KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — Today’s the deadline as the Longview Race Relations Committee, sponsored by the City of Longview Partners in Prevention, seeks nominations from the community for citizens to be honored at its Seventh Annual Unity Awards Luncheon in January 2011. The purpose of the Unity Award is to honor individuals, living or deceased, in the Longview community who have stood against prejudice and mistrust and who have demonstrated leadership in promoting racial harmony and understanding. Those persons can be current or past residents of the Longview area.

Award nomination forms are available at: the Partners in Prevention Office, 140 E. Tyler St., Suite 400; 300 W. Cotton St.; Longview Public Library, 222 W. Cotton St.; and Broughton Recreation Center, 801 S. MLK Blvd. You can also go to http://www.LongviewTexas.gov to access a form. You can contact Partners in Prevention at 903-237-1019 for more information.

TYLER — Tyler Police respond to several reports of auto burglaries this morning around 2:00. The callers stated they observed a maroon Lincoln Town car occupied with several Hispanic males involved in the crime. The suspects were last reported breaking into a vehicle on Industrial Street around 3:15 when an officer spotted the suspect vehicle. The suspects bailed from the vehicle after running off the road, but the driver was arrested after a short foot pursuit. The three other suspects were able to get away and are in the process of being identified.

Upon searching the suspect vehicle, officers located numerous stolen electronic items in the trunk. The driver was identified as Martin Gonzalez Jr., 19, was charged with four counts of auto burglary, possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and evading arrest. He was booked into the Smith County Jail with bond set at $125,000.

Tyler Police have taken over 12 auto burglary reports this morning along with a report of an Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle from a repair shop on W. Gentry that matches the suspect vehicle involved in this crime spree. That crime is still under investigation.

The suspects broke out windows of cars at the following locations: S. Beckham, N. Carlyle, N. Glenwood, S. Wall, Merrimac, Hudson, Pollard, S. Porter and S. Donnybrook.

TYLER — Tyler Police Department will be participating in a DWI enforcement program for the last two weekends in October. The enforcement detail of officers will be on the look-out for intoxicated drivers in the City of Tyler. This enforcement program is funded by a state grant that was awarded to the department for DWI patrol. Tyler PD urges everyone who is drinking and considering driving to have a designated driver, or to hire a cab to get home safely.

WHITEHOUSE — Whitehouse residents will soon vote whether to sell alcohol in the city. With elections just a couple of weeks away, city officials are getting ready just in case. City manager Mike Peterson says, “If it goes wet, we’ll have ordinances already in place that will regulate the sale of beer and wine inside the city.” He says they already prepared ordinances: one says alcohol cannot be sold in residential areas, another sets the fee for alcohol permits, and a third one says alcohol cannot be sold near schools and churches. According to KETK, Peterson says whether the city is wet or dry, the council will support the outcome and the desire of the citizens.

TYLER (Staff/AP) — With the gubernatorial election less than two weeks away, Democrat Bill White brought his campaign back to Tyler. White told the crowd, �We need a governor who has been in private business. One who has met a payroll and who knows how to squeeze the most out of taxpayer dollars.�

KETK-TV reports White said Rick Perry has a lot to answer for lately, he�s making much of the whistleblower who accuses Perry of steering the Teacher Retirement Fund toward companies run by his donors. �That should be illegal,� White said. �It should be illegal for them to do what they�re doing. The Teacher�s Retirement Fund has gone from a 5-billion dollar surplus when Rick Perry took office, to being over 20-billion dollars in the red. There was a vote that had the support of people of both parties, to put a teacher�s representative who could be a watchdog on that board. Rick Perry vetoed that bill.�

White also said if he’s elected governor his first move would take him straight into a mobile home. The millionaire lives in a home appraised at $2.1 million, but says he’d be the portrait of frugality the moment he takes office by moving into a mobile home to save taxpayers money. Perry’s spokesman calls White’s proposal a gimmick.

TYLER — A hearing resumed in Tyler this morning to have State District Judge Jack Skeen removed from the upcoming retrial of the man convicted in the Mineola child sex ring case. KETK-TV reports Patrick Kelly’s defense lawyer, Thad Davidson, says that Judge Jack Skeen has had private meetings with the prosecution during the Mineola sex ring trial and should be removed from the case. Davidson has filed a motion to recuse Judge Skeen from the proceedings. Presiding over the hearing is retired State District Judge Alvin Khoury of Longview.

TYLER — The City of Tyler hosted an on-campus ceremony Wednesday to unveil a marker in the Reflections Program honoring Texas College as part of TC’s Homecoming activities. In accordance with the Tyler 21 North End Action Plan, in 2009, the City of Tyler launched a three year program to promote Tyler Historic Landmarks status and the installation of historic markers and plaques at North End locations important to city history, including the history of the African-American community. Officials say the Reflections Program encourages citizens or interested organizations to submit nominations for the designation in the North End as Tyler Historic Landmarks, Tyler Historic Subject Markers or Half Mile of History stones.

Texas College was founded in 1894 by a group of ministers of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church who were interested in offering a quality education to African American youth. City officials say today, with its diverse student, faculty and staff populations, Texas College admits students of any race, color, gender, religious affiliation, or national or ethnic origin. The College is an affiliate of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and has a modified open admissions policy that permits it to serve a broad-based traditional and non-traditional student clientele.

CANTON — Authorities in Van Zandt County have arrested a man who now faces multiple charges. On Tuesday at approximately 2:10 p.m., the Van Zandt County Sheriff�s Office received a 911 call from a concerned citizen stating an unknown person was seen running from the citizen’s residence. Sheriff�s Deputies and Investigators responded to the scene and immediately cordoned off a perimeter. Authorities say the suspect, later identified as Larry Leroy Jackson, Jr., was observed by one of the Investigators in a pasture and took off running toward a wooded area.

