KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — This year, as you are preparing your home for the holiday season, make sure that you implement a few simple fire prevention practices. That’s the word from the Tyler Fire Department.

* Space Heaters:
o Maintain a clear space of three feet around the device;
o Ensure that portable heaters have a safety switch that will turn off the device if it gets tipped over.
* Fireplaces:
o Similar to space heaters, maintain a clear space of three feet around the fireplace opening;
o Have the fireplace and chimney inspected and cleaned;
o Ensure that a screen or some other protective barrier is in place to keep embers from getting out.
* Christmas Lights and Decorations:
o Inspect cords and discontinue use if damaged;
o Do not run cords under rugs, carpet, or along areas of high traffic where they may be stepped on;
o Choose decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant.
* Christmas Trees:
o Do not set trees near heat sources;
o If using a live tree, make sure to keep it watered;
o Turn off all decorations at bedtime.
Finally, make sure that you give your home the proper “Check-Up”:
* Check up above you for one of the most important devices in your home…the smoke alarm.
These life-saving devices should be located in each sleeping area of your home, in addition to areas directly outside of the sleeping areas. For multi-story homes, a working smoke alarm should be located on all levels of the residence, including any basements.

The Tyler Fire Department recommends that you change the batteries in your smoke alarms two times each year and test them often. A great reminder…”Change your clocks, change your batteries”. If you haven’t already done so, now would be a great time to perform this simple maintenance procedure that could save your life, and the lives of your family. Statistics show that having a working smoke alarm in your home increases the chance of survival by almost 50%in the event of a fire.

A news release says, “The Tyler Fire Department would like to wish all citizens a safe and happy holiday season. With your help, we can prevent unnecessary fires and the injuries associated with them.”

LONGVIEW — Longview police have arrested a man in connection with the death of a mother and daughter who were killed at their home in October. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Joshual O’Steven Reese, 31, of Longview, has been charged with capital murder of multiple persons. His bond is set at $1.5 million. On October 10 at 3:00am, police responding to a welfare check asked for by family members made the gruesome discovery at a house on the 100 block of Jester Circle. LaToya Reese, 28, and her daughter, Mya Rosetta Nichol Sebron, 11, were found shot dead in their duplex.

TYLER — Police have arrested five of the seven suspects who are allegedly responsible for a crime spree that occurred early Wednesday morning. Around 4:00am Wednesday a Van Zandt County sheriff’s deputy drove up on a burglary in progress of a rental storage facility near interstate 20. Five suspects were taken into custody by the sheriff’s department after a foot chase. Police say further investigation revealed that these individuals were also responsible for a string of criminal acts that were committed in the Tyler and Smith County area hours before their arrest.

Shortly after 1:15 Wednesday morning, the suspects allegedly stole a van from Dickey’s BBQ on WSW Loop 323. About an hour later, the suspects allegedly tried to steal an ATM from the Texas Bank and Trust on W. Grande. According to police, the suspects ditched the stolen vehicle behind the Brookshire’s Fresh Store and got back into their personal vehicles. They then reportedly went to a Kidd Jones convenience store on Highway 155 South and burglarized the business at a little after 2:30. At 4:00 they were allegedly caught in the act of burglarizing the storage facility in Van Zandt County.

Tyler Police Investigators have obtained arrest warrants for Labradford Lamont Hunter, 20, of Mesquite; Earl Wayne Few Jr., 23, of Dallas; Marque Kaleb Hart, 21, of Terrell; James Darron Miller Jr., 25, of Dallas; and Johnathan Christopher Adams, 29, of Terrell. All have been charged with theft of property, Criminal Attempt, and engaging in organized criminal activity. The total bond on each suspect was set at $350,000 by Judge Kerry Russell. These charges are for offenses committed in Tyler only. Investigators are still working on identifying two suspects who got away when the arrest was made in Van Zandt County. This case remains under investigation.

TYLER — Through December 31, the Tyler Police Department is providing more officers to look for suspected drunk drivers during this Christmas Season. This enforcement program is funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.

During the New Year’s Holiday, the Tyler Police Department along with Smith County Law Enforcement agencies will be out in force, on the lookout for drunken drivers, and they won’t be taking “no” for an answer. Starting Friday, December 28, 2012 through Tuesday January 1, 2013, a multi-joint effort between the Smith County District Attorney’s Office and police agencies from all over Smith County will participate in the “No-Refusal” DWI Campaign once again.

