KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Smith County has cancelled jury duty for today. Smith County residents who were planning to report for jury duty with their yellow cards don’t have to make the trip to the county courthouse. No new panels will be needed today, Smith County Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett said. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety is adding an East Texas man to its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list. He is Blake Everett Reed, 32. In September 2016, Reed is said to have assaulted a Wood County woman. He was arrested and charged with multiple felonies by the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Reed was released on bond several days later. Since last May the Wood County Sheriff’s Office has issued multiple warrants for Reed’s arrest. The DPS says Reed is a violent criminal who has ties to Wood and Smith counties, including the cities of Hawkins, Mineola and Tyler. A cash reward of up to $5,000 is now being offered for information leading to his arrest.

AUSTIN – Governor Gregg Abbott has announced that the state will be providing $23 million in grant funding for rifle-resistant vests to police departments across the state. Legislation was passed by the legislature creating the funding for the grant program. The grants will provide law enforcement officers from 453 different jurisdictions around the state with a total of 32,842 rifle-resistant vests designed to protect against high caliber rounds. Among the vests coming to East Texas, 72 will be going to Gregg County and 59 are earmarked for Van Zandt County. Continue reading Bulletproof Vests for East Texas Law Officers

NACOGDOCHES – Nacogdoches authorities are looking for a driver who may have seen a car driven by a murder suspect. Around 6:00 Monday night, the suspect’s vehicle pulled onto Farm Road 225 from the Gravel Ridge Church. The vehicle pulled out in front of a vehicle whose driver blew their horn at the at the suspect’s vehicle. They are urging for this witness to come forward with any information they may have of the vehicle. Details about the murder have not been released. The Nacogdoches County Sheriff Office and the Texas Rangers along with the medical examiner’s office are working to identify the victim in the case. The victim is a white male that appears to be in his mid-thirties to early forties.

OVERTON – Overton School Superintendent Stephen DuBose has received a contract extension. During the Monday night meeting, school trustees went into executive session for the evaluation and contract of the superintendent. When they returned to open session, the board extended the superintendent’s contract through the 2021 contract period. DuBose has been in education over 30 year. He has served as athletic director and high school principal in Overton ISD. He was named interim superintendent in June, 2013, following the resignation of Superintendent Alan Umholtz. A month later Dubose was named as the lone finalist for the post. In 2014, school trustees extended his contract through 2017.

LIBERTY CITY – The Department of Public Safety has identified the victim of a weekend accident in Gregg County. The accident occurred on Interstate Highway 20, a mile west of Liberty City shortly after 4:00 Sunday afternoon. The victim, 71 year old Allen W. Gary, of Mendenhall, Mississippi, died in a Longview hospital Monday afternoon. Witnesses told the Department of Public Safety, Gary’s pickup was heading east when the vehicle swerved onto the right side shoulder, then back onto the roadway and crossed both eastbound lanes. The pickup ended up in the grass center median where the vehicle rolled numerous times.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A man wanted for a parole violation is arrested near Chandler Monday. Henderson County Deputies were conducting a traffic stop when they discovered David Thomsen, 51, was wanted on an outstanding parole violation warrant. The deputies also found methamphetamines in his vehicle. Thomsen was booked into the Henderson County Jail.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man has drawn a prison sentence for a drug violation. According to the district attorney’s office, Walter Dixon, 59, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in an amount of more than 200 grams. The substance was methamphetamine. Dixon was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He was enhanced to habitual offender status due to two prior felony convictions. The charge stemmed from a Department of Public Safety arrest last June. Dixon was arrested after police found 260 grams of methamphetamine in his pickup after a traffic stop, police chase and a wreck.

TYLER – While we are shivering in cold winter weather, Tyler is looking forward to a spring event. Applications are now being accepted to be an Azalea Belle at the 59th Annual Azalea and Spring Flower Trail. It runs March 16th through April 1st. The invitation is open to freshman and sophomore high school girls living in Smith County who will enjoy working with people. The girls must be academically eligible and are required to attend certain events and trainings. Applications are due by 5:00pm, January 23rd. Continue reading Girls Sought to be Tyler Azalea Belles

GILMER – An East Texas man has entered a guilty plea at the start of his murder trial in Gilmer. Decorian Quantez Robbins, 19, of Avinger, entered the guilty plea Monday morning. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison in the death of Kendrick Lemichael Jackson, 29. He was found shot to death March 28th in his home in the Lafayette community in northern Upshur County. Three others are also charged in the case. One of them, Xavier Mumphrey, 19, of Kilgore, pleaded guilty in the case last month. He will be sentenced sometime this month.

