KTBB News, Weather, Talk

GRAPELAND — An Anderson County man has died in a two vehicle accident in Houston County. Dead at the scene was Timothy John Ronnebaum, 54, of Tennessee Colony. He was killed when hiscompact car ran a stop sign and collided with a pickup driven by Kenneth Anderson, 42, of Elkhart. Anderson was not injured. The Department of Public Safety reports the wreck occurred around 1:00 Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Farm Roads 2423 and 2022, about six miles east of Grapeland.

DALLAS (AP) — Retired hockey star Mike Modano and actress Willa Ford have decided to end their five-year marriage. A spokesman for the former Dallas Stars team captain said the couple was divorcing but didn’t have further details. The 42-year-old Modano and 31-year-old Ford married in 2007 in Athens, Texas.

MARSHALL – Two East Texans have pleaded guilty and another has been sentenced in a large-scale East Texas drug case. All three actions came in Marshall federal court; each involved a charge of possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine.

41-year-old Gregory Scott Covey and 44-year-old Christine Francis Sirmans, both of Karnack, pleaded guilty. According to information presented in court, from Mar. 21, 2010 to Sep. 3, 2010, Covey purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at stores in Marshall at least 32 times. Prosecutors say from Oct. 12, 2008 to Nov. 16, 2010, Sirmans purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at stores in Marshall and Carthage at least 74 times. Covey and Sirmans each face up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not been set. In the other case, 39-year-old Adrian Demond Noel of Jefferson was sentenced to 68 months behind bars. Noel pleaded guilty on May 4, 2012.

According to federal authorities, the case involved a conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine in East Texas. The conspiracy involved defendants traveling to multiple pharmacies to purchase numerous boxes of cold pills containing pseudoephedrine for use in the manufacture of methamphetamine. An 839-count federal indicted was returned on Feb. 1 charging Sirmans, Covey, Noel, and 14 other co-defendants with federal drug crimes. Of those defendants, 14 have been convicted.

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) – An East Texas man accused in a fatal shooting at a crew camp in the western North Dakota oil patch has been formally charged with murder, attempted murder and terrorizing. Victor Lamont, 24, of Lufkin is accused of killing 57-year-old Gerald Schild of Katy, Texas, and injuring 38-year-old Travis Lomax, of Fort Smith, Ark. Lomax was treated at a Minot hospital and released. A judge on Wednesday set bond at $1 million or Lamont. Authorities say the shooting happened late Saturday at the crew camp near Tioga. All three men were working for a Wisconsin-based pipeline company. Williams County Chief Deputy Verlan Kvande tells the Forum newspaper that Lamont also is accused of threatening two other company workers. Court documents do not list an attorney for Lamont.

MARSHALL — A Harrison County man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug violations. Gary Lynn Corpier, 53, of Marshall, pleaded guilty on February 14 to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. He has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap.

Federal prosecutors say on June 9, 2009, Corpier purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Walgreens and a WalMart store in Marshall, Texas, as well as on other occasions at other stores in the area, all in furtherance of his methamphetamine manufacturing activities.

HALLSVILLE — DPS officials have released the names of the people involved in Tuesday night’s fatal wreck near Hallsville. According to Trooper Jean Dark, one passenger, Alejandro Olvera, 16, was killed in the crash. The driver, Samuel Ellis, 18, and Austin Urbellis, 17, are listed in critical condition at a Longview hospital. According to KETK, all three people were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The one-vehicle accident occurred on Willow Road in Harrison County. The Department of Public Safety reports the driver lost control of the vehicle on a curve. The car left the roadway, overturned and hit a tree. All three victims are said to be students at Hallsville High School.

GLADEWATER — One person is in Gregg County custody after unintentionally causing a bomb scare Tuesday night. According to the Gladewater Police Department, Joshua Hadley was involved in a rollover wreck on Shell Camp Road just after 7:00 p.m. Police say he left the scene and was arrested at his house shortly after the crash. According to KETK, police say they found a black pipe in Hadley’s vehicle that resembled a bomb. This prompted authorities to block off roads around the accident until a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives unit from Tyler inspected the device. After the pipe was deemed non-explosive, the scene was cleared. Hadley is currently in the Gregg County Jail on charges of fleeing the scene of an accident and resisting arrest.

