KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — Design plans for Longview’s new animal shelter are officially underway. KETK reports the advisory committee met Monday night to propose a few preliminary plans. Committee members say the shelter will add to Longview’s growing list of accomplishments. Recently, committee members toured big city animal shelters like the one in Fort Worth to figure out what’s best for the animals. But the shelter still needs to be approved by the city council. That vote will come later this year.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say they’ve recovered a vehicle stolen from a December crime. According to KETK, 21-year-old Alfonso Hernandez was beaten and dumped in the parking lot of Kevin’s Auto Shop Christmas Day. The men responsible for Hernandez’s beating took off in his black Tahoe. That Tahoe was found in Rusk County over the weekend. Longview police say they’re combing the vehicle for evidence and continue their search for at least three men they say played a role in the beating.

WELLS — Some new developments are reported on the Church of Wells, which first hit headlines in July. That’s when media learned about parents looking for their daughter, 26-year-old church member Catherine Grove, after she disappeared from her Arkansas home. KETK has now learned one of the church’s deacons was recently arrested in the state of New York on a charge of second degree aggravated harassment. Continue reading New Developments in Church of Wells Case

HOLLY LAKE RANCH — Last week, two Holly Lake Ranch men were arrested by the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, accused of animal cruelty. But before the arrests, their pit bull, Mary Jane, was killed by one of the deputies. Now KETK reports that the men are speaking out. Jared Williams and Johnny Munoz flat out deny any type of animal abuse, and say the department has been less than transparent with why their dog was shot and her puppies were taken away. They say they want answers and an apology, and more importantly, want their dogs back. They say their dog was accused of killing two other dogs in the neighborhood, but according to Munoz and Williams, no one in their area is missing a dog. Continue reading Suspects Fight Back in Animal Cruelty Case

DALLAS — More than 400,000 people have now signed a petition on change.org calling for easy access to 911. Last month, Kari Hunt was stabbed to death in a Marshall hotel room. Her nine-year-old daughter called 911 four times from the room but was not connected — because she didn’t know it was necessary to dial “9” for an outside line. Continue reading “Kari’s Law” Effort Gains Steam, FCC Attention

LONGVIEW — A Longview bicyclist has been struck and killed. The accident happened just before 7:00 last night at the intersection of Buchanan Street and Mobberly Avenue. Ivory Van Jackson, 53 was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center where he later died. He was struck after he pulled out in front of a van. The initial report says it appears as if Jackson failed to yield the right of way at the intersection. The accident remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW — A Kilgore man, who had been accused of trying to kill his father and himself last may, has pleaded guilty to aggravated kidnapping. A charge of attempted murder was dismissed against William Emmett Lawson, 51. It’s now up to the jury to decide the punishment in Lawson’s case. Continue reading Kilgore Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping

TYLER — Tyler police are investigating a theft and possible kidnapping. A woman tells officers her boyfriend kidnapped her and took her to the Family Dollar at 3505 Old Frankston Highway. The man is said to have left the woman in the car and went inside and gathered several items and ran out of the store without paying for them. The suspect removed a weapon from the rear of his vehicle and placed it in the front with him while an employee was attempting to stop him. The employee halted the attempt to prevent the theft when a weapon was produced by the suspect. The suspect fled the area before officers arrived on the scene. Investigators have obtained the identification of the suspect and will be seeking an arrest warrant for aggravated robbery. No charges are being sought at this time for kidnapping.

TYLER — Someone claiming to be with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office is contacting individuals claiming that they owe fines for missing jury duty. This is a scam and the person is not connected to the sheriff’s office. According to public information officer John Moore, recently a man contacted a person in the Whitehouse area saying that they owed a fine for missing jury duty. He instructed the individual to go to a local pharmacy and buy a pre-paid money card and then call back with the numbers on the back of the card. The person did as instructed, but was then contacted again by the man saying that the card did not go through and that they would need to purchase another and call back with the new numbers. Before the person called back with the second set of numbers, they spoke with the Whitehouse Police Department who told them it was a scam. Continue reading Smith County Jury Duty Scam

EAST TEXAS — Test results have come back confirming a Lufkin man’s death was because of the H1N1 flu. Officials at Memorial Medical Center in Lufkin confirmed the death on Monday. Hospital officials would only identify the victim as a 49 year old man. The number of flu cases in East Texas is on the rise, and so are the number of deaths. KETK is reporting 12 confirmed flu deaths in East Texas and hundreds of persons testing positive for the the flu. doctors say 90% of the cases this year are from the H1N1 strain. Health officals are urging that you take preventative measures. Everyone over six months of age need to get a flu shot.

