a storage closet. Several nail polish products caught fire due to their flammability. The blaze was quickly contained before it could cause major damage to the business or neighboring businesses, although some were closed due to smoke damage. No injuries were reported.

BULLARD – A barn in southern Smith County has been destroyed by fire. It was reported around 8:00 Sunday night on Farm Road 344 near Bullard. KETK reports the barn and its contents, including a truck, were destroyed by the blaze. No word on what started the fire.

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the Tyler District during the Week of January 12, 2015.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintenance crews in Tyler will start the week with a crew repairing base failures on Ranch Road 2767 between Farm Road 850 and Farm Road 2908. Work will then move to State Highway 110 North between Interstate Highway 20 and the Wood County line to perform the same tasks. The roadways will be reduced to one lane with flaggers providing traffic control. Another crew will be patching low volume roads around the county. Traffic control will be in place but no lane closures are expected. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

WASHINGTON (AP/STAFF) — Die-hard House conservatives failed in their push to unseat House Speaker John Boehner last Tuesday. By Friday they looked like winners who are pushing their Republican caucus farther right. Rather than punish and isolate those who opposed him as leader, like Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert, Boehner surprised many by embracing a major immigration plan that’s more stringent and conservative than lawmakers had expected. It not only would block President Barack Obama’s recent limits on deportations, it would undo earlier protections for immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Mainstream Republicans say Boehner’s decision probably portends firmly conservative approaches to other issues. That will complicate life for Senate Republicans and ensure fierce battles with Obama.

KILGORE – A Kilgore teen, who has been missing for over two weeks, has been found safe and sound. The Facebook page “Help Find Missing Samantha,” says Samantha Strader, 16, was found early Saturday afternoon in Greenville, Texas. Details surrounding the girl’s disappearance have not been released authorities. It was earlier reported Samantha was last seen at her stepmother’s house in northwest Upshur County either December 27th or 28th. Her mother says the teen had been held against her will. Her parents were said to have gone to Greenville to pick up their daughter.

SMITH COUNTY – Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the robbery of a Smith County service station. It happened Saturday afternoon in the 13000 block of Interstate Highway 20. KETK Reports a white male grabbed an employee by the arm and demanded cash. He then took off with an unknown amount of money. There was no report of injuries.

MARSHALL – Two men have been arrested in connection with a New Year’s Day drive-by shooting in Marshall that slightly injured a child. Arrested Friday were Willie Lee Jones Jr. and Jaron Demarcus Tucker, both 23 and both of Marshall. The shooting occurred just before 4:15pm on January 1st in the 800 block of West Emory Street. The youngster who was injured suffered a minor injury and was treated and released. The investigation is continuing and there could be additional arrests.

TYLER – Band members from both high schools joined the Tyler ISD Foundation’s Grant Patrol to visit 34 educators at nine campuses to announce the recipients of the foundation’s 2014-2015 Grants for Great Ideas. The grant program supports innovative teaching projects in the Tyler ISD that are not funded or are under-funded by the district’s operating budget. The goal of the program is to provide funding for exceptional education opportunities that are not supported by tax dollars. The Grant Patrol also included the awarding of the very first Dr. Jack L. and Ina Davidson Memorial Grant. Dr. Davidson was the former superintendent of the Tyler ISD and was instrumental in the establishment of the Tyler ISD Foundation. He was named a lifetime member of the foundation. His wife, Ina, loved science. The couple’s daughter, Nancy Davidson Bowling, flew from Georgia to Tyler to present the grant to teachers at Bonner Elementary School. Continue reading Grants Given to TISD Educators

GREGG COUNTY – Portions of Interstate Highway 20 in Gregg County were shut down for a while yesterday by two separate accidents. Two persons died in one of the crashes. They are identified as Mauricio Cardoza, 42, of Juarez, Mexico and Roberto Chavira, 35, of San Elizario, Texas. They were in a west bound box truck that is said to have hit a tractor-trailer rig that was parked on the shoulder of the road. The crash happened around 7:30 Friday morning. One of the two persons in the 18 wheeler was taken to a Longview hospital. The first accident occurred some 6 ½ before the fatal wreck. The first accident involved two 18-wheelers, both of which caught fire. No injuries were reported in that wreck. The fatal accident occurred in the wake of the first wreck.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department conducted tobacco stings to test the compliance of Longview-area tobacco retailers in regard to Texas tobacco laws. Six clerks were cited in the January 8th operation. The undercover stings utilized 14-16 year old minors, accompanied by Longview police officers, who entered stores and attempted to purchase tobacco products. The stings are funded through a grant issued by the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The Texas Health and Safety Code states that it is unlawful for a person to sell, give, or cause to be sold or given a cigarette or tobacco product to someone who is younger than 18 years of age. A violation of this statute is punishable as a class C misdemeanor and the fine is over $500. Continue reading Six Clerks Cited in Longview Tobacco Stings

LONGVIEW — A status hearing for the upcoming trial of a man accused of fatally stabbing two people in a Longview surgery center has been reset for April 10. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report this is the fourth time Kyron Rayshawn Templeton’s capital murder case has been rescheduled from the weekly status docket. The docket is for attorneys on both sides to inform the presiding judge of their progress toward trial. Judge Alfonso Charles has issued a gag order in the case. Templeton, 24, is accused of fatally stabbing a nurse and a visitor in the Good Shepherd Medical Center Ambulatory Surgical Center on Nov. 26, 2013.

