KTBB News, Weather, Talk

GILMER – Four persons are now in custody in an Upshur County murder. Kendrick Jackson, 29, was shot to death at his home northeast of Gilmer shortly before 6:30 Tuesday night. Arrested in the case are Devontay Hunter, 20, of Lone Star, (pictured) Alize Sharda McFall, 20 of Kilgore, Keishawn Mumphrey, 19, of Kilgore and Decorian Quantez Robbins, 19, of Lone Star. All four are charged with first degree murder. No word on what led to the shooting.

TYLER – You will find 8 playhouses on the Tyler Plaza today. They are being auctioned off as a fund raising project for Habitat for Humanity for Smith County. All eight are custom made. Habitat’s Deanna Harrison says you can bid for them on line at the Habitat for Humanity of Smith County website. The high bid for each playhouse will then be part of a live auction on Thursday, April 6th at Jack Ryan’s Steak and Chophouse. Continue reading Playhouse Community on the Tyler Plaza

TYLER – The Tyler Fire Department recently expanded its Emergency Medical Services capabilities to improve treatment for Tyler residents. Since January, the department has implemented many changes to their EMS bags and staff training. This includes daily inventory checks, new equipment added to bags and Epinephrine distribution training and certification. Newly named Assistant Fire Chief Michael Frost says the system was put in place to ensure that there are no delays in the field due to searching for lifesaving equipment. He says, by having a universal set up for the EMS bags, firefighters can easily transfer from station to station without a learning curve of finding lifesaving equipment while on a call. Continue reading Tyler Fire Department Improves EMS Capabilities

GILMER – Upshur County authorities continue their investigation of a shooting death. Killed was Kendrick Lemichel Jackson, 29, of Pittsburg. It was reported shortly before 6:30 Tuesday night on Farm Road 1975, near the Lafayette community. This is about 13 miles northeast of Gilmer. He appeared to have died from a gunshot wound. No other information has been released, including the name of a possible suspect in the case.

TYLER – Members of the Camp Fannin Association Board of Directors presented to UT Health Northeast a handcrafted model ship that was built during WWII by a German prisoner of war who was held at Camp Fannin. UT Health Northeast now sits on the original location of Camp Fannin, a WWII Army training facility. The ship, a model yacht named “Garwood,” was built by Rudolph Mangles of Wesermuende, Germany, and was constructed of his own design from materials on hand. The model is on loan and is located at the entrance of the UT Health Northeast library. Continue reading Ship Donated By German POW on Display at UT Health Northeast

TYLER – A south Tyler manhunt has been called off after authorities were unable to find the suspect. Tyler police were assisting Sulphur Springs police in arresting Carae Martez Williams, 22, of Sulphur Springs, who was wanted for a probation violation. He is also a registered sex offender. Officers spotted him off the Old Jacksonville Highway. When he saw the officers, he fled into some nearby woods. Several agencies, assisted by a dog, unsuccessfully searched for him in the area northeast of the Old Jacksonville Highway and Grande Boulevard. Officers say the man may have been armed.

TYLER – University of Texas at Tyler professor Dr. William “Bill” Sorensen been named a Fulbright Scholar. The Fulbright Program is an international exchange initiative created in 1946. It awards grants to American scholars each year to teach or conduct research in the more than 125 nations throughout the world. With the award, Sorensen will travel during the spring 2018 semester to Brazil to teach epidemiology in a graduate nursing program. He also will conduct research with Brazilian colleagues on the topic of smoking cessation interventions in HIV individuals. Continue reading A Prestigious Honor For a UT Tyler Professor

LONGVIEW – A Longview shooting is under investigation. It happened around 1:30 Tuesday morning at the Palace Inn on East Marshall Avenue. The woman, whose name has not been released, is said to be hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Police are looking the person thought to be the shooter. Further information has not been released.

LONGVIEW – A Gladewater man is in custody after stolen items were found in his possession. A Longview policeman stopped Jeremy Lynn Young, 35, on 4th Street for a traffic violation. Officers noticed a wadded up check in the floorboard. In his backpack, they found more checks, mail, and credit cards belonging to various persons. Young was charged with fraudulent use or possession of identifying information. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail under a $10,000 bond.

TYLER – A Tyler woman has been charged with Exploitation of an elderly person. Picked up on a warrant by Tyler police around 1:00 Wednesday afternoon was 36 year old Latoya Sakeitha Erwin. She is accused of taking money out of her grandmother’s account without her knowledge. Police say the amount was less than $1,000. She is also charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance out of Ellis County and criminal trespassing. She remains in the smith County Jail under bonds totaling $40,500.

MALAKOFF (AP) – Thirty-eight cars of a Union Pacific freight train, including two locomotives, have derailed in a small East Texas town. Union Pacific spokesman Jeff DeGraff said the derailment happened about 6 p.m. Wednesday in Malakoff, a town of about 2,300 residents 70 miles southeast of Dallas. DeGraff said the derailment involved box, hopper, tanker and other freight cars. DeGraff said there were no injuries. He said no cause has been determined for the derailment and there is no estimate yet for how long the rail line will be closed.

