KTBB News, Weather, Talk

KILGORE – A hit and run accident in Kilgore remains under investigation. It is believed to have occurred between 9:00 and 10:00pm on Wednesday, May 23rd on Green Hills Road. A pedestrian was severely injured but is expected to make a full recovery. Detectives say they do not believe this was an intentional act. They suspect it was an accident and the driver simply panicked and fled the scene. They are asking the driver to contact them. If you have any information about the accident you are asked to contact the Kilgore Police Department.

LINDALE – Lindale police are looking for a teenage runaway. She is Tabitha Tene and she was last seen near Raceway around 5:00 Saturday afternoon. She was last seen wearing a navy blue shirt with white writing (something about Jesus), black pants, and black shoes. She has long dark hair that was pulled up. She is about 5’5” and weighs 150 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She also has multiple scars on her left wrist and several string bracelets on her right wrist. They believe she may be headed to Tyler, but possibly has contacts in the Rockwall area. If you know where she may be found you are asked to contact Lindale police.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been charged in the death of his father. Jody Colston, 58, had been struck by a car driven by his son, Aaron Colston, 31. The father was found in a wooded area off East Gentry Parkway after 2:15 Saturday afternoon. The father was taken to a Tyler hospital where he died. The son told officers that he was backing a vehicle and was unaware that his father was behind it when he ran over him. After investigating officers smelled alcohol at the scene, the son was placed under arrest for criminally negligent homicide and booked into the Smith County Jail.

GLADEWATER – A pilot has escaped with minor injuries after his plane crashes into Lake Gladewater. It happened early this morning. The ultra-light plane has been recovered from the lake. Our news partner KETK reports are the pilot was trying to land the plane on the lake when it flipped. Both the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating are investigating the crash.

KILGORE – Kilgore police are investigating the theft of items from a car belonging to a Rusk County Sheriff’s investigator. The break-in occurred on the night of Wednesday, May 23 or early morning of Thursday, May 24 while the car was parked at the Stoneridge Apartments on South Danville Road. The vehicle was entered by breaking windows and forcing open a toolbox. Taken was a handgun, body armor, a significant amount of ammunition, knives, clothing, a GPS and other miscellaneous items. Kilgore detectives are reviewing video from the area and asking anyone with information to contact the Kilgore Police Department or Gregg County Crimestoppers.

TYLER – After being closed for around an hour, the south bound lanes of Loop 323, just south of Walton Road, have been reopened. They were closed shortly after 1:45 Friday afternoon following a two vehicle accident. It occurred when a 71 year old driver, heading north, became ill and passed out. His pickup ended up in the southbound lanes where it hit a vehicle head-on. Both drivers were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

NACOGDOCHES – A Nacogdoches woman is being accused of starving her mother to death. Charged with injury to the elderly is Melissa Miller Broussard, 40. In February, her mother, Elizabeth Inez Cooper, 84, was taken to the hospital, where she later died. An investigation was started when it was noted that her body was emaciated. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was due to dehydration and emaciation due to elder neglect. Investigators said the suspect had the means to provide health care, and other basic essential needs for the victim, but failed to do so. Sheriff Jason Bridges said the woman was in horrendous condition at the time of her death, which could have been prevented by the suspect. He said the case of neglect occurred over a long time span.

KILGORE – The Kilgore Police Department has set up an exhibit to show you the dangers of leaving children or animals in a hot car. They have put together an interactive simulation call Project Hot Car. It is designed to show you how quickly the inside of a car can become hot and cause a heat stroke. The car is parked at Walmart on Stone Street. You will see the temperature go up and the day goes along. The display also contains some information about the state laws on leaving children and animals in a car. Kilgore police say, on the average, 37 children die each year from heat stroke. Countless other children are injured. There are no good stats on animals.

SMITH COUNTY – More accidents have been reported today on Interstate Highway 20. Following two wrecks yesterday, The Department of Public Safety worked two accidents in the west bound lanes near the 544 and 546 mile markers. This would be near the Smith and Van Zandt county line. The wreckage has been cleared and traffic is flowing normally.

AUSTIN – A Henderson County man is one of 5 persons to be appointed to a state panel. Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Donald Donnie Lewis of Athens to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. His term is set to expire on August 31 of next year. Lewis is a staff pharmacist for Malakoff Pharmacy and Tyler Hematology Oncology Pharmacy. According to a news release from the governor’s office, the board fosters the provision of quality pharmaceutical care and regulates the practice of pharmacy in accordance with the highest standards of ethics, accountability, efficiency, effectiveness and openness.

