KTBB News, Weather, Talk

JEFFERSON — All seven designated swimming areas at Lake O’ the Pines have been reopened. Test results that came in Thursday resulted in the beaches being reopened. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shut down the swimming areas June 18th after tests revealed unhealthy levels of fecal coliform in the water. Two of the beaches were reopened July 2nd and the others were reopened Thursday. The problem was said to have been caused by the heavy rains about a month ago. The rain is said to have washed litter from chicken and other confined animal feeding operations to the lake shore. Bi-weekly fecal coliform testing in the swimming areas through the end of next month.

TYLER — Information from the Texas Comptroller indicates that City of Tyler sales tax revenues deposited for the month of July have decreased 7.01 percent as compared to the same period in 2009. Year-to-date revenues have declined 8.76 percent, an improvement from last month’s 8.93 percent. The reported revenue of $ 2,533,713.39 comprises $1,689,142.26 in general sales tax revenue and $844,571.13 in half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from May 2010 collections, as there is a two-month period before revenue is reported.

“The City had budgeted for no growth in sales tax revenue for this fiscal year,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “As soon as the monthly returns began indicating that sales tax revenue was declining, the City took aggressive steps to curtail spending. This is paying off as we are closing the gap on the budget shortfall. We have approximately 47 positions frozen in the general fund alone and continue to delay projects, assess contracts, and limit spending where possible.” The City began its budgeting for the 2010-2011 fiscal year months earlier than normal in anticipation of another tight budget year.

“We anticipate having at least one more really tight budget year,” added McDaniel. “As the economy recovers, municipal revenues generally lag behind. We anticipate that property tax receipts will remain flat, or possibly dip slightly in the coming year based upon recent valuations. However, Tyler is fortunate that we have no general obligation debt so all tax revenue can go directly toward current operations. Combined with being very streamlined and fiscally disciplined, we are weathering the storm better than most.”

HALLSVILLE — 2,500 stadium light poles have been recalled, including some in Hallsville. According to KETK, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission made the announcement Monday after several incidents of the Whitco poles falling down. Here in East Texas, Hallsville ISD’s Bobcat Stadium was on the recall list. School officials say they learned of the recall Tuesday and are now in the process of figuring out what to do. For now, plans call for moving forward on the basis of engineers’ reports. The officials say they have had the lights inspected and they passed all necessary safety measures. The lights will be inspected again before football season starts.

LONGVIEW – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has recognized Claudia Ray, an assistant attorney general in the Child Support Division’s Longview office, as “Assistant Attorney General of the Year” for the 43-county region based in Tyler. Ray received the honor Wednesday at the Statewide Assistant Attorneys General Conference in Fort Worth. “Claudia Ray’s hard work and dedication helped ensure thousands of young Texans have the child support they need to grow healthy and strong,” Abbott said. “A committed and selfless public servant, Claudia stands out as one of the state’s most dedicated and impressive lawyers. We are grateful to Claudia Ray for her commitment to Texas children.”

TYLER — Tyler police and the U.S. Secret Service have arrested two suspects following a rash of counterfeit $20 bills passed at garage sales. On Wednesday, officials concluded their investigation and arrested 27-year-old Jessica Deann Perry and 30-year-old Brandon Keith Uzzel, both of Tyler. Police say the two showed up at garage sales in Tyler over the past few months and purchased small items with a counterfeit $20 bill in exchange for real currency. Several cases of counterfeit money were reported to the Tyler Police Department over the past few months in which the victim was having a garage sale.

Perry was charged with three counts of Forgery of Money, a third degree felony, and bond was set at $300,000 by Judge Kerry Russell. Uzzel was charged with two counts of Forgery of Money, and bond was set at $200,000. Both suspects are now incarcerated in Smith County Jail.

LUFKIN — An East Texan makes the Department of Public Safety’s 10 most wanted list of sex offenders. The men on the list either violated their parole or failed to register as convicted sex offenders. According to KETK, there’s a reward for Troy James Allison, 57, of Lufkin. He’s wanted for aggravated rape. The DPS says Allison has been wanted since 2004 for aggravated rape. He has convictions for being an assailant to murder and indecency with a child. His last known address is on the 400 block of East Jodie Street. He is six feet tall, 210 pounds, has a tattoo on his right arm and scars on his abdomen, right foot and right leg.

The Criminal Justice Division of the Governor’s Office has authorized a crime stoppers reward of $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of a Texas Top Ten Most Wanted sex offender.

The public should not try to apprehend these criminals as they are considered dangerous. Anyone with information on these offenders can provide anonymous tips in three different ways:

Call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477), Text the letters DPS, followed by your tip, to 274637 from your cell phone. Submit a tip through the DPS website by selecting the sex offender you have information about, and under their picture is a link to submit a web tip. The 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders are available on the DPS website at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/wanted/sexoffenders/topTenSexOffenders.htm#.