LUFKIN — The Angelina County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the case of a toddler with a blood-alcohol content of .18. The youngster has been flown to a Houston hospital. Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches tells KETK the babysitter of the child in Pollok reportedly gave the toddler a drink, not knowing its contents. According to medical officials, the child was violently throwing up. The investigation will determine if charges will be filed.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville police are looking for a teenage girl who has been missing since last Friday. She is Savannah Oden, 14, who was last seen at the Wal-Mart in Jacksonville shortly after 2:15 on January 10th. It is thought she may have run away with her 17 year old boy friend.

COLLEGE STATION (AP) — Tyler native Johnny Manziel has confirmed that he has signed with LRMR and Maverick Carter, the longtime friend and associate of LeBron James, to handle some of the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner’s off-field projects. The former Texas A and M Aggies quarterback also said Erik Burkhardt will be his agent and Bradley Beckworth and Jeffrey Angelovich are overseeing his business-related matters. Continue reading A&M QB Entering NFL Draft Chooses Management

RUSK COUNTY — The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office is now investigating the death of an elderly man as a robbery and homicide. The victim is identified as Donald Lee Clark, 79. He died from an apparent gunshot wound. Law enforcement officers were called to his home at 11082 Farm Road 2012 about 10:45 Saturday morning. Rusk County Sheriff Jeff Price (pictured) said the suspect, or suspects, dropped a number of items taken from Clark’s home as they fled the scene. They are still awaiting an autopsy report to help determine the time of death. Family members had spoken with Clark on Friday. Sheriff Price said they are being assisted in the investigation by the Texas Rangers and the crime scene unit of the Smith County Sheriff’s Department.

LONGVIEW — Gladewater School District Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Jerrod Baugh, 36, is free on bond today after being charged with DWI. Baugh was arrested around 3:00 Sunday morning in the drive-thru of McDonalds at 408 Marshall Avenue in Longview. He was released from the Gregg County Jail that night. According to KETK, this is not Baugh’s first run-in with the law in Gregg County for alcohol-related offenses. Baugh was booked into the Gregg County Jail in September 2007 for having an open container in his car. Gladewater ISD Superintendent Dr. J.P. Richardson said that Baugh will be placed on paid administrative leave while the district conducts an internal investigation into the matter.

TYLER — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport posted a 14.9% increase in passenger boardings for 2013. According to a news release, the airport recorded 85,069 passengers in 2013 versus 74,019 passengers in 2012. Additionally, officials say, airport rental car businesses have shown impressive increases. Records indicate the on-site airport rental car companies leasing 13,189 cars as of November 2013 compared to 11,457 cars for the entire year of 2012, with December’s numbers expected to be reported on January 20. Private aviation activities have also grown in 2013, with increased aviation fuel sales up 24% from 2012. Continue reading Growth at the Tyler Airport

CHAPEL HILL – The Hester family of Chapel Hill lost everything in a house fire in early January, except for each other — and a giving community. The Chapel Hill Baseball Association held a softball tournament Saturday to raise money: $225 dollars per team. And East Texans have been dropping off extra supplies — food, clothes, cookware, and the like. Homeowner Bobby Hester tells KETK, “What’s important to us is that we have each other and that we have neighbors and friends and a community like this.” Hester says if he won the lottery and was able to move anywhere, there’s no place he’d rather be than in Chapel Hill, with God, family and his community.

TYLER — East Texas school officials get busy addressing the issue after the number of schools falling short of minimum standards doubled from 2012. Seven Tyler schools made the list, which grew because of newer, higher standards. Students do have the option to transfer to a different district if they choose, but Tyler ISD’s Karen Raney tells KETK you don’t see students transfer out of her district too often. Raney says, “It’s a funding incentive to take out of district transfers if they choose, but they don’t in this area.”

MINEOLA — A Two vehicle accident in Wood County his killed one person and injured one. It happened around 10:15 Sunday morning on U.S. Highway 69, about 5 miles north of Mineola. Dead at the scene was Michael Ray Neagle, 56, of Quitman. Injured was Edward Wilburn, 47, of Pecan Gap, Texas. The Department of Public Safety reports Neagle was northbound when he veered into the southbound lane. He was his by an 18-wheeler driven by Wilburn. The accident remains under investigation.

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. (AP) — Former Longview resident Matthew McConaughey has won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama for “Dallas Buyers Club.” Born in Uvalde, McConaughey attended high school in Longview. The other nominees Sunday night were Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”; Idris Elba, “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”; Tom Hanks, “Captain Phillips”; and Robert Redford, “All Is Lost.”