Upon the arrest of a suspected drunk driver, he or she will be asked if to submit to blow into a breath-test machine or take a blood test. If the driver refuses, officers will obtain an immediate search warrant signed by a judge on call to have blood drawn by a nurse on staff at the Smith County Jail. The blood is then analyzed to determine whether the driver’s blood-alcohol concentration is 0.08 or higher, the legal limit for driving in Texas.

Police say this program has proven to be an effective tool to combat drunken drivers. They say it is the intent of all law enforcement agencies that this effort will act as a deterrent, persuading people to avoid driving while intoxicated because they know that police officers will be conducting sobriety testing with or without driver’s consent. In short, police caution: “Please Don’t Drink and Drive!”

TROUP — A pre-dawn grass fire kept Troup firefighters busy Friday morning. The fire was called in a little after 3:00 near the intersection of Georgia Street and Colle Street next to the railroad tracks. Firefighters tell KETK the fire was put out between 5:00 and 6:00. No word on any injuries.

TYLER — Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is getting in on the city’s half-cent sales tax funds. Airport Manager Davis Dickson tells KETK a majority of the funds are being used to replace the airport’s 20-year-old runway. Right now, the airport has an instrument landing system that allows precision guidance to aircraft during bad weather or low visibility. They are considering moving it to their longer runway once the renovations are complete.

Dickson says airport traffic is growing in popularity, and new pavement would permit an up-to-standard weight capacity. According to Dickson, “It’s a proactive measure to address future growth of the airport and to make sure the airport can serve future needs, more operation with larger aircraft.” Dickson added that moving the landing system over to the newly renovated runway is a costly project, for which officials would also consider using the half-cent sales tax funds.

TYLER — Reverend Mike Daniels, Chair of “Stand Strong for Tyler,” requested signatures for the “Local Option Election to Legalize” petition. According to KETK, he believes the November election was not fair. Daniels says the signatures on the petition which brought the measure before the voters are not valid. “We requested on the freedom of information act request, the information to be able to do our own analysis of who voted. who was in Tyler to vote, and whether they were legit to vote of not,” says Daniels.

Daniels says their potential lawsuit is still in effect against JP Precinct Two. “And the reason that it hadn’t changed is because I know that the petition is an illegal petition and is a fraudulent petition and I know the election is rigged with fraud,” says Daniels. He says there’s valid proof that will be carried out in court. Daniels tells KETK Tyler is a community that has family standards, and Tyler is noted to being unique and beautiful and says that is now going to change.

KILGORE — A Kilgore woman was arrested around 5:00 Wednesday afternoon after police say she punched a Kilgore College Police officer. The Kilgore College officer was assisting Kilgore police with a disturbance call at the home of Jacey Hendershott, 41, in the 1000 block of South Danville Road about one mile from campus. According to arrest reports, Hendershott became aggressive when the officer told her to turn her music down. Police say Henderschott then punched the officer in the chest. Hendershott was charged with assault on a public servant. She was held Thursday in the Gregg County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

DALLAS (AP) — Family and friends are mourning the death of a 30-year-old Dallas-area man who won the chance to fly in a plane that crashed in North Texas. A family friend of Fisher Floyd tells The Dallas Morning News that Floyd won at an auction the chance to fly in a single-engine L-29 Delfin plane with 77-year-old Noell Rather, an experienced former commercial pilot. Neither Floyd nor Rather survived the crash Thursday morning in Kaufman County near Scurry, about 30 miles southeast of Dallas. The newspaper reports Floyd attended high school in Highland Park, an enclave within Dallas’ city limits. He has two young sons, ages 1 and 2. A friend of Rather’s says he spent years restoring the Soviet-era plane he was flying Thursday. According to KETK, Rather, the pilot, was a lifetime member of the Historical Aviation Museum near Tyler Pounds Regional Regional Airport.

GLADEWATER — A Gregg County home has been destroyed by fire. It was reported around 6:00 Thursday morning northeast of Gladewater on Point Pleasant Road. Investigators say 90% of the house and two vehicles were destroyed by the fire. The fire is thought to have started around the garage. The cause remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.