HENDERSON — A Smith County man has been killed and two persons injured in a two vehicle accident in Rusk County. The accident happened around 6:30 Tuesday morning on State Highway 64, just east of County Road 421. Dead at the scene was Juan Carlos Guiterrez-Leon, 24, of Tyler. Injured were the drivers of both vehicles, Jennifer Hibbard of Nacogdoches and Andres Blas-Luviano of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety report indicates Hibbard’s car was west bound on Highway 64 when veered into the east bound lane and hit Leon’s pickup head-on. Everyone in the two vehicles was wearing their seat belts.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler man is killed following a three-vehicle accident Tuesday evening in northern Smith County. Killed was Russell Chamberlain, 64. The DPS says a pickup and Chamberlain’s car were southbound on Farm Road 14 at County Road 326. The car was waiting to make a left turn when the pickup hit the car, pushing it into the path of a north bound van. The car then collided with the van. Chamberlain was pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured. Officials say Chamberlain was wearing a seat belt. They also report that rain was falling and the road was wet at the time of the wreck.

TYLER — Testimony continues in the Mineola Sex Ring trial. Dennis Boyd Pittman, 47, is the fourth of six defendants to go on trial for the crimes in which three siblings were supposedly groomed to perform sexual acts. On Tuesday, an 11-year-old girl, one of the three siblings, took the stand. Testimony continues today. The other two defendants, Patrick Kelly, 43, and Jamie Pittman, 38, who were convicted and sentenced to life in 2008, recently had their sentences reversed in the 14th Court of Appeals in Houston, and will receive new trials. Those trial dates have not been set. Jamie Pittman is not related to Dennis Pittman.

TYLER — A festive celebration on Tyler’s downtown square Wednesday kicked off this year’s United Way campaign, with its $1.7 million goal. That’s how much the campaign raised last year. United Way President Nan Moore says it’s an optimistic goal, but still conservative based on the current state of the local economy. The good news: 30 percent of it has already been raised. The campaign wraps up in February. 24 agencies will divvy up the funds. Moore hopes to keep their funding levels flat; she says coming up short last year mainly affected the United Way budget, not the agencies. Moore is also expressing optimism that the campaign will bring in some new businesses and develop some new partnerships. With that in mind, she says exceeding the goal is not unrealistic.

TYLER — Officials have issued an after-action report from Smith County’s most recent multi-agency No-Refusal DWI campaign, July 2nd through July 4th, 2010. There were 18 total DWI arrests. Nine were made by DPS troopers, seven by Tyler police, and two by Bullard police. There were five total evidentiary search warrants for blood issued. Three were obtained by DPS, and one each by the Tyler and Bullard Police Departments.

AUSTIN (AP) – The chairman of the Texas House Corrections Committee says he thinks the state jail system may have outlived its usefulness. Rep. Jim McReynolds of Lufkin says recidivism rates for state jail inmates are higher than for regular Texas prisons. McReynolds says the state may need to consider modifying the original model. State jails were established by legislators in 1993 for nonviolent drug offenders, thieves and first-time offenders to be housed in separate lockups, with treatment and rehabilitation programs. Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire of Houston, who authored the state jail law, said Tuesday that he wants the program to continue and “the system has worked well.”

NACOGDOCHES – Dozens of employers are seeking to fill positions that East Texas job seekers have the opportunity to apply for at Congressman Louie Gohmert’s East Texas Job Fair at Stephen F. Austin State University today. The event is underway and continues till 2:00 p.m. in William R. Johnson Coliseum, 700 E. College Street in Nacogdoches. It’s being held in cooperation with the Deep East Texas Council of Governments, Stephen F. Austin State University, and Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas. The fair follows a similar one held recently in Marshall.

Rep. Gohmert stated, “Our country’s economy and many East Texans have done some struggling. That is why I am joining with some others to host two Job Fairs in East Texas to bring together businesses that need employees and people looking for jobs. My office and partnering organizations are dedicated to making these events as successful as possible, which will require active participation from both employers and job seekers. All types of employers and job seekers with a range of experiences are welcome to attend these free events. East Texas has a diverse job market and strong workforce, and I hope these fairs will help bring the two together to benefit the economic health of East Texas and its citizens.”

AUSTIN (AP) – Health officials are warning against eating fish caught in parts of the Trinity River in Tarrant, Dallas, Ellis, Kaufman, Henderson, Navarro, Freestone and Anderson counties. Wednesday’s advisory is from the Department of State Health Services. The area includes the Clear Fork of the Trinity River from the Benbrook Reservoir Dam, and the West Fork from the Lake Worth Dam, through the main stem of the river downstream to the U.S. Highway 287 bridge on the Freestone-Anderson county line. Testing found some fish had elevated levels of dioxins and polychlorinated byphenyls, or PCBs. Long-term consumption may cause cancer and other health problems. DSHS says elevated levels of PCBs and dioxins in fish do not pose a health risk for people swimming or other water recreation.