KTBB News, Weather, Talk

ARP — The city of Arp was left without water Tuesday after it was turned off due to a major line break. City officials say the water line has been repaired; however, they say you should still boil the water before you drink it. According to KETK, the line break happened during sewer maintenance. Residents will be notified when it is safe to drink the water without boiling it. That could take several days.

TYLER – An assistant professor of health and kinesiology at The University of Texas at Tyler, Dr. Neil Dong, has been awarded nearly $385,000 from the National Institute of Health to examine fracture risks of the human spine. Effective July 1, Dong will collaborate with the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases on the three-year grant.

According to Dr. Dong, “This project is about using stochastically treated DXA [Dual-energy X-ray] images to improve the prediction of fracture risks of the human spine. This technique uses a simple, routinely acquired DXA scan to identify people at high risk of spine fractures based on the measurement of both bone mineral density and its
Distribution.” He plans to incorporate UT Tyler student research within the biomechanics laboratory for the project’s duration.

Dong holds a master of science in engineering mechanics from Tsinghua University in China and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Columbia University. Among honors received, Dong earned presentation as well as science and technology achievement awards while in Beijing.

TYLER — Campers at Tyler State Park are facing danger from dead trees brought on by the drought. Campers reported over the weekend that branches were falling off the trees onto campsites and RVs and even onto some campers. Luckily, no one was hurt. But park superintendent Bill Smart tells KETK that the park is doing everything it can to take care of the problem. Smart says crews have started removing limbs. Park officials add that the falling limbs are a statewide concern. They hope to fix the problem before the Fourth of July weekend.

TYLER — Tyler police are following up on a couple of car burglaries. The victims reported they were working out at Rose Rudman Park when someone broke into their vehicles by smashing out the back and side windows, taking several items. Police officials tell KETK it’s not the first time they’ve seen break-ins like this at the park. And the victims believe whoever’s responsible for the latest incidents may be responsible for others as well. Police reiterate their usual warning that while your car is unattended, you should make sure all items are hidden to prevent theft.

EAST TEXAS — Sales tax revenue numbers are in, and statewide numbers are up. But here in East Texas, the results are varied, according to KETK and the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The City of Henderson posted a large increase of 15.58%, but nearby Kilgore’s sales tax revenue is down more than 10% from 2011. Longview and Tyler also showed slight decreases when compared to the same time last year. Here are more detailed figures for the area’s two largest cities:

TYLER
Net Payment This Period: $2,623,769.39
Comparable Payment Prior Year: $2,634,914.82
% Change: -0.42%
2012 Payments To Date: $17,754,260.56
2011 Payments To Date: $17,543,141.26
% Change: 1.20%

LONGVIEW
Net Payment This Period: $2,297,133.13
Comparable Payment Prior Year: $2,327,216.89
% Change: -1.29%
2012 Payments To Date: $15,437,473.60
2011 Payments To Date: $15,575,819.46
% Change: -0.88%

Got to http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/allocsum/cities.html for a breakdown of figures across the state.

LONGVIEW — Crime rates in Longview are said to be the same as this time last year. According to KETK, in 2011, the city had more than 4,400 reported crimes for the year. So far in 2012, at the halfway point, Longview police have responded to more than 2,300 crimes, including two murders. In 2011, Longview police investigated four murders. Police say community involvement has helped cut down on the crime rate.

TYLER — A trial date has been set for Carmel Foster, the Tyler salon owner accused of injecting an unknown gel into a woman as part of a breast augmentation. According to KETK, Foster’s trial will take place July 9 in the Smith County 7th District Court. She’s charged with two counts of practicing medicine without a license. Foster owns the Queen Divas salon in Tyler, where the injections allegedly took place. She faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a $10,000 fine if she is convicted.

On February 19, Tyler Police were contacted by family members of a victim who stated that she had a breast augmentation (by injection) procedure performed on both her breasts on February 15, in Tyler. The victim, a Longview resident, was admitted into a hospital for severe chest pains. Tyler Investigators determined that the procedure was conducted for a fee in a back room of Queen Divas Hair Salon and Spa, located at 102 E. Martin Luther King Street, in Tyler. Investigators obtained a search warrant on the business to seek any evidence that may have been related to the case and evidence was seized by Crime Scene Investigators.

MINEOLA – The Texas Rangers are investigating a shooting in which a Wood County constable shot the gun from a suicidal man’s hand. The incident occurred Sunday afternoon on County Road 2445 north of Mineola. Authorities responded to the scene after suicidal threats were made at a residence. According to the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, after threats were made to fire at officers, Constable Ed Shadbolt fired a shot from about 30 yards, hitting the man’s hand and causing him to drop the gun. The man was first transported to East Texas Medical Center for treatment of his wound. He was later taken to the ETMC Behavioral Health unit for evaluation.

