KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW – A missing Longview teen is back home. They had been looking for Destini Lacace Ann Davis. She was last seen on October 4th. They say she has returned home and is safe.

LINDALE – The Smith County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a woman accused of stealing from a business in the Lindale area. Ashley Stephens, 33, who also known as Ashley Boyd, is said to have stolen over $60,000. They say she is reported to be living in the Mineola area and has changed her appearance to avoid capture. She has dyed her hair black. If you have information regarding her whereabouts, you are asked to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600.

EAST TEXAS — Rough weather is making its way through East Texas. Tornado warnings were earlier posted for several area counties, including Henderson and Smith. The system began to weaken as it moved east, and by 4:15 or so, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning effective till 5:00 p.m. for southeastern Smith and northern Cherokee Counties. Those two areas had earlier been under a tornado warning. There has been plenty of heavy rain in the area but no initial reports of serious damage. The Tyler/Longview area was placed under a tornado watch effective until 8 p.m.

JACKSONVILLE — State environmental officials are reporting significant progress in resolving a water issue southeast of Jacksonville. According to a news release, a do not use order has been lifted for most residents served by the Craft-Turney Water Supply Corporation based on sample results received Friday. But the officials note that 11 connections are still under the order. Those are the connections directly affected by a backflow incident that initially prompted the do not use order on October 3. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suspects a fungicide entered the water supply. The water utility has indicated that the 11 connections have been isolated from the distribution system. The do not use order was initially issued to customers served by the 11 connections but was expanded to the general vicinity of those connections as a precaution. Continue reading Do Not Use Water Order Largely Lifted; Meeting Tonight

TYLER – Tyler police have arrested three persons who are accused of robbing an individual. They are Christian James Nichols, 18, of Elkhart, Draven Ray Starr, 21, and Scottie Lee Smart, 18, both of Palestine. Shortly before 2:45 Friday afternoon, the victim told an officer he had just been beat to the ground, robbed of his belongings by three white male suspects who jumped him on the sidewalk in the 4400 block of South Broadway. Officers located one suspect on foot near Winchester Street and South Donnybrook. A witness to the incident told officers that the two other suspects had ducked into the Subway at Shelly Drive and South Broadway, where they were arrested. The 21 year old man from Tyler, who was robbed, had just got off work after his first day on the job and was walking home. He was transported to U.T. Health Center on Beckham by EMS with non-life threatening injuries.

LONGVIEW – Longview police are asking for the public’s help in locatin ga missing teenager. She is Destini Lacace Ann Davis. She was last seen on October 4th and it not know what she was wearing when she was last seen. She is described as a black female with black hair, brown eyes, about 5’4” tall, and weighs around 130 pounds. If you know where she can be found, you are asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199 or Detective Christopher Bethard 903-237-1161. Continue reading Missing Longview Teen Sought

HENDERSON – One of the suspects arrested in the robbery of a Henderson bank has made a court appearance. The Longview News Journal reports Ashley Alexderia Page, 32, of Nacogdoches, appeared in court Thursday. She was indicted by the Rusk County grand jury last week. She is accused of taking part in the robbery of the Texas Professional Credit Union in Henderson on January 13th. She was identified by her fingerprints on the bank’s counter. Paige was arrested in July following a traffic stop in Dallas County. Also charged in the case is Michael Danyl Hopkins, 38, of Dallas. Hopkins is in jail in West Virginia on unrelated charges. He is said to have held everyone at gunpoint while Page collected the money.

HENDERSON – A reward has been issued in hopes of finding a missing Rusk County woman. Kimberly Flint, 51, of Reklaw, was reported missing June 26th. Her car was later found wrecked on the Highway 84 bridge over the Angelina River. The car had hit a guardrail. Several searches have turned up no trace of the woman. Her family and Crimestoppers are offering a $6,000 reward for leads to help find her. You can call the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office or Rusk County Crimestoppers with information.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler police department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect. He is though to have been involved in an indecent exposure incident. It occurred on Monday in the Herrington Patriot Center. The man, who has a large tattoo on his left forearm, appears to be very familiar with the HPC building so they feel someone knows who he is. They are offering a $100 reward for anyone who can provide his identity him. You are asked to call 903-566-7300 with information.

EDOM — The Edom Art Festival continues Sunday from 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. following its Saturday opening day. For more than 46 years, the small artists’ community of Edom in East Texas has hosted a festival for working artists presenting their talents to an appreciative audience of gifters and collectors, according to organizers. They say high quality art, fine crafts, live music, and great food and wine fill the festival grounds behind the resident artists’ studios on the one main street in town, Farm to Market road 279. Admission is free. Go to http://www.visitedom.com for a detailed schedule of events and a map.