LEIGH – A death in Harrison County is being investigated as a homicide. The body of Joshua Ray Tillery, 31, of Marshall, was found late Sunday afternoon. The body was in an abandoned house in the Leigh community, in Eastern Harrison County. The body was sent to a Tyler lab for autopsy. The initial investigation indicated what appears to be a gunshot wound was found on the body. Tillery has previous drug arrests on his record and they are trying to determine if the death was related to drug activity.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Two persons have been arrested in Henderson County on drug charges. Booked into the county jail were Robert Lewis White, 60, of Lindale, and Michelle Meador Cain, 51, of Murchison. Early Monday morning, White was pulled over on Forest Grove Drive south of Chandler. Currently on parole for possession of a controlled substance, a deputy found methamphetamine in several clear, plastic Ziploc baggies, a digital scale commonly used to weigh the drug for distribution and several empty baggies. He also had pill bottles containing the drug and marijuana. He has been charged with manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance. Continue reading Smith County Man Busted for Drugs in Henderson County

AUSTIN — A $1 million prize in the Texas Lottery scratch ticket game Texas Lottery Gold has been claimed by a resident of Bullard. According to a news release, the claimant elected to remain anonymous. For selling the winning ticket, the local Brookshire Food Store is eligible for a $10,000 retailer bonus. This was the third of five top prizes worth $1 million available in the game to be claimed. Texas Lottery Gold offers more than $75.2 million in total prizes. Overall odds of winning any prize in the game are one in 3.09, including break-even prizes.

LONGVIEW – Drivers will see some changes on Longview’s Cotton Street beginning Tuesday. That’s when the street will be opening from Green Street to Mobbberly Avenue and closing westbound, allowing eastbound one-way traffic from Mobberly Avenue to MLK Boulevard. The purpose of the project is to replace deteriorated utilities and pavement, and add sidewalks. Drivers wishing to travel west along Cotton Street between Mobberly and MLK must use alternate routes along Oden Street or Marshall Avenue (Highway 80). Through traffic will be allowed to travel one way eastbound along Cotton from Mobberly to MLK. You’re urged to use caution if traveling this route due to heavy construction. The closure is expected to last until late this year.

MARSHALL – An accident in Harrison County has killed a Hallsville teenager. Killed Sunday was Wyatt Thomas Edwards, 18. The Department of Public Safety said Edwards left his vehicle to stand on the pickup’s running board while it was moving. He lost his footing and received a fatal head injury when he hit the roadway. A passenger in the pickup was not injured. The accident occurred on County Road 3023, just east of Marshall.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of December January 8. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones. Tyler Maintenance plans to continue base repair work on the Loop 323 Extension and edge repairs on FM 16 between FM 757 and US 271. Expect lane closures with flaggers conducting traffic control at both locations. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/001-2018.html to find updates on the various projects in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

TYLER – A two vehicle accident in Smith County has killed Olivia Brown Drew, 56, of Flint. The wreck occurred just after 4:30 Saturday afternoon on County Road 46, just under a mile north of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety reports Drew’s pickup was heading south on State Highway 110. Her pickup left the roadway, traveled through a fence and then several hundred yards through private property where it then struck a car that was parked next to a residence on the county road. Drew was pronounced dead at the scene.

TYLER – A two vehicle collision near the intersection of West Grande and Shady Oaks Drive has killed a Tyler man. Dead at the scene was Rodney Dean Kolac, 69. The accident happened shortly before 10:30 Sunday morning. Investigators say Kolac’s car was traveling east went it went out control in a S-curve. It then ended up in the west bound lane where it hit a pickup. The pickup’s driver was taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment of with non-life threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW – A lone gunman has robbed a Longview bank. It happened Friday just before 6:00pm, at the Chase Bank branch on Judson Road at Loop 281. The suspect, a white male, fled with an undisclosed amount of money. No injuries were reported.

