KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The East Texas Communities Foundation announces the recipients of a $100,000 grant from the Retail Merchants Association of Tyler Charitable Fund. A foundation news release says the merchants’ fund provides annual grants to support designated charities benefiting Smith County. Here’s a list of this year’s grant recipients and where the money will go:

Boys & Girls Clubs of East Texas – After-school program scholarship assistance
City of Tyler Communications Department – Community branding and marketing campaign
Discovery Science Place – Arts and Science Integration Program
East Texas Area Boy Scout Council – Leadership EASTEXAS Program
East Texas Regional Food Bank – BackPack Program
Goodwill Industries – Purchase equipment for recycling program
Salvation Army – H.E.L.P. Program
Tyler ISD Foundation – Teacher and Campus Grants Program
Living Programs Foundation – School of Tyrannus programs
United Way of Tyler/Smith County – Professional training and consulting to area nonprofits

The East Texas Communities Foundation is a nonprofit corporation serving 16 counties in East Texas. In 2009, the Foundation distributed over $3.4 million and manages over $40 million in 167 unique charitable funds which support non-profit organizations and student scholarships. The mission of the Foundation is to support philanthropy by offering simple ways for donors to achieve their long-term charitable goals. For more information about the Foundation, you can contact Kyle Penney at 903-533-0208.

TYLER — The 23rd Annual Festival on the Square is headed back to the brick streets of Downtown Tyler, and organizers are issuing the call for volunteers to help operate the event. Festival on the Square is set for Saturday, Oct. 9, 5:30 p.m. to midnight, in the area surrounding the T.B. Butler Plaza in downtown Tyler. The event will feature some of the hottest names in Texas Music like Casey Donahew, Sean McConnell, J.B. and the Moonshine Band and Ryan Beaver.

“We depend on literally hundreds of volunteer hours to make this event happen,” said Beverly Abell, director of the City of Tyler’s Main Street Department. “Without the volunteers, there is no way possible we could produce events such as this,” she added. Volunteers are needed in a variety of areas, including front and back gate, soft drink sales and souvenir sales. Those interested in volunteering should go to
http://www.FestivalOnTheSquare.com and follow instructions to go to the volunteer sign-up link. All volunteers will receive a free Festival T-shirt and a ticket to the concert, Abell said, adding that online advance ticket sales information is also available on the site. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org to read more.

GREGG COUNTY — A wreck involving a motorcycle in Gregg County injures one person. According to KETK, it happened at the intersection of Hwy 149 and FM RD 2906. Officials say the motorcyclist was taken to a local hospital.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man is now in jail after police say he had a tube of lip balm that stored crack. Police say Jacob Alexander Woodard, 17, ran from officers and when the did arrest him, they we unable to find the lip balm. Officials originally thought he had swallowed it. According to KETK, police say they later found the tube of crack while making a separate arrest.

TYLER — Tyler Police say they have located a missing person. Officers were called to Melrose Nursing Center, 1501 W. 29th Street, after the staff reported resident, Frankie Hademenos, missing around 10:00 last night. They say she suffers from Schizophrenia and Delusion.

JACKSONVILLE — A horseback riding charity event goes terribly wrong when a participant gets severely injured. Sharon Slayden of Jacksonville was injured in a traffic accident near El Paso on Monday, a few days after reaching the city as part of the Cowboys Against Cancer Cross Texas Trail Ride, benefitting the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life of Cherokee County. According to KETK, the Slaydens had reportedly stopped to render aid to a stranded motorist when a pickup traveling at a high rate of speed struck Slayden and her horse. She suffered several broken bones and underwent surgery Tuesday morning. Her horse was killed in the accident.

TYLER — A challenge to part of the much-debated health care reform law goes before a federal judge in Tyler at 2:00 Wednesday afternoon. In June, Tyler-based Texas Spine and Joint Hospital joined up with Physician Hospitals of America. The two are fighting the provision limiting expansion rights for physician-owned, and partially physician-owned, hospitals. Texas Spine and Joint’s Dr. Mike Russell calls the provision arbitrary and vague. He also says it violates the plaintiffs’ due process and equal protection under the law. Russell’s not sure how soon the judge might rule on sending the case to trial.

JACKSONVILLE – An arrest is made in connection with recent shots fired on Lon Morris College property. According to KETK, the shooting took place about two weeks ago at an inn that is being used as student housing. According to Jacksonville police, Overton police arrested 19-year-old Brandon Dekerith Carey Monday morning. He has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and deadly conduct in a gang-free zone. That’s because the inn where the shots were fired is considered college property. Plus, the inn is near a park.

