KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – A Tyler man will be spending a lot of time behind bars for sexually assaulting an 8 year old girl he was babysitting. The incident happened in October of last year. On November 7th, a jury in Tyler’s 114th State District Court found David Burnett Williams, 48, guilty. Yesterday, State District Judge Christi Kennedy sentenced Williams to five life prison sentences. They will be served consecutively.

TYLER — A trooper who was involved in a wreck in early November has been arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated during that incident. KETK reports Smith County DPS Trooper Joe Don Abernathy was booked into the Smith County Jail just after 1:30 on Monday afternoon. He was released about 15 minutes later on a $1,000 surety bond. Abernathy crashed on November 5 after allegedly swerving to miss a deer on Old Omen Road in Tyler. It happened near the Arrowhead Golf Course Shortly after 7:15am. The car reportedly sustained substantial damage. Abernathy resigned from his position as a DPS trooper the next day.

TYLER — The City of Tyler has approved the voting results from the November 6 General Election. That included two alcohol propositions, calling for beer and wine sales in stores, along with non-membership sales of mixed drinks in restaurants where it’s not already permitted. One group is still challenging the election results, and following the adjournment of yesterday’s meeting, KETK asked Mayor Barbara Bass if she was surprised there was no opposition present. She was not and replied, “the voters have spoken.” The Smith County Commissioner’s Court approved its election results November 15.

WHITEHOUSE — Authorities are issuing words of caution following an incident involving a deer and two men. KETK reports Joseph Rose and Cole Kellis were leaving their home in Whitehouse on Friday morning when they noticed a deer in their front yard. Rose approached the deer, and he says the deer seemed friendly. But Kellis and Rose say the deer then charged them and started to attack. Rose and Kellis ran to Rose’s pickup truck to try to get away from the wild buck. The deer then “poked” Rose in his ribs, so Rose jumped out of his truck into the back-bed. Rose says he left his driver-side door open and the deer climbed in and took his pack of cigarettes that were sitting in his center console.

The deer starting eating Rose’s smokes, and when Rose tried to get them back, Rose says the deer got more aggressive. They then had to call Whitehouse police and the Game Warden. When police arrived they had to taser the deer, and then Rose says it took more than 5 men to restrain the buck. In the process, some of the officers got hurt, with one sustaining a broken wrist. KETK spoke to Smith County Game Warden Dustin Dockery, and he says, “Admire deer from a distance but do not approach them because they can be dangerous.”

LONGVIEW — Longview Police say a man is in custody in connection with an accidental fatal shooting. I happened Saturday afternoon in the 1000 block of North 3rd Street. When officers arrived they were told an unknown black male came into the home and argued with the victim, identified as Barbara Lorena Hudson, 39, of Longview. According to initial statements, the unknown suspect fired a handgun at Hudson. Hudson was struck in the back by a single bullet and was pronounced dead at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Upon further investigation, detectives learned that Byron Marcel Houston, 30, had been joking around with the victim by pointing a loaded gun at her, as he had done on previous occasions, and accidentally shot her in the back. Houston was arrested for manslaughter and transported to the Gregg County Jail without incident.

TYLER — An East Texas Congressman is wanting a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya. Congressman Louie Gohmert, Tyler, accepted a petition containing 100,000 signatures from the military advocacy group, “Special Ops Speaks,” calling for a special prosecutor. Gohmert says Attorney General Eric Holder can’t be trusted to fairly investigate the death of Ambassador Christopher Stephens, an aide, and two navy seals.

TROUP — An early morning fire has destroyed a home in Troup. Arp, Troup and Whitehouse firefighters were called out to battle the blaze on the 20,000 block of highway 135 in Troup. Smith County authorities tell KETK, it started a little after 2:00 Monday morning. Fortunately there were no reports of any injuries. The cause is under investigation..

