KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW – A two vehicle accident on Interstate Highway 20 in Gregg County has killed two persons and injured four. The wreck happened just after 3:15 Sunday morning just east of the Highway 42 overpass. Dead at the scene were Victor Hugo Castro, 22, and a passenger in his truck, Yalitza Diaz, 18, both from Longview. Three of the injured are being treated at Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center while the fourth was transferred to Dallas’ Parkland Hospital for treatment of severe burns.

The Department of Public Safety says two trucks, which were driving side-by-side, were traveling too fast for the wet road. One of the pickups hydroplaned and hit the other pickup, which hit a concrete retaining wall. The trucks then burst into flames.

LUFKIN – A woman has been arrested after being accused of driving on the wrong side of the Lufkin loop. Arrested early Sunday morning was Laquinta Shaunta Kirksey, 28. Officers say the woman’s 5 month old daughter was in the car. She has been charged with driving while intoxicated with a child, which is a felony.

LINDEN — A newly remodeled historic building in East Texas was unveiled to the public over the weekend. It took almost $5 million to renovate the Cass County Courthouse, the oldest Texas courthouse in continuous operation. After being built in 1861, it was damaged by two tornadoes; then a 1933 fire completely gutted the entire upper story. It was rebuilt the next year. A $4 million grant from the Texas Historical Commission and more than $700,000 raised through a nonprofit group paid for the courthouse to be restored to its 1934 appearance.

TYLER – A Three vehicle accident in Tyler has left one person dead and two injured. The accident occurred around 2:30 Saturday afternoon on U.S. Highway 69 just north of the Tyler loop.

Investigators say a pickup driven by a white male age 61 was southbound. According to witnesses, he lost control and drove into the northbound lanes of traffic. He then crashed into a truck driven by Javier Mojarro age 61 of Lindale. A car driven by a 48 year old man was unable to avoid the initial crash and also crashed into the initial accident. Sgt Paul Robeson says Mojarro was dead at the scene. The other drivers only suffered minor injuries. At the time of the accident it was not raining, but the street was wet from previous rains.

AUSTIN (AP) — Harry McPherson Junior, who was an adviser to President Lyndon B. Johnson, has died. He was 82. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin says McPherson died Thursday. The library said McPherson had cancer.

McPherson, who was born and raised in Tyler, served as special assistant and special counsel to Johnson. He influenced the president on a range of policies from civil rights to bombing in Vietnam. He helped write Johnson’s 1968 speech announcing a halt in bombing in Vietnam and that Johnson would not run for re-election.

After working for Johnson, McPherson worked as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He wrote a 1972 memoir, “A Political Education,” recalling his experience in government and the Johnson presidency.

TYLER — State Representative Leo Berman of Tyler has returned to work in his district office part-time while continuing out-patient chemotherapy treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was diagnosed with the disease in January. He is also maintaining daily communication with his capitol and district office staff members as well as constituents through email and telephone. Berman will complete the course of treatment in mid-May prior to the Texas state primary election now postponed until at least May 29.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the recognized diseases by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on the Agent Orange list for military service-related exposure. Representative Berman has been on the VA Agent Orange list since returning from his second tour of duty in Vietnam. According to the VA website, Agent Orange was the code name for the millions of gallons of herbicides sprayed by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to remove trees and tropical foliage that provided enemy cover.

TYLER — A routine traffic stop leads to the discovery of 2 pounds of marijuana. According to KETK, it happened in front of T.K. Gorman High School on Loop 323, just before 1:00 Friday afternoon. Jeffrey John Kamel, 23, of Tyler was arrested at the scene. He faces multiple charges.

TYLER — Grassroots America – We the People invites everyone to a God and Country Rally Meeting Saturday from 10:00am till 12:30pm. Doors open at 9:00 at Lakeview Church of the Nazarene, 10818 Spur 248 in Tyler. Guest speakers include Kelly Shackelford, Liberty Institute; Dr. Rick Scarborough, Vision America; Pastor Stephen Broden, Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church, Dallas; Pastor Dan Cummins, Bridlewood Church, Bullard; Pastor Nathan Lorick, First Baptist Church, Malakoff; and Pastor Marty Reid, Trinity Church, Forney.

According to organizers, “God and Country” is a group of Christian conservatives banding together “to form a network of Christian leaders and conservatives throughout the nation. The purpose of this alliance is to harness the voices of Christians in restoring our nation to its founding principles, supporting the US Constitution, and standing with true conservative candidates and public officials to defend liberty.” You can go to http://gawtp.com to read more.

