KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW — That super load continues its slow movement to Longview. Crews say it was like a parade as the transporter made its way through Tatum in Rusk County where residents lined the side of the highway as if watching a parade. And it sort of was, with all of the utility, law enforcement, and other vehicles escorting the load. The convoy hit the road just after 6:00am, and reached its stopping point for the day on State Highway 149 in Longview at 9:30am. The convoy is three days ahead of its original Sunday arrival date with less than 10 miles left on its journey through parts of Texas and Louisiana. Continue reading Super Load Creeping Closer to Longview Plant

EUSTACE — A man’s body has been found in a wrecked pickup in Henderson County. He has tentatively been identified as Keith Allen Beasley, 52, of Gun Barrel City. He had been reported missing on July 14th. A Texas Department of Transportation mowing crew found the vehicle and man’s body in a drainage ditch off Highway 175 in Eustace shortly after 9:15 Wednesday morning. The pickup had been hidden from the road by tall weeds and canes. An autopsy has been ordered.

LONGVIEW — A hot-Air balloon pilot participating in the U.S. Nationals Balloon Championships in Longview, has been injured in what was called a “hard landing.” Taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center with lower-extremity impact injuries, was Dale Wong, 59, of Rancho Cucamonga, California. His hot air balloon, which is named “Ursa Minor,” landed hard in a pasture near Adrian and Sam Page roads around 9:00 Wednesday morning. Pilots in the championship flew their first competitive flight Wednesday morning. Winds had kept the pilots on the ground Tuesday morning.

AUSTIN — A Republican power struggle emerges over questionable vetoes by Governor Abbott — with an East Texan weighing in on a case that could end up in the state Supreme Court. It began when the director of the state’s Legislative Budget Board sent a letter to the comptroller questioning $200 million of Abbott’s budget vetoes. Rice University political science professor Mark Jones says, “The LBB’s argument is that the governor can only use his power of a line-item veto on appropriation items.” LBB director Ursula Parks led the charge in making that argument. State Senator and LBB member Kevin Eltife of Tyler (pictured) says, “The governor can reach into agencies as well, so he has several ways of stopping a project if he doesn’t want it done.” Lt. Governor Dan Patrick now sides with Abbott, leaving House Speaker Joe Straus on the other side of the debate.

TYLER — Authorities say an airplane made an emergency landing at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport Wednesday afternoon due to an unruly passenger. KETK reports the city of Tyler, security, and Tyler police were awaiting the passenger when the plane arrived. Officials said the man had allegedly been drinking prior to his flight and was intoxicated by the time he boarded the plane. During the flight, scheduled from Dallas to Tyler, the man reportedly became unruly with a flight attendant. The landing was then classified as an emergency, and the unidentified passenger was handcuffed once the plane was on the ground. The passenger was checked by a firefighter and then cited for disorderly conduct/public intoxication.

LONGVIEW — The “super load” was back on the road Wednesday morning nearing its final destination at the Eastman Chemical Plant in Longview. TxDOT says the transporter made its way through Tatum in Rusk County, where residents lined the side of the highway as if watching a parade. The convoy hit the road just after 6 a.m., and reached its stopping point for the day on SH 149 in Longview at 9:30 a.m. Continue reading Super Load Nears Final Destination

TYLER — Smith County authorities say crews cleared the scene by mid-afternoon Wednesday following a rig fire that caused problems for drivers. Multiple fire crews worked the blaze, which engulfed the truck after breaking out Wednesday morning on Highway 31 just east of Toll 49. According to KETK, traffic heading east on Highway 31 had to be temporarily rerouted to Toll 49.