ATLANTA – An undisclosed amount of money has been taken in an East Texas Bank robbery. It occurred around 9:15 Monday morning at the Wells Fargo Bank on Main Street in Altanta. The man gave a teller a note demanding money, and then fled on foot. No injuries were reported. The suspect is described as a middle-aged white male wearing a dark shirt and an orange cap.

DALLAS (AP) — Former University of Houston basketball star Ted Luckenbill, who played in Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, has died of cancer at the age of 72. The Callaway-Allee funeral home in Crockett, Texas, where Luckenbill lived for 20 years, said he died Sunday in Dallas.

Luckenbill played for the Cougars from 1958-61. He averaged 16.6 points and 9.7 rebounds while helping Houston to its first two winning seasons under Guy Lewis. He ranks 26th on the school’s career scoring list with 1,195 points.

Drafted 15th overall by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1961, he played in only 87 NBA games before he was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 23. His professional claim to fame came on March 2, 1962, when he grabbed two offensive rebounds in the final two minutes to help his teammate Chamberlain hit 100 points in the Warriors’ 169-147 victory over New York.

The funeral home said a private service was planned.

MARSHALL — A phishing scam targeting Harrison County residents is keeping the sheriff’s department busy. Administrative Deputy Jay Webb says the scammers are utilizing automated phone calls from unknown numbers and by claiming to be an area bank. Webb says that’s “giving them the pretext of activating the debit card and asking the recipient to provide their debit or credit card number and their PIN number for identification.” Webb says banks will never ask you for your personal or financial information via phone, and anyone receiving a similar call should simply hang up.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have arrested six suspects in connection with recent vandalism at Lear Park. On June 13, shortly after 7:30that morning, Officer Cody Hargrove discovered vandals had broken into several buildings at Lear Park and also vandalized the property, causing thousands of dollars in damage. This past Friday, two Longview 19-year-olds, Aryan Michael Snyder (pictured) and Brallan Yair Gamaz, were arrested in connection with the crime and booked into the Gregg County Jail. Police also transported 4 juveniles to the Gregg County Juvenile Detention Center. All six suspects were charged with burglary of a building.

TYLER — Investigators say a fire at a Tyler apartment complex is “suspicious in nature” The Tyler Fire Department responded to the two-alarm blaze at just before 11:45 Monday morning at Quail Creek Apartments at 4901 Kinsey Drive. One apartment sustained heavy fire, smoke, and heat damage. Occupants in one other apartment were displaced by water damage. Several apartments were ventilated to remove smoke. There were no injuries. The investigation is continuing.

RUSK — A weekend shooting incident is under investigation in Cherokee County. Saturday morning around 8:45, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from Mary (Skinner) Chambers. She said that she and her fiance, Clarence Watts, were at the Alto PD and needed help because Mr. Watts had been shot by her ex-husband, S.C. Skinner, 49. (pictured) Deputies and EMS responded. Chambers and Watts said the shooting occurred in front of S.C. Skinner’s residence on County Road 2907 in the Weeping Mary community west of Alto. Chambers said she and Watts went to the Skinner residence to pick up her 17-year-old son and take him to work that morning because he needed a ride.

She stated that she was driving and Watts was in the passenger side of the truck. According to Chambers, when they pulled up in front of the residence, Skinner came out of the house with a pump shotgun, walked in front of the truck, pointed the gun at the passenger side front windshield, and fired, striking the passenger side front windshield where Watts was sitting. According to the account, after Skinner fired the gun he came around to the driver’s side window and began yelling at Chambers. Several family members, who reportedly heard the gunshot, ran out of Skinner’s residence and pulled him back inside the house, according to Chambers’s report. Chambers and Watts immediately pulled away from the house and went to Alto PD for help.

Watts had several pellets of birdshot and glass in his face and chest and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Authorities obtained arrest warrants for Skinner, which were served in Alto just after 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Skinner was arrested without incident and transported to Cherokee County Jail where he was booked on one charge of aggravated assault (2nd Degree Felony) and one charge of deadly conduct (3rd Degree Felony). Skinner was arraigned on Sunday morning by Justice Of The Peace Precinct 4 Vera Foreman, who set the bonds at $25,000 for the aggravated assault charge and $20,000 for the deadly conduct charge. Skinner made bond later in the day on Sunday.