LONGVIEW — Longview sees a 19% jump in sales tax revenue in December compared to December 2011. According to KETK, Longview brought in $1.7 million for the month; $1.4 million came in last December. The increase also gets the city back on track for its budget after being down the last couple of months. Officials hope the upswing continues. City spokesman Shawn Hara says, “Hopefully this a good sign of holiday months coming up, the holiday spending that’ll be happening in the area, ’cause that’s good for the Longview economy, and it’s good for us being able to provide services. This is one of our main sources of revenue to be able to provide services like police and fire and streets.”

TYLER — Tyler police need help identifying whoever ran off with a cash register. Last Saturday afternoon around 4:15 p.m. that day, police responded to the Just a $1.00 store at 2231 W. Gentry. The store clerk told police that a black male suspect had entered the store and walked around the aisles for several minutes close to the check-out area. The store clerk had opened the cash drawer to complete a purchase for another customer when the suspect entered the employee area, picked up the cash register, and ran out the door with it. The suspect was observed getting into a late 70s or early 80s two-tone tan and brown short-bed Chevy pick-up that was parked in the area. We’ll post additional identifying information as we get it.

NACOGDOCHES (AP) – A judge is allowing TransCanada to resume work on an oil pipeline being built on private property in Nacogdoches County before a hearing next week. Landowner Michael Bishop has filed suit against TransCanada in Nacogdoches County, claiming the company lied to Texans when it said it would use its Keystone XL pipeline to transport crude oil. The pipeline will carry tar sands oil, which TransCanada says is a form of crude but Bishop says is not. He also says he originally settled with the company under duress. Chris Wilson, of Stop Tarsands Oil Pipelines, said Thursday that Nacogdoches County Court at Law Judge Jack Sinz lifted a restraining order in advance of a Wednesday hearing. TransCanada spokesman Shawn Howard says no construction is likely to start before the hearing.

TYLER — Representatives for the Lon Morris College estate are asking a federal judge to give them permission to pay their employees before Christmas. KETK reports it’s called a “pre-holiday distribution,” and it would dole out about $130,000. Some former employees were not paid during the final weeks before the school was closed in May. The 158-year-old Methodist college, the state’s oldest junior college, filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year.

TYLER — Tyler’s sales tax figures continue to head upward. The state comptroller’s office reports Tyler’s sales tax revenues deposited for the month of December have grown 10.64% as compared to December of last year. This has resulted in a cumulative year-do-date increase of 3.16%. The reported revenue of $2,804,271 comprises $1,869,514 general sales tax revenue and $934,757 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from October 2012 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

“We are pleased to see an uptick in our sales tax revenue and hope that a positive trend from month to month will develop over the next several months,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “The three percent cumulative growth is just above what we were projecting, so we are on the right trajectory compared to budget.”

TYLER — Federal authorities say two fugitives wanted for federal gun trafficking violations appeared in a Tyler courtroom after their arrest in the Philippines. Andrea Jaine Burns London, 51, and Lucretia Beth Brown, 45, both of Yantis, were indicted on July 11, and charged with 26 counts of gun trafficking violations. London and Burns made their initial appearances in U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love’s court on Wednesday.

Federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Agents executed search warrants at their home and business in November 2011. A warrant was issued for their arrest, but according to authorities, the U.S. Marshals Service soon discovered that the pair had left the United States for the Philippines in February 2012. Assistance was requested from the International Investigations Branch and a lead was sent to the Diplomatic Security Service in Manila. On October 9, Philippine Immigration Agents arrested London and Brown in Cebu without incident.

According to the indictment, from January 2011 to July 2011, London owned and operated Lake Fork Gunslinger & Outdoors in Emory, Texas. Lake Fork Gunslinger was a federally licensed firearms dealer, and Brown was an employee. The indictment alleges that London and Brown conspired with one another to not keep the records as required by federal law and to not conduct the required background checks on gun purchasers. The indictment further alleges that London and Brown conspired to make false statements on the ATF Form 4473 that accompanies sales of dealership inventory and to not report multiple sales of handguns.

WOOD COUNTY — A Mineola man is behind bars after an alleged aggravated assault this week in Wood County. Sheriff officials tell KETK, they received a call about an assault in the 100 block of Wood County Road 223, near Mineola on Monday. When officials arrived, the suspect had fled. However, during the investigation, officials uncovered his name and issued a warrant for Joshua Allen Stine, 22, of Mineola. Stine was arrested later that day just before 3:00. He has been booked into the Wood County Jail, where he remains behind bars charged with evading arrest, criminal trespass, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at a combined $62,000. Further details about the alleged assault were not immediately available.

