KTBB News, Weather, Talk

ELDERVILLE — Authorities are investigating a fatal house fire in Rusk County as a possible homicide. KETK reports the Elderville-Lakeport Volunteer Fire Department responded to the scene around 6:45 Tuesday morning after 911 received a call about smoke coming from a home on CR 2127. Human remains were found at the scene. The identity is pending. Tatum firefighters assisted with the call. The scene was cleared by firefighters at 7:35 a.m. and turned over to the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. The remains will be sent for autopsy. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The home was destroyed.

ALTO — One person is dead following a possible electrocution in Cherokee County. According to KETK, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies were called to County Road 2449, just north of Alto, Monday night. Upon arrival, they were were directed about 25 yards south of a residence and found Kendrick Polk, 37, of Alto, unresponsive. There were no witnesses to the incident, but officials say it appears Polk was walking toward his home and came in contact with a live power line. From the location of the injuries, the line came in contact with Polk around his waist. Continue reading Alto-Area Man Possibly Electrocuted

TYLER — Robert E. Lee High School has a new head football coach. Clayton George was named to the post at Monday night’s school board meeting. Coach George comes to Tyler from Dallas where he currently is assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Southlake Carroll. They won state championships in 2002 and 2011. He was named as the 2015 Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Football Foundation Gridiron Club of Dallas. A 1989 Athens High School graduate, George’s coaching career has spanned over two decades in Texas, with experience at the high school, junior college, and Division I university level.

LONGVIEW — One firefighter was injured Monday morning when he fell off a catwalk while responding to a blaze in Longview. KETK reports the fire was reported at the Crosby building at Dana Way and LEDCO Drive near Highway 259. Crews responded around 10:40 a.m. and contained the flames at 11:13 a.m. The injured firefighter was taken to a local hospital; his injuries were deemed non-life-threatening. There were no reports of anyone else being hurt. The amount of damage caused by the fire is unknown at this time. Continue reading Longview Firefighter Injured on the Job

LONGVIEW — The Gregg County Commissioners Court voted Monday to keep county buildings gun-free zones. KETK reports the commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of banning open carry at county locations. Precinct 2 Commissioner Darryl Primo voted against the proposal. The Texas Open Carry law kicks in on January 1, 2016. Earlier this month, Smith County Commissioners also voted to ban guns at county locations.

TYLER — Smith County Judge Joel Baker Monday signed a disaster declaration for areas affected by Saturday’s severe weather. Smith County “suffered widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property resulting from severe thunderstorms, tornadic activity, flash flooding, etc.,” the declaration states. More than 50 homes were damaged in the Lindale area, but no injuries were reported, Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson reported. She asked Judge Baker for the Disaster Declaration after Lindale Mayor Robert Nelson requested Smith County’s help in cleaning up the area. Continue reading Disaster Declaration for Smith County Signed after Severe Weather

LUFKIN (AP) – An East Texas highway has reopened after crews removed some of the 64 empty cars that derailed from an overpass during storms. The Texas Department of Transportation says Loop 287 in Lufkin reopened Monday. Nobody was hurt when the derailment happened Sunday morning as gusts of about 40 mph blew through Lufkin. The cars, operated by the Angelina & Neches River Railroad Company, were blown off the rail overpass and onto the highway. Crews continued working Monday to remove all of the rail cars after the four-lane highway reopened.

HENDERSON — A teenager died in a Henderson house fire that struck late Sunday night on Webster Drive. According to KETK, police say a neighbor reported the fire around 11:30 p.m. Responding firefighters were able to save a 14-year-old boy before they had to pull back for their own safety. The boy is now recovering at a local hospital. His condition is unknown. Meanwhile, another 14-year-old boy was found dead in the house. He was identified as William Gonzalez, a freshman in Henderson ISD. A cause of the fire is under investigation.

TYLER — Tyler Police say a vehicle struck a utility pole at Highway 64 West in front of Walmart early this morning. Officials said power lines are down across the roadway. Oncor is at the scene repairing the lines. Drivers are urged to use alternate routes due to the road being temporarily closed.