TYLER — Crucial Catch Day is a reminder that the best defense is a good offense. You are invited to this special event with health screenings on Saturday, October 13th. It will be from 9:00am till 1:00pm at the Tyler Family Circle of Care on North Glenwood in Tyler. The first 75 registered guests receive a special gift. There will be low cost mammograms, colorectal cancer screenings, blood pressure checks, breast and colon cancer education classes, flu shots, games, entertainment, door prizes, a bounce house, a photo booth, vendor booths, and more. For more information and/or to register for a low cost mammogram, call Jennifer Blake at 903-535-9041.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate has approved the nomination of Jeremy Kernodle to fill a judicial vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler. Kernodle is currently a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP, where he founded and chairs the firm’s False Claims Act practice group and focuses on representing healthcare providers and government contractors in Federal courts throughout the country. He fills the seat vacated on January 7, 2016, by Judge Michael Schneider’s move to senior status. In February 2017, Kernodle applied for a judgeship with the Evaluation Committee set up by Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. He interviewed with the Committee on March 16, 2017. Kernodle then interviewed with Cornyn and Cruz in May 2017, after which his name was submitted to the White House. Continue reading A New Federal Judge for East Texas

EAST TEXAS – An East Texan is said to be one of the richest men in the country. According to the annual Forbes 400 list, tied for 136th on the list, with a net worth of $4.7 billion, is Kelcy Warren. Born in Gladewater, Warren graduated from White Oak High School. Warren is the chairman and largest shareholder of Energy Transfer Equity, a partnership with more than 83,000 miles of U.S. energy pipelines. The Dallas-based company owns most of Energy Transfer Partners and has terminal and storage facilities in 38 states. He’s also the majority owner of a power company in Roatan, Honduras.

JACKSONVILLE — More will be revealed Monday about the problems going on with Craft-Turney’s water. According to our news partner KETK, a meeting will be held then to discuss the issue further. Representatives from TCEQ and the Craft-Turney Water Supply Corporation Board of Directors will answer questions from the public. It will be at the Norman Activity Center in Jacksonville at 6 p.m. A do-not-use order has been in place since last week. Part of the water system was contaminated with a fungicide that entered through a backflow. Officials are currently trying to resolve the issue.

TYLER – A student at the University of Texas at Tyler is one of 20 students selected nationwide for an internship with Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, New York. Biology senior Alyssa Blanton of Whitehouse recently joined other science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduates in a three-week scientific computing skills internship. It is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, which is designed to prepare students from underrepresented populations for STEM careers. Participants were selected based on their performance on an analytical aptitude test, past involvement in LSAMP research and letters of recommendation.

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld a murder conviction out of Henderson County. The panel affirmed the conviction of Danna Lynn Busby, 56, of Ben Wheeler. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In July of last year, after three days of testimony, jurors deliberated less than 20 minutes and found her guilty of the murder of Wendell Eric Harris, 54, of Brownsboro. He was shot to death at his home in March of 2016. Officers learned of the shooting when Busby went to the police station to report it. Busby has said she shot Harris because she feared for the life of her daughter.

TYLER – It took a Smith County jury under two hours to convict Barbara Lynn Orpineda, 32, of sexual assault of a child. The former counselor in the Arp school system was sentenced to five years in prison. She will also have to register as a sex offender. The mother of three was arrested last October. At the time she was charged with two counts of improper relationship between a student and educator and two counts of sexual assault of a child. Prior to becoming the Arp Elementary counselor, Orpineda taught seventh grade math for four years. When arrested, she denied the allegations. She also denied the allegations during the trial when she testified in her own defense.

TYLER – The Smith County Commissioners Court has approved the purchase a new voting system. It replaces the aging voting equipment that is currently being used. The county says it will ensure the integrity of the elections. The new system uses touch-screen technology and produces a paper-based record for tabulation. It gives the voter the ability to double-check their ballot on screen and on paper before depositing the paper ballot into the voting box. The cost of the new equipment is around $1.25 million. The county has been saving for these upgrades and is paying for them in cash through the fiscal year 2019 capital improvements budget. They should arrive in December and be ready to use in the May elections.

AUSTIN – Tyler and Longview’s sales tax allocations from the state continue to outpace the figures from last year. The state comptrollers office is sending out $735.9 million in local sales tax allocations for October. This is 11.4% more than in October 2017. These allocations are based on sales made in August. Tyler will be getting $3, 539,181.17. This is 9.45% more than October of last year. This year’s total to date is $36,109,004.30, which is 6.74% more than the same period last year. Longview’s October check is for $2,577,307.68, an increase of 6.46%. For the year, Longview has received $27,063,770.76, an increase of 10.23%.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man has been arrested in connection with a September shooting death. the Longview News Journal reports Ladadrian Deontae King, 22, was arrested in Mabank and booked into the Kaufman County Jail. He was arrested in connection with the September 29th shooting death of Henry England Williams, 32. He was found wounded and sitting in a chair on his front porch on Clover Lane. He died nearly three hours later at a Longview hospital.

