KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System has named Ron Schwartz as the new vice president/chief operating officer for ETMC EMS. Schwartz has been with ETMC for over 11 years serving as director of operations and general manager. In this position, he was responsible for more than 400 paramedics and emergency medical technicians, covering over 17,000 square miles, responding to 135,000 requests for service and transportation of more than 105,000 patients each year.

Schwartz helped ETMC add EMS services to several markets in Texas including Waco and Pasadena. Last year, ETMC EMS joined an elite group of emergency providers to receive a three year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services for quality patient care in America’s medical transportation system.

Schwartz will also serve as president of Paramedics Plus, an ambulance division of the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System. Schwartz replaces Tony Myers, who retired in June after 18 years with ETMC EMS and Paramedics Plus.

HELENA, MONT. (AP) – Lewis and Clark County officials say a church camp counselor from Texas drowned while trying to swim behind a waterfall in a west-central Montana river. Coroner Mickey Nelson said Chandler “Jimmy” Brazell, 19, of Tyler, drowned Sunday evening in the Dearborn River about 17 miles southwest of Augusta. Nelson says the force of the waterfall pushed Brazell under water and he did not resurface for five or six minutes. Emergency responders were unable to revive him. Brazell had recently returned from a six-month trip as a counselor in China. He had currently been working at a church program conducted by the Diamond Bar X Ranch and was swimming with other counselors when he drowned. Nelson called Brazell’s death a tragic accident.

TYLER — Authorities are investigating the death of a 25-year-old Tyler man. Tyler Police say they were called to the 1200 block of Wall Avenue around 2:00 Tuesday morning on a report of a suspicious person. Officers were directed by a white female to the residence where Christopher Hebert was found unresponsive. Officers performed CPR before he was taken East Texas Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The Major Crimes Unit responded to the scene due to the suspicious nature of the incident. Hebert’s body has been sent for autopsy.

KILGORE — Authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that also involved injuries to two law officers in Kilgore. According to the Kilgore Police Department, just before 7:45 Monday morning, they were called to the 1200 block of East North Street to reports of a kidnapping. Officer DeeAnn Brown, 47, made first contact with the suspect. During this time, authorities say, the suspect attacked Brown, stabbing her. Officials say Sergeant David Trucker, 54, tried to intervene, but was also stabbed by the suspect. One of the officers then shot and killed their attacker; Authorities say it’s unclear who took the shot.

Kilgore police were not able to confirm that the man who died is Jamal Joseph Freeman, 19, as stated by the great aunt of the victim. Freeman was described as being mentally unstable. Both officers were taken to a local hospital with minor stab wounds. The Texas Rangers and Gregg County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.

ATHENS – A one vehicle accident in Henderson County has killed one person. Dead at the scene Monday afternoon was Johnnie Ruth Mullins, 79, of Athens. The Department of Public Safety says Mullins’ vehicle veered off the road, overturned and hit a culvert. The accident happened on State Highway 19, about seven miles north of Athens.

NACOGDOCHES – Searchers have located the body of a man who drowned in Lake Nacogdoches. It happened around 6:00 Monday evening in the east park area of the lake. His body was recovered several hours later. When he first started screaming, witnesses say they thought he was playing. He then disappeared. Authorities have not released his name, only saying he is a 30 year old Hispanic male who is thought to have recently moved to the area.

NACOGDOCHES — The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents has voted unanimously to name the Early Childhood Research Center in honor of Dr. Janice Pattillo. The Arp native is retiring after 42 years of service to the university. The 120,000-square-foot facility opened in July 2009 and comprises the nationally accredited Early Childhood Laboratory, “exemplary” rated University Charter School and award-winning Department of Elementary Education. The picture from Stephen F. Austin shows Dr. Pattillo and Steve McCarty, vice chair of the SFA Board of Regents.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oscar-winning actress Sissy Spacek, a Quitman, Texas native, has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 61-year-old actress was honored Monday with star number 2,443 on Hollywood Boulevard. Spacek is known for her role as the troubled teen in “Carrie” and she won an Academy Award for her portrayal of country singer Loretta Lynn in the 1981 movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Her latest movie, “The Help,” comes out later this month.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert casts a “no” vote on the debt limit compromise that the House ended up passing Monday. Gohmert told KTBB, “We promised that we would give three days to examine any bill,” and he says that hasn’t happened. He added, “The cuts aren’t here. The cuts are as a result of being less than the amount of automatic increases.” Gohmert says the compromise counts on the Bush tax cuts going away, and there are huge increases. He also says according to the compromise, if Congress doesn’t vote for cuts down the road, then hundreds of billions will be cut out of defense. According to Gohmert, “That’s playing Russian roulette with our own security. I can’t be part of that.” Gohmert adds that if people read the bill, “they would see and understand the problems I’ve got with it.”

