KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — A Robert E Lee Student has been killed in a Tyler accident. Allen Hall, 15, was critically injured when his bicycle was struck by a pickup truck. He was transported to East Texas Medical Center by EMS with severe head injury, where he died a short time later.

The accident happened shortly before 8:45 Monday morning on the loop in front of Green Acres Bowl. Investigators say Hall was traveling westbound on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes on the loop when hit by a truck driven by Michael Rose, 63, of Tyler. Rose was exiting out of the private drive of the bowling alley parking lot when the accident occurred. Police say Rose was unaware that he had struck the teenager until he had dragged him down the road approximately 100 feet and stopped in the roadway.

In a statement issued to media, TISD Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid said, “We are deeply saddened by the unexpected loss of Allen Hall, one of our Robert E. Lee High School students. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. We know this will be a difficult time for many of our students. Our school counselors will be available to help them cope with the loss of their classmate.”

TYLER — A new imaging procedure at ETMC will help doctors pinpoint key differences between Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Amyvid, from Eli Lilly, is newly approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. ETMC officials say it is the first and only diagnostic agent approved for imaging of amyloid plaques in a patient’s brain. Amyloid plaques are considered a hallmark characteristic of Alzheimer’s. “This is an important step forward in evaluating patients with signs of cognitive impairment,” said Dr. George M. Plotkin, PhD, MD, of the ETMC Neurological Institute. “Patients with cognitive symptoms should discuss this test with their primary care physician to determine if they are candidates.”

PET, or positron emission tomography, scans allow doctors to see how organs are functioning inside the body by delivering color contrast images. Amyvid, which is mildly radioactive, binds to amyloid plaques in the brain. Physicians can get a contrasting view of the presence of plaques on a computer screen. Since the test is new, it is still under evaluation by Medicare, so hospital officials say patients will want to discuss potential out-of-pocket costs vs. benefits. “For those patients who are proper candidates, when the test is interpreted by a neuroradiologist and coupled with an appropriate clinical history, the test can provide important diagnostic details,” Dr. Plotkin said.

CANTON — In the wake of two reported thefts of historical markers from locations in Van Zandt County, Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of the person or persons who stole those markers. The two markers, both located along County Road 1117, were stolen in early April. One of the markers denoted a Cherokee boundary line and the other recognized Father Jose Calahorra.

“This is a pathetic and irritating crime,” said Andy Flowers, president of Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers. “The value of these markers, even if you tried to sell them for scrap metal, is minimal, but because of some idiots, we’ve lost a bit of our historical awareness.” Flowers urged anyone with knowledge of the thefts to call Crime Stoppers at 903-567-STOP (7867) to anonymously report information, and if that information leads to an arrest, the caller can claim the reward of up to $1,000.

He also urged people to call the Crime Stoppers tip line if they know anything about other nuisance crimes, such as road or stop sign thefts, mailbox vandalism, or people driving through muddy areas and causing damage. “These types of crimes seem to peak in the spring and early summer, so we urge people to be watchful, and if they see something or know something, call Crime Stoppers, report it, and pick up their reward after the arrest,” Flowers said.

EDGEWOOD — Officials continue to investigate after three tombstones were found in Van Zandt County last week. Last Thursday, the sheriff’s office along with the Edgewood Police Department recovered the stones near the Oak Hill Cemetery in Edgewood. One of the tombstones is marked with the name J. Kenneth Davidson, the second is marked with the names Frank and Merle Riney, and the third is marked Howard and Alta Sparks.

It is unknown how the tombstones got to this location and where they might belong. The Oak Hill Cemetery has no record of the people’s names buried in their cemetery. The Van Zandt County Clerk’s Office is currently researching the names of the people with the hopes of determining where the tombstones belong. If anyone has any information, you’re asked to contact the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office at 903-567-4133.

MARTINS MILL — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office responded to an alarm at the Martins Mill Store around 3:00 April 3 and discovered the back door had been broken into and the ATM machine was pried open. The suspect is believed to be a black male who fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect also cut the telephone lines to the service box near the business leaving over 100 people in the area without phone service. Video surveillance shows a vehicle passed the store while the suspect was outside the rear of the building and may have seen the suspects’ vehicle. If anyone has any information that would assist in apprehending this suspect please contact the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office at 903-567-4133 or Crime Stoppers at 903-567-STOP.

