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LONGVIEW – Longview Animal Control is reminding residents, be cautious if you find a bat. Bat exposure is a major concern because of the possibility of contracting rabies. So far this year, they have responded to 17 calls about bats. Six were sent in for rabies testing. The other bats had been released by the people who found them. They believe the number of bat exposures may top 17, because others may have released the bats without knowing how harmful the exposure could be. The best advice, if you see a bat, don’t touch it or release it. Instead, call Animal Control or 911. You can go to https://www.longviewtexas.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1404 to get more tips about bats and bat exposure.

WASHINGTON – Tyler congressman Louie Gohmert has been named a recipient of the 2018 Thomas Jefferson Award. The bi-annual award, presented by the International Foodservice Distributors Association, recognizes legislators whose voting record shows strong support of the U.S. foodservice distribution industry. The award was introduced in 1992.

TYLER – A Tyler man is heading to prison for aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault. Last month, a Tyler jury found Freddi Betancourt, 26, guilty. Friday, State District Judge Kerry Russell sentenced him to 30 years in prison. Last June, he met a woman he had a previous relationship with at Noble Young Park. He forced her into his car where he sexually assaulted her before driving off with the victim still in the vehicle. Witnesses helped police find the car on the Frankston Highway, with the woman trying to get out of the vehicle.

TYLER – Tyler police are looking for help in identifying a man involved in a hit an run accident. He was a passenger in the car that caused the crash. It happened on April 13th at West Gentry Parkway and Parkdale. He is said to have got out of the vehicle and pushed to the ground the lady who was driving. He then took her cell phone while she was trying to dial 911. If you can identify him, you are asked to call Tyler police.

TYLER (AP) – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has struck down a law barring intimate photos and videos from previous or current relationships from being shared online without consent. The ruling says the law violates the First Amendment by restricting expression based on the content of photographs and videos shared online. The court also ordered a revenge porn charge to be dropped against Jordan Bartlett Jones. Court records show Jones challenged the law as unconstitutional while awaiting trial for displaying a naked photograph of a woman in a way that revealed her identity. Texas legislators passed the law in 2015. The ruling only blocks the law in Northeast Texas counties under the 12th Court of Appeals.

EAST TEXAS – Tyler’s Unemployment rate has dropped, while there has been a slight uptick in Longview’s jobless numbers. The report from the Texas Workforce Commission show Tyler’s unemployment rate for march was 3.7%. That is down from 4.1% in February and far better that the 4.3% rate in March of last year. Longview’s March unemployment rate was 4.5%, slightly up from 4.4% in February, but vastly improved from the 5.7% figure last March. The state’s unemployment rate last month was 4%, slightly better than the March jobless figure for the U.S.

ANGELINA COUNTY – A suspect wanted in a shooting at a night club near Lufkin has been arrested. It happened last Sunday at Annie Mae’s Night Club and left two people injured. According to the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office, Kevin Edward Jefferson, 45, of Corrigan, was arrested Thursday on three felony warrants. He was booked into jail on two counts of aggravated assault and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Texas Department of Public Safety assisted in the investigation.

ELKHART – One person has been killed and 3 injured in a one vehicle accident in Anderson County. It happened around 4:45 Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 287, six miles south of Elkhart. Dead at the scene was Autumn A’mari Taylor, 2, of Tyler. In critical condition in a Dallas hospital is a three week old. The DPS says both were unbealted. A teenager is in critical condition in a Tyler hospital. The driver, Tiffany Marie Taylor, 36, of Tyler, is in stable condition in a Tyler. It appears she fell asleep at the wheel. She then overcorrected, went across the highway, overturned and hit a house.

TYLER – UT Health East Texas EMS, formerly ETMC EMS, has rolled out its new ambulance design. The ambulance service began in 1968. Besides Tyler and Smith County, coverage also includes Henderson County, Wood County, most of Cherokee County and the city of Henderson. It employs 116 paramedics and 124 emergency medical technicians. Moody Chisholm, president and CEO of UT Health East Texas said at Thursday’s unveiling, “over the next several months, all 50 ambulances and EMS support vehicles will be branded with the new look.” UT Health East Texas Air 1 also is being rebranded. The new helicopter look will be revealed in June.

LONGVIEW – Longview police say it was a Dallas man who was killed in a Wednesday morning accident. He is John Warren Young, 56. The accident occurred on East Marshall Avenue in front of Jennings Scrap & Salvage. Police investigators say Young got out of his 18-wheeler and the truck and trailer started rolling down the hill. Before he could get back into the vehicle, it ran over him.

