KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The City of Tyler continues in a state of advanced preparedness should the City need to activate in any capacity due to Hurricane Isaac. Emergency officials participated in a statewide conference call Monday afternoon, determining the role Tyler could play in the State’s emergency response efforts as well as potential impacts the storm could have on the Tyler region. “The City has initiated advanced preparedness efforts as per our Emergency Response Plan due to Tropical Storm Isaac,” said Tyler Fire Chief Tim Johnson. “At this point, it is unknown what impact the storm could have upon Tyler; therefore we are taking all necessary steps to be prepared.”

Should Tyler be an evacuation location, the role would be to serve self evacuees and medical special needs evacuees only. Shelters will be stood up as needed. KETK reports the first emergency shelter has already been set up at St. Louis Baptist Church. The Red Cross says the church can house up to 150 people. Local residents are encouraged to check on their emergency kits, which officials term a good routine practice. You can go to http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit for information on building an emergency kit. The kit should contain food, water and emergency items to last for 72 hours.

Information on Tyler’s emergency efforts will be posted on the City web page (www.cityoftyler.org), the City’s social media pages (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/City-of-Tyler-Texas-Government/328744635747 and http://twitter.com/TylerEvents), and released to local media.

TYLER — The Smith County Commissioners Court approved a 2013 budget Tuesday that officials say will decrease the tax rate while maintaining the same level of county services for citizens. County Judge Joel Baker, who serves as the county’s budget officer, credits careful financial management, conservative budgeting, and recent signs of economic growth over the past few years for the positive 2013 outlook.

With an anticipated $576,594 in additional revenue to be added to the tax roll this year due to new construction, Baker says the future looks more favorable for county coffers. “The overall picture is strong and enables us to make positive financial decisions this year that impact our employees, our citizens, and overall county management,” said Baker.

The Smith County Appraisal District certified the tax roll with a very slight increase in appraised value from the previous year. According to officials, county efforts to streamline operations also enabled Judge Baker to propose a slight reduction in the tax rate to the effective tax rate for the upcoming year without adversely affecting the quality of services provided to citizens. You can go to http://www.smith-county.com to view the complete budget.

TYLER — Tyler Police say one of their own was found dead Saturday. According to Public Information Officer, Don Martin, Ocie Coffer, 45, was found deceased over the weekend at his residence. Martin said he died from natural causes.

Ocie began his employment with the City of Tyler in 1999 with the Water Utilities Department. He came to the Police Department in 2002 as a Public Safety Officer.

“Ocie was a dedicated, kind hearted and hard-working employee who always had a smile on his face. He enjoyed serving the citizens of Tyler in their time of need and will be truly missed,” said Chief Swindle.

Ocie is survived by three children ages 23, 17 and 15. Visitation for Coffer will be held Thursday, August 30th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Harmon Undertaking, 1112 N. Palace. Funeral Services will be held at 12:00 p.m., Friday, August 31st at Smith Temple Church of God in Christ, 2400 Walton Rd, Tyler. Interment will be at Evergreen Cemetery.

TYLER — A section of Lake Placid between Vine Street and San Jacinto Drive will be closed to thru traffic by the City of Tyler Streets Department for repairs. East bound traffic from Old Noonday will be routed southward down Vine Street. West bound traffic from Old Jacksonville Hwy will be routed northward down San Jacinto. The work on Lake Placid should be finished in two weeks depending on weather conditions. Drivers are urged to use alternate routes for the duration of construction.

FORT WORTH (AP/Staff) – Renowned classical pianist Van Cliburn has been diagnosed with advanced bone cancer. His longtime friend and publicist, Mary Lou Falcone, announced the news Monday. She says the 78-year-old Cliburn is resting comfortably at his home in Fort Worth. She says his spirits are high and he’s under excellent care. Cliburn grew up in Kilgore. He skyrocketed to fame in 1958 when he won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at age 23. He returned to a New York ticker tape parade, the only one ever for a classical musician. He has performed for every president since Harry Truman, and for years has devoted his time to the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Founded by Fort Worth music teachers in 1962, it’s held every four years and now considered the world’s premiere piano competition.

WINONA — Autopsy results are still pending for two-year-old Winona-area resident Jacob Kimbley, who was found dead last week after an hours-long search. KETK reports that according to Child Protective Services, Jacob’s five siblings have been separated into two foster homes. The case is being investigated as a homicide, and CPS took the children from their family soon after Jacob’s body was found. CPS’s Shari Pulliam says when children are removed from their homes, case workers explain the situation to them and tell them it may be only temporary while officials sort out what happened. Pulliam says the kids accepted what they were told and are “doing fine.” According to Pulliam, kids are put into foster homes for different reasons, such as size of sibling group or not enough openings in one home vs. another home. She says how long Jacob’s siblings remain in foster care depends on the case.

