KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Prosecution swore in witnesses on Monday morning for the capital murder trial of a Tyler man. According to our news partner KETK, Dameon Mosley is accused of shooting and killing Billy Stacks during a robbery of a gas station in January 2017. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Mosley. Testimony for the case could begin on Thursday, or Tuesday of the following week. Two other suspects, Lamarcus Hannah, 35, and Kedarius Oliver, 26, were also arrested for their involvement in the robbery and have also been charged with capital murder.

TYLER — TxDOT has issued its Tyler District roadwork schedule for the week of November 4. In Smith County, crews plan to continue rehab operations on SH 64E just west of Arp. In Gregg County, workers plan to conduct overlay operations on FM 2087 from Sabine St. to the railroad crossing. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/055-2019.html for a complete rundown on work around the district.

LONGVIEW – After two years of construction, Longview held a grand opening for its new Arboretum and Nature Center. According to our news partner KETK, the LANC grew out of a dream by the Gregg County Master Gardeners, with 26 acres in the heart of Longview chosen for the location. Phase 1 of the LANC master plan was completed with a grand opening held Saturday, featuring tours and activities. The park features cultivated forests, meadows, formal and informal gardens, waterways, and extensive walking trails. The arboretum event center is projected to be a multi-use teaching/event facility built in the near future. You can visit http://www.longviewarboretum.org/ for more information on the arboretum.

LINDALE – The sponsors of the Lindale Veterans Memorial are asking for help in finding a company that can clean the monument. The granite memorial was egged Halloween night, according to the official Facebook page, and the stone has been stained by the eggs. Anyone with information about cleaning companies is urged to call 903-279-5612 or message the page through Facebook. According to our news partner KETK, anyone with any information about the vandals is urged to call Lindale police or the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. Go to https://www.facebook.com/LindaleVeteransMemorial/posts/2554528768113280 to view the Facebook page.

TYLER — Over the past week, Tyler firefighters have responded to eight separate fires in residential structures, caused by heating appliances, electrical wiring issues, and fireplace/chimney maintenance. According to a news release, five of these incidents occurred on Thursday and Friday, with at least three of these believed to be related to home heating and heating appliances. The Tyler Fire Department reminds citizens to take precautions as we enter the cooler months of the year. According to the United States Fire Administration, heating is the second leading cause of home fires in the United States. A few precautionary steps can help prevent these types of fires. Continue reading Tyler Firefighters Respond to Multiple Calls, Citizens Urged to Use Caution

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been arrested for stabbing someone multiple times. According to our news partner KETK, Curtis Carl Walter, 62, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after police responded to calls on Mobberly Avenue around 3:30 p.m. The victim has not been identified. Police determined that the stabbing occurred at another location and the victim walked to that area. Walter was located and arrested without incident. He has been charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and is being held on a $35,000 bond. If convicted, Walter faces up to life in prison.

TYLER — Tyler police responded to a wreck shortly after 7:30 Friday morning. The fatal crash that involved a motorcycle and mini-van, took place at the corner of Loop 323 and University Blvd. The driver of the bike was 28 year-old, Bruno Cunha. Cunha was transported to U.T. Health Hospital and pronounced dead. Cunha, who was a student at the University of Texas at Tyler, is from Brazil. Investigators are still examining crash scene information and witness accounts of what occurred. This case remains open pending further investigation.

TYLER — Police detectives from Tyler P.D. have charged two 15-year-old black males in connection with 2 criminal investigations. One is from Dallas and the other is from Tyler. Authorities believe the suspects committed an Aggravated Robbery, where a 16-year-old was shot during a struggle over a gun that he was selling. This incident occurred in a parking lot on S. Broadway, on August 4. Investigators have also charged the 15-year-old juvenile from Dallas, for the Aggravated Robbery of a TJC student. She was held at gunpoint while police believe he stole her car from the parking lot of U.T. Health on October 14. Continue reading 2 Juveniles Arrested in Connection with 2 Crimes in Tyler

