KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler Police Investigators have made an arrest in connection to the shooting of Nicole Cartwright, 15, that occurred on December 24. The suspect is identified as Adrian Earl Blankenship Jr., 22, Longview. Judge Kennedy signed the arrest warrant for 1st Degree Murder and placed a $500,000 bond on Blakenship. This case remains under investigation.

Authorities say Cartwright left Club REO to meet with family and friends, also from Longview, at the car wash on West Bow Street. Once at the car wash a disturbance occurred in the parking lot between four females in a gray or blue car with dark tinted windows, possibly a Pontiac, and a group of individuals in a red Dodge Challenger. Shots were fired, striking Ms. Cartwright who later died at a local hospital. Investigators have determined that Ms. Cartwright was not involved in the disturbance nor was she in either vehicle.

TYLER — Tyler Police investigate a Monday morning attempted sexual assault. According to the Tyler Police Department, officers responded to a call shortly after 5 a.m. regarding an assault that happened in the 1500 block of S. College, near Bergfeld Park. The victim said she was attacked by a man, dressed in all black while she was jogging. Evidently, the man was hiding in a wooded area and jumped the woman from behind…wrestling her to the ground. After touching her inappropriately, the victim was able to break loose from the attacker. Police say she was carrying pepper spray and an air horn. The suspect is described as around 6’6 between 220 and 240lb.

The Tyler Police Department advises women, never jog alone at night and always be prepared with something to protect themselves, like pepper spray, an air horn, or a large stick. If possible always take a friend when you exercise outside.

RUSK COUNTY — An East Texas robbery suspect is apprehended. It happened last Monday around 12:30. Derric O’Brien Blanton, Henderson, was arrested in Nacogdoches County in connection with an aggravated robbery in Rusk County. The robbery was reported December 21, around 10:00 p.m. at the Conoco Station in Mt. Enterprise. On Friday, Blanton was extradited to Rusk County where he remained in jail awaiting arraignment.

On Sunday at approximately 10:00 am, Blanton was arraigned by Honorable Judge Jerdy Wolverton, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, in Rusk County. Blanton was charged with aggravated robbery. His bond is set at $60,000. Blanton currently remains in the Rusk County Jail.

MARSHALL — Officials are celebrating the success of a holiday event in East Texas. Marshall’s 24th annual Wonderland of Lights Festival was a huge success with thousands of people visiting the event each night of the 5 week run. Tomi Johnson of the Marshall Convention and Visitors Bureau says a stellar concert series, the outdoor ice skating rink and thousands of Christmas lights in the downtown area helped to draw the crowd. Preparations for the 25th annual Wonderland of Lights Festival in 2011are already underway.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department released the results of the “No Refusal DWI Campaign” December 30th through January 2nd, 2011. Authorities say total DWI arrests for the campaign for all agencies were 12. DPS had 7 DWI arrests and Tyler PD had 5 DWI arrests. Total number of refusals for breath/blood specimens was 3. DPS had 2 refusals and Tyler PD had 1 refusal. Officials say, compared to last year’s total number of arrests, 15, this year saw a decrease of 20% in the number of DWI arrests.

Authorities say Lindale PD had a fatality accident during the campaign, on January 1st. It was believed to be alcohol related, but resulted in the death of the suspect; blood results are pending.

HENDERSON (AP) – A Fort Worth hunter who allegedly thought he bagged a deer faces a weapons charge over the fatal shooting of an Overton man. The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office on Monday announced 54-year-old Rodney Connally has been arraigned on a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. Bond was set at $50,000. Sgt. Viki Penny had no information on an attorney for Connally. She told The Associated Press it does not appear that Connally knew 41-year-old Louis Conner Jr. The shooting happened Saturday morning on a deer lease. Penny says Connally notified officers when he thought he shot a deer, then discovered Conner had been shot. Penny described the investigation as an “accidental shooting” and says results will be forwarded to prosecutors. Further details on Connally were not immediately released.

LONGVIEW — Four persons have been cited for reckless damage or destruction following a four acre grass fire. It started near Longview around 1:00 New Year�s morning when fireworks the group was shooting started a fire in a wooded area near McCann and Graystone Road. Had it not been for the quick response by the Longview and Judson Metro Fire Departments, nearby houses and buildings could have been destroyed or damaged.

MABANK � Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the New Year�s Day fire at the Edward Jones Building in Mabank. It was reported around 8:00am. While the fire was contained in the Jones� building, there was some smoke damage at nearby stores. No injuries were reported.