TYLER — East Texas is strongly represented in a national group of 295 citizens who object to the new federal health plan, and filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court this week. Project Liberty says the brief was filed “on the grounds it forces them to fund the killing of children in the womb (abortion and abortion-inducing drugs), thus violating their religious liberty.” The case is scheduled for arguments before the high court in March and is expected to be decided in June. Project Liberty asks the Supreme Court to strike down the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, currently before the Supreme Court on appeal.

JoAnn Fleming of Smith County is executive director of Grassroots America – We the People and the major organizer of Project Liberty. Fleming says, “From the day the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was pushed through by Congress – over the objections of the American People – we knew we had to do all we could to fight it. I believe the Act to be thoroughly unconstitutional.”

KILGORE — Since the first of the year, Kilgore police have responded to more than 20 car break-ins, and they tell KETK that number is significantly above average. They say it’s not happening in one spot, but all over town, in neighborhoods and at various businesses. Police say it’s crucial not to leave valuables in your car. According to officers, when a thief walks by a vehicle and sees a valuable item in there it tempts him to break the window and steal the valuables.

TYLER — Kelly Reed lives in the Idlewilde neighborhood in Tyler. She and her husband are sick of their vehicles getting broken into. But homeowners association President Mark Lankford has pictures of the guy they believe is responsible. He tells KETK they’re doing it with game cameras. A game camera has an infrared lens and no flash to scare away those doing the breaking and entering. He put one in his neighbor’s front yard and it caught the thief in the act at 3:35 Wednesday morning. Lankford says this is something that every neighborhood could benefit from. He’s hoping law enforcement will pick up on it and start partnering with neighborhoods.

Tyler police, in fact, are actively following up on the problems. They’re requesting your help in identifying a suspect who may be responsible for over 25 auto burglaries in a two night period. On Tuesday, February 14, into the early morning hours of Wednesday a suspect broke into numerous vehicles on the following streets: 5900 blk. Hollytree, 4900 blk. Barclay, 4800 blk. Forestwood, 4500 blk. Richmond, 700 blk. Timberwilde, 4900 blk. Trenton, 4400 blk. Richmond, 4600, Trenton, 800 blk. Trenton, 3800 blk. Top Hill, 3800 S. Broadway.

The suspect broke out several windows to gain entry into vehicles and found several that were left unlocked. The suspect stole mostly electronic items. On February 16 -17, Police believe that the same suspect or suspects then broke into numerous vehicles on the following streets: 800 blk. Joel, 1100 blk. Beth, 600 blk. Pam, 600 blk. Whiteoak Ln. If you recognize this suspect or have information about the suspect(s) involved in these crimes, you’re asked to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).

EAST TEXAS – Rusk County officials tell our news partner KETK the phone lines there have been repaired and everything should be operating correctly. But residents in Cherokee County have continued to experience telephone problems first reported Thursday evening. In some areas, calls can only be made within exchanges. That can effect 911 calls. According to a release from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, “If the regular telephone number of Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office does not work, you may contact the Sheriff’s Office at 903-810-1911 until the telephone issues are resolved.”

LUFKIN – A Lufkin man pushing his SUV off the road has been struck and killed. Dead is Saul Moreno, 28. The accident happened Thursday night on Loop 287. Lufkin police say the SUV had run out of gas. Moreno’s six passengers, his wife, four children and mother-in-law, were slightly injured. The driver of the truck that hit Moreno, Gordon Getro, 58, of Lufkin, was hospitalized with non life threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

DIANA – The search is starting for a new superintendent for the New Diana School District. Superintendent Joyce Sloan announced Thursday she was retiring June 29th. Officials in the Upshur County school district would like to have re replacement in place by July 1st.

When Superintendent Patrick Clark retired, Sloan was named interim superintendent in December 2008. The interim tag was removed in April, 2009. With Sloan at the helm, New Diana has accomplished quite a feat. Every campus received an Exemplary accountability rating in 2010. That is the state’s highest rating.

TYLER — Tyler ISD officials say John Tyler basketball coach Tony Pinson is currently on administrative leave while an ongoing investigation is being conducted. According to a school district statement, “During the course of the investigation, the district cannot discuss details; however, we do want to ensure parents and the community that the investigation does not involve Tyler ISD students.” You can check the ktbb.com sports page for more on this story and also keep checking here for updates.

HENDERSON — An Overton man has been arrested in Rusk County on felony marijuana charges. On Wednesday at approximately 12 noon, a traffic stop conducted by Rusk County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Deputy Jason Smith led to the arrest of the driver when approximately 1 ounce of marijuana was allegedly discovered. KETK reports that during an interview, the driver, Billy Gene Gatlin, 27, allegedly admitted to selling drugs. A short time later, authorities say, Gatlin consented to a search at his residence.

