KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — Emergency officials are at the scene of a rollover accident in Tyler. It happened just after 8:00 at the intersection of Rhones Quarter Road and Grande Blvd. No word on injuries or the cause of the wreck. Drivers are urged to use an alternate route.

NACOGDOCHES — A sophomore at Stephen F. Austin State University has been found dead in her campus residence hall Friday. According to KETK, Erin Valenta, 20, was a music major and a resident of SFA’s Lumberjack Village. She graduated from Allen High School in 2016. A residence hall staff member was called to perform a welfare check, which had been requested by a friend. There were no signs of foul play, and an autopsy has been requested. Counseling is being made available to SFA students, faculty and staff members through SFA Counseling Services on the third floor of the Rusk Building.

MARSHALL – There was a slight drop in crime in Marshall in 2017. In a report released Monday, there were a total of 2,653 crimes reported last year; a one percent drop from the 2,691 crimes reported in 2016. One of the areas of crime with a major decline was the number of homicides. There was one homicide in 2017, and three were reported in 2016. In 2017, bicycle thefts declined by 100% with zero reports as opposed to five in 2016. According to the report, persistent patrolling, education about how to prevent or reduce vehicle burglaries and the watchful eyes of citizens also played a part in the number of auto burglaries decreasing by 14% in 2017. Continue reading Crime Down in Marshall Last Year

GILMER – Through the efforts of a variety of law enforcement agencies, an Upshur County man has been arrested for a Florida murder. Uphsur County Sheriff’s deputies and deputies with the U.S. Marshall Service arrested, Monday afternoon, Billy Baker, 50. He is accused of the August 2017 death of Candice Cooper, 38, of Lindale. Baker had told authorities he was a short distance away when he saw she was unresponsive in the water and pulled her on shore at Smathers Beach. He said he called 911 and started CPR. She was later pronounced dead at a Key West hospital.

GLADEWATER – A Kilgore man arrested by Gladewater police remains in the Gregg County Jail today. Bryan Scott Cefalu, 50, is being held on bonds totaling $42,500. Gladewater Police conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle around 5:30 Sunday morning. The officers found a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, a firearm and a large quantity of cash. Cefalu was also discovered to have outstanding warrants out of Gladewater. He was booked into the jail on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a controlled substance and display of a fictitious license plate.

TYLER — Smith County district attorney candidate Jacob Putman held a news conference Monday to defend his practices as an assistant prosecutor in the county. An internal audit shows Putman had the most incorrect dismissals or reductions out of nine prosecutors from 2013 through 2017. According to KETK, Putman says the policies of the office have changed many times since 2012. Putman added that prosecutors thought they were authorized to reduce or dismiss cases if the dismissal was part of a plea in another case. Continue reading Putman Defends Actions as Prosecutor

MARSHALL – A man being chased by Marshall police has been killed in a two vehicle accident. It was reported around 9:45 Monday morning at the intersection of Loop 390 and West Houston. Killed was Shane Hudson, 43, of Marshall. The Department of Public Safety reports Hudson was traveling at a high speed when he ran a stop sign and hit a van driven by Mauro Beltran, 36, of Marshall. Hudson, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from his vehicle. He later died at a Marshall Hospital. Beltran was treated and released from a Marshall hospital. While it occurred within the Marshall city limits, the police chief requested that the Department of Public Safety handle the investigation because prior to crash Marshall officers were chasing Hudson who had a warrant out for his arrest.

TYLER – A man accused of sexually abusing a child has pleaded guilty in a Tyler courtroom. Ryan Alan Stuenkel, 23, of Lindale was arrested by Lindale police in March of last year. He was charged with the continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14. The incident is said to have occurred over a month’s time in early 2017. After pleading guilty on Monday, he accepted a 25 year prison sentence.

TYLER — Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson is urging residents to refrain from burning today because of high winds. Smith County is not under a burn ban, but people are asked to use extreme caution during high wind conditions. On another note, if you happen to see heavy smoke north of Tyler today, Tyler State Park is conducting a prescribed burn.

TYLER — East Texas Medical Center Tyler will suspend its kidney transplant services within the next six months. According to a news release, that announcement comes as increasing regulations make it difficult for smaller transplantation programs to remain viable. Transplantation programs across the state and nation have closed in recent years. Hospital officials say the goal is “to ensure a safe and seamless transition for patients and those awaiting transplants as they move to other programs.” The program has been in place at ETMC for more than three decades. ETMC is in the process of transitioning to a new medical system affiliated with the UT Health System this spring. Hospital officials say this affiliation could allow a new East Texas kidney transplantation program to be created in partnership with the UT Health System.

