KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW – A Longview home has been destroyed by fire. It was reported Friday afternoon in the 900 block of Pecan Street. A woman and her three children were not at home when the fire broke out at the home, which was not equipped with fire detectors. Investigators say the fire started on the porch and quickly spread throughout the house. The blaze even spread to the yard, setting some curbside furniture on fire.

TYLER — A teacher at Tyler’s Robert E Lee High School has been found dead in his home. The body of Mark Chennault, who was in his 40s, was found Saturday morning. A social studies teacher, this was his first year in the Tyler school district. Investigators say it appears as if he had died of natural causes. An autopsy has been ordered.

MARSHALL (AP) — A federal jury in Texas has ordered Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary to pay $482 million to an inventor who claimed the company infringed on his patent for a cardiac stent. Jurors found that a stent built and distributed by Cordis willfully infringed on plaintiff Dr. Bruce Saffran’s patent.

NACOGDOCHES — A motorcycle driver has been killed in a Nacogdoches accident. Killed Friday night was Justin Shank, 28, of Nacogdoches. He died soon after arriving at a Nacogdoches hospital. His motorcycle burst into flames after colliding with a pickup on North Street. A Winnsboro woman driving the pickup was uninjured.

YANTIS – One person is being Treated at Tyler’s East Texas Medical Center following a stabbing in Yantis. A suspect is in custody. Charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, injury to a child and felon in possession of a firearm is Tommy Jones, 36, of Yantis. Stabbed in the left shoulder is Nathan Jenkins, 25, of Yantis. He is listed in stable condition.

TYLER — The Texas Department of Transportation’s Tyler District has announced it expects contractor Knife River Corp. to begin work on the long-awaited State Highway 149 widening project south of Longview by mid-February, and that another widening project, on Farm Road 14 north of Tyler, was nearing completion.

“The SH 149 project always seemed to be in a funding blind spot,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “The need was clearly there, but the right kind of funding was never available in large enough quantities to make a significant upgrade to the situation. Not anymore. The county, the city of Longview and the Longview MPO worked with TxDOT to fully fund the project and move it to the starting line. We absolutely would not be building this project today without significant financial backing from our partners.”

Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt, who oversaw the county’s nearly $6 million contribution to the project and another $2 million for a similar project on SH 42, was awarded TxDOT’s Road Hand Award on November 30, the highest award given to non-employees, for his dedication to the two projects and the continued safety of
the traveling public in Gregg County.

“These projects don’t happen without him,” Krantz said. “Period.” The SH 149 project will be conducted in two phases, the first of which calls for adding street lights and widening to accommodate continuous left-turn lane through Whiskey Bend area; repair and resurface between SH 149/State Highway 322 split and two miles south of Farm Road 2906; and adding centerline rumble strips between the Sabine River Bridge and Rusk County Line. The approximate $3.3 million project let in October.

The next phase, which is scheduled to let April, calls for realigning the SH 149 intersection with SH 322 and resurfacing between Interstate Highway 20 frontage and the railroad tracks, and widening and resurfacing SH 322 between IH 20 frontage and SH 149. The intersection realignment and the subsequent resurfacing are 100% funded
by Gregg County. The project also calls for upgrading various large Interstate guide signs in Gregg County. The estimated $3.1 million project, $2.6 million of which is funded by Gregg County, is scheduled to begin construction after the first phase has been completed.

Also beginning in February, TxDOT contractor Longview Bridge and Road, Ltd. is scheduled to begin work to add a left-turn lane on State Highway 110 on either side of Farm Road 1805 in Van to allow better turn access into the Van ISD Sports Complex. The $779,000 project is scheduled to take approximately six months to complete.

On the other end of the construction spectrum, TxDOT contractor R.K. Hall is scheduled to complete its $1.5 million project to add shoulders and resurface Farm Road 14 between Interstate Highway 20 and Loop 323 in Tyler. The project began last July.

The Tyler District also let one project to contract in January, awarding a $1.2 million contract to contractor A.L. Helmcamp to repair and resurface Farm Road 2329 between Farm Road 316 and U.S. Highway 175 in Henderson County. A start date for this project has no been determined.

Finally, the district has plans in to let to contract three bundled projects totaling an estimated $3.9 million in February, all in Wood County. The first project calls for adding shoulders and resurfacing Farm Road 17 between U.S. Highway 69 and Farm Road 779; Farm Road 514 between the Lake Fork Reservoir bridge and Farm Road 17; and Farm road 2659 between Farm Road 2911 and U.S. Highway 80 east of Hawkins, all for an estimated $1.5 million.