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) – A June 4 trial is scheduled in Mississippi for a mother and daughter suspected in the robberies of four banks in three states. Evie Mearlene Herrin, 57, and her daughter, Amelia Darci Crew, 30, were indicted in Mississippi on April 3 on charges stemming a March 26 holdup of Regions Bank in Gulfport, Miss. The women are suspected in similar holdups Feb. 13 at Iberia Bank in Kinder, La., Feb. 29 at Citizens National Bank in Henderson, Texas, and March 15 at MidSouth Bank in Sulphur, Louisiana. They pleaded not guilty last week. An attorney listed in the case didn’t immediately respond to a message Monday. Herrin is retired postal worker from Texas. She had been sharing an apartment with her daughter in Cleveland, Texas.

TYLER — Police in Tyler are investigating the deadly weekend shooting of a young boy. Shortly before 12:30 Sunday afternoon, officers responded to 3204 Fairlawn on the report of an accidental shooting. Prior to the arrival of officers, the victim was transported by private vehicle to East Texas Medical Center. Jaylen Johnson, 4, was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Investigators say the boy’s mother, Andrea Johnson, is employed at the Smith County Sheriff Jail. They say the youngster got into his mother’s car and found the gun, and accidently shot himself in the head.

MARSHALL – One person is in custody in connection with a weekend murder in Marshall. Ronnetta Latisha Patterson, 37, was shot to death early Saturday morning in the 1000 block of Alvin Street. Investigators say she was arguing with Andre Dewayne McCall, 37, of Marshall, when he shot her. Patterson was rushed to Good Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall where she died. McCall was booked into the Harrison County Jail. His bond was set at $250,000.

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

SMITH COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on State Highway 64 east of Tyler between Loop 323 and Farm Road 2607. 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.

TENNESSEE COLONY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 2054 between Farm Road 321 and the TDCJ Cofield Prison Unit, followed later in the week by the same work on Farm Road 2706 between Farm Road 321 and U.S. Highway 287. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement-repair operations on State Highway 31 in Malakoff. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

LONGVIEW — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement repairs on Spur 63 in various locations between North Loop 281 and State Highway 31. The work is in preparation for a resurfacing project later this spring. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue edge repairs on Farm Road 1716 between State Highway 43 near Tatum and Farm Road 782. The work is being done in advance of a seal coat application later this summer. 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.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue edge repairs on Farm Road 2869 north of Farm Road 2088.The work is in preparation for a seal coat application later this summer. A second crew is scheduled to make edge repairs on Farm Road 515 west of Farm Road 2225. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform pavement repair operations on U.S. Highway 84 in Rusk in the curb-and-gutter section between U.S. Highway 69 and State Highway 110. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 47 north of Farm Road 2475, and on Farm Road 1395 between Farm Road 47 and Farm Road 859. A second crew is scheduled to perform fog seal operations on Interstate Highway 20 service roads between the Kaufman County Line and Farm Road 859, on Farm Road 17 between Interstate Highway 20 and State Highway 64, and on State Highway 198 between Farm Road 47 and Farm Road 3080. 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.

LUFKIN (AP) – State foresters are hoping that recent rains will limit the 2012 wildfire risk in East Texas, where drought factored in several disastrous fires last year. Mark Stanford is associate director of forest resource protection for the Texas Forest Service. He tells The Lufkin Daily News that the region is “actually in pretty good shape,” unlike South and West Texas. The National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana had forecast severe drought to continue in East Texas through early summer. However, more than 17 inches of rain has fallen in the Lufkin area in the first quarter of 2012, the most seen in a decade. Much of the damage from the 2011 fires remains. Stanford says another $137 million will be needed to reforest the region, leaving many forest-related businesses idle.

WASHINGTON (AP) – An Army Ranger from East Texas has died in an enemy attack in Afghanistan. The Pentagon identifies the dead soldier as Sgt. Tanner S. Higgins, 23, of Yantis. The Pentagon statement Sunday says Higgins died Saturday in Logar province of eastern Afghanistan when his unit came under enemy small-arms fire. Higgins was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Hunter Army Airfield, Fort Stewart, Georgia.