TYLER — Tyler’s City Council Wednesday awarded the construction contract for the city’s planned animal care facility to TMV, LLC. According to a city news release, the firm was the lowest and most qualified bidder. Property at 4218 Chandler Highway was purchased in late 2013 for a permanent, city-owned animal care facility. The property included ten acres of land and an 18,165-square-foot building. An architectural firm and subcontractor were contracted to assess needs and use, and to design the renovation. In March 2014, the City Council created a seven member Animal Care Advisory Board to make recommendations to the City Council and City staff. Continue reading Animal Care Facility Bid Awarded

BEN WHEELER — An investigation is ongoing after a body was found in Van Zandt County early Saturday morning. According to KETK, the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office responded around 12:30 a.m. to a shooting incident located off County Road 4605 in the Ben Wheeler area. The victim has been identified as Jimmy W. Stanger III, 24, of Ben Wheeler. Stanger was pronounced dead at the scene due to one gunshot wound of the chest. No arrests have been made.

CANTON — An East Texas dad wants barriers placed outside busy stores. Don Bunch’s 18-year -old daughter Jessica was nearly killed a couple of weeks ago while at a Redbox machine in Canton. An elderly woman plowed into Jessica, leaving the young woman with punctured lungs, a shattered pelvis, broken ribs, internal bleeding, and much more. Bunch says he wants pedestrians in front of shops protected. He says, “When those people pull in…if they get the brake and the gas mixed up, it’s gonna happen again.” He says he’s seen such barriers — big concrete posts in front of Walmarts. Jessica has had several surgeries, and Bunch says she’ll be recovering for months.

HARRISON COUNTY — A news director in Marshall is fighting charges of hit and run. According to KETK, Ashli Acker Dansby, 33, of Marshall, turned herself in to police just before 7:00 Tuesday morning. The accident happened last Saturday. Officials said Dansby’s husband called police and said his wife believed she struck a pedestrian. An arrest warrant was obtained. The pedestrian was treated at Good Shepherd Medical Center for a broken toe and lacerations to her head and face. Dansby, who is the news director for KMHT Radio in Marshall, was charged with failure to stop and render aid and for leaving the scene of an accident. But Dansby’s lawyer says he feels her actions were proper and hopes to clear her in the case.

LONGVIEW — A Longview motorcycle officer has been injured in a traffic accident. It happened yesterday in the intersection of Lake Lamond Road and Cotton Street. According to the Longview Police Department Facebook page, Officer Rodney Smith was traveling westbound on Cotton Street responding to a major accident. As he entered the intersection with his lights and siren on, the motorcycle was hit by a car driven by John Murphy Fruge. Officer Smith was transported to Longview Regional Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car, John Fruge was not injured. He was issued a citation for fail to yield right-of-way to an emergency vehicle.

KILGORE — The Kilgore College TRIO Program will be awarded a $1.15 million federal grant to continue its services through the year 2020. According to a news release, the program’s primary goal is to help first-generation, low-income, and disabled students to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. The TRIO Program at KC is in its 14th year and has helped 1,329 students, according to the release. The program, first introduced in 1968 under the Higher Education Act, was named TRIO because it consisted of three programs: Upward Bound, Talent Search, and Student Support Services. It now consists of seven.

TYLER – A 38-year-old former Hopkins County schoolteacher has been indicted in Tyler federal court on child exploitation charges. According to federal authorities, former Sulphur Springs resident Lucas R. Hill has been named in a three-count indictment returned July 15. Charges include producing child pornography, enticing and coercing a minor, and transferring obscene matter to a child younger than 16. The indictment was unsealed Tuesday, and Hill is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Wednesday. Continue reading Former Teacher Indicted on Child Sexual Exploitation Charges

CANTON — A missing East Texas teenager was found safe Monday night in Canton, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office. KETK reports Cheyenne Cantrell, 15, was located around 9:30 p.m. at the local Walmart and reunited with her family. She had been missing since 3 a.m. on July 11. Authorities are still investigating where she was during the week she was missing.

