KTBB News, Weather, Talk

WHITEHOUSE — One person has been wounded in a Smith County shooting. It happened around 2:00 Thursday afternoon in the 7600 block of County Road 2193, near Whitehouse. Initial reports are that a man and a woman had gotten into an argument. The man was said to have been holding a gun. When the woman tried to knock the gun from his hand, the weapon fired. She was taken to the hospital for treatment. Their names have not been released. The shooting remains under investigation

NACOGDOCHES (AP/STAFF) — Although the center of a tropical depression has moved into Oklahoma, a trailing band of the storm system continues to bring rain and flooding to portions of Texas. Police in Nacogdoches said that voluntary evacuations were taking place at an apartment complex along swollen Banita Creek west of Pearl Street. Also South Fredonia in the Magnolia Street area, South Pecan and South Church areas. The Nacogdoches Recreation Center at 1112 North Street has been opened as an emergency shelter for evacuees. According to the Nacogdoches Police Department, the following streets were closed as of 10:15 this morning:
West College from Pearl to the creek
* Pearl Street from Main Street to Powers
* Ellington Street from Pearl to the creek
* West California from Pearl Street to the creek
* South Pecan from Cox to the City Garage
* South Fredonia from Magnolia Street to the Creek
* West Hospital from North Street to Pearl Street
* Powers Street from Pearl to Old Tyler
* Press Road from Lake Street to Hunter Road Continue reading Flooding Still a Problem in Texas

PANOLA COUNTY — TxDOT has approved selling a section of Farm-to-Market Road 1794 between State Highway 43 and FM 959 in Panola County to Luminant, and it will be closed to traffic beginning Monday. Rick Berry owns a home off the road and is very concerned about the effects of the road closure. According to Berry, “It is really the only major route across the northern part of Panola County east-west.” Berry says meetings surrounding the closure took place in Austin, and the public had no opportunity for input. The move was approved by the Panola County Commissioners Court. TxDOT says the Texas Transportation Commission deemed the road excess property during an April meeting.

TYLER – Officials have released more details on a five-vehicle, two-fatality crash Wednesday afternoon on IH-20 in Smith County. The mishap shut down a portion of the interstate for nearly three hours, backing up traffic for miles. According to the Department of Public Safety, at troopers responded to the wreck at approximately 3:22 p.m. It occurred in the eastbound lanes near the 578 mile marker, about 7 miles east of Winona. Continue reading Details Released on Two-Fatality Crash

TYLER — Tyler city officials have scheduled an open house at which residents may provide input toward the Old Jacksonville Highway (FM 2493) Corridor Study. The open house will be held tonight from 5:30 to 7 at Lane’s Chapel United Methodist Church, located at 8720 Old Jacksonville Hwy. in Tyler. The portion of road being studied is bounded by Loop 323 in Tyler and Highway 69 in Bullard. According to a news release, the study will analyze the current conditions of traffic, travel lanes, and signals and make recommendations for upgrades as the corridor grows. Continue reading Open House for Old Jacksonville Highway Corridor Study

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has died when the car he was working on rolled on to him and crushed him. Killed was Manuel Rodriguez, 32. He was found with a wheel of the car on his chest. The accident was reported shortly after 8:00 yesterday morning at a mobile home park on Lafamo Road. Gregg County Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Tim Bryan told the Longview News Journal, “For whatever reason something happened and caused the vehicle to roll over on him.” Rodriguez was pronounced dead at the scene.

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A man convicted in the fatal beating of a 75-year-old auto repair shop owner in Tyler is facing execution tonight, with no court appeals pending. Gregory Russeau is scheduled for execution this evening for the May 2001 death of James Syvertson. Russeau was driving the victim’s car when police pulled him over in front of a known drug house in Longview. Police found Russeau about eight hours after relatives of Syvertson found his body. Court records indicate Russeau was on a cocaine binge and on parole at the time. DNA, fingerprint and palm-print evidence helped convict Russeau of capital murder. The 45-year-old Russeau would be the ninth inmate executed this year in Texas.

MOUNT PLEASANT — A one vehicle accident in Titus County has killed a truck driver. Killed when his 18 wheeler left the road and hit a concrete bridge was Miguel Costilla, 51, of Laredo. The accident happened on Interstate Highway 30, about 12 miles east of Mount Pleasant. The accident occurred shortly aft 4:00 Wednesday morning.

TYLER — The former Chief Financial Officer of Shelby Regional Medical Center has been sentenced to federal prison. Joe White, 68, of Cameron, Texas, pleaded guilty on November 12, 2014 to making a false statement. He was sentenced yesterday to 23 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Schneider. White was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,483,089.09 to Medicare’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Program. Continue reading Former Shelby County Hospital CFO Sentenced

ATHENS — A Henderson County firefighter has been treated and released after being hit by a vehicle while directing traffic. It happened around 9:30 Tuesday night on U.S. Highway 175. According to KETK, the Log Cabin volunteer fireman was stopping traffic on the highway to allow an engine to back out when hit by a car driven by a 74 year old woman. Because of concussion concerns, the firefighter was rushed to ETMC Athens and later flown to Tyler. The woman driving the other vehicle was not injured.

