KTBB News, Weather, Talk

EAST TEXAS – TxDOT is issuing two traffic advisories to East Texans. U.S. 69 at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing near U.S. 80 in downtown Mineola closed at 7 a.m. Monday, February 4, for work on the crossing. The work is expected to be completed and the roadway opened to traffic by Wednesday afternoon, possibly sooner. Traffic will be detoured around Loop 564. Motorists are advised to allow extra time to reach their destinations. Continue reading TxDOT Issues Traffic Advisories for Mineola, Henderson County

GREELEY, Colorado — Pilgrim’s Pride is recalling around 58,000 pounds of frozen chicken. It may be contaminated with other materials, specifically rubber. The frozen items were produced on January 4. The 20-pound boxes contain eight clear bags of uncooked popcorn-style chicken breast chunk fritters with rib meat, with a “Use by 10-01-2019” date. Someone complained about finding white rubber in the products. There are no reports of any illnesses. Pilgrim’s Pride has roots in East Texas and maintains a presence in the area. It’s now an international corporation with U.S. headquarters in Greeley, Colorado.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler announced the opening of its 34th Annual International Exhibition, which will continue through March 8 in the Meadows Gallery. The exhibition features 63 contemporary works selected by juror and former Fort Worth Contemporary Arts curator Christina Rees from more than 800 entries. Following the exhibition, a number of the works will become part of UT Tyler’s permanent art collection to be displayed around campus and used for teaching purposes, according to UT Tyler gallery and media coordinator Michelle Taff. Reese is editor-in-chief of Glasstire magazine and has contributed art, film, and music criticism to the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and other publications. Meadows Gallery is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. weekdays.

MINEOLA — Mineola Middle School has received a $5,000 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant for an outdoor science education center. According to a news release, the grant application was based on the goal of improving the learning community on the Middle School and Primary School campuses.The grant will complete phase 2 of the outdoor science center by funding the construction of a chicken coop and an aquaponics farming system. The facility already includes a greenhouse, funded by the Mineola Education Foundation and constructed in 2018. The project will be completed and operational by this spring, according to the release.

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Grand Jury has indicted a man for attempted capital murder of a peace officer while absolving the Longview police officer of any crime. According to the DA’s office, the incident happened December 23, when Officer William Smeltzer returned fire from Randy Carl Jeffrey during a foot pursuit that began on East Marshall Avenue. Jeffrey was struck once and sustained a non-life-threatening injury. Along with the attempted murder accusation, Jeffrey is charged with possession of a controlled substance, burglary of a building, and theft of a firearm.

TYLER — On the heels of a record Fall 2018 enrollment, TJC has set a new Spring semester record with 11,640 students currently enrolled. The 92-year high for a Spring semester represents a 3.42% increase from Spring 2018, and a 16.7% increase over the past five years. The previous record was 11,427 in Spring 2017.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP/Staff) – A man who was executed in 1999 for an East Texas killing has been identified via DNA as the person who killed a 20-year-old woman in Portland, Oregon, nearly 40 years ago. Anna Marie Hlavka was killed in an apartment on July 24, 1979. Authorities said Thursday her killer, Jerry McFadden, was identified using the same technology that led to an arrest last year in California in the “Golden State Killer” case. Hlavka was found sexually assaulted and strangled with an electric cord. The Portland Police Bureau said at a news conference retired detectives submitted evidence to the state crime lab in 2009 for forensic testing. Authorities said that evidence eventually showed McFaddden, who was executed for the rape and killing of an 18-year-old Hawkins High School cheerleader, was Hlavka’s killer.

TYLER — Smith County will soon begin major road improvement projects on Jim Hogg Road, as well as five additional county roads just north of Tyler, according to a news release. The Smith County Commissioners Court awarded contracts for the projects this week. County Engineer Frank Davis said Jim Hogg Road, or County Road 431, is included in the county’s bond program. From Interstate 20, northward to the Lindale city limits, 3.4 miles of the road will be reshaped and rebuilt, widened to 26 feet and repaved. Left-turn lanes will also be added at the intersection with Sand Flat Road (CR 41). Davis said he expects the project to begin in late February or early March and it will take about four months to complete, depending on the weather. Continue reading Smith County to Begin Work on Major Road Projects

MALAKOFF – Malakoff ISD is the next East Texas district cancelling school Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the district cites illness and the Cedar Creek Reservoir Spillway Bridge construction. MISD plans to reopen as normal on Monday regardless of the bridge construction. Any extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled. TXDOT closed the bridge Wednesday evening after a concern was identified during a routine bridge inspection conducted by local maintenance forces.

TYLER — Diocese of Tyler Bishop Joseph Strickland has released the name of a former clergyman termed “subject to credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.” Strickland identified Gustavo Cuello, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Pointing out that the story was widely known at the time, Strickland says Cuello was captured in 2003 after fleeing the country following his 1997 arrest. Strickland says even one such case is one too many and calls Cuello’s acts deplorable. You can go to https://www.dioceseoftyler.org/images/documents/ethics-integrity/2019/jan31-19_-_bishop_letter_to_diocese_of_tyler.pdf to read Strickland’s entire letter.