TYLER – Smith County Commissioners have approved several interlocal agreements relating to the May elections. They have approved agreements with the Bullard, Arp and Winona School Districts and the cities of Lindale, Hideaway and Winona. Interlocal agreements were earlier approved for the City of Tyler, as well as the Tyler, Whitehouse and Chapel Hill School Districts. The agreements outline the authority and requirements of the Smith County Elections Office to provide services to conduct the school trustee and city council elections, as well as any special election being held. The elections are on Saturday, May 6th.

TYLER – Meals on Wheels gets some extra help delivering their meals in a six county area today. The group includes the mayor of Tyler and three Longview City Council members. Zoe Lawhorn with Meals on Wheels says this is part of a national awareness campaign that is organized by Meals On Wheels America. The March for Meals campaign helps build the support that will sustain the program all year long and helps build community awareness of the Meals on Wheels program. The Meals on Wheels Ministry currently serves 3,000 seniors and homebound persons in 30 communities in Smith, Gregg, Henderson, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood counties. Continue reading Local Officials Join the March for Meals

EAST TEXAS – Storms that came through Wednesday morning caused some travel problems around Longview. Some roads had to be closed because of downed trees and power lines. But those roads have since been reopened. Power outages were reported throughout the area. Many have had their power returned and the bulk of the remainder should be back on line by 7:00 tonight.

TYLER – Tyler police are looking for three suspects in a theft at a Tyler business. It happened around 3:45 Tuesday afternoon at the Simply Mac store store on South Broadway. Three black males are said to have taken six Macbook laptop computers valued at $9,300 from the display area. They cut the security wires and then ran out the store with the computers. The three were observed getting into a Silver SUV by a store employee who gave chase. Continue reading Tyler Theft Under Investigation

LONGVIEW – A Homeland Security investigation has resulted in the arrest of a Longview Woman. Phyllis King, 59, of Longview was arrested around 1:00 Tuesday afternoon. Longview police and the Gregg County Organized Drug Enforcement Unit assisted the U.S. Postal Inspectors and Homeland Security on serving the warrant at the house on Rawley Court. During the investigation, several different narcotics were found inside her house. Besides two charges of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, King was also charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

GILMER – A shooting death is under investigation in Upshur County. It was reported shortly before 6:30 Tuesday night on Farm Road 1975, near the Lafayette community, about 13 miles northeast of Gilmer. Sheriff’s deputies found one person dead at the scene. No other information has been released as the investigation is ongoing.

ATHENS – Two persons are in custody on separate drug charges. Acting on a tip, George Montgomery Jones, 21, of Chandler, was arrested for an outstanding warrant. During a search, a sheriff’s deputy found Jones in possession of marijuana and also discovered a clear plastic wrapper containing what appeared to be crack cocaine in his possession. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail. Continue reading Separate Drug Arrests in Henderson County

EAST TEXAS — A portion of a busy Northwest Longview road has been closed this morning due to down trees and power lines, according to the Longview Fire Department. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, the department reported around 6:50 a.m. on Twitter that McCann Road was closed between Hawkins Parkway and Spring Hill Road as storms continued to move through the region. Gilmer Road is also closed at Reel Road. Longview police reported at about 7:15 a.m. that the 1400 block of West Hawkins Parkway would be closed most of the day. AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co. was reporting nearly 1,700 customers without power near Longview shortly after 7:20 a.m. Showers and embedded thunderstorms are possible in East Texas throughout the day, according to the National Weather Service.

BULLARD — Bullard Independent School District had a delayed start for classes Wednesday, giving students a one-day reprieve from standardized testing. According to KETK, due to weather damage and lack of electricity on multiple campuses, Bullard ISD delayed classes until 10:00 a.m. All buses were delayed by two hours. STAAR testing scheduled for Wednesday has been rescheduled for Thursday. No word on the extent of any damage.

TYLER – As part of its 90th anniversary year, Tyler Junior College is honoring some of its most famous living alumni through a new program, the Legends of TJC. TJC President Dr. Mike Metke said, “We’re proud to announce Admiral Bobby R. Inman as our first honoree.” From TJC to an exemplary military career Admiral Bobby R. Inman was among the first group of students who rode a school bus from Mineola to attend classes at TJC.