LINDALE – Lindale Mayor Robert Nelson has issued a Declaration of Disaster for the city following a tornado. Around 3:30 Saturday afternoon the EF-2 tornado touched down near the Woodlands area of Lindale. A second possible tornado was reported in the area of Farm Road 2710 and Stacy Road. No injuries were reported. Mayor Nelson said that preliminary estimates indicate six to eight homes with major damage, with another 30 to 35 with lesser damage. Motorists are asked to avoid the area. The Lindale school district reports their agriculture barn had some slight damage but all of the district’s other buildings were not damaged. Continue reading Confirmed Tornado Causes Significant Damage to Lindale

LaRUE – Crews continue work to repair U.S. Highway 175 between Farm Road 804 and Loop 60/Farm Road 607 at LaRue, east of Athens in Henderson County. There was a washout on the highway during Saturday’s rain and was shutdown overnight requiring the implementation of traffic detours. Motorists who use this portion of US 175 are advised to allow extra time to reach their destinations until the repairs are completed. All eastbound traffic is being routed to Farm Road 804 to bypass the closure while westbound traffic is redirected to Loop 60/Farm Road 607. According to TxDOT, the washout occurred at a drainage structure causing washout of the westbound lane embankment and slope. Crews immediately began to assess the damage, relieve flooding and mobilize to start repairs, moving in heavy equipment and personnel. Earlier last night, portable lighting was delivered to the site to enable crews to work through the night. Continue reading U.S. 175 Remains Closed Near Athens

MARSHALL – A motorcycle accident on Pinecrest Drive, southwest of Marshall, in Harrison County, has left one person dead. Killed in the Sunday morning accident was Damien Manshack, 19, of Marshall. He was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center when he died about 11:00 Sunday morning, about an hour after the accident. According to the Department of Public Safety, Manshack was traveling west when he lost control of the motorcycle and was thrown from the vehicle.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of December 14. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

Motorists traveling State Highway 110S at Farm Road 346 and Acker Tap in Whitehouse should be prepared to take other routes to avoid delays Monday through Wednesday as maintenance crews perform milling work that will require closing main lanes as well as turn lanes. All work will be conducted between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Get more details in the Smith
County section of this news release. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects

TYLER — The Tyler Police and Fire Departments received reports over the weekend of houses damaged and trees and power lines down. The calls came from the following areas: Fairfax Drive from Loop 323 to Shenandoah, Rockbridge to Norma and the intersection of College to Mockingbird. Barricades and cones have been used to mark danger areas. Also, the police are advising motorists to be aware of flooding and water on roadways. According to a news release from Sgt. Jeffery Rackliff, there were no reports of injuries.

EAST TEXAS – Flooding has caused the closure of Farm Road 321 between Farm Road 645 and Farm Road 2706 in Anderson County. And U.S. Highway 175E is closed in Henderson County from Farm Road 804 to Loop 60 at LaRue due to flooding of both the eastbound and westbound lanes. Traffic is detoured until further notice as crews work to improve drainage. For the detour, use Farm Road 804 to Farm Road 607 to Loop 60 to US 175E. Crews will continue to monitor these and other roadways for conditions that could impact travel.

WINNSBORO (AP/Staff) — Powerful thunderstorms spawned an EF-2 tornado in East Texas, causing some damage and injuring at least two residents of a badly damaged home. The storms Saturday afternoon brought strong winds and reports of tornadoes. Chief Deputy Chris Mars of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department said the shattered house where the two were injured was north of Winnsboro. There was no immediate word on their condition.

TYLER – As of 9:30 this morning, Cumberland Road, from Old Jacksonville to Balsam Gap, will be closed because a contractor will be laying storm sewer pipe. It’s part of the Cumberland Road construction project. It’s not known how long the road will be closed. A city news release only says it will be closed until the project is completed. Motorists are advised to use alternate routes.

TYLER — The Salvation Army in Tyler is running way behind with its red kettle donations. In a news release, the agency says it has been grateful for the donations it has received this kettle season, including the reappearance of 30 Eagle Silver Dollars on December 9. But staffers say as of late Friday afternon, the red kettle campaign is $22,365.82 behind last year’s total when compared to the same week in the campaign. Continue reading Tyler Red Kettles Down over $22,000 with 13 Days to Go

TYLER – With a deadline rapidly approaching, there are still a lot of angels remaining on the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree at Tyler’s Broadway Square Mall. When the week started, there were 700 angels left to adopt. That number has now fallen to 197. Any angels that have not been adopted by 7:00 this evening means some child or senior citizen in Smith County will not receive a Christmas gift. The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree is on the north end of the mall near Chick-Fil-A and JC Penney. The Salvation Army asks that gifts for angels be delivered to the mall by Sunday so that they can prepare for their December 18th and 19th distribution days. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Continue reading Some Angels Still Up for Adoption

