KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SULPHUR SPRINGS – A Sulphur Springs teacher is being accused of having a sexual relationship with a female student. Arrested was Donnie Merle Martin. Police say he confessed to having the relationship with a student. Martin has been charged with having an improper relationship between an educator and a student, a second degree felony. His bond has been set at $20,000.

LINDALE — Three people have been hospitalized following a major wreck in Lindale near Interstate Highway 20. According to KETK, emergency crews responded to the two-vehicle crash in front of the Cracker Barrel shortly after 5:30 Tuesday afternoon. The severity of the victims’ injuries is unknown.

GILMER — Upshur County Commissioners fired 19-year Building Maintenance Supervisor Charles Daniels on Monday after finding he violated trustee labor rules, County Judge Dean Fowler said. According to KETK, commissioners voted 3-0 to terminate Daniels. Commissioner James Crittenden abstained from the vote.

Fowler said he does not believe criminal charges could result from the findings; however, he said they were serious enough that the court had to end Daniels employment. He said the violations are grounds for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education to revoke Daniels’ jailer certification.

Video surveillance that county obtained from Sam’s showed that Daniels had left the inmates in a vehicle in the parking lot without supervision while he was inside the store for more than half an hour, Fowler said. The vehicle was marked as belonging to Upshur County.

LUFKIN — Lufkin detectives expect to obtain two warrants for Corey Lee Fleming, a man who is accused of being the “Door Kick Burglar” in Lufkin. According to KETK, the 41-year-old is now charged with burglarizing several houses on Templewood Lane and Summerset Drive. Authorities were able to recover jewelry connecting Fleming to both cases, including a high school football championship ring belonging to Reggie McNeal. McNeal would later go on to play quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies and played for a short time in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. Fleming, currently is in jail on a $250,000 bond.

HOUSTON (AP) – A federal appeals court has rejected an East Texas inmate’s claims that he’s mentally impaired and ineligible for execution. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ordered another look at IQ scores for convicted killer Rickey Lynn Lewis. The trial court, a federal district court and now the 5th Circuit, in a ruling late Tuesday, agreed the inmate’s intellectual functioning is not “sub-average.” Courts generally have agreed an IQ of 70 is the threshold for mental impairment. Test results on Lewis range from 59 to 79 and his attorneys contend the higher scores are invalid. The 50-year-old Lewis has been on death row since 1994, four years after George Ray Newman was fatally shot during a burglary of his home near Tyler. Evidence showed Newman’s fiancee was raped.

LONGVIEW – Three men from the Metroplex have been arrested in Longview for passing forged checks. Accused of engaging in organized criminal activity are Michael Glenn Patterson, 51, of Mesquite (pictured), Reggie Myers, 22, of Dallas, and Nikolaus Ladae Cross-Exom, 23, of Dallas. Meyers and Patterson were arrested at Austin Bank in the 300 block of East Loop 281 and Cross-Exom was picked up Texas Bank and Trust in the 3600 block of McCann Road. All three were booked into the Gregg County Jail.

MINEOLA — Republican State Representative Bryan Hughes of Mineola continues his run for Speaker of the House, challenging incumbent Joe Straus. Hughes tells KETK he considers Straus a gentleman, has nothing against him personally, and is not running so he can “ram through” his own agenda. He says he in fact hopes to de-centralize power, adding that he’s “proposed some specific changes to the rules that would take power out of the speaker’s office and give it back to the members.” The battle begins in earnest when the Legislature convenes in January

GROVETON – Eleven-year-old Savannah Hurley was located Tuesday in Trinity County, according to sheriff’s officials there. According to KETK, authorities say she was placed in the custody of the sheriff’s office. Sheriff’s officials have arrested her mother, Shelly Jean Hurley. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Department earlier issued an Amber Alert for Savannah, believed to have been abducted by her mother. Shelly Jean Hurley, 46, allegedly kidnapped Savannah after CPS tried to remove the girl from her home.