SMITH COUNTY — A northeastern Smith County home has been destroyed by a weekend fire and one person has been injured. Fire officials confirm with KETK that they were called out to a structure fire at 1:00 Saturday afternoon just outside Tyler on Morningside Drive between Pearl and Jimmie streets. Officials say when crews arrived at the scene; the building was fully engulfed in flames. The fire was put out, and the owner of the house was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

TYLER — Tyler police have arrested a suspect in an early Saturday gas station robbery. At approximately 1:45 a.m., police responded to the Exxon station at 1204 W. Gentry. The clerk said a man displayed a knife and demanded the money from the cash register. The clerk also said he knows the robber because the robber frequently visits the store; however, he didn’t know his name. The robber fled the store on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. About 10 minutes later, Officer Brennon Ewen located a man at Dargan and Harmony matching the description of the robber. The clerk later claimed the person arrested was the same man who had robbed the store. Darrell DeWayne Wallace, 38, was arrested for aggravated robbery.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College will conduct two town hall meetings to discuss its upcoming $25 million bond election for the purpose of constructing a new nursing and health sciences building. College officials say the meetings will provide the public the opportunity to learn about the proposed project and ask questions. The TJC Board of Trustees has called for the election within the TJC district for Saturday, May 12. Early voting begins April 30 and concludes May 8. The town hall meetings will take place Thursday, April 19, at the TJC West Campus Skills Training Center, 1530 SSW Loop 323, Room 124; and Tuesday, April 24, in the Family Learning Center at Douglas Elementary School, 1508 N. Haynie. Both meetings are set for 6 p.m.

The TJC tax district comprises properties within the Tyler, Chapel Hill, Lindale, Winona, Grand Saline and Van independent school districts. Portions of the Tyler and Chapel Hill districts are not within the TJC district. You can visit http://www.tjc.edu/bondproposal for more information.

GREGG COUNTY — A Kilgore woman has been arrested after police said she pointed two guns at her ex-husband during an argument Wednesday night. Kristeen Brooke Adams, 40, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon/family violence.

According to the Longview News-Journal, the incident happened about about 10:40. As her ex-husband left the residence, Adams fired a single round from a revolver into the ground. A .22 caliber revolver and a .357 caliber revolver were found at the home. Both were loaded, and both had a single spent shell casing in the chamber, according to the arrest report. A application for an emergency protection order was submitted.

Adams remains in the Gregg County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

LONGVIEW — Two suspects accused of overpowering a Longview convenience store clerk around 5:00 Tuesday morning, are now in custody and officials say they expect at least one more arrest. Drew Antonio Davis, 26, and James Alexander Coombs, 36 (pictured), both of Longview, were charged with robbery and are both being held in the Gregg County Jail.

Longview police said the clerk at the EZ Mart on Judson Road was hit in the head from behind. According to KETK, the suspects are described as a black male wearing a white ball cap with a dark T-shirt and a white long sleeve undershirt with jeans and some type of house shoes and a heavy-set black female wearing a black toboggan and a black T-shirt.

MINEOLA — Trial proceedings begin for a woman accused in the hit-and-run death of a Mineola teen. According to the Longview News-Journal, Connie Young was indicted in the October death of Jacob Burrell, who was hit by a car while walking home on the shoulder of U.S. 69. The event was witnessed by another driver who reported the vehicle left the scene. The teen died at a Tyler hospital the next day. Young, a longtime nurse, is charged with serious bodily injury.

SAN AUGUSTINE (AP) – Authorities say two women accused of kidnapping a Houston boy in 2004 when he was just 8 months old used elaborate lies and homes in Central and East Texas to conceal him from authorities. Krystle Tanner and her mother, Gloria Walker, each face charges of kidnapping and injury to a child. Their relatives say the women did not abduct Miguel Morin, who is now 8 years old, but claim the boy’s mother gave him away. An attorney for Miguel’s mother calls the claim “completely false.” And authorities in San Augustine County, where the two women are charged, say the boy was kidnapped. Twenty-seven-year-old Tanner and 50-year-old Walker were to make their first court appearances Friday in San Augustine, located 150 miles northeast of Houston.

