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TYLER — A Longview man who was in the Gregg County Jail awaiting trial on a murder charge pleaded guilty Thursday in Tyler to several unrelated charges and was sentenced to four years in prison. KETK reports Christian Sibley, 22, was booked into the Smith County Jail on those charges Wednesday afternoon. They included driving with an invalid license with a previous conviction (out of Rusk County, arrest made by Tyler Police Department), possession of a controlled substance (arrest made by Department of Public Safety), and possession of a prohibited substance in a correctional facility (arrest made by Smith County Sheriff’s Office). The charges pertained to multiple 2014 incidents. Continue reading Man Awaiting Trial for Murder Pleads Guilty to Unrelated Charges

TYLER (Staff/AP) — Preliminary autopsy results indicate a man found dead following a February 10 Smith County SWAT standoff died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Sheriff Larry Smith says pathologists at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science provided the information in a verbal report relating to the death of Kenneth Brent Barton. Smith says toxicology reports will not be available for several weeks. The preliminary autopsy report on Barton’s mother, Frances Barton, also revealed she died from a single gunshot wound to the head. According to KETK, her body was found in a freezer after the standoff. Officials were serving a search warrant related to her disappearance in 2014. The incident also included the destruction of Kenneth Barton’s home by fire.

KILGORE (AP) – An East Texas emergency room has been closed after bats began to spread through the building. In a statement posted Tuesday night on the Kilgore Police Department social media pages, Good Shepherd Medical Center said “a number of small bats” had moved into the Longview, Texas-based hospital’s free-standing emergency room in nearby Kilgore. The bats had moved into the building’s walls and ceilings, with some migrating into the area that receives ambulances. Continue reading Bats Close Emergency Room for at Least 2 Weeks

BULLARD — Authorities are investigating a reported stabbing and carjacking in Bullard. According to KETK, three people were driving north on Hwy 69 in a maroon Ford Explorer with paper tags. They were said to be stopped at the intersection of Highway 69 and FM 344 when one of the passengers stabbed the driver of the vehicle. The victim has been identified as James Wills, of Tyler. After the stabbing, Wills got out of the vehicle. One of the passengers got into the driver’s seat and drove off in the SUV with the other passenger still in the vehicle. Police are still trying to identify those two people and are currently searching for the maroon Ford Explorer. Wills was taken to a Tyler hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

TYLER – A pain management physician who spent part of his time working in East Texas has pleaded guilty to illegally dispensing controlled substances. Sameer Andoni Fino, 49, of Murphy, Texas, entered his plea in Tyler federal court and faces up to ten years in federal prison. No sentencing date has been set. Continue reading Doctor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Prescribing Pain Medication

KILGORE — A Kilgore College professor who resigned in November was being accused of sexual harassment claims, according to an email complaint and text message evidence. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. The complaint and text messages were obtained Tuesday through a public information request sent to Kilgore College spokesman Chris Craddock on Nov. 11. Kilgore College then sent the request to the attorney general’s office for review. William Wells, a professor of history and philosophy, is accused of encouraging a female student to come to his home to drop off a paper, according to the email complaint. Continue reading Ex-KC Professor Accused of Sexual Harassment

TYLER — In the wake of concerns that emerged last year, Tyler Water Utilities (TWU) has made several process changes to improve its water quality since November, according to a city news release. Those include increasing the use of ozone, enhanced coagulation, and the addition of sodium hydroxide in the water treatment process. The increased use of ozone at the Lake Palestine Water Treatment Plant was a recommendation from Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc. (eHT). That firm was hired by the Mayor and City Manager to evaluate Tyler Water Utilities’ processes. Continue reading Officials: Tyler Continues Work to Improve Drinking Water Quality

TYLER — Smith County Elections is now offering an Interactive ExpressPass Sample Ballot to all registered voters in the county. In a news release, Elections Administrator Karen Nelson terms the system “convenient, simple and completely safe for voter use.” You can go to http://www.smith-county.com to find the ballot. Continue reading Smith County Elections Offers New Tool for Voters

