KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – Two Smith County residents are accused of trying to smuggle items into the county jail. They are Brittney Chene Boyd, 25, of Lindale and Andria Michelle Smith, 20, of Tyler. They are charged with a prohibitive substance or item in a correctional facility. Each is under a $25,000 bond. A deputy was patrolling the jail perimeter when she saw two women attempting to pass cigarettes over the wall. One was standing on top of the other one. They were immediately arrested. Continue reading Accused Jail Smugglers Arrested

AUSTIN — The Texas Medical Board has recently punished nearly 50 doctors across the state, one of whom is from Tyler — Dr. Norman Joel McCall. According to KETK, he was found to have violated a 2009 order under which he was required to attend an AA class and show the paperwork to the board. Now McCall has until April 1 to be evaluated by a psychiatrist and follow all recommendations for care and treatment.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A known drug dealer has been arrested after leading deputies on a high speed chase Thursday. The Henderson County Sheriff said Bill Monday, 33, was believed to be in Athens with a large amount of illegal narcotics. He refused to stop his motorcycle and led law enforcement on a lengthy chase through Athens before he was eventually arrested. Monday was booked into the Henderson County Jail on several charges including manufacture and delivery of a substantial amount of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and evading arrest.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to a report of shots fired on Shiloh Road just before 9:30 Thursday night. Witnesses said the shots were fired at The Waterton on Shiloh and that the possible suspect left the scene. Witnesses followed the suspect to Chelsea Creek Apartments until officers arrived. Juan Carlos Garcia, 21, was believed to be the person of interest. A gun was found at the scene. Garcia was booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of robbery, deadly conduct, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana. Bond has not been set. No injuries were reported.

TYLER – Azalea Orthopedics has named Anthony Brooks as its new Chief Executive Officer. His appointment was effective February 26. Brooks previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of Longview Regional Medical Center since 2016. Prior to that he was the Chief Financial Officer for Sparks Health System in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and later as the Assistant CEO for Sparks Health System – Van Buren.

KILGORE – Three years of work will come to an end Saturday with the opening of a new Kilgore sports complex.A baseball tournament will open the complex. There are six baseball fields at the site, which is across from Driller Park on South Commerce. It will be known as the Whataburger Sports Complex because they signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights. They paid $50,000 up front and will pay $20,000 a year for the next ten years. The city paid for the complex with $2.2 million from the Kilgore Economic Development Corporation. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Saturday morning at 11:00.

MARSHALL – A Henderson woman is accused of providing false documents to get a job. The case against Stephanie Garcia, 29, first surfaced last November. The complaint maintained Garcia had been practicing nursing without a license at Davita Dialysis in Marshall. Investigators say they discovered that she had used another person’s license number in order to get the job. Garcia was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Harrison County Jail under a $35,000 bond.

TYLER – The 59th Annual Azalea and Spring Flower trail begins in Tyler Friday morning. It all starts at 10:00 with the ribbon cutting and opening ceremony in the garden of the Pyron home on West Dobbs Street. Then, through April 1st, thousands will visit to see the blooming azaleas, dogwoods and spring flowers. There are two marked routes, the Lindsey Trail and the Dobbs Trail. Along with the flowers and the azalea belles greeting you at the many gardens, there is a host of activities, including a horse show, quilt show, an arts and crafts show at Bergfeld Park and the East Texas Symphony Concert. Continue reading It Is Azalea Time in Tyler

TYLER — An arrest warrant has been served for an already-jailed suspect in a Tyler credit union holdup — who’s also accused in several other bank and business robberies around the state. Wayne Alan Watson of Ft. Worth, who turns 58 on Friday, is accused in a December 1 gunpoint heist at the Altra Federal Credit Union on Highway 64 West in Tyler. On February 13, Watson was arrested at his home and turned over to Wichita Falls police during a raid by numerous agencies. Watson is being held in the Fannin County Jail under the supervision of the the U.S. Marshals Service. His bond was set at $250,000 by Judge Christi Kennedy of Tyler on a charge of aggravated robbery.

HARLETON — Harleton ISD announced Wednesday the resignation of their superintendent after he was reinstated following an investigation. According to KETK, action had been taken against Dr. Greg Coleman at a school board meeting on February 20. He was placed on leave during the investigation, however, the school district never released a reason for their decision. In the most recent release, the school board cited a difference in philosophy. The school board will soon begin its search for a new superintendent as not to disrupt the district’s operations. Tina Cox is the current acting superintendent. Coleman had been the superintendent for the school district since 2007.