TYLER — The next vice president for university advancement at The University of Texas at Tyler will be Wendell Jeffreys. He starts on the job August 15th. Jeffreys comes to UT Tyler from Colorado State University, where he currently serves as the executive director of development for the College of Business. There, he manages a staff of seven charged with raising $80 million during CSU’s ongoing $1 billion campaign. Jeffreys follows Jerre Iversen, who retired. “Mr. Jeffreys will be an exceptional addition to our leadership team, bringing a rich variety of experience to UT Tyler. He has proven skills in development, fundraising and personal business that make him an ideal candidate as our next VPUA. I know you will join me in welcoming him to Tyler later in the summer,” President Rodney Mabry said. Continue reading UT Tyler Announces New Vice President for University Advancement

STEPHENVILLE (AP) — A man who was supposed to be watching 240 cattle and horses for an ill West Texas rancher has been accused of stealing and selling the animals. Erath County jail records show Asher Quinn Hoxie of Stephenville was being held Wednesday on a charge of misapplication of fiduciary property over $200,000. Jail records don’t list an attorney for Hoxie, who was arrested Tuesday and bond set at $500,000. The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association says the ill livestock owner was from Odessa. Further details on him weren’t released. Authorities say Hoxie told the rancher that he’d take care of the livestock, but instead sold the 210 cattle and 30 horses in 2012. The investigation began in March. Authorities are still trying to locate the stolen livestock.

TYLER — Crews have removed a tractor-trailer that was broken down in the southbound lane of S. Broadway next to Rose Hill Cemetery. The trailer had to be unloaded on scene and it took a little over an hour to remove the truck. That section of roadway is now clear for drivers.

SAN FRANCISCO — Tyler ranks 8th in the country among cities where medical costs rose the most from 2011 to 2013, based on a study conducted by BetterDoctor, an online consumer health site. According to press materials from BetterDoctor, the health site analyzed the recently released Medicare procedure cost data for 2013 and compared inpatient procedure costs to 2011 prices – when the data was first released. BetterDoctor says there are a few things you can do to combat rising costs. Those include making sure you have insurance coverage, knowing your health and making sure you’re covered by an appropriate plan, visiting doctors in your network who are covered by your insurance plans, and advocating for yourself. Go to http://bit.ly/1G8lkbr to read the full study. You can go to https://betterdoctor.com/ to learn more about BetterDoctor.

KILGORE — Kilgore police believe they may have solved a string of recent trailer thefts with the arrest of a Longview man. Kilgore police have taken into custody John Cody DeWitt, 42, of Longview. He was named in a theft warrant issued by the Longview Police Department. DeWitt has been linked to six trailer thefts in Kilgore and numerous other trailer thefts in Gregg County. And the investigation is ongoing.

SULPHUR SPRINGS – A two vehicle accident in Hopkins County has left one person dead and one injured. The wreck occurred shortly after 5:45 Tuesday morning on State Highway 11 at Farm to Market Road 275. Killed was Michael Wayne Evans, 32, of Winnsboro. His car is said to have crossed the center line and collided head on with a car driven by Jose Manuel Flores, 39, of Commerce.Flores is in stable condition at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital.

TYLER — Smith County is officially eligible to apply for low-interest emergency disaster loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to two notification letters it received from the Texas Division of Emergency Management. In a letter dated June 11, the Texas Division of Emergency Management notified Smith County that it was designated eligible to apply for low-interest emergency disaster loans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The loan availability is a result of a Presidential Declaration declared by FEMA for 18 Texas counties, including Smith County. The local Farm Service Agency (USDA Service Center) office will have the details on the program. It is located at 4209 Republic Drive and can be reached at 903-561-2050. The deadline for the loan applications for production and physical losses is February 5, 2016. Continue reading Emergency Disaster Loans Available to Smith County Residents

NACOGDOCHES — Nacogdoches police are looking for two men who are accused of abducting a woman and raping her. The incident occurred between 9:15 and 11:05 Monday night. KETK reports the woman was abducted in the 1500 block of Pruitt Hill Drive. She was taken to an unknown location and sexually assaulted. She was later released on Hope Lane. She describes her attackers as two black males driving a gold Buick car with chrome rims.

SMITH COUNTY — Several fire departments responded to a house fire in northwestern Smith County. KETK reports the fire was in the 13000 block of County Road 4173, off of Highway 110, in the Hideaway Lake area. It was reported just before 11:00 Tuesday morning. The house was destroyed. No one was in the home when the fire broke out. The cause remains under investigation.

NACOGDOCHES — A two vehicle accident in Nacogdoches County has left one person dead and three injured. The wreck occurred shortly after 12:15 Monday afternoon about 7 miles west of Nacogdoches, at the intersection of Highway 7 and Farm Road 2782. Killed was Blanca Abrego-Gonzales, 69, of Douglass. The Department of Public Safety reports she was a passenger in a SUV that failed to yield at a stop sign and hit a pickup driven by Joe Stephen Howell, 38, of Mexia. The accident remains under investigation.

