KTBB News, Weather, Talk

HENDERSON — The last seven months, Rusk County has had 12 accidents, which have killed 16 people, and those staggering numbers have the community concerned. According to KETK, that’s why the first ever traffic fatality summit in Rusk County was put together Thursday afternoon. Community leaders, law enforcement officials, and others from across and outside Rusk County were attendance. Among the meeting’s speakers were engineers with TxDOT as well as representation from Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Continue reading Rusk County Road Deaths Have Community Wanting Answers

LONGVIEW — A standoff in May left its mark on one of Longview’s SWAT vehicles. Now it’s being repaired. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report the Lenco Bearcat took about 30 rounds during the May 9th standoff with a former nurse on Eden Street. The vehicle was used to help evacuate neighbors from the area. The glass on the windshield was also weakened substantially after being hit several times. The vehicle will be out of commission until all of the repairs have been made.

TYLER — A 25-year-old Tyler man faces enhanced charges following a major wreck. Police responded to WSW Loop 323 and Jacksonville Highway around 12:15 Thursday afternoon on a report of a multiple car crash in the intersection. The driver who allegedly caused the crash was later identified as Daniel Massad. Police say Massad was driving a Dodge pickup eastbound on Loop 323 when he ran a red light at Jacksonville Highway, striking a vehicle in the intersection. Massad also struck a second vehicle waiting in traffic after the first impact, according to police. Continue reading Hit and Run Suspect Faces Enhanced Charges

CENTER — A kidnapped boy was found safe early Friday in Center. KETK reports the 11 year old boy was in his mother’s car and the mother had gone into a convenience store. While in the store, the car was stolen and the youth kidnapped. Center police reported the car and boy were found shortly before 1:00 Friday morning. More details were pending.

PALESTINE — An Anderson County man is in critical but stable condition in a Tyler hospital following a shooting. Brandon Lee Lively, 26, of Palestine was first taken to a Palestine hospital with a bullet wound in his chest. He was then flown to Tyler. The shooting is said to have occurred on West Huffsmith Street, the home of Justin Edward Anderson, 24. Investigators arrested Anderson and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He remains in the Anderson County Jail.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University has hired LETU alumnus Dr. David Dittenber as assistant professor of civil engineering, effective August 1. Dittenber holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering, mechanical concentration, from LeTourneau University, a Master of Science in civil engineering and a doctoral degree in civil engineering from West Virginia University. While at West Virginia University, he was a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow and an American Society for Engineering Education/NSF engineering innovation fellow. Continue reading Engineering Professor Added at LeTourneau University

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. – Small, nonfarm businesses in 13 Texas counties, including some in East Texas, are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by the drought that began July 9, 2013, in the following primary counties, announced Alfred E. Judd, Director of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West. Continue reading SBA Disaster Loans Available to East Texas Small Businesses

LUFKIN — Planned Parenthood is closing three Texas clinics, including one in East Texas. They are in Bryan, Huntsville, and Lufkin. Rochelle Tafoya is with Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. She says it’s due to the legislature slashing the budget for women’s health care services by two thirds in 2011. Tafoya says, “We are saddened. We can’t express how deeply distressed we are as an organization that women who live in underserved areas of Texas will be losing a trusted provider.” She says for many of the women her agency serves, this was their only healthcare provider, and she calls being forced to make this decision tragic. Of the clinics, only Bryan offers abortion services.

ATHENS — An Athens man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for cocaine charges. Officials say Marcquis Deevermont Utley, 34, was sentenced after pleading guilty to the second degree felony offense of possession of a controlled substance. According to KETK, the plea came July 9 in Judge Carter Tarrance’s 392nd Judicial District Court. Continue reading Man Gets 14 Years on Cocaine Charges

GRAND SALINE — The Grand Saline Police Department has issued updated information after a freight train collided with an SUV in the city’s downtown area. Police said Thursday that no one was injured in the wreck, but that the driver of the SUV would be cited. The crash happened shortly before 11:45 Tuesday morning as the driver reportedly tried to beat the train at the crossing. The driver was accompanied by a woman passenger.