TYLER — The pedestrian who was fatally struck in Tyler has been identified as Ruben Oswald Orantes, 47, of California. Police say Orantes was staying in a local hotel and was working with a tree trimming business. Investigators believe that Orantes was walking back to his hotel when he was struck crossing Gentry Parkway by a southbound vehicle. He was taken to ETMC, where he died later from his injuries. Police say Orantes failed to cross the road at a designated crosswalk and is determined to be at fault in the crash. The accident happened just after12:15 Monday morning in the 3200 block of West Gentry Parkway.

SMITH COUNTY — The Texas Department of Transportation says it would open to traffic Segment 5 of Toll Road 49 on Thursday afternoon in time for the evening rush. As part of the opening, new traffic signals will be activated at Toll 49 and State Highway 110 north of Whitehouse, and at Farm Road 2964 (Rhones Quarter). The segment connects with existing Toll 49 at Farm Road 756 (Paluxy Drive), which runs west to State Highway 155 (Frankston Highway), where Segment 3A is still under construction and expected to be open by the end of October. “It’s an exciting time for us, and for East Texas,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “We’re finally starting to realize the potential this project promised when we opened the first segment.”

Toll 49 opened its first segment, between US 69 and SH 155, in August 2006. Segment 2 extended the toll road to FM 756 in January 2008. Once segments 3A and 5 are open, Toll 49 will stretch approximately 16 miles between SH 31 west of Tyler and SH 110 southeast of Tyler, essentially from Chandler to Whitehouse. Electronic toll collection on Segment 5 will begin in August. “In the meantime,” Krantz added, “It’s free to drive on Toll 49 between SH 110 and FM 756 (Paluxy Drive). Once tolling begins, it will cost 25 cents with a TxTAG to drive the new segment.” Segment 3B of Toll 49, which will connect SH 31 west of Tyler and IH 20 near Hide-A-Way Lake, is scheduled to open by the end of 2013, according to the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NETRMA), which is overseeing its construction.

NACOGDOCHES -— A 19 year old woman was cut with a box cutter during a fight in a Nacogdoches parking lot. Nacogdoches Police officials tell KETK, the fight happened in the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby store on the 4300 block of North Street just before 1:00 Sunday afternoon. The teen was stabbed in the face with a box cutter by another woman. The box cutter became stuck in her face, and fell out during the struggle. The teen was taken to the hospital for treatment. Officials say she knew the woman who stabbed her in the face. No word what the argument was about. Charges were filed against the attacker for aggravated assault with a knife.

SEVEN POINTS – A one vehicle accident in Henderson County has killed one person. Dead at the scene was Phillip Rodnye Storey, 41, of Kemp. The Department of Public Safety reports his vehicle left the roadway and overturned. The report said Storey was not wearing his seat belt. The accident happened shortly before 11:00 Saturday night on Farm Road 85, just under 4½ miles west of Seven Points.

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

TYLER — Construction crews are scheduled to begin several weeks of nighttime work on Tyler’s WSW Loop 323 between State Highway 155 (Frankston Highway) and Bellwood Drive, which is just south of the railroad overpass near West Front Street. Crews are scheduled to work from 7:00pm to 5:00am through Thursday repairing and then resurfacing the roadway. Temporary lane-closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — The Texas Department of Transportation’s annual preventative maintenance program known as “District-Wide Seal Coat” is scheduled to continue work this week in Cherokee County, weather permitting. Crews are scheduled to apply a seal coat to U.S. Highway 69 between the north end of Farm Road 1911 near Alto and the Angelina County Line in Wells, and on U.S. Highway 84 between U.S. Highway 69 in Rusk and the Angelina River. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two lane areas. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

Also this week in Cherokee County, TxDOT maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin edge work on Farm Road 855 between U.S. Highway 69 in Mount Selman and Farm Road 2137. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

GREGG COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to continue several days of pavement repairs on Interstate Highway 20, both eastbound and westbound, between SH 135 and the Smith County Line. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress. Motorists should be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone. Loose gravel may be present for several days following a seal coat application.

HENDERSON — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews, in conjunction with the city of Henderson and Blacklands Railroad, is scheduled to make overnight repairs Tuesday night on the railroad crossing and approaches on SH 64 just west of the Henderson Star. Crews are scheduled to begin work at approximately 7:00pm on Tuesday and conclude the work around 5:00am on Wednesday. Lane closures allowing for one-lane traffic in each direction will be in effect while the work is in progress. Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes if possible to avoid delays.