Detectives say they think the shooting was gang-related, and some of the people involved have identified themselves with the Bloods and Crips gangs. Investigators say at this point, they think Carey was the only shooter. Carey could face up to 20 years behind bars per charge and a fine of up to $20,000. Carey is currently being held in the Rusk County Jail on $40,000 bond.

WILLS POINT — Wills Point police have arrested 21-year-old Jonathan Coffman in connection with the beating of C.D. Whittington. KETK reports Coffman is from Wills Point and was arrested on a parole violation warrant for narcotics Tuesday morning. Police are in the process of getting a felony warrant for aggravated robbery. Coffman is in custody in Van Zandt county. Coffman was picked up in Myrtle Springs, another Van Zandt town.

And there’s more to the story. Police say Whittington was badly beaten and left for dead — and the family now says the attacker also beat up his own girlfriend. Additionally, the reported girlfriend is suspected of an earlier encounter with Whittington, an 89-year-old World War II veteran. Whittington tells police he was getting ready for bed on Friday night when a young man knocked on the door and asked for money and prescription pills. The young man allegedly began beating Whittington and eventually left him for dead after Whittington told him he had no money and no pills.

Whittington says when the attacker arrived, he told Whittington a woman was supposed to meet him there. Now the family says that woman, whom they say is the girlfriend of the attacker, came to them after allegedly being beaten up herself by Whittington’s alleged attacker. The family also says the woman actually tried to rob Whittington hours earlier that same day. They say she and another woman knocked on Whittington’s door asking to borrow money from him. When Whittington went to get his wallet, he believes the women tried to get into his file cabinet. Whittington says he asked the women to leave and didn’t think anything of that incident until the young man arrived later that night.

TYLER — To raise awareness of women’s cancer, Tyler Firefighters are inviting the entire community to don their pink shirts for the second annual Turn Tyler Pink event Oct. 5, from 5-8 p.m., on the Downtown Square. The event will feature the Pink Heals Tour, a caravan of pink fire trucks that travel the country to raise awareness of cancer. The trucks are signed by thousands of people who have been affected by the disease. There will also be a blood drive, health information, music, free screenings, food, and of course – firefighters in pink.

“The inspirational messages written on the trucks about the ravages of this disease and the spirit of those who are fighting it is something everyone should see,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass, a breast cancer survivor. “This event is an opportunity for the entire community to come out and honor those who have been affected by cancer. We are particularly excited to welcome “Tonya” (a Tyler Fire truck given to the Pink Heals Tour in 2009) back to Tyler, showing off her new pink paint and messages from cancer survivors from around the U.S.”

Turn Tyler Pink shirts and caps can be purchased at:

* Gallery Main Street – 110 W. Erwin;
* Carter Blood Care – 815 S. Baxter; and,
* Holiday Inn South Broadway – 5701 S. Broadway.

Proceeds from the sale of Turn Tyler Pink shirts benefit local cancer organizations. In 2009, the Tyler Firefighters CARE Fund donated more than $20,000 to organizations that support the fight against cancer. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org to learn more.

CHAPEL HILL — Smith County Deputies are called to Chapel Hill High School Monday night to break up a fight, not between students — but between grownups. According to KETK, no injuries were reported, but parents picking up their kids from school were shocked to see deputies there. So far, no charges have been filed.

TYLER (AP) – A seminary student in Tyler has pleaded guilty to two counts of indecency with a child over an alleged relationship with a 16-year-old girl who was in a church youth group. Jorge Ivan Sanchez on Monday pleaded guilty to both second-degree felony charges. Attorneys for Sanchez, who faces up to 20 years in prison, are seeking probation as part of the plea agreement. Sentencing is Oct. 15.

The Roman Catholic seminary student, who was charged in April, faces deportation to his native Colombia if the plea agreement is accepted. Sanchez remains in custody. He had been studying at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler, after previous studies in Houston at the University of St. Thomas seminary.

NORWOOD — A one vehicle accident in San Augustine County has killed a Lufkin man and left another injured. The accident happened around 9:15 Monday morning on State Highway 103. Dead at the scene was James Alton Austin, 62. He was not wearing a seat belt and was tossed from the vehicle when it overturned. Listed in stable condition at San Augustine Memorial Hospital in San Augustine is Bennie S. Green, 57. According to the Department of Public Safety report, the accident happened Austin swerved the pickup to miss a vehicle in front of him that was making a left turn. The pickup ran off the road to the right and was then overcorrected, and rolled over several times.