HENDERSON — The Rusk County’s Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the Crime Stoppers program in an effort to beef up security on public school campuses within the county. According to KETK, the Crime Stoppers program is designed to educate kids and teachers on what to do if they’re faced with crime at school and how to report it. The sheriff’s office met with local school districts recently to start the program. Out of the county’s eight districts, Henderson ISD is the only one that already has the program. New additions include Tatum, Leverett’s Chapel, West Rusk, Carlisle, and Laneville, and there will be an upcoming meeting with the Overton and Mt. Enterprise school boards.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has announced that a long-missing statue has been returned to campus. According to KETK, officials say the rendering of long-time TJC President Dr. Harry Jenkins was stolen on Easter Day, April 16, 1995. “We are pleased that this valuable piece of TJC history has been returned to us and will once again be on display for faculty, staff and students to enjoy,” TJC President Dr. Metke announced. Continue reading Statue Missing for 18 Years Returned to TJC Campus

TYLER — The F.B.I. and numerous law enforcement agencies in multiple southern states (Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, Kentucky), are still seeking the identity and whereabouts of the suspect bank robber dubbed as the “Loan Ranger Bandit.” Authorities say the suspect struck again in Temple, Texas, on July 12 around 9:00 a.m. when he entered the Santa Fe Community Credit Union in the 1700 block of W. Avenue A and robbed the bank at gunpoint. The credit union is right off I-35. On May 10, a suspect matching the description of the Loan Ranger Bandit struck a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, around 11:35 a.m. Continue reading “Loan Ranger Bandit” Strikes Again, Search Continues

LONGVIEW — The Executive Director for Development at LeTourneau University is Eric McCrory. His promotion to the post has been announced by school president Dr. Dale A. Lunsford. McCrory has served LETU this past year as Special Assistant to the President, working in a development role in fundraising for the university’s strategic initiatives. Continue reading A Promotion at LeTourneau University

PALESTINE — The burn ban issued in Anderson County less than a week ago, has been lifted. County Judge Robert Johnston lifted the ban Wednesday following the recent rains. Should conditions change, the county is prepared to put the burn ban back in place.

LINDALE — An 18-wheeler wreck leaves a bridge in Lindale with some damage. It happened around 1:45 Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Interstate 20 and Highway 69. Lindale Fire officials tell KETK the rig was carrying several large tanks was attempting to go underneath the bridge. The semi had low clearance, and the tanks on the truck hit the bricks on the bridge and knocked the tanks from the vehicle. Members of TxDOT were on the scene to investigate and inspect the scene. They say there was a little damage to the bridge. Fortunately, there were no injuries to report and officials have gotten the tanks out of the roadway.

LONGVIEW — A dog was found severely injured in Longview on Tuesday after authorities say it was shot at least 30 times with a pellet gun. Longview Police tell KETK animal control immediately took the dog to a local vet for surgery. The dog lost one of his eyes but is expected to survive. Workers at the Humane Society of Northeast Texas have named the dog Spike Dillinger. The Humane Society is accepting donations for surgery and care of the animal and is looking for a family to foster or adopt him. Spike is expected to be in the care of the animal shelter by Thursday. The incident is under investigation, and you’re asked to contact Longview police if you have any leads.

TYLER — New details have emerged on a Tyler gynecologist who recently had his license suspended. KETK reports the action against William Edward Brown, M.D., is linked to alleged substance abuse. On Friday, a disciplinary panel of the Texas Medical Board temporarily suspended Brown’s Texas medical license without notice after determining that Brown’s continuation in the practice of medicine constitutes a threat to the public welfare due to his impaired status. Continue reading New Details on Tyler Doctor’s Suspension

ATHENS — It took less than 15 minutes for a Henderson County Jury on Tuesday to find Brian Keith Fugett, 36, of Trinidad, guilty of theft from an elderly person in the 392nd District Court. KETK reports Fugett, along with his girlfriend Brandi Melton, were arrested in August of 2012 by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for the offense. Continue reading Man Convicted of Theft from the Elderly

TYLER – A 28-year-old Tyler man has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking violations. Ernesto Renteria pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine yesterday in Tyler before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to federal prosecutors, from an unknown date until June 9, 2011, Renteria agreed with other persons to acquire and distribute 26 grams of pure methamphetamine in Tyler. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on May 22, 2013, charging Renteria with drug trafficking violations. Renteria faces a minimum of five years and up to 40 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

