KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The Tyler ISD school board voted Thursday night to seek lifting a more than 40 year old federal desegregation order. According to KETK, the district is seeking unitary status, which is achieved when no racial discrimination involving faculty, staff, student assignment, facilities transportation and extracurricular activities exists in the district. The Board of Trustees voted 7-0 in favor of lifting the order. The motion will now move to the federal government. Continue reading TISD Votes to Pursue Lifting Desegregation Order

MT. ENTERPRISE – One person has been killed in a one vehicle accident in Rusk County. The crash occurred on U.S. Highway 84, two miles east of Mt. Enterprise shortly before 5:30 Thursday afternoon. Dead at the scene was Samuel King Brown, 50, of Jacksonville. The preliminary report indicated his Peterbuilt truck tractor, towing a semi-trailer, was heading west when he lost control of the vehicle. The Department of Public Safety report said the vehicle went into a ditch and hit several trees.

TYLER (Staff/AP) – Gov. Greg Abbott stopped in Tyler Thursday on a bus tour to promote his book detailing how he overcame an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Abbott greeted the public and signed copies of “Broken But Unbowed” at Hastings on South Broadway. In 1984 at age 26, Abbott was jogging when a falling tree crushed his spine and left him using a wheelchair. So why read the book? The governor told KETK, “You can tell from what is going on in the presidential race. Now, there is great angst about what is going on in America. I provide a solution to the challenges we face in the United States today.”

BEN WHEELER – A two vehicle accident has killed one person and injured one in Van Zandt County. The Department of Public Safety reports state troopers worked the head-on crash on State Highway 64 near the intersection of Farm Road 279. According to KETK, the victim has been identified as Joanne Davis, 45, of Grand Saline. We’ll have more information when it becomes available.

TYLER — One person has been arrested as multiple Tyler police units, including a K9 unit, converged on an Azalea District house Thursday morning. According to KETK, ATF was also at the scene and carried out bags of cash and multiple guns. Police were searching the property on Fourth Street. Witnesses heard multiple flash-bangs before authorities entered the property. A man listed at the address, 59-year-old Hubert Wright, was arrested Thursday and charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. He is being held on $400,000 bond. ATF referred questions to the Department of Justice, which has thus far declined comment, citing an open investigation.

AUSTIN — A Nacogdoches County student is one of three students being honored by Keep Texas Beautiful and the Texas Department of Transportation. It’s for their litter-prevention efforts with 2016 Don’t mess with Texas Scholarships. Destiny Scaief of Woden was one of over 1,300 Texas high school seniors who applied for this year’s scholarships. The winning essays detailed solutions to prevent litter. The other winners were Nely Munoz of Utopia, Eugena Choice of Sugar Land.

LONGVIEW — Tobacco retailers are getting a verbal pat on the back from Longview police. On May 6, police conducted a sting operation. They checked 46 different tobacco retailers within the city, testing for compliance with the state law in regards to underage tobacco sales. Only one citation was issued for “Sale of Cigarette or Tobacco Products to a Person Younger than 18”. The citation was issued at “This Our Store”, located at 559 South Mobberly Avenue. More of these unannounced stings will be performed in the future.

LONGVIEW — A family disturbance has led to the arrest of a Longview man. Taken into custody at his home on George Richey Road was 37 year old Wayne Anthony Donato. He is accused of slamming his wife up against a wall numerous times and of trying to choke her. When the 11 year old daughter tried to intercede, he is said to grabbed her by the neck and threw her. The Longview News Journal reports Donato has been charged with assault/family violence by impeding breath or circulation and injury to a child. No word on what led to the violence.

LINDALE –Smith County’s debris collection site was closed Thursday because of muddy, slippery conditions. But, even with the site closed, crews from the Smith County Road and Bridge Department still worked in the rain, cutting and stacking up tree debris on the county road right-of-ways. The debris will be taken at a later date to the site on Farm Road 16 near Lindale. They hope to reopen the site on Friday. County Engineer Frank Davis says because of the weather, the clean-up should take another three to four weeks to complete.

SKIDMORE — A Harrison County woman has died in a south Texas vehicle/pedestrian accident. The accident happened shortly after midnight Wednesday morning on State Highway 181 near Skidmore, in Bee County. Dead at the scene was 39 year old Patricia Price, of Marshall. The Department of Public Safety reports her Jeep Wrangler became disabled in the curve of the highway and was pulled off the road. For some unknown reason, Price was walking in the roadway when hit by a pickup. None of those in the pickup were injured. The investigation into the accident is continuing.

