KTBB News, Weather, Talk

QUITMAN — Authorities say a thief or thieves who “knew what they were doing” broke into the Wood County Precinct 2 Barn and stole 520 gallons of green diesel fuel and two 10-foot gas hoses. Sheriff Bill Wansley said the fuel and hoses are valued at $2,300. It was discovered around 5:30 Thursday morning.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Jerry Gaskill, who is in his third term and worked 18 years at the barn prior to taking office in 2002, said someone cut the barn’s gate lock and chain and then cut locks on the pumps and breaker boxes to access the green diesel, used to fuel county dump trucks. Gaskill believes a trailer was used because of the amount of diesel taken, but precipitation on Wednesday and Thursday has ruined tire tracks that could have traced the culprit.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man has been arrested on charges he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy. William Joseph Bass, 55, was taken into custody after being accused of touching and having sex with the boy, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit states that on August 15, the boy spent the night at Bass’ home on Ricks Road. The next day the boy told his mother Bass got drunk and assaulted him. The boy was taken to Memorial Hospital for a sexual assault exam and did have injuries consistent with his story, the affidavit states. Bass was being held in the Angelina County Wednesday on two counts of sexual assault of a child, one count of prohibited sexual conduct and one count of displaying harmful material to a minor. His bond was set at $106,500.

LUFKIN — A 32-year-old Diboll woman was arrested Monday after she was accused of having sex with a 13-year-old boy. The teen reportedly met Natalie Johnson at his aunt’s home and they began talking on the phone and texting, making arrangements to meet. The boy said he would walk away from his grandparents’ home and she would pick him up. He told police they had sex three times at Ewing Park at Sam Rayburn Reservoir and four times at her apartment in Diboll, according to an affidavit. Cell phone records showed more than 1,500 calls and text messages between his phone and Johnson’s phone. Johnson was being held in the Angelina County Jail on a $75,000 bond.

LONGVIEW — Unattended candles are being blamed for a Tuesday afternoon fire in a Longview apartment complex. Firefighters were dispatched to Hidden Hills Apartments in the 600 block of Gilmer Road around 4:30. Fire Marshal Johnny Zackary said a woman was taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation. He said the the fire started in the back bedroom of the apartment. The resident reportedly had three candles burning and left the residence. The fire damaged only the back bedroom of the apartment causing about $5,000 worth of damage. Zackary reminds residents to never leave candles unattended.

EAST TEXAS – Severe thunderstorms have moved through East Texas for a second straight day. The storms rolled through various parts of the area, including Smith and Gregg Counties, Wednesday afternoon, leaving thousands without power. Preliminary figures from KETK show that at one point Wednesday, over 4,000 customers were without electricity in Gregg County. Earlier in the day, some 3,000 in Harrison County were without power. Other area counties also experienced power outages, with Smith County authorities reporting a number of power lines down late in the afternoon. Crews continued working to restore electricity in the area.

TYLER – An Upshur County man has pleaded guilty in Tyler federal court to drug violations. James Michael Havner, 49, of Gilmer, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Judith Guthrie Wednesday and admitted to possession of a List 1 chemical, with intent to manufacture methamphetamine.

According to prosecutors, Havner purchased cold pills containing pseudoephedrine at a Wal-Mart store in Longview on January 24, 2009, and made three additional purchases at other stores in the area the same day in furtherance of his methamphetamine manufacturing activities. Havner was named in an 82-count federal indictment returned back in April. At sentencing, he faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of not more than $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set at this time.

TYLER — Tyler’s Toys R Us has gotten what it wanted. State District Judge Christi Kennedy has granted an injunction against the Double D Grill and Bar. This will keep the restaurant from opening on the land it leases from Toys R Us. In granting the injunction, Judge Kennedy raised the bond to $1 million in case the restaurant violates the injunction.

The judge said that the Double D had not provided enough warning and or information about the change in concept from the old El Chico. Since the owners have already sunk half a million dollars into the renovation, the next move is a full trial November 28th.

El Chico will seek termination of the lease and Toys R Us has given notice they will move to seize the building to prevent any attempt to open for business. In the meantime, a restaurant can still operate out of the building, but it can not be a Double D Restaurant.

Judge Kennedy’s ruling yesterday followed a three-day hearing on a temporary restraining order. Toys R Us, which owns the land where the restaurant would be located, alleged breach of a commercial real estate lease. The restaurant’s adult theme has drawn concern from some area residents, though other residents support the Double D.

