KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY — A truckload of chocolates and pretzels has been destroyed in a fire on Highway 271 south of Interstate Highway 20 in Smith County. KETK reports several fire departments responded around 7:30 yesterday morning. Officials say it appears the 18-wheeler had a tire blowout. Sparks caught the truck on fire and then spread to the trailer. No one was injured.

TYLER — Nearly 1,000 guests turned out Thursday as the Tyler Salvation Army served its annual Thanksgiving meal, and they weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the event. Volunteer Jason Rhodes told KETK, “I just think it’s a blessing to be able to serve the community…I think it’s very important that we take the season for what it’s really supposed to be for.” Rhodes was joined by numerous other volunteers who joined hands to serve the needy in the community.

TYLER — The East Texas Human Needs Network will hold its first ever Annual Conference on Human Needs on Monday, December 2, from 1:00 to 4:00pm at the Tyler Junior College West campus, 1530 WSW Loop 323. According to a news release, members and guests will begin the conference with a plenary session in Room 104 of the Regional Training & Development Complex. During the plenary session, results and analysis of the Network’s recent Community Needs Assessment will be presented. Continue reading First Annual Conference on Human Needs

NEW SUMMERFIELD — A Troup man was killed in a one vehicle accident late Wednesday night in Cherokee County. According to KETK, the DPS says the accident happened just after 11:00 p.m. on Highway 79, about four miles east of New Summerfield. Authorities say 30-year old Gabriel Marino Sanchez of Troup was traveling west, passed a vehicle, then lost control of his pickup. Sanchez ran off the road and hit a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Officials say Sanchez was wearing a seatbelt.

LONGVIEW — A man accused of kidnapping a White Oak girl has been transferred from Oklahoma to the Gregg County Jail. Jeremy Wade Jones, 29, is accused of kidnapping the youngster in the early morning hours of November 17th, from her home in the 200 block of East Center Street. Jones is a cousin of the victim. A little later that morning the Miller County Sheriff’s Department in Texarkana, Arkansas, contacted White Oak officials saying they had located the child walking down Highway 549 in the rain with just her pajamas on and no shoes. The victim stated Jones had taken her from the house. Jones was located by local police in Antler, Oklahoma, where he was arrested on the kidnapping warrant and placed in the Pushmataha County Jail. He was brought to Longview on Monday and remains in jail under a $250,000 bond.

LUFKIN — A former counselor at Lufkin’s Pineywoods Community Academy is free on a $3,500 bond on child porn charges. John Carter is accused of wanting “dirty talk” from a 10-year-old female student. KETK and the Lufkin Daily News report Carter turned himself into police Tuesday after he admitted to telling a student, “I’m going to ask you to tell me things your mom probably wouldn’t approve of.” As part of the investigation, police have searched his home computer.

MT. ENTERPRISE — A two vehicle accident in Rusk County has injured six persons, including an 11 month old. The accident happened around 6:30 Wednesday night just east of Mt. Enterprise, at the intersection of Highway 84 and Farm Road 95. Two of the injured were flown to Tyler’s Mother Francis Hospital for treatment.

TYLER — A Tyler home has been damaged by fire. It was reported shortly after 2:00 yesterday afternoon in the 900 block of West Nutbush Street. Fire Marshal Paul Findley says arriving firemen reported light smoke coming from the structure. Firemen quickly extinguished the blaze and ventilated smoke from the structure. Findley says the small fire started in the oven. There were no injuries and damage was reported to be light.

LONGVIEW (AP) – Two people remain hospitalized after stabbings at an East Texas medical complex left a nurse dead and four other people wounded. Longview police Officer Kristie Brian on Wednesday had no immediate update on the investigation of the attack that killed nurse Gail Sandidge, 57. A suspect in Tuesday’s stabbings at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview remains in custody. Kyron Rayshawn Templeton, 22, Longview, was being held on a murder charge and four counts of aggravated assault. His bond is set at $2.6 million. Continue reading Two Remain Hospitalized after Deadly Stabbings

TROUP — Cherokee County authorities seek clues after numerous items were stolen this month from a home and shed in the Troup area. According to KETK, deputies were called to a home in the 1900 block of Highway 110. It is believed that between the hours of midnight on Tuesday, November 12, and noon on Wednesday, November 13, unknown suspects entered the residence and took the items. The owner of the residence was not living there at the time and was using the home as a storage area for his tools and equipment. The property owner stated that he was at the property the previous evening. When he returned, he noticed tire tracks leading up to the mobile home and a padlock cut from the door to the home, as well as a window broken out on the storage shed. Continue reading Suspects Sought in Troup-Area Burglary

RUSK — Cherokee County authorities are on the hunt for a burglary suspect or suspects. KETK reports that on Monday, November 11, a deputy was called to a home in the 7000 block of County Road 1201 outside Rusk. The homeowner had reported that she left for work at 7:00 that morning and returned home at 10:00 that night. When pulling into the driveway she noticed that an 18-foot flatbed trailer was missing from in front of the house. After entering her home, she also noticed that her television and DVD player had been stolen from her bedroom as well. Continue reading Authorities Probe Burglary near Rusk

GILMER — A Gilmer man who allegedly shot his son’s mother at point-blank range during a football game on the Gilmer ISD campus in September has been indicted on a single count of capital murder by an Upshur County Grand Jury. KETK reports Jonathan Ray Shepherd, 32, was formally indicted Monday for his alleged role in he murder of Cheyenne Green. Shepherd is being held in the Upshur County Jail on $1,000,000 bond. The murder charge was upgraded to capital murder and filed Thursday, October 10.