SMITH COUNTY — The NET RMA and its Design/Build Contractor, CH2M Hill, are reaching another milestone in the construction of Toll 49 Segment 3B. Major work on the Toll 49 bridge crossing Interstate Highway 20 is about to begin; however, this work will result in lane closures and traffic delays starting at 7:00pm on November 19th and 20th. During these evenings, the concrete girders for the Toll 49 Bridge over I-20 are scheduled to be installed which signifies a major milestone towards the completion of the Bridge. The majority of the work on the Toll 49 Segment 3B project is currently centered on construction of the I-20 Bridge structure.

Everett Owen, Project Director of the NET RMA, stated “Construction progress continues to be positive with all parties working for a successful completion of the project. We expect the project to be complete in Early Spring of 2013. TxDOT has been a great partner to the NET RMA and CH2M Hill and we are working together to keep traffic interruptions on I-20 to a minimum.”

Construction activities over the next few weeks will increase on and around the I-20 bridge site, resulting in lane closures and significant traffic delays. The actual Bridge girder installation will be completed at night; with traffic slowdowns anticipated in the east bound direction on November 19th and westbound direction on November 20th. If possible, please avoid this area on these nights, or please be prepared for potential delays along the I-20 Corridor.

Once Segment 3B is completed, Toll 49 will provide connectivity to the west and south of Tyler. When the project opens in Early Spring 2013, Toll 49 will provide new mobility from State Highway 110 near Whitehouse to I-20 offering nearly 26 miles of non-stop driving for motorists. A Grand Opening Ceremony for Toll 49 is being scheduled for March 2013.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

TYLER – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to make pavement repairs through Tuesday on State Highway 64 (Glenwood Boulevard) between State Highway 31 (Front Street) and the water tower. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

HENDERSON – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin approximately one week of pavement-repair work on U.S. Highway 79 Business (East Main Street) between US 79 and Marshall Street. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

GREGG COUNTY – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin approximately two weeks of pavement-repair operations on both eastbound and westbound Interstate Highway 20 main lanes and various entrance and exit ramps between State Highway 322 (Estes Parkway) and the Harrison County Line. Daytime lane closures and various temporary ramp closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin pavement-repair work on State Highway 31 at its intersection with State Highway 274 in Trinidad, followed by the same work on SH 31 in Brownsboro between Farm Road 607 and Farm Road 314. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to resume resurfacing operations on State Highway 243 between Canton and the Kaufman County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

JACKSONVILLE – A student pilot has been killed in a crash at the Cherokee County Airport. Dead is Debra Sue Birch, 60, of Jacksonville, a retired teacher. She died after her single engine plane hit the top of an airport hanger and crashed into the building around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. The woman, who was making only her second solo flight, was working on touch and go landings when the accident occurred. Birch was rushed to East Texas Medical Center in Jacksonville where she died about 2½ hours after the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court has approved the purchase of a building that will become the future home of the Smith County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (Adult Probation). The structure is at 218 East Locust Street in downtown Tyler. “It is our plan to begin renovating the Probation building in early spring 2013,” said County Judge Joel Baker. Baker says the construction process should last approximately 4 to 5 months.

Upon completion, according to a county press release, the remodeled building will provide more than 15,000 square feet of office space for the probation department employees. Officials say it will also include training classrooms and additional parking for probationers. Officials add that the building’s proximity to the Courthouse and Sheriff’s Office was an important consideration due to the frequent interaction between probation officers, the courts, and law enforcement. The final design will include input from architectural consultants, the Commissioners Court, Adult Probation, and the local Council of Judges, according to the release. “It was a critical factor in the court’s decision to purchase the facility,” said Judge Baker.

The purchase will allow the County to fulfill the long-time objective of vacating the Smith County Office Building on the corner of Elm Street and Broadway Avenue at the former site of the 1950s era Carlton Hotel. The Adult Probation department, currently housed in the Carlton, employs 67 people. More than 5,000 people are currently on court-ordered probation from Smith County courts, and the department receives daily visits from the people who are supervised on probation.