Shari Pulliam with CPS says the girl was found in a house by police in the Trinity Cove area, about a mile from the home from which CPS originally tried to remove her. Pulliam says Savannah and her mother never left the area. In a twist to the story, earlier Tuesday, Mesquite police found the car authorities believed the two were traveling in, abandoned in their city. Savannah’s grandmother, 64-year-old Patricia Rutledge, has also been arrested and charged with interfering with child custody.

TYLER — The Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler is one of only four centers in the United States to be awarded the 2011-2012 Quality Care Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “We learned a lot from this process of quality improvement. Achieving the Quality Care Award is very humbling. “It is a recognition of our commitment to providing excellent care to people with cystic fibrosis in Northeast Texas,” said Varsha Taskar, M.D., the clinic’s associate director and a pulmonologist. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States.

JACKSONVILLE — A monument north of Jacksonville continues to be the target of vandals. The Killough Monument marks the site where a family of pioneers were massacred by Indians. Cherokee County Commissioners tell KETK they’ve gone as far as to install security cameras on site. On one video, teenagers were caught urinating on gravesites. One official says the monument is a popular spot for drinking, partying, and the like. The kids reportedly “like to trash the place up and break beer bottles and whatnot.” Officials say if you’re looking for signs to the site, chances are you won’t find them. They say the county puts signs up constantly, but vandals steal them.

VAN — Should Texas teachers be allowed to post the Ten Commandments in their classrooms? One East Texas lawmaker says yes. State Representative Dan Flynn of Van has filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session that forbids Texas school boards from prohibiting the posting of the Ten Commandments. It’s an issue that has seen legal challenges before, and Flynn acknowledges the idea won’t be popular with everyone. According to Flynn, “Just about every bill that’s filed in the Texas Legislature or Unites States Congress, somebody has an issue with. And if you only file bills that you feel like are immune to lawsuits, you probably wouldn’t be doing much work.” Flynn says he’s gotten support for the bill from parents, teachers and even students. He adds that since the Commandments are posted on the Capitol grounds and even at the U.S. Supreme Court, the classroom shouldn’t be off limits.

LONGVIEW — A former 911 administrator for Longview police is scheduled to plead guilty next year in the murder of his wife, county records show. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, Harry Goodan still could opt for a full trial before his plea date of Jan. 10. Goodan, 41, is accused in the December 2010 shooting death of his wife, Longview Police Officer Jamie “Ellyn” Goodan. An autopsy found Ellyn Goodan died of a gunshot wound to the head.

According to police reports from that time, Goodan summoned police to the Towne Oaks North apartment he and his wife shared. Reports said Goodan met officers at the door at about 8:30 a.m. that Saturday and said he killed his wife. Goodan faces from five to 99 years or life in prison on the murder charge. A sentence at the low end of that scale would make him eligible for probation.

Goodan has been freed on $75,000 bond since January 2011. Bond initially was set at $500,000, but reduced by 188th District Judge David Brabham after a hearing at which Ellyn Goodan’s father testified in favor of his son-in-law’s bond reduction.

TYLER – A Tyler man will be spending a lot of time behind bars for sexually assaulting an 8 year old girl he was babysitting. The incident happened in October of last year. On November 7th, a jury in Tyler’s 114th State District Court found David Burnett Williams, 48, guilty. Yesterday, State District Judge Christi Kennedy sentenced Williams to five life prison sentences. They will be served consecutively.

TYLER — A trooper who was involved in a wreck in early November has been arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated during that incident. KETK reports Smith County DPS Trooper Joe Don Abernathy was booked into the Smith County Jail just after 1:30 on Monday afternoon. He was released about 15 minutes later on a $1,000 surety bond. Abernathy crashed on November 5 after allegedly swerving to miss a deer on Old Omen Road in Tyler. It happened near the Arrowhead Golf Course Shortly after 7:15am. The car reportedly sustained substantial damage. Abernathy resigned from his position as a DPS trooper the next day.