TYLER — Student enrollment numbers are in after a successful first day of school, and this year Tyler ISD saw an increase of nine students. First day enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year totaled 17,319, while enrollment for the first day of classes in the 2011-2012 school year was 17,310. First day of school enrollment numbers fluctuate from year to year, and District leaders anticipate enrollment going up in the coming weeks. Here are the first day enrollment numbers:
Campus 8/22/11 8/27/12

Austin 476 444
Bell 500 445
Birdwell 425 456
Bonner 434 412
Boshears Center 69 72
Caldwell 647 635
Clarkston 364 352
Dixie 542 538
Douglas 657 682
Griffin 633 653
Jack 717 672
Jones 324 324
Orr 591 570
Owens 633 641
Peete 367 370
Ramey 522 522
Rice 750 669
Woods 665 624
Boulter 466 528
Dogan 476 493
Hogg 620 652
Hubbard 871 822
Moore 982 912
Stewart 409 490
John Tyler 1600 1749
REL 2538 2558
PACE 32 34

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Authorities report an East Texan has died in a logging accident in Cherokee County, close to the Nacogdoches County line. Sunday afternoon just before 3:00, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office with notice of a logging accident on Highway 21 at the Angelina River bridge. Douglass VFD first responders and Nacogdoches EMS responded and found Jimmy Charles Young Jr., 38, of Henderson, dead at the scene.

Authorities say Young was working with other loggers, clearing trees on property owned by William Carroll Hollis of Alto, when a large tree he was cutting fell on top of him. A co-worker used equipment on the scene to move the tree, and another co-worker called 9-1-1. Because of the location, the call went through the Nacogdoches County Communications Center; first responders were notified and dispatched from their center. Officials say details of the accident are not being released at this time, pending the outcome of the investigation. Cherokee County Justice of the Peace Brenda Dominy ordered an autopsy.

GILMER — An Upshur County jury has sentenced an Ore City woman to life in prison after convicting her of her husband’s murder. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Sharon Maxwell was found guilty Friday of murdering her tenth husband, Gordon Maxwell, by shooting him four times in the head, then burning his body in his pickup in August of last year. The punishment considered by the jury ranged from five years in prison to life in prison, District Judge Lauren Parish said. “This woman deserves a life sentence, one life for another,” District Attorney Billy Byrd said in his closing argument. Maxwell was also sentenced Monday to pay a $10,000 fine. She may become eligible for parole after serving at least 30 years in prison.

TYLER — Smith County commissioners plan to approve their 2012-2013 budget and tax rate at a meeting this morning. The meeting is set to kick off with a final public hearing on the budget and tax rate. County Judge Joel Baker filed a proposed 2013 budget that will decrease the tax rate while maintaining the same level of county services for citizens, according to a county news release. Baker credits careful financial management, conservative budgeting, and recent signs of economic growth over the past few years for the positive 2013 outlook.

At least one citizen group, Grassroots America – We the People (GAWTP), is weighing in on the budget and tax rate. According to a position statement directed at commissioners, “Grassroots America appreciates the fact that your budget is based on funding with the effective tax rate.” The group does address four major issues. Reiterating an issue raised last year, GAWTP recommends requiring the Budget Officer to post an itemized listing of all changes that cause the prior year’s adopted budget line item totals to change. GAWTP also says, “We see no information posted in the proposed budget that would tell taxpayers why you plan to hold almost $13 million in reserve.”

The citizen group additionally notes, “We see that Judge Baker has referenced a performance pay program in his executive letter for the budget. It sounds as if the criteria on which the department leaders will be evaluated has been set from the top….A true performance pay plan must include full participation from the folks on the ground doing the work.” Finally, GAWTP says, “Smith County still has no long-range rural transportation plan to even begin proper budgetary planning for the upgrade of county roads. We urge the Commissioners Court to make this a top priority for the next fiscal year.” The statement concludes, “We look forward to hearing back from the Commissioners Court on these four issues when you have the answers. We will be happy to publish your responses. Thank you for serving.”

TYLER — Tyler Police continue their investigation of a two vehicle wreck that left one man dead. It happened around 4:20 Sunday morning at the intersection of Troup Highway and Thistle. Investigators said Bradford Gregory, 39, Winona was stopped for a red light at Thistle when he was rear-ended by Ethan Draper, 20, Whitehouse (pictured).