PALESTINE — The Palestine Police Department is investigating a shooting incident that left a 55-year-old Palestine man injured around 8:40 Thursday night on South May Street. According to KETK, police say the initial information indicated that the victim heard a knock at his front door shortly before 9:00 p.m. The victim opened the door and saw two males standing on his front porch, one of whom was armed with a shotgun. The victim quickly closed the door and the suspects fired two shots through the door. The victim was hit once in the face and once in the shoulder area. There was also a female at the May Street residence at the time of the shooting. The female was not injured. Continue reading Palestine Police Investigate Shooting

LONGVIEW — A social media threat against the Islamic Center of Longview has been deemed “unviable.” That information came Friday in a news release from the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office. Officials say the sheriff’s office received an anonymous tip Wednesday advising of such a threat. According to the news release, the sheriff’s office notified the FBI and the Islamic Center about the threat. Authorities say the sheriff’s office increased patrol while the FBI conducted its investigation. Sheriff’s officials say the FBI Texarkana office informed them that after conducting its investigation the FBI office considered the threat to be unviable. The sheriff’s office then informed the Islamic Center of the FBI’s findings. According to the news release, “The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office is committed to serving all citizens of Gregg County and will never fail in providing equal protection for everyone.”

WASKOM — An East Texas woman has been arrested in connection with a weekend shooting. According to KETK, Marilyn Marche Kirkland, 25, of DeBerry, was arrested Wednesday for the shooting death of Clinton Wayne Saizon, 36, of Waskom. Saizon’s body was found by his family at his mobile home, Saturday, on North Hearne Street. Kirkland was booked into the Harrison County Jail on a murder charge. Her bond was set at $1 million.

CHEROKEE COUNTY – A sex offender sweep through Cherokee County has resulted in the arrests of two men and a woman. The three were among 100 persons checked by multiple agencies. The three were arrested at a home on Farm Road 1857, southwest of Rusk. Besides finding firearms in the residence, a stolen vehicle on the property, officers also found a small child the woman was trying to hide. The youngsters mother had left the child there for four days. The child was turned over to Child Protective Services. Continue reading Three Arrested During Cherokee County Sex Offender Sweep

KILGORE — The Kilgore College Board of Trustees has approved a two-year, eight-month contract for incoming president Dr. Brenda Kays. The contract, which was approved Thursday, will run from from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2018. Her annual salary will be $200,000, which will be prorated to $133,334 for the remainder of fiscal year 2016. Dr Kays will use her own auto for business and professional travel but will receive an annual automobile travel allowance of $10,000 to be paid in monthly installments for gas, insurance, repairs, maintenance and other auto expenses. Continue reading Contract Approved for New Kilgore College President

TYLER — UT Health Northeast achieved another significant milestone with the announcement by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) that it has conferred accreditation on the university medical center. According to a UT Health Northeast news release, SACSCOC was founded in 1912, and is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting colleges and universities in the southern United States including Texas. UT Health Northeast president Dr. Kirk Calhoun says the accreditation has “long been a goal” of the institution. UT Health Northeast’s School of Medical Biological Sciences began offering a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology three years ago as part of UT Health’s SACSCOC candidacy status.

TYLER — The Salvation Army in Tyler announced this week it will no longer be offering regular meals for free. KETK reports the agency typically served about 5,000 meals every week but in recent years this has increased to 7,000. While the numbers have increased, the donations have not. The Salvation Army used to offer three meals a day. It will now be offering just dinner Monday through Friday, brunch on Saturday, and lunch on Sunday. Each meal now costs one dollar. Continue reading No More Regular Free Meals at Tyler Salvation Army

TYLER — Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith says he supports a gun ban issued by the county this week even though he remains “a strong advocate for the Second Amendment.” That word came Thursday in a clarification of his position regarding the concealed or open carry of firearms within county buildings. The Smith County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to ban both the concealed and open carry of firearms within the Smith County Courthouse and any county facility that houses a courtroom. In a news release, Smith explains that the 30.06 (concealed carry) and 30.07 (open carry) signage will be placed at the entryway to any county facility that houses a court. Continue reading Sheriff Clarifies Position on Guns in County Buildings

SMITH COUNTY — An investigation is underway into a shooting involving Smith County sheriff’s deputies. Sheriff Larry Smith provides details in a news release. Smith says around 9:10 Wednesday night, deputies were dispatched to do a welfare check on County Road 411 in northwestern Smith County. Upon arrival deputies met with the caller, Paul Kling, who informed them that his son, Cameron Dossey, 25, had been drinking heavily, making suicidal statements, and driving around on the property. Continue reading Smith County Sheriff’s Deputies Involved in Shooting