PALESTINE – The University of Texas at Tyler Innovation Academy in Palestine may close at the end of the school year. UT Tyler spokesman Lucas Roebuck told the Palestine Herald-Press the school building failed the fire marshal’s inspection in August. UT Tyler President Michael Tidwell outlined the university’s strategic plans to Palestine City Council members on Monday. He did not say anything about closing the school. They are working on holding a public meeting with parents and students in Tyler Monday to discuss the situation. The charter school has over 200 students from second through 11th grades.

EAST TEXAS – The cleanup continues in the wake of the east Texas storms that killed two persons. A Longview man died when a Sunday morning storm toppled a tree onto his mobile home. At the Brushy Creek Campground at Lake o’ the Pines, high winds blew a tree onto a tent. A woman was killed and her husband seriously injured. Their three children escaped injury. The Corp of Engineers has released pictures of some of the damage around the lake. There are so many trees down, it is still hard to reach some sites. The damage is so extensive, they say it could be several months before the campground will reopen.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness is asking for items that will go in homeless outreach bags. The bags could include such items as individually wrapped bottled water, pulled top caned food and trail mix. You can also donate new socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes as well as plastic forks and spoons. The task for says, by providing nonperishable items rather than cash, you can help meet someone’s immediate need without feeding a possible addiction. The items are being collected at the Longview Public Library during regular hours. The bags will be distributed at the Homeless Resource Day on March 24 at the Longview Fire Department Training Center at Teague Park.

MARSHALL — A former East Texas district clerk has been arrested again. Mellinda Craig, a former Harrison County district clerk, was arrested Tuesday for theft of a firearm. The stolen gun was found in her home while police officers investigated her son’s involvement in a recent double homicide in Marshall. Thomas Andrew Craig, 18, of Hallsville, is charged with evidence tampering; he’s said to have hidden the gun that killed a Marshall couple. While Mellinda Craig is not believed to have been involved in the capital murder, she was arrested and charged for having the stolen gun. She was elected to be Harrison County’s district clerk in 2010 but was removed from office during 2014 following an arrest for numerous assault and deadly conduct charges.

TYLER — Once again, from March 16 through March 22, Habitat for Humanity of Smith County will transform Tyler’s downtown T.B. Butler Plaza with a fun and colorful display of children’s playhouses. That follows Wednesday’s delivery of the playhouses to the Plaza. The grand finale on the 22nd includes a ticketed dinner and live auction hosted by Jack Ryan’s Steak and Chophouse across the street. You can check the ktbb.com calendar of events or visit http://www.playhousesontheplaza.com for more information or to purchase your event ticket online.

PALESTINE – One person has been wounded in a Palestine shooting. It happened shortly before 9:00 Monday night on San Jacinto Street. First taken to a Palestine hospital, and later flown to a Tyler hospital, was Carlos Scott, 34, of Palestine. Investigators say he had suffered multiple gun shot wounds. The investigation is ongoing.

LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University theology professor Jonathan Lett has been awarded a grant to travel during the next two summers to Oxford, England. He will be working in an enhanced summer program developing interdisciplinary skills in science and religion. The grant is provided by Bridging the Two Cultures of Science and the Humanities II, a project run by Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford. This is a British subsidiary of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, with funding by Templeton Religion Trust and The Blankemeyer Foundation. The two month-long summer research seminars in Oxford start this summer.

LONGVIEW – The Sears store in the Longview Mall is one of four Sears stores and four adjacent Sears Auto Centers being bought by Washington Prime Group. The Ohio-based real estate group owns and manages the mall. According to the company website, Sears will continue to operate the properties. The Company will have control of these properties for future redevelopment should Sears decide to close them. The purchase price for all the properties is $28.5 million. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of the year.

KILGORE – Kilgore police are trying to identify two men involved in a burglary last month. It occurred February 27th at East Texas Warehouse and Storage on Warehouse Drive. If you can identify these men, you are asked to contact the Kilgore Police Department or Gregg County Crimestoppers at 903-236-STOP.

LONGVIEW – A former Spring Hill coach admitted to administrators he had an improper relationship with a student. That information is contained in a warrant that was filed Monday in the case of Jacob Vincent Badgett, 25, of Longview. He is currently free on a $50,000 bond following his arrest last week. The Longview News Journal reports, the day before his arrest, Badgett told the athletic director to “call 911.” He said he “had an explicit relationship with a student.” Badgett also resigned the day before his arrest.