RUSK COUNTY — The National Weather Service says surveyors have been assessing damage from Wednesday’s tornadoes in Rusk County. According to KETK, Weather Service experts have determined that two EF-0 twisters hit the county. They say the damage was mainly in the area of County Road 468 and FM 1798. Officials say trees and power lines were down.

CANTON — A Canton man who was arrested and released after allegedly beating his wife severely is back in jail. Kristi Holt with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Department says Joshua Neal Holden was arrested after his wife, Lisa, hid in the woods for two days with her two toddler daughters to escape his years of abuse. Holden was then released after his initial arrest when he posted bond. But Holt says two more felony warrants have landed him back behind bars. The sheriff’s office says the warrants were “for the same type of offense against the same victim.” Recommended bond has been set at $100,000 for each charge. Holt says this story of abuse is sickening and says despite two broken legs from a beating with a baseball bat, Lisa managed to escape. The couple has three daughters who are in CPS custody while their mother heals.

LONGVIEW — Police in Longview seek the public’s help as they try to identify a suspect in a weekend robbery. On Sunday, April 8, at 2:45 p.m., officers were dispatched to an aggravated robbery in the drive-through area of Capital One Bank located at 1111 Judson Road. According to the victim, she had gotten out of her vehicle to make a deposit in the commercial drop box. At that time, the suspect, who was on foot, came around the corner of the building with a handgun in his hand. The man took the deposit money and a cell phone from the victim and ran west from the bank. The bank was closed during the time of the robbery, but the crime was captured by the video surveillance system.

The suspect is described as a black male 5’7” to 5’10” with a slim build, and wearing a dark toboggan, a gray long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and a gray or black bandana. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Terry Davis at 903-237-1157. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may contact the Gregg County Crimestoppers online at http://www.greggcountycrimestoppers.org or 903-237-7867.

MARSHALL – A 45-year-old Gladewater man has received a hefty prison sentence for federal firearms violations in East Texas. Edward Charles Lee pleaded guilty last August to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced yesterday in Marshall to 16 years, eight months behind bars by U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap. According to federal authorities, on April 7, 2011, Lee was found in possession of numerous firearms in Upshur County. Further investigation revealed Lee was a convicted felon, having previously been found guilty of battery in 1993. As a convicted felon, Lee is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Lee was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11, 2011.

TYLER — Tyler’s sales tax revenues have increased. The sales tax revenues deposited for the month of April have increased 10.86% as compared to April 2011, resulting in a 2.27% cumulative year-to-date increase.

According to the Texas Comptroller’s office, Tyler reported revenue of $2,702,320.08 which comprises $1,801,546.72 general sales tax revenue and $900,773.36 half-cent sales tax revenue. The figures represent receipts from February 2012 collections as there is a two-month lag before taxes are reported and remitted back to the City from the State.

“We are very pleased to see this healthy increase in sales tax revenues this month,” said City Manager Mark McDaniel. “We saw a modest increase last month, so to see this upward trend continue is encouraging. The year-to-date increase of 2.27% is still shy of our budget of 3% growth; however, we are closing the gap and hope to reach the 3% goal before the end of the fiscal year. At this time, we will continue with the soft hiring freeze that was put in place over the last two months as a precautionary measure to ensure we are keeping our expenses in balance with current revenues. In addition, we will continue the postponement of employee pay adjustments until we reach our goal of 3% growth.”

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University will host a free preview event that is open to the public today, to discuss its new graduate psychology degree program, the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT). The new graduate degree is currently pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, but school officials say it’s expected to launch in the fall.

The preview will begin at 8:15am with a continental breakfast in the third floor of the Memorial Student Center for mental health professionals and pastors to meet and discuss partnerships and programs for marriage and family health in East Texas. The second session will begin at 10:00am in the same location and is particularly designed for prospective students and other interested community members. Anyone interested in attending is asked to contact Gerrie Forbis at [email protected] or 903-233-3210.

