KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – The campus police at Tyler Junior College are investigating a report of a man exposing himself to three women. A news release from the school said it happened around 4:30 Thursday afternoon outside the OHPE faculty parking lot F-8 on main campus. The incident happened as the three were sitting in a car. He was last seen leaving the campus in a tan four-door vehicle. The man is described as a white male, slim build, 6 feet tall, short hair and appeared to be in his 20s. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans. Following the incident campus police issued a campus wide alert and increased patrols of the campus and nearby areas.

LONGVIEW – The 68th annual Gregg County Fair starts Friday and runs through September 16th. There’s the carnival, exhibits, fair food, petting zoo and even pigs racing for an Oreo cookie. Then you add to that the music, contests and the Miss Gregg County Pageant, there is something for everyone. Activities get underway Friday evening at 6:00. Admission is $6 per person. It is free to children 3 and younger, seniors 60 and older, and military personnel with ID. You can go to http://greggcountyfair.com for a schedule of activities and more information.

TYLER – The East Texas Human Needs Network has a new online services directory to help people in need in Smith and Cherokee counties. With access to the internet, you have help in a variety of ways by completing an anonymous help form. Help is available in such areas as abuse and neglect, crisis hotlines and helplines, housing and shelter, legal matters and much more. And there is a tool that enables you to translate the material to your native language. The organization’s founder, Christina Fulsom says, when you need help or answers as quickly as possible, before a small issue becomes an overwhelming problem, help is just a click away on the internet at 903HELP.

TYLER – Tyler has recorded a record low temperature for September 7th. The National Weather Service recorded a low of 54 degrees shortly before 7:00am. The previous record low for the date was 55 degrees recorded in 2011.

PALESTINE – Palestine’s new municipal court judge is Alex Nemer. He was named to the post by the city council at a called meeting this week. Nemer, an attorney, is a long-time resident and served as municipal court judge from January 1974 to December 1976. He has also served as the Assistant County Attorney and later the County Attorney for Anderson County. He succeeds the current judge William Curley starting next month.

AUSTIN – Sales tax rebates from the state are going out. For Tyler and Longview, the numbers are up. The state is sending out $668.3 million in local sales tax allocations for September, 6.2% more than in September 2016. These allocations are based on sales made in July. Tyler’s check tops $3.2 million. That is over 7 1/2% more than July of last year. For the year to date, Tyler’s sales tax allocations total over $30 million. Longview’s September check is for over $2.3 million, or nearly 10% over last year’s check. For the year, Longview has received over $22 million from the state, up just over 1% from last year.

LONGVIEW — Two corporate-owned Jack in the Box restaurants in Longview and one in Kilgore closed last week due to a decline in business. According to the Longview News-Journal and KETK, corporate headquarters in San Diego said the Longview fast-food restaurants at West Marshall Avenue and Spur 63, North Access Road off Interstate 20, and on U.S. 259 North in Kilgore were “underperforming locations.” The company closed all three Aug. 28. The Access Road Jack in the Box opened in 1999, the Kilgore store followed in 2002 and the Marshall Avenue location began in 2003.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A 28-year-old man was arrested in Coffee City Wednesday night for possession of meth. Henderson County Sheriff Deputies were investigating a game room on Highway 155 when Aaron Sean Short made a mad dash from the building. He jumped into a van of startled, screaming people and was immediately arrested. Short was found to be in possession of a large amount of meth and admitted to being a drug dealer, according to deputies. He faces numerous charges, including manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.

TYLER – Tyler Police are looking for a missing 9 year old Hispanic male. He is Natanael Laja Candelerio. He’s 4’09” and described as slightly chubby. There is no clothing description. He was last seen around 111 West Martin Luther King Boulevard. If you know where he can be found, you are asked to contact the Tyler Police Department.

LIBERTY CITY – A Kilgore teen is arrested on two charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In the Gregg County Jail under bonds totaling $40,000 is Vangie Marie Weaver, 17. She is said to have cut one woman’s hand with a knife. The second woman’s hand was also cut by a knife and hit with a bamboo cane. Weaver was arrested after sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on Cain Lane in Liberty City around 12:45 Wednesday morning. No word on what caused the attack.

