KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Smith County Commissioners Tuesday signed a resolution pledging future revenue resulting from jail improvements to the early retirement of jail debt. Last month the Commissioners Court unanimously voted to place a $35 million bond proposal on the May ballot which would alleviate jail overcrowding issues in Smith County. The proposed bond would cost taxpayers one cent per $100 of assessed property value for 15 years, an average household cost of $13 per year. The resolution pledges that any surplus revenue above actual costs incurred from housing inmates from outside counties will be applied toward paying off the jail debt faster than originally planned.

Officials say the 2011 plan to alleviate jail overcrowding features the addition of 384 beds to the current downtown site, addresses public and employee safety issues, and includes an infirmary to cut inmate hospital expenses by an estimated $600,000 to $800,000 per year. According to press materials, Smith County currently spends $2.3 million annually on out-of-county inmate transport and housing.

NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches Public School employees thinking about an early retirement have a little incentive now. At a special meeting Monday, NISD’s board unanimously approved a $5,000 early notice resignation incentive. The board hopes the move will help the district deal with any red ink in their pending budgeting process. Before spring break began, NISD Superintendent Dr. Rodney Hutto sent out a letter and budget strategies, which included the incentive, to all district employees so they could think about their options.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – The city swimming pool in Buford Park in Sulphur Springs will not open this summer. The pool has been in operation for over 50 years. In a prepared statement issued Monday, the city said current use patterns have rendered continued operation of the pool increasingly economically non-viable.

According to the prepared statement, “During the past few years, pool use has continued to decline while operating expenses, like expenses in other areas, have increased. In this era of budget cuts and tighter governmental operating budgets, the perpetuation of progressively larger operating shortfalls at the city pool would be imprudent. In our continuing efforts to maintain low municipal taxes while providing quality services, we will continue to evaluate all municipal services to ensure that City of Sulphur Springs taxpayers receive the best value possible for each tax dollar.”

City officials declined to comment on the announcement, citing pending litigation. They also did not indicate what would be done with the pool site.

AUSTIN — An East Texan is one of three persons appointed by the governor to the Commission on Jail Standards for terms to expire January 31, 2017. The commission establishes standards for the care and treatment of county prisoners, construction, maintenance and operation of county jails.

Among those named to the panel was Allan Cain of Carthage, an independent business property owner and former police officer for the City of Longview. He is a member of the Texas Self Storage Association, Marine Corps League, Marine Corps Association, Carthage Chapter of the American Legion, and Lions Club of Carthage. He is also a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and National Rifle Association, an ambassador and past board member of the Panola County Chamber of Commerce, volunteer coordinator with Mike Barber Prison Ministries, and a past member of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education. Cain served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He received a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University.

The governor also named to the panel Taylor County commissioner Stanley Egger of Tuscola and Michael Seale of Houston.

NACOGDOCHES — About 500 bales of hay were destroyed, and a litter of puppies died, during a fire on Sunday. It happened on County Road 233 east of Nacogdoches. Fire officials say a barn filled with hay caught fire and they were unable to put it out. Besides the puppies, which were living in the hay, there were no injuries. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

TYLER — Police in Tyler are issuing some auto burglary prevention tips. In 2010, the Tyler Police Department investigated 1,200 auto burglaries. That total is almost cut in half from the previous year of 2,104 auto-burglaries in 2009. With summer fast approaching and more people getting out shopping and enjoying outdoor activities, police say it’s an especially good time to remind you to secure your belongings inside your vehicle. Police say most auto burglaries involve smashed windows or other forcible means to gain entry to locked vehicles in order to get access to valuables.

Thefts from vehicles occur at all hours, day and night. Police say all auto burglaries generally have one thing in common: something to steal — something valuable left in the car. And many auto burglaries are “crimes of opportunity”; they could have been avoided had simple preventative steps been taken. According to police, auto burglary prevention, like all crime prevention, involves limiting the criminal’s ability and/or opportunity to commit the crime. With very little time and effort, police say, you can make a huge difference in your vulnerability to auto-burglary. It generally takes a mere few seconds to secure your valuables, but it will take only a few seconds more for a thief to break in and steal valuables left in plain sight.

The first thing you can do to help, according to officers: don’t leave valuables in your car – particularly in plain sight. They say the last thing you need is to find your vehicle’s window broken or items missing. Police suggest taking these simple but important steps to maintain your car’s safety:

* Don’t leave valuables in your car.
* If you must leave valuable items in your car while out and about, place items in your trunk or out of sight.
* Leave no trace of connector cables.
* Try to park in busy, well lighted areas.
* Lock ALL your vehicle’s doors.
* Set any alarm or anti-theft device.