LUFKIN — A jury in Lufkin deliberated around four hours Wednesday before finding Rafael Orta, 20, of Lufkin, guilty of the February shooting death of Darnell Bennett. Police believe Orta and four other men went to Bennett’s house to rob him of marijuana. Since prosecutors did not say they were seeking the death penalty, Orta is automatically sentenced to life in prison. The other four suspects have yet to be tried.

MARSHALL — A Marshall teen has been arrested on burglary and theft charges. Corey Lee Johnson, 19, was booked into Harrison County Jail on charges burglary of a vehicle, burglary of a building, theft of a firearm, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest.

KETK reports it began just before 7:00 Tuesday evening with a report of an auto burglary and stolen rifle in the 600 block of Pinewood Drive. A little later a 911 call was received about a man runing with a rifle in the same area. Just before 10:00, officers were sent to the 700 block of Rosewood Circle on a report of a man armed with several rifles. The man fled from law officers but was quickly arrested.

TYLER — An assistant professor of nursing at The University of Texas at Tyler, is a recipient of the 2012 President’s Volunteer Service Award. Dr. Melinda Hermanns, a previous recipient, was recognized this year for 172 voluntary service hours on behalf of Parkinson’s disease advocacy, research and education.

Serving UT Tyler since 1998, Hermanns is the vice president for the East Texas Chapter of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association and has been since its inception in 2006. She assists with fundraising activities to raise money for taxi vouchers as well as medication and dental assistance for East Texans with Parkinson’s disease. Hermanns, a UT Tyler alumna, also founded the Early Onset Parkinson’s Disease Care Partner support group in Tyler.

LINDALE — The Lindale Independent School District has won an appeal with the Texas Education Agency for 2012 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) results. All campuses and the district have met the federal accountability standard.

Preliminary results indicated Velma Penny Elementary School was the only LISD campus to not meet AYP. LISD requested TEA reconsider the mathematics performance indicator for Velma Penny due to the reconfiguration of grades served by the campus during the 2011-2012 school year. Prior to 2011, Velma Penny served students in grades 3-4. In August 2011, the campus began serving students in grades 1-3.

LISD requested that TEA consider the reconfigured school a new campus after receiving guidance from the state agency. In a notification letter to LISD, Commissioner of Education Michael L. Williams wrote, “After careful agency review, the miscommunication with TEA staff may have had an impact on the district decisions. For this reason, the mathematics performance indicator appeal has been granted.”

AYP is the federally mandated accountability system required by the No Child Left Behind Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. All public school districts, campuses and the state are evaluated for AYP.

TYLER – The City of Tyler has launched an updated version of its web site. Officials say the new site enhances transparency through the addition of community engagement features and improved navigation. “Transparency in local government is our priority,” said Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass. “Our web site is an integral part of our overall communication strategy and is critical to making information available to our citizens. It has been several years since the site was updated and I am very pleased with the result.” Go to http://www.cityoftyler.org to see the site for yourself.

TYLER — Tyler school trustees met this week to discuss what may be included in a bond election this coming May. KETK reports the price tag this time is $161 million. The possible package includes a new career tech center, a remodel of both Dixie and Rice Elementaries, and three new middle schools. Boulter and Moore would get new facilities, and a campus called Three Lakes would become Tyler’s newest middle school. Tyler Proud is a new group that stands behind the possible plan. The group’s Leslie Strader says, “I don’t see any downside to it whatsoever. There’s no tax increase; it benefits a lot of children; it relieves overcrowding.”

Another group, the “No More Excuses, Tyler ISD!” Coalition, opposes the bond issue. Members of that group say the school district should address academic, student discipline, and personnel issues before constructing or revamping more buildings.

COLLEGE STATION — Three College Station people who were robbed at gunpoint and had their lives threatened if they went to the police can now sleep a little easier knowing the men police say are responsible have been caught. Additionally, one of the men has been sought by authorities in East Texas. That’s according to KETK and its College Station affiliate KYLE. College Station police arrested Bobby Garza and Michael Henderson Jr. (pictured) early Wednesday morning after they allegedly robbed an apartment off Harvey Mitchell Parkway last week. Both Garza and Henderson have been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery. Henderson also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Rusk County for aggravated robbery.

