KTBB News, Weather, Talk

BROWNSBORO — A 46-year-old Pflugerville man is dead as the result of a Saturday highway crash in Henderson County. A Department of Public Safety report says it happened around 1:45pm about three miles east of Brownsboro on State Highway 31. Authorities say L.C. Smith was headed east on the slushy highway when he crossed over into the opposite lane and collided with a vehicle driven by Charles Johnson, 27, of Corsicana. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Johnson was taken to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler, where he was last listed in stable condition with a broken leg and an arm laceration. Both men were wearing seat belts.

WHITEHOUSE — The big problem Saturday in East Texas switched from driving to plumbing. Ricardo Guerra with American Plumbing has been in the plumbing business nearly all of his life. With about 100 hours below freezing, he says last week has been one of the busiest times since the 1980′s, when there was another giant freeze. And when pipes started bursting Saturday afternoon as we got above freezing, things got even busier. “It started right after lunch. Pop here, pop there, and so we’re going crazy now,” Guerra said. Guerra was working on plumbing fed by a well to a home in Whitehouse. The homeowners had not been able to use the water for days, and when ice started to melt, the PVC pipes just broke.

Guerra says proper insulation is key for keeping pipes warm, and it’s also good to keep the water flowing somehow, for example, by leaving faucets dripping. Guerra says in the future it’s important for East Texans to know how to shut their water off when pipes start to freeze. “A lot of people don’t know how to cut their water off. So it’s a good thing to get you a meter key, make sure you can cut your water off or have a plumber install a new shutoff valve to your house and show everybody in the family how to shut it off,” Guerra said. And even though it feels like the calm after the storm, East Texas is expected to have another cold spell in the coming week. Guerra says as more cold weather approaches, it’s very important to get those hoses off your outdoor faucets and cover up the faucet with either a hard covering, or even an old rag will do.

TYLER — PATH is winding down its annual canned soup drive – Souper Bowl Sunday. PATH has been encouraging residents to get groups together and hold their own contests to see who can collect the most soup. Those who collect the most become the MVPs of the PATH Souper Bowl. There’s one winner from the “community” category and one “congregational” winner. You’re asked to bring soup donations to PATH the week following Sunday’s Super Bowl. After all the soup has been weighed, PATH will name the community-wide MVP and the congregational MVP. For more information, contact Becky Duncan at becky@pathhelps.org or call 903-597-4044, ext. 120.

TYLER — As part of the Mayor’s Tree Initiative, the City of Tyler is partnering with LT 24 to hold Tree Tyler Day on March 19, 2011. Officials say Tree Tyler Day will give the community the opportunity to come together to work toward reaching the Mayor’s goal of planting 5,000 trees in five years at an inaugural community-wide tree planting event. “We are so pleased to be partnering with LT24 to move this initiative forward,” commented Mayor Barbara Bass. “I already have my overalls and shovel ready – but it is up to the community to decide how dirty they will get. I am hoping we will see the entire city come out to help grow our urban forest.”

The partnership sprouted when Mayor Bass spoke with members of the Leadership Tyler 24 class and challenged them to get on board to support the Tree Tyler Initiative. Many members of the class met several times to discuss how they could become involved and ultimately formed LT24. “We wanted to contribute to Tyler in a lasting and visible way,” shared LT24 member Brian Pearson. “What better opportunity than to help preserve the natural beauty that Tyler is known for. Our goal is to get every facet of the community involved in sponsoring trees for Tree Tyler Day.”

Between now and the March event, LT 24 will be seeking sponsors for the tree planting event. With sponsorship opportunities ranging from a single tree all the way to 100 trees, the entire community, from school classes to the City’s largest businesses, is encouraged to participate. You can log on to http://www.TreeTyler.com or http://www.cityoftyler.org for a flyer detailing Tree Tyler Day sponsorship opportunities. To sign up as a Tree Tyler Day sponsor, you can contact the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department at (903) 531-1370.