PALESTINE — A Palestine Junior High School teacher will soon be out of a job. According to our news partner KETK, Palestine ISD and Palestine police are investigating a reported inappropriate relationship between the teacher and the adult high school student. Police say they’ve determined inappropriate actions were taken by the teacher involving text messages and an off-campus relationship. The teacher has been placed on suspension, and the termination process begins Friday.

ATHENS — A funeral is set Friday for 13-year-old Christopher Bonilla, who died last Friday when his school bus was hit by a train in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, his funeral will be held at 11 a.m. in the Athens High School gymnasium. Christopher was a student at Athens Middle School. People in Athens and around East Texas have spent the week finding ways to remember the teen. The investigation of the case continues.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Police Department has seen an increase in residential burglaries over the last several months and reminds residents to report any suspicious behavior. Police say the reported burglaries are city-wide and have happened at various times of the day and night. They say if you notice anything suspicious in your neighborhood, call 911 immediately and provide the dispatcher with as many details as possible about the person and/or suspicious vehicle. Continue reading Marshall Police Issue Advisory about Home Burglaries

TYLER — Smith County has been notified by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller that it’s received an $850,000 grant to fund water system improvements needed for Sanderson Farms’ poultry processing plant. County Judge Nathaniel Moran says the move is “an affirmation” of the new plant’s “widespread positive economic impact.” Officials say the northern Smith County facility will employ up to 1,490 workers. The Tyler Economic Development Council’s Tom Mullins and County Commissioner Terry Phillips are also upbeat about the latest news — and the long-term impact of the plant.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office has released surveillance video as it continues seeking leads in a Sunday night robbery. Sheriff Larry Smith says deputies were dispatched shortly before 11:00 p.m. to Indian Creek Mart on Spur 364 west of Tyler. The clerk said a black male entered the store with a black bandana with white print covering his face, armed with a handgun. The clerk said the robber pointed the handgun at her demanding money, then took the money and left on foot. The suspect is said to be in his 20s, approximately 5’5” and 125 pounds, wearing a gray jacket with a hood. Go to https://www.facebook.com/SmithCountySheriffsOffice to view a collection of video clips, and call 903-566-6600 if you have any information.

NEW SUMMERFIELD — The New Summerfield Independent School District has canceled school Thursday and Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the district cites a huge number of students with the flu and other illnesses. Classes will resume on Monday. Officials also canceled ACE classes for Thursday afternoon.

ATHENS — Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says three Athens residents were found in their hideout and are jailed after a robbery in nearby Caney City. Tedrick Rockmore, 27; Jasmine Blackfeet, 24; and Hannah Wolfe, 20, are accused of robbing a Caney City liquor store January 23. All three are charged with aggravated robbery and engaging in organized criminal activity. Additionally, Rockmore was charged with evading arrest, and Blackfeet was charged with possession.

QUITMAN — A Mineola man accused of killing a local teenager in June 2014 will go to trial July 8. According to our news partner KETK, 43-year-old Jason Russell Walters is accused of gunning down 19-year-old Christopher Griffin of Mineola at the E-Z Mart on North Pacific Street. Walters was indicted the following September but has been free since on a $250,000 bond.

GREGG COUNTY — Longview police have arrested a juvenile student in connection with recent threats made against another student at Judson STEAM Academy. Police reported in a social media post Tuesday that the juvenile was arrested on a charge of terroristic threat and taken to the Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center. Police have not released that person’s name. According to our news partner KETK and the Longview News Journal, police were on the campus north of Longview this week to probe what Longview ISD had described in a Sunday night Facebook post as a “vague threat” from a source claiming to be a student there. Longview police Lt. Shane McCarter said police were following up on texts that had been sent and were conducting interviews to determine the person who first sent the texts. McCarter said the Judson threats were directed toward a student.

TYLER — Smith County’s Indigent Health Care Program will soon see expanded services and a new, more convenient office location at the Cotton Belt Building thanks to a renewed partnership with UT Health East Texas. That’s according to a county news release. The Indigent Health Care Program is mandated by state law, and requires counties to pay for basic health care services for its low-income residents who meet certain income and resource requirements. Previously in Smith County, UT Health East Texas’s predecessor, East Texas Medical Center, performed the administrative role of qualifying program participants and paying claims. Now, UT Health East Texas will utilize HealthFirst TPA to perform those administrative functions and more. Continue reading Smith County to Expand Indigent Health Care Services, Change Location