“We’re excited about this purchase and for what it means to our employees. They have had to deal with a poor working environment for many years, and the new facility will be a breath of fresh air for the men and women who serve our community,” according to Baker. “For the community, it means we will be able to rehabilitate another downtown building which results in savings, and we have a buyer who has big plans for the dilapidated Carlton hotel. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

PALESTINE — A former Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer has been sentenced to five life sentences for sexual assault of a child in Anderson County. David Wayne Green, 42, of Palestine, was sentenced for multiple counts of sexual assault of a child that was ongoing for 2 years. The former TDCJ correctional officer admitted to sexually assaulting a 12 year old that ended when the girl discovered she was pregnant by Green.

ELKHART — A 17-year-old Elkhart teenager was killed and another injured in a one-vehicle wreck. It occurred around 3:30 Saturday morning near Elkhart. Texas Department of Public Safety officials said Cheyenne Elizabeth Franklin, 17, of Elkhart was killed when the pickup she was a passenger in left the roadway and overturned on CR 2101. Jeffrey Wilson, 17, of Elkhart, was injured in the wreck.

According to a DPS report, Hayden Blaine Gray of Palestine was driving a 2003 Dodge pickup north on CR 2101 when he ran off the roadway and overturned, according to the DPS. Franklin, who was wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Gray was booked into the Anderson County Jail, charged with intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle. His bond was set at $150,000.

TYLER — Tuckers Beverage in Winona is already embracing Tyler’s new rules about alcohol. After the passing of Proposition 1 and 2 small town package stores are looking to stay competitive. Tucker’s and all Smith County package stores are now able to deliver beer and wine within Tyler City Limits and Precinct 2. The general manager of Tuckers Beverage, Jen Alderman, tells KETK it took them about a year to come up with their new business model. She says “It focuses kind of like on a pizza delivery model. where we can bring beer and wine to your door step.”

JACKSONVILLE — Authorities are investigating a shooting at the Austin Bank on the corner Commerce and Bolton in Jacksonville Friday evening. Officials said Louise Barnett, 66, owner of Razorback Grocery, was reportedly shot in the hand and shoulder by an unknown man around 5:30 while sitting in her car, waiting to make a deposit. Officials also said a bullet grazed her neck. She was taken to a local hospital, and then flown to a Tyler hospital for surgery. Her condition is unknown. Jacksonville Police continue to search for the gunman.

According to KETK, numerous eye witnesses have described the suspect as a black male wearing a red jacket. Detectives are preparing a photo lineup for viewing by the various witnesses to positively identify the shooter. In addition, detectives will be reviewing video from Austin Bank and other surrounding businesses.

The shooting is being investigated by the Jacksonville Police Department, Tyler F.B.I. Office and the East Texas Safe Streets Gang Taskforce. The F.B.I. and Cherokee County Crime Stoppers are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and the conviction of the suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to contact law enforcement at the following phone numbers: Jacksonville PD 903-586-2546 or the Tyler F.B.I. Office at 903-592-4301.

Business owners should be especially vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activity to the Jacksonville Police Department immediately.

LONGVIEW — Results of an autopsy shows a Longview man was killed by blunt-force head trauma after being struck multiple times in the face and head during a fight outside a local bar. The autopsy on Sean Allan Drake, 39, ruled his death a homicide. According to the Longview News-Journal, the July 12 fight broke out in the parking lot of the Lodge Sports Bar & Billiards on McCann Road immediately after closing, about 2:00. Drake was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center where he died the next day.

The autopsy revealed the extent of Drake’s beating, which included face and head contusions and bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover the brain. The autopsy also reported Drake went into cardiac arrest following the head trauma.

No suspects have been arrested in connection with the fight. At the time of Drake’s death, Longview police said investigators would wait for the autopsy report before determining if the incident would be classified as a homicide.