WASHINGTON (AP/STAFF) — Republicans in Congress and a state supreme court have thrown the political hot potato known as Keystone XL straight back onto President Barack Obama’s lap. Obama is so averse to making a decision about the proposed oil pipeline that deliberations have entered their sixth year. He’s blamed the seemingly endless delays on bureaucratic formalities and parochial issues in Nebraska, even when skeptics claimed that the politics of the next election were giving Obama cold feet. Now the election is over, the Nebraska issue is resolved, and a bipartisan bill forcing the pipeline’s approval may soon be heading to Obama’s desk. The House approved the bill on Friday in one of its first acts of 2015. And the Senate plans a test vote on an identical bill next week. The southern leg of the pipeline has been running through East Texas for about a year.

TYLER — A Flint man pleaded guilty in a Smith County court Friday in the death of his daughter. KETK reports he was also charged in the injury of a second daughter. At an 11 a.m. hearing in the 7th Judicial District Court, Russell Lindstrom, 33, entered a guilty plea on two counts of injury to a child. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, February 2. If a not guilty plea had been entered, a jury trial was slated to begin on January 12. The suspect’s charges were lowered from one count of manslaughter and one count of injury to a child to two counts of injury to a child in October. Continue reading Flint Man Pleads Guilty in Hot Car Death

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – A U.S. attorney’s office says two Texas men each have been sentenced to at least 12 years in prison in the kidnapping of an Arkansas man and then lying to FBI agents about it. Twenty-one-year-old Aldo Cantu and 22-year-old Anthony Segura were accused of kidnapping a Pine Bluff man at gunpoint from his home in November. Prosecutors say the men from Lufkin, Texas, forced the victim into the trunk of a car, which he escaped from at a Louisiana service station. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports the Texas men were later arrested. Officials say two firearms used during the kidnapping were seized. The U.S. attorney’s office in the Western District of Louisiana says that each man had denied their involvement in the kidnapping to FBI special agents. Both also were sentenced to five years of supervised probation.

TYLER – The Queen of the 82nd Annual Texas Rose Festival has been announced. At a gala Thursday night benefiting the Tyler Rose Museum, it was announced that this year’s Rose Festival Queen will be Madeline Shirley Wynne. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Wynne. This year’s Rose Festival duchess is Anna Gray Buckley, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Roe Buckley. The queen’s court was also announced at last night’s event. With a theme of “Royalty of the Under-Water Realm,” this year’s Rose Festival will run October 15th through 18th.

TYLER — Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) crews are getting ready for icy weather conditions forecast for the local area this weekend. Crews have already started pre-treating I-20 and a few other locations in anticipation of the winter weather. According to TxDOT, maintenance crews in the Tyler District’s eight county area (Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt and Wood counties) have outfitted dump trucks and pickup trucks with necessary equipment and materials for response to emergency situations as weather conditions change. Crews will continue to pre-treat some roadways Friday and will report to work when conditions warrant during the weekend. Efforts include inspecting highly exposed areas that are susceptible to wind and ice such as bridges, ramps and overpasses. De-icing materials will be placed over those areas as needed to improve travel. Continue reading TxDOT Preparing for Winter Weather

RUSK — The Texas State Railroad shattered ridership records last year, one of which had been standing for three decades. The railroad ended the year with annual ridership of 79,354. That was an increase of 13,345 riders or 16.8% over 2013. By comparison, the railroad’s best year ever for ridership occurred in 1984, when it was operated by Texas Parks and Wildlife. That year, 75,078 people rode the historic passenger railroad. The Polar Express™ Train Ride, by far the railroad’s largest and most popular annual special event, also set new ridership records. The seven-week event in 2014 drew 58,184 riders from 40 states and 4 foreign countries. By comparison, the 2013 event brought in 45,529 passengers from 31 states and 8 foreign countries. The increase of 12,655 riders netted the railroad 19.6% growth in that event in 2014 over 2013. Continue reading Texas State Railroad Sets Attendance Record

EAST TEXAS — Local law enforcement agencies around the area are asking the public’s support in recognizing National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day this Friday. According to a news release distributed by the Tyler Police Department, “In light of recent negativity directed toward law enforcement nationally, there is a need to show law enforcement officers that our citizens recognize the difficult and sometimes impossible career they have chosen, in public service to us all.” Continue reading East Texans Observe Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