TYLER – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Brookshire’s Grocery Company with 8 violations due to the September 1st ammonia leak in Tyler. It an exclusive report by KETK, “on December 5, OSHA released their full report to Brookshire’s which stated their findings. They cited the company with 8 “serious” violations; serious being the lower ranking. The citations included maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes; process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals; hazardous waster operations and emergency response.” Each of the violations cost nearly $8,000 dollars. The total of the fine issued to Brookshire’s is more than $63,000.” Continue reading OSHA Cites Brookshire’s For Safety Violations Due to an Ammonia Leak, Company Issues a Statement

TYLER – A detective with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department has died. Sheriff Larry Smith said on the department’s Facebook page that Anthony Broyles failed to show up for work on Friday. Department personnel, along with Boyle’s mom, found him dead at his home. It appears as if he died of natural causes. According to Sheriff Smith, “Anthony was a gentle giant who worked hard in spite of his recent illness. He will be greatly missed.” Funeral arrangements are pending.

KILGORE – A suspect has been named in a Kilgore murder that occurred on New Year’s eve. He is Dwight Patrick Scott, 51. He is wanted for the death of Tracy Lynn Reedy, 50. She was found about 11:30 that evening on a sidewalk at The Village on Meadowgreen Drive apartments in southeast Kilgore. Kilgore detectives have obtained a murder warrant for Scott. The bond was pre-set at $1 million. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the shooting or where Scott can be found can contact Kilgore detective Jim Rowe.

TYLER – A student at Robert E Lee High School has been treated and released from a Tyler hospital after being hit by a vehicle on the campus. The student, whose name has not been released, was hit in the horseshoe area of the campus parking lot shortly after 9:15 Friday morning. The accident occurred as the student was changing classes. TISD Executive Director Communications and PR, Dawn Parnell, said due to the current design of the campus, some students have cross through the horseshoe parking lot when traveling to classes. Currently the campus is being remodeled and once completed all classrooms will be in one building.

LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University has been named to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the Best College Values for 2018 nationwide. LETU was ranked 83rd on the magazine’s list of 100 best values among private universities for the third consecutive year. Kiplinger’s quality measures, which are weighted more heavily than cost, include the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. The cost criteria include sticker price, financial aid and average debt at graduation. Kiplinger restricts its analysis to measurable standards of academic quality and affordability and was the first ranking to focus on value.

SMITH COUNTY – A two vehicle accident east of Tyler, in Smith County, has left one person dead and one injured. The wreck occurred just before 1:30 Friday afternoon at the intersection of Farm Roads 2767 and 2908. Dead at the scene was Robert McLouth, 34, of Arp. Taken to a Tyler hospital for treatment was Blake Owens, 28, of Tyler. The Department of Public Safety report says Owens’ SUV had entered the intersection and was hit by McLouth’s pickup, which had failed to yield the right of way at the intersection.

LONGVIEW – A Longview Fire Department official has been injured in an early morning wreck. It happened around 2:45 Friday morning on East Marshall Avenue. Taken to a Longview hospital, where he was treated and released, was Deputy Fire Marshal Bert Scott. His fire department SUV was stopped at a traffic light when it was rear ended by a vehicle driven by Micah Trumond Armstong, 23, of Longview. He was not injured but was arrested for driving while intoxicated, his second DWI in a year’s time. Continue reading Longview Fireman Injured in Wreck

RUSK — More help is on the way for East Texans battling mental health issues. KETK reports $4.5 million will be used to revamp parts of Rusk State Hospital. Officials say they have been under -funded for years, so parts of the building eroded, and hospital units have had to close. New improvements will include a 100-bed maximum security unit. Construction could begin as early as 2019.

TOOL – A Henderson County man has been busted on drug charges. Randall Caroll Palmer, 69, of Tool, was arrested Thursday at a residence on Kingsway Drive in the Royal Oaks Subdivision. Armed with a search warrant, investigators found a clear plastic baggie and a pill bottle which contained a crystal like substance believed to be methamphetamines. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail on a charge of felony possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $8,500.

NEW LONDON – One person has died in a Rusk County accident. The one vehicle accident occurred around 7:30 Friday morning on State Highway 42, just over a mile and a half south of New London. Dead at the scene was 21 year old Zachary Hunter Reynolds of Overton. The Department of Public Safety says his car was heading south when it left the road, hit a tree and caught fire. The accident remains under investigation.