KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — Longview police early Tuesday apprehended a man they say was driving drunk near a local hospital. Officers responded to the intersection of Fifth Street and Magrill Street immediately south of Good Shepherd Medical Center after report of a man passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle. One officer found the man, later identified as Marco Contreras-Mendoza, 25, passed out in the left-turn lane with his vehicle in drive. The officer removed the keys and could smell an alcoholic beverage, reports showed. Contreras-Mendoza only spoke Spanish in the officers’ presence and provided a Mexican ID, reports showed.

He failed nine of 10 clues for intoxication, and during a blood-alcohol test, he blew a 0.219 and 0.215, both more than two times above the legal limit. Contreras-Mendoza has at least three drunk driving convictions all within the past 21 months. He remained in the Gregg County Jail at last report. Bond had not been set.

GREGG COUNTY — Local authorities have apprehended a fugitive wanted in Ohio for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Kenneth Wayne Whittington, 20, Longview, turned himself in to the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Monday. Authorities from Brown County, Ohio, issued an arrest warrant for Whittington. Whittington remained in Gregg County Jail custody without bond at last report.

TYLER — It has been one of the most difficult and controversial business openings in recent memory. The Tyler restaurant formerly known as Double D Ranch is now, technically, the El Chico Ranch; but in reality, the name is still the object of litigation. According to KETK, though, that didn’t matter to the packed house for Tuesday’s opening. The customers were pouring into El Chico Ranch for lunch, and manager Bingo Breshears was delighted.

The cost of compliance with the injunction is apparently a handful of T-shirts. The solution to the skin issues for the waitresses was the same costume with a strategically placed T-shirt underneath. Though the menu has been sanitized and the double entendres removed, the restaurant is pretty much as advertised. Some came out of curiosity and stayed for the food. A hearing on a permanent injunction comes November 28th, and the final decision on what this bustling eatery will be called will be decided then.

LONGVIEW — Crews have contained a Monday afternoon grass fire off Loop 281 on Toler Road. KETK reports a total of 11 acres burned. No one was injured, and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. Traffic was blocked for a time from Jahan to Loop 281 on Toler Road. One concern voiced by Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary: the presence of onlookers. Zackary says people need to stay back, let firefighters do their jobs, and not risk their lives unnecessarily, because at the speed the fires travel, you can’t outrun them.

TYLER — St. Gregory Elementary School students rank number four in the world for minutes read in the Scholastic Summer Challenge. The free program encourages children to read books and log their minutes during the summer to help avoid the “Summer Slide,” the loss of skills while out of school. Students at the Tyler school read and logged a total of 1,553,670 minutes and helped set a new world record of 64,213,141 minutes read – breaking last year’s record of 52,710,368. This year, 4,176 schools representing 22 countries participated.

Students from the Top 20 schools read and logged the most minutes and earned a listing in the 2012 Scholastic Book of World Records, which will be available through Scholastic Book Fairs, Scholastic Book Clubs and in bookstores nationwide this fall. In addition to logging their minutes on the Scholastic Summer Challenge site, children answered book trivia questions, earned virtual rewards and contributed to their school’s reading minutes.

“Scholastic congratulates all the students who participated in the Scholastic Summer Challenge and helped set a new world record for summer reading,” said Francie Alexander, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic. “These students will begin the school year better prepared for the more challenging work they face in the next grade level.”

GILMER — If the drought doesn’t get you, a scam might. According to KETK, the Texas Forest Service is urging East Texas landowners to watch out for scam artists attempting to swindle them out of their trees. Authorities generally see an uptick in timber sale scams when the economy struggles. Recent scams involve buyers using drought scare tactics to convince landowners that their trees are dying and then push them into selling the timber prematurely. The buyer harvests the timber, but never pays the seller. While many trees have gone dormant because of the drought, state tree experts say it’s too soon to tell how many will die and how many could make a comeback next spring.

If you do opt to sell your timber now, Texas Forest Service has developed a list of tips to help you do so safely.

•Hire a consulting forester who can help you manage the sale.
•Determine the volume and value of timber being sold — before the sale.
•Bid your timber to multiple buyers, and check credentials when bids are received.
•Make sure you get a timber bill of sale, which is required by state law whenever timber is sold. The bill of sale assures the buyer that the timber does indeed belong to the seller. It also ensures payment to the seller.
•Determine ahead of time how payment will be made and what type of equipment will be used. Find out how long the contract is valid, if it requires the logger to use best management practices and if there are penalties for property damage. You should also know if the buyer carries worker’s comp insurance.

For a list of consulting foresters, view the Texas Forest Service Professional Management Service Referral List at http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/uploadedfiles/frd/referral.pdf or use this link — http://tfsweb.tamu.edu/main/article.aspx?ctrl=20 — to contact your local Texas Forest Service office.