HOPE, Ark. — Police in Hope, Arkansas, say a Winnsboro man was arrested in connection with a bank robbery on Tuesday afternoon. KETK reports that at 1:30 p.m., the Hope Police Department was called to the Bank of the Ozarks. Police said witnesses told them a man entered the bank, showed a handgun, demanded money, and drove off. The Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office found the suspected vehicle, pulled it over, and took 74-year-old Johnny Crawford into custody. He was booked into the Hempstead County Detention Center pending his first court appearance. A handgun and an undetermined amount of money were recovered from the vehicle, according to police. The FBI was notified of the bank robbery.

UPSHUR COUNTY — Eight dead dogs were found in rural Upshur County over the weekend. According to KETK, the sheriff’s office said they were found on Day Lily Road near Gilmer. A group of friends were riding 4-wheelers when they found the bodies. They also found three abandoned pit-bull mixed puppies with bowls of water and toys. Sheriff Anthony Betterton says there are no suspects at this time. Betterton says dumping dogs is a criminal offense that remains a big problem in rural East Texas.

TYLER — The City of Tyler warns area residents of a utilities scam going around. Officials said in a news release that Tyler water utilities customers are the target. Apparently, the scammers are calling customers and telling them their water bill is past due. They ask for payment over the phone via credit card. City officials said they don’t call customers to notify them of past due bills, they notify customers by letter prior to disconnecting services. Officials are asking victims of this scam to contact Greg Morgan, managing director of utilities and public works, immediately at (903) 531-1234 or at gmorgan@tylertexas.com.

LONGVIEW — A homeless man accused of assaulting another man in Longview last summer was found legally insane Monday and ordered into a state mental hospital for a 30-day evaluation. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Lacorian Davis, 24, was accused in a July 2 aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The attack, in the parking lot of Super 1 grocery, sent a man to the hospital for at least one night. Davis’s trial on the second-degree felony was to begin Monday but was completed instead at a hearing at which 124th District Judge Alfonso Charles reviewed a psychiatric evaluation of Davis by Dr. Thomas Allen. “At the time of this offense, the defendant was legally insane,” Charles said from the bench. “Therefore, the court finds this defendant not guilty of this offense by reason of insanity.” Continue reading Homeless Man Accused of Assault Found Not Guilty by Insanity

KILGORE — The University of Texas at Tyler, in collaboration with LeTourneau University and Kilgore College, is participating in a “Point of Dispensing” disaster drill. According to a news release, the exercise began at 8 this morning and runs till 1 this afternoon at Kilgore Primary School. Along with nursing students from LETU and KC, UT Tyler Longview University Center nursing students are managing the POD drill. In addition, about 300 Kilgore Junior High School students are participating as clients. According to the news release, LUC’s Rebecca Carrasco says the exercise provides “potential scenarios in identifying persons with limited mobility, physical compromise, or the mental health issues that can easily arise in high-stress situations.” Continue reading Three Higher Ed Institutions Hold Disaster Drill in Kilgore

TYLER — Tyler has received the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA Growth Award for 2015. The award recognizes “higher levels of tree care” by Tree City USA communities, according to the announcement. City staffers say in the past year, the Tyler Reforestation Encouraging Ecological Stability (TREES) Committee, the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department, and Keep Tyler Beautiful have worked together to garner this award. TREES Committee Chair Ken Wheeler, Jr. says he’s pleased with the award and that it’s always good to get outside recognition. Continue reading Tyler Receives National Recognition for Urban Forest

TYLER (Staff/AP) — The Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science (SWIFS) in Dallas reports that the preliminary autopsy report of Frances Barton revealed she died from a single gunshot wound to the head. The Smith County Sheriff’s Office says Barton has been positively identified by fingerprints. Officials say there is no indication at this time as to the time of death. According to KETK, Barton’s body was found in a freezer after a deadly standoff in Western Smith County February 11. Officials were serving a search warrant related to Barton’s disappearance in 2014. Continue reading Preliminary Autopsy Report In on Frances Barton