TYLER — Thanksgiving continues to be the leading day of the year for home fires involving cooking equipment, and Tyler firefighters are doing their part to get the word out. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the average number of reported residential building fires almost doubles on Thanksgiving Day alone. Additionally, most of these fires occur between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. This is usually due to some sort of cooking operation. Cooking is, by far, the leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings at 72%. The Tyler Fire Department reminds citizens to follow a few basic tips this Thanksgiving to ensure everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

· Stay in the kitchen while you are cooking on the stovetop. Unattended cooking continues to be the leading cause of fires in the kitchen.

· Keep children away from the stove. Ensure that children stay at least 3 feet from cooking appliances. Continue reading Thanksgiving Day is Peak Day for Residential Structure Fires

LONE OAK — Funeral services were held Wednesday for a former Wood County coach who was killed in a one vehicle accident in Hunt County. Killed in the Sunday night crash was Robert William Dudley, 51, of Mineola. He had been a coach in the Mineola School system. The accident happened on U.S. Highway 69 just north of Lone Oak. According to the Department of Public Safety, Dudley’s pickup left the road, hit a culvert and overturned. Dudley, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the vehicle.

MARSHALL — Harrison County Investigators are asking for the public’s assistance in locating two persons of interest allegedly involved in separate incidents. According to KETK, Brandon Byrd currently has a warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Michael Russ has warrants for evading arrest and detention, as well as a felony warrant for tampering with an oil or gas rig. Both of these suspects are believed to be in the Waskom area of Harrison County or in the Shreveport area. Any information regarding the location of these persons of interest may be given directly to the Harrison County Investigations at 903-923-4000 or Crimestoppers at 903-935-9969.

LONGVIEW (Staff/AP) — The suspect in a fatal stabbing Tuesday morning at Good Shepherd Medical Center has been identified. KETK reports that according to the Gregg County District Clerk’s office, Kyron Templeton, 22, was arraigned on murder charges and four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond has been set at $2.6 million. Templeton allegedly stabbed five people, including a nurse, Gail Sandidge of Longview, who later died from injuries, Tuesday morning around 7:00. One victim is reported to be in critical condition while three are said to be in good condition. Templeton’s Facebook page says he is a graduate of Longview High School and is employed by Wal-Mart. Continue reading Suspect Charged in Fatal Hospital Stabbing

TYLER — Former City Councilman Donald Sanders has filed for Smith County Commissioner Precinct 4 in the 2014 Democratic Primary. He’ll face longtime incumbent JoAnn Hampton. Sanders, 61, was reared and educated in Smith County and Precinct 4. He retired from the Kelly Springfield Tire Plant after 33 years of employment. Continue reading Sanders Faces Hampton in Commissioners Court Race

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler is one of the leading four-year public universities in the nation for student veterans, Ona Tolliver, assistant vice president for student affairs and dean of students, announced. The Military Times, an independent publication, set out to find the best schools for students veterans among two-year, four-year, and online institutions, while placing a new emphasis on academic rigor. According to a UT Tyler news release, representatives from about 600 schools responded to this year’s survey. In the 2014 results, UT Tyler ranked sixth out of all four-year, public Texas institutions, besting UT Arlington and UT Austin. Continue reading UT Tyler Among Best Universities Nationwide for Student Veterans

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas received several calls Tuesday morning from consumers who have received automated calls claiming to be from Capital One Bank. The message alerts the consumer that his or her credit card has been compromised. The call further instructs the consumer to “dial 1 for a security officer” and is likely an attempt to obtain personal and financial information, according to the BBB. In a news release, the bureau’s Mechele Mills says the BBB has confirmed that these calls are fraudulent. Mills reminds consumers to verify the legitimacy of any call by hanging up and dialing a verified phone number for the company. Capital One’s fraud line is (800) 655-2265.

JASPER — The search for a missing Jasper man has ended after authorities discovered his body. According to KETK, the body of Alfred Wright, 28, has been located north of Highway 87 near Coussans Road in the same area where he was believed to have gone missing. Continue reading Body of Reported Missing Man Found

LONGVIEW — A Longview home has been damaged by fire. It was reported Monday afternoon in the 2000 block of West Street. Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary told the Longview News Journal that an overheated electric wire set insulation on fire. Damage was kept to a minimum by removing the cellulose insulation. There were no injuries.

