KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — A truck driver from New York is in trouble in East Texas. A Smith County Deputy Constable pulled over Marcus Jarrett, 35, of Elmira, NY. He’s now in the Smith County Jail charged with a 2nd degree felony. According to KETK, on Sunday morning, Precinct 5 Constable Mark Waters stopped the trucker in Lindale for driving on the shoulder of the road. After Jarrett refused to give consent to a search, a drug dog indicated probable cause. After finding several bundles of marijuana in a closet of the truck, it was impounded for a full search and Deputy Waters says in all a total of 12 bundles and 309 pounds of marijuana were discovered. Jarrett’s bond is set at $500,000.

NACOGDOCHES — One person has been killed and one injured in a one vehicle accident in Nacogdoches. It happened around 6:00 Monday morning near the intersection of Southeast Stallings Drive and Press Road. Killed was Carolyn Burke Risinger, 67, of Lufkin. Her husband, Jim Risinger, 69, is being treated at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. Police report indicate the couple’s car left the road to the right and hit a culvert, became airborne for about 75 feet and hit a sign pole.

TYLER — To raise awareness of women’s cancer, Tyler Firefighters are inviting the entire community to don their pink shirts for the second annual Turn Tyler Pink event It’s today from 5:00 to 8:00pm on the Downtown Square. The event will feature the Pink Heals Tour, a caravan of pink fire trucks that travel the country to raise awareness of cancer. The trucks are signed by thousands of people who have been affected by the disease. There will also be a blood drive, health information, music, free screenings, food, and of course – firefighters in pink.

“The inspirational messages written on the trucks about the ravages of this disease and the spirit of those who are fighting it is something everyone should see,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass, a breast cancer survivor. “This event is an opportunity for the entire community to come out and honor those who have been affected by cancer. We are particularly excited to welcome “Tonya” (a Tyler Fire truck given to the Pink Heals Tour in 2009) back to Tyler, showing off her new pink paint and messages from cancer survivors from around the U.S.”

Turn Tyler Pink shirts and caps can be purchased at:

* Gallery Main Street – 110 W. Erwin;
* Carter Blood Care – 815 S. Baxter; and,
* Holiday Inn South Broadway – 5701 S. Broadway.

Proceeds from the sale of Turn Tyler Pink shirts benefit local cancer organizations. In 2009, the Tyler Firefighters CARE Fund donated more than $20,000 to organizations that support the fight against cancer.

KILGORE — Gregg County authorities investigate a shooting at a local club. Around 2:00 Sunday morning, field deputies were sent to a reported shooting at Tony’s Wild Thing on Texas 31 west of Kilgore. Through the investigation, investigators learned that a 21-year-old-male had been shot and was taken to an area hospital for emergency treatment and surgery. Investigators have identified a suspect in this shooting and have charged Ricky Walker, 21, of Kilgore by criminal complaint with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Investigators want Walker to contact them. The victim was shot in his upper body, and his condition is unknown today. Others who have information about this case or Walker can call 903-236-8400 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County authorities report two Tallulah, Louisiana, residents were busted for cocaine on I-20. Authorities say a Sheriff’s investigator arrested the two men late Sunday night after the investigator allegedly found cocaine in their vehicle during a search after stopping the vehicle for speeding. Both men were transported to the Gregg County Jail. Sheriff’s Captain Mike Claxton says Investigator Tracy Freeman “developed information regarding the two occupants that was suspicious, and the pair showed signs of nervousness.”

Claxton says the driver gave consent to conduct a search, which reportedly turned up a plastic bag containing some 63 grams of cocaine hidden in a food container. Claxton says the street price locally is estimated at $12,000. Kalvin R. Banks, 45, and Charles Coleman, 56, were arrested and jailed on a second-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $100,000.

NEW CHAPEL HILL — With seasons changing and drier than usual conditions upon us, East Texas is starting to see an increase in brush fires. Kelly Acker with the Chapel Hill Fire Department says for his troops, there are nine brush fires on record for September — and they’ve responded to several already this month. But Acker says you can help keep brush fires to a minimum by following some simple safety tips. He tells KETK that if you’re going to do outdoor burning, stay with the fire. Acker points out that sometimes people go inside for just a minute — only to come back out and see fire everywhere.

Acker says dry weather happens every year around this time to different degrees — but this year we haven’t had a substantial rain in over a month. He adds that one of the best ways to prevent brush fires is to plan your outdoor burning according to the dry and windy weather — something we’ve seen an abundance of. And even though certain counties are not under a burn ban, Acker says it’s best to hold off on outdoor burning until we get some rain. According to Acker, “The good news is, it does look like the winds will be going light this week” — but he says that’s only one factor of many.

