KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — A Smith County man who turned himself in to authorities April 21 following the death of a 12-year-old boy has been released from jail on bond. KETK reports an arrest warrant was issued for Vernon Ray Caddell, 56, of Tyler, by Judge Jack Skeen, Jr. Caddell is charged with manslaughter. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, on April 19 at around 4:00 p.m., Jiree Mobley was taken to a local hospital after he was thrown from his ATV upon hitting a barbed line at the end of County Road 3158. Mobley was pronounced dead by a physician and his body was sent to Dallas for autopsy. Continue reading Man Charged with Death of 12-Year-Old Released on Bond

EAST TEXAS — An East Texas native who is now a reporter at a conservative national media outlet was injured while working in Baltimore covering the riots stemming from the death of Freddie Gray. According to KETK, Casey Harper, a 2011 graduate of Hallsville High School and reporter for the Daily Caller, was in the midst of pandemonium Monday night and Tuesday morning. According to Harper and fellow DC reporter Connor Wolf, the journalists were attacked by a mob which resulted in the men being badly injured. Harper suffered a fractured cheekbone, a black eye, a mild concussion and his iPhone was stolen. He was also hit in the face with a bottle. They were treated and released from a local hospital. Continue reading East Texan Injured During Baltimore Riots

TYLER — The Junior Achievement(JA) Board of Directors will host the 2015 Business Hall of Fame Laureate Celebration this evening at 6:00 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center. Tom Mullins, this year’s honoree, has served as the president and CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council(TEDC) since June 1989 and as the president and CEO of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce since March 1992. “We could not be more pleased or excited about this year’s nominee for the 2015 Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame award,” said Chad Cargile, JA board chair and Regions Bank president. Continue reading Junior Achievement Celebrates Tom Mullins as Laureate of the Year

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – A Texas trooper based in Gilmer has sued his bosses after being reprimanded over his photo with rapper Snoop Dogg at South by Southwest. Department of Public Safety Trooper Billy Spears filed the civil lawsuit Wednesday, alleging retaliation by DPS, Director Steven McCraw and several executives. The lawsuit says Spears was working off-duty security when an assistant for Snoop Dogg took the photo in March and posted it on Instagram. Spears was reprimanded because the rapper has several drug-possession convictions. Spears seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Spears also alleges retaliation for his complaint against a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officer. Spears was detained in 2014 while off-duty and carrying an alcoholic beverage at a concert. DPS declined to discuss pending litigation. TABC was reviewing the lawsuit Wednesday and declined further comment.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas held its annual shredding events in Tyler on Saturday, April 18, and in Van on Friday, April 24. The two events invited the public to bring unwanted sensitive material to be shredded safely. Over 10,600 pounds of paper was collected, safely destroyed, and recycled between both shredding events, according to a BBB news release. Continue reading BBB Helps Community Shred Over 10,600 Pounds of Paper

VAN — Law enforcement officials are asking for the public’s help locating a stolen vehicle. According to KETK, the Van Police Department says a man’s 1965 Mustang was stolen Tuesday night inside city limits. If you have info about this stolen vehicle, contact Van PD or to remain anonymous and collect a CASH reward, contact the Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers tip line at 903-567-7867 (STOP).

TYLER — The local president of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), Valerie Holcomb, presented the Smith County Commissioners Court with a green wreath Tuesday commemorating Mental Health Awareness Month. Commissioner JoAnn Hampton accepted the wreath after reading a resolution declaring May Mental Health Awareness Month during the commissioners’ meeting. “It is important for society to become more aware of the issues and take more action when it comes to mental illness,” Commissioner Hampton said. Continue reading Smith County Declares Mental Health Awareness Month