TYLER — A woman has been killed in a weekend accident in Tyler. Saturday afternoon shortly after 1:15, Tyler Police Department officers responded to a major accident in the 2600 block of W. Gentry. A red Chevrolet Corsica had exited the Taco Bell/Long John Silver’s parking lot and was struck by a black Hummer H2 westbound on W. Gentry as the Chevrolet crossed the westbound lanes. The driver of the Chevrolet, a 63-year-old from Tyler, was transported to East Texas Medical Center and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police withheld the name of the deceased pending notification of the family.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Court records indicate that the owner of a Brownsboro, Texas, security firm might plead guilty in a case accusing him of plotting with a New Orleans police commander to get kickbacks from a hurricane security contract. Both Joseph Branch of Gladius Inc. and police Capt. Michael Roussel are scheduled for trial March 28, but records show Branch has a change of plea hearing scheduled March 10. The Times-Picayune reports that both pleaded not guilty on Friday to federal wire fraud in a six-count indictment that replaces a single count handed up in June. The five new counts involve alleged statements in e-mails and a phone call. The men are charged with scheming to inflate a contract with Entergy Services Inc. – one eligible for Federal Emergency Management Administration coverage.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview say a woman left children alone in a vehicle Friday and now faces charges. Around 10:21 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 2400 Block of Gilmer Road for an assist child call. Upon arrival officers were informed by several witnesses that a small child was found wandering around in the busy parking lot of the location. Officers located the mother of the child, identified as Angela Denise Massengill, 27, of Gladewater. Officers say they also determined that Massengill had left her other two children inside the truck located in the parking lot of the location. Officers say that after further investigation, they determined that Ms. Massengill had gone in and out of the store several times and not carried the children inside the location with her. Massengill was arrested for abandoning/endangering a child with intent to return, a state jail felony.

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department responded to a two-alarm structure fire Friday at 1:24 p.m. at 1514 N. Dargan. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. Three pets were rescued by firefighters. The fire was contained to one bedroom and a closet area. There were no injuries reported. Units cleared the scene around 2:20 p.m. The fire remains under investigation.

TYLER — No injuries reported as the Tyler Fire Department responded to a two-alarm structure fire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday at 1612 N. Confederate. Five engines and one Ladder Company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene. The owner arrived home to find the structure filled with smoke. Investigators determined that the fire originated near a wall outlet where a space heater was plugged in. The fire spread inside the wall space and gained access into the attic. Units cleared the scene around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

TYLER – Though snowy weather has cleared out, motorists still need to be especially careful. Tyler police report the city started experiencing worsening road conditions as a result of the cold temperatures and overnight snowfall. By early Friday, between one and two inches of snow was reported to be present on the roadways with possible ice build-up around bridges and overpasses. Due to these conditions the roadways became very slick with poor traction control, making it difficult to steer and/or brake. City of Tyler Street Department personnel were notified and dispatched to help sand and clear the roadways to prevent further ice and snow build-up.

Major roadways have cleared up considerably. But some stretches are slick, especially intersections and hills, causing a lack of traction. Tyler Police say motorists have been getting stuck at the intersections and on hills. They still advise you to stay off the roads. Police have been working numerous calls for service due to the inclement weather. Officers said Friday if you are involved in a collision, the Tyler Police Department will only respond if there are injuries, vehicles are not able to be moved, or a street sign or traffic light has been damaged. All other motorists who are involved in a collision may come by the police station at a later date and pick up a “Blue State Collision Report.”

TXDOT Public Information Officer Larry Krantz says roads surrounded by trees, which don’t receive direct sunlight, can be the most dangerous, as well as roads with a water run-off nearby.