MARSHALL — The City of Marshall will host a public meet-and-greet event for new Marshall City Manager Mark Rohr from 5:30 – 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at the Marshall Convention Center. City officials say the come-and-go event will offer citizens the opportunity to meet Rohr and welcome him to the community in a casual and informal setting. Appetizers and refreshments will be served. In a news release, Rohr says he looks forward to meeting residents, discussing ways to put Marshall on a path of growth, and talking about how best to move the city forward. For more information, contact the city manager’s office at 903-935-4421.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP/Staff) – Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is shrugging off criticism from Roman Catholic leaders — including one from East Texas — over his support of a new state abortion law. Speaking on public radio Tuesday, Cuomo (pictured) said he is duty bound to separate his religious views from his work as governor. Bishop Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler was joined by a Catholic bishop in Knoxville, Tennessee, in tweeting support for excluding Cuomo from the church. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s spokesman rejected those calls in a statement, saying excommunication shouldn’t be used as a weapon against politicians. But Dolan blasted Cuomo in an op-ed Tuesday in the New York Post, saying he has alienated Catholics with the abortion law and with comments criticizing the church’s handling of sex abuse. Cuomo signed a bill last week codifying rights laid out in federal abortion rulings.

TYLER — New research shows that in East Texas, approximately 45% of households are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, or “ALICE,” as defined by federal poverty guidelines. That means they could not afford basic needs such as housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and technology last year. According to an ALICE report issued Tuesday by the United Ways of Texas, 16% percent of East Texans were living in poverty during that time. Statewide, 4,025,176 households — 42 percent — are defined as ALICE. United Way of Smith County President Nan Moore says the ALICE population can be helped if the community works together. You can go to https://uwsmithcounty.org/ for more information.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 168 is back open to drivers after being closed for repairs. Officials say the Smith County Road and Bridge Department replaced a culvert on CR 168, between CR 178 and Highway 155 South, in Noonday. We’re told the work took longer than expected because crews discovered heavier damage than expected. To avoid potential collapse, County Engineer Frank Davis said they needed to repair the damage and insert a temporary metal pipe. A permanent concrete box culvert or concrete pipe will be installed there this summer, he added.

GREGG COUNTY — The mother of an East Texas toddler has been charged in connection to the child’s death. According to our news partner KETK, Daylain Anisse Jones, 24, was arrested Saturday for making a firearm available to a child. The charge is a misdemeanor, according to Officer Shane McCarter of the Longview Police Department. The death of 3-year-old Geneva August occurred June 14, 2018. Although the cause of death was an accidental self-inflicted gun shot wound, Jones is now facing charges. At the time of the shooting, LPD issued a statement saying: “Make every effort to child-proof your home and make it a safe and enjoyable place for them to grow up.”

ATHENS — Athens ISD has announced the time and place of the funeral for Christopher Bonilla. Christopher, 13, died Friday when his school bus was hit by a train in Athens. According to our news partner KETK, his funeral has been scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. in the Athens High School gymnasium. Ahens ISD also has announced that classes at all campuses have been canceled for that day. Christopher was a student at Athens Middle School. Another student on board, Bonilla’s cousin, is still in critical condition at Children’s Hospital in Dallas. The school bus driver involved in the crash, John Stevens, was released from the hospital Monday. Toni Clay with the district says he had a clean record and had been a bus driver for more than a decade. Police say they’re still investigating and haven’t said whether Stevens will face charges.

TYLER — As severe winter weather moves into the United States Midwest region, the City of Tyler continues its cold weather preparation, should these and other storm systems move southward. That’s according to a news release issued Monday afternoon. In addition to the City of Tyler annual cold weather response plan, City staff and officials have created an icy weather communication protocol in an effort to improve the process of notifications in an ice event. With extreme weather, City of Tyler staff will make a determination whether or not to open a full (24 hours a day) or partial emergency (limited hours, often 12 hours daily) operations center (EOC). If opened, Fire Chief David Coble will be Chief in Command over all operations. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org/News.aspx for additional information.

TYLER – Though no snow accumulation was expected, TxDOT crews around the Tyler District aren’t taking any chances. They’ve begun pre-treating major roadways ahead of cold, possibly wet weather in East Texas. Officials say the conditions could impact elevated surfaces causing hazardous driving conditions. Motorists are advised to use caution and allow extra space around tankers and other equipment out conducting pre-treating operations. Continue reading TxDOT Treating Roads for Wintry Conditions

LONGVIEW — The East Texas Regional Airport Master Plan will be presented at the regular meeting of the Gregg County Commissioners Court at 10:00 Wednesday morning. According to a news release, the planning consultant firm of Coffman and Associates will make the presentation — the culmination of more than a year’s work. The plan outlines airport improvement projects for the next twenty years. It is divided into short-term (the first five years), mid-term (the second five years), and long- term (the remaining ten years) phases. The plan will identify potential projects and cost estimates. During the planning process a Planning Advisory Committee, or PAC, of community leaders and airport users was involved in order to obtain input from the area. As quoted in the news release, County Judge Bill Stoudt said, “This type of Master Plan is essential to the future growth of our community and the East Texas Regional Airport.”