KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler Police are investigating a reported armed robbery. Officers say they were called to an apartment complex at 4917 Thistle after a woman said two black males robbed her. The victim claims the men approached her, pulled a gun and demanded her purse, then fled the scene. She was not injured. Both suspects are described as 6′ tall, 180 – 200 pounds. One was said to be wearing dark shorts and no shirt. The second suspect was wearing a white tee shirt and khaki shorts. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tyler Police.

EAST TEXAS – Some power outages were noted around the area Tuesday. The problems have been corrected and the power restored. Oncor says most of the outages were heat related, such as transformers that overloaded. They report, at one time, about 750 customers without electricity. About 500 of the homes were in Smith County, most in the southern part of the county. Other outages were reported in the Jacksonville, Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas.

TYLER – A Tyler man has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Found hiding under his house in the 800 block of Englewood was Christopher Gonzalez, 18. It all started shortly after 1:15 Tuesday afternoon when police received a call of a kidnapping. Officers say Gonzales is accused of pointing a handgun at his girlfriend and another girl. When he learned that police had been called, he hid under the house. He has been released from the Smith County Jail under bonds totaling $200,000 on two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

AUSTIN — An East Texas woman is one of seven persons appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education. The committee provides policy guidance with respect to special education and related services for children with disabilities in Texas.

Among those appointed to the panel is Susan ‘Stormi’ Johnson of Palestine. She is a diagnostician and special education teacher in the Palestine Independent School District and Anderson County Juvenile Detention Center. She is a member of the East Texas Diagnostician Association and Texas Educational Diagnostician Association. She is also board secretary of Anderson Cherokee Community Enrichment Services. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Tyler and a master’s degree in communication from Stephen F. Austin State University, and completed her Educational Diagnostician Certification from the University of Texas at Tyler. She is appointed for a term to expire February 1, 2015.

TYLER — Tyler police are offering their condolences following the death of a toddler whose mother works for the police department. In a statement, police say, “It is with deep sympathy that we note the passing of Noah Weisberg who passed away on Monday, August 1, 2011 in Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas.”

According to the statement, Noah was flown to Medical City Children’s Hospital, where he spent 12 days in intensive care. The statement continues, “Noah’s mother, Laura Jewell, who is employed by the Tyler Police Department 9-1-1 Communications Center, wishes to thank the community for their prayers and concerns for Noah during this very difficult time. A tragedy fund account is being set up at Southside Bank in Noah Weisberg’s name for anyone wishing to help with medical and funeral expenses.”

Noah, 2, was found floating in a backyard swimming pool in Tyler last month. Officials with the Tyler Police Department said they were called to the 600 block of Kennedy Drive about 5:00pm July 22, after Noah was discovered floating in the pool behind his home by his grandfather.

GLADEWATER — Authorities in Gladewater report a fatal shooting by police. The Gladewater Police Department tells KETK that just before 11:15 Tuesday morning, officers were called to a fight in a alley behind 222 S. Main Street. They say when they arrival they found a man with a knife who refused to put it down. Police say a taser was used twice in an attempt to get the man to drop the knife but had no effect either time. According to reports, the man was able to fight the effects of the taser and charged at the officers, at which point the officers fired. He was transported by ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The victim is identified as Willie Green. Green’s family says he was shot and killed in the parking lot of B & C Furniture, where he’s said to have been an employee. Green was reportedly fighting with another man, possibly over a female.

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – A NASA spokeswoman confirms that a piece of the space shuttle Columbia has been found in drought-stricken Lake Nacogdoches. The shuttle broke apart and burned in February 2003, killing seven people and scattering shuttle pieces across East Texas. NASA spokeswoman Lisa Malone said Tuesday the spherical object, 40 inches in diameter, was a tank and part of the shuttle’s electrical power distribution system. Nacogdoches police had said the tank was recovered from the lake after its water levels dropped because of the drought. Sgt. Greg Sowell says the lower water level has exposed a larger than normal area on the north side of the lake. Malone says the tank will be shipped to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where other Columbia debris is stored.

TYLER – Dr. Marilyn Young, Professor of Management, College of Business and Technology, University of Texas at Tyler, recently completed the 2011 Labor Market Survey for the Tyler area. Tyler Economic Development Council President/CEO Tom Mullins (pictured) says the survey is “fairly consistent” with previous such surveys, done every two to three years. Mullins says, “We do have a growing labor force, it has a varied skill set, and we have a good work ethic in this area to help support our economy.” Though challenges are ongoing, Mullins says the survey reflects no need for major changes in his council’s strategy. He remarks, “That strategy has generated good results for Tyler over the last 10-15 years.”

The purpose of the survey was to provide labor market information to businesses considering expanding or opening new facilities within the Tyler area. Mullins says detailed information concerning the labor market should be helpful in making these decisions. Numerous aspects of the labor market, such as current status, availability, minimum wage requirements, and demographic characteristics, were examined. Mullins says this information should enable employers to make more informed and rational decisions regarding expansions and investments in the Tyler and East Texas area. You can go to http://tedc.org/res_laborsurvey.php to download the survey.

The survey was conducted during March and April. The research is based upon 600 telephone interviews with respondents residing within a 30-mile radius of Tyler and covering nine counties. The population of the 30 mile radius is 365,412. According to the survey, 87.3% of the respondents were employed; 12.7% were unemployed and available for work in 2011-2012.

o This 12.7% includes hidden unemployment, i.e. new entrants and discouraged workers. A majority of the employed labor market, 82%, was employed full time.
o Of the 18% part-time workers, 42% stated they would like to work full time. Employees had been with the company for an average of 10 years. 78% of the labor force would be willing to train for a new job. 27% of the employed labor market said they were overqualified. The average distance for the total available labor market (unemployed and those people who indicated an interest in changing jobs in 2011-2012) was 22 miles.
o The average commuting distance for unemployed workers was 20 miles. Those workers employed and available are driving an average of 11 miles per day.

o The average distance driven by total employed workers was 10 miles. The majority, 80%, of the available labor market reported they were interested in full-time employment; 26% indicated an interest in part-time employment.
o 85% stated they were available for employment during the day; 25%, evening; and 13%, night. 65% of non Smith County residents said they wanted to work in Smith County. An average hourly wage of $12.89 was computed for those interested in changing jobs.
o Those unemployed were willing to accept a lower average wage of $11.71 an hour, and the total available reported $12.50 as an acceptable hourly wage.

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.