Tuesday, the main lecture classroom in Jenkins Hall, TJC’s oldest and most iconic building, was dedicated and named Inman’s honor, with special memorabilia and historical mementos placed in the room reflecting his accomplishments. Continue reading Bobby Inman, First Legends of TJC Honoree

ATHENS – A contingent of law officers from Henderson and Anderson Counties have arrested a father and son on theft charges. It started with a Tuesday morning call of a truck stolen near Highway 19 South. The vehicle was tracked to the Gibson Road Apartments in Athens, where it was abandoned by the duo. They then got into another vehicle and traveled to Henderson County Road 1099 where they were pursued. Following a brief chase, they were captured on Henderson County Road 4600. Arrested were Stephen Wilcox, 44, and his son Dustin Wilcox, 26. They face charges including theft and Dustin is also facing the charge of evading arrest in a motor vehicle.

NACOGDOCHES – The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s office is investigating the death of a man who was run over by a fork lift. The accident occurred around 8:30 Monday night off Farm Road 2782, southwest of Nacogdoches. Killed was Rubio Munoz Rene, 39, of Center. He worked for a subcontractor of Pilgrims Poultry that was catching chickens at a local chicken farm. He was riding on the folk lift when it came to a stop. The victim slid down the side of the fork lift and underneath the front tires. The operator didn’t see him fall, and thought he had jumped off and went back to his work area. The fork lift operator then backed up over the victim. He died at a Nacogdoches hospital. Sheriff Jason Bridges stated that all early indications of this investigation appear that this was a very unfortunate accident.

TROUP – The city of Troup will be getting assistance in housing stray dogs. Smith County Commissioners have approved an interlocal agreement with the City of Troup to take its stray dogs into the Smith County Animal Shelter. According to the agreement, Troup will be responsible for responding to animal control matters within its city, then transporting the dogs to the Smith County Animal Shelter. The city will pay any fees associated with impoundment, testing, medical treatment or other services. Troup will pay Smith County $50 per dog that is brought to the shelter, as well as an additional $35 for each dog requiring euthanasia. The agreement between Smith County and the City of Troup is effective through Fiscal Year 2018. Continue reading Help for Stray Dogs in Troup

AUSTIN (AP) — Representative Matt Schafer of Tyler sought to ban transgender Texans from using public restrooms of their choice as part of a sweeping Railroad Commission bill. His action was thwarted by the house speaker. House Speaker Joe Straus ruled Tuesday that the rule wasn’t relevant. Schafer and other conservative Republicans challenged Straus with pointed questions, but couldn’t force a floor vote. The Texas Senate already has approved a separate, full bill requiring transgender people to use public bathrooms based on their birth-certificate gender. That proposal hasn’t yet reached the House floor, but may not pass given the uproar and costly boycotts that followed North Carolina approving a similar law last year.

LONGVIEW – LeTourneau University freshman biology major Nicholas Leonard of Kilgore, Texas, was awarded the 2nd place Orville Wyse Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement. The award is for his research and presentation recently at the American Society for Microbiology Texas Branch Conference in New Braunfels, Texas. Leonard is the first LETU student to receive an award at this highly competitive conference. Continue reading An Award for a LeTourneau University Student

LINDALE – A ribbon cutting ceremony this morning signaled the opening of Tyler Junior College North. The school is in The Cannery, Lindale’s new residential, entertainment and retail complex. TJC North will provide general education classes, nursing programs and the recently launched Veterinary Technician Program. Early last month, Dr. Cliff Boucher was named as interim dean for TJC North. He has been with the college since 2010.

KILGORE — A Tyler man is arrested for evading arrest, among other charges. According to Kilgore Police, an officer was attempting to stop a vehicle for speeding Monday afternoon on Highway 31 West. The driver, later identified as Ira Beall, 35, refused to obey and turned on 42 heading toward Longview Street in downtown Kilgore. Two officers inside a restaurant heard the situation on their radios and went outside just in time to see Beall driving down the street with his windows down, tossing items from the vehicle. The officers yelled for Beall to stop and he pulled over. Witnesses had picked up several pounds of marijuana and crack cocaine thrown from the car and turned it over to police. Beall was arrested and transported to the Kilgore City Jail.

NACOGDOCHES – A traffic stop in Nacogdoches County has resulted in four persons being arrested on drug charges. Their car was stopped around 4:30 Monday morning on Highway 259, because they didn’t dim their headlights to oncoming traffic. When deputies saw them acting very nervous, they asked the driver if there were any drugs in the vehicle. When the response was yes, a search turned up 160 pounds of codeine in the truck. The four men, all from Memphis, Tennessee, were taken into custody. Investigators are now working with Houston Police Department to try and identify if the drugs were possibly stolen from a pharmacy in the Houston area.

AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Senate has approved a bill sharply reducing gun license fees. Jacksonville Republican Senator Robert Nichols originally sought to scrap the full $140 fee for first-time licenses and the $70 charge for 5-year license renewals. But doing so would have cost Texas $55-plus million during a two-year state budget cycle. Instead, Nichols proposed reducing the first-time and renewal fee to $40 each. That means the bill will cost Texas about $15 million annually. It passed 26-5 Monday, and heads to the state House. Continue reading Texas Senate Approves Big Cuts to Statewide Gun License Fees