TYLER — Last month we had a report about a high school student who got a big tip working at a Henderson County Restaurant. She now has even more money for her college education. While working at Vetoni’s Italian Restaurant in Gun Barrel City, a customer overheard 18 year old Alesha Palmer talking about going to Tyler Junior College in the fall. She was talking about how her parents were going to try to help pay her tuition and fees. The customer who overheard her left her a $1,000 tip. Now, Alesha has an additional $1,000 for college. TJC President Dr. Mike Metke has transfered $1,000 from the President’s Circle fund, a discretionary pool of donations from TJC friends and alumni, to her account when she registers in the fall.. Continue reading Student Now Has More Funds to Attend TJC

EAST TEXAS — An East Texas tea party group has withdrawn its endorsement of Mary Lou Bruner for the State Board of Education, saying the candidate’s statements have raised questions about her integrity. According to the Longview News-journal and KETK, Grassroots America-We The People, based in Tyler, said Wednesday evening that it had voted to drop its endorsement of Bruner, who is in a runoff for the Republican nomination for the District 9 seat that represents 31 East Texas counties. She is facing Keven Ellis, president of the Lufkin ISD school board. Continue reading Local Group Pulls Endorsement for Candidate

TYLER — Tyler ISD trustees continue to seek comment on what could end a 46-year-old desegregation order, with a vote expected this evening. KETK reports that pros and cons were heard as the school board opened the floor Tuesday evening. Since July 27, 1970, TISD has been ordered to desegregate their schools. Since then, the district said they have complied with federal regulations to maintain racial diversity. “We have come to conclude that this school district has satisfied its burden and is eligible for unitary status,” said Marcos Ronquillo, an attorney from Friedman & Feiger law firm in Dallas. Continue reading TISD Trustees Meet Again Tonight on Unitary Status

KILGORE — Further details are pending in a crash involving a Longview ISD bus. According to KETK, Kilgore police say they were called to Highway 259 and Highway 31 near Interstate 20 around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. LISD spokeswoman Sarah Lebus said seven students and two adults were on board. The Judson Middle School students were returing from Region 7 in Kilgore. No injuries were reported. The bus received minimal damage.

LONGVIEW — A Rusk County man remains in the Gregg County Jail, accused of the aggravated sexual assault of a child. James Richard Hicks of Mount Enterprise is in jail under a $50,000 bond. He is accused of sexually assaulting two young girls over a dozen of times between October 1993 and October 1997. A written complaint was filed with a Texas Ranger back in March. Hicks was arrested on the charges on Monday in Henderson.

HENDERSON — Henderson police are asking for the public’s help in locating a man reported missing this week. Dominique Rashawn Cade, 22, was last seen between 6:30 and 7:00 Monday night. He was leaving work from the parking lot of Sadler’s Smokehouse on North Frisco Street. Henderson police say he has black hair and brown eyes, is 5’10” and weighs around 130 pounds. His family is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to his whereabouts. If you know of where Cade can be found, you are asked to contact the Henderson Police Department.

GILMER — A three vehicle accident in Upshur County has killed an Overton man. The wreck occurred around 3:30 Wednesday morning on U.S. Highway 271 north of Gilmer. Dead at the scene was Robert Wayne Williams, 57. He was killed when his pickup pulling a utility trailer hit a truck involved in an earlier accident. An 18-wheeler traveling north, crossed into oncoming traffic, sideswiping another semi traveling south. The northbound truck tipped and landed across the roadway and was hit by Williams’ pickup. It took several hours to clean up chicken parts one truck spilled across the highway.

LONGVIEW — One person has been injured in a drive-by shooting in Longview. It happened just before 10:00 Tuesday night near the intersection of White City Street and Common Street. The injured man is hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Investigators say they have a person of interest in the shooting, but no arrest has been made.

TYLER — Tyler Police have released additional information surrounding a fatal head-on crash in Tyler. In a released statement, police said the at-fault driver admitted to drinking, but officials said he was not intoxicated. James Fulton, 40, of Tyler, told officers following the crash he had two beers at a local restaurant. Fulton then passed several field sobriety tests at the scene. On the night of Saturday, May 14, Fulton’s truck hit 21-year-old Haile Beasely’s car head-on in the eastbound lanes of W. Grande Boulevard. Investigators determined Fulton was responsible for the accident. Beasely was pronounced dead at the scene. Fulton was not hurt in the accident. The crash remains under investigation.