TYLER – Early voting in the state’s primary electionis underway. Voters will be casting votes for a presidential candidate to various ballot propositions and referendums. Besides the Smith County Elections Office on East Ferguson Street, you can vote early at the Lindale Public Library, the Heritage Building on Bellwood Road, the Noonday Community Center and at the Whitehouse Municipal Court. Early voting will run through February 26th and will even be open this coming Saturday and Sunday. Continue reading Early Voting Begins Today; Smith County Locations Listed

LONGVIEW — Homes are being torched in Longview. The city has had thirteen arson fires so far this year. Assistant Fire Chief Curtis Shaw said ten of the fires are homes, one business and two cars. Several of the homes were unoccupied. Shaw said there’s no hard evidence that says any one group or person is responsible for all or even most of the fires. He does note their Fire Investigation Unit has spent more than 400 hours conducting interviews and collecting evidence. No one has been injured.

GLADEWATER — A Gladewater homeowner took steps to fend off a potential burglar this Valentine’s Day and apparently succeeded. Gregg County deputies responded to a burglary of a habitation in progress call just after 5:00 on Rosie Wady, where they arrived on scene to find the burglar, on the ground with his hands tied behind his back. According to KETK, the resident told deputies before they arrived he walked into the back bedroom and saw an unknown white male, later identified as Tyler Wayne Craig, of Gladewater, dumping out a drawer and looking through his personal items. The homeowner retrieved his handgun from a dresser drawer and pointed it at Craig, ordering him to get on the ground. Continue reading Suspected Burglar Held by Homeowner

TYLER — The Women’s Fund of Smith County welcomes Kristen Seeber as its new president/CEO. Officials say Seeber brings 30 years of nonprofit leadership skills to the organization. Seeber says she was drawn to the leading philanthropic agency whose stated mission is to leverage women’s philanthropy as a catalyst for positive change. She points out that the Women’s Fund is “close to reaching a cumulative total of a million dollars in grants since that process began in 2009.” Officials say Women’s Fund members pledge financial contributions that result in high-impact grants benefiting local women and children. The organization’s annual grant announcement is set for Wednesday.

TYLER — Law enforcement officials say they located 33-year-old stabbing suspect Lonnie Frampton of Tyler around 1:45 Monday afternoon at Tyler’s Evergreen Cemetery. Frampton was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Bond was set at $350,000. Officers were called to Mother Frances Hospital just after midnight Monday in reference to a man with a stab wound. The victim, identified as Daunte Kemp, 30, of Tyler, said he was stabbed by his brother, Frampton (pictured), at a home on Shaw. Kemp was rushed into surgery and is expected to recover. Continue reading Tyler Police Arrest Suspect in Early Morning Stabbing

TYLER — A popular Tyler eatery, Rudy’s BBQ on SSW Loop 323, has shut down temporarily after a fire ignited late Monday morning — but officials say damage appears to be minor. According to a news release, the call came in as smoke coming from a wall. First arriving units found smoke coming from the wall on the southwest corner around a fire box feeding a warmer inside the building. Firefighters removed the rock veneer and some of the wall covering inside the building and extinguished the fire, which was contained to the wall. The investigator on scene believes there was damage to the mortar around the fire box allowing excessive heat to enter the wall space. No injuries were reported and the health department was notified.

TYLER — The Tyler Street Department has closed Harmony Street between Bois D’ Arc Avenue and Broadway Avenue to remove a large tree from the right-of-way. The street is expected to be reopened by 1 p.m. this afternoon, according to city officials.