TYLER – A Mineola man has been arrested for shooting at a Smith County sheriff’s deputy. The incident happened April 8th when a deputy answered a suspicious persons call on County Road 462, in far northwest Smith County. When the deputy sounded his siren, two shots came from a camper trailer. One hit the rear window of the patrol car. When 35 year old Joshua Forrester came out of the trailer, he was taken to a hospital for evaluation. After further investigation, he was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant. He was booked into the Smith County Jail early Thursday morning under a bond of $1 million.

WASHINGTON – Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn want to honor the Founders of Mercy Ships. The senators have introduced legislation to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Don and Deyon Stephens. They are the founders of the non-profit Mercy Ships of Garden Valley, west of Lindale. The medal is in recognition of their nearly 40 years of service. Mercy Ships transforms retired ocean liners and ferries into hospital ships that provide humanitarian aid across the world. Tyler congressman Louie Gohmert has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Six East Texans have been arrested following a drug sweep in Henderson County. According to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, several probable cause narcotics search warrants were issued Wednesday. Arrested on various charges were Jacoby Juarez (pictured), 27, Chandler, Rachel Hurst, 36, Tool, Ashley Kohlenberg, 38, Seven Points, Niki Allumbaugh, 32, Seven Points, Alexandria Hammack, 18, Seven Points, and Jason Byrne, 36, Kaufman. Juarez was arrested and booked into the Henderson County Jail for manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance. Kohlenberg and Byrne were arrested on scene for charges of manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. Continue reading 6 Suspects Arrested following Drug Sweep

HENDERSON COUNTY — Two women have been arrested in connection with an arson investigation. According to the Henderson County Fire Marshal, around 11:15 a.m on March 30, two structure fires were reported on County Road 2502, in the Payne Springs area. Six fire departments responded to find both structures up in flames. According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, the Fire Marshal was called to the scene due to the suspicious nature of the fires. The fires at two separate mobile homes were determined to be arson. On April 11, one of the suspects believed to be responsible for the fire was identified as Brenda Sue Ivey, 50 (pictured). Continue reading Two Women Charged with Arson

ANDERSON COUNTY — A 17-year-old Elkhart girl has been killed in a crash early Wednesday morning. According to the DPS report, Anastasia Doka Giron was headed south on County Road 130 around 12:30 when she missed a curve in the roadway. Her vehicle left the road and went airborne across Manson Creek. The vehicle then struck a dirt embankment. Giron was pronounced dead at the scene. The report stated that she was traveling at an unsafe speed when the wreck occurred.

LONGVIEW – A Longview law firm has been retained by the widow and by a victim with permanent injuries in connection with a murder case against a former East Texas nurse. Our news partner KETK reports The Sloan, Hatcher, Perry, Runge, Robertson & Smith Law Firm has been hired by both the widow of Christopher Greenaway and the man identified by the Tyler Police Department as John Doe 4. They were said to have been killed or injured by former CHRISTUS Mother Frances and Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital nurse, William George Davis. He has been charged in the death of Christopher Greenaway. Tyler Police Jimmy Chief Toler has said Davis is being investigated in six other cases in which patients were injured. He likely will be charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault.

ELKHART – One person has died in a one vehicle accident in Anderson County. Dead at the scene was Bethany Anastasia Dakota Giron, 17, of Elkhart. The Department of Public Safety reports she was traveling at an unsafe speed, around 12:30 Wednesday morning, when her pickup left the road on a curve. The pickup became airborne across Manson Creek and struck a dirt embankment with its front end.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler Texas Alpha Xi Chapter of Alpha Chi announces its successes at the national college honor society’s 2018 convention. Accounting major Kelsi Oldham of Flint received a $2,000 Alfred H. Nolle Scholarship – one of only 10 awarded – for her presentation, “Blockchains: How This Innovative Technology is Transforming the Ways of Business.” Graduate nursing education major Lori Acosta of El Paso received the Kathyrn Hoyle Bradley Prize in Health Sciences for her presentation, “Reductions in Surgical Site Infections (SSIs).” Continue reading UT Tyler Honor Society Successful at National Convention

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville police are investigating two shootings. The first occurred shortly before 7:00 Monday evening on Palestine Street. One person received a minor injury and two vehicles were damaged. About seven and a half hours later another shooting was reported on the same street. Hit this time was a house and an unoccupied vehicle. Investigators feel the two cases are related. They have released no further information.

