KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Five artists with strong ties to the region are in the spotlight with the Tyler Museum of Art’s newest major exhibition, Reflections of East Texas, on view July 26 through Sept. 27. According to a museum news release, the exhibition features more than 30 works across a broad spectrum of media by artists Keith Carter, Ted Ellis, Diane Frossard, Mike Perry, and Franklin Demetrius Willis. Several of the works were recently completed and will be seen by the public for the first time during the show’s run. Continue reading “Reflections of East Texas” Opens at TMA

TYLER — A man booked at the Smith County Jail punched an officer in the face after being taken out of his cell to go through processing, according to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office. KETK reports Tyler police had arrested Tyler Calvin Kendrick for criminal trespass. Kendrick was not photographed and fingerprinted at the time of booking because he was acting aggressively toward officers, according to authorities. Continue reading Officials: Smith County Officer Attacked by Inmate

ODESSA (AP) – A Jacksonville man has been arrested in the stabbing death of a West Texas teenage girl 26 years ago. Thompson Ward Stricklen Jr., 52, is in Ector County Jail in Odessa jailed on murder and sexual assault charges. Bond is set at $350,000. Wendy Burdette was 15 when her body was found in an Odessa field in 1989. She had been raped and her throat was cut. A Texas Department of Public Safety report matched Burdette’s DNA with a sample taken from Stricklen as part of his sex-offender registration. Odessa police Cpl. Steve LeSueur told the Odessa American that Stricklen was previously a suspect in the stabbing but police had too little evidence to arrest him.

LONGVIEW — Longview police are issuing an advisory to local residents after investigating what they term numerous trailer thefts this summer. Police have put out a list of extra precautions to ensure that you don’t become a victim.

– Add a locking device, security alarm, or tracking device.
– Keep documentation, including photos, of your trailer.
– Make your trailer look unique by adding personalized items or artwork or painting the trailer a bright color. This will also attract attention to the trailer by the general public in the event it is stolen. Citizens may be more apt to remember seeing it. Continue reading Suggestions to Avoid Trailer Theft

TYLER — The criminal case against Whitehouse Police Chief Craig Shelton has been dismissed. According to KETK, Smith County District Attorney Matt Bingham says there was “sufficient probable cause” at the time of Shelton’s arrest but new evidence has come to light nullifying the charges. Bingham says that on July 8, the woman who filed assault charges against Shelton, stemming from an incident in May, lied while under oath before the grand jury. Shelton was initially asked to resign from the police department, but his lawyer vowed to fight the charges. Shelton remains on unpaid leave from the city. Several other city employees are also involved in the case. City Manager Kevin Huckabee was initially placed on leave but is now back on the job on a probationary basis.

LONGVIEW — A jury has found Alejandro Garcia guilty of the December 2013 death of a Longview teen. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Garcia, 23, of Winona was charged with murder in the death of 19-year-old Andres Chavez at a Longview mobile home park on Sabine Street. Police have said Garcia created a fake Facebook page, in which he posed as a woman, to lure Chavez to meet him. Police records indicate Garcia targeted Chavez because he believed the teen would harm Garcia’s sister. Garcia faces up to life in prison on the charge. The jury began deliberating about 4:20 p.m. Thursday. After about four hours, jurors asked that they be allowed to adjourn for the day and reconvened Friday morning to continue deliberations before returning the guilty verdict.

LIBERTY CITY — The reward has been increased to $5,000 for information leading to the return of a missing East Texas teen. According to KETK, 16-year-old Paiglynn Raymond of Liberty City has been missing since April 17. The family says it’s convinced someone local knows something about her disappearance. A few sightings matching the teen’s description have been reported in Dallas and Colorado.

LONGVIEW — A Longview jury is continuing deliberations in the murder trial of a Smith County man. Both the prosecution and the defense rested their cases Thursday in the trial of Alejandro Garcia, 23, of Winona. The jury deliberated around 4 hours before retiring for the night. Garcia 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. Continue reading Jury Deliberations Continue in Longview Murder Trial

MOUNT PLEASANT — The Department of Public Safety has identified a teenager killed in a hit and run accident in Northeast Texas. Trooper Sylvia Jennings Told KETK the boy is Brice Lee Croley, 13, of Mt. Pleasant. He was riding his bicycle east bound on Interstate Highway 30 when he was struck and killed just before 4:30 Monday morning. The accident happened at mile marker 173 near the Titus/Morris County line. The vehicle fled the scene. 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.