TYLER — The City of Tyler has approved the voting results from the November 6 General Election. That included two alcohol propositions, calling for beer and wine sales in stores, along with non-membership sales of mixed drinks in restaurants where it’s not already permitted. One group is still challenging the election results, and following the adjournment of yesterday’s meeting, KETK asked Mayor Barbara Bass if she was surprised there was no opposition present. She was not and replied, “the voters have spoken.” The Smith County Commissioner’s Court approved its election results November 15.

WHITEHOUSE — Authorities are issuing words of caution following an incident involving a deer and two men. KETK reports Joseph Rose and Cole Kellis were leaving their home in Whitehouse on Friday morning when they noticed a deer in their front yard. Rose approached the deer, and he says the deer seemed friendly. But Kellis and Rose say the deer then charged them and started to attack. Rose and Kellis ran to Rose’s pickup truck to try to get away from the wild buck. The deer then “poked” Rose in his ribs, so Rose jumped out of his truck into the back-bed. Rose says he left his driver-side door open and the deer climbed in and took his pack of cigarettes that were sitting in his center console.

The deer starting eating Rose’s smokes, and when Rose tried to get them back, Rose says the deer got more aggressive. They then had to call Whitehouse police and the Game Warden. When police arrived they had to taser the deer, and then Rose says it took more than 5 men to restrain the buck. In the process, some of the officers got hurt, with one sustaining a broken wrist. KETK spoke to Smith County Game Warden Dustin Dockery, and he says, “Admire deer from a distance but do not approach them because they can be dangerous.”

LONGVIEW — Longview Police say a man is in custody in connection with an accidental fatal shooting. I happened Saturday afternoon in the 1000 block of North 3rd Street. When officers arrived they were told an unknown black male came into the home and argued with the victim, identified as Barbara Lorena Hudson, 39, of Longview. According to initial statements, the unknown suspect fired a handgun at Hudson. Hudson was struck in the back by a single bullet and was pronounced dead at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Upon further investigation, detectives learned that Byron Marcel Houston, 30, had been joking around with the victim by pointing a loaded gun at her, as he had done on previous occasions, and accidentally shot her in the back. Houston was arrested for manslaughter and transported to the Gregg County Jail without incident.

TYLER — An East Texas Congressman is wanting a special prosecutor appointed to investigate the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya. Congressman Louie Gohmert, Tyler, accepted a petition containing 100,000 signatures from the military advocacy group, “Special Ops Speaks,” calling for a special prosecutor. Gohmert says Attorney General Eric Holder can’t be trusted to fairly investigate the death of Ambassador Christopher Stephens, an aide, and two navy seals.

TROUP — An early morning fire has destroyed a home in Troup. Arp, Troup and Whitehouse firefighters were called out to battle the blaze on the 20,000 block of highway 135 in Troup. Smith County authorities tell KETK, it started a little after 2:00 Monday morning. Fortunately there were no reports of any injuries. The cause is under investigation..

SMITH COUNTY — The NET RMA and its Design/Build Contractor, CH2M Hill, are reaching another milestone in the construction of Toll 49 Segment 3B. Major work on the Toll 49 bridge crossing Interstate Highway 20 is about to begin; however, this work will result in lane closures and traffic delays starting at 7:00pm on November 19th and 20th. During these evenings, the concrete girders for the Toll 49 Bridge over I-20 are scheduled to be installed which signifies a major milestone towards the completion of the Bridge. The majority of the work on the Toll 49 Segment 3B project is currently centered on construction of the I-20 Bridge structure.

Everett Owen, Project Director of the NET RMA, stated “Construction progress continues to be positive with all parties working for a successful completion of the project. We expect the project to be complete in Early Spring of 2013. TxDOT has been a great partner to the NET RMA and CH2M Hill and we are working together to keep traffic interruptions on I-20 to a minimum.”

Construction activities over the next few weeks will increase on and around the I-20 bridge site, resulting in lane closures and significant traffic delays. The actual Bridge girder installation will be completed at night; with traffic slowdowns anticipated in the east bound direction on November 19th and westbound direction on November 20th. If possible, please avoid this area on these nights, or please be prepared for potential delays along the I-20 Corridor.