EAST TEXAS – Severe thunderstorms sweep East Texas for a second straight day. The storms rolled through various parts of the area, including Smith and Gregg Counties, Wednesday afternoon, leaving thousands without power. Preliminary figures from KETK show that at one point Wednesday, over 4,000 customers were without electricity in Gregg County. Earlier in the day, some 3,000 in Harrison County were without power. Other area counties also experienced power outages, with Smith County authorities reporting a number of power lines down late in the afternoon. Crews continued working to restore electricity in the area.

For a while Tuesday night severe thunderstorm warnings were out for several area counties. Portions of Smith, Rusk, Upshur, Wood, Harrison and Panola counties were under warning for a time. With the storm came power outages. In Smith County, Oncor reported Tuesday night more than 1,000 people were without power, and Swepco reported 1,200 people without power.

TYLER — Smith County fire officials tell KETK crews on the scene that a stolen car was found in a wooded area that caught fire on Wednesday. Officials believe the fire began from a lightning strike in Tuesday night’s storms. The fire now is under control, but officials do not have an estimate of how much burned. There’s no word yet on who might own the stolen car. Officials say the fire was called out just before 2:00 Wednesday afternoon in the 10000 block of FM 850 outside Tyler. Arp, Chapel Hill, and Jackson Heights Fire Departments responded.

TYLER — Texas Department of Transportation office manager Lesia Main has been getting the same phone call over and over for the past few weeks. “There’s a dead tree on the right of way and it’s about to fall,” Main said, describing the repeat calls, then after a moment, adds, “some are more polite about it than others.” The record-setting drought has taken its toll on lawns and gardens across East Texas, and the trees and grasses along the highways are no exception. But just because a tree is brown and without leaves doesn’t mean it’s dead, or even near death.

“The trees are doing what they need to do to survive,” said TxDOT spokesman Larry Krantz. “They can’t go sit down in the air conditioning and have a glass of sweet tea, so they have to conserve what little water they’ve managed to pull from the ground. Their leaves are the key to that process, so by dropping their leaves, the trees are going into conservation mode. It probably looks worse than it is because the trees aren’t all turning at once like they would in a typical fall.”

Krantz said the trees turning a few at a time, and dormant trees standing next to green trees, are probably behind the rash of calls to TxDOT offices demanding immediate action. “We can’t just go out and cut down every tree that looks dead,” Krantz said. “Part of the reason East Texas is so special is because of the number and variety of trees that live here. If we react rashly and start cutting down every tree that might be dead, there won’t be many trees left next spring.”

Ironically, Krantz said, dead trees don’t pose anywhere near the danger to motorists that live trees do. “It’s the live trees that cause the most trouble for us during weather events,” Krantz said. “With their leaves acting as sails catching the wind and limbs heavy with water, a live tree is a lot more likely to fall during high winds and a dead tree. It takes a dead tree years do decompose to the point where it could fall, and since dead trees don’t resist the wind like a live tree, they’re not as likely to be blown down as they are to crumble in place.”

Krantz added that with that slow decay comes time for TxDOT to identify which trees are dead and which are simply in conservation mode. “At any given time we could have as many as eight tree-trimming and removal contracts going across the Tyler District, and they’re focused on what poses the greatest danger to the traveling public.” As for mowing, TxDOT has plans to conduct one more cycle this fall in an attempt to cut down taller-growing grasses.

“A single spark or hot object can cause a fire under these conditions,” Krantz said. “So if a car has to pull off the roadway and it pulls into grass tall enough to touch its exhaust system, that could start a fire. Cutting the grass low to the ground is going to reduce the fire danger and have the added benefit of the thatch trapping moisture close to the ground.”

LONGVIEW — Longview Police identified and arrested Adam Everett Williams, 40, Longview, on a charge of theft. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail. On August 18, Officer Doug Pickering responded to the 2400 Block of Gilmer Road. When he arrived at the scene the victim, 92-year old Harry Nash of Longview, told Officer Pickering his wallet had been stolen. Mr. Nash said he was paying for his items and set his wallet down on the check stand. He forgot to pick it up and walked away for only a few seconds. When he returned he saw someone paying for items at the register. He said he did not see his wallet and the man had been the only one there at the time he walked away from the register. Williams was observed on video taking the wallet and placing it in the left front pocket of his shorts.

