KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER –A newly-appointed committee held a meeting Thursday to redefine the rules of procedure, conduct and decorum for Smith County Commissioners Court. According to KETK, a handful of East Texans met to offer suggestions and changes they would like to see. Under the current rules, “the court will not allow a member of the public to question the integrity of the court or its members.” Attendees said they want to throw out that rule, adding it was an abridgement of their free speech. The suggestion comes after a regularly scheduled meeting, in which people questioned Smith County Judge Joel Baker’s alleged inappropriate conduct. Continue reading Proposed Changes for Smith County Commissioners Court Meetings

TYLER — A Tyler woman has been arrested following an aggravated robbery. Around 3:45 Friday morning, officers responded to the Food Fast, 1222 WSW Loop 323, after a reported hold-up. As they arrived, they noticed a white car speeding away from the scene. Following a traffic stop, Stella Wagner, 36, was taken into custody. Police said they found evidence of the crime in her car. She was charged with aggravated robbery, possession of a controlled substance and an outstanding warrant. Wagner was booked into the Smith County Jail.

HENDERSON (Staff/AP) — Jurors who will hold Bernie Tiede’s fate in their hands soon will have to decide who was scamming whom after hearing evidence from his five-year relationship with Marjorie Nugent. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the state rested its case at 2:24 p.m. Thursday in Tiede’s resentencing trial in Henderson. That left time for Tiede’s defense to begin building its case before court adjourned at 4:40 p.m. Continue reading State Rests, Defense Begins Case in Tiede Trial

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Police are investigating a hit and run accident in which Johnny Manziel was said to have been in the car. The former Cleveland Browns quarterback and former Tyler resident was said to be a passenger in a car that hit a light pole. It then fled the scene. USA Today reports the accident happened Wednesday on Sunset Boulevard. Manziel’s friend Ryan Silverstein was the car’s driver. There were no injuries.

LONGVIEW — A convicted felon has been busted in Longview. It started with officers noticing a car parked half way in the road way in the 500 block of Arkansas Street. The car then pulled into a driveway. As the driver stood beside the vehicle talking with officers, they saw gun on the seat. They also saw a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine. They learned 27 year-old Charles Ray Owens was a convicted felon and was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. A search of the car turned up just over 27 grams of meth. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance.

TYLER — Old Bullard Road at the Loop is closed and the work on the intersection is being extended. The Street closure had originally been set to end on Friday. That has now been extended through April 22nd. AAA Sanitation temporarily closed Old Bullard Road at the corner of Old Bullard Road and WSW Loop 323 to traffic from the Loop past the BBVC Compass driveway. Work will be done to tie into water and sewer for the Towne Oaks subdivision. Continue reading Roadwork Impacting Two Tyler Intersections

LINDALE — The Smith County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office has a new K-9 member on its team. KETK reports his name is Deputy Hunter. Constable Kenneth Bibby said he’ll replace Officer Ogar, who died in the line of duty earlier this year. In January, Ogar was shot and killed during a traffic stop near Lindale and I-20. 35-year-old Michael Koch is charged with Ogar’s death. Deputy Hunter came from Pacesetter K-9 in Liberty Hill — and his cost was covered by Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation.

NACOGDOCHES — A Houston man remains in the Nacogdoches County Jail following his arrest smuggling humans. In jail under a $50,000 bond is 33 year old Luis Fernando Elvir. He was stopped by sheriff’s deputies On U.S. Highway 59 North of Nacogdoches Tuesday afternoon. After his van was stopped for a traffic violation, in the van they found 7 persons from Guatemala and Honduras who where in the U.S. illegally. Deputies say he even admitted he was being paid to transport the people. The seven were taken to Livingston were there were turned over to immigration authorities.

TYLER — Drivers should expect delays at the intersection of South Broadway Avenue and Cumberland Road on Friday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. According to a news release, the City of Tyler Traffic Department will be placing this intersection in flash to move wiring for the Cumberland Road extension project. Tyler Police will be at the intersection helping to direct traffic. While work is taking place, drivers should expect multiple lane closures. Drivers are asked to remember to be aware of their surroundings, workers, and police officers. For further information, please contact the Traffic Department at (903) 531-1205.