LONGVIEW – Longview police have identified the victim of a Sunday morning crash as Jayden Galvan, 1. He was buckled in a car seat in the back seat of a car that hit two parked vehicles and a building. It happened shortly before 2:45 Sunday morning in the 3500 block of West Loop 281. The infant was in a car driven by Maritza Renteria, 20. Investigators are trying to determine why the car left the roadway. Renteria was issued a citation for unsafe speed.

Renteria and a passenger, Heriberto Galvan, 20, were transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Two other passengers, Nicholas Delgado, 12, and Desral Barriere Jr., 20, were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

TYLER — Tyler police investigators say they have determined that an alleged victim was not sexually assaulted as she reported to police early Monday morning. According to a police statement, investigators continue to look into the details surrounding this case and its validity. The woman told officers the incident happened around 3:30 at an apartment complex at 4411 Kinsey Dr. Officers say the victim, a 30 year old woman, said she was attacked by an unknown black male in the parking lot. She claims the suspect sexually assaulted her then fled the area. The woman was transported to East Texas Medical Center for treatment. The suspect was said to be around 30, about 5’10”, medium build, wearing a blue Mavericks shirt and black denim shorts.

KILGORE — Authorities are investigating a fatal shooting that also involved injuries to two law officers in Kilgore. KETK reports that according to the Kilgore Police Department, at around 7:40 a.m. police were called to the 1200 block of East North Street to reports of a kidnapping. Officer DeeAnn Brown, 47, made first contact with the suspect. During this time, authorities say, the suspect attacked Brown, stabbing her. Officials say Sergeant David Trucker, 54, tried to intervene, but was also stabbed by the suspect. One of the officers then shot and killed their attacker; Authorities say it’s unclear who took the shot.

Kilgore police were not able to confirm that the man who died is 19-year old Jamal Joseph Freeman, as stated by the great aunt of the victim. Both officers were taken to a local hospital with minor stab wounds. The Texas Rangers and Gregg County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident.

LUFKIN — Lufkin police continue to investigate a Sunday morning accident. According to KETK, officers say Robert Myers was driving down Abney Avenue headed toward North First Street when he veered into oncoming traffic. Myers then sideswiped a car and hit the side of a house. The driver of the other car is okay, and no one in the home was injured. Myers was taken to a local hospital. No word yet on his condition.

TYLER (AP) – Authorities say a man sought over the November death of his girlfriend’s year-old son has been arraigned in Tyler. Bond was set yesterday morning for Simon Lopez at $2 million. He remains in the Smith County Jail on a capital murder charge. Lopez was captured Thursday in Queretaro, Mexico.

Police say Lopez was watching Jeremy Silva of Tyler while the child’s mother worked, then called one of her relatives to say the boy wasn’t breathing. Investigators say Lopez left the boy with the relative and fled. Autopsy results show the toddler died from blunt force trauma. Dallas police last December tried to arrest a man, believed to be Lopez, at a hotel but he ran away.

TYLER — KTBB’s Paul Gleiser sat down with conservative Texas Republican, Tom Leppert, who is in the running for running for the U.S. Senate. The former Dallas Mayor says anyone who’s worked in business know that you have to be honest and in Washington, nobody’s being honest. He asks, “At what point do we solve the problem? Do we continue marching down the same road where the spending is not addressed and the debt continues to go up?”