LONGVIEW — No injuries reported after a small plane crashed in a Longview neighborhood. According to the DPS report, the accident happened just after 7:30 this morning in the Mission Creek subdivision, between Airline Road and East Loop 281. The pilot has been identified as Randall Coggin, 74, of Longview, who advised that he had made repairs to the plane and was testing it when he experienced engine failure and made a hard landing. The aircraft took off from a private runway approximately two miles from the crash site. Coggin and his passenger Coby Melvin, 67, of Longview, were treated and released at the scene. Officials from the NTSB and FAA are en route to the scene for further investigation.

TYLER – The National Weather Service reports the month of May was much warmer and much drier than normal. In fact, it was the second warmest and fifth driest May. The 30 day outlook for May 2018, issued on April 19, called for near normal temperatures and near normal precipitation. When revised on April 30, it called for near normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. The average temperature was 78.9 F., and rainfall was 0.87 inch. The warmest May was 79.5 in 1896 and 1998, while the driest May was in 1998 with 0.02 inch. Compared with May 2017, the month was 6.5 deg. Warmer and 4.34 inches drier. Year-to-date rainfall was 1.92 inches less in 2018 than in 2017. The spring of 2018, though 0.5 degree cooler than spring 2017, which was the fourth warmest spring, still saw well above normal temperatures. The mean was 68.4, 2.6 degrees warmer than normal. Rainfall was 4.11 inches below normal at 7.59 inches. March and May were very warm, while April was cool; March saw near normal rainfall, while April and May saw below normal precipitation.

ATHENS – A Silver Alert has been discontinued for a Henderson County man. The Sheriff’s Office Friday morning reported Johnny Robert Bandy, 78, of Athens, has been located. The previous report stated he was last seen around 1:15 Thursday afternoon heading to a residence in Athens, but never arrived. Additional details were not released.

REKLAW – A two vehicle accident in Cherokee County has killed one person and left three injured. It happened around 1:15 Thursday afternoon on U.S. Highway 84, four miles west of Reklaw. Dead at the scene was Bridget Stinson, 46, of Rusk. Two passengers in her car were injured. Lindsey Fannin, 18, of Rusk, is being treated at a Tyler hospital while a two year old child was taken to a Dallas hospital. The driver of the other vehicle, Cole Falzerano, 19, of Miford, is also in a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety report said the accident happened when Falzerano was passing in a no passing zone and his pickup hit Stinson’s car.

LUFKIN – The FBI in Lufkin is seeking the public’s help in identifying the man who robbed an Alto bank on May 25. They say he is considered armed and dangerous. The man entered the BancorpSouth Bank on Marcus Street, armed with a semi-automatic handgun. After ordering the tellers to open the bank vault, he fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. He is described as a black male, between 5 feet 7 to 10 inches tall, ranging in age from 25 to 40 and weighing around 160 to 190 pounds. He was wearing a camouflage jacket and hat, shorts, dark sunglasses, a mask and hand gloves. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Lufkin Resident Agency at 936-637-3834 or the FBI Dallas Field Office at 972-559-5000.

NEW YORK (AP/STAFF) – Sears is closing another 72 stores after reporting first-quarter losses and plunging sales. Five Texas stores are on the list, but none in East Texas. On the list is a K-Mart store in Laredo and Sears stores in Lewisville, Fort Worth, Cedar Park and Denton.

TYLER – The Smith County Elections Office is still allowing the public to view new voting machines the county is considering buying. The machines have been set up in the Smith County Elections Office lobby since May 10, and will continue to be there for the public to view through Thursday of next week. Since they were put on display, 61 persons have reviewed the machines and filled out a survey about what they thought of them. Most of those were people in the office to vote during the Primary Run-Off Election. Smith County Elections Administrator Karen Nelson said the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The 350 voting machines will cost the county $1.3 million. The company will buy back the old, outdated machines for $339,000.

TYLER – It is time for graduation ceremonies for Tyler’s two high schools. Both will take place at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium. John Tyler High School will graduate on Friday night at 8:00. The gates will open at 7:00. Robert E. Lee High School will graduate on Saturday night at 8:00 and the gates will open at 7:00. The graduation ceremonies will also air live on TISD-TV Channel 19 and the district website.

SMITH COUNTY – Two four vehicle accidents were reported this afternoon on Interstate Highway 20. The first one was at mile marker 571, just west of Highway 271. The second one occurred at mile marker 575 and it has been cleared. The one near 271 has nearly been cleared. Exercise caution when driving in the area.