TYLER – Now parents of Tyler school students know where their child is after getting on a school bus. There is now an app for that. Introduced Wednesday, the app is called “Here Comes the School Bus.” Students scan on and off the bus with their student ID barcode. It’s a great safety feature and it makes sure your student never misses the bus. And if the weather is bad, the app will alert you when the bus is less then two miles away, so they don’t spend excess time in the rain. You get more information on the “Here Comes the School Bus” app on the TISD web site.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A judge is awarding $16 million in a lawsuit filed by a woman married to her cousin at age 14 in a ceremony overseen by polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs (pictured). A lawyer for Elissa Wall said Wednesday the decision lets attorneys investigate bank accounts and property connected to the secretive group based along the Utah-Arizona border. Alan Mortensen says Wall plans to use the money to help people leaving the group, which also has a compound in South Dakota. Wall’s testimony helped convict Jeffs in Utah, though the verdict was overturned on a technicality and he’s now imprisoned at the Louis C. Powledge Unit near Palestine, Texas.

GUN BARREL CITY – Henderson County sheriff’s deputies, who were trying to serve a warrant, also made a drug bust. They were looking for Candice Renea Kirbie, 30, of Mabank. She wasn’t at a Gun Barrel City home. But they spotted her short time later in the passenger seat of a passing pickup. In her purse they found a a scale, a glass pipe and numerous plastic baggies, all commonly used in the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. They also found suspected methamphetamines. Kirbie was arrested for the outstanding felony warrant for the probation violation and charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.

LUFKIN — The body of a Lufkin DJ has been recovered from the floodwaters in southeast Texas. 31-year old Alonso Guillen was helping rescue hurricane survivors when he, and two others, were tossed into the waters. Their rescue boat slammed into an Interstate 45 frontage road bridge. One man was rescued after being found clinging to a tree. One man’s body was recovered Friday. Sunday afternoon, Guillen’s body floated past a sandy berm where family members had been keeping watch for days, and a relative pulled his body from the water.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — A Rusk man has died following a motorcycle wreck around 2:00 Tuesday afternoon. According to the DPS report, Danny Crouch, 68, was traveling south on CR 1910, about 10 miles south of Jacksonville, when he failed to negotiate a sharp curve. Crouch’s Harley left the roadway and crossed a grass median. He was ejected from the bike and pronounced dead at the scene.

TYLER – A grand jury has indicted a Lindale woman in the deaths of two persons just west of Tyler. Indicted on two counts of intoxication manslaughter is Jessica Lauren Vass, 35. She was involved in a wreck that killed Gary McCrary, 62, of Flint and Annette Burkhart, 56, of Garland. McCrary was assisting Burkhart in changing a flat tire on her car when the Vass vehicle hit the back of his pickup which then hit the Burkhart car. The crash occurred April 12th on Loop 49 just north of Highway 64.

TYLER – It is nearly East Texas State Fair time in Tyler and some new attractions are being announced. There will be a countryfest on each Saturday at the fair with live country music. There will also be Matt’s Family Jam, an interactive musical attraction for everyone. There will be pony rides, a live tiger show, a street artist painting murals using only spray paint and a slingshot to shoot you 150 feet into the air. Then there’s the usual carnival, exhibits and fair food waiting for you September 22nd through October 1st at Tyler’s East Texas State Fair.

WINONA – One person has been arrested and another is being sought in the burglary of a Smith County business. The burglary in progress was reported shortly before midnight on Monday. It was at Crystal Springs Spirts on South Main in Winona. While heading to the business, deputies spotted the suspect’s vehicle heading South on Highway 271. After a brief chase, the suspects vehicle left the road and traveled through a field and down several embankments. The vehicle was found abandoned near some woods. Items taken in the burglary was found in the vehicle.

TYLER — Six Smith County deputies headed to Houston Tuesday morning to help with Hurricane Harvey relief. Sheriff Larry Smith said they’ll be assisting in the Greater Houston Area for seven days. Smith says it’s likely that a second group of six will be deployed upon their return.

NASHVILLE (ABC) – Nominees for the 51st Country Music Association Awards have been announced — and Lindale’s own Miranda Lambert, already much-honored, tops the list. Lambert gets five nods, including female vocalist, album, music video, single, and song of the year. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will return to host the awards ceremony Wednesday, November 8, live on ABC from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

TYLER — New details are released following an ammonia leak at Brookshire’s Warehouse in Tyler Friday. Fire officials said the leak occurred on the roof of a cold storage building due to a failure in the piping. Ten people were treated at the scene. 12 were released after treatment at local hospitals, including one person from a nearby business who sought treatment. The valves were shut off until the ammonia dissipated to a safe level. Morning traffic was backed up for a time due to road closures in the area of Loop 323 and Old Jacksonville Highway. The area was deemed safe just after 10:00 a.m.