Police add that if you see suspicious activity, report it immediately. “Suspicious Activity” would include:

* Persons walking up and down aisles of parking lots looking into cars or trying door handles, vehicles cruising parking lots at very slow speeds for extended periods while observing parked cars.
* Persons sitting in running parked cars for protracted periods, and vehicles dropping one person off while continuing to cruise the same area.

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man pleads guilty to dumping waste. David Overdorf, 48, pleaded guilty last Friday in Lufkin to disposing of hazardous wastes without a permit. According to information presented in court, Overdorf was the former owner and president of H.O.T. Transport, Inc. (HOT), a Lufkin-based chemical transportation business which offered commercial transportation of industrial liquids such as caustics, ethanol, methanol, hot wax, cresol, and formaldehyde. During the normal course of business, Overdorf directed HOT employees to wash out the interiors of trailer mounted tanks at HOT’s place of business knowing that the tanks contained hazardous wastes. Overdorf also directed HOT employees to pump the wash wastewater containing hazardous wastes from a catch basin into a trailer mounted tank labeled “wastewater” at the business.

On Mar. 10, 2006, Overdorf directed a HOT employee to transport approximately 45,000 tons of tank wash wastewater containing hazardous wastes in a trailer mounted tank from the business to Quala Wash in Houston for disposal and authorized payment of $450 to Clinton Promise for the disposal. These wastes possessed the hazardous characteristic of Ignitability.

As part of his plea agreement with the government, Overdorf has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine. He must also hire an independent environmental engineering firm within four weeks to determine the full extent of soil contamination at HOT’s former business site. Overdorf must also spend up to $250,000 towards the costs of cleaning up any contamination left at the site. HOT is no longer in business. Overdorf faces up to five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

EDOM — Authorities in Van Zandt County are asking for the public’s help in solving a vandalism case. According to the Edom Mayor, Barbara Crow, “Someone spray-painted graffiti, consisting of words and offensive drawings in blue paint, at the children’s playground area of the Edom Community Park.” The vandalism reportedly took place around March 1, and Crow is hoping that volunteers can help clean the playground within the next week.

Crime Stoppers did not specify an amount for this reward and will determine that following the arrest of the persons responsible. The organization does offer rewards of up to $1,000 to anonymous callers who provide information that leads to an arrest. Call 903-567-STOP.

LONGVIEW – A weekend accident on Interstate Highway 20 in Gregg County has killed two persons. The wreck was reported shortly before 1:45 Saturday morning about 4½ miles south of Longview. Killed were Jerry Maurice Johnson, 43, and Justin Keith Blanchie, 38, both of Longview. The Department of Public Safety report says Johnson’s car was east bound in the west bound lane when it collided head on with a truck driven by Zachery Scott Collins, 20, of Kilgore. He is listed in stable condition at Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center. The DPS report said none of the persons involved in the wreck were wearing their seat belts.

LUFKIN – A one vehicle accident in Angelina County has left one person dead. The Department of Public Safety says Sean Christopher Simoneaux, 19, of Lufkin, was not wearing a seat belt when his car left the road and hit a tree. The accident happened shortly after 3:15 Sunday morning on Farm Road 842, about four miles north of Lufkin. He was pronounced dead at a Lufkin hospital about two hours after the accident.

LONGVIEW — A portion of Spring Hill Road will be closed this morning from 9:00 to 11:00 for a vehicle-accident dramatization at Spring Hill High School. The mock accident will take place at 10:00 in front of Spring Hill High School, 2700 Spring Hill Rd. Known as Shattered Dreams, the dramatization is a program designed to demonstrate the devastating effects of drinking and driving. The two-day event will display the work of emergency responders, highlight the effects of the accident on family and friends, and show the consequences of arrest and criminal charges.

Spring Hill School officials coordinated the event as an educational opportunity for their students. Several local organizations are providing assistance, including the Longview Police Department, Longview Fire Department, Joe Boys U-Pull It, Radar Funeral Home, Flight for Life, Mobberly Baptist Church, Alpine Church of Christ, Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission, and Good Shepherd Medical Center.

According to Spring Hill Superintendent Wes Jones, “This demonstration is a good opportunity to showcase to students how dangerous drinking and driving can be. We hope they realize that the choices they make don’t just affect themselves, but impact their family, friends, and classmates.”

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

UNDATED — The Texas Department of Transportation is scheduled to perform traffic counts in 22 locations on state roadways across the eight-county Tyler District this week. The counts, which are the basis for many of the decisions TxDOT makes, from funding to scheduling maintenance and construction projects, will be conducted on a 24-hour basis at each location through April 8.

“Traffic counts are a cornerstone of our decision-making process,” said TxDOT public information officer Larry Krantz. “They give us a snapshot of today’s traffic volumes, but they also help create a much larger and informative picture when compared year-over-year.” The traffic-counting devices consist of a rubber tube stretched across the roadway and count traffic in both directions on a given roadway, and the results are collected in Austin by TxDOT’s Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Results of the counts will not be available until the counts are completed statewide.