MOUNT PLEASANT — The Department of Public Safety is seeking information on a fatal hit and run accident. It happened just before 4:30 Monday morning on Interstate Highway 30 at mile marker 173 near the Titus/Morris County line. A 13 year old boy was riding his bicycle east bound when he was struck and killed. It’s believed the vehicle that hit the boy will have damage to the hood, windshield and right front quarter panel or any similar combination. Investigators are asking area collision repair facilities to contact them if a vehicle with such damage comes in for repair. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call 903-572-3616.

RUSK — Authorities say an East Texas fugitive wanted for indecency with a child has been caught after a couple of days on the run. According to KETK, the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office says Martin J. Francis, 19, entered a guilty plea on three counts of indecency with a child by contact on June 15 — but never showed up for the punishment phase of the trial. The DA’s Office said the jury had already assessed a two-year prison sentence for Francis. Authorities say they were able to track down Francis Friday night at a Palestine hotel. He’s currently in the Anderson County Jail.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP/Staff) – The NFL and the NFL Players Association have been ordered into settlement negotiations on the case filed in federal court by the union over Adrian Peterson’s suspension. U.S. Magistrate Judge Janie Mayeron issued her order Monday. She set a settlement conference for Aug. 13, a half-hour following a previously scheduled hearing on the case in front of U.S. District Judge David Doty. The NFLPA filed a petition last November, seeking a rejection of NFL arbitrator Harold Henderson’s decision to deny Peterson’s appeal of his suspension. The former Palestine star was punished by the league for the child abuse charge he faced in Texas regarding his young son. Doty sided with the union in February, and the league appealed.

NASHVILLE (ABC/Staff) — Another celebrity couple calls it a day — and this time it involves an East Texan. Blake Shelton and Lindale’s own Miranda Lambert, arguably country music’s most popular and adorable couple, are getting divorced. In a joint statement Shelton and Lambert say, “This is not the future we envisioned. And it is with heavy hearts that we move forward separately.” They end the statement by asking for privacy and compassion. Lambert and Shelton married in May of 2011. They have no children.

TYLER — Officials are investigating recent gunshot incidents for possible links to the controversy surrounding several Whitehouse city officials. KETK reports shots were fired during the nighttime hours at the law office of the attorney representing Whitehouse Police Chief Craig Shelton, who is at the center of the case. The other targets were Shelton’s home and the front gate of Larry Cagle’s property. Cagle is an IT specialist contracted by the City of Whitehouse. He was in the car with Shelton and City Manager Kevin Huckabee the night of the May incident that led to the controversy. Continue reading Recent Shootings May Be Linked to Whitehouse Case

ANGELINA COUNTY — One person was killed and two are injured following a Sunday morning wreck. It happened around 6:20 on Highway 69 in Angelina County. According to KETK, an SUV, driven by Daniel Lee Martin, 29, Lufkin, crossed the highway, struck a culvert causing the vehicle to overturn, and struck several trees. The two passengers in the SUV were identified as Michael Robert Mariana, 27, and James-Lee Marina, 22, both of Lufkin. Michael was taken to a Tyler hospital by helicopter. James was pronounced dead at the scene. DPS reports James was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Daniel was taken to a Lufkin-area hospital. Continue reading Lufkin Man Charged with Intoxication Manslaughter

LONGVIEW — In separate cases, two men have been booked into the Gregg County Jail for a third or more driving while intoxicated offense. One of those was John Allen Mumphrey, 64, of Longview. The Longview News Journal reports Mumphrey was arrested shortly before 11:30 Friday morning by Gregg County sheriff’s deputies in the 188th District Court. Continue reading Two Arrested in Longview For Third DWI Offense

TYLER — Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of July 20, 2015. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

Motorist traveling through the Loop 323 West Widening project in Tyler can expect delays Sunday afternoon, July 19, when the northbound outside lane closes in preparation for night operations to remove the final section of the old railroad bridge. Night work starts Sunday and will continue for the two or three days required for removal of the structure. Expect varying lane closures between 7:00pm and 6:00am. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes to avoid delays. This is an active work zone so use caution. More information on this project is available in the Smith County construction updates portion of this release. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects

LONGVIEW — Jury Selection starts Today in the trial of a Winona man accused in a 2013 Longview murder. Alejandro Garcia, 23, is charged with the murder of Andres Chavez, 19. The Longview man’s body was found December 23rd, 2013, lying outside a car in the 1100 block of Sabine Street. The autopsy report indicated he died from blunt trauma to the head and sharp force injuries to the neck. Investigators said Chavez may have been lured to his death by a catfish. A catfish is a person who creates a false online identity to pursue an online romance. Garcia had allegedly set up a fake Facebook account. Authorities say he posed as a woman named Monica Ayalin and had several conversations with the victim. According to Facebook posts, Ayalin and Chavez were in a relationship and he believed he was meeting “her” for a date.

AUSTIN (AP) — Four additional counties have been added to the federal disaster declaration for Texans damaged by deadly severe weather that began in early May. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday announced that Hood, Madison, Shelby and Wharton counties were added as part of the declaration. There are now residents in 46 counties who can apply for federal disaster assistance. The counties were the ones hardest hit by severe storms, tornadoes, damaging winds and flooding from May 4 to June 19. The disaster assistance for homeowners and renters include aid for rent, temporary housing, home and business repairs, and other disaster-related needs.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man wanted in Smith County has been arrested. Lawson Wayne Weatherby, 35, is charged with theft of property valued less than $20,000 but more than $1,500. He was arrested very early Saturday morning by Longview Police in the 400 block of Meadowview Road. He remains in the Gregg County Jail on a bond of $60,000.

LONGVIEW — An Overton man remains in the Gregg County Jail without bond following his arrest for DWI. Accused of a third or more driving while intoxicated offense is John Allen Mumphrey, 64. The Longview News Journal reports Mumphrey was arrested shortly before 11:30 Friday morning by Gregg County sheriff’s deputies in the 188th District Court.

TYLER — The countdown to the 2015 Texas Rose Festival is officially underway following Friday evening’s kickoff celebration at Tyler’s Willow Brook Country Club. Rose Queen Madeline Wynne says family tradition and the event’s economic impact make it special for her. Madeline told KTBB she’s just the latest in a long line of family members to take part in the festival and that she’s excited to be doing her part. She also pointed out that Tyler’s roses and the festival brought in about $2.3 million to the local economy in 2014. And Madeline took time to thank the festival’s numerous volunteers for their “amazing work” each year. The Rose Festival runs October 15-18. Go to http://www.texasrosefestival.com for all the details on his year’s event.

TYLER — Contractors continue efforts to repair damaged roadways and remove debris caused by the unrelenting storms that occurred during the spring. While several roadways have opened to traffic, numerous others are closed or down to one travel lane as repairs are made.

The emergency contract implemented following a May tornado is progressing with the contractor finishing up in Rusk County by early next week and moving to Cherokee County. Drewery Construction of Nacogdoches is in the middle of removing about 45,000 cubic yards of tree debris from state highway rights-of-way, city streets and other areas of the counties impacted by the tornado. The contract is a coordinated effort with the City of Henderson and the counties, and is being overseen by a state monitor and a TxDOT inspector. It is expected to wrap up by the end of the month. Drewery spent the month of June removing debris from another tornado that struck Van and Van Zandt County in May. Meanwhile, the Tyler District continues to monitor numerous emergency road repair contracts necessitated by the stormy spring weather conditions. Continue reading Update On Area Road Repairs Following Storms

GRAPELAND — A Tyler man is being charged in Houston County sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact. Edward Dwaine Justice, 35, was already in jail on drug charges when Grapeland Police filed the new charges on him. Justice is accused of performing sexual acts with an underage girl and molesting a young boy. Records show Justice has been booked into the Smith County Jail on numerous charges since 2002. Among those where two aggravated assault charges in 2009.