The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic Officers searched the suspect’s residence. During the search approximately a quarter pound of marijuana, scales, and a firearm were reportedly discovered in a bedroom. Authorities say there was also several plant trays discovered throughout the home, which allegedly contained marijuana seedlings. Gatlin was arrested and charged with Delivery of Marijuana and Possession of Marijuana, both State Jail Felonies. He was arraigned Thursday by Precinct 5 Justice of the Peace Joe Sorrells, with a $10,000 bond set for each charge. Gatlin was later released after posting bond.

AUSTIN — The Public Safety Commission and DPS Director Steven C. McCraw presented 30 awards Thursday for extraordinary demonstrations of heroism. Three of those honors went to East Texans. According to KETK, Trooper Robert Bryan received a Director’s Citation for his efforts in evacuating a wounded Harrison County Sheriff’s Deputy from the scene of a gunfight on January 26, 2011. Trooper Barry Evans received a Lifesaving Award, and James Douglas Beggerly received a Director’s Award, for performing CPR on a person who had collapsed shortly after being arrested near Tyler. Public Safety Commission Chairman Allan B. Polunksy stated, “These award recipients are true Texas heroes.”

LONGVIEW — Longview Police say Ariel Wallace, 22, was arrested early Thursday morning after her children were found alone at a Longview hotel. According to KETK, it all happened about 1:00 a.m. at the Motel 6 on the 100 block of South Access Rd. According to officials, a witness alerted the front desk to a toddler wandering alone on the second floor outdoor balcony. When police arrived, they discovered there was also a 4-year-old child unattended in a nearby motel room.

Police say Wallace returned to the hotel more than an hour later, telling police she had been at a friend’s house the whole time. According to police, Wallace was also found to be in possession of Xanax. She was arrested on two counts of child endangerment/abandonment and possession of a controlled substance, and is currently in the Gregg County Jail. There is no word on who has custody the 2- and 4- year-old children at this time.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department has released its 2011 Part 2 Crimes and Traffic Crashes (Uniform Crime Reporting) statistics. For the calendar year 2011, police say Part 2 crimes remained relatively stable, rising 2.14% when compared to 2010. When Part 2 crimes for 2011 are compared to 2007, 2008, 2009, the numbers are considerably down, around 11%. Police say the good news for traffic crash data for the year 2011 indicated a decrease of 10.01% when compared to the year 2010 and a steady decline since 2007.

Part 2 Crimes are described by Uniform Crime Reporting as Simple Assault, Forgery, Fraud, Embezzlement, Criminal Mischief, Weapon Law Offenses, Prostitution, Sexual Offense, Drug Violations, Family Offenses, DUI, Liquor Law Violation, Public Intoxication, and Disorderly Conduct.

TYLER — The speed limit on a stretch of Old Jacksonville Highway in Tyler has been reduced from 60 to 55 miles per hour. According to KETK, police have reportedly been monitoring the area and pulling over drivers who break that speed limit.

LONGVIEW — While the government says school buses are the safest mode of transportation for students, it’s been a dangerous past few months for buses in East Texas. At least five recent area bus crashes have landed children and drivers in local hospitals. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, schoolchildren are safest riding back and forth to school on a bus. That mode of transportation is considered safer than riding as a passenger in another vehicle.

According to KETK, from 2001-09, 1 percent of student traffic fatalities during school driving hours involved buses, according to the department. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian urged residents to use caution when traveling near a school bus, especially when it is loading and unloading students.

LUFKIN — A Zavalla man in jail on a stalking charge received an additional charge after allegedly continuing to harass one of his victims from jail. Eddie Lynn Bryan, 40, was arrested on the original stalking charge in July for allegedly sending threatening and lewd text messages to a local real estate agent after seeing her picture on billboards last summer. The texts escalated from lewd sexual comments to him telling her he was going to “cut her throat and put her in Lake Rayburn.”

According to Angelina County Sheriff’s Office investigators, Bryan reportedly wrote a harassing letter from his jail cell, to the father of an Arlington woman he was convicted of stalking in Tarrant County. Bryan remains in the Angelina County Jail on a $100,000 bond. He has a jury selection date set for February 27 on the stalking charge.

HENDERSON — The Henderson Food Bank is trying still trying to recover after its owners were in a serious motorcycle wreck last October. Due to hard economic times, the food bank has seen a decrease in the amount of cash and food donations received this year as oppose to others. The Food Bank is having to cut back on their hours, but they say they refuse to cutback on the help they’re trying to provide to people in need.