LONGVIEW – A man has been killed in Longview when his vehicle rolled over him. The accident happened Wednesday morning on East Marshall Avenue in front of Jennings Scrap & Salvage. Police investigators say the man got out of his 18-wheeler and the vehicle started rolling down the hill. Before he could get back into the vehicle, it ran over him. His name has not been released.

WILLS POINT — An East Texas man is behind bars after leading police on a high-speed chase. According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, around 5:20 Tuesday evening, the Wills Point Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck believed to be stolen. The driver, Robert Bryan Quire, 39, initially pulled over, then drove off leading police on a miles long high speed chase. He eventually turned into the parking lot of Diamond L Vet Clinic, where he jumped out of the truck and began running. He was arrested a short time later. Continue reading East Texas Man Arrested after High-Speed Chase

LONGVIEW – A Longview man has plead guilty to two aggravated robbery charges and one engaging in organized criminal activity charge. Kaleb Bush, 19, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In August, 2016, He and his uncle were accused of robbing people at a family barbecue. After bonding out of jail, Bush and four others are said to have robbed a man at the Tree House Apartments. Then, several days later, Bush and three men are said to have robbed a man in the parking lot of the Summer Brook Apartments.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is free on a $25,000 bond following his arrest on drug charges. Daquayivious Dejuan Fowlkes, 23, was arrested after officers served a search warrant at a home on Hubbard Drive. In the home, officers found crack cocaine, ecstacy powder, ecstacy and hydrocodone pills, and a small amount of marijuana. Fowlkes was charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance.

TYLER – The Alamo is on the road and you will be able to see it. The Alamo Roadshow will be in Tyler on Wednesday. The road show gives you a chance to learn about ongoing preservation work happening at the state’s most well-known historic site. They are also bringing several artifacts from the Alamo and General Land Office Archives that will someday appear in exhibits in the planned Alamo Museum and Visitor’s Center. The roadshow opens Wednesday evening at 6:00 at the TISD Career & Technology Center on Earl Campbell Parkway.

LINDEN – A former state trooper in east Texas has been indicted for sexual abuse of a child. The Longview News Journal reports Louis Paul Weems, 33, of Marshall, has been indicted by the Cass County grand jury. He is charged with the continuous sexual abuse of a child, indecency with a child by contact and indecency with a child by exposure. Weems, who was arrested last week, is currently free on a $450,000 bond. He was suspended by the DPS when the allegations surfaced last November. He was fired in January.

EAST TEXAS – Medical facilities in 19 east Texas counties, including Smith and Gregg counties, will be taking part in a mass exercise on Wednesday on moving a large number of patients across the region. They will be practicing handling a large group of patients following a hit by a tornado. The medical facilities will be simulating the actual process of receiving the patients, assessing their condition and treatment plans. They will also work on admitting the patient to their facility or to evacuate existing patients due to extensive damage. While hospitals and EMS agencies handle emergencies each day, there is a different process when they are moving several hundred patients at a time. Around 250 students will act as tornado victims for the exercise.

TYLER – Heritage Land Bank is reporting a possible security breach. In a news release, the bank says the breach involves the lockbox payment processing service, provided by third-party vendor, Frost Bank. Frost Bank has stopped the unauthorized access and secured its software. Heritage Land Bank is taking the necessary steps to transfer its lockbox payment services to another financial institution. Anyone who has mailed checks to the San Antonio address are encouraged to monitor their accounts for any unauthorized or suspect activity and report such activity to their bank. The FBI and U.S. Secret Service are leading the investigation.

COFFEE CITY – One person has been killed in a one vehicle accident in Henderson County. It happened Monday night around 8:45 on Farm Road 314, just over 6 miles southwest of Coffee City. Killed was 58 year old Caesar Samuel Smith, of LaRue. The Department of Public Safety says his pickup drifted off the road. The driver over steered and the pickup crossed the road, where it struck a tree and overturned. Smith later died at a Tyler hospital.

SMITH COUNTY – A fatal vehicle/pedestrian accident in Smith County remains under investigation. It happened around 9:45 Monday night on Farm road 2661 just south of County Road 1130. Killed was 39 year old Alan Cleaver of Flint. Had had parked in a private drive and waked across the farm road to get his mail. A northbound driver was unable to see him and hit hit him. Cleaver was taken to a Tyler hospital where he later died.

LONGVIEW — A Gregg County grand jury has indicted 36-year-old Jessie Clifford Brown in the 2015 murder of John Allen Franco. Brown was arrested in October at his Kilgore home, more than two years after 24-year-old Franco was fatally shot in his car on a county road in Liberty City. Brown was booked into the Gregg County Jail on $125,000 bond.