TYLER – A 46-year-old Longview man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. James Alton Russ entered his plea in Tyler Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to information presented in court, from an unknown date through February 2012, Russ was in possession of up to 200 grams of methamphetamine. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on November 7, 2012, charging Russ with drug trafficking violations. Russ faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

QUITMAN — The suspect in a Wood County manhunt is due to be transferred from a local hospital to the Wood County Jail around the end of this month. KETK reports Daniel McLemore was taken into custody Tuesday after an all-night search by several agencies. The search took place as a result of McLemore firing shots at a Wood County Deputy and a DPS Trooper as they responded to a disturbance call at the McLemore residence, according to authorities. Officials say McLemore escaped into a wooded area behind the property after the shots were fired. Continue reading Manhunt Suspect to Be Jailed Following Treatment

JEFFERSON — Marion County authorities have identified a man and woman found dead inside a burned home near Lake O’ the Pines last week. Both were shot to death before the fire, said Marion County Sheriff David McKnight. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, a preliminary autopsy report identified the bodies of Willard Landry, 66, and his mother, Vivian Dome, 85. The cause of their deaths was tentatively ruled homicide, McKnight said. There was no evidence of smoke in the victims’ lungs, the sheriff said, indicating they died before the house burned. Continue reading Autopsy Reveals Names of Two Killed at Lake o’ the Pines

LONGVIEW — Sheriff Maxey Cerliano and the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office have released information on a major drug arrest in Gregg County. Just after noon on Tuesday, Deputy Tracy Freeman observed a speeding vehicle traveling east bound on Interstate 20. Deputy Freeman activated his emergency lights and the 2003 black Cadillac attempted to evade the stop by exiting on Estes Parkway and driving a short distance to the back of a motel parking lot, according to officials. Authorities say Deputy Freeman located the vehicle and found the driver to be Sherman Lamont Edwards, 31, of Dallas, who allegedly had no driver license. Continue reading Major Drug Bust in Gregg County

LUFKIN — Ray’s restaurant in Lufkin has been damaged by fire. It appears to have started in a storage are in the rear of the building around 6:15 last night. The storage building suffered extensive damage while the damage to the restaurant was said to be minor. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

NACOGDOCHES — A former Nacogdoches substitute teacher will be going to prison after pleading guilty to having improper relations with several students. Jamar Ballard, 29, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was arrested in April after a student told a teacher she had sexual relations with Ballard in a classroom. Two other students later came forward to admit they too had relations with Ballard. KETK reported he pleaded guilty to two counts of improper relations between an educator and student and one count of sexual assault of a child.

LUFKIN — A Liberty County man is in custody in Angelina County in connection with over a dozen burglaries. Curtis Gabehart, age 53, of Hardin, was taken into custody when he was found with stolen property from Houston County. His arrest also cleared burglaries in Angelina, Nacogdoches, Cherokee and Trinity Counties. Gabehart remains in the Angelia County jail pending his transfer to Houston County.

GRAND SALINE — A train collided with an SUV in downtown Grand Saline. It happened shortly before 11:45 Tuesday morning as the driver reportedly tried to beat a freight train at the crossing. The driver and a woman passenger were injured. The extent of the injuries is unknown.

KILGORE — Highway officials are eyeing the next stage of Toll 49. Made up of four segments and known as the Hourglass, this section would connect the toll road near the Smith-Gregg County line and run north of Longview to Marshall. But a new map could put the toll road closer to Kilgore and Liberty city along Interstate 20. Kilgore City Manager Scott Sellers tells KETK That would be good for future development. Sellers says if implemented, the move “opens the door for future years’ growth in Kilgore and Liberty City, where we can really grow and become the linkage between Tyler and Longview.” This section is still in the planning phase. Highway officials did approve environmental studies and asked counties to consider transportation reinvestment zones during last week’s meeting.

LONGVIEW — Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott made a campaign stop in his hometown of Longview Tuesday. KETK reports Abbott was welcomed by a packed house of about 100 at Horaney’s. Abbott touched on many topics, from standing up for Texas rights to growing up in East Texas. He says he understands the issues East Texans face every day. According to Abbott, everyone in the area “needs to know that they will have a governor who understands them and will represent them in Austin, Texas, every single day.” Continue reading Abbott Makes Campaign Stop in Longview