KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — A Gladewater man is in the Smith County Jail on child sexual assault charges. 39-year-old Joseph Rodriguez was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child, two counts of indecency with a child and one count of indecency with a child exposure. Rodriguez was booked into the jail Friday. Bond was set at $500,000.

TYLER — A lip sync battle among police departments has swept social media. The Tyler Police Department has posted an epic video of their own. Tyler police joined other agencies in competing in an unofficial contest to highlight public safety and improve law enforcement’s image. The phenomenon has spread through challenges issued to other departments. The Facebook post has 1.4 million views and has been shared more that 49,000 times, so far. #LipSyncChallenge Watch video on Facebook

TYLER – Meals on Wheels Ministry, headquartered in Tyler, has a new president and CEO. The board of directors has announced Kari Kay Kietzer has joined the organization in the top leadership role. She has served as a consultant to the military, NATO and other organizations and has headed nonproft and for-profit agencies. Kietzer, who started her new job on Monday, succeeds long time president Mike Powell who retired. Meals on Wheels Ministry currently serves nearly 3,000 seniors and homebound individuals in 30 communities in Gregg, Henderson, Smith, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties.

GILMER – An illegal immigrant is heading to prison after pleading guilty in a Gilmer courtroom in connection with a fatal wreck over four years ago. Noe Paz-Aguillon, 30, pleaded guilty Tuesday to intoxication manslaughter and aggravated assault charges. He was sentenced to 16 years on each charge, with the sentences running concurrently. The accident, which killed an Overton man and injured his wife, happened in February, 2014. He was released to federal authorities for an ICE detainer later that month. They put him in house arrest in Dallas, and he fled back to Mexico. He had previously been deported twice from the U.S. He illegally entered the country again and was arrested in Oklahoma three months ago.

LONGVIEW – A former clerk with a water utility in Gregg County has been indicted by the county grand jury. The former administrative office clerk at Elderville Water Supply Corporation, Chelisa Portley Moore, 49, of Longview, is accused of taking money from the water utility. According to the Longview News Journal, she faces a four-count indictment of theft of property valued between $2,500 and $30,000. Prosecutors suggest it was part of a scheme dating back to February of last year. Moore, who was arrested last Thursday, is currently free on a $20,000 bond.

SMITH COUNTY – A man identified as Anthony Watkins, 59, of Dallas has died in an accident that caused traffic problems in Smith County. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Interstate Highway 20 at the Toll 49 bridge was reopened Monday afternoon. According to the Department of Public Safety report, a truck tractor struck the bridge. Traffic had to be rerouted on the service road until the interstate was reopened. According to Kathi White with TxDOT, the south end of the bridge shifted about three inches during the crash. It has been inspected by a bridge engineer, who says there is some minor damage that will necessitate repairs but it does not affect the strength of the bridge. Repairs will be conducted by the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority, which is responsible for Toll 49.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a Tyler man. The body of Olen John Defoore, 38, was found in a car off County Road 3306 Friday, July 6. Officials said they do not believe foul play was involved. Defoore’s body has been sent for autopsy. Additional details were not immediately available.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Two people have been arrested for possession of methamphetamine after they were stopped for littering. It happened Monday in Gun Barrel City. According to Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Naomi Butler, 26, of Malakoff, and Joshua Fry, 25, of Athens, were taken into custody. They both reportedly admitted to possessing marijuana. A search of their vehicle yielded a quantity of methamphetamine hidden behind the driver’s seat. Butler also admitted to concealing meth on her person and surrendered it to the officers. Continue reading Henderson County Couple Arrested for Drug Possession

KILGORE – One person was killed and 2 injured in a multiple accident on Interstate Highway 20 Kilgore over the weekend. It happened on the west bound lanes of the interstate around 12:30 Sunday afternoon. Killed was Joseph Robert Jones, 82, of Canton. He was a passenger in a pickup which hit the rear of another pickup which had stopped because of a previous accident. The injured were taken to Longview Regional Hospital with minor injuries. A third vehicle received minor damage. Kilgore police say the crash is still under investigation.

MARSHALL – One person has been killed and three injured in a two vehicle accident in Marshall. The accident happened on West Grand avenue around 9:45 Monday morning. Four persons were taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall where one of them died. He has been identified as Terrell Dillard, 26, of Marshall. The names of the injured have not been released. Police Public Information Officer Kelly Colvin says the accident remains under investigation.