TYLER – One person has been killed in a Tyler Wreck. It was reported just before 11:15 Friday night in the area of 10200 Hwy 271. Officers said a truck, driven by Eduardo Flores, 23, Gladewater, reportedly crossed the median into oncoming traffic and struck a minivan, headed south, head on. The driver of the minivan Nancy Dale Slagle, Athens, was killed in the crash. The passenger in the minivan, William Eugene Slagle, 73, Athens, was transported to East Texas Medical Center where he is in critical condition. Flores was treated and released at Mother Francis Hospital and taken into police custody. He was booked into Smith County Jail for Intoxication Manslaughter and Intoxication Assault. The crash is still under investigation by Tyler Police Department.

TYLER — Big changes are coming to UT Health Science Center at Tyler. Meeting on the Tyler campus, the UT Board of Regents approved the lease of a new property along West Gentry Parkway. Officials tell KETK it will be used as a multi-purpose clinic with educational and meeting spaces. The officials add that through the new property, they’ll “be working with the community to identify those services that will best meet the community’s healthcare needs.” Also, the health science center will start doing business as UT Health Northeast. According to UTHSCT spokespeople, “The official name is still The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. We’ll just use the shortened version – UT Health Northeast – to make it easier for people to know what to call us.”

TYLER – 28-year-old child death defendant Simon Lopez has been sentenced to life in prison after entering a guilty plea Friday morning in the 7th Smith County Judicial Court. KETK reports the case involved the murder of Emma Torres’s one-year-old son, Jeremy Silva, in 2010. Authorities say Silva died from blunt force trauma. Lopez had been watching him at the time. He called Torres’s relatives to tell them that the boy wasn’t breathing, but then fled the scene. He was later arrested in Mexico, and was arraigned on capital murder charges. Emma Torres, the 21-year-old mother charged in the death, was sentenced in October to two years in a state jail facility for child abandonment/endangering a child after she pleaded guilty.

LUFKIN — Lufkin Fire officials are investigating a second consecutive night of house fires in North Lufkin as arson, as reported by the Lufkin Daily News and KETK. According to Lufkin Fire Marshal Battalion Chief Steve McCool, around 3:50 a.m. Wednesday the department was called to the corner of Wilson Avenue and Wilson Alley for a blaze that destroyed two vacant homes and a garage. The blaze is being investigated as arson in connection with a Tuesday morning outbreak of fires at a vacant home, an occupied home and a vehicle. The Wednesday morning fire occurred less than a mile from the Tuesday morning fires.

UPSHUR COUNTY — An Upshur County man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine after he sold cattle that belonged to First National Bank of Gilmer without repaying the bank money he owed, District Attorney Billy Byrd said Thursday. According to KETK, Gary Hammonds, 59, received three loans from First National Bank of Gilmer during 2007, Byrd said. The loans, which totaled $415,000, not including interest incurred, were to purchase cattle, Byrd said.

There were multiple inspections to review the bank’s cows; however, it was learned that the cows were sold and no money was paid back to the bank, Byrd said. Hammonds admitted in court he sold the cows and used the money to pay loans at other banks, Byrd said.

Hammonds added in court that he lied to bank officials when showing them the cattle during inspections throughout the years, Byrd said. Hammonds was charged with hindering a security creditor. District Judge Lauren Parish handed out his sentence this past week.

SMITH COUNTY — The trial date has been set for one of the men who was allegedly involved in the sexual assault of a child near a mobile home park in Tyler. Thomas Brookbank, 21, was arrested earlier this year after a 9 year old told her mother about the alleged assault. According to KETK, she claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Brookbank in a clubhouse in the woods behind a mobile home park on Shiloh Road. The trial date has been set for Monday, January 14 at 10:00 in a Smith County courtroom.

The victim stated that the assaults had occurred on numerous occasions over the past month in a wooded area, where the suspect, known as “Tom,” had made a club house. Five children have been identified as victims in the case.

A second person was arrested in connection with the sexual assault case. 21-year-old Todd Gifford Wisdom was booked into the Smith County jail and his bond was set at $22,500. He has been charged with distributing harmful material to a minor. A court date has not yet been set for Wisdom.