TYLER — Traffic cameras in school zones: on paper, it sounds good. Smith County has bought five cameras that will rotate school zones strictly outside city limits, but KETK reports elected officials and neighboring cities are at odds over the decision. The Smith County Commissioners Court decided this week to put the safety cameras in the school zones. “You know, we have over a 150-160 school safety zones throughout the county and this is designed to assist law enforcement presence that’s there, to enhance public safety,” says County Judge Joel Baker (pictured). Continue reading Some, but Not All on Board with School Zone Cameras

LONGVIEW — A Longview man is being accused of exposing himself and performing a sex act in front of nurses at Good Shepherd Medical Center. The Longview News Journal reports officers attempted to remove Jerry Lane Askew, 52, from the hospital when he sat down in the lobby and refused to leave. Askew, a registered sex offender in Texas, was charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest, search or transport. He is being held on bonds totaling $1,500. Investigators say Askew was a patient at the hospital on Monday when he is accused of defecating on the floor of an exam room before also urinating on the floor and removing his hospital gown in front of nursing staff and patients.

LONGVIEW — A Longview teen reported missing last week has been located. The public had been asked for help in finding Alexandria “Allie” Eve Hansley, 15. When reported missing, she not been seen by her family in about ten days. They feared the girl may be in danger. She had been recently seen in Longview but it was felt she may have been in the Dallas area. Longview police announced Tuesday the girl had been located. Because of her age, additional information could not be released.

TYLER — Smith County has received the 2015 Platinum Leadership Circle Award from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Smith County was named a Texas Comptroller Leadership Circle Platinum Member for the second year in a row for its “continued progress toward achieving financial transparency.” The program recognizes local governments across the state that are striving to meet a high standard for financial transparency online. Judge Joel Baker said it is the fifth year Smith County has been recognized with the Leadership Circle Award. The county received the top gold award for three years and last year, the bar was raised to platinum level. Continue reading Smith County Receives Leadership Circle Award

TYLER — A senior at The University of Texas at Tyler, Natalie Haynes of Plains, has received a scholarship from The Explorer’s Club to study Maya archaeology in Belize. Haynes was awarded a 2015 TEC Youth Exploration Fund scholarship in the amount of $1,500. The club offers scholarships to high school, collegiate and post-graduate students in support of exploration and field research. With the award, Haynes will travel this summer to Belize where she and other student-scholars will assist excavation teams and collect data through the Mayan Research Program. “I am so grateful for the funding I have received from The Explorer’s Club,” said Haynes, a social sciences major. “Their generosity will help support me on a trip that I have looked forward to and hoped to have the opportunity to go on for a very long time. I thank them for making this possible for me.” Continue reading UT Tyler Senior Gets Prestigious Scholarship

SHREVEPORT — The Caddo (La.) Sheriff’s Office obtained arrest warrants for 10 suspects involved in a million-dollar identity theft scheme involving out-of-state cable contractors, said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator. KETK reports one of the suspects is Marcus Roshun Johnson, 33, of East Texas. Officials said Johnson’s last known location was in the Tyler area. The suspects are wanted for allegedly using the personal information of at least 1,200 people – some more than once – to open fraudulent cable accounts in Caddo Parish. All of the suspects were contractors for RMH Cable in Austin, which was hired by Comcast to find new customers in the Shreveport area. While working locally, the contractors identified residents who agreed to have cable service installed using others’ information so the contractors could collect a commission.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man remains in the Gregg County Jail on a charge of online solicitation of a minor for sexual conduct. Placed under a $50,000 bond was Joey Huddleston, 34. He was arrested late Monday morning on East Loop 281 after police say he made arrangements to meet with a 15-year-old boy with the intent of engaging in sexual conduct. Investigators say he knew the boy’s age prior to setting up the meeting. He had reportedly been communicating with the boy through online messages. Gregg County Jail records indicate Huddleston was arrested a couple of months ago on a charge of injury of a child/elderly/disabled person with the intent of bodily injury.