Gregory was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Draper was transported to a local hospital where he later died from injuries he sustained. Authorities said there were no evident signs that alcohol was a factor on Mr. Draper. Investigators will request a medical report to determine if any substance was a contributing factor.

LONGVIEW — As Isaac’s projected path is taking the storm further west, the local American Red Cross is preparing to jump into action. American Red Cross has setup a staging area in Longview as they wait to see where Isaac will make landfall. Anita Foster with the Red Cross says right now the storm is expected to hit New Orleans on the same day Katrina hit the “Big easy’ seven years ago and that could mean yet another mass exodus of Louisianans. Foster says the red cross is ready to leap into action the moment the storm hits land.

TAMPA, FL — Tropical Storm Isaac passed west of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida and instead was targeting a broad swatch of the Gulf Coast, including New Orleans. Flood warnings, wind, rain and thunderstorms were in Tampa’s weather forecast for the week. KTBB Owner/General Manager, Paul Gleiser is in Tampa covering the convention. Most of what was scheduled to happen Monday, the first day of the convention, was cancelled. Gleiser said, they gathered to order, a parliamentary procedure, then immediately adjourned. He added, there was nothing of any substance that happened in Tampa yesterday.

Meanwhile, KTBB’s Dr. Bob Peters is keeping tabs on Isaac. At 5 a.m. EDT Tuesday, the large, lumbering storm was centered about 125 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. He expected Isaac to become a hurricane by Tuesday afternoon, making landfall Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning somewhere south of New Orleans. Peters said the worst is over for Tampa. According to Peters, that city had had 2 1/2 inches of rain by Monday afternoon, and winds there had turned southeasterly. Peters added that Isaac might bring East Texas a few showers as it heads up the Mississippi Valley Wednesday and Thursday.

Paul Gleiser will be in Tampa all week covering the convention. Follow him online at http://KTBB.com/Decision2012 and on Twitter @ ktbbdecision12.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Sheriff Deputies are currently searching for the suspects accused of robbing a local Food Fast around 3:00 Monday morning. According to KETK, the robbery occurred in the 8600 block of Highway 64. Police are currently searching for two suspects, anyone with any information is urged to contact Smith County Crimestoppers.

EAST TEXAS — School zones were activated and school buses were on the road this morning as the new school year got underway. The the Texas Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement agencies reminded motorists to leave a few minutes early to allow for extra time on your Monday morning commute. Like work zones, fines for speeding in school zones double when the school zone is active.

The law also prohibits the use of hand-held communications devices in active school zones. “The law requiring motorists to put the cell phone down in a school zone is still relatively new,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “But there is zero tolerance for it as far as law enforcement is concerned. No phone call or similar distraction is worth a child’s life.”

Motorists traveling in both directions on a given roadway must stop when red lights flash on a school bus. Violations can lead to a $1,000 fine. “At least one student is killed every year while waiting to get on, or just after getting off a school bus,” Krantz said. “And in almost every case, it’s because a motorist ignores the flashing red lights.”

TYLER — Smoke in the building at Azalea Place Nursing & Rehabilitation, 810 South Porter, caused an evacuation of the residents around 4:00 Sunday afternoon . A short in a junction box in the breaker room caused the fire and smoke. Firemen extinguished the fire and removed the smoke and the residents returned to their room. No injuries was reported.

LUFKIN — East Texas residents got a sneak peak over the weekend at the newest arrival at Lufkin’s Ellen Trout Zoo. He is a lion cub named Sango, which is the god of lightning and thunder. He was born a little over 4 weeks ago. He weighed in at 2 pounds. He has since grown to ten pounds. This is the first lion cub born at the Lufkin zoo in over 30 years.

KEY WEST, FLA. (AP/STAFF) — Tropical Storm Isaac is churning toward the northern Gulf Coast and promises to give the Republican National Convention a good drenching after lashing the Florida Keys and Miami area with wind and rain.

The National Hurricane Center predicts Isaac will grow a Category 1 hurricane over the warm Gulf of Mexico and possibly hit late Tuesday somewhere along a stretch that starts west of New Orleans and runs to the edge of the Florida Panhandle. That would be one day shy of seven years after Hurricane Katrina struck catastrophically in 2005.

KTBB’s Dr. Bob Peters said Tampa could look for periods of rain continuing through Tuesday, with tropical force storm winds Monday afternoon and evening. It’s all worrying organizers of the Republican National Convention in Tampa. KTBB owner-general manager Paul Gleiser is there for exclusive coverage.

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 on Tuesday are scheduled to make base and pavement repairs on State Highway 64 just west of West Loop 323. 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.