TYLER – Some from the Tyler are are heading to Florida to provide help in the wake of Hurricane Michael. An 11-person Incident Management Team from Texas will lead The Salvation Army response efforts in Florida. Some from Tyler left Wednesday morning, heading to Pensacola. They are bringing one of the seven mobile kitchens from Texas, which are able to prepare and serve up to 1,500 meals a day. They remind you, the best way to help The Salvation Army relief efforts is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow the Salvation Army the flexibility to quickly and efficiently meet the immediate needs of disaster survivors without incurring many of the costs associated with sorting, packing, transporting and distributing donated goods. You can go to http://www.salvationarmytexas.org/blog/hurricane-michael-approaches and donate to the hurricane relief effort of the Salvation Army.

EAST TEXAS – Separate area accidents have left three persons dead. A Tyler man has been killed in a one vehicle accident in Gregg County. Dead at the scene was Javier Altamirano Olvera, 55. He was heading east on Interstate Highway 20 when he hit a dog in the road. He then swerved and left the road, sliding sideways and then rolling down an embankment. His pickup came to rest upside down in the south side bar ditch. The accident happened shortly before 5:45 Tuesday afternoon about a mile north of Kilgore. Continue reading Fatal Area Accidents

FLINT — The Texas Department of Agriculture has found gas pump skimming devices for one of the first times in a largely rural area, and sees the find as a possible change in tactics or distribution by organized crime. According to our news partner, KETK, an agriculture department inspector found three skimmers on three pumps last Thursday at a Stop N Shop Food Mart in Flint. Law enforcement officers removed the devices for use as evidence of the crime of skimming, where culprits can steal account information from credit and debit cards. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller issued the report a week after Kilgore police reported finding several skimming devices inside pump machines at a convenience store on South Henderson Boulevard. Continue reading Gas Skimmers Found in Flint

NACOGDOCHES – The location has changed for funeral services for Nacogdoches County deputy sheriff Raymond Bradley Jimmerson. He was killed last Friday morning as he removed debris from U.S. Highway 259, 7 miles north of Nacogdoches. Deputy Jimmerson, who had been in law enforcement for over 20 years, has been with the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Department for 19 years. Visitation was held Tuesday night at First Baptist Church in Nacogdoches. The funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 at the William R. Johnson Coliseum located at 700 East College Street, on the Stephen F. Austin State University Campus. Doors opened at noon.

TYLER – The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas is warning about an increase in Internal Revenue Service imposter calls this month. A Tyler area resident reports losing over $27,000 to an IRS imposter. The IRS has issued an online warning for taxpayers as the October 15 tax-filing extension deadline is approaching and scammers are continuing to pose as IRS employees. Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas, says “These callers are using scare tactics in an attempt to catch you off guard.” She says, “Don’t be pressured into making payments to collectors without verifying that you owe the debt.” Continue reading Warning About IRS Imposters

TYLER — The weather has put a major damper on Texans Against Crime Night Out in Tyler. Police recommended late Tuesday afternoon that all outdoor parties be re-scheduled; a number of cancellations had already come in by that time. You’re asked to call 903-531-1096, 533-2012, or 533-2020 with any information your party. The annual Texans Against Crime event is designed to bring neighbors together to take a stand against crime in their neighborhoods.

TYLER – Tyler Junior College is among five recipients of the inaugural TXU Energy Leadership Award. The program recognizes corporate and nonprofit leaders in various energy-related categories, including sustainability, innovation, energy management, community, and engagement. TJC received the Leadership in Energy Management Award in recognition for its efforts to manage energy consumption through the use of new technologies. The awards were announced in conjunction with the TXU Energy Summit held recently in Dallas.

TYLER – A professor of marketing in the Soules College of Business at the University of Texas at Tyler, Dr. Barbara Ross Wooldridge, has received the Marketing Management Association’s 2018 Master Teacher Award. It is presented annually to outstanding marketing educators. Wooldridge, one of three global finalists, was recognized for developing innovative marketing courses within the college. She engages students in the online environment through the use of Duolingo technology and challenges them through service learning projects with area businesses and organizations. Continue reading UT Tyler Marketing Professor Named Outstanding Educator

ATHENS – Two men, who are accused of trying to sell stolen items on Craigslist, have been arrested in Henderson County. The victim told authorities he was in contact with a person trying to sell the stolen property. Sheriff’s deputies went to a home on Highway 175, just east of Athens, and arrested Joshua Morgan, 29, and Earnest Morgan, 35, both of Athens. They recovered $15,000 worth of stolen tools and supplies. Both men charged with burglary of a building and theft of property. And, since suspected methamphetamines was found in an eye glass case, Joshua Morgan was also charged with possession of a controlled substance. Continue reading Two Suspected Burglars Busted in Henderson County

LONGVIEW – A man accused of a Longview murder will not be going to trial anytime soon. Rodrick Deshun Arkeith Elliott, 20, is charged in the May 3rd stabbing death of Sandy Smith, 51, of Longview. She was found bleeding on East Grand Street. She later died at a Longview hospital. The Longview News Journal reports he has been declared mentally unfit to stand trial. Judge Alfonso Charles said in an email to the paper, “The court found him incompetent to stand trial based on the report of appointed psychologist and the agreement of the parties. He will remain in jail until there is a bed available for him in Vernon State Hospital. Once he regains competency, he will be a trial priority.”