TYLER — A University of Texas at Tyler fraternity has been suspended for one year following an investigation into alleged inappropriate behavior. Beverly Golden, Director of Marketing and Communications for UT Tyler, provided our news partner KETK with a statement regarding the suspension of the Rho-Nu chapter of Kappa Sigma. That statement can be read below: Continue reading UTT Fraternity Suspended for One Year

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Former Whitehouse High School and Oklahoma wide receiver Trey Metoyer has been sentenced to eight years of probation following accusations he exposed himself to women. Cleveland County, Oklahoma, District Attorney Greg Mashburn’s office says Metoyer was convicted of indecent exposure after entering a blind plea, meaning he didn’t strike a deal with prosecutors. The state had requested a prison sentence of at least three years for Metoyer but a judge gave him probation instead. Metoyer left the Sooners football team in 2013 after being charged with indecent exposure. Authorities say he publicly exposed himself to two different women in Norman. Metoyer started four of the 11 games he played in 2012 and played in four games in 2013.

LAKE PALESTINE — A woman was hospitalized Monday night after she fell into a culvert washout near Lake Palestine. KETK reports recent rains washed away part of Wiley Drive in the Shadybrook Subdivision. The woman was pulled from the approximate 33-foot drop with a basket by firefighters around 11:00 p.m., according to the Jacksonville Fire Department. She initially fell into the gap at about 9:30 p.m. The hole is estimated to be about 25 feet wide.

ALTO — Alto ISD canceled school for Tuesday, April 28. According to KETK, school officials said the district was still with power following heavy storms on Sunday night into early Monday morning. The district also had to close its doors on Monday because of no electricity.

LONGVIEW — With layoffs and cutbacks increasingly common, area economic development officials want residents to know “East Texas is hiring.” According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, the Longview Economic Development Corp., Kilgore Economic Development Corp. and Tyler Economic Development Council have banded together to offer a job fair from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center. More than 60 area employers are signed up to talk with job seekers. Attendees are encouraged to bring multiple copies of their resume. Continue reading Longview Job Fair Underway

TYLER — Robert E. Lee High School senior Josh Bice is one of only 39 students from across the nation to be invited into The University Fellows Experience at The University of Alabama. According to the university, typically 30 to 35 students accept the invitation. The University Fellows Experience, housed in the Honors College, prepares students for leadership and service to their community, state, nation and world. University Fellows receive a Presidential Scholarship (valued at $99,800 over four years or $24,950 per year) for tuition and a $500 stipend per semester to help with additional costs such as fees and books. Continue reading Lee High School Senior Accepted into Prestigious Honors Program

TYLER — A Smith County couple has been arrested after being accused of leaving their 7 year old daughter locked in a bathroom. Smith County sheriff’s deputies were called to the Oasis convenience store, 14773 Hwy 110 North Saturday morning regarding a little girl who was found at the store alone. She told deputies that her parents had locked her in the restroom of her house and had left her alone as punishment. Continue reading Couple Charged with Child Abandonment

QUITMAN — A Mineola man was taken into custody Sunday morning for allegedly firing rounds inside a person’s vehicle. Authorities say around 5:30 a.m., the Wood County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible burglary on FM 49. While law officers responded to the scene, dispatchers learned a man was inside the caller’s vehicle shooting a gun. When authorities arrived at the home, they found Brandon Corey Chrietzberg, 40, in the back yard. Deputies also found two guns near the suspect and bullet holes in the interior of the vehicle involved. Chrietzberg was arrested and booked into the Wood County Jail. He is charged with deadly conduct, mischief, and burglary of a vehicle. The suspect’s bond was set at $73,000.