WHITEHOUSE — Mayor Charles Parker announced Friday that Leslie Black will be the next city manger of Whitehouse. Black comes comes to Whitehouse from the Town of Sunnyvale, where she has served for eight years as the Interim Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, and Town Secretary. Prior to Sunnyvale, Black served in the cities of Kaufman and Belton. Continue reading Black Named New City Manager in Whitehouse

MARSHALL — Over 350 three and four-year old students from Marshall ISD were part of the 12th annual Washington Early Childhood Center Field Day. earlier this week. East Texas Baptist University Kinesiology Departments students led the ECC attendees,ranging from parachute play, and tricycle riding, to obstacle course running. Field Day is more than a one-day activity for ETBU students. Ahead of time, students spend time building lesson plans for the age range of children that attend the event. In addition, the students also practice teaching strategies, applying effective use of wording and body language to elementary students.

TYLER — UT Health East Texas Olympic Centers kicked off a food drive benefiting the East Texas Food Bank on Friday. The drive runs throughout the month of November. East Texas Food Bank donation barrels are located at Olympic Center locations across East Texas. UT Health encourages people to drop off canned or nonperishable food items at the Olympic Center locations. Also, any new member who donates 10 or more items will have their enrollment fees waived. This marks the 9th consecutive year the Olympic Centers have hosted the food drive. Last year, they raised more than 25 barrels of food.

TYLER — NET Health continues investigations for Legionella bacteria. The public health district emphasized on Friday that attendance at the 2019 East Texas State Fair does not mean that persons contracted Legionnaire’s Disease. The Legionella bacteria is only spread directly to a person who inhaled water droplets that contain the Legionella bacteria, and transmission of Legionnaire’s Disease does not occur person-to-person. Continue reading Continued Local Investigation of Legionnaire’s Disease

MARSHALL — A junior high football player from Marshall collapsed during a game earlier this week. According to our news partner KETK, there were no signs of any heart condition in the player. Instantly, a fun night of football turned terrifying. MISD athletic trainer Anste Woods sprung into action, performing C.P.R. until E.M.S. arrived and transported him to the hospital. The school has not released the name of the athlete at this time, but does say he is back home in good spirits with his family.

TYLER — The SPCA of East Texas is sponsoring a Microchipping Event Saturday at Fresh on Old Jacksonville Hwy. The run time is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Microchips $10 and ID Tags $5. The SPCA of East Texas operates on the mission of improving the lives of animals, alleviating their suffering, and elevating their status in society.

KILGORE — The Kilgore College softball team held a signing ceremony Friday morning. Six high school seniors were introduced that will start playing for KC in the fall of 2020. KC will begin its eighth softball season in school history in January under head coach Leslie Messina. For more information on the KC softball program, visit http://www.kilgore.edu/softball.

TYLER — The American Red Cross is reminding people to not only roll back their clocks this weekend, but to take the time to change the batteries in smoke alarms. Daylight Saving Time formally comes to an end at 2 a.m. on Sunday. Most people don’t change the clock in the middle of the night, but whenever you do it you are encouraged to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. According to our news partner KETK, with cooler weather there is an uptick in structure fires, as heaters, fireplaces, and space heaters become more necessary. Hawaii and Arizona are the only 2 states that do not observe the time change. Many Native American tribes also do not observe the time change.

TYLER — The March of Dimes kick off luncheon is set for Nov. 13th at the Rose Garden. Supporters, volunteers, and business partners are encouraged to be there for the launch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Top fundraisers and teams for 2019 will be recognized, and information will be given on how to support and fund raise for next springs walk in May.

MARSHALL –Marshall Police is bringing to parents mind safety tips to help ensure Halloween is fun and safe. Parents can visit the Texas sex offender registry by clicking the link. https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/SexOffenderRegistry/Search. Drivers need to been keenly aware in neighborhoods.” Marshall Police recommend residents follow safety tips outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kids need to be cautious near streets and intersections and drivers should eliminate distractions. Continue reading Marshall PD Offers Tips to Safe Halloween

LONGVIEW — The Texas Workforce Commission in partnership with 28 local workforce development boards and the Texas Veterans Commission, will host veterans hiring fairs in 31 cities throughout Texas on Nov. 7. The 8th annual Hiring Red, White & You! Workforce Solutions East Texas will host the local hiring event in Longview at Maude Cobb Activity Center on Grand Blvd. from 9 AM – 1 PM. The event is veteran focused, but open to the public to attend. The event is designed to assist veterans, service members and their spouses as they seek their next career opportunity.