ATHENS – Athens school trustees have named Blake Stiles as the lone finalist for the superintendent post. The action came Thursday following a lengthy executive session by the school board. Under state law, they must wait 21 days before making the decision final. Stiles has been serving as the school system’s interim superintendent since early last month, when school superintendent Dr. Robert Steeber stepped down.

GLADEWATER — One person was injured in an accident involving a school bus crash in Upshur County. It happened just before 4:15 yesterday afternoon at the intersection of U.S. Highway 80 and Pear Road near the city of Gladewater, according to the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office. The Big Sandy school bus was hit from the rear by an ice cream truck. The “jaws of life” were used to pull the truck’s driver out. He suffered minor injuries. There were three adults and a child aboard the bus, but they were not injured.

TYLER — Tyler police officers have located a woman who had been reported missing. Hazel Bryan, 83, had last been seen around 10:15 yesterday morning walking away from her home at 3430 Iberville in Tyler. She was found yesterday afternoon near the 3200 block of Silverwood Drive in Tyler and is now back at home. Police are expressing their appreciation to residents who helped find Bryan.

MARSHALL – A 52-year-old Marshall man has been sentenced for federal drug trafficking violations. Randy Lee Smart pleaded guilty on July 16 to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. During a Marshall federal court proceeding yesterday, he was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.

Federal prosecutors say on June 13, 2010, Smart purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a CVS store in Marshall with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Smart also admitted that the total quantity of pseudoephedrine that he possessed was between 100 and 300 grams. Smart and Tamara Lynn Olivares were indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 4, 2011. Olivares was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison on July 3rd of this year.

TEXARKANA — An Upshur County man’s life sentence for dealing less than a gram of cocaine has been affirmed this week by the Texas 6th Court of Appeals in Texarkana. On Wednesday, an appeals panel found no error had occurred in the life sentence of Kirk Douglas Bolton, 57, in Upshur County’s 115th Judicial Court in late 2011. KETK reports he was found guilty of delivery of cocaine less than one gram in a school zone of a daycare.

During the sentencing phase, the state prosecution was able to convince jurors Bolton was a habitual offender, raising the minimum punishment to 25 years up to life behind bars. The jury handed down a life sentence. The dealer appealed based on alleged insufficient evidence, an alternate juror present during deliberations, and limited cross-examination of an informant. The appeals panel sided with the trial court’s judgment in all of Bolton’s arguments.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court has approved the voting results from the November 6 General Election, including alcohol propositions that were passed by voters. Commissioner JoAnn Hampton presided over yesterday’s meeting in Judge Joel Baker’s absence. She stated proper procedure was followed. Regarding sales of beer and wine, the commissioner told KETK following the court’s adjournment, “Whatever the process is, we can move right on with it.” When asked about the petition filed by Stand Strong for Tyler challenging the alcohol propositions, she declined to comment until it was heard by a judge

MARSHALL – A 40-year-old Karnack woman has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the East Texas. Peggy Ann Davis pleaded guilty on June 22 to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine. She was sentenced yesterday in Marshall to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.

According to prosecutors, Davis was involved in a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine in East Texas. The conspiracy involved defendants traveling to multiple pharmacies to purchase numerous boxes of cold pills containing pseudoephedrine which is used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. An 839-count federal indictment was returned on Feb. 1, 2012, charging Davis and 16 other co-defendants with federal drug crimes. Of those defendants, 14 have been convicted.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers has authorized $1,400 in rewards for tips that led to the arrest of a Chandler man in the October 25 home invasion and beating of a 97-year-old woman in the Callender Lake area south of Ben Wheeler.

A $1,000 reward was approved for an anonymous caller whose tip led to the arrest of David Taylor of Chandler on October 28. He is accused of beating the elderly woman in a home invasion, stealing her car, and evading police and sheriff’s deputies who pursued him following the tip. The woman survived the beating but was hospitalized for an extended period.

Crime Stoppers also approved a $400 reward for a tip that led authorities to a Wills Point man wanted on a number of warrants, including robbery, drug possession, and felony theft.