The second calls for adding shoulders on State Highway 154 between Farm Road 14 and Farm Road 312, and seal coating State Highway 154 between State Highway 37 in Quitman and the Upshur County Line for an estimated $1.7 million.

The final project calls for adding shoulders and resurfacing Farm Road 14 between Farm Road 2869 and Farm Road 1795 north of Hawkins, and adding centerline rumble strips on Farm Road 14 between State Highway 154 and the Smith County Line for an estimated $1.6 million. Construction on all three projects should begin sometime this summer.

OVERTON — Three persons are in custody following a drug raid on a house in Overton. Officers from the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office and Henderson Police Department served the warrant. In the house officers seized found suspected crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, alprazolam, diazepam, heroin and a gun.

Taken into custody were Don Paul Haynes, 54, Christopher Marlo Florence, 39, and Frances Irene Jernigan Haynes, 51. The Hanes were charged with manufacturing and possession of drugs while Florence was charged with drug manufacturing and possession charges, plus unlawful possession of a firearm.

TYLER — A Tyler-area fire was extinguished Friday, but officials say one structure and a car were destroyed. KETK reports it happened on the 3000 block of Mt. Vernon Street, off County Road 384 and Loop 323. Fire officials reported early in the afternoon that a house was on fire, and a mobile home next to it was also in danger of catching fire. No one was hurt in the blaze.

LONGVIEW — A Longview woman is dead from injuries suffered in a one-vehicle accident last Sunday in the 2400 block of East Marshall Avenue. Officers found a Ford Explorer had left the roadway and struck a tree. The driver, Sandra Hudman, 52, was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Authorities learned Friday that Ms. Hudman had died from those injuries on Thursday. She was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

EAST TEXAS — Several burglaries remain unsolved in Smith and Henderson Counties. Authorities say the target is items in storage facilities. Police say multiple locations have been targeted more than once, including 7 in Tyler. Officials say there may be more than one person or group responsible. The burglaries are happening at storage centers with no surveillance systems or other security. Local storage center owners are voicing their concern. One says, “There’s nothing you can do. If they want to get in they’ll get in, no matter what.” Authorities say the big target at the storage units is electronics such as TVs and DVD players.

TYLER — Tyler resident and community leader Anwar Khalifa is offering remarks on current unrest in Egypt. In a statement submitted to KTBB, Khalifa says, “I was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and still have relatives in Alexandria, Cairo and other cities in Egypt. I have been asked to represent those of Egyptian Origin. We pray that all violence stops. We condemn all violence against any and all religions. We also condemn police violent actions against peaceful protest. President Mubarak has been a long time friend of the USA. He has apparently not kept faith with our values in empowering the general public to choose leadership in a democratic/republican form, and has not looked after the welfare of the economy of his country.”

JACKSONVILLE — A Cherokee County jury has found Dickie Paul Bellanger guilty of two counts of aggravated assault of a child and two counts of injury to a child. He received two 75-year sentences, one for each count of aggravated assault of a child. The sentences will be served consecutively in state prison. He also received two 10-year sentences, one for each count of injury to a child. Dickie Bellanger and his mother, Candi Jean Bellanger, were arrested in May 2009. He was arrested for the assaults of two infants while she was arrested for not taking action to prevent or report the abuse.

LINDALE — Authorities are taking a closer look at a fire in Lindale that almost spread between an abandoned house and a local nursery. Officials say the fire may have been set intentionally. Lindale Fire Chief Jerry Garner says around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday a house, located on the 14800 block of CR 432, was on fire. The house was completely engulfed in flames when several fire departments arrived. Embers from the fire spread to Mea Nursery and almost caught parts of the building and plants on fire. Fire officials were able to control the blaze. No injuries were reported.

LUFKIN — A day after a police report was filed, a Lufkin man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly beating his wife with a plastic baseball bat and spraying Febreze in her mouth. The incident started when Victor Ray Wortham, 36, became angry at his wife because she popped her bubble gum, according to an arrest report. Wortham reportedly punched her in the mouth and then grabbed the plastic bat and beating her in the hip and chest. He then forced her onto the bed and held her down so he could spray Febreze air sanitizer in her mouth. The chemicals in her mouth made the woman vomit several times and burned her throat, the report stated.