VAN ZANDT — A Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office jailer is fired and arrested after officials discovered he was having “relations” with an inmate. Steven Barker, 22, Wills Point, was arrested Wednesday for sexual contact with a person in custody. During the investigation, it was determined Barker was having an improper relationship with a female inmate by writing letters and discussing “hooking up” when she was released. The female inmate admitted to having sexual contact with Barker. He’s being held at the Van Zandt County Jail pending arraignment for a state jail felony with a recommended bond of $50,000.

KILGORE — A State and FEMA Disaster Recovery Center opened at noon today in Kilgore. It is for homeowners, renters and business owners dealing with flooding damage between March 7 and 29 in Gregg County. Representative from state and federal agencies will be on hand to offer information about what assistance is available. The center is located at the Kilgore Chamber of Commerce, 813 North Kilgore Street. It will be open weekdays from 9:00 till 6:00 and on Saturday from 9:00 till 2:00. They are asking those seeking assistance to register by phone or on line if possible. Continue reading Recovery Center Opens in Kilgore

TYLER — Smith County’s first Rules of Decorum Committee meeting is set for 10 a.m. this morning in the Commissioners Courtroom of the Courthouse Annex and is open to the public. The committee, recently appointed by the Commissioners Court, is made up of several county employees, as well as county resident Richard Blake. Members of the public who are not on the committee can attend and speak on the issues. The committee will discuss the Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum at Commissioners Court meetings and will make recommendations on any suggested changes to the current rules and procedures to the Commissioners Court. Go to http://www.smith-county.com/Commissioners/Codification/documents/RulesOfDecorum10-16-12.pdf for the current rules, adopted by Commissioners in 2012.

GULFPORT, MISS. (AP/STAFF) ― Three people, including an East Texan arrested during an investigation of A Mississippi drug case, have been denied bond. Roy Lee Tatum, 40, of Palestine, is one of three persons arrested during a probe of an alleged meth supplier’s plan to attend spring break in Mississippi. The men were said to be on probation for federal convictions and had failed to report to a probation supervisor as ordered. Authorities say each tested positive for drug use. A U.S. Magistrate ordered a grand jury review in a hearing held Tuesday. The three were arrested Friday, the day of a big spring break wekend activity in Biloxi. As agents entered one of the mens’ home, they heard the toilet flushing. An agent later broke a drain pipe and collected three 5-gallon buckets of liquid that tested positive for meth.

TYLER — A man accused of shooting at sheriff’s deputies is back in Smith County. Ricardo Martinez Pineda, 35, was arrested April 4th in northeastern Arkansas. Jail records show he was extradited back to Smith County and booked into the jail Tuesday night. Pineda is said to be one of two men who fired on sheriff’s deputies who had tried to stop their car in western Smith County March 21st. No one was injured. The other alleged shooter, and the car’s driver, are also in custody.

WACO — A White Oak man is among more than 100 bikers charged in last year’s deadly shootout in Waco. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report 39-year old Stephen Dudley was booked Monday morning into a Waco-area jail. Dudley was injured in the shooting and had to be hospitalized, so he was not arrested until Monday. He joins ten other East Texans indicted in that shooting.

TYLER – Tyler ISD announced the 2016 Teachers of the Year at the annual Teacher of the Year Banquet. It was held Tuesday evening at Harvey Convention Center. Rhona Meads, sixth grade teacher at Three Lakes Middle School, is Secondary Teacher of the Year; Dee Ann Tate, third grade teacher at Rice Elementary School, was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. The District honored 31 campus teachers of the year before naming the two big winners. The District winners will compete at the regional level this summer. Continue reading Tyler ISD Names Teachers of the Year

TYLER — The city of Tyler has confirmed Assistant Chief Jimmy Toler will be the next police chief. KETK reports the announcement was made at a City Council meeting Wednesday morning. Toler will act as police chief designate alongside current chief Gary Swindle until Swindle’s retirement in June. Toler will then take over all responsibilities as the permanent chief. Toler has more than 20 years experience with the Tyler Police Department. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in Virginia. Swindle announced his retirement earlier this month after more than 30 years with TPD.

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating an armed robbery. Responding officers said the clerk at the Food Fast gas station at 804 Houston Street said he was taking out the trash just after 5:00 this morning when he was approached by a black female dressed in all black. The clerk claims the woman pointed a gun at him and demanded money. She left with an undisclosed amount of money. No injuries were reported. Anyone with information in this case is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000 or Tyler/Smith County Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF. Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest and charges filed against the suspect in this case or any other felony case.