AUSTIN — The Texas Association of Builders recently named a Tyler-area builder as its president for 2014. Joe Carlyle, past president of the Tyler Area Builders Association, was installed as the 2014 Texas Association of Builders President by Todd Staples, Texas Commissioner of Agricluture. Carlyle took the oath at the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) Excellence in Leadership Dinner held November 21 at the Driskill Hotel in Austin. Continue reading Tyler-Area Builder Installed as State Organization President

LUFKIN — An East Texas woman is in jail after she allegedly stabbed and killed her husband. It happened at 8:30 Monday morning in the 700 block of Schuller Street at Pershing Place Apartments in Lufkin. Lufkin Police tell KETK that officers were called to a disturbance in progress and on arrival found the victim, Javoras Durham, 26, with a stab wound to the chest. Durham was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife, Aspioun Jones, 23, was in the apartment at the time of his death. She has been arrested and charged with murder. Jones is currently being held in Angelina County Jail.

TYLER — Here’s something to keep in mind if you’re traveling Interstate 20. More than half the stretch of the Interstate from Dallas County to the Louisiana border is more wreck-prone than the state average. Those findings were delivered at a Texas Transportation Commission meeting held in Tyler. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the especially crash-prone section runs from the Marshall area to just west of the Tyler area. It covers 55% of the Dallas County-to-Louisiana stretch. There are higher crash rates reported in Smith and Gregg Counties.

DALLAS (AP) – The attorney for a New Boston woman who will plead guilty in a high-profile ricin letters case says both sides have agreed to a prison sentence of no longer than 18 years. Officials say Shannon Guess Richardson sent ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama, New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and a leader of the mayor’s gun control group. Lawyer Tonda Curry also said Monday that Richardson never intended “to harm anyone at all,” but wouldn’t disclose more about her motivation. Curry says Richardson has agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of possessing or producing a biological toxin. She said Richardson is “anxious” to admit that she ordered components to make ricin, a powdery substance that can cause respiratory failure if inhaled. Curry says Richardson also wants to turn over others involved in the plot. Richardson was arrested in June in Mt. Pleasant after the letters were discovered.

GREGG COUNTY — Sheriff Maxey Cerliano and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office request assistance in obtaining information about an aggravated robbery. It happened just before 6:15 Sunday evening at the EZ-Mart at Highway 349 and Pitner Street. A man with a handgun entered the store wearing a ski mask and demanded that the clerk give him an undisclosed amount of money from the cash register. At left is a photo from video surveillance at the store. The suspect is a white male, approximately 5’6” to 5’8” and medium build to thin build. The jacket worn by the suspect appears to be green and blue with a unique design on the front. Anyone with information is asked to contact Investigator David Falco at 903-236-8438 or Crime Stoppers at 903-236-STOP.

EAST TEXAS — Several East Texas school districts have announced delays due to the upcoming winter weather. According to KETK:

Elkhart I.S.D. has announced that school will be delayed by two hours because of weather conditions. Classes will start at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 26.

Slocum I.S.D. has announced that they will begin school at 10:00 a.m. due to early morning weather conditions.

Check back for an updated list as more districts announce possible delays.

LUFKIN — An East Texas man is behind bars and charged with indecent exposure and other charges. It happened shortly before 10:30 Saturday morning in the 200 block of Moody Street. According to KETK, Shannon R. Miller, 31, was seen in public performing a lewd act on himself. Further investigation found Miller to be in possession of drug paraphernalia and he was publicly intoxicated. Miller was charged with indecent exposure, public intoxication and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is currently in Angelina Count Jail under a $2,500 bond.

LONGVIEW — A man suspected of drunken driving has been transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center after causing significant damage to a gas station. According to KETK, it happened around 8:30 Sunday morning in the 4000 block of Estes Parkway in Longview. According to a Longview DPS Trooper, Antonio Gonzalez, 26, hit a telephone pole at the Zippy J’s Exxon Mobile station. Gonzalez then reportedly struck a single gas pump and part of a fence before his vehicle came to a stop. The trooper said said no criminal charges have been filed but his blood was drawn to determine if he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Dean said Gonzalez was issued a citation for driving on a suspended license and will be referred to the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office.

SULPHUR SPRINGS (AP) — Singer Willie Nelson has suspended performances until December after three of his band members were hurt when their bus plowed into a bridge pillar in East Texas during rainy conditions. The Texas Department of Public Safety says Nelson was not aboard in the weather-related accident around 3:30 Saturday morning on Interstate 30 near Sulphur Springs. Nelson spokeswoman Elaine Schock says Paul English broke his ankle, his brother Billy English suffered a bruise hip and Tom Harkin has a cracked or bruised rib. Nelson has postponed his four remaining November tour dates: Robinsonville and Jackson, Miss.; Fayetteville, Ark.; and Lafayette, La. Trooper Sylvia Jennings says seven people were on the westbound bus, including the driver who was dealing with wet roads and high winds.