TYLER — A Flint man facing charges in connection to the death of his daughter will appear in court today. KETK reports his child died after getting locked in a hot vehicle last June. Russell Lindstrom, 33, will appear in the 7th Judicial District Court for a plea hearing at 10:30. The honorable Kerry L. Russell will be the presiding judge. If a not guilty plea is entered, a jury trial is slated to begin on January 12. The suspect’s charges were lowered from one count of manslaughter and one count of injury to a child to two counts of injury to a child in October. Continue reading Flint Man to Enter Plea in Hot Car Death

TYLER — Internationally-known economist Dr. Ray Perryman offers his annual economic forecast to the Tyler-area business community. The Lindale native says the Tyler economy looks very good to him at the moment. He points to expansion in the manufacturing and distribution industries, what he terms a “very strong” health care sector, and what he sees as “a great deal of diversity in the economy.” Perryman adds, “There’s some dependence on (the) oil and gas market, but not nearly as much as you see in some parts of the state.” Continue reading Perryman Presents Upbeat Economic Forecast

LINDALE — The Lindale Police Department is asking for assistance in identifying five men who allegedly committed felony theft at the Lindale Walmart on Tuesday. According to KETK, if you recognize the men pictured, you’re asked to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 903-882-3313.

AUSTIN — A bill involving the Ten Commandments didn’t pass during the last legislative session, but it’s being filed again by the same state lawmaker — and is sure to raise some eyebrows. State Representative Dan Flynn of Van says he’s re-introducing the measure that would allow Texas school teachers to post the Biblical laws in their classrooms. He says it’s important to his constituents who feel teachers should have the option, and he says a precedent of sorts has already been set. According to Flynn, “You walk into the Supreme Court building in the United States of America, and the Ten Commandments are posted there very openly. You walk on the capitol grounds of the State Capitol of Texas, they’re posted very prominently. The Supreme Court said that we could post them there.” Flynn says the bill is not pushing religion. He says the Commandments represent a moral conduct that’s often missing in today’s society and no one should be able to criticize it.

AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is urging Texans to prepare for an arctic cold front impacting parts of Texas through the weekend. Forecasts indicate the possibility of below freezing temperatures, light snow, sleet and freezing rain across a large portion of the state. “As the latest cold front moves across much of the state, DPS is advising Texans to prepare for freezing temperatures and winter precipitation. Light snow, freezing rain and sleet in some areas could create hazardous driving conditions,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “Texans should closely monitor the weather conditions in their area and use extra caution if they are driving in affected regions.” Continue reading You Are Urged to Prepare for Arctic Weather

WASHINGTON, D.C. — John Boehner dished out a little payback after narrowly winning re-election to a third term as speaker of the U.S. House, and a Texan was among those paying a price. Congressman Randy Weber of Pearland (pictured) says the vote he cast for fellow texan Louie Gohmert of Tyler cost him sponsorship of a bill. Gohmert called Boehner a sore winner whose retribution will divide Republicans. Boehner won with 216 votes,11 more than he needed. But it was the largest rebellion by a party against its incumbent speaker since the Civil War.

GILMER — During an open city council meeting Tuesday, officials with the city of Gilmer and ETMC agreed on a solution that will keep both parties happy and residents safe. Last November, ETMC Gilmer announced it would discontinue ambulance services this March. KETK reports the hospital has now agreed to assign the Camp County EMS branch to Gilmer. ETMC says at this point it does not have any other comment — that details are still being worked out and that for now, questions are being referred to the city of Gilmer. Signatures are expected within the next two weeks, and then construction for the new ambulance building will begin.

TYLER – Smith County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a man accused of making a terroristic threat. Booked into the Smith County Jail was Juan Garza. His bond was set at $20,000. He was arrested late yesterday morning, without incident, at a south Tyler apartment complex. Continue reading Tyler Man Arrested for Terroristic Threat

TYLER – Smith County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a man accused of making a terroristic threat. Booked into the Smith County Jail was Juan Garza. His bond was set at $20,000. He was arrested late Wednesday morning, without incident, at a south Tyler apartment complex. Continue reading Man Arrested for Making a Terroristic Threat

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler graduate nursing programs once again have been ranked among the best in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Online Nursing Programs, President Rodney H. Mabry announced. In the 2015 edition, the UT Tyler master’s and doctoral degree programs are ranked in the top 15 nationwide out of all online graduate nursing programs surveyed. UT Tyler is the highest Texas public academic institution ranked, besting the University of Pittsburgh, Michigan State University, the University of Arizona, UT Arlington, and UT El Paso, among others. This is the fourth consecutive year UT Tyler has been recognized in the listing. Continue reading UTT Graduate Nursing Again Ranked High by U.S. News and World Report