LUFKIN — The Lufkin Police Department has started an investigation after card skimmers were found inside gas pumps at two local convenience stores. The devices can read and transmit credit card information via a wireless signal. Workers for the companies that service pumps at Crown Colony Food Mart on U.S. 59 south and Kwick Korner Shell on South Timberland Drive and Chestnut Street found the devices. The card skimmers from both locations appear to be the similar. Investigators say about three weeks ago a woman reported finding unauthorized transactions on her credit/debit card. She told an officer that the last place she used it was Crown Colony Food Mart. Public Relations Specialist Jessica Pebsworth with Lufkin Police suggested if you have used your debit or credit card at the gas pumps at these two stations, it would be wise if you contacted your bank or credit card company to have a new card number issued.

LUFKIN — Some layoffs are expected as General Electric consolidates its facilities in Angelina County. The announcement was made Tuesday when GE Oil & Gas officials met with Lufkin City Manager Keith Wright. KETK reports the city was told of GE’s plans to close the Buck Creek facility and consolidate operations in downtown Lufkin. The site will focus on gear repair and assembly. There are currently 600 jobs at the Buck Creek facility. How many will be impacted is not known. GE cut 260 jobs in the Lufkin area last August. Earlier that year they also trimmed 330 jobs.

TYLER — Several Smith County roads remain closed as the result of storms that hit the area in late April. Smith County Engineer Frank Davis brought the county commissioners up to date on the situation at Tuesday’s meeting. Around 30 miles of county roads had trees and or limbs blocking them from the Lindale tornadoes and flooding in southern Smith County. Only three roads remain closed. County Road 450 west of Lindale and County Road 369 east of Winona are both awaiting new culverts to be delivered. County Road 294 east of Arp still needs trees removed after a 75-foot road washout. Continue reading Some Smith County Roads Remain Closed

QUITMAN — Wood County authorities are asking the public’s help in finding a man who is accused of severely injuring his infant daughter. Jeffrey Lynn Arnold, 32, of Quitman has been charged with continuous family violence. Authorities say the 2 month old girl suffered fractures and bruises. It appeared as if the injuries occurred over a period of time. Arnold is described as a white male, 5′ 8″ tall and weighing around 145 pounds. A $1,000 cash reward is being offered for his arrest. He may be in the Athens and Henderson County area. Continue reading Search for a Man Accused of Injuring His Daughter

LONGVIEW — A state district court judge in Longview has ordered substance abuse and behavior treatment for a man who set his girl friend on fire. The Longview News Journal reports prosecutors had been seeking to revoke the probation Cannon Jay Ebarb, 37, of Elysian Fields. They said he was behind in performing his community service, behind in paying probation fees, and and violated terms of his probation concerning substance abuse. He was convicted in October 2014 of aggravated assault/family violence and was sentenced to eight years’ probation and 384 hours of community service. He had admitted to pouring lighter fluid on his girlfriend and then lighting her shirt. If Ebarb doesn’t complete the new program, his probation could be revoked, and he could face up to eight years in prison.

AUSTIN — A bold amendment to the Texas GOP platform seems to put Governor Abbott at odds with the delegates over marijuana — an issue that put Longview state Representative David Simpson (pictured) in the spotlight last year. Abbott signed legislation making the marijuana extract CBD oil legal for epilepsy patients. But he added that Texas should not “open the door for conventional marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes.” Now Republican delegates have voted to allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana as part of their 2016 platform. Ann Lee founded Republicans against Marijuana Prohibition. She says, “All we did in the platform, we gave the doctors a little bit more leeway.” Simpson, also a Republican, had similar legislation rejected last session. Simpson, now running for the Texas Senate, has said, “I’ll continue to advocate for medical freedom and getting politicians out of the way.”

EAST TEXAS — The Leapfrog Group, a patient safety watchdog organization in Washington D.C., has released its annual hospital safety scores. The survey, by the organization that was founded in 2000, showed some area hospitals fared much better than others. They assign letter scores based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents, and infections. Among the hospitals with an A grade are: Mother Frances Hospital Regional Health Care Center – Tyler – The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler – Nacogdoches Medical Center – Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall – ETMC – Crockett – Titus Regional Medical Center – Woodland Heights Medical Center- Lufkin Continue reading East Texas Hospitals Get Mixed Grades