In the meantime, fire departments like the Chapel Hill station say they’re doing everything they can to be prepared. One of Chapel Hill’s tools is an animated indicator map. Acker says, “The map is what they call the KBI index. It monitors soil moisture, and it’s a pretty good indication on where you’re gonna have fires that are easily ignited and may be more than what your resources in that area may be able to handle.”

LONGVIEW — Considerable damage is reported in a Longview fire. Officials say at or around 2:00 a.m. on Monday, the Longview Fire Department responded to a detached garage at the residence located at 300 N. Lane Wells. On arrival, fire crews found a fully involved stand alone structure. The content, which included a pickup truck being restored, was a complete loss; the garage was also a total loss. The cause of the fire was faulty electrical wiring. The fire was unintentional, and no injuries were reported.

TYLER – In an effort to better educate communities throughout the U.S. about smoke alarm recommendations, the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA ) is promoting “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!” as the theme for this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign. Fire Prevention Week runs Oct. 3-9, and the Tyler Fire Department is it supporting locally. NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for 88 years.

“Many homes in the City of Tyler may not have any smoke alarms, not enough smoke alarms, alarms that are too old, or alarms that are not working,” says Paul Findley, Fire Marshal of the Tyler Fire Department. “We want residents to understand that working smoke alarms are needed in every home, on every level (including the basement), outside each sleeping area and inside each bedroom. And, if a smoke alarm is 10 years old or older, it needs to be replaced.”

According to Findley, smoke alarms can mean the difference between life and death in a fire. NFPA statistics show that working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire nearly in half. But they must be working properly to do so. The association’s data shows that many homes have smoke alarms that aren’t working or maintained properly, usually because of missing, disconnected or dead batteries. Roughly two-thirds of all home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

NFPA and the Tyler Fire Department agree that interconnected smoke alarms offer the best protection; when one sounds, they all do. This is particularly important in larger or multi-story homes, where the sound from distant smoke alarms may be reduced to the point that it may not be loud enough to provide proper warning, especially for sleeping individuals.

“Most people have a sense of complacency about smoke alarms because they already have one in their homes. Fire Prevention Week provides an excellent opportunity to re-educate people about smoke alarms, new technologies and expanded options for installation and maintenance,” says Judy Comoletti, division manager for NFPA public education. “Ultimately, we want this year’s campaign to serve as a call to action for households nationwide to inspect their homes to ensure that their families have the full smoke alarm protection that’s recommended.”

The Tyler Fire Department offers the following tips for making sure smoke alarms are maintained and working properly:

· Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button, and make sure everyone in your home knows their sound.
· If an alarm “chirps,” warning the battery is low, replace the battery right away.
· Replace all smoke alarms, including alarms that use 10-year batteries and hard-wired alarms, when they’re 10 years old (or sooner) if they do not respond properly when tested.
· Never remove or disable a smoke alarm.

To find out more about Fire Prevention Week programs and activities in the City of Tyler, you can contact the Tyler Fire Department at (903)535-0005. Visit NFPA’s Web site at http://www.firepreventionweek.org to learn more about “Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With!”

LONGVIEW — A man is in custody after police say he bit an officer. According to a police report, at around 12:01 Monday morning, a Longview officer stopped a vehicle for speeding in the 3100 block of South Eastman Road. Once the vehicle was stopped, the officer made contact with the driver, but police say the driver fled from the officer on foot. According to authorities, the officer caught the driver, Devarduus Hawkins, on Lilly Street. But police say as the two struggled, Hawkins managed to escape by removing his shirt. Authorities say the officer continued to chase Hawkins and captured him again in a wooded area.

Officials report that as the officer attempted to get Hawkins under control and into handcuffs, Hawkins bit the officer twice on the arms. Other officers arrived to assist, and police say Hawkins was finally handcuffed and placed under arrest. The 22-year-old Hawkins, of Longview, was booked into the Gregg County Jail for assaulting an officer, evading arrest, and possession of dangerous drugs. The officer was treated at Good Shepherd Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries.

LONGVIEW — In an effort to improve services to citizens, the Longview Police Department has implemented an on-line service for obtaining copies of traffic accident reports. This service will allow the public, and their insurance companies, the flexibility of receiving reports on-line and will eliminate the need to travel to the Police Department to obtain an accident report.

To search for an accident report, you must have the report number OR date of accident AND last name of the driver. The report is then immediately displayed and available for printing. The cost of the on-line service is $9.00 per report. Citizens will still have the option of coming to the Police Department to obtain a report for $6.00. Only reports for accidents that have occurred after September 1, 2010 are available on-line.

The Longview Police Department recommends that you allow a minimum of five working days after the accident has occurred before attempting to access the report. Some accidents may require additional time to process. Go to http://www.longviewpolice.com to locate the link to the online accident reports under the “quick links” section.