EUSTACE – A Henderson County couple were taken to a Tyler hospital following a traffic accident, in which authorities say a man was intentionally hit and killed. Robert Clayton Bradley, 28, and a woman were heading toward Athens Wednesday when they saw Robert Abbott, 30, waking along Farm Road 2709 in the Eustace area. Henderson County authorities say Bradley made a u-turn and, at a high speed, hit Abbott with his truck. The truck then went into a pasture and hit a tree. Bradley was later arrested at his home, which was nearby. After the investigation, Bradley was charged with murder. A state district judge set his bond at $2.5 million.

TYLER – Tyler Junior College public safety director Brent Chambers has been named to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board subcommittee on campus safety. Chambers, a retired FBI special agent, joined TJC in late 2017. Since joining TJC, Chambers has begun working to make TJC a training hub for area law enforcement and first responders. The subcommittee he has been named to will gather in Austin to discuss measures being taken to increase safety on Texas college campuses.

TYLER – Warrants have been issued for two men in connection with the Wednesday night shooting at Tyler’s Fun Forrest Park. Tyler Police are looking for 24 year old Davonta Tramane Hill and 23 year old Datreon Kentreal Jackson. Each were named in three warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. Continue reading Two Sought in Tyler Shooting

TYLER – ETMC EMS, now called UT Health East Texas EMS, has filed a motion to dismiss a suit against them filed by Champion EMS, which is affiliated with Christus Trinity Mother Frances Health System. ETMC EMS, Smith County, the city of Tyler and the Smith County EMS Administrative Agency were sued in April for allegedly creating a monopoly. The action seeking to dismiss the suit was filed Wednesday in 241st State District Court in Tyler. Champion’s suit was a counterclaim filed in response to ETMC EMS suing Champion in May of last year. The original suit claimed Champion was infringing on ETMC EMS’ right to be the exclusive ambulance provider in most of Smith County. Continue reading ETMC EMS Seeking to Have a Suit Against it Dismissed

TYLER – The East Texas Food Bank has announced the launch of their new Partners in Health Program. The program was developed in connection with St. Paul Children’s Medical Clinic and UT Health Northeast. It is designed to address what is called food insecurity, which has been described as a major public health problem in East Texas. Persons in food insecure households are more likely to report poorer health and depressive symptoms and have higher risks for chronic diseases. It also has a negative impact on children’s health and development and increases risks for acute infection, chronic illness, hospitalization and developmental and mental health problems. Continue reading A Recipe for Community Health

LONGVIEW – Another truck has gotten stuck under the infamous Green Street Bridge in Longview. The Longview Police Department blocked off the southbound lanes of South Green Street, from Tyler Street to Cotton Street, after a concrete truck became trapped under the bridge. The truck has been moved and the road reopened. Just last week, a semi got wedged under the bridge and had to be removed. The 11’2″ tall bridge is notorious for taking out the tops of vehicles who try to squeeze underneath. We’ll update this story as more information is made available.

LONGVIEW – A fatal accident in Longview remains under investigation. The car/pedestrian accident occurred just after 10:00 Tuesday night on East Marshall Avenue. Dead at the scene was Thomas David Drennan, 65, of Longview. He was walking in the inside eastbound lane, and according to witnesses, possibly attempting to cross the roadway. After the car hit him, the driver stopped and attempted to block traffic until emergency services arrived.

LONGVIEW – Alpine Road in Longview, which was partially closed to traffic due to a gas leak, has been reopened. The Longview Police Department reports traffic was blocked off from Marshall Avenue to Tryon Road with no traffic allowed in the area. Local businesses were even evacuated. The leak has been repaired and the road is open once again.

SMITH COUNTY – The Department of Public Safety has released the names of the three victims in a fatal accident on Interstate highway 20 on May 22nd. The four-vehicle accident caused hours of traffic tie-ups on the interstate in Smith County between Highway 155 and Farm Road.M 2015. The dead have been identified as Antonio Dixon, 45, of Longview, Jose Luis Mendoza-Lopez, 27, of Huntsville and Nemanja Spaasic, 29, of Coconut Creek Florida. The crash occurred when a car hit a pickup towing a flatbed trailer in the eastbound inside lane. At the same time, the driver of a truck tractor towing a semi-trailer, also traveling eastbound, took evasive action to the right and then left to avoid the collision. That action caused the truck and trailer to cross the center median and overturn in the westbound lanes, where it was hit by a westbound truck tractor towing a tanker trailer.

PALESTINE – A man said to be responsible for bomb threats in Palestine has been arrested. Charged with making a false alarm or report was Randall Smith, 54, of Palestine. Since the first of the year, there have been 17 bomb threats to businesses and the Palestine Regional Medical Center. Investigators say Smith is responsible for 16 of those threats. He was arrested at his home late Tuesday night. Smith is currently being held in the Anderson County Jail with bonds totaling $1 million. Additional charges are pending.