The former Dallas Mayor says he has a business background which not many politicians have. He says he has been in the public sector with a private life. He says he’s run businesses in a variety of industries, and in order to run a business, you have to be honest. The hopeful said nobody is being honest in Washington. Lemmert added, “there’s not enough folks that have a real sense of how to cut dollars and how to create jobs, in Washington, the senate or the administration.” He said more people are needed with that background.

Leppert said he brings a business expertise and says, most importantly, he doesn’t want to be a professional politician. He said he wants to address the issues and go on with his life.

TYLER — Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass has issued a proclamation calling for Saturday, August 6, to be a day of prayer and fasting. That’s in conjunction with “The Response U.S.A.,” Governor Rick Perry’s prayer rally in Houston that day. The event will be simulcast at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. Green Acres Pastor Dr. David Dykes invites everyone to the church’s new Crosswalk Conference Center for the viewing.

Visiting with our news partner KETK, Dykes said America is “a nation in crisis, and it’s not just a debt crisis or a political crisis, it’s really a moral crisis and a spiritual crisis, and prayer is the answer to that.” He adds that Christians don’t always know how to deal with the problems the country is facing, “but every single day, Christians can pray, and that is the one thing, really, that brings Christians together of all different denominational stripes.” The Houston event and the Tyler simulcast are set for Saturday from 10:00am till 5:00pm. You can contact the church for more information.

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

TYLER — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews on Tuesday are scheduled to begin several days of base and pavement repairs in various locations on NE Loop 323 between Farm Road 14 and U.S. Highway 271. A second crew is scheduled to continue installing right-turn lanes on U.S. Highway 69 at County Road 474 in the Lindale area. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zones.

RUSK COUNTY — The Texas Department of Transportation’s annual preventative maintenance program known as “District-Wide Seal Coat” moves into Rusk County with work on State Highway 64 between Loop 571 and Farm Road 15. Effective Monday, crews are scheduled to apply a seal coat to the following roadways in the following order:
*Farm Road 13 between State Highway 42 and Loop 571
*SH 42 between Farm Road 1513 in New London and Farm Road 13 in Price
*Farm Road 850 between State Highway 135 and U.S. Highway 259 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 Rusk County, TxDOT maintenance crews on Monday were scheduled to repair a culvert under Farm Road 225 between Farm Road 1798 in Laneville and U.S. Highway 84, and then resume base and pavement repairs Tuesday on Farm Road 839 between U.S. Highway 79 and Farm Road 1798. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.
Base failures mean lane closures, and lane closures mean inconvenience.”

ATHENS — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue pavement repairs on SH 31 Business in Athens between State Highway 19 Business and NE Loop 7. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

GREGG COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform seal coat operations in southern Kilgore and on South Loop 281 in Longview. In Kilgore, crews are scheduled to seal various locations on U.S. Highway 259 Business and Farm Road 1249, and in Longview on Loop 281 between State Highway 31 and Farm Road 2205. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and motorists are encouraged to be prepared to reduce speed and merge in and around the work zone.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 17 between State Highway 64 in Canton and Interstate Highway 20. A second crew is scheduled to perform edge work on Farm Road 1653 north of Martins Mill. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue pavement repairs on Farm Road 1990 between State Highway 294 and U.S. Highway 79 in Palestine. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on Farm Road 17 north of U.S. Highway 69 in Alba, followed by the same work on State Highway 37 between Quitman and Winnsboro. 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.

LONGVIEW –A three vehicle accident in Longview has killed an infant. It happen around 3:00 Sunday morning in the 3500 block of West Loop 281 when a driver hit two unoccupied vehicles in a parking lot. The infant was dead at the scene. Occupants of the car are hospitalized in critical condition. At last report the names had not been released.

TYLER – One person is in custody following a fatal Tyler accident that killed two persons and injured one. It happened just before 2:00 Sunday morning in the 5100 block of the Troup Highway. Dead at the scene was Jacob Clay, 22, of Tyler. Gaylon Cox, 15, died Sunday afternoon at a Tyler hospital. The injured is said to be hospitalized with life threatening injuries.

Taken into custody at the scene was Edward Marin, 51, of Tyler. He was booked into the Smith County Jail on one count of intoxicated manslaughter and two counts of intoxicated assault. Bond was set at $305,000. Additional charges are likely to be filed today.