TYLER — Tyler Junior Achievement is honoring the Brookshire Grocery Company at the JA Hall of Fame Banquet on February 28th at Tyler’s Rose Garden Center. Chad Cargile of Regions Bank is the chairman of the 2013 event. He says JA honors some of the local business leaders who have made a big contribution to the free enterprise system through their example, community involvement, etc. Junior Achievement’s mission is to teach the free enterprise system to students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Past honorees include Dub Riter, Elmer Ellis, and Isadore Roosth. Go to http://tyler.ja.org/ to find out more and register for the event.

TYLER – The Tyler Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously named Gary Mooring, current Tyler ISD Interim Superintendent, as the lone finalist for the District’s superintendent position. The lone finalist announcement was made at a Special Board Meeting Wednesday. The District is required to wait 21 days before officially hiring the lone finalist. “I am honored to be named the lone finalist for the superintendent position,” Mooring said. “I am committed to Tyler ISD, and to this community. I will continue facing challenges head-on while working closely with the Board and District staff to make decisions that uphold our Core Beliefs.” Mooring joined Tyler ISD as interim superintendent in August when former Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid accepted the superintendent position with Keller ISD.

“Mr. Mooring is an outstanding leader who has brought a wealth of experience to Tyler ISD,” Michelle Carr, Tyler ISD Board of Trustees President, said. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with Mr. Mooring as we strive to reach our goal of being recognized as a premier school district in the state and nation.”

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA (AP) – The lead investigator in the February slaying of an Alaska barista by serial killer Israel Keyes says the Anchorage man also targeted the young woman’s boyfriend before changing his mind. Anchorage homicide Detective Monique Doll says Keyes abducted 18-year-old Samantha Koenig at the coffee stand where she worked and waited in the dark structure for the arrival of Koenig’s boyfriend, who was picking her up. Doll says Keyes changed his mind for some reason and left with Koenig. Keyes, who confessed to killing at least eight people across the country, raped and strangled Koenig, whose dismembered body was found in April. Keyes was arrested in Lufkin, Texas, in March, and killed himself earlier this month in his Anchorage jail cell, where he was awaiting trial next year in Koenig’s death.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville police are on the hunt for the driver who escaped the long arm of the law outside Jacksonville. Police tell KETK It all started just before 4:00 Monday morning at South Bolton and Larissa. The driver led police on a chase down Highway 79 and through a neighborhood heading back into town. The car chase then turned into a foot chase when the man started shooting at police. No one was hurt in the chase or subsquent gunfire.

LONGVIEW — A man is taken into custody after an alleged shoplifting/aggravated robbery incident in Longview. On Tuesday at 7:05 p.m., officers were dispatched to Sears, at 3500 McCann Road, for an aggravated robbery. When officers arrived they were told man identified as Rodney Leandre Webb, 44, of Longview, pulled a knife on the store’s loss prevention employee and also bit the employee during a shoplifting incident. The store employee stated that he observed Webb shoplifting and that when he attempted to stop him, Webb pulled a knife out of his pocket with the blade exposed. The employee reportedly knocked the knife out of Webb’s hand, and a short struggle ensued. During this struggle, Webb allegedly bit the employee in an attempt to get away. Store employees were able to subdue Webb until police arrived, according to authorities.

Webb was arrested for aggravated robbery and two outstanding warrants for engaging in organized criminal activity and possession of drug paraphernalia. Webb claimed he had been injured during the altercation and was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center for evaluation before being transported to the Gregg County Jail without further incident.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department says it’s located a stolen vehicle allegedly used in the attempted theft of an ATM. The vehicle was located south of Tyler. Police are investigating the attempted theft from the Texas Bank and Trust at 2323 West Grande, which occurred around 2:00 yesterday morning.

Police say the ATM alarm was activated when the suspects attempted to pull it from its pedestal. When police arrived on the scene, the suspects had fled the area in an unknown direction. Bank officials reviewed the bank surveillance video and observed five suspects wearing hoods involved in the incident. The suspects used a 2004 Ford Van that was reported stolen from Dickey’s BBQ, at 1501 W.S.W. Loop 323.

If you have any information about the suspects involved in this crime, you are urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833). Crimestoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to arrests and charges filed against the suspects in this case or any felony case.