SMITH COUNTY — One person is dead in a two-vehicle head-on accident in Smith County. It happened around 11:30 Tuesday morning on Farm Road 346 at County Road 185. State Trooper Jean Dark tells KETK it appears an SUV passed another vehicle in a no passing zone and crashed into a pickup headed the other way. The SUV driver was killed; he’s been identified as Christopher Bishop, 32, of Bullard. The pickup driver was treated at the scene and released. The accident remains under investigation.

BIG SANDY — The Big Sandy School District is looking into the possibility of improper text messages. School Superintendent Scott Beene says he was contacted last week by a parent concerning text messages between two staff members and a student. The employees have been put on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

TYLER — A man has died following a two vehicle accident in Tyler. The accident occurred shortly before 7:45 Tuesday morning at the intersection of Paluxy Drive and Skidmore. 55 year old Lex Lee Kidd of Tyler, died around 12:45 Tuesday afternoon at East Texas Medical Center. The initial investigation showed Kidd ran a stop sign at hit an SUV driven 23 year old Casey Stephen of Tyler. Stephen and her 9 month old daughter were released after being treated at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. A 6 year-old daughter was transferred to Children’s Hospital for treatment of internal injuries. The crash remains under investigation.

TYLER — The physician residency programs at UT Health Northeast continues to be very successful. The three physician residency programs have once again successfully filled their respective programs. And they’ve all been filled with highly qualified physicians. The Family Medicine Residency Program welcomed eight new physicians. The Occupational Medicine Residency Program accepted two physicians. And the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Good Shepherd Health System in Longview accepted its fifth class of 12 physicians. Good Shepherd’s residency program is sponsored by UT Health Northeast. And all the residency programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

TYLER — The stroke care program at Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center continues to advance. The center has been recertified as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center and adding continuous 24/7 care in interventional radiology. The designation was granted by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations with a Gold Seal of Approval. ETMC also earned the American Heart Association American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark. ETMC was the first hospital in East Texas and one of the first in Texas to become a certified stroke center in 2005. The hospital said it voluntarily pursued this designation in part because of the alarming rate of stroke-related deaths in East Texas.

TROUP — In a statement released Monday afternoon by the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), the group claimed a victory over an East Texas school district prominently displaying a Bible verse on their webpage. According to KETK, FFRF stated Troup Independent School District removed a verse from 1 Samuel 17:48: ” As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran to meet him.” The organization said they contacted the district in a letter on January 28, 2016 to halt their endorsement of religion or the bible. Continue reading School’s Webpage Modified after Anti-Religion Group Complains

PEARLINGTON, Miss. (AP) – Authorities say federal agents seized three 5-gallon buckets of liquid methamphetamine during a raid of a Mississippi home and two pounds of crystal meth while foiling a drug deal at a Gulfport gas station. The Sun Herald reports the undercover narcotics operation happened Friday during spring break weekend. As a result of the drug busts, agents arrested three people on federal charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth. Roy Tatum, 40, Palestine, Texas, Chiquita Acker, 39, Pearlington, Mississippi, and Tosh Humphrey, 36, of Slidell, Louisiana, are being held in the Harrison County jail.

ALTO — A one vehicle accident Northeast of Alto has killed one person. The wreck occurred shortly before 11:15 Monday morning on Farm Road 241. Dead at the scene was Clarice Elizabeth Clayborne, 30, of Rusk. According to the preliminary investigation, she was westbound and exiting a curve to the left in the roadway, the rear of her car started to skid. The vehicle slid across the eastbound lane and left the south side of the road. The car started to overturn on its left side when it hit a tree. The initial report indicated Clayborne was not wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.

TYLER – A former East Texas assistant fire chief, who is facing multiple charges, is expected to be in court later this month. KETK is reporting that Jonathan McClish was arrested twice in February for theft. The former member of the Noonday Volunteer Fire Department is accused of altering an invoice and submitting five invoices from what appears to be a fabricated business. McClish is due to be arraigned on April 29th.

AUSTIN (AP/STAFF) – Federal securities regulators have filed civil fraud charges against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over recruiting investors to a high-tech startup before becoming the state’s top prosecutor. Tyler businessman Caleb White is also named in the suit. He was named because he was paid a commission for referring investors to Servergy. Continue reading Tyler Man Named in SEC Suit Against the Attorney General