According to Police Sgt. Matthew Smyser, the accident is still under investigation and anyone with information regarding it is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department at 903-531-1000.

DALLAS – The chairman of UT Health Science Center at Tyler’s Department of Family Medicine, Dr. Jonathan E. MacClements, has been awarded the Exemplary Teaching Award from the Texas Academy of Family Physicians during TAFP’s 2011 Annual Session and Scientific Assembly in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. This award honors individuals with outstanding teaching skills, and those who have developed and implemented innovative teaching models.

Dr. MacClements teaches family medicine residents as a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. He is also chairman of the academic medical center’s Department of Family Medicine, director of medical education, and director of the UTHSCT Family Medicine Residency Program.

In addition to his certification in family medicine, he is certified in Adolescent Medicine and Tropical Medicine, and serves as a Senior Federal Aviation Medical Examiner, the Smith County Health Authority, and a lieutenant colonel in the Texas State Guard.

Known for his motto, “Don’t tell me how to make it easier, tell me how to make it better,” Dr. MacClements is regarded by colleagues, residents, and patients as a compassionate teacher, caring physician, tireless community servant, and avid scholar.

NACOGDOCHES – A man has been killed in Nacogdoches after being hit by a train. It happened around 2:15 Saturday morning on Farm Road 2863 and County Road 521. He has been identified as Valentin Rodriguez Reyes. Investigators say he was laying on the tracks when hit by the Union Pacific freight train.

TYLER – The Double D Restaurant proposed for Tyler is on hold pending the outcome of a hearing on a restraining order issued on the project on Friday. Workmen have been remodeling the old El Chico Restaurant for the Double D. What has caused some citizen protests is the location of the building; across the loop from Robert E Lee High School and in the same parking lot with Toys R Us. And it features waitresses in skimpy costumes. Toys R Us sought and got the temporary restraining order against the restaurant in the 114th District Court of Judge Christi Kennedy. The restaurant’s owners are ordered to stop renovation work, remove signs and not employ people wearing what the judge called “scanty attire.” A hearing on the restraining order has been scheduled for August 11th.

CENTERVILLE – A Tyler teen was one of two persons killed in a Leon County traffic accident. It happened around 5:15 Thursday morning on State Highway 7 about two miles east of Centerville. Dead at the scene was Courtnee Nicole Odom, 19, of Tyler, and Christopher Michael Hicks, 19, Frankston. The Department of Public Safety reports Hicks was west bound when he entered a curve and veered into the east bound lane of traffic. His SUV hit an 18-wheeler and then flipped over several times. The Waco truck driver was injured.

MARSHALL – A Marshall coach, who has been under suspension with pay, has had his job terminated. The action came Thursday after the Marshall school board met in executive session to act on the superintendent’s recommendation to fire Christian Block. He was an assistant football and power lifting coach at Marshall High School. He was suspended July 19th pending an investigation. District officials will not discuss the nature of the investigation. He becomes the second member of the coaching staff to be fired. Recently, Athletic Director Thed Harris also had his contract terminated following an investigation.

TYLER – A suspect is in custody in connection with the death of a one year old boy. Simon Lopez, 26, has been taken into custody in Querétaro, a state in North-Central Mexico, by the Mexican Federal Police Thursday. Lopez, who was A U.S. Marshals “15 Most Wanted” fugitive,
was expelled from the country, and U.S. Marshals transported him from Mexico to Houston Friday. There he will be arraigned by a District Judge on the Capital Murder charge in the death of Jeremy Silva, 1, of Tyler. Authorities have been searching for Lopez since late last November when a warrant was issued for his arrest. Lopez fled after he dropped the 18-month-old boy off at the home of one of the boy’s aunts, according to Tyler police officials. The boy was not breathing at the time.

Lopez was babysitting his girlfriend’s two children while she worked in Lindale that day, and had reportedly left the children home alone while he took his girlfriend, Emma Torres, to work. The young boy was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital by his aunt. An autopsy report showed that his death was caused from a torn atrium in his heart, a result of blunt force trauma to his chest, officials have said. The report also indicated that Jeremy suffered prior abuse, including several broken ribs and bruising to his body, according to Tyler police.