GREGG COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to conclude pavement repairs on eastbound Interstate Highway 20 between the Smith County Line and Farm Road 3053 in Liberty City. 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.

FRUITVALE — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to conclude approximately three weeks of pavement-repair work on U.S, Highway 80 in the Fruitvale area. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue edge work on Farm Road 855 between U.S. Highway 69 in Mount Selman and Farm Road 346 south of Teaselville. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on Ranch Road3062 (Star Harbor Road) in Malakoff. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

LONGVIEW — The Longview Police Department reminds drivers to use caution when they approach or pass, from either direction, a school bus, especially loading and unloading. State law prohibits drivers from passing school buses when the bus is operating a visual signal. The driver of a vehicle shall stop before reaching the school bus when the bus is operating a visual signal and may not proceed until: the school bus resumes motion; the operator is signaled by the bus driver to proceed; or the visual signal is no longer actuated.

The driver of a vehicle is not required to stop if the highway has separate roadways and the bus is on a different roadway. The law defines a separate roadway as a roadway that has intervening space or where vehicles are not permitted to drive, a physical barrier, or clearly indicated section constructed to impede vehicular flow, such as a concrete or grassy median. A highway is NOT CONSIDERED to have separate roadways if the roadway is only separated by a left turn lane.

TYLER — The City of Tyler would like to remind everyone that a new school year is starting and that means a change in traffic patterns. School flashers will be in operation in marked school speed zones beginning Monday, August 27, 2012, between the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. with the following exceptions:

• West Loop 323 near John Tyler High School – This school speed zone
will be in effect between the hours of 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 4 to 4:45 p.m.

• South Donnybrook Avenue near Robert E. Lee High School – This school
speed zone will be in effect between the hours of 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 4
to 4:45 p.m.

• Copeland Road at Hubbard Drive – This school speed zone will be in
effect between the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m.

• Paluxy Drive at Yosemite Drive – This school speed zone will be in
effect between the hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m.

• Old Jacksonville Highway at Silverwood Drive near Grace Community
School – This school speed zone will be in effect between the hours of
7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. Friday
hours are 7:15 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m.

• University Boulevard near Grace Community School – This school speed
zone will be in effect between the hours of 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 4
p.m. on Monday through Thursday. Friday hours are 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. and
12:30 to 2 p.m.

• Garden Valley Road at Charlotte Drive near Boulter Middle School –
This school speed zone will be in effect between 7and 9 a.m. and 3:15 to
4:45 p.m.

A new school zone has been added this year for the PACE program at the Alvin V. Anderson Educational Complex on Confederate Avenue between Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Vance Street. This school speed zone will be in effect between 7:45 to 8:15 a.m.,11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. There’s much more at http://www.cityoftyler.org on back-to-school safety for Tyler motorists.

TYLER — One person has been injured in a weekend aggravated assault in Tyler. It happened around 7:45 Saturday night at 2116 Grand Avenur. Authorities said several rounds had been fired at the location. One subject had been shot in the hand, causing a serious wound. He refused treatment at the scene and was released. Several cars in the vicinity sustained damaged due to gun fire. Several subjects were taken into custody. Names have not been released.

TYLER — Tyler Police have arrested seven suspects after a shots fired complaint. It happened around 5:15 Sunday morning at 1212 Paul. A witnesses reported several Hispanic males in the front yard, drinking and firing a pistol. Arriving officers recovered a firearm and drugs at the scene. Seven subjects were arrested at the scene. Charges ranged from public intoxication, possession of a controlled substance, unauthorized carrying of a weapon and disorderly conduct.

GILMER — A jury on Friday found an Ore City woman guilty of murdering her 10th husband. According to the Longview News-Journal, Gordon Maxwell’s family members cried as they embraced each other Friday afternoon outside of Upshur County’s 115th District Court, minutes after a jury pronounced Sharon Maxwell guilty. Testimony in the trial revealed Maxwell was shot repeatedly while lying in his bed, his body wrapped in covers, dumped in his truck, doused with gasoline and set on fire August 30, 2011.

According to testimony in the case, after Maxwell returned home from work Aug. 30, he and his wife took her two children to Ore City High School and returned home. District Attorney Billy Byrd suspected Gordon Maxwell may have told his wife during the ride that he intended to leave her.

Gordon Maxwell’s body was found in a burning vehicle. He had been shot four times in the head while lying in the couple’s bed. Sharon Maxwell admitted she dragged his body from the bed, through the house, across the back porch and to his truck where she poured gasoline on it. She also threw bullets inside the truck, Byrd said, to make it look as if the bullets in his head were a result of the fire.

The punishment phase of the trial is set to begin on today.