The Canton helicopter and the Canton K-9 Unit were called in to assist. Participating with the Van Zandt County Sheriff�s Office were the Canton Police Department, Precinct #1 Constable, Department of Public Safety, the Grand Saline Police Department and the Van Zandt County Sheriff�s Office Posse. Within a short time after the pursuit begun, the suspect was flushed out with the help of the helicopter pilot and the K-9 unit and taken into custody

Authorities say the Precinct #1 Constable had made a traffic stop earlier in the day in which Jackson, a passenger in the vehicle, took off running. A foot pursuit ensued at that time, but was suspended after a thorough search proved to be futile. All agencies had also participated in that search. Jackson faces charges of possession of a controlled substance, tampering or fabricating physical evidence with intent, and evading arrest or detention, along with revocation of supervision out of Wood County. His bonds total $100,000.

LONGVIEW — Six adults escape a house fire Wednesday morning unharmed. It happened around 10:00 at 1002 Oden St. Longview firefighters say about 25% of the home was a blaze when they arrived. Authorities say it started in the upstairs bed room. Fire crews were able to extinguish the fire in about 10 minutes. One resident said she had a candle burning in the window sill with the window open. The drapes then caught on fire. The remainder of the house sustained heavy smoke and heat spread.

TYLER — Community leaders are now getting answers from Tyler school officials after repeat attempts to ask the school district why they needed millions of dollars. Tyler ISD is responding to concerned citizens on a pricey bond proposal by holding several public meetings. Tyler officials say the bond is needed for new schools and they say the meetings are open to the public. According to KETK, Tyler school officials have 14 more meetings set up until election day. But, Grassroots members say it’s not the time for this kind of spending. For a schedule of the meeting times, go to: http://www.tylerisd.org/Bond%202010/Events.htm

JACKSONVILLE — What would you do if a mass shooting occurred near your home or business? The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of Cherokee County would like for you to consider this as a possibility. On Thursday, November 4, the CERT will be conducting a community disaster drill involving a mass shooting. This will only be a drill – not a true event.

The drill will begin at 9:00 a.m. at Sadler�s at the Landmark. The scenario will be a mass shooting with fatalities at the scene, and multiple victims being transported to Mother Frances Hospital � Jacksonville, ETMC-Jacksonville & ETMC-Rusk. There will be various authorities at the scene (i.e. Jacksonville Police Department & SWAT Team, Cherokee County Sheriff�s Department & SWAT Team, Jacksonville Fire Department, multiple emergency vehicles, and other emergency responders).

Officials say it is very important to keep unnecessary traffic to a minimum, so they’re asking you to inform your family and/or employees not to approach that area during the drill. The drill will be announced again on KTBB as it draws closer. The City�s Code Red Alert will also notify the community on the evening of November 3rd of the drill.

LUFKIN (AP) – An East Texas man is accused of cutting a birth control device out of a 16-year-old girl’s arm and tattooing her. James Jacob Thompson of Groveton was jailed Wednesday on charges of practicing medicine without a license, tattooing at an unlicensed facility, tattooing an underage person and possession of a controlled substance. Angelina County Sheriff’s Cpl. Jarrod Gardner says Thompson, who’s 22, also was held on 14 traffic violations. Bond was $13,000. Thompson was arrested Tuesday. Police were contacted Oct. 12 about Thompson allegedly tattooing the girl during a party, plus cutting her arm to remove a birth control device. An affidavit says the girl paid Thompson $20 for the procedures.

MARSHALL — The committees on Redistricting and Judiciary of the Texas House of Representatives are in Marshall today. During the hearing, which got underway at 11 a.m., public testimony is to be taken regarding the redistricting process for Texas Senate, Texas House, Congressional and Texas State Board of Education Districts that the State Legislature will undertake in the 2011 regular session. Marshall’s redistricting hearing is being held in the Historic Harrison County Courthouse District Courtroom.

TYLER — A sold out crowd greeted former President George W Bush in Tyler Tuesday night. He spoke at the Distinguished Lecture series at the University of Texas at Tyler. With candor and humor he gave the group a glimpse of life in the oval office. He received several standing ovations throughout the presentation.

While there are some aspects of the presidency he misses, he does not miss being in the lime light. He said it was his faith, family and friends that sustained him while he served the nation. On the principles that formed the foundation for much of his foreign and domestic policies, Bush said he believes there is a God and one of the gifts of God is for everyone to know freedom. It�s this belief that helped him stay the course in Iraq.

On the economy, he recalled sitting in the White House with economic advisors Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke three weeks into the economic downturn. He said Bernanke told him, �If you don’t do something significant, you’re likely to see a depression greater than the Great Depression.� �Depression, no depression,� Bush said. �It wasn’t that hard for me, just so you know. I made the decision to use your money to prevent the collapse from happening.�

Bush thanked the crowd for their roles in electing him both as governor of Texas and president of the United States. He said he tried to leave the presidency better than it was when he started, or at least equal to how he found it.

He also took time to mention his new book, �Decision Points,� which is due out next month. Bush quipped, �This will come as a shock to some people in our country who didn’t think I could read a book, much less write one.�

The lecture, and the dinner that preceded it, help raise funds for U.T. Tyler scholarships. School president Dr. Rodney Mabry announced that over $200,000 were generated by the events.

TYLER — An Anderson County man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring. He is Robert Clarence Smith, II, 30, of Elkhart. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on August 5, 2009, charging Smith and 8 others with federal drug violations. He pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Smith was also ordered to forfeit ownership of a firearm and to pay a $5,000 judgment. Federal prosecutors say Smith admitted to being involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine to others in the East Texas area.