“We said from day one that we would not stop until Simon Lopez was caught and that there would be justice for Jeremy Silva,” said Dan Phillips, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Texas. “All of the officers on this case have put in long hours and have been incredibly vigilant in ensuring that we did everything we could to get him in custody. Their efforts are a testimony to the fact that we will not rest until justice is served.”

TYLER — Authorities say Curtis Gene Cotton, 31, has been arrested in a Tyler undercover prescription drug sting. The Drug Enforcement Administration in Tyler received information that Cotton was allegedly selling prescription medications illegally. The DEA tells KETK they then contacted Cotton in an undercover capacity to purchase 500 Xanax tablets for $1,000. Undercover officials met with Cotton in the parking lot of The Abby Apartments in Tyler and say he agreed to sell them the Xanax.

After receiving the money, Cotton reportedly began saying he was being “ripped” of the funds, then transferred the money to other people. Authorities say DEA then arrested Cotton in the apartment parking lot and followed the others to a nearby trailer park to continue their investigation. Cotton was allegedly found to be in possession of a small amount of cocaine, prescription medication and a .45 caliber pistol. He was transported to the Smith County Jail. The investigation is ongoing.

TYLER — State preliminary accountability ratings have been released to the public on the Texas Education Agency website. Final ratings are published in the fall after all appeals have been considered. Tyler ISD received a rating of Academically Acceptable (AA) and posted ratings for 2 Exemplary (EX), 4 Recognized (RE), 17 Academically Acceptable, 3 Academically Unacceptable campuses (AU), with 1 of the AU ratings pending appeal. The district has appealed the rating for Dogan Middle School, and based on preliminary conversations with TEA TISD officials say they believe that Dogan’s rating will be elevated to Academically Acceptable in the coming weeks. District officials say the appeal was filed when the district discovered that the state had inaccurately counted a student’s test scores due to a flaw in the state’s accounting system. The other Tyler schools rated as academically unacceptable are the city’s two high schools, John Tyler And Robert E Lee.

Elsewhere in Smith County, Lindale ISD received a district rating of Recognized from the TEA. Four campuses — Lindale High School, Lindale Junior High School, Velma Penny Elementary School and College Street Elementary School — also received ratings of Recognized. E.J. Moss Intermediate School received a rating of Exemplary, the highest rating awarded by the TEA.

Other area schools rated as academically unacceptable:
SMITH COUNTY
Azleway Charter School
Azleway Charter School Willow

GREGG COUNTY
Longview High School
J.L. Everhart Magnet El.
South Ward El.
Ware El.
Pine Tree El.
PineTree Int.

RUSK COUNTY
Overton High School
Overton El.
Carlisle School
West Rusk Middle
West Rusk El.

UPSHUR COUNTY
Gilmer El.

TYLER — On Monday, Aug. 15, in time for the beginning of the fall school semester, Tyler Transit will launch improved fixed-route bus lines and schedules. Officials say the new routes will feature improved service to Tyler’s higher education institutions, downtown, and the medical district. In addition, the Red Line will now feature two buses providing direct service every 35 minutes.

To help customers become familiar with the new routes and create new itineraries, Tyler Transit staff will be available on Monday, Aug. 1, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., and on Tuesday, Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to noon, at Tyler Fire Station #7, 344 Troup Hwy., next to the transfer point. Residents who are unable to attend either of these sessions may call (903) 533-8057 and a member of Tyler Transit’s staff will be available to help them create their plans over the phone.

“This is the first major route improvement since Tyler Transit started the Yellow Line service in 2001. Since then, major shifts in traffic patterns and developments have made it necessary to improve the routes and update the schedules to ensure that Tyler Transit customers are provided the best possible service,” said Heather Nick, transit manager. “The goals identified in the study include reducing waiting times for buses, reducing the number of transfers required to make a trip, and eliminating delays at the transfer point.”