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

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews on Monday are scheduled to perform pavement-texturing operations on westbound Interstate Highway 20 between Lavender Road and U.S. Highway 69. On Tuesday and for the rest of the week, crews will move to perform the same operation on Farm Road 346 between Blackjack and Troup. A second crew is scheduled to perform edge work on U.S. Highway 69 north of Tyler between Tyler Pipe and Interstate 20. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

MT VERNON — The Northeast Texas Area Crime Stoppers and the Mt. Vernon Police Department are asking for assistance with their Crime of the Week. On Wednesday, December 18, two black females entered the Brookshires in Mt. Vernon and passed a forged payroll check. According to KETK, information later found from Brookshire’s Corporate Office shows those same women are believed to have passed similar checks in Tyler, Gladewater, Overton, Marshall, Quitman, and Commerce. If anyone has any information they are asked to call the Northeast Texas Area Crime Stoppers at 903-577-8477. Web tips can also be be submitted at http://www.netacrimestoppers.org or via text by sending NTX and your tip to 274-637. If the information given leads to the arrest or recovery of stolen property a cash reward of $1,000 could be given.

TYLER — One man is arrested following a Tyler shooting. Police were called to the Rose Valley Apartment Complex, 1007 Loop 323 N NW, just after 9:00 Friday night and found that a 25-year-old woman had been shot in the face. She was taken to ETMC with non life-threatening injuries. She is expected to make a full recovery. After further investigation, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Ke’Avier Jarrod (KJ) Wilson-Hurd, 20, Tyler. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on an aggravated assault charge with bond set at $500,000. No motive for the shooting has been released. Continue reading Woman Shot in Face Expected to Recover, Suspect Remains Jailed

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating an armed robbery. It happened just before 11:00 Saturday morning at the Valero gas station located at 6500 South Broadway. Authorities said an unknown male suspect entered the store, displayed a handgun and demanded money. The clerk gave him an undetermined amount of cash and the suspect fled southbound on foot. The suspect is described as male, approximately 5’08″ tall, wearing a Halloween type mask, green hooded jacket, blue jeans, brown boots and dark gloves. No one was injured during the incident. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or Tyler/Smith County Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and charges filed against the suspects in this case or any other felony case.

LONGVIEW — Two men are behind bars after a drug raid Thursday afternoon. It happened just after 4:30 at a home on Nibilick Steet. Members of the Gregg County Organized Drug Unit and Longview SWAT team raided the home and made several arrests on drug charges. According to KETK, authorities arrested William Bradley Smith, 34, (pictured) and Monta Lamon Sherow, 32, both of Longview for possession of 4 to 200 grams of methamphetamines. They were also charged with possession of marijuana. These men have a long list of previous charges, according to online records. Smith has previous pending charges against him. The two are being held without bond on detainers issued by the U.S. Marshal’s office.

EAST TEXAS — A silver alert has been discontinued after a missing elderly woman with a cognitive impairment showed up on her family’s doorstep in Lindale. Before she turned up in East Texas, Mont Belvieu police say Doris Bunselmeyer, 85, was last seen at 5:00 p.m., Friday evening in the 9700 block of Inwood Circle. According to KETK, she was seen driving a red 2009 Toyota Corolla with a Texas License Plate 1CRWZ. Bunselmeyer used to be a teacher at Whitehouse ISD and could be headed to her relative’s home in Lindale. Viewers told KETK, Mrs. Bun used to be a Physical Education teacher and the drill team director at Whitehouse.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to a one vehicle accident Friday night around 7:15 at 1200 E Front Street. Officers said a black Dodge Ram, driven by a 16 year old girl, slid off of the road and crashed into a utility pole. The pole was knocked over and the lines fell onto Front Street. Front Street was shut down for a brief time while Oncor removed the lines from the roadway.

TYLER – A 38-year-old Tyler man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations. Mark Rushton Lawless pleaded guilty on September 5, 2013 to possession of child pornography, transportation of a child to engage in sexual activity, production of child pornography, and aggravated sexual abuse of a child. Lawless was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison Friday in Tyler by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider. Continue reading Smith County Man Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation of Children

TYLER – A 42-year-old Farmersville man has been sentenced to federal prison during a Tyler proceeding. Craig Marcus Cooper pleaded guilty on Sep. 11, 2013, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Friday by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Schneider. According to information presented in court, on Jan. 13, 2012, Cooper and a co-defendant, Colten David Barrow, traveled together to the Dukes Truck Stop on Highway 64 in Van Zandt County to meet an individual interested in purchasing a fully-automatic machine gun and silencer for $10,000. The prospective buyer was an undercover federal agent and Cooper and Barrow were arrested at the scene. Continue reading Collin County Felon Sentenced for Federal Firearms Violation

LONGVIEW — A Longview man who is on probation for bigamy was jailed after warrants accused him of assault. KETK reports Joseph Lederle Seastrunk, 42, was arrested Wednesday, after outstanding warrants revealed he was being accused of injury to a child, elderly person, or disabled person and assault by strangulation. Seastrunk was arrested in January 2011 on the bigamy charges. He was given five years’ probation as his sentence in the bigamy case but now faces jail time if his probation is revoked. He was released Thursday night on $10,000 bond.