DALLAS (AP) – An Austin lawyer has taken up the case of an ex-funeral home director convicted in a 1996 killing featured in the movie “Bernie.” The Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday that attorney Jodi Callaway Cole, shown here, has met with director Richard Linklater of Austin. “Bernie,” starring Jack Black as Bernhardt Tiede II, was released this year. Tiede is serving life in prison for the fatal shooting of 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent of Carthage. The wealthy widow, portrayed by Shirley MacLaine, was found dead in a freezer at her home. Cole says she told Linklater that the movie raised issues for a possible appeal. Cole, who’s met with Tiede, declined to elaborate or say who hired her. Tiede on Wednesday was in the Telford Unit. He’s not eligible for parole until 2027.

TYLER – Tyler ISD students have exceeded the standard set in three of the five Adequate Yearly Progress categories. Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement standard set by the Federal Government under the No Child Left Behind Act. All public school districts, campuses and the state are required to meet AYP criteria on the following measures: math performance, reading/English Language Arts (ELA) performance, math participation, reading/ELA participation, and graduation rate. On Wednesday, the State released the preliminary AYP results for the 2011-2012 school year. Tyler ISD students exceeded the standard in math participation, reading/ELA participation, and graduation rate. You can go to the Press Releases section of the “In the News” tab at http://www.tylerisd.org to read more.

TYLER — As part of the proposed 2012-13 budget presented by City Manager Mark McDaniel to the City Council Tyler is planning to decrease its property tax rate by $.0012, to 20.77 cents per $100 valuation. Officials say the city also plans on continuing to set the standard for performance excellence in local government. “Tyler has a long history of performance excellence that was built upon the foundation of the Blueprint launched in 1996,” said McDaniel. “Since then, we have carried that legacy forward and the outcomes speak for themselves.” In 1994 Tyler’s tax rate was 53 cents. In the last 16 years, it has decreased by more than 60% to the proposed rate of 20.77 cents. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org to read more.

NACOGDOCHES — Charges against two Nacogdoches Jailers have been dropped after a visiting judge signed an order to quash the indictment against them. According to KETK, Elizabeth Ann Owens, 40, Nacogdoches, and Danny Ray Russell, 35, Douglass, were charged with criminally negligent homicide, a state jail felony, after an inmate, Edwinta Deckard, 53, died December 5. Nacogdoches County District Attorney Nicole LoStracco the defense attorney requested a motion to quash the case, and the state agreed. LoStracco explains a quash is similar to a motion to dismiss. Basically, it means there was not enough evidence to charge the defendants with a crime. However, the accused can be re-indicted if more evidence is brought forward. Judge Guy Griffin signed the order.

TYLER — A teenager has been killed when the bicycle he was riding was hit by a sanitation truck just west of Tyler. The accident, just before 8:45 Tuesday night, killed Martin Gutierrez, 15, of San Antonio. Initial reports are he apparently rode his bike into the path of the truck. The accident happened on State Highway 31, just west of Greenbriar Road. The accident is being investigated by the Department of Public Safety.

TYLER — Tyler’s old Goodyear plant could finally be seeing some new business. KETK reports that county commissioners Tuesday approved a three-year tax abatement for Scott’s Fertilizer Company. Tom Mullins of the Tyler Economic Development Council says if the company chooses to move in, it would set up shop on just 63 acres of the area. He says the firm would provide products to Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, bringing up to fifty new jobs to East Texas. Commissioner Jeff Warr says the prospect is particularly attractive “because not only does it create the core jobs there in the plant; it creates a tremendous amount of peripheral dollars coming in with truckers, transportation fuel sales, things like that.” The land was recently bought by IRG Industrial, which has a history of buying old industrial buildings and re-purposing them.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas is alerting consumers of a phone scam in which the caller claims to be from Microsoft. In an effort to gain remote control access to the victim’s computer, the caller offers to solve the consumer’s computer problems or sell him or her a license for software. According to the BBB, once cybercriminals have gained a victim’s trust, they can do one or more of the following:
– Trick people into installing malicious software on their computer.
– Take control of a victim’s computer remotely and adjust settings in order to leave the computer vulnerable.
– Request credit card information so that cybercriminals can bill for the phony services.