MARSHALL — An accused sex offender has been arrested in Marshall. KETK reports Kerric Lawrence Tucker, 26, of Lancaster, was arrested without incident Thursday night at a residence in the 700 block of Oak Street. He had been wanted for continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14. Tucker was booked in to the Harrison County Jail on an outstanding warrant from Dallas County.

LONGVIEW — Longview’s Good Shepherd Medical Center has been notified it is not in compliance with minimum standards necessary to take part in Medicare and Medicaid programs. The Longview News Journal reports Steve Altmiller, president and CEO of Good Shepherd Health System said in an email last night to staff members that the decision is based on the findings of a full site survey earlier this summer by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He said the agency could publish a notice today in the News-Journal “about our noncompliance and future participation in the Medicare program.” The email went on to say “I am disappointed by the government’s decision. But most of all, I am embarrassed surveyors pointed out issues that we should have self-identified.” Continue reading Good Shepherd Fails to Meet Federal Standards

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University has named Deena Shelton as its new director of Career Services. Shelton will assist LETU students and alumni to identify their vocational calling, find rewarding careers and continue tracking graduate placement and internship placements. She will serve as a liaison with corporate and industry partners. Her work will include counseling students in job search strategies, resume building, interviewing, dressing for success and business etiquette. Originally from Mississippi, Shelton is a first-generation college student who earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from LETU in 2006 before completing her Master of Arts in community counseling at Stephen F. Austin State University. She is currently in a Ph.D. program at Walden University in Minnesota. Continue reading Deena Shelton Has New Post at Letourneau University

WASHINGTON — East Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert continues his sharp criticism of the Iran nuclear deal. Taking the House floor, the Tyler Republican said, “This deal with an evil group of leaders in Iran is going to spell death down the road for masses of people if we don’t get it stopped. So Mr. Speaker – that’s my plea. Let’s stop the deal for the good of the world.”

LONGVIEW (AP/STAFF) — The biggest shipment ever received at the Port of Caddo-Bossier in Louisiana has reached its destination, a Gregg County chemical plant. An official with Eastman Chemical Company says the 303-ton piece of equipment arrived Thursday afternoon in Longview. The so-called “cold box” was trucked from Shreveport in a journey that began last Friday. Spokeswoman Kristin Parker says a cold box is a collection of heat exchangers inside an insulated box. The unit was made in Asia and hauled by barge from the Port of New Orleans to Shreveport, via the Mississippi River and the Red River. Parker says a second shipment is expected to arrive next week. Eastman is based in Kingsport, Tennessee. Continue reading “Super Load” Reaches Eastman Chemical Site in Longview

AUSTIN – The Texas Water Development Board Thursday approved $410,000 in financial assistance from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to the City of Hudson in Angelina County. The City will be able to finance planning and design costs associated with replacing its wastewater treatment plant, according to a TWDB news release. Officials say the city could save approximately $60,600 over the life of the loan by using the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. Hudson’s wastewater treatment plant was built in 1978 and has reached the end of its useful service life, according to the news release. The award was part of $15,364,000 in financial assistance for water and wastewater system improvements distributed to four entities around the state. TWDB also approved $3.9 billion in assistance through the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT).

TYLER — Two-way traffic resumed by mid-morning Thursday on Highway 64 West near Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. Vehicles had previously been prohibited from passing through the scene of an early morning accident in the area. Utility crews continued work to restore power in the vicinity, according to city officials. Airport Manager Davis Dickson said he did not expect any further delays at the airport. Continue reading Normal Traffic Flow Resumes Following Hwy 64 Wreck

NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP/STAFF) — Country star Miranda Lambert of Lindale jumped on stage and sang at a small club in Nashville, Tennessee, two days after announcing her divorce from husband Blake Shelton. The Grammy-winning singer was all smiles on Wednesday night as she joined her friend, singer Ashley Monroe, in singing “Heart Like Mine,” which she co-wrote with Monroe. The show was a preview of Monroe’s forthcoming album, “The Blade,” and country artists including Vince Gill and Phillip Sweet of Little Big Town also populated the small club. Lambert, 31, and Shelton, 39, announced their divorce Monday after four years of marriage. Lambert spent most of the evening singing along from the crowd, until Monroe invited her up to participate in her encore performance. Lambert and Shelton are among country’s most popular singers. Both pick up scores of awards annually.

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.