KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Brookshire�s and Tyson Foods donate 29,000 pounds of protein to the East Texas Food Bank in conjunction with the Tyson �KNOW Hunger� campaign and to draw attention to a recent hunger survey commissioned by the company and the Food and Research Action Center. The East Texas Food Bank distributes more than 19 million pounds of food annually throughout its 26 county service area. Approximately 183,000 residents, including nearly 80,500 children and 11,000 seniors, receive emergency food assistance each year from the Food Bank and its more than 200 member agencies. All told, Tyson will donate more than 1 million pounds during March to 37 food banks in 22 states and Washington D.C. The company has donated more than 78 million pounds of protein during the last 10 years.

WHITEHOUSE � Some drivers are getting tired of having traffic tickets issued for running a stop sign at Whitehouse railroad tracks that no one uses anymore. Union Pacific says it could put the tracks back to work at any time. But one driver pointed out that railroad ties are caving in at places, and weeds have overgrown. Others say regardless of citizen concerns, the law is the law, and all stop signs must be obeyed. The crossing is at Acker Tap Road.

LONGVIEW — Two Longview men are jailed for reportedly stealing copper from an abandoned refinery. Authorities say David Branch and Gary Wilson were arrested around 9:00 Tuesday night in the 600 block of Premier Road after being found with three rolls of copper wiring. Officers say Branch told them that he owned the copper wiring. But, officers noticed that the wires had been freshly cut with no visible dirt or corrosion.

NACOGDOCHES — A former Nacogdoches County jailer is heading back to prison. Brian Sowell was on probation for child pornography after he was busted in 2007. Authorities say he violated his probation by opening a facebook account and signing up on match.com. He’s now sentenced to 7 years in prison.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a suspected robbery. It happened this morning around 4:45 at the Food Fast gas station, 805 W. Houston St. when a panic alarm was activated. While officers were en route, dispatch was informed by the caller that the panic alarm was actually a robbery of the business. Moments later officers arrived on scene and found the caller/victim unharmed. The area was searched by officers, but were unable to locate any suspects. The victim stated the suspects were two younger black males who took several cartons of cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot.

One suspect was wearing a dark color jacket and black wind pants with white on both sides and a red stripe down the back and light blue shoes. The second suspect was wearing a black jacket with a fur lined collar and rolled up blue jeans and a blue bandanna around his face.

TYLER — The County Health Rankings Report, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin, shows Smith County leading in the East Texas area. In the study, which is based on data from 2009, Smith County ranked 66 out of 223 counties for Health Factors and a rank of 51 out of 223 in health outcomes, which is a significant improvement over the last report.

George Roberts with the Northeast Texas Public Health District says one of the main reasons is because the county has greater access to primary physicians and health care services than others in the region. And he feels the county will even do better in the next report.

He says the Smith County community has made tremendous strides, through a variety of efforts, in improving the health of the community since these statistics were last reported. Among the reasons for the improvement:
*Establishment of the Tyler Fit City Challenge to combat obesity
*City of Tyler passed a strong smoking ordinance
*NET Health started a Health Living Initiative
*Pay Attention East Texas Coalition campaigns against reckless driving
*City of Tyler Expansion of Walking Trails

AUSTIN — An East Texas man is one of three persons appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Optometry Board for terms to expire January 31, 2017. The board oversees licensing and regulation of optometrists in Texas.

Being reappointed to the board is Larry Fields of Carthage. He is an attorney and real estate broker in private practice, and a municipal court judge for the City of Tatum. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Panola County Bar Association, Texas Municipal Court Association, Texas Association of Realtors, and Longview Area Board of Realtors. He is also a member of the Carthage Lions Club and Panola County Cattlemen’s Association, and a past board member of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce. Fields received a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a law degree from South Texas College of Law.

Also being appointed to the panel is Mario Gutierrez of San Antonio and John Coble of Rockwall. All of the appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

WHITEHOUSE � A dispute over a rescue ranch in Whitehouse is finally put to rest. Wild Rose Rescue Ranch filed suit against the city, claiming its ordinance limiting the number of pets in each household to four is unconstitutional. In the new settlement, the ranch agreed to reduce the number of dogs, and the city is prohibited from seizing any animals already present from the property. Whitehouse city officials are allowed to inspect the ranch every 30 days to verify the number of dogs present.