“Scammers know how to get around our better judgment”, said Mechele Agbayani Mills, President and CEO of BBB Serving Central East Texas. “By using the names of well-known companies in order to gain the trust of consumers, cybercriminals and other scammers are able to gain access to accounts and attack the computers of their victims.” According to the Microsoft website, the company will not make unsolicited phone calls to help you with your computer. If you receive a phone call similar to the one described, Mills says you should delete the message or hang up.

Here are some of the organizations that cybercriminals claim to be from:
• Windows Helpdesk
• Windows Service Center
• Microsoft Tech Support
• Microsoft Support
• Windows Technical Department Support Group
• Microsoft Research and Development Team (Microsoft R & D Team)

BBB advises consumers follow these tips to protect themselves from scammers attempting to access their computer:
– Go through your service provider directly. If you are concerned your computer may be exposed to viruses or other security threats, contact your service provider directly. Some providers offer free tools that can help detect and remove viruses.
– To help protect your computer from viruses make sure you have virus detection software installed on your computer. This software can also help identify if a virus appears on your computer.
– Don’t trust cold calls. Never give out personal information, over the phone, to someone you don’t know. If the caller claims there is a security threat to your computer, hang up and call your computer company directly.

Mills says you can go to http://www.bbb.org to find a computer repair company you can trust. To report a fraud or scam, call the BBB Hotline: (903) 581-8373.

TYLER — A Tyler man claimed the last of four $1 million top prizes in the Maximum Millions scratch-off game at the Texas Lottery claim center in Tyler on Monday. Ricky Henderson said “I don’t think it really hit me when I first scratched off the ticket,” said Henderson. “It finally sank in when they gave me the check and now I’m really excited!”

Henderson, a single father, is a longtime Texas Lottery player and said he plans to use some of his winnings to buy homes for himself and his mother, and to invest a large portion for his daughter’s future. The winning ticket was purchased at the D & N Grocery store located at 1007 West Bow Street in Tyler. The retailer is eligible to receive a $10,000 bonus.

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) – The former wife of a Texas man who was shot and killed at an oil patch crew camp in North Dakota says he was a race car driver and once donated a kidney to his sister. Gerald Schild, 57, of Katy died on Saturday at the crew camp near Tioga. Police have arrested Victor Scott Lamont, 24, of Lufkin in the shooting, which also injured a man from Arkansas. Lamont has been charged with murder and attempted murder and two counts of terrorizing.

Authorities say all three worked for a Wisconsin-based pipeline company. Schild’s former wife, Cindy Adams, of Houston, tells the Williston Herald that Gerald Schild was well-liked in his community and that a racetrack plans to dedicate a race to him on Aug. 18. Authorities have not released details about the circumstances of the shooting.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have arrested a man after he allegedly led law enforcement on a wild chase that began in Camp County Tuesday afternoon. According to KETK, Longview police say the chase started in Pittsburg at the ETMC clinic, where Camp County officials were attempting to serve felony warrants on Jonathan Lee Anderson, 20, of Pittsburg. Police say Anderson took off, allegedly striking two Camp County vehicles in his rush to escape. Authorities say the chase continued from Pittsburg to Longview, with several wrecks reportedly happening along the way. Authorities say, at times, sppets hit 120 miles an hour. According to officials, police arrested Anderson near Eva Street and Gilmer Road in Longview after Anderson’s vehicle wrecked and he fled on foot. He was caught in a residential area behind a grocery store on Gilmer Road around 2:15 p.m.

LONGVIEW — Two people are displaced after a fire damaged their Longview duplex. According to Longview fire officials, they received a call for help Just after 1:00 Tuesday morning. When crews arrived at the scene in the 400 block of Tammy Lynn, they found fire and smoke billowing from the front windows of the building. According to KETK, the blaze caused approximately $48,000 worth of damage to the building before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames. Officials believe the fire originated from a couch near the front window. The cause is unknown at this time. One of the displaced people was treated on scene for minor smoke inhalation. No firefighters were injured.

ATHENS — Henderson County commissioners have extended the county’s burn ban to include the entire county, according to the Chandler Volunteer Fire Department. KETK reports the ban is in effect until August 21. The Texas Forest Service website currently shows 123 of 254 counties under burn bans.