In 2009, Tyler Transit partnered with the Tyler Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to develop a route study. This study was developed with input received from a steering committee whose members include local employers and civic organizations, and input from residents that was gathered at public meetings and from more than 570 questionnaires that were filled out by riders and residents citywide. Findings from the route study were presented to the Tyler City Council in October 2010. Since that time, City staff has developed detailed schedules as well new signs, a redesigned webpage and new brochures to help educate residents about the change.

One of the major changes the new routes will bring is the relocation of the main transfer point to downtown Tyler for four buses: 1 Red, 1A Red (including service to the medical district), 2 Green, and 4 Blue. The main transfer point will be relocated to the Cotton Belt Train Depot, 210 E. Oakwood St. (pictured), where riders may purchase passes, tickets and tokens. The transfer point will also offer amenities including shelters and access to restroom facilities. The Yellow Line, 3 Yellow, will transfer with each route at locations throughout the city including: the University of Texas at Tyler, Broadway Square Mall and the intersection of Walton Road and Frankston Highway. You can visit http://www.tylerbus.org to see new route maps and schedules. Brochures will be made available on all Tyler Transit buses.

CANTON — Van Zandt County authorities have arrested a man for allegedly assaulting a peace officer. On Thursday the Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the area of 291 VZCR 1507 in reference to a suspicious vehicle. Authorities say a DPS trooper was the first officer to make contact with the suspect vehicle and identified himself as a peace officer to the suspect, named as Adam Morris Plocheck.

Authorities say at one point, Plocheck began to fight with the trooper. During the altercation, the suspect allegedly bit the trooper on the arm. The first deputy reportedly arrived on scene to find the trooper defending himself against the assault. According to authorities, the deputy assisted in gaining control over Plocheck, and the two officers were able to place handcuffs on him. Even with the handcuffs on, authorities say Plocheck continued to fight and resist arrest. The second deputy arrived on the scene and assisted in taking Plocheck into custody. During the altercation, the first deputy was injured and eventually had to be transported to the hospital via ambulance.

Plocheck was arrested for assault on a public servant and transported to The Van Zandt County Justice Center without incident. At last report, Plocheck was still in custody and waiting to be arraigned.

TYLER — All along the Texas Gulf Coast, residents and emergency officials are gearing up for the first tropical storm of the year. While a coastal community may seem far from East Texas, The American Red Cross says families here should be preparing too by creating a family communications plan.

According to a Red Cross news release, “Personal preparedness can help keep people safer during an emergency. Having an up to date family communications plan can alleviate fear and provide peace of mind. In preparation for Tropical Storm Don, and subsequent storms, it’s important to speak to your loved ones about their evacuation plans in advance of landfall. Coastal areas often flood after major rainmakers, but inland flooding followed by evacuations is just as likely. So regardless of geography, all Texans should know who they’re going to call in the event of a major crisis.

The Red Cross says a communication tool that families can integrate into their plan is the Red Cross Safe and Well website. You can go to http://www.redcross.org to access it. The news release continues, “This public website allows those affected by disaster to register themselves as ‘safe and well’ by posting standard messages that indicate they are at a shelter, home, or hotel and will make contact when they are able. Concerned family members who know the person’s phone number or a complete home address can search for the posted messages. In addition to bringing peace of mind to those outside of the disaster area, use of this tool helps mitigate congestion of public and cellular telephone lines and reduces the burden on emergency responders.”

Red Cross officials add, “Now is the time to become familiar with Safe and Well. It’s also the time to reach out to loved ones along the coast to be sure you know their evacuation plans and to inform them about the Safe and Well website. Tropical Storm Don is the first potential Texas landfall of the year, but he may not be the last in what has already shaped up to be an active hurricane season. It is important to note that the Safe and Well website safeguards the registrant’s privacy. Standard messages are enough to provide peace of mind, but the site does not reveal the registrant’s specific location or contact information.”

Red Cross officials add that you can go to http://www.sanoysalvo.org for a Spanish version of the Safe and Well website. People without access to a computer, without electricity or in need of help from an interpreter can call the Red Cross at 1-800 RED CROSS to register. For more information on hurricane preparedness and Safe and Well, contact the Smith County Chapter of the American Red Cross at 903-581-7981, visit http://www.redcross.org or call 1-800 RED CROSS.