TYLER – The Texas Department of Transportation is requesting public input on a proposed US 69 Jacksonville Relief Route. TxDOT will present proposed route alternatives for US 69 around the City of Jacksonville at a public scoping meeting from 5-7 p.m. November 14. The meeting will be held at the Norman Activity Center located on E Commerce Street in Jacksonville. The complete release is available by clicking the link below. https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/054-2019.html

EAST TEXAS — Seven confirmed cases and five possible cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been identified in the Northeast Texas region. The NET Health Disease Surveillance Division is working with organizers of the East Texas State Fair and local health officials to investigate any connections of these cases with attendance at the East Texas State Fair this year (September 20th – 29th). Anyone who attended the East Texas State Fair, and is showing symptoms, is urged to discuss Legionnaires’ disease with your health care provider immediately. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease may include cough, high fever, weakness, muscle aches, headaches and shortness of breath. Continue reading Several Confirmed Cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in East Texas

SMITH COUNTY — A Troup woman was arrested and charged with theft of property from Azleway Children’s Services. According to our news partner KETK, Toni Marie Rambo, 54, has been accused of stealing almost $190,000 from Azleway, where she was employed as Director of Quality Control. She was charged with theft of property greater than $100,000 in value and less than $300,000. The 1st degree felony is an enhanced charged as she is accused of stealing from a non-profit agency. According to arrest documents, Rambo misappropriated $48,049 in 2015, $53,546 in 2016, $42,969 in 2017 and $26,437 in 2018. The thefts were discovered by a forensic accounting analysis. Continue reading Troup Woman Arrested, Charged with Stealing from Azleway

TYLER — Tuesday brought Day 2 of the RBC Pro Challenge at Tyler Athletic and Swim Club. The Tennis was terrific, but the day belonged to John Peterson, literally. The City of Tyler honored the Tyler tennis legend. Coach Peterson was at the helm of the Tyler Junior College tennis program for over 2 decades, bringing national attention and top players from across the world to Tyler. His teams captured 25 national championships in 24 years. The day also included 110 students from Tyler who took part in the festive day. The tournament continues through the week.

TYLER — Farm Service Agency is now accepting applications for emergency farm loans due to damages and losses caused by drought occurring on October 1, 2019 and continuing in Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, Smith and Van Zandt Counties. Additional information regarding Disaster Assistance Programs may be found online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.go. The deadline for applications is June 15, 2020, but often a backlog happens and causes delays, so farmers are encouraged to apply right away. Continue reading FSA Accepting Applications for Several Counties

LONGVIEW — Longview Police say that just before 4 p.m. a shooting victim was taken to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center. The victim says he went to the park on El Paso Street after a friend was not home. The suspect was identified as Lederrion Negio Brooks, 23, of Longview, allegedly shot the victim. A friend was able to drag him into the car and transport him to the hospital. Police located Brooks later in the evening and he was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and booked into the Gregg County Jail. Bond was set at $125,000.

LONGVIEW — US News & World Report released its annual ratings of the best nursing homes in the country on Tuesday. According to the outlet, there are 69 communities in Texas that earned a “High Performing” designation for 2019-20, and 2 of them are in Longview, and 1 is in Tyler. Buckner Westminster Place and Summer Meadows of Longview and The Center at Grande in Tyler, all made the list as high performing in short-term rehabilitation.

TYLER — Saturday was the National Drug Enforcement Agency’s Take Back Day. Tyler Police announced Wednesday, that the results are in for Tyler. Numbers confirmed by the DEA say 33 large boxes contained a total of 599 pounds of medications turned in to officials. In Marshall, nearly 400 lbs of drugs were turned over to the DEA in Tyler. Marshall authorities say that was a culmination of the take back event, drop offs at the station, and collections by officer’s in the last 6 months.