Looking ahead, work related to TxDOT’s District Wide Seal Coat program is scheduled to begin in Rusk County within the next 10 days, weather permitting. Crews will be applying a seal coat to the following roadways:
● FM 1716 between FM 2011 and SH 43;
● FM 2496 between FM 1798 and US 259;
● SH 149 between the Gregg County Line and Tatum; and
● SH 322 between FM 2011 and FM 1249

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue several days of pavement repairs on Farm Road 312 in Winnsboro between State Highway 11 and Farm Road 515. Once the work in Winnsboro is complete, crews are scheduled to begin resurfacing operations on Farm Road 16 on either side of U.S. Highway 69. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

CANTON — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to begin base and pavement repairs in various locations on Farm Road 47 between U.S. Highway 80 and Interstate Highway 20 in the Wills Point area. 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 Farm Road 316 between U.S. Highway 175 and Ranch Road 2329. Once the work is complete, crews will stay on FM 316 to work on the shoulders and ditches. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK — A man accused of shooting an elderly man in 2010 has been given two life sentences in prison. Ruben Rincon, 24, was charged with aggravated robbery and injury to an elderly. The crime occurred on December 4, 2010 on County Road 3303, just west of Jacksonville. Hugo Rincon, then 21, and Ruben Rincon, were breaking into storage units on the family property of David Thomason, then 74, when he interrupted the crime in progress. Thomason was blocking the gate and when he did not move, Ruben Rincon fired into the truck. The Jacksonville Daily Progress reports, Thomason was shot twice. The shooter pulled Mr. Thomason out of the truck, moved his truck out of the way and when they drove out, they ran over Mr. Thomason’s leg and left him for dead. A passerby stopped to render aid and called 911. Thomason was able to recall partial license plate number, identifying four characters from the plate. Hugo Rincon, this brother, has not been captured.

HENDERSON — The Office of Civil Rights found that the Henderson school district wrongly punished a student after she told school officials she was sexually assaulted by another student on campus a year and a half ago. Now, the student has chosen to go public with her story. She says now she finally feels some relief as she told KETK her side of the story, but she also says she will never be able to get her senior year of high school back December 6, 2010, a day Rachel Bradshaw says has changed her life forever

“I was sexually assaulted and I went to a faculty member about it and I was not, it wasn’t dealt with the right way,” Bradshaw tells KETK. But Bradshaw, that her and her alleged attacker were both punished, and both put in the same alternative program. “They evaluated my case within a day and that night they told me I had been um accused of consensual sex because I did not weep during my interview,” said Bradshaw. “When law enforcement don’t believe allegations of assault unless the victim cries and that’s a gender bias, that’s a gender stereotype to then impose upon her afterward and make her a victim all over again,” Stephanie Bauman from the ACLU of Texas.

Bradshaw’s family contacted the ACLU of Texas, and after a year and a half, Rachel’s punishment has been removed from her permanent record. But no matter what the case, she says this is something she still has to live with. “Emotionally it’s been horrible… because I haven’t been able to feel relief until a few days ago.” Among other requirements, Henderson ISD must provide mandatory sexual assault training for staff, designate an on-call official at each campus concerning assaults, and review campus records to see if there were any other violations. The school tells our newspaper partners, the Longview News-Journal, that they have revised investigation procedures, and are committed to providing a safe environment for their students.

TYLER — The Better Business Bureau Serving Central East Texas has received reports of a phone scam by a person or persons posing as an AT&T representative, asking for credit or debit card numbers for an immediate payment. In one instance, the scammer claimed to be calling for an outstanding balance for internet advertising. According to BBB officials, whereas phishing scams are generally associated with e-mail messages, vishing uses voice communications to do the same thing — to trick victims into divulging personal information by masquerading as a trusted source.

Officials say some “vishers” use automated dialing programs to cold call victims. The caller ID device may list a legitimate-looking local phone number, to inspire trust from the recipient. A prerecorded message or a live “employee” claims the victim’s account has been compromised or needs updating or verification. “Unfortunately, impostor scams are very common, with scammers impersonating officials from the IRS to trusted charitable organizations,” said Mechele Agbayani Mills, president and CEO of the BBB Serving Central East Texas. “They make a living by claiming to be affiliated with organizations people know and trust.”