TYLER — Tyler Police say a significant cleanup was necessary after a wreck downed power lines. It happened around 11:20 Wednesday night at Gentry Parkway and Queen Street when a vehicle hit a utility pole and severed it. Officers said the driver claimed she was attempting to avoid hitting an animal in the roadway. No injuries were reported but authorities said they did have to close down a portion of Gentry Parkway for about two hours while the lines were removed from the road.

HENDERSON – A Rusk County man is going to prison for stealing steaks. Albert Anthony Green, 44, of Henderson, was found guilty Wednesday of stealing $50 worth of steaks from the Brookshire Brothers store in Henderson. It was his 7th theft conviction. Green was sentenced to two years in prison and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

NACOGDOCHES – Nacogdoches police have arrested a man with drugs taped to his body. Perry Hilson, 29, of Memphis, Tennessee was contacted at the Kerrville Bus Depot during a routine check of the bus. When officers searched him they found around 400 grams of cocaine taped to his body. Hilson was charged with first-degree felony possession of a controlled substance.

DALLAS (AP) — A search warrant affidavit says a Texas constable admitted to the FBI that he had the offices of other officials secretly bugged after they were accused of shaking down motorists for cash. The federal affidavit quotes Shelby County Constable Fred Walker as saying he authorized the installation of hidden surveillance cameras and digital recorders. The document also includes a statement from a witness who claims Walker sold drugs seized from suspects.

An attorney for Walker, who hasn’t been charged, says the constable never told the FBI that he authorized installation of listening devices and never sold drugs. Walker, at the time of the alleged bugging, was city marshal in Tenaha in east Texas. Seizures of cash from motorists stopped in East Texas have led to lawsuits and a criminal investigation.

TYLER – We now know the name of the man allegedly found naked in a Tyler neighborhood Tuesday night. KETK reports he’s Judah Burrell Allen, 32, of Tyler. He’s now charged with public intoxication. Tyler Police say Allen was found without clothes in his neighbor’s yard on North Grand. Officers say they first took him to the hospital to test him for illegal substances and then put him in jail. Police say this isn’t the first time Allen has been in trouble for drinking.

KILGORE — The price of higher education is getting higher for students at Kilgore College. According to KETK, students attending within the college’s tax zone will see an increase of $4 per credit hour or $48 for a full semester. Students outside the area will see about a $120 increase for a full load. The school’s president, Dr. Bill Holda, Says the increase will help offset money lost through state budget cuts, but the price hike could cause some collegians to re-think their plans. Holda remarks, “The students I see getting squeezed out are those who are not Pell-eligible, from middle-income families where that $120 could be the difference in them taking one course or three courses.” The tuition hike starts with the fall 2012 semester.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A couple of lawmakers are following up on an incident in which a former Mexican government official was released from custody after being arrested in Tyler. The case involves 41-year-old Hector Hernandez Javier Villarreal. Sen. John Cornyn’s office says Cornyn has made an official inquiry with DHS, ICE, and the U.S. Department of State. Cornyn (pictured) remarks, “Fugitives can’t be allowed to slip through the cracks because federal agencies fail to communicate and coordinate with one another, and we need to get to the bottom of what happened here.”

Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert sits on the House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee. Gohmert told Fox News he’ll be calling for congressional hearings to look into who exactly ordered the fugitive’s release. Gohmert said he had been told that State Department officials released Villarreal because he entered the country on a valid U.S. visa, even though Gohmert says as an international fugitive, he should have been deported. Gohmert also wants to know why Villarreal was granted a visa days after posting $1 million bond following his arrest in Mexico. The visa Villarreal was granted was an EB-5, which is given to foreigners who invest at least $500,000 in a business venture. During an immigration subcommittee hearing Wednesday, Gohmert said, “I’m open to any suggestions as to how we correct this kind of fiasco from happening.”

The State Department recently ordered the release of Villareal from custody after a Tyler traffic stop. One day after being told to release Villarreal, the former secretary executive of the Tax Administration Service of Coahuila, Mexico, and his 28-year-old wife, Maria Teresita Botello, authorities said they are once again searching for the couple. Smith County sheriff’s deputies arrested the couple, and federal officials transported them from the Smith County Jail to the ICE office in Dallas. After their arrest, the State Department ordered their release.

Villarreal and Botello are wanted for the embezzlement of hundreds of millions, possibly billions, of dollars through Villarreal’s office in Coahuila. Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said in regards to the release, that some people just make mistakes and the paperwork to keep the fugitives was not received in time.