TYLER � Police have now shut down a Tyler massage parlor they say offered sexual favors to its customers and operated without a license. The businesses around Healthy Massage say they hope it�s closed for good. Officers earlier arrested Qin Zhang, 48, of Plano, the woman who ran the parlor on the 1400 block of West Southwest Loop 323. Investigators began looking at the business, which opened last November, when people started calling in tips. Officers say they got enough evidence to make the arrest when they sent an undercover officer to the parlor; they say Zhang actually offered the cop sex. One woman, who wants to remain anonymous, says she never saw women going into the parlor. Zhang is now out on bond.

MT. SELMAN � Authorities in Cherokee County are on the hunt for a robbery suspect. On Tuesday at approximately 5:15 a.m., the HotSpot convenience store on Highway 69 in Mt. Selman was robbed by an individual wielding a large knife. The suspect was wearing a black shirt, jeans, brown Carhartt style jacket and an open face ski mask with a brim. The suspect entered the north side door, threatened the clerk with the knife, then handed him a pillow case and demanded the money from the cash register and all the packages of K-2 from the display. While the clerk was gathering the K-2, the suspect entered the area behind the counter and removed several cartons of cigarettes.

Prior to leaving the store, the suspect also demanded the clerk�s cell phone and instructed him to pull the battery out; saying that he would leave the battery next to the trash can on the way out. The suspect fled on foot as a customer was pulling into the parking lot, and ran in a northeasterly direction toward Farm Road 177. The suspect is described only as a white male, possibly about 6 ft. tall, thin to medium build. Cherokee County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest / conviction of the suspect.

LONGVIEW � A Longview teen could face charges for failing to stop after a fatal hit-and-run crash on Loop 281 in Longview, in front of East Texas Professional Credit Union. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said Harold Grady, 57, was struck by Ashley Lambert, 19, about 7:45 Monday evening when he stepped into the roadway. Brian said Lambert went to the police station Monday night, because when she got home she realized that she had hit something. The case is being turned over to the Gregg County District Attorney�s Office to determine whether charges will be filed against Lambert. No charges have been filed at this time. Grady, of Farmersville, was pronounced dead at Longview Regional Hospital at about 8:30 p.m. Monday by Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson.

TYLER — With billions in state budget cuts looming in Texas, local mental health programs in the Tyler area stand to lose approximately $4 million in funding. That’s according to the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). A news release from the affiliate says Texas ranks 50th in the nation in per capita spending on mental health programs, meaning the programs are already underfunded according to local NAMI members. The news release says the implications of those cuts are that fewer people will receive treatment and more mentally ill would end up in jail or the emergency room, thus shifting the costs to the local community.

The Andrews Center Behavioral Healthcare System contracts with the State of Texas to serve the area�s community members who are indigent and have a serious mental illness. The news release says the Andrews Center is serving about 1500-1600 adult patients in community mental health care per month, but is only getting paid to serve 1094. With the proposed budget cuts, according to NAMI, the state would only pay for 875 adults to receive mental health treatment per month.

The Tyler NAMI affiliate met with representatives from the Andrews Center Behavioral Healthcare System, Smith County Sheriff�s Department, City of Tyler, People Attempting to Help (P.A.T.H.), private mental health providers, consumers with mental illness, and their family members to discuss the implications. Affiliate representatives say all were in agreement that shifting the tax burden locally would be the most expensive and least effective option. NAMI Tyler is asking residents to contact their state legislators to voice their concerns.

TYLER — A woman is cut out of her car Tuesday after a wreck in Tyler at the intersection of Shiloh Road and Kent Drive. Police say a man driving a truck, ran into the woman’s car, sending her off-road. Emergency workers used the jaws of life to cut her out. Her car was destroyed but she suffered only minor injuries and is expected to be ok.

HENDERSON — A Henderson man is in jail for allegedly sending sexually explicit e-mails to a minor. Carl Dewayne Anthony, 32, was arraigned on 3rd degree charges of online solicitation of a minor. Anthony reportedly sent a picture of male genitalia to the minor. His bond is set at $10,000.

TATUM — A fatal wreck that left a Tatum student dead this weekend is being blamed on texting while driving. Tatum High School Principal Debbie Maxey says Lillian Propes was texting during the weekend crash in Rusk County. Lillian’s mother issued a plea to her daughter’s classmates asking them not to text while driving. The wreck happened on Texas 43 between Tatum and Henderson. Officials say the vehicle left the road, rolled and hit a tree.