MT. PLEASANT — An early morning fire broke out at the Pilgrim’s Pride feed mill in Mt. Pleasant. Firefighters are still working to contain the blaze. No word on the cause of the fire or extent of damage.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Van Zandt County Sheriff Officials say one teen was flown to the hospital after a rollover accident on Hwy 198 near Canton. It happened just after 7:30 Wednesday morning. The teen’s mother was transported to the hospital by ambulance. No word at this time on the conditions of either of the people involved. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

GREGG COUNTY — An East Texas man received the maximum sentence for DWI after he jumped bail. Delwin Gawone Fletcher, 31, of Easton, received a two-year state jail sentence Tuesday for driving while intoxicated with a child passenger in the vehicle, but a conviction for bail jumping will keep him incarcerated even longer. The offense occurred in May 2009. Fletcher was scheduled to enter a guilty plea on the charge in December, but authorities said he jumped bail and remained on the lam until his March 2 arrest by Gregg County sheriff’s deputies. He remained jailed on $51,000 bond since that time. Under a plea agreement, Fletcher received sentences of two years for drunk driving with a passenger younger than 15 years of age, and eight years for bail jumping, with two other cases pending as well.

LUFKIN (AP) – Investigators say a homeless man has been accused of drowning a woman while allegedly taking turns to see who could hold their breath longer under water. Lufkin police have charged 55-year-old Winfred Kilgore with murder and evidence tampering. The body of Joy Bybee was discovered Aug. 11 under a bridge near a creek. An affidavit says Kilgore told police he was thinking about his time serving in Vietnam when he “blanked out” and accidentally held Bybee’s head under water too long. Defense attorney Al Charanza says he wants to review the autopsy report and obtain Kilgore’s military records. Charanza is a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps reserves and says he’s dealt with people with post-traumatic stress disorder. Kilgore was arrested Friday and is jailed on $260,000 bond.

MANGUM, OKLA. (AP) — A defense attorney for the wife of a former Oklahoma prison warden accused of helping a convicted killer escape 17 years ago planned to begin questioning his own witnesses at the woman’s trial. Defense lawyer Garvin Isaacs says prosecutors are expected to rest their case today against Bobbi Parker, 49. Isaacs said he would then begin questioning witnesses he has subpoenaed to testify on Parker’s behalf.

Parker is charged with helping Randolph Dial escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory on August 30, 1994. Her husband, Randy Parker, was assistant warden at the time. Greer County prosecutors allege Bobbi Parker fell in love with Dial and helped him break out of the prison in Granite. Isaacs says Parker was kidnapped and held hostage by Dial for more than 10 years. They were found living in Texas on a Shelby County chicken ranch.

HOUSTON (AP) – Convicted polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has been moved to his new permanent home – an East Texas prison – to begin serving his life sentence for sexually assaulting one of his child brides at a West Texas compound built and occupied by members of his Mormon fundamentalist church. The 55-year-old Jeffs, convicted last month in San Angelo, was taken Tuesday from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Byrd Unit in Huntsville, where new inmates undergo physical and mental examinations, to the Powledge Unit outside Palestine. Prison agency spokesman Jason Clark says Jeffs will be in protective custody, among the most restrictive forms of imprisonment in Texas. He’ll be alone in his cell daily and be out only for recreation alone and a shower.

TYLER — With the hot, dry summer Tyler is experiencing, managing water consumption and controlling water bills is a challenge. The City of Tyler Water Utilities Department advises focusing efforts on irrigation systems to make the most impact. “Typically, domestic water use – meaning the water used inside the home for drinking, showering and laundry – does not change much from season to season,” said Water Utilities Director Greg Morgan. “However, the use of water for irrigation dramatically changes during hot, dry seasons. This is something that can be managed to avoid costly bills.”

Morgan explains that many residents are not aware of how often, or for how long, their irrigation system is running because it was programmed by someone else. Also, a system is often programmed to run at night or early morning hours, which compounds this issue. “The difference between running your system three days per week versus four can be significant,” added Morgan.

For example, an irrigation system that emits 30 gallons per minute that is running for 30 minutes per day, with six zones, will use 5,400 gallons each day. If it runs three days per week, the monthly consumption will be 64,800 gallons of water. At four days per week, the water use rises to 86,400 gallons per month – a significant difference.