University officials say the degree is a specialized 66-hour professional graduate degree program designed to equip graduates to assess, diagnose and treat individuals, couples, families and groups to achieve healthy relationships. The MAMFT graduate degree is provided through a traditional day program in a part-time or full-time format over two or more years. Students may reside on campus and enjoy the full benefits of graduate student life. LETU officials say graduates with this degree serve as counseling practitioners, educators, administrators, ministers of family life and counseling.

KILGORE — The work week might get a day shorter at Kilgore City Hall as soon as the city council contemplates a staff proposal to close City Hall on Fridays. According to KETK, city employees would work four, 10-hour days under the proposal put forward Tuesday by City Manager Scott Sellers.

“Cost savings alone do not justify to moving to a four-day work week,” said Sellers, who estimated energy bill savings of $6,900 by not opening Fridays. “Two of the four communities I’ve worked for in the past have been on 4/10s, and I have seen the increase in productivity. I have witnessed that.”

Police, fire and other emergency services could remain on the job around the clock all week under the proposal, which would launch in pilot program form as soon as May 31.

GULFPORT, MISS. (AP) – Court papers show a retired postal worker from Texas is accused of threatening to shoot a Gulfport bank teller in the face in what officials believe to be the last of a mother-daughter crime spree at four banks in three states. Evie Mearlene Herrin, 57, and her daughter, Amelia Darci Crew, 30, have been indicted on a federal charge of armed bank robbery in the March 26 holdup in Gulfport, Miss. They also are held on warrants from Texas and Louisiana. They had been sharing an apartment in Cleveland, Texas. The women are suspected in similar holdups Feb. 13 at Iberia Bank in Kinder, La., Feb. 29 at Citizens National Bank in Henderson, Texas, and March 15 at MidSouth Bank in Sulphur, Louisiana.

SMITH COUNTY — A northeastern Smith County neighborhood off Highway 271 is experiencing an ongoing problem with stop sign runners, but law enforcement is responding. According to KETK, crews have put up a speed limit sign and a warning sign, and it’s hoped that they’ll add more. Until then, says Constable John Smith, officers will be working some weekends and probably giving out warnings for awhile to get the message out. If you are cited for running a stop sign, it will cost you about $200.

TYLER — A 52-year-old Overton woman has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations. Francie Irene Jernigan-Haynes pleaded guilty back in January 10 to possession of equipment used to manufacture heroin. In an appearance yesterday before U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis, Haynes was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors say, on January 25, 2011, Haynes’ co-defendant sold capsules containing heroin to a confidential informant at Haynes’ residence in Overton. Haynes and her husband were present and saw the transaction. On January 27, 2011, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Haynes’ residence, which led to the discovery of an electric grinder containing a powdery residue which tested positive for heroin. Haynes was named in a federal indictment returned by the grand jury last September.

JACKSONVILLE — Lon Morris College in Jacksonville has once again delayed pay to its employees. Jessica Chile, Director of Admissions and Media Relations for the school, tells KETK that faculty and staff were supposed to receive their paychecks on March 30th, but the college doesn’t have the funds to issue the payments. Chile says the ends of the semesters tend to strain the school’s finances because its government funding has been depleted by that time. The Pell Grants and other funds are given to the school at the start of the semester, which means that months like December, March, and April have a lower cash flow.

Lon Morris officials did take steps to limit the impact of the financial problems this year, including a tuition increase and fewer scholarships, but it wasn’t quite enough to prevent delays entirely. Chile says that the school is not certain when it will have the finances available to send out the March 30th payment to faculty and staff. Chile says that the school has prepared a very lean budget for next school year, which officials hope will prevent this kind of pay delay. Next year’s budget cuts back all departments to just what is needed for operation.

TYLER – A Van Zandt County woman has been sentenced to federal prison for embezzling bank funds. Lori Smith Pickens, 40, of Grand Saline, pleaded guilty last November, to embezzlement by a bank employee. She was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and one day in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard E. Davis. Pickens was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $102,135.29.

According to information presented in court, from May 2008 to July 2010, Pickens was employed as a bank teller at the Grand Saline branch of Austin Bank. During that time, Pickens made unauthorized cash-outs from the accounts of multiple bank customers resulting in defrauding the bank of more than $100,000. Pickens was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 15, 2011.