PANOLA COUNTY — Officials have identified a man killed in an officer-involved shooting in Panola County Saturday night. According to KETK, around 8:00 p.m., a DPS trooper tried to stop a car for a traffic violation on State Highway 149. Officials say the driver refused to stop and evaded law enforcement in his vehicle. According to DPS, the driver, identified as Calin Roquemore, 24, of Tatum, exited his still-running vehicle in a residential neighborhood in Beckville. Authorities say the car traveled a short distance and struck a tree. Continue reading Officials ID Man Killed in Officer-Involved Shooting

GILMER — A 26-year-old Gilmer man was charged with criminal negligent homicide after a 21-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 271 north of Gilmer early Saturday. According to KETK, Riley McPherson of Gilmer died when his van struck the side of a semi-tractor trailer that was blocking all four lanes of the highway. Bond was set at $10,000 for the truck driver, Eric Wayne Jefferson. Jefferson, who was unhurt, was attempting to back the semitrailer, loaded with pipe, into a private drive when the southbound van struck the back left axle area. Jefferson was booked into the Upshur County Jail.

LONGVIEW — Police are investigating a weekend hit-and-run that injured a Longview teenager. “He was flat run over, and they left him there to die,” said Laura Wilkes, who said she knows the victim. According to the Longview New-Journal and KETK, Wilkes said the wreck happened right outside her office in the 1600 block of Pine Tree Road. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said the wreck happened just after 7:00 Saturday night. The victim was hit by a car and suffered non life threatening injuries. Wilkes said she’s worked with the 16-year-old victim and his father at Doc Wilkes Haunted House. The boy underwent surgery on his leg Sunday morning at Children’s Hospital in Dallas, but he also suffered facial injuries, Wilkes said. “We need to know who did this,” Wilkes said. She has taken to social media in hopes of finding the person who stuck the teen. Brian said there was no available description of the car’s driver.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Louie Gohmert, of Tyler, released the following statement on the sudden news of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing: “In 1986, America needed an honorable, brilliant, ethical, clear-headed, protector of the U.S. Constitution. In response to all the musical prayers for God to ‘bless America,’ He did in the form of Antonin Scalia. I loved his mental clarity, treasured his sense of humor and jokes, shared both his faith in God and his recognition of the troubled course ahead for our nation as it continued drifting further from our Constitutional mooring.” “My thoughts and prayers are for Justice Scalia’s family and for our country; but, I grieve not for Justice Scalia because that wonderful patriot has no doubt already heard, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.'” Continue reading Justice Antonin Scalia Found Dead; Representative Gohmert Releases Statement

LONGVIEW — Longview Police are investigating an assault Saturday afternoon. Just after 4:00, officers responded to the 500 block of Pine Tree Road and found the victim, who had been assaulted in the woods nearby. The victim was transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The identity of the victim was not released.

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man involved in a car wreck that killed two people in October has been indicted on manslaughter charges. James Devin Worsham, 26, was in the Gregg County Jail on Saturday awaiting bond. Police said that on Oct. 18, Worsham was driving a truck pulling a trailer on East Loop 281. The truck hit a car trying the cross the loop from the northbound ramp off Eastman Road, the Longview News-Journal reports. The car’s passengers, William Bryan Ewing, 50 and Merri Anne Ewing, 42, both of Tatum, were killed in the wreck.

LONGVIEW — Longview fire officials are investigating the cause of an early morning house fire in the 400 block of East Birdsong Street. According to the Longview News-Journal, the fire started about 3:55 a.m. Saturday and was about 20% involved when the first unit arrived, Longview Fire Department battalion Chief William Edwards said. The occupants of the home were displaced. Officials could not say Saturday if arson is suspected.

SMITH COUNTY — One person was killed, another injured following a one vehicle rollover near Tyler. According to KETK, the wreck happened just after midnight Saturday on State Highway 31, about 10 miles west of Tyler. DPS Troopers said the driver, Ponciano Aguilar, 32, lost control and ran off the road. His truck then flipped multiple times ejecting him and his passenger, Israel Alvarez, 20. Aguilar died at the scene. Alvarez was taken to the hospital, his condition unknown. Troopers are investigating the cause of the accident.