TYLER — Smith County district attorney candidate Jacob Putman will hold a press conference at 10:30 this morning at the Smith County Courthouse Annex to address a recently released audit of the Smith County District Attorney’s office. The audit showed Putman had the most incorrect dismissals or reductions out of nine prosecutors from 2013 through 2017. Putman calls the episode “a desperate attempt to attack my character and integrity.” He also attacks Matt Bingham and election opponent Alicia Barkley. Bingham says that instead of accepting responsibility, Putman is blaming others and falsely claiming confusion about office policies. Continue reading Putman Announces Press Conference in Response to Audit

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in TxDOT’s Tyler District during the week of Jan. 29. Among other things, Tyler Maintenance plans to perform sidewalk repair work on FM 346 in Whitehouse. Crews will also be cleaning ditches on roads around Smith County starting on SH 31 near Spur 364. Expect lane closures at all locations with flaggers providing traffic control. Longview Maintenance plans to conduct debris removal on bridges and perform patching operations at various locations on roadways throughout Gregg County. These will be mobile operations utilizing work convoys. Expect lane closures and delays. You can go http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/005-2018.html for a detailed rundown of the coming week’s work around the district.

TYLER — Tyler police have arrested 33-year-old Brittany Michele Cary of Tyler in a robbery attempt at Walmart on Highway 64 West at Loop 323. Acting on a Crime Stoppers tip, investigators found Cary at a local hotel Saturday evening. Cary was jailed on $25,000 bond on a robbery charge. Police say Cary walked up to a cashier around noon Saturday and displayed a pistol, demanding that the cashier give her all the money from her register. Police say the cashier refused to hand over the money because the gun looked fake. They say Cary then tried to cover up her actions with a story and left the store without receiving any cash.

MARSHALL — Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington returned to Wiley College in Marshall Saturday, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the movie “The Great Debaters.” KETK reports he was honored during the college’s first Historically Black Colleges and Universities National Speech and Debate Championship Tournament. Washington starred as Melvin B. Tolson, the professor responsible for inspiring the college’s first-ever debate team. More than 400 debate and speech students from 17 HBCUs across the country came to compete Friday and Saturday. Washington was inducted into the college’s hall of fame on Saturday. His few words at the podium included this: “I wanna see some trophies. I’ll be back in 10 more years.”

RUSK COUNTY — One person died Saturday morning in a mobile home fire east of Kilgore in Rusk County, according to sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. David Roberts. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the Elderville-Lakeport Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call on CR 2105. When firefighters got there, the mobile home was completely in flames, Roberts said. The fire was put out before 12:45 p.m. Roberts said authorities believe an elderly man was living in the home alone. He said officials have been able to identify the man’s body but would not release his name until the family has confirmed the information. No other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

LONGVIEW – A Kilgore man was sentenced to 45 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to a September 2015 murder and waiving all rights to appeal. According to KETK, Gary Murphy was charged with the killing of Arnold McCollaum in a Longview motel. He stabbed McCollaum in the neck and held him down as he bled to death. He told police he killed McCollaum over money and a drug deal. Prior to Murphy’s original December 2016 trial date, he was found incompetent and sent to Rusk State Hospital for competency restoration. He came back to Gregg County in late 2017 and was to have gone on trial this coming Monday.

GREGG COUNTY — DPS troopers have arrested two people on several charges following a Friday afternoon incident in Gregg County. According to DPS Sgt. Jean Dark, a trooper saw a pickup traveling north on Sand Page Rd., and preliminary information indicates the vehicle was reported stolen from Gregg County. Dark says the trooper tried to stop the vehicle but that the driver evaded police. The pickup traveled north on Tryon Rd., and Dark says the driver disregarded a stop sign at the intersection of Tryon and U.S. 259, colliding with another vehicle. According to Dark, two suspects fled from the pickup, one brandishing a firearm. Continue reading Two Arrested by DPS on Multiple Charges

TYLER — Smith County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Barber has added more convenient ways for residents to pay property taxes to meet the January 31 deadline this year, according to a news release from the county. Barber will be collecting checks all day Wednesday at a drive-thru tent he will set up in the parking lot of the Cotton Belt Building at Front and Glenwood. Barber will be set up outside from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on January 31 on the Glenwood side of the parking lot to accept check-only payments. Drivers should look for a tent and banner telling them where to go. Continue reading Smith County Offering New Ways to Pay Property Taxes

KILGORE — A man was arrested after two Gregg County sheriff’s deputies were bitten during a recent welfare check in Kilgore. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report 34-year-old Jesse Waylan Hardy remained jailed on $62,000 bond. He’s charged with two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant and resisting arrest, search or transport. Online jail records list Hardy as being homeless. Gregg County sheriff’s deputy Jennifer Nieves was dispatched this past Saturday afternoon to a call about a man walking in the road who appeared disoriented. Cpl. Josh Tubb, sheriff’s office spokesman, was in the area and also stopped to respond to the call near a convenience store at Texas 135 and FM 1252. Continue reading Deputies Bitten during Kilgore Welfare Check

TYLER — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has received several complaints recently that residents are again being targeted by scammers. The newest scam is targeting your “Apple Account.” The scammers state that your Apple Account has been compromised and they ask you to call a telephone number or follow a link to fix the problem.
The scam works a couple of different ways:

• Someone calls you pretending to be from Apple claiming that there has been a breach in the system — and they need your personal information to verify your account.