HAWKINS — The debate heats up over a sign on Hawkins city property. No action was taken, but it was standing room only at Monday night’s city council meeting. Most people who spoke were in favor of keeping a sign that reads, “Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins.” However, one resident noted that it would be cheaper to move it to private property than to get involved in a lawsuit — which is what is being threatened by the group Freedom from Religion if it’s not relocated off city grounds. The speaker added that if it’s moved from Highway 80, they could make the sign even bigger. The out-of-state group says the sign’s location violates separation of church and state. Mayor Will Rogers wants to fight the group.

LONGVIEW — The senior pastor at Longview’s Mobberly Baptist Church has been elected treasurer for the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Glynn Stone was elected to the post for the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference this past Monday at the SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. Stone is one of three officers, joining president John Meador, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Euless, and vice chairman Dr. Neal Franks, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Branson, Missouri., who will set the theme, establish the schedule and enlist speakers and volunteers for the two-day conference focused on encouraging and inspiring pastors. The Pastors Conference will precede the SBC annual meeting next June in St. Louis, Missouri. Continue reading Longview Pastor Elected Treasurer of 2016 Southern Baptist Convention

GILMER — The final suspect in a brutal Upshur County capital murder case has been sentenced to life in prison after entering a guilty plea on Tuesday. KETK reports Andrew Norwine, 23, appeared in the Upshur County 115th District Court at 9:00 a.m. to enter his plea in connection with the December 2012 kidnapping and slaying of Ronnie Joe Gammage. Continue reading Final Suspect in Ronnie Gammage Murder Gets Life in Prison

TYLER — Smith County is improving its county-to-county communication when it comes to law enforcement. KETK reports the new changes are for better dispatch communication. Smith County is adding three new radio channels that allow dispatchers from other counties to directly contact Smith County. The county’s assistant fire marshal, Oren Hale, says they used to have these channels in place, but when they relocated five years ago, they lost the capability. Now, after waiting for a grant and approval, they hope to have the new channels within the next 3 months. Hale says this is especially useful for high-speed chases, when authorities are forced to drive through multiple counties.

MINEOLA — Republican State Representative Bryan Hughes of Mineola announced Monday he will be running for Kevin Eltife’s state Senate seat. Hughes said his top priorities will continue to be securing the border, fighting for the pro-life cause, defending second amendment rights, and ending what he calls frivolous government intrusion in our daily lives. Republican David Simpson earlier said he’ll run and plans a formal announcement June 22. Saying it’s time for a break, Eltife announced over the weekend that this will be his last term. The Tyler Republican has served in the Senate since 2004.

CANTON — A man who escaped from the Van Zandt County Jail enjoyed freedom for less than 20 minutes before being recaptured. Wade Glenn Mathis, 20, escaped shortly before 5:00 yesterday afternoon. He escaped the facility by scaling a 12’ outer perimeter security fence topped with razor security wire. Mathis was being held pending trial for three charges of possession of controlled Substances, Felony Theft and evading arrest or detention. fled into a wooded area north and west of the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and traveled west, approximately one half of a mile, and came out onto Texas Highway 64 where he was arrested without incident shortly before 5:15. Continue reading Freedom Brief for Van Zandt County Escapee

LONGVIEW — A Gregg County Jail inmate has been indicted on an aggravated assault charge arising from an April 20 attack on other inmates. Brandon Euguene Washington, 31, of Longview was in jail on a misdemeanor theft warrant and two unpaid traffic tickets. According to the arrest report, witnesses said shortly after 9 p.m. April 20, Washington started acting aggressively toward other inmates in the cell. Washington then approached the victim and struck him in the left eye, continuing to hit the victim in the head and face, according to a complaint. He is being held in jail under a $75,000 bond. Continue reading Gregg County Jail Inmate Indicted for Assault

TYLER –John Tyler High School class of 2015 graduate Carlos Amante is the 2015 recipient of the Tab and Bonnie Beall Scholarship presented through the Tyler Independent School District Foundation. Amante was presented with a $1,000 scholarship to support both his fall and spring semesters at Tyler Junior College next school year. The Tab and Bonnie Beall Scholarship is awarded annually based on need to a Tyler ISD graduate planning to attend Tyler Junior College, the University of Texas at Tyler or Texas College. Continue reading TISD Student Awarded Beall Scholarship

LONGVIEW — Some good news in Longview’s deadly animal hospital fire. On Friday, our news partner KETK reported 5-year old Daisy being taken to an animal clinic in College Station for emergency treatment. Now Daisy’s owners say she is eating well and has a little bit more energy. Daisy and another dog were the only two to survive the Kimbrough Animal Hospital fire. Daisy’s been on secondary oxygen since being rescued, and was taken to Texas A&M after showing little signs of improvement. Her owners say she’s expected to be there a few more days. Meanwhile, a vigil for the deceased animals was held last night at the animal hospital.