Once Segment 3B is completed, Toll 49 will provide connectivity to the west and south of Tyler. When the project opens in Early Spring 2013, Toll 49 will provide new mobility from State Highway 110 near Whitehouse to I-20 offering nearly 26 miles of non-stop driving for motorists. A Grand Opening Ceremony for Toll 49 is being scheduled for March 2013.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

TYLER – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to make pavement repairs through Tuesday on State Highway 64 (Glenwood Boulevard) between State Highway 31 (Front Street) and the water tower. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

HENDERSON – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin approximately one week of pavement-repair work on U.S. Highway 79 Business (East Main Street) between US 79 and Marshall Street. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

GREGG COUNTY – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin approximately two weeks of pavement-repair operations on both eastbound and westbound Interstate Highway 20 main lanes and various entrance and exit ramps between State Highway 322 (Estes Parkway) and the Harrison County Line. Daytime lane closures and various temporary ramp closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

HENDERSON COUNTY – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to begin pavement-repair work on State Highway 31 at its intersection with State Highway 274 in Trinidad, followed by the same work on SH 31 in Brownsboro between Farm Road 607 and Farm Road 314. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY – Beginning Monday, November 26, Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to resume resurfacing operations on State Highway 243 between Canton and the Kaufman County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers and pilot vehicles will control traffic.

JACKSONVILLE – A student pilot has been killed in a crash at the Cherokee County Airport. Dead is Debra Sue Birch, 60, of Jacksonville, a retired teacher. She died after her single engine plane hit the top of an airport hanger and crashed into the building around 4:30 yesterday afternoon. The woman, who was making only her second solo flight, was working on touch and go landings when the accident occurred. Birch was rushed to East Texas Medical Center in Jacksonville where she died about 2½ hours after the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court has approved the purchase of a building that will become the future home of the Smith County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (Adult Probation). The structure is at 218 East Locust Street in downtown Tyler. “It is our plan to begin renovating the Probation building in early spring 2013,” said County Judge Joel Baker. Baker says the construction process should last approximately 4 to 5 months.

Upon completion, according to a county press release, the remodeled building will provide more than 15,000 square feet of office space for the probation department employees. Officials say it will also include training classrooms and additional parking for probationers. Officials add that the building’s proximity to the Courthouse and Sheriff’s Office was an important consideration due to the frequent interaction between probation officers, the courts, and law enforcement. The final design will include input from architectural consultants, the Commissioners Court, Adult Probation, and the local Council of Judges, according to the release. “It was a critical factor in the court’s decision to purchase the facility,” said Judge Baker.

The purchase will allow the County to fulfill the long-time objective of vacating the Smith County Office Building on the corner of Elm Street and Broadway Avenue at the former site of the 1950s era Carlton Hotel. The Adult Probation department, currently housed in the Carlton, employs 67 people. More than 5,000 people are currently on court-ordered probation from Smith County courts, and the department receives daily visits from the people who are supervised on probation.

“We’re excited about this purchase and for what it means to our employees. They have had to deal with a poor working environment for many years, and the new facility will be a breath of fresh air for the men and women who serve our community,” according to Baker. “For the community, it means we will be able to rehabilitate another downtown building which results in savings, and we have a buyer who has big plans for the dilapidated Carlton hotel. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

PALESTINE — A former Texas Department of Criminal Justice correctional officer has been sentenced to five life sentences for sexual assault of a child in Anderson County. David Wayne Green, 42, of Palestine, was sentenced for multiple counts of sexual assault of a child that was ongoing for 2 years. The former TDCJ correctional officer admitted to sexually assaulting a 12 year old that ended when the girl discovered she was pregnant by Green.

ELKHART — A 17-year-old Elkhart teenager was killed and another injured in a one-vehicle wreck. It occurred around 3:30 Saturday morning near Elkhart. Texas Department of Public Safety officials said Cheyenne Elizabeth Franklin, 17, of Elkhart was killed when the pickup she was a passenger in left the roadway and overturned on CR 2101. Jeffrey Wilson, 17, of Elkhart, was injured in the wreck.