Krantz also says the following roads can typically be the most dangerous in our area:
*Interstate 20 at 69.
*I-20 at Highway 54 in Van Zandt.
*Loop 49 at Farm Road 2493.
*State Highway 154.
*US 69 Railroad overpass in Jacksonville

TYLER – Tyler police are investigating the robbery of Mazzio’s Pizza at 405 West Front. An employee told officers a black male wearing a blue-jean coat entered the business wearing a ski mask just before 8:15 Thursday night. The suspect was about 6 feet tall and weighed around 190 pounds. He demanded the money from the cash register and showed the woman what she believed to be a handgun in his jacket pocket. She opened the cash register and the suspect reached over the counter and took an undetermined amount of cash. No injuries were reported.

LONGVIEW – The Superintendent of the Pine Tree School District is stepping down. Dr. Marian Strauss has announced her resignation, which is effective at the end of March. She said she is resigning to take care of her aging parents, who live in Central. Strauss has been school superintendent since 2009. She took over the position after former superintendent Lynn Whitaker resigned.

EAST TEXAS – Due to continued cold weather and snow on the ground, there are a number of closings, cancellations, and schedule changes around the area:

All Tyler Junior College classes and activities scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 5, have been canceled, with the exception of men’s and women’s basketball games in Wagstaff Gym. Cancellations include all credit and continuing education classes, all academic and support service functions for all campuses and sites, and use of the Ornelas Health & Physical Education Center and the Vaughn library. The TJC vs. Paris Junior College basketball games will take place in Wagstaff Gym, but they have been moved back one hour to provide for additional travel time. The men’s game will begin at 3 p.m.; the women’s game at 5 p.m.

Trane — new hire orientations re-scheduled for Saturday, noon and 2 p.m.
Angelina College — Saturday events will continue as usual.

The John Tyler High basketball games against Whitehouse have been rescheduled for Saturday, February 5 as follows:
Boys are at Whitehouse: 9th grade will play at noon
JV will play at 1:30 p.m.
Varsity will play at 3:00 p.m.
Girls are at John Tyler High School: JV game begins at 2:00 p.m.
Varsity to follow

The Robert E Lee High School basketball games that were re-scheduled for Saturday, February 5, have been cancelled until Monday, February 7. The games originally scheduled for Tuesday night, February 8, will now move to Wednesday, February 9.

Weather continues to alter the UT Tyler basketball schedule for the weekend. Saturday’s games at Mississippi College have now been moved to Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in Clinton. The games against Louisiana College, moved from Thursday to Monday, may also be rescheduled.

The Best Chocolate Dessert Contest in East Texas, which had been scheduled for Saturday at the Senior Citizens Center on Garden Valley Road in Tyler, has been canceled.

Here’s an update on City of Tyler services:
The airport is reporting success in clearing the primary runway, and they got busy on the secondary runway Friday. Travelers are advised to consult with their airline for the latest flight information.

The show goes on for tonight at LeTourneau University’s S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center. The “Celebrate Jesus Tour” featuring Guy Penrod and other Christian singers and artists will be held as scheduled.

This list will be updated when additional information is received.

RUSK – Rusk Rural Water has issued a boil water notice for customers in the following areas: FM 1857, FM 23, FM 752, FM 241, Highway 69 South, and any roads that feed off those main roads. That’s according to our news partner KETK. Keep checking ktbb.com for further updates.

TYLER – Two East Texas men have pleaded guilty to possessing stolen mail in the Eastern District of Texas. Nicholas Adam Hale, 22, of Kilgore, and Justin Eric Yanez, 23, of Troup, pleaded guilty to possessing stolen mail Thursday in Tyler before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love.

According to prosecutors, on Nov. 12, 2010, Hale and Yanez drove to various locations in and around Whitehouse, Texas and removed mail from private mail receptacles. The mail which they stole contained checks written in various amounts and 20 DVD movies, among other items. According to authorities, an observant Whitehouse resident notified the Whitehouse Police Department of Hale’s and Yanez’s suspicious activities, which led to their arrest that same day. Hale admitted to committing other postal thefts in East Texas in November and December 2009. Hale and Yanez face up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been set.