LONGVIEW — Three suspects are in custody after a neighbor holds one at gunpoint. Kevin Bender, 22, Cleon Smith Jr., 21 and Christopher Lister, 19, all of Longview, were arrested Friday after officers responded to a “shots fired” call at 514 Level Street. When officers arrived, they found a citizen detaining Lister at gunpoint. The citizen told officers he had seen the trio burglarizing a neighbor’s house at 514 Level Street and attempted to stop them when two of the suspects fled in a vehicle. When Lister then exited the house with the victim’s property in-hand, the citizen fired a shot into the air and demanded Lister to get on the ground. Lister complied and was taken into custody by officers.

An officer located the suspect vehicle at 111 Brooks Street. Smith Jr. and Bender were located hiding inside the residence and were taken into custody. All three suspects were booked into the Gregg County Jail for burglary of a habitation.

VAN — Van High School is still battling a staph outbreak, so parents are invited to a meeting to help guard their children from the dangerous infection. Many of the students are infected, most being football players. According to KETK, it’s because football players are more likely to have open wounds. The type of staph infection found at Van, MRSA, is resistant to many types of drugs and can be deadly. The meeting for parents will be at the Van High School library tonight at 7:00 p.m.

MARSHALL — East Texas Baptist University has announced it has received a $500,000 gift from the estate of Frances Louise “Peggy” Nehls. The Nehls Nursing Scholarship will be used to help worthy students to achieve their goal of becoming a nurse. “We are so thankful for the gift that Peggy Nehls has left ETBU and the School of Nursing,” said Leslie Borcherding, ETBU Interim Dean of the Nursing Department. “The scholarships will benefit nursing students tremendously.”

According to the school’s website, Frances Louise “Peggy” Nehls passed away on June 20 in Longview. She lived in Graham and Kilgore before moving to Marshall in the late 1930s. Ms. Nehls, was affectionately known to her many friends as “Peggy.” According to her friends she was a very generous and kind person, helping many throughout her life.

The ETBU nursing program began in 1992 and has produced 319 graduates. Many graduates remain in East Texas to work. The last three graduating classes have achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination. The NCLEX-RN examination is the national licensing exam that students must pass to legally work as a Registered Nurse.

UNDATED — Here’s a quick look at events and work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation

HENDERSON COUNTY — Preliminary construction work is scheduled to begin this week on the State Highway 198 bridge at Twin Creek Lake just south of Gun Barrel City. The $21 million Twin Creek project, which is being built by the same contractor, Concho Construction Company, Inc., of Garland, will be nearly identical to the Caney Creek project, which was completed in August. The Caney Creek project, which was the first of the three SH 198 bridges on Cedar Creek Reservoir to be rebuilt, called for building a new, two-lane bridge next to the old, existing bridge, then shifting traffic to the new bridge while the original bridge was replaced. The end result is four lanes of traffic on SH 198, with the northbound and southbound traffic running on separate bridges.

“We’ve been very fortunate with our funding when it comes to bridges,” Krantz said. “We’ve had these SH 198 bridge projects ready to go as soon as funding was available, and now we’re working on the second of the three bridges.” No funding has been identified for the third bridge, which is between Twin Creek and Caney Creek.

Also this week in Henderson County, TxDOT maintenance crews are scheduled to continue base and pavement repairs on Ranch Road 2588 south of LaRue, and to perform resurfacing operations on Farm Road 2010 between Farm Road 279 near Edom and Farm Road 315 in Chandler. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue several days of resurfacing operations in various locations along State Highway 43 between Henderson and Tatum before moving to U.S. Highway 84 later in the week.

A second crew is scheduled to perform shoulder repair work on U.S. Highway 259 south of Kilgore. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on U.S. Highway 287 between Cayuga and the Freestone County Line. A second crew is scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 315 between U.S. Highway 175 in Poynor and Farm Road 837 in Brushy Creek. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement repair operations on Farm Road 751 in the northwest corner of the county between the Hunt County Line and Farm Road 47 in Wills Point. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on U.S. Highway 80 in and around Hawkins. Crews are also scheduled to perform edge repairs on State Highway 154 east of Farm Road 312, and on Farm Road 778 between Farm Road 49 and US 80. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

TYLER — Tyler developer Ed Thompson is kicking his North Chase project into high gear. Thompson says he wants to revitalize Tyler’s north side through affordable housing along with retail, commercial, office, and green space. On KTBB “Staff Meeting,” Thompson said he’s had success with other northside efforts that initially met with skepticism. Now he’s inviting the public to support his new effort at North Broadway and the Loop. As one example, Thompson says he’d like to hear from you if you know of organizations that might be willing to relocate. According to Thompson, North Chase will kick off with a pair of quality affordable housing communities. The development has drawn lots of support from the city. You can go to http://www.northchasetyler.com for more information. The “Staff Meeting” show can be heard online at http://www.ktbb.com/audio beginning early Monday.