LONGVIEW — A fire has extensively damaged a house in the 500 block of Luckett Street in Longview. It was reported around 1:45 Thursday morning. Firemen extinguished the blaze about 45 minutes later. A resident of the house was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. She’s in fair condition. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

DALLAS — According to the Palmer Drought Index, much of East Texas remains in a moderate drought situation. In Dallas, National Weather Service climatologist Mark Fox says it’s a La Nina-influenced winter that features drier and warmer than normal weather. He says there is some relief in sight, though. According to Fox, “Actually, we’re getting back to kind of what’s a normal spring. We’re definitely gonna be looking at a wetter pattern coming up for March, April, and May.” Fox says precipitation patterns are already starting to return to normal.

JACKSONVILLE — Due to conditions which have occurred recently in the water system, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required Craft-Turney Water Supply to notify all the customers involved in the repair area to boil their water prior to consumption. According to system officials, the area included in this boil water notice is from the Antioch Methodist Church on County Road 3111 to the intersection of CR 3111 and County Road 3114, down CR 3114 including up to the intersection of County Road 1804, and down CR 1804 — also, the Pine Grove side (the southwest end) of County Road 1816.

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, water system officials will notify you. If you have questions regarding this matter you may contact Rhonda Briggs, Office Manager at 903-586-9301.

TYLER – A 20-year-old man is taken to the hospital with severe head lacerations Tuesday night, after a trip to Grandma’s house went awry. Police say Billy Ray Rollins, 63, lived with the grandmother at the Tyler residence. They say when the woman’s grandson came to visit, Rollins was drunk and tried to kick him out of the house. That’s when he allegedly grabbed an axe and hit the grandson over the head with the axe handle. Rollins has been booked into the Smith County Jail on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges.

AUSTIN — Should pit bulls be banned in Texas? A proposed bill would make owning the dog a felony. Texas pit bull advocate and owner Laura Dapkus says maulings are rare. She says in the case of a ten-year-old East Texas boy killed by two pits two years ago, “We have a very, very small population of owners that are extremely irresponsible. These dogs had bitten before.” Cynthia Kent of Tyler, attorney for the boy’s mom, wrote the legislation; she doesn’t buy Dapkus’s argument. Kent says, “It’s not the person that mauled to death Justin Clinton. It was these two pit pulls.” Short of banning the breed, “Justin’s Law” would make dog owners carry adequate insurance.

LONGVIEW — Some confusion continued to grow for one group in charge of repairing Longview streets. A heated meeting ended in the resignation of one man who says the city is not paying attention to tax payers. Jim Martin was one of 16 members on the Longview Street Task Force Committee but resigned this week because he says the committee wasn’t doing what is was formed to do. Their mission was to repair streets, but instead, intersections and roads are being torn up when no repairs were needed. One of the projects Martin is commenting on is the Trion intersection.

JACKSONVILLE — Authorities in Jacksonville have released the name of a man killed in a house fire over the weekend. Roosevelt Brown was in his Jacksonville home Saturday evening when the fire started. Firefighters say he was overcome by flames. Investigators are still searching for a cause of that fire, but they do say it was not intentionally set.

WASKOM — A Harrison County Sheriff’s deputy is okay after being shot and a suspect is in custody. Merrill Wickware, 81, remains in the county jail, charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer. He is being held without bond. It happened around 3:45 Wednesday afternoon on Farm Road 9, south of Waskom.

According to a news release from the sheriff’s department, Lt. Duana Couch was conducting an investigation regarding a court-ordered seizure of an RV on the property when she was shot. Her head was grazed by a shot from a 22-caliber pistol. She was treated and released from Good Shepherd Medical Center in Marshall. Authorities say the suspect barricaded himself in his mobile home but surrendered when other officers arrived.

LONGVIEW – An Arkansas teenager is arrested in Longview after allegedly attacking a pharmacist. Taken into custody Wednesday was Johnny Cooper, 18, of Spiro, Arkansas. Longview police say the teen entered the Walgreen’s Pharmacy in the 500 block of Marshall Avenue around 3:00am. He is said to have had a long, narrow object wrapped in clothing, which he claimed was a gun. He is said to have demanded pain medication, and then leaped over the counter. He is said to have placed the object against the employee’s neck. The clerk was able to subdue him and held him on the floor until officers arrived.

MARSHALL — A Gregg County man has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations. Michael Shane Donald, 42, of Kilgore, pleaded guilty on last November to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge T. John Ward.