LONGVIEW — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement repair operations in various locations on Farm Road 1845 (Pine Tree Road), then move to Farm Road 2205 (Jaycee Drive) between Loop 281 and State Highway 31.

Also this week, construction crews this week are scheduled to perform seal coat and resurfacing operations on U.S. Highway 80 (West Marshall Avenue) west of Fisher Road, and striping crews are scheduled to begin striping the final surface on State Highway 135 between Interstate Highway 20 and State Highway 31 in Kilgore beginning mid-week. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to repair and resurface Farm Road 47 west of Canton in various locations between State Highway 243 and State Highway 198.

A second crew will be performing fog seal operations on Interstate Highway 20 frontage roads between the Kaufman County Line and Turner-Hayden Road, and in various locations on Farm Road 1504 between Myrtle Springs and Edgewood, and Farm Road 1395 between Farm Road 859 north of Edgewood and Farm Road 47 near Lake Tawakoni. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation contractor Big Creek Construction, Ltd., of Hewitt, is scheduled to begin work on a pair of Cherokee County projects this week, beginning with work on Farm Road 752. The project calls for adding 3-foot shoulders and resurfacing FM 752 between Farm Road 241 in Rusk to County Road 2405 south of Rusk, followed by the same work on Farm Road 2137 between Farm Road 344 west of Bullard and Farm Road 855. Work on FM 2137 is scheduled to begin once FM 752 is largely completed. The approximate $978,000 project let to contract in December and work on both roadways is scheduled for completion this fall. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress.

SMITH COUNTY — The Texas Department of Transportation announced its plans to temporarily close County Road 1141 (Dean Road) at its intersection with County Road 1130 beginning April 18 for approximately one month to allow for reconstruction of the intersection. The work is being done in conjunction with the Toll 49, Segment 3A project which is scheduled for completion in 2012. Detours will be posted.

TYLER — Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Tyler was evacuated Sunday morning after a small fire. It started in the men’s restroom near the front door of the church. A church member had the fire out when firemen arrived. City fire officials say the cause of the fire is “suspicious” and remains under investigation. No injuries were reported. Ironically fire and rescue officials had already been to the church earlier in the morning for a service recognition ceremony.

AUSTIN — State Representative Chuck Hopson of Jacksonville puts House Bill 1650 before the House Committee on government efficiency and reform. The bill requires state and local governments to give preference to building materials produced in Texas. Hopson says, “It’s my hope that this bill will encourage job growth and business expansion all across this great state.”

TYLER — John Tyler High School, Bank of America, and Parent Services Center have partnered to bring a nationally acclaimed father-involvement program called Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Good Students) to John Tyler High School. The organizational meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 21, at the John Tyler gym. Theodore Timms, Associate Principal and coordinator of the project, explained, “Watch D.O.G.S. is an innovative program developed in 1998 by the National Center for Fathering. It is endorsed by National PTA and PTO. Fathers and father-figures of students are invited to spend at least one day per year volunteering at their child’s school.”

According to Timms, schools that participate have experienced some amazing results. “For example, 79% of participating schools noted a significant increase in safety, 52% reported that the Watch D.O.G.S. Program contributed to a decrease in student behavioral problems, and 50% noted an increase in student achievement,” he stated.

John Tyler PTA President and Top Dog Coordinator James Brooks noted that benefits from the Watch D.O.G.S. Program also have impact on the fathers’ relationships with their children. “The Watch D.O.G.S website reports that 90% of students with Watch D.O.G.S. dads have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, 82% never have behavioral issues during school, and 92% of fathers who participate state that they are more active with their student outside of education. These are pretty amazing improvements.” Mr. Brooks has recruited a “Top Dog Team” of five fathers and father-figures, who will recruit and train participants.

Parent Services Center Executive Director Shelley Judd explained that her organization is a non-profit United Way agency whose mission is to educate and support parents and prevent family breakdown. “When we learned about the Watch D.O.G.S. Program, we approached Mr. Timms at John Tyler. He immediately saw the value of the project, so we approached Bank of America for a grant to help them get started, and the rest is history,” explained Judd.

Coach Christina Whitehead is serving as faculty liaison. “My role is to work with our teachers so that they provide meaningful activities for the Watch D.O.G.S. during their day of service,” she stated. “Our faculty is enthusiastic about this project, which is a win-win for all involved.” For more information, call John Tyler, 903-262-2858. You can go to http://www.fathers.com to check out the Watch D.O.G.S. website.

Pictured, from left to right: James Brooks, PTA President; Coach Christina Whitehead, faculty liaison; and Theodore Timms, John Tyler High School Associate Principal.