LONGVIEW — A Longview teenager was arrested for his involvement in a shooting August 16. Xzayver Alexzay Carter, 19, has been charged with aggravated assault following the shooting at the American Fidelity Apartments on Morrison Street. One person suffered life-threatening injuries but has since been released from the hospital. Carter was arrested on a warrant Monday afternoon. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail with bond set at $500,000. He’s been arrested numerous times over the last two years. Those charges include evading arrest, criminal trespass and unlawful carrying of a weapon.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say a man attacked an elderly person with a chair near a busy intersection Friday evening. According to the Longview News-Journal, Aaron Matthew Porras, 21, was booked into the Gregg County Jail with bond set at $69,000. He’s charged with resisting arrest, aggravated assault, evading arrest and two counts of harassing a public servant. Police responded to East Marshall Avenue near Alpine Road shortly after 5 p.m. after someone noticed a man striking an elderly man with a chair. Porras ran from the scene when officers arrived, then scuffled with officers after he was caught, spitting at two of the officers. It was Porras’ sixth arrest in about six months, including Aug. 22 on a public intoxication charge.

TYLER — A Tyler pastor and school board president is giving back to his state in a big way. As a member of the Texas State Guard he deployed to help in the aftermath of hurricane Harvey. Rev. Fritz Hager Jr. says he will be there as long as he’s needed, and the devastation suggests that could be a while. He tells KETK this is the largest military mobilization in Texas since WWII. Hager is stationed in Beaumont. He is seeing the devastation firsthand, and working as a chaplain looking out for the spiritual and emotional well being of the soldiers and victims. Continue reading TISD Board President Deployed to Beaumont

LONGVIEW — Longview residents are getting a head start on a big national activity. On Tuesday, October 3, neighborhoods throughout Longview are being invited to plan neighborhood parties for the 34th Annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event. Tonight’s National Night Out Kick-Off Event is set for 6:00 to 8:00 at the Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Complex. Attendees can pick up signs to promote the October parties, mingle with local law enforcement, and enjoy free food (for the first 300 people). You can get more information by calling Partners in Prevention at 903-237-1019 or Sgt. Jacky Hiles at 903-452-3522.

AUSTIN — Owners of multi-line phone systems in Texas are now required to provide direct dial access to 911 without having to dial a 9 first. KETK reports businesses had until Friday to comply. “Kari’s Law” was signed into law in 2015. In March of this year, the Convention of State Emergency Communications adopted the rule. The law was named after Kari Hunt Dunn, murdered by her estranged husband in a Marshall hotel room as their daughter tried to call 911 — but didn’t realize she had to begin the call by dialing an extra 9.

GREGG COUNTY — A motorist found idling his vehicle in a West Longview intersection raced from officers at speeds of more than 100 mph before stopping at a freeway interchange. According to the Longview News-Journal, Robert Odell Smith, 35, of Longview, remained in the Gregg County Jail under $23,000 bond Sunday, charged with driving while intoxicated, marijuana possession and evading arrest with a vehicle. Longview police noticed Smith’s vehicle failed to properly stop at a stop light on Enterprise Street at Southwest Loop 281 about midnight Sunday. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, Smith fled east on the loop, leading to a chase in excess of 100 mph. Continue reading Longview Man Arrested after Police Chase

OVERTON — One person has been arrested and charged with murder after a shooting in Overton. According to KETK, Overton police were called to a home on North Rusk Street around 11 p.m. Friday night. They found a 51-year-old man deceased inside the house. Terry Ammons, 64, was arrested and was booked into the Rusk County Jail with bond set at 1 million dollars.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of September 4th. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Summer seal coat operations resume Tuesday to finish up work on U.S. Highway 271 in Smith County. The roadway is being sealed from Farm Road 2015 north to .03 mile south of Interstate Highway 20. Once complete, work moves to Farm Road 2767 from Loop 323 eastward to FM 2908. You can go to http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/045-2017.html for a complete rundown of Tyler District work for the next several days.

TYLER – Tyler Junior College trustees have adopted a new budget of $90,708,721. The approval came at a meeting last week. Under the new budget, full-time employees will receive an increase to their annual base earnings of $600 plus 1%. School trustees also decided to keep the same tax rate. Even though the rate did not go up, they will still be receiving more money from homeowners because the appraised value of homeowners’ property in the TJC taxing district increased. School trustees also kept the same tuition rates, but there was a slight increase in fees. The surcharge for out-of-district students was increased by 1.1% and the no-resident student surcharge was hiked by 1.3%. School officials say the surcharge increase allows those who are not otherwise supporting the College with their tax dollars to pay an “equalization offset.”