According to a DPS report, Hayden Blaine Gray of Palestine was driving a 2003 Dodge pickup north on CR 2101 when he ran off the roadway and overturned, according to the DPS. Franklin, who was wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Gray was booked into the Anderson County Jail, charged with intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle. His bond was set at $150,000.

TYLER — Tuckers Beverage in Winona is already embracing Tyler’s new rules about alcohol. After the passing of Proposition 1 and 2 small town package stores are looking to stay competitive. Tucker’s and all Smith County package stores are now able to deliver beer and wine within Tyler City Limits and Precinct 2. The general manager of Tuckers Beverage, Jen Alderman, tells KETK it took them about a year to come up with their new business model. She says “It focuses kind of like on a pizza delivery model. where we can bring beer and wine to your door step.”

JACKSONVILLE — Authorities are investigating a shooting at the Austin Bank on the corner Commerce and Bolton in Jacksonville Friday evening. Officials said Louise Barnett, 66, owner of Razorback Grocery, was reportedly shot in the hand and shoulder by an unknown man around 5:30 while sitting in her car, waiting to make a deposit. Officials also said a bullet grazed her neck. She was taken to a local hospital, and then flown to a Tyler hospital for surgery. Her condition is unknown. Jacksonville Police continue to search for the gunman.

According to KETK, numerous eye witnesses have described the suspect as a black male wearing a red jacket. Detectives are preparing a photo lineup for viewing by the various witnesses to positively identify the shooter. In addition, detectives will be reviewing video from Austin Bank and other surrounding businesses.

The shooting is being investigated by the Jacksonville Police Department, Tyler F.B.I. Office and the East Texas Safe Streets Gang Taskforce. The F.B.I. and Cherokee County Crime Stoppers are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and the conviction of the suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to contact law enforcement at the following phone numbers: Jacksonville PD 903-586-2546 or the Tyler F.B.I. Office at 903-592-4301.

Business owners should be especially vigilant and report any suspicious persons or activity to the Jacksonville Police Department immediately.

LONGVIEW — Results of an autopsy shows a Longview man was killed by blunt-force head trauma after being struck multiple times in the face and head during a fight outside a local bar. The autopsy on Sean Allan Drake, 39, ruled his death a homicide. According to the Longview News-Journal, the July 12 fight broke out in the parking lot of the Lodge Sports Bar & Billiards on McCann Road immediately after closing, about 2:00. Drake was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center where he died the next day.

The autopsy revealed the extent of Drake’s beating, which included face and head contusions and bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissues that cover the brain. The autopsy also reported Drake went into cardiac arrest following the head trauma.

No suspects have been arrested in connection with the fight. At the time of Drake’s death, Longview police said investigators would wait for the autopsy report before determining if the incident would be classified as a homicide.

TYLER – One person has been killed in a Tyler Wreck. It was reported just before 11:15 Friday night in the area of 10200 Hwy 271. Officers said a truck, driven by Eduardo Flores, 23, Gladewater, reportedly crossed the median into oncoming traffic and struck a minivan, headed south, head on. The driver of the minivan Nancy Dale Slagle, Athens, was killed in the crash. The passenger in the minivan, William Eugene Slagle, 73, Athens, was transported to East Texas Medical Center where he is in critical condition. Flores was treated and released at Mother Francis Hospital and taken into police custody. He was booked into Smith County Jail for Intoxication Manslaughter and Intoxication Assault. The crash is still under investigation by Tyler Police Department.

TYLER — Big changes are coming to UT Health Science Center at Tyler. Meeting on the Tyler campus, the UT Board of Regents approved the lease of a new property along West Gentry Parkway. Officials tell KETK it will be used as a multi-purpose clinic with educational and meeting spaces. The officials add that through the new property, they’ll “be working with the community to identify those services that will best meet the community’s healthcare needs.” Also, the health science center will start doing business as UT Health Northeast. According to UTHSCT spokespeople, “The official name is still The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. We’ll just use the shortened version – UT Health Northeast – to make it easier for people to know what to call us.”