• Scammers send you an email or text that appears to be from Apple — saying that you’ve been the victim of a breach and you need reset your Apple ID account by clicking on the link provided in the message. Continue reading Apple Account Scam Reported in Smith County

TYLER — Smith County residents are urged to refrain from placing political signs in the rights-of-way on county roads. Smith County Road and Bridge Department employees have reported seeing several signs illegally placed throughout the county. Officials say his can hamper work that needs to be done along county roads. By law, signs of any kind must stay on private property. In accordance with Texas Transportation Code 392 and 393, it is a violation of state law to place signs in rights-of-way of a public road unless authorized. Smith County officials are asking candidates and residents to please move the political signs onto personal property.

HENDERSON – The Henderson Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a missing 16-year-old, said to be a runaway who may be in grave danger. According to KETK, police say Alexis Reagan went missing from her home around 4:30 Thursday morning. It is unknown what Reagan was wearing when she vanished, and police say leads to her whereabouts have not produced results. Police say she is known to frequent the Carlisle/Price area in Rusk County, as well as the Concord area in Cherokee County. Reagan stands 5’5 and weighs 112 pounds. She has reddish-brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Henderson Police Department at (903) 657-3512 or your local law enforcement agency.

EAST TEXAS — A Lufkin teenager turned himself into authorities after Tyler Police identify him in a gas station robbery. Ty Levi Golightly, 19, is in the Cherokee County Jail on a probation violation warrant. A Tyler Police Detective interviewed Golightly at the Cherokee County Jail where he confessed to the Conoco robbery in Tyler Monday, a gas station robbery in Jacksonville and a gas station robbery in Lufkin. A warrant for aggravated robbery was obtained on Golightly for the Conoco robbery in Tyler. Golightly remains jailed on the probation violation with a $1,000 bond and the aggravated robbery warrant with a $750,000 bond. Cases are pending in Jacksonville and Lufkin.

GREGG COUNTY — The state’s highest appeals court reinstated a 99-year sentence Thursday for a Kilgore man convicted of murdering a Hallsville teenager. According to the Longview News-Journal, Coby Ray Hudgins, 26, was given the sentence in 2015 after a jury convicted him of fatally shooting Kayla Williams, 17, in October 2013. Hudgins’ appeal was based on a complaint that his attorney had not provided an adequate defense. Hudgins is convicted of killing Williams at his home in Kilgore, pointing a gun at her forehead and shooting from just inches away. Williams and others had been drinking at his home. Hudgins also fired at two witnesses as they fled the scene.

SMITH COUNTY — A Tyler woman is behind bars after she allegedly hit another woman over the head with a candlestick. According to KETK, Natasha Woods, 31, was arrested at a home on Academy Avenue just before 6:30 Wednesday evening. She’s accused of attacking a 33-year-old woman, hitting her in the head with a candlestick. Woods also assaulted a 13 year old by stepping on the child’s foot. The victims told police she was also holding a knife in her hand during the incident. The victims believe Woods had been taking PCP, causing her aggression toward them. Both victims were treated on scene by EMS. Woods has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, injury to a child and resisting arrest. She is being held in the Smith County Jail on bonds totaling $92,500.

ATHENS — 26-year-old Mark Anthony Carson of Larue has been arrested and charged with capital murder in the death of an 11-month old male. In October, Henderson County deputies and emergency personnel responded to a medical emergency call from a residence in Larue and found the unresponsive child. The boy was pronounced dead at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, and the final autopsy report ruled the death a homicide. The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, The Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, and Child Protective Services have been working on the case.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP/Staff) – NASA honors the seven astronauts killed aboard shuttle Columbia 15 years ago, with a special musical tribute by the son of Israel’s first astronaut. Singer and songwriter Tal Ramon traveled from Israel for Thursday’s ceremony at Kennedy Space Center. It was just his second trip back since his father was killed on Feb. 1, 2003. All seven astronauts – including Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon – died when Columbia shattered in the skies over Texas, just minutes before a Florida touchdown. East Texas felt a significant impact. Ramon performed two of his own songs. He later joined relatives of other astronauts killed over the decades, placing yellow, orange and pink roses at the Space Mirror Memorial. In all, 24 names are engraved in the large granite monument.

TYLER — A Bullard man is now in jail for online solicitation of a minor. According to KETK, Smith County judicial records show 42-year-old Keith Johnston of Bullard was arrested Tuesday. He was charged with online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14. No other information about the alleged crime was immediately released.