TYLER — Smith County commissioners have accepted Precinct 3 Constable Dustin Rust’s resignation, effective at midnight Tuesday night. The Commissioners Court also appointed Constable-Elect Jim Blackmon to the office through the remainder of the calendar year. Rust (pictured) tells KETK-TV that he has a new position, but is not at liberty to discuss it at this time. Rust was indicted by the Smith County grand jury in April. The indictment stems from charges that Rust and his deputies had been running an unlicensed private security business.

TYLER — Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket East Texas soldier Sgt. Russell R. Bell’s funeral, according to a report by The Fort Bragg Patch. Kansas-based Westboro Baptist is known for its extreme and disruptive protests at military funerals, because they believe the deaths are a punishment from God. One of the organizers for Westboro Baptist’s protests, Jonathan Phelps, tweeted “Thank God for killing Sgt. Russell Bell, Tyler, TX by IED. WBC 2 picket funeral as service 2 all. God is not mocked: U reap what U sow. Gal 6:7.” Fort Bragg’s 4th Brigade soldier, 1st Sgt. Russell R. Bell from Tyler, Texas was killed by an IED last Thursday in Afghanistan.

Military support organization Patriot Guard Riders will occasionally attend soldiers’ funerals where Westboro plans to picket, in a show of support for the family. KETK spoke with a representative of the East Texas Patriot Guard Tuesday morning, who said that the organization has not yet heard confirmation that Westboro Baptist was planning to picket, and had no plans to attend Bell’s memorial service. KETK has learned that the funeral service will be held at Fort Bragg. The date and time of the service will not be released, per request by the family. No word yet on whether there will be a local memorial.

In July, a large group of students and supporters turned out at Texas A&M to form a human wall to block Westboro Baptist protestors from the funeral of soldier Roy Tisdale. Just last week, congress passed a veterans bill that included restrictions on demonstrations at service members’ funerals. The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, introduced by Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, states that protestors can not picket military funerals two hours before or after a service. Demonstrators are also required to stay at least 300 feet away from family members during a memorial.

LONGVIEW — The former president of the Gladewater Youth Baseball Association has pleaded guilty to taking around $6,000 from the organization. Bradford Coy Webb was sentenced to four years probation Monday. Webb told the court, “It should have never happened. I used poor judgment.”

TYLER — The Tyler Independent School District will begin the 2012-2013 school year with a new image. Monday, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the District’s new logo and slogan at the School Board Workshop. The slogan is “Tomorrow’s Education Today.” The District will begin phasing in the new logo immediately.

Tyler ISD worked with K12 Insight, a company that designs surveys and hosts focus groups to engage district stakeholders in collaborative decision making, and cue:creative, a local branding and marketing agency, to develop the concept and design of the logo.

The new slogan, “Tomorrow’s Education Today,” states that Tyler ISD is providing students with the education needed to succeed in the world of tomorrow, today. This position supports the community-education continuum by placing emphasis on the future of the students and the future of Tyler as a whole. It says that Tyler ISD is committed to preparing students with education for their personal benefit, as well as for the benefit of the community.

The recent discussion and adoption of the Long Range Plan led the District to pursue the creation of an image that better reflects all that Tyler ISD offers. Additionally, the District’s address will change with the opening of Earl Campbell Parkway, leading to a need to reprint district materials. For that reason, it is an appropriate time to update the image with the new address.

The District will primarily utilize non-taxpayer generated funds and update the image as materials need to be replaced.

MARSHALL — One person has been arrested and charged with murder in a weekend shooting in Harrison County. Taken into custody was James Earl Rudd, 60, of Marshall. He is accused of the shooting death of Curtis Jerome Roberts, 52. Harrison County authorities say Roberts was killed by a shotgun blast after an argument at Rudd’s house around 8:00 Saturday night. Roberts was dead at the scene.

MARSHALL — A Marshall man is in custody after he allegedly shot a man dead during an argument at the suspect’s house over the weekend. KETK reports that at around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Harrison County dispatchers received a call regarding a shooting in the 300 block of Floyd Evans Road. When deputies arrived, they saw Curtis Jerome Roberts, 53, lying on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his chest. Deputies administered first aid to Roberts but were not able to save him. At 9:15 p.m., he was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy was ordered.