TYLER — Smith County is implementing a program to help curb dangerous speeding in school zones, reduce collisions, and enhance the safety of children and pedestrians in the community. According to a news release, the county is partnering with American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to launch a school zone safety camera program. “Smith County is focused on public safety and limited enforcement to ensure the safety of the community’s school children,” County Judge Joel Baker said. “I believe it is a more efficient way to enforce laws that are already in place.” Continue reading Smith County Partners for School Safety Zone Program

WHITE OAK — Ten homes were damaged Monday morning when two oil tanks exploded in White Oak. According to KETK, fire officials said the tank caught fire at around 3 a.m. Three homes at the Lake Harris Mobile Home Park suffered extensive heat damage and others were hit by metal debris. Authorities believe a lightning strike may have sparked the blaze. Firefighters monitored the flames as they burned themselves out off South Lake Harris Road. Martineau Operating Co. has shut down production at the site until further notice. A woman was taken to a local hospital after stepping on glass, but no other injuries were reported. Residents in the area were evacuated during the incident but have since returned to their homes. White Oak, East Mountain, and Clarksville City Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the scene.

HARRISON COUNTY — One person has been killed in a Harrison County crash involving a tractor trailer. The wreck occurred Monday morning just before 5:00. According to KETK, the Department of Public Safety said the deceased driver is Allan Douglas Rambin, 56, of Big Sandy. A hazmat crew responded to the scene on Davidson Road to clean up a crude oil spill. The site, near Harleton, is located a few miles off FM 450, east of Diana. Davidson Road was shut down to allow crews to clear the oil. How the crash occurred was not immediately known.

EAST TEXAS — The clean up continues in the wake of widespread damage in East Texas caused by storms that passed through the area Sunday night. Here’s a partial rundown as reported by KETK:
*Ten homes have been damaged when two oil tanks exploded in White Oak. According to KETK, fire officials said the tank caught fire at around 3:00 Monday morning. Three homes at the Lake Harris Mobile Home Park suffered extensive heat damage and others were hit by metal debris. Authorities believe a lightning strike may have sparked the blaze. Firefighters monitored the flames as they burned themselves out off South Lake Harris Road. Martineau Operating Co. has shut down production at the site until further notice. A woman was taken to a local hospital after stepping on glass, but no other injuries were reported. Residents in the area were evacuated during the incident but have since returned to their homes. White Oak, East Mountain, and Clarksville City Volunteer Fire Departments responded to the scene. Continue reading Severe Weather Damage in East Texas

TYLER — The death of an infant is under investigation by Tyler Police. Authorities say police, fire, and EMS personnel responded to 6312 Springbrook Drive in Tyler shortly after 10:45 Saturday morning in reference to an infant who was not responsive. The mother told police that she was sleeping in her bed with her 8-month-old son and upon waking at around 10:30 found him cold and unresponsive. EMS responded but the child was found to be deceased. The infant was transported to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas for an autopsy.

KILGORE — One person is dead after a vehicle and motorcycle collided in Kilgore. KETK reports that on Saturday at approximately 4:35 p.m., Kilgore police officers responded to a crash at the intersection of State Highway 135 North and Peavine Road. According to authorities, the initial investigation revealed a car driven by Angel Tovias Fajardo, 26, of Kilgore, was traveling eastbound on Peavine and tried to cross the northbound lane of Highway 135 traffic, failing to yield to traffic. The vehicle was then struck by a motorcycle, driven by Joshua Shane Clinton, 37, of Overton. Clinton was traveling northbound in the 4000 block of SH 135N in the outside lane of traffic. Clinton died as a result of injuries from the crash. Continue reading One Killed in Kilgore Wreck

EAST TEXAS — Early voting is underway as of Monday and runs through May 5 in the May 9 municipal elections in East Texas. A number of candidates and issues are on ballots throughout the region. Among other things, Longview will soon have a new mayor, and there will be a change on the Tyler City Council. Check with your local governmental entities for more information. In Smith County, you can check http://smith-county.com/Government/Departments/Elections/ElectionInfo.aspx for a more complete rundown.

SMITH COUNTY — Fire officials are investigating an early morning house fire. According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and KETK, a home in the 1500 block of Cooks Crossing caught fire Monday morning. They believe it was caused by a lightning strike. Details are limited.