PITTSBURGH (AP/STAFF) — Police say a former Detroit Lions player, who played high school football in Tyler, has been arrested in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for punching an officer after refusing to pay a limo driver. NFL free agent Brandon Pettigrew is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, theft of services and public drunkenness. Police say the 33-year-old tight end refused to pay $97 for a limo ride to a downtown hotel early Monday. According to a complaint, when officers arrived Pettigrew became aggressive and punched one officer in the chest three times. Police allege he was visibly intoxicated. The complaint says officers drew their stun guns, but Pettigrew complied and was handcuffed. Pettigrew, who lives in Flint, played high school football at Robert E Lee.

MARSHALL – Harrison County has extended the county’s burn ban. It is in effect for 90 days unless it is terminated earlier. Cooking outside on enclosed pits or grills will be allowed, but open fires outdoors and outdoor burning are prohibited until the ban is lifted. The order, which was signed by Harrison County Judge Hugh Taylor on Monday, also prohibits outdoor burning in barrels. A violation of the order is a Class C misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.

GILMER – A jury has been seated in Gilmer to hear the trial of an illegal immigrant charged with intoxication manslaughter, with testimony due to begin Tuesday. Noe Paz-Aguillon, 30, is charged in the death of Charles Gibbs of Overton and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for injuring the man’s wife, Carol Gibbs. The accident happened in February, 2014. He was released to federal authorities for an ICE detainer later that month. They put him in house arrest in Dallas, and he fled back to Mexico. He had previously been deported twice from the U.S. He illegally entered the country again and was arrested in Oklahoma three months ago.

HENDERSON – The Rusk County burn ban, which as put in place last week, has been lifted. The county made the announcement Monday, following the recent rains, that the modified burn ban had been rescinded.

LONGVIEW – The Gregg County grand jury has indicted two Longview women in the January death of a one year old girl. The panel indicted Ciara Channel Dison, 27, for murder. Shaglenda Denise Reddix, 31, was indicted for injury to a child. The little girl died after being rushed to a Longview hospital. The youngster was injured at the Longfellow Arms Apartments on East Hawkins Parkway. Investigators found blood stains in both the kitchen and the bedroom. The medical examiner said the girl’s head injuries could have occurred up to 48 hours before 911 was called. Continue reading Two Indicted in Longview Girl’s Death

TYLER – One of three men charged in a Smith County shooting last September has pleaded guilty. Tarrance Dashawn Reggie, 20, pleaded guilty Monday morning in the 241st State District Court to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.. Reggie along with Joel Camacho, 23, and Carlos Ochoa, 18, all from Tyler, are charged in the case. The shooting occurred near the Eagle Creek Mobile Home Park off State Highway 271 North. One person was wounded. Reggie is scheduled for sentencing on August 2nd. Ochoa has a trial set for July 16th. Camacho has a plea hearing scheduled on August 9th.

GREGG COUNTY — One person is dead following multiple wrecks in Gregg County. According to our news partner KETK, Authorities say westbound traffic on I-20 was shut down near Highway 42 on Sunday. This after a series of isolated accidents that could have been caused by the wet conditions of the road. The name of the person who died in one of those crashes was not immediately released. Two other people were injured in that same car. They were taken to the hospital with non-serious injuries.

EAST TEXAS — A west Texas doctor faces up to five years in federal prison. Dr. Frank Gonzales Jr. is an Odessa chiropractor and has agreed to plead guilty to his part in a $200 million bribery and kickback scheme. A Ft. Worth surgeon, Shawn Henry, has pleaded not guilty in the same case involving hundreds of referrals for surgery at Forest Park Medical Center in north Texas. Several other people have also entered not guilty pleas, including Doctors Gerald Foox, of Tyler and David Kim, of Southlake. The Forest Park Medical Center closed its 5 north Texas locations and filed for bankruptcy in 2016.

GREGG COUNTY — Longview police arrested a 52-year-old Longview man early Friday on suspicion of threatening a man with a pipe after waking up the victim and his wife, according to a report. According to the Longview News-Journal, Anthony Scott McClung was being held Friday on a $20,000 bond in Gregg County Jail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon family violence, according to the report and jail records.