SULPHUR SPRINGS (AP) – Texas and federal agriculture authorities are testing birds and poultry in a northeast Texas county after inspectors detected a low-pathogenic form of avian flu at a poultry farm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the H7N1 influenza was found last week during routine surveillance of a commercial breeder’s flock of about 24,000 chickens in Hopkins County, about 75 miles northeast of Dallas. Authorities now are testing other poultry within about 6 miles of the Hopkins County farm. Federal officials last week confirmed a similar occurrence at a turkey farm in southwestern Missouri but said it poses no risk to the food chain.

CHAPEL HILL – Chapel Hill High School teacher William Perkins has been charged with of the display of harmful material to minor. He surrendered at the Smith County Jail shortly after noon on Monday and was later released on a $2,500 bond. At school, Perkins is said to have had a laptop that was displaying multiple pornographic images. Several students recorded the images and reported them to school personnel. Perkins’s laptop was seized and the case was forwarded to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division for investigation. After getting a search warrant, officers found multiple images on the laptop’s hard drive. Investigators say the pictures were sexually explicit.

TYLER — The new logo for the University of Texas at Tyler is now officially in use following a recent unveiling. UT System regents had approved several variations for the logo last month. UTT President Dr. Michael Tidwell says the new design focuses on the four pillars of the university’s five-year strategic plan. Those include student success, student experience, research and scholarship, and community engagement.

LAKE FORK – For the third time in less than two weeks, Lake Fork has delivered what many anglers dream about for a lifetime – a 13-pound-plus largemouth bass. Angler Alex Finch, of North Richland Hills, landed the 13.06 pound Legacy Class largemouth bass during a solo fishing trip March 11. The catch checked off a “bucket list” item he’s been aiming at for years. The fish is now in the “Lunker Bunker” at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The fish’s roommates are two other Legacy Class entries for the season. One caught on March 8th and one on March 2nd.

ATHENS — An East Texas mom is indicted, accused of exposing her kids to meth. Crystal Bass from Gun Barrel city is charged with two counts of endangering a child. An arrest affidavit indicates Child Protective Services called the sheriff’s office and a six-year-old child along with a five-year-old child tested positive for meth exposure in December.

NACOGDOCHES – Nacogdoches County authorities have filed more charges in a probe of a theft ring ring that is responsible for 26 car burglaries. Warrants have been obtained on Kawmain Singleton, 23, of Center and Jamonie Nash 18, of Timpson. Jamarcus Suell, 23, from Lufkin, who sheriff investigators have established was one of the ring leaders in this theft ring, remains in jail on 20 counts of burglary of a motor vehicle. Investigators say this theft ring was responsible for car burglaries in Nacogdoches County, Sabine County, Shelby County, San Augustine County, and Angelina County, and may be possible linked to cases in Newton and Cherokee counties.

TYLER – The city of Tyler will be featured in an upcoming program on C-SPAN. During a news conference Monday, it was announced this is part of an effort to highlight the history and literary stories of cities across America. C-SPAN’s 2017 Cities Tour takes two shows on the road – Book TV and American History TV. According to a city news release, they visited various literary and historic sites, interviewed local historians and non-fiction authors, and conducted educational and community outreach, wrapping up their filming this morning. Tyler’s program will air on May 5 and May 6 on the BookTV show on C-SPAN2 and on the American History TV show on C-SPAN3.

TYLER – In an effort to stop drunk drivers, the Tyler Police Department will have extra patrols out during spring break this week. In Texas each year, over half of drivers involved in deadly drunk driving crashes are between the ages of 17 and 34. The Tyler Police Department and law officers across the state have increased DWI patrols. It’s an effort to identify and stop impaired drivers. During last year’s spring break in Texas, there were 410 crashes involving young drivers who were driving under the influence of alcohol. Those crashes killed 20 people and seriously injured another 48. Officers are urging drivers to plan a sober ride as part of their spring break activities. The increased enforcement runs through March 20th.

LONGVIEW – The investigation of a fatal Longview fire continues. Randall Russell and his daughter, Lisa Russell Tesmer died in the Cherie Lane fire around 11:00 Friday evening. Fire Marshal Kevin May said Monday they have yet to rule on the cause of the fire. According to the police department’s Facebook page, the residents in the adjacent duplex were not injured.

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has appointed 12 persons to the Governor’s Commission for Women. He reappointed to the panel Laura Koenig Young of Tyler. Young is president of sales and marketing for Brighton Collectibles. Her term will expire December 31st, 2019. The committee has been asked to develop a strategy and to implement a plan to help make Texas the number one state for women-owned businesses. It will also help address the issue of human trafficking and help rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Harvey.