“It is difficult to give a customer advice on how often to water because grass type, soil conditions, and shade conditions differ throughout the city,” said Morgan. “We advise consulting with a turf specialist to determine how often, and for what duration, you should be watering. Don’t just assume that what was programmed into your system is correct. Also, rather than following a set watering schedule, check for soil moisture two to three inches below the surface before watering. ” Morgan also advises installing a rain sensor so that when it does rain, the irrigation system does not run unnecessarily.

Other water saving tips include:
· Make sure that sprinklers are watering the lawn – not the sidewalk, house and street.
· Monitor you water bill for spikes in use. These are good tools to alert you to leaks in your system.
· Check faucets and toilets for leaks. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Fixing it can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
· Don’t water your lawn on windy days when most of the water blows away or evaporates.
· Set a kitchen timer when watering your lawn or garden to remind you when to stop. A running hose can discharge up to 10 gallons a minute.

LONGVIEW — The Longview area was ranked the top spot in Texas for job growth in the past year. The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M on Tuesday released a report showing the Longview metro area of Gregg, Rusk and Upshur counties posted a 4.2 percent rate of employment growth for the period of June 2010 to this past June. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, that rate outpaced 25 other metro areas in Texas, including Dallas, Houston and Austin. It also topped second place Odessa, which had a job growth rate of 3.5 percent for the year, according to the Real Estate Center. The Real Estate Center website shows the Tyler area #20 in the state, with 0.4 percent job growth.

LONGVIEW The Longview Police Department wants to remind Longview area motorists that with the beginning of school, there are many things to be aware of:

• School zones will be closely monitored by patrol and traffic units and not all school zones have signs with flashing lights.
• Watch for children at crosswalks and other areas near schools where they may be attempting to cross the street.
• When school buses are stopped for loading or unloading and their red flashing lights are activated, it is illegal to pass a bus.
• It is unlawful to talk on a cellular telephone while in a school zone unless a hands free device is used.

BEAUMONT (AP) – A North Texas woman has been sentenced to prison for not paying taxes on more than $1 million that investigators say she embezzled. Federal prosecutors in Beaumont on Tuesday announced 48-year-old Cynthia Watts Riggins of Allen must serve 2 1/2 years in prison for committing tax fraud. Riggins pleaded guilty in March to filing a 2005 false tax return. Investigators say Riggins, who was sentenced Monday, must repay $1.2 million to her former employer, McLean Orthopedics of Nacogdoches, and to the Internal Revenue Service. Riggins was the company’s office manager for a decade. Prosecutors say she failed to report the embezzled funds as taxable income.

TYLER — ETMC EMS has named Neal Franklin as the new director of operations for the East Texas service area. Franklin previously served as EMS director of business development and came to ETMC in January after retiring as fire chief with the city of Tyler. In this new position, Franklin will be responsible for more than 300 paramedics and emergency medical technicians, covering over 16,000 square miles in East Texas, responding to 110,000 requests for service and transportation of more than 77,000 patients each year.

Franklin is from Tyler and received his bachelor’s degree in education from Stephen F. Austin State University. While attending graduate school at the University of North Texas, he became a Dallas firefighter. In 1987, he moved back to Tyler and worked his way up through the ranks of the Tyler Fire Department and eventually served as chief for seven years.

HENDERSON — One person has been hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the head after an alleged accidental shooting. Henderson officers responded around 12:45 Saturday morning to a report of a shooting in the 200 block of Ballow Street. Authorities say one person was air-lifted to a Tyler hospital. An initial investigation indicated that two people were comparing firearms when a shot was fired, striking one person in the head. No word on the victim’s condition. No names have been released and so far, no arrests had been made.

KILGORE – An early Tuesday morning fire at the Sonic Drive-In in Kilgore resulted in damage, but no injuries, according to Michael Stanley, public information officer for the Kilgore Fire Department. He said the department responded about 4:30am to the restaurant on U.S. Highway 259 for a kitchen fire.

“Sonic employees had arrived to open the restaurant for business when a fire developed in the kitchen,” Stanley said. Sonic employees activated the extinguisher system which contained the fire to the cooking equipment. The restaurant was closed as a result of the damage, officials said. The cause of the fire and found it to be accidental, according to an investigation by the Kilgore Fire Marshal’s office, he said.