BULLARD – The discovery of a woman’s body in Bullard has resulted in capital murder charges. Booked into the Smith County Jail were Charles Edward Lennon Jr., 56, of Tyler and Charles Edward Lennon III, 29, of Bullard. The victim has been identified as Rachel Lynn Jackson, 31, of Tyler. She is said to have been a long time friend of the suspects. She was found in a home on Timberline Drive Thursday morning. Her body was sent to a Tyler lab for autopsy. Further details about the case, including what happened at that Bullard home, have not been released. Continue reading Father and Son Remain Jailed on Capital Murder Charges

KILGORE – A two county crime spree may be over with an arrest in Longview. Home burglaries have been reported around Kilgore. A picture of a vehicle leaving a recently hit residence led Kilgore police to a juvenile girl who recently returned to the area. Kilgore police describe her as the ring leader of the gang. Before they could get her, Longview police arrested her Thursday for robbing a store at gun point. Other arrests are anticipated. Investigators say the girl’s arrest will lead to multiple crimes being solved in Longview and Kilgore as well as in Gregg and Rusk counties.

HENDERSON – Two persons are arrested and more arrests are expected after a crowd shot fireworks at a Henderson police officer. Late Wednesday night, the officer went to the area of Webster Drive and Robertson Street in connection to fireworks being shot within the city limits. According to a police department news release, people started shooting fireworks at the officer and the patrol car as the officer tried to disperse the crowd. They were shooting Roman Candles and throwing “Artillery Shells.” A deputy and a woman bystander received minor burns. Several patrol cars were damaged. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

TYLER — The trial date for a former Arp Elementary School counselor has been rescheduled. According to our news partner KETK, Smith County judicial records show the trial for Barbara Lynn Orpineda, 32, of Arp, has been pushed back to October 8. The trial was to have begun July 23. Orpineda was arrested last October on two counts of improper relationship between a student and educator and two counts of sexual assault of a child. She was soon freed on $200,000 bond.

MINEOLA — Mineola ISD joins numerous other school districts in addressing a topic on the minds of many Americans. The school district will host a town hall meeting Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to discuss current safety measures, answer questions, and gather information from parents, staff, and community members regarding the security of MISD campuses. Participants will gather in the middle school cafeteria. A panel consisting of Mineola ISD Board members, District Administration, and local law enforcement officers will be present to share safety actions taken in the past 18 months, including the recent decision to hire an armed police officer. Discussion has also begun regarding efforts to further secure campus entrances and perimeter as well as a possible consideration to allow school staff to be armed.

LONGVIEW — “The Stars at Night” is the theme of the 2018-2019 performance series at the LeTourneau University Belcher Center, unveiled this week. It all kicks off Thursday, October 11, with the national tour of Broadway’s perennial favorite “Wizard of Oz.” Other big names: the Soweto Gospel Choir from South Africa, country star Josh Turner, comedian Bill Engvall, Neil Berg’s “50 Years of Rock & Roll,” and musical favorites Tony Orlando and Jim Brickman. You can go to http://www.belchercenter.com/ for all the details.

EAST TEXAS — Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz made campaign stops in Tyler and Longview Thursday. One big difference between Cruz and Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke: immigration policy. Cruz told our news partner KETK, “There is no race in the country on which there is a starker divide than this Senate race. In my entire six years in the Senate, I have been the leading defender of securing the border and building a wall.” O’Rourke advocates for no border wall and a new policy. Cruz leads O’Rourke by about eight points according to a recent poll from RealClear Politics.

BULLARD – Authorities are investigating the body of a woman found at a Bullard home. Our news partner, KETK, reports two people have been arrested and three have been detained for questioning. The body was found at a home on Timberline Drive. The woman’s body has been sent to a Tyler lab for autopsy. Plus the investigation is also ongoing at a residence on Brentwood Drive. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is handling the case.

MT. ENTERPRISE – A one vehicle accident has killed a Rusk County man. Pronounced dead at the scene of the Wednesday afternoon accident was Kavonski Charles Kenshad Thompson, 21, of Mt. Enterprise. The Department of Public Safety said his car drifted off the road and he overcorrected. His pickup then went back across the road, and during a side skid, left the road and hit a tree. Thompson was not wearing his seat belt. The accident happened on U.S. Highway 84, three miles west of Mt. Enterprise.