According to federal prosecutors, on May 24, 2010, Donald was found to be in possession of a sawed-off shotgun with an obliterated serial number in Upshur County, Texas. Further investigation revealed Donald was a convicted felon, having been found guilty of assault, family violence in 2004 in Upshur County. Convicted felons are prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Donald was indicted by a federal grand jury last July and charged with federal firearms violations.

LINDALE — A fire just north of Lindale has destroyed two abandoned houses. It was reported around 9:30 Wednesday night on County Road 432. Firemen from 5 separate departments were able to extinguish the flames and to keep it from spreading to the nearby Mea Nursery. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW — Lane closures are scheduled to begin Friday for the Reel Road widening project between Gilmer Road and Knobcrest Drive. The purpose of the project is to widen the section of road from two lanes to four lanes. Traffic will be limited to eastbound only from Knobcrest to Gilmer Road. Westbound traffic will be detoured through Regal Oak Drive. The closure will be effective through the summer.

This project was approved by voters as part of the Capital Improvements Bond Election in May 2007. It is being constructed by East Texas Bridge of Longview.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler will begin testing its outdoor emergency warning system at 11:05 a.m. on the first Tuesday of every month, Peyton Low, emergency management coordinator, announced. The change was made at the request of the City of Tyler in an effort to avoid confusion for residents who live near UT Tyler. The monthly test will still consist of a voice announcement, followed by a series of tones and conclude with another voice announcement. UT Tyler formerly tested its outdoor warning system at 4 p.m. on the first Friday of every month.

The outdoor warning system is activated for any threat that directly impacts the safety of the campus community, and is separate from the City of Tyler’s system. Potential reasons for activation include weather emergencies and other emergencies (law enforcement threat, hazardous materials release, or other dangerous situations). The only other time the system will be activated is for the monthly test or other announced tests. You can visit http://www.uttyler.edu/emergency/ for more information about UT Tyler’s emergency management efforts.

TYLER — The local homeless coalition known as Gateway to Hope joins the Texas Homeless Network, along with other local agencies and interested parties, in conducting a Homeless Survey Thursday in a continuing effort to address the homelessness issues facing community members in Smith County and throughout the state.

“We will be carrying out this survey and count on the same day as other agencies all over Texas,” said Christina Fulsom, Gateway to Hope Steering Committee member. “The survey will result in a comprehensive report on the number of homeless persons – sheltered and unsheltered – in our community; demographics, reasons for becoming and remaining homeless, educational attainment, employment status, health care needs, and other factors will be collected. We have to truly understand the scope of the problem in order to improve our ability to plan and implement effective housing and service programs. The same survey was conducted in January of 2010 – 306 homeless individuals, 68 of them children, were identified in Tyler, there were many others we did not find that night.”

Fulsom says the coalition needs at least 50 volunteers to make this a successful study. “Anyone who shares our commitment to helping the homeless of Smith County is encouraged to volunteer. We will provide you with training on the night of the survey. Every team will be led by an experienced team leader.” Volunteers will meet at 3 p.m. on Thursday. After a brief training and a light meal, volunteer teams will disperse throughout the County and count and survey individuals living on the street and in shelters from 5-7:30 pm.” To register to volunteer, you can visit the PATH website at http://www.pathhelps.org or call Chanta Willis at 903.597.4044 x112.

Fulsom added, “It is also very important that homeless individuals know we are coming out to visit them that night. Those meeting HUD’s definition of homeless are encouraged to come to the following Soup Kitchens: Good Samaritan, Loaves and Fishes, and The Salvation Army. Those staying in shelters will be surveyed in the shelter. Shelters participating include the Salvation Army and the East Texas Crisis Center.”

MARSHALL — A 43-year-old Karnack, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for distributing cocaine. Rodney Kirk Jenkins pleaded guilty last November to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge T. John Ward.

According to information presented in court, from 2007 through April of 2010, Jenkins and other co-defendants are responsible for the distribution of 500 grams or more of crack cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas, and maintaining a place in Harrison County in order to produce large quantities of crack cocaine for distribution. Jenkins was indicted by a federal grand jury last August.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert says there were a few issues he found problematic in the State of the Union Address — mainly President Obama’s long-range push for clean energy initiatives. Gohmert says the world is desperate for gasoline and that oil companies will take advantage — selling the fuel in other places, such as Asia, Africa, and South America. According to KETK, Gohmert says that would drive the price of gasoline up to 5, 6, even 7 dollars a gallon — and that the working poor would be among those most affected. Two-thirds of the nation’s refined gasoline is produced in Texas.