LUFKIN — A former Lufkin nursing home worker accused of trying to make a 91-year-old woman touch him sexually was given 10 years probation Monday. 25-year-old Telesforo Vasquez III was given probation for injury to an elderly person. The state chose to dismiss the charge of attempted sexual assault. In the Nov. 24 incident, Vasquez exposed himself to the female resident and directed her to touch him. When she refused, Vasquez reportedly forced her down, causing an injury to her hip and rear end. Vasquez received restrictions making it a violation of his probation to work at a nursing home, hospital or rehabilitation center.

TYLER — Tyler school officials say the first day of school was successful. But, when compared to the first day of school last year, enrollment was down.

First day enrollment numbers at TISD decreased by roughly 150 students when compared to first day enrollment numbers in 2010. First day enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year totaled 17,310, while enrollment for the first day of classes in the 2010-2011 year was 17,466. Tyler ISD officials stated, however, that first day numbers fluctuate from year to year and that they anticipate enrollment going up in the coming weeks. Complete enrollment numbers can be found below.

Campus 08/22/11
Austin 476
Bell 500
Birdwell 425
Bonner 434
Boshears Center 69
Caldwell 647
Clarkston 364
Dixie 542
Douglas 657
Griffin 633
Jack 717
Jones 324
Orr 591
Owens 633
Peete 367
Ramey 522
Rice 750
Woods 665
Boulter 466
Dogan 476
Hogg 620
Hubbard 871
Moore 982
Stewart 409
John Tyler 1600
REL 2538
PACE 32
Total 17,310

OVERTON — An eighth-grade student was struck by a motorist Monday afternoon while leaving his first day back to class at Overton Middle School. The 13-year-old student walked in front of a vehicle in a school zone, according to Overton Police Department Capt. Clayton Taylor. Taylor said the boy was flown by helicopter to Trinity Mother Frances. “He was a little banged up on his right side,” Taylor said, “But it’s not life threatening.”

TYLER — The Tyler Fire Department wants to remind area citizens to remain cautious during these continuing dry conditions. The hot and dry weather can be the cause of several emergency situations that could harm you or your family. With the help of everyone, fire officials say, we can keep these threats to a minimum.

Residents are reminded to dispose of cigarettes and other smoking materials into proper containers. A carelessly discarded cigarette, whether dropped on the ground or tossed out of a vehicle window, can easily start a fire. Caution should also be used when cooking outdoors. While the current burn ban does not prohibit outdoor grilling, it does require that the cooking take place in a contained grill that has a lid. Firefighters say not to leave any outdoor cooking operation unattended.

While some areas of East Texas have experienced sporadic rain showers in the past few days, it has not been enough to cause the burn ban in Smith County to be lifted. Tyler residents are reminded that, in addition to the current burn ban, outdoor burning is typically prohibited within the City of Tyler year-round. The Fire Department also wants to remind citizens to remain aware of common medical issues often seen during hot weather. Heat related conditions such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke are serious and area residents are encouraged to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. In case of emergency, call 9-1-1. For more information regarding fire safety, you’re asked to contact the Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office at 903-535-0005.

EDGEWOOD — Authorities in Van Zandt County report an accidental shooting death. On Saturday at approximately 6:40 p.m. the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office received a call of an accidental shooting on VZCR #3601. Responding Deputies, along with the Edgewood Police Department and EMS, discovered a 17 year old male with a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead by Pct. #4 Justice of the Peace M. Scott Shinn.

Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, the Texas Rangers and the Van Zandt County D.A. Office participated in the investigation. The preliminary investigation shows that the shooting was accidental and no arrests were made. A more in depth investigation continues, and the result of that investigation, along with forensic evidence and laboratory findings, will be presented to a Grand Jury at a later date.

CANTON — Van Zandt County authorities say two suspects have been arrested and some stolen property recovered. On Saturday, sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to Hamilton Storage Facility on FM 47 in Wills Point regarding individuals who had rammed a vehicle through the gate of the facility. Upon arrival, deputies and Wills Point police made contact with suspects Terry Monk and Eric Snorgrass, both of Quinlan. According to authorities, it was determined that one of the two had taken items from a white cargo trailer that was secured at the location and from several of the storage units located within the facility.

Investigators arrived at the scene and determined that the items were actually stolen out of several storage units at the facility. Monk was arrested for a theft warrant out of Dallas County, while Snorgrass was arrested for having no driver’s license. Both were transported to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office for booking. Authorities say a stolen cargo trailer was recovered along with $50,000 of property leading to several burglary cases being cleared. According to a sheriff’s department news release, investigators will continue to work the recovered items to clear more cases. Authorities say pending charges will be filed on the two suspects.