The homeowner, James Earl Rudd, 60, was placed into a squad car as witnesses were interviewed. Authorities were told Rudd and Roberts had been arguing during a party throughout the day, and it culminated when Rudd allegedly grabbed a shotgun and killed Roberts. Rudd was placed under arrest, taken to the Harrison County Jail and booked on one count of murder.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say foul play is not suspected in the death of a man whose body was found last week. After several days of investigation, Longview authorities have identified the body as Ken Miguel Owsley, 44. The cause of death has not been released.

According to Longview Police, Owsley’s body was found in a field behind the retaining wall near Buffalo Wild Wings in Longview. According to KETK, a customer leaving the restaurant discovered the body around 1:45 Thursday afternoon. Police say the corpse had been there for at least 24 hours. His body was found lying face up at the base of a 15-foot limestone retaining wall about 60 feet from the intersection of North Eastman Road and Hawkins Parkway, next to the Longview Towne Center. He was dressed in a collared pullover shirt, blue jean shorts and tennis shoes.

TYLER — Smith County has received notice from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management that the county is eligible to apply for low-interest emergency disaster loans due to drought and related disasters including high winds, high temperatures and wildfires since January 1, 2011. The Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will immediately make emergency loans available to eligible applicants in Smith County. To receive details on terms and eligibility for these loans you can contact the nearest FSA office.

In addition, the Small Business Administration (SBA), in an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides Economic Injury Disaster Loans to eligible small businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers in counties that have received a disaster declaration. Applicants may go to https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela to apply online at the SBA’s secure Web site. Disaster loan information and application forms are also available from the SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling the SBA toll-free at 800-659-2955 or emailing [email protected]. You can also visit http://www.sba.gov for the information and forms. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call 800-877-8339. The deadline to apply for these loans is September 4, 2012.

LAKE JACKSONVILLE — The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a construction accident that has left two men dead and one injured. All three men are from the Tyler area. Just after 9:00 Monday morning, CCSO received a 911 call from 1058 County Road 3113 at Lake Jacksonville stating that a retaining wall had fallen on and trapped three men.

According to a CCSO news release, Donald Starling, 60; Hollis Morris, 68; and Rodney Morris, 45, were working on the low side of a retaining wall at Lake Jacksonville. Starling was the owner of Five Star Cement Company, and Rodney Morris is Hollis Morris’s son. Officials say they had stopped work and gone to a shady area at the wall to take a break when a section of the wall broke and collapsed on them. The section that fell was approximately thirty feet long and twelve feet tall and about one foot thick of cement and rock.

Rodney Morris was removed and taken to East Texas Medical Center in Jacksonville with broken bones and is believed to be in fair condition. Donald Starling and Hollis Morris were killed instantly. Jacksonville and Earle’s Chapel firemen worked for three hours to free the two men. Much of the digging had to be done by shovel and backhoe. Justice of the Peace #3 Philip Grimes held the inquest. Cherokee County Investigator Fred Butler is the lead investigator.

KILGORE — Kilgore Police are looking for a man accused of dressing as a woman and robbing a liquor store. It happened around 12:30 Saturday afternoon at Rose Package Store No. 3 on U.S. Highway 259. According to KETK, an employee said a black man, dressed as a woman wearing a black wig, a green knee-length dress and white undershirt, had entered the store brandishing what looked like a revolver. The suspect handcuffed the clerk and took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register. He was seen driving a white Buick which was found abandoned in a parking lot a short time later.

SMITH COUNTY — An arrest warrant has been issued in the fatal crash that occurred on April 12 on State Highway 64 in Smith County. DPS Troopers completed the investigation into the crash that killed Jacky Wayne Johnston, 65, of Tyler. After being presented with probable cause, Judge Christi Kennedy of the 114th District Court signed the arrest warrant for Eduardo Viramontes, Ben Wheeler, pictured here. Bond was recommended at $250,000. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Viramontes is asked to contact the Tyler DPS Office at 903-939-6000.

Johnston was on a motorcycle turning left into his own driveway off Highway 64 East, near New Chapel Hill, when the driver of the truck hit him. According to DPS, the driver who hit Johnston kept driving with the motorcycle lodged underneath their truck. Gas station surveillance video taken 1200 feet from the where Johnston was hit shows sparks flying as the truck continues down the highway. DPS says Johnston was thrown from his motorcycle on the initial impact.