TYLER – A 24-year-old Carthage man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales Tuesday. Jeremy Preston Hall pleaded guilty to being a drug user in possession of a firearm on Sep. 12 in Tyler before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie. According to prosecutors, on Sep. 30, 2009, Hall was found to be in possession of a Glock pistol and marijuana in Panola County. Hall also admitted to using methamphetamine and having approximately eight firearms in his possession in recent months. Hall was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 2 and charged with federal firearms violations. Hall faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

TYLER — According to information released by the Smith County Fire Marshal’s office, as of midday Tuesday, all fires were contained and controlled. According to KETK, that included a grass fire that broke out Tuesday morning on Highway 155 in the Noonday area. Fire departments maintained all lines over the weekend. However, weather conditions remain favorable for the quick spread of fire. All citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution. Illegal burns continue to be an issue within the county. Household trash leads the list of items being illegally burned. Citations are still being written for all illegal fires. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has worked with Volunteer Fire Departments and the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office to put out, investigate and write citations for illegal burns in the Noonday, Dixie and Chapel Hill areas in the past day or so.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A wildfire west of Alto that forced the closure of state Highway 294 and burned about 1,700 acres was contained Monday morning, a Texas Forest Service official said. Texas Forest Service information officer Warren Bielenberg said the fire, which was reported at around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, is burning in grass and timber. “They have a line around it, but if we have a big wind event and it blows up, then there is a possibility that it could escape the containment lines,” Bielenberg said. Texas Forest Service responded to 19 new fires on Sunday for 1,099 acres, including new large fires in Harrison and Rusk counties. In the past seven days, Texas Forest Service has responded to 141 fires for 34,933 acres.

HARRISON COUNTY — A Harrison County wildfire touched off by a spark from a tractor-trailer tire blowout had spread to more than 800 acres Monday and destroyed at least one home. Harrison County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jay Webb said authorities were dispatched to the fire, which officials are calling the “Marshall fire,” about 1:45 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Webb Rogers Road.

The fire spread to both sides of the interstate and to Ireland Williams Road, Webb Rogers Road, FM 2199 and south to FM 2625. It destroyed three structures, including one residence, and had “possibly more” in its path.

UPSHUR COUNTY — An autopsy released Monday showed that a man who was found in a burning car near Ore City died from multiple gunshot wounds. Gordon Maxwell, 46, was found dead August 30th on Texas 155 just north of Ore City. His wife, Sharon Stanley Maxwell, 43, is charged with murder in his death. She remained jailed on $750,000 bond.

GREGG COUNTY — Gregg County Crime Stoppers are asking the public for any possible information involving a hit & run fatality at the intersection of Rice Road and Debbie Street in the Liberty City area July 22. The victim, Brain Scott Carr, was standing with his bicycle at the intersection when he was struck by a white van, knocking him and the bicycle into the ditch. Carr was able to provide information to a DPS trooper that the van was occupied by a black male. The driver of the van proceeded west on Rice Rd. Carr was transported to an area hospital where he later passed away due to injuries sustained in the accident. Officials say the van should have damage to the right front and right side mirror. Gregg County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the subject or subjects responsible in this case.

HUGHES SPRINGS — A 51-year-old man has been arrested after assaulting a woman with his vehicle. Kenneth Mark Williams was taken into custody Friday after ramming his truck into the home of Linda Vanover, a woman police say he had been stalking. It happened in the 500 block of Live Oak Drive in Hughes Springs. Vanover was airlifted to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, where she was treated for broken facial bones. She also suffered a concussion and major bruising from the incident.

Williams was charged with aggravated assault and retaliation.and is being held on $2 million bond. Vanover had filed a protective order against Williams in July after police said he broke into her home. Williams is on probation for breaking into a woman’s home in Bryan and sexually assaulting her.

WINONA — Winona volunteer firefighter Tommy Brock issues another caution against outdoor burning during the current burn ban. According to KETK, he says Winona is still running two to three calls a day on illegal burns. Brock says East Texans are sometimes just unaware of how dry we really are. He tells of a man who had just fired a .22 when the casing came out of the rifle and started a fire. Then there are the usual warnings against things like disposing of lit cigarettes through car windows.

TYLER — Tyler ISD gears up for a series of public meetings on the long-range plan it’s been developing. Chatting with KTBB’S Bill Coates, Superintendent Randy Reid said the meetings, all at 6:00 p.m., will kick off with one Tuesday at the Plyler campus. On the 14th, there’ll be a meeting at Douglas Elementary in Spanish. On September 19, a meeting will be held at John Tyler, followed by a September 20 gathering at Robert E. Lee. The series wraps up September 22 at Jack Elementary. Reid encourages everyone to come out and offer feedback on the plan.