MOUNT PLEASANT (AP) — An ammonia leak at a northeast Texas meat packing plant has sickened more than a dozen people. A spokeswoman at Titus Regional Medical Center in Mount Pleasant says 17 patients were transported to the hospital for examination. Spokeswoman Shannon Norfleet says the examinations were precautionary and no serious injuries or illnesses were found. The leak happened about 2:30 Friday afternoon at the Pilgrim’s Pride poultry packing plant. Company spokeswoman Margaret McDonald says contract workers were performing maintenance on the plant roof when the leak began and the plant was evacuated. McDonald says all workers taken to the hospital were examined, treated and released, and the leak was repaired in about thirty minutes.

JACKSONVILLE — Lon Morris College will suspend the fall semester as it continues to look for a purchaser of the college or a new financial partner. According to KETK, the college was denied access to federal financial aid funds recently because of a Department of Education decision based on its bankruptcy, even though the college has continued to operate and was preparing to open for the fall. In a news release, Lon Morris says it continued to work with the DOE on the matter, but ultimately, a timely and workable resolution was not available. The college says students previously admitted at Lon Morris for the fall semester are being notified, and Jacksonville College and Tyler Junior College are working to accommodate Lon Morris students in the immediate term.

Lon Morris had experienced financial difficulty for years as the school tried to expand through costly programs and unfunded scholarship aid, and took on almost $20 million in debt to finance its expansion. Dawn Ragan, the Chief Restructuring Officer of the college, said “The oldest junior college in Texas has been trying to do everything right to preserve an East Texas institution educating students for 158 years. The DOE’s action to cancel all federal financial aid is justified by bureaucrats merely quoting policy, noting they are powerless to use judgment to provide reasonable or practical accommodations. We understand we would literally need an act of Congress to ensure this does not continue to happen to other schools in the same predicament.”

Officials say the school intends to continue working with its investment bankers, Capstone, to find a partner. Students with questions about records or transfers may contact [email protected] or call 903-589-4000.

TYLER — a vehicle-pedestrian accident is under investigation by Tyler police. Around noon Friday, Tyler police, fire, and EMS crews responded to the 3400 block of Varsity. Angela Chantel Hickman, 23, of Dallas, was crossing the roadway on foot from U.T. Tyler heading towards her apartment at 3400 Varsity. According to police, a pick-up driven by 68-year-old William McClenny of Tyler had just pulled out of a private drive heading westbound on Varsity when Hickman stepped out in front of his vehicle, causing her to be struck. Hickman was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries by EMS. Police say the pedestrian failed to yield the right of way, so no charges were filed against the driver.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have taken 38-year-old Stephen Cannada of Longview into custody on allegations involving drugs and child endangerment. Around 9:20 Thursday evening, officers observed a red Chevrolet truck leaving a motel located in the 1500 Block of East Marshall Avenue. Officers stopped the vehicle, and Cannada was identified as the driver. According to police, Cannada had two small children with him in the vehicle and one was holding an open can of beer.

Officers searched Cannada’s vehicle and located suspected crack cocaine under the seat of the truck. Officers claim that Cannada had left the two small children in the vehicle while he went into an undisclosed room at the motel and allegedly purchased crack cocaine. Cannada was arrested and charged with two counts of abandon/endangering a child and one count of possession of a controlled substance (penalty Group 1 less than 1 gram). Police say ee was transported to the Gregg County Jail without incident. The children were released to a family member.

LONGVIEW — Beginning Monday, the City of Longview will conduct citywide truck-mounted mosquito spraying in response to increased cases of West Nile virus in East Texas and around the state. The spraying will occur primarily Mondays through Thursdays from 4 – 6 a.m. and 9 – 11 p.m., generally taking place according to a geographic schedule. In addition to the set schedule, targeted spraying may occur where there is a suspected West Nile concern. You can go to http://www.LongviewTexas.gov for more details and to view a map of the spraying schedule.

SHERMAN – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced Friday that 30 individuals have been identified and indicted following a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas. Beginning on Aug. 22 and continuing through Aug. 23, a combined task force of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies began executing 30 federal arrest warrants for defendants charged in a conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine in and around the Greenville area since 2010.

On Aug. 9, a federal grand jury returned a 6-count Indictment charging 30 individuals with conspiracy to distribute and possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Those indictments included two Arp residents: James Dennis Sloan, 53, and Janice Wells Sloan, 52. Also named: Jason Dale Jacobs, 30, of Grand Saline, and James Brian Humphrey, 36, of Como.

If convicted of the drug conspiracy charge, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of any property used to commit or facilitate the crimes or derived from proceeds of the conspiracy.