EAST TEXAS — Tyler and Longview have welcomed the first babies of the New Year. Both were little girls. Tyler�s first born in 2011 arrived at Mother Francis Hospital at 12:26 Saturday morning. Lillian Elizabeth Holm tipped the scales at 8 pounds and one ounce. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Tiffany Holm. By 5:30 Saturday night, six babies were born at Mother Francis Hospital.

Longview�s first born of the year arrived at 3:32 Saturday morning at Good Shepherd Medical Center. She is Nyla Pierce, the daughter of Nathan and Carrie Pierce of Carthage. Nyla weighed in at 7 pounds and 8 ounces.

TYLER — Suddenlink and Viacom have announced that they’ve reached an agreement, in, principle, on a long-term contract. That means the new agreement covers all of the Viacom networks included under the prior agreement. Of those networks, the seven typically featured on Suddenlink’s widely available Expanded Basic service are MTV, Nickelodeon, TV Land, Comedy Central, Spike TV, VH1, CMT. The others are featured on optional digital services and include Logo, Palladia HD, Nick Jr., TeenNick, NickToons, Nick2, MTV Hits, MTV2, MTV Jams, Tr3s, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, and CMT Pure Country.

In addition, EPIX will be made available to Suddenlink customers in the next few months. EPIX provides consumers with the latest Hollywood movies, 15,000 films from three of the top motion picture libraries and cutting-edge original programming on television, on demand and online, exclusively in HD and SD.

Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed. But, according to a statement released by Suddenlink, there will be no changes to the recently announced rate adjustments for Suddenlink’s most-popular services; the company will absorb any difference and customers will have a choice about whether or not they want EPIX.

ANDERSON COUNTY — A 17-year-old was pronounced dead 10 minutes before midnight Friday after a one-vehicle wreck in Anderson County. Brandon Heath Miller, 17, of Tennessee Colony died when his 1999 Jeep Cherokee veered off the road, struck a metal post and caught fire, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The wreck occurred on FM 2054 north of Tennessee Colony. Miller was pronounced dead by Anderson County Justice of the Peace James Todd. His body was taken to Harrington Funeral Home in Palestine. The cause of the crash was under investigation

NACOGDOCHES — One man was arrested after a pursuit that, at times, reached more than 110 miles per hour while driving in the wrong lane of traffic down Highway 59 North at 5:30 a.m. Saturday. Samuel Thompson, 21-year-old Colmesneil resident, was charged with evading arrest in a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated after he nearly hit two deputies head-on, Nacogdoches Constable Precinct 4 Jason Bridges said.

Thompson, driving a gold Saturn, was first clocked driving 98 miles per hour when Precinct 4 Deputy Constable Jimmy Marble attempted to stop the vehicle. According to the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel online, Thompson nearly hit both Marble and Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Curtis, who was transporting an inmate to the Nacogdoches County Jail at the time, and Marble continued the pursuit. Thompson nearly hit several other vehicles while continuing in the wrong lane of traffic into Angelina County, where Marble was able to get the vehicle stopped, Bridges said.

GILMER — Three Upshur County Officials, indicted on charges of official oppression and abuse of official capacity, have turned themselves into authorities. Released on their own personal recognizance were County Judge Dean Fowler, Sheriff Anthony Betterton and Precinct 3 Commissioner Lloyd Crabtree. The action comes after they ended public comment at commissioners court meetings and allegedly threw a man out for having duct tape over his mouth. Yesterday Upshur County Commissioners voted to return public comments to the courts agendas.

JACKSONVILLE — An East Texas Teacher resigns after indecent photos of her surfaced. Krystal Looney, 25, taught at Jacksonville High School up until the pictures surfaced on the internet during the Christmas break. Autumn Green, who says she was kicked off a cheerleading squad coached by Looney, posted the pictures online. KETK spoke with Green, who says she put the pictures of Looney on her facebook wall. Green tells us she did not realize Looney would lose her job. Looney did not want to comment, but other sources confirm the pictures were taken off and Looney resigned.

Superintendent Joe Wardell says, “All I can tell you is that we did have a teacher resign over Christmas break. We’re very limited by law as to what information we can give out about any kind of personnel issue.” Jacksonville’s employee standards of conduct says: “Employees shall be held to the same professional standards in their public use of electronic media as they are for any other public conduct.”

WHITEHOUSE — A 19-year-old East Texan gets one year in jail after sexting a minor. Matthew Bower, Whitehouse, was sentenced for sending a nude photo of himself to a 14-year-old girl. With more and more teens getting cell phones, some parents say it’s a problem. Experts say it’s important to set ground rules.