BBB offers consumers the following tips to protect against these types of scams:
• Be wary of e-mails, text messages or phone calls that request personal information.
• Don’t give your personal information to anyone who contacts you. Give those details only when you initiate the contact.
• If you receive a vishing phone call, simply hang up. If you think the call is legitimate, call back using the business’ published number.
If you or someone you know is a victim of a phishing or vishing scam, please call the BBB Hotline: (903) 581-8373.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say they are honing in on suspects involved in a string of vandalism that occurred early last week. No arrests had been made, but a spokesman for the police department said investigators believe arrests are imminent. Vandals slashed the tires of more than 40 vehicles and scrawled profane graffiti through Pine Tree-area neighborhoods Monday through Wednesday nights. According to the Longview News-Journal, there were only a handful of incidents Monday and Tuesday night. Wednesday saw by far the largest number of incidents. The crimes have taken place south of Reel Road and east of Pine Tree Road. The vandals also struck in the Wildwood neighborhood as far as Fairmont and Gilmer.

LONGVIEW — Two people have been arrested after leading police on a chase across south Longview in a stolen plumbing truck. Police say a man and boy face evading arrest charges. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said on Friday, the adult drove the heisted truck down High, Cole, and Jewel, hitting at least two cars along the way. It finally crashed through a stop sign and scraped a house before coming to a stop in the 200 block of Jewel Drive. The boy tried to run away after the vehicle came to a stop but was quickly detained, Brian said. The suspects’ vehicle also struck a fire hydrant and two other vehicles during the chase.

LONGVIEW — A high-speed chase in Longview ended in a crash Friday afternoon, according to the Longview Police Department. According to KETK, officials say the wrecked truck had just been stolen. The driver hit a house and a car during the pursuit, then crashed the vehicle on Jewel Drive. Two people were arrested at the scene. No officers or bystanders were hurt during the chase. The conditions of the chase suspects are unknown.

LINDALE — A teenager lost control of his truck Thursday night, running straight through a house on Woodlands Drive in Lindale. The Lindale Police Department tells KETK the wreck happened just after 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. A woman who lives at the house was sitting on her couch when the truck came through the wall. It came within three feet of hitting her. No one was injured, and there had been no arrests made at last report. But charges may be pending against the 16-year-old driver, who was allegedly racing at the time of the accident.

MARSHALL — Harrison County Sheriff’s officials search for a 36-year-old man last seen Sunday. Authorities say, Jason Alan Dillard, a white male, 5’6″ and about 210 pounds, left a friend’s house Sunday en route to Lake o’ the Pines. His truck was found Tuesday, abandoned on private property.

BEAUMONT – A federal grand jury has indicted a Nacogdoches couple for alleged federal tax violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney John M. Bales Friday. Reggie Cotton, 52, and Deborah Cotton, 57, were indicted on June 20, 2012 and charged with conspiracy to make a false income tax return and two counts of making a false income tax return.

According to the indictment, it is alleged that beginning in 2002, the Cottons conspired to conceal income they received from their employment with D&R Cleaning Services in an attempt to avoid paying federal income tax due totaling $45,361.00 and $52,451.00 for 2004 and 2005. Additionally, it is alleged that the Cottons filed false income tax returns which did not include a Schedule C, Profit and Loss From Business for D&R Cleaning Services for 2004 and 2005. The defendants are scheduled for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zachary Hawthorn on July 10, 2012. If convicted, the defendants each face up to 5 years in federal prison.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler R. Don Cowan Fine and Performing Arts Center will open its 16th season with Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, Susan Thomae-Morphew, Cowan Center executive director, announced. The season, titled “Wrap Yourself in the Arts,” features a wide variety of performances from across the globe, and it concludes with the return of the last season’s megahit Blue Man Group. Other highlights include a performance of “Dreamgirls,” “Larry Hagman Confessions,” “Ed Asner as FDR,” and Distinguished Lectures from Ambassador Karen Hughes and Dr. John Carlos.

New season subscriptions are on sale now at the UT Tyler Cowan Center box office. Box office hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can also subscribe online and get additional information at http://www.cowancenter.org or by calling 903.566.7424. The deadline to purchase season subscriptions is Friday, Aug. 5, 2012.

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A convicted sex offender with a record in East Texas has been sentenced to life in prison for molesting a 6-year-old boy in a Houston public library bathroom. A judge in Houston sentenced 23-year-old Michael Joseph Snowden. Snowden pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child. Investigators say the attack happened in November 2010 when a 6-year-old boy and his 8-year-old brother were disrobing to prepare for a swim lesson near the library. Their father had slipped out to the family’s vehicle to get the children’s bathing suits. Snowden pleaded guilty to molesting the younger boy in a stall. Snowden apologized in court Thursday and said he’s being treated for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Records show Snowden in 2005 was convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a toddler in Upshur County.