KTBB News, Weather, Talk

ATASCOSA COUNTY — Two East Texas men have been seriously injured in an oilfield accident in Atascosa County. KETK reports it happened just before 7:00 Monday night at an oilfield site on a ranch about 16 miles south of Charlotte. That’s in the southwestern portion of the county. The men have been identified as William Crabb, 30, of Tyler, and Christopher Barrios, 29, of Chandler. Crabb and Barrios were working on a trailer with what officials called a “pipe gun” used in oilfield work. The equipment exploded while they were handling it.

Atascosa County Sheriff officials say first responders arrived on scene to find the men severely burned on their arms, faces, and abdomens. They were taken by helicopter to the San Antonio Military Medical Center. As of Tuesday afternoon, there was no word on their conditions. OSHA is investigating the incident.

EAST TEXAS — A number of area school districts will have delayed openings on Wednesday for weather-related reasons. Here’s a list from our news partner KETK:
CENTRAL HEIGHTS ISD – Classes begin at 10:00am, Buses will run two hours behind their regular schedules.

CUSHING ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am. Buses will run two hours later than regularly scheduled.

ELKHART ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am, buses run 2 hours later than the usual schedule.

FRANKSTON ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

GARRISON ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

HALLSVILLE ISD – Classes are delayed one hour, buses will run their routes an hour later than usual.

LANEVILLE ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

MARSHALL ISD – Classes will begin at 9:00am. Teachers and staff are asked to be at work no later than 8:30.

MARTINSVILLE ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

MT. ENTERPRISE ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

NACOGDOCHES ISD – Classes begin two hours late. Buses will also run two hours behind regular schedule.

NECHES ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

PALESTINE ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am. Buses will run two hours behind their regular schedule.

SLOCUM ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

WODEN ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

YANTIS ISD – Classes begin at 10:00 am.

EAST TEXAS — Freezing rain and sleet contributed to several wrecks Tuesday morning that stalled major roads near Longview. Texas Department of Public Safety troopers worked a series of crashes beginning at 7::00am on Texas Highway 31 at the Sabine River bridge. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report that crashes occurred in both directions on the roadway. The first crash involved four vehicles. There were three vehicles involved in a second crash, and then there were more. No one was transported for injuries in the crashes.

According to Longview police, there were also multiple wrecks on Interstate 20 near the Estes Parkway intersection. Traffic in the westbound lanes was stalled. A winter weather advisory was placed in effect for our area till 9:00pmTuesday.

JACKSONVILLE (AP) — The state’s oldest junior college remains on the auction block after it filed for bankruptcy last year. The auction of the Lon Morris College campus began Monday at a Dallas law firm and continued Tuesday. The two-year United Methodist school is in the small East Texas town of Jacksonville, about 125 miles southeast of Dallas. Auction firm AmeriBid says the 112-acre campus is being auctioned off in 16 sections, or lots, that include one or more buildings or athletic fields. Lon Morris filed for bankruptcy in July. The college then suspended classes in August after the U.S. Department of Education decided not to allow students to use federal aid there. Federal statutes disqualify schools that file for bankruptcy.

TYLER — Tyler school trustees have unanimously approved Gary Mooring as the TISD superintendent. A a Monday meeting school trustees approved a 2 1/2 year contract for Mooring. Last month, he was named the lone finalist for the post.

“I am honored to be named Tyler ISD Superintendent,” Mooring said. “I am committed to the District, and to this community. I will continue facing challenges head-on while working closely with the Board and District staff to make decisions that uphold our Core Beliefs.”

Mooring has been serving as interim superintendent since last August. That’s when superintendent Randy Reid left Tyler for the Keller school district. He has also served Tyler ISD in other various roles, including: interim executive director for special programs, interim transportation director, and consultant to develop the district’s operations manual. In 2010, Mr. Mooring joined Tyler Junior College as the director of dual credit.

TYLER — Tyler police are looking for the suspect who robbed the Family Dollar Store at 510 South Southwest Loop 323. It was reported around 9:45 last night. According to the clerk, the suspect entered the business, raised his shirt and displayed a handgun while demanding money. After taking an undetermined amount of cash the suspect exited the business and ran north across Front Street and into a wooded area. The suspect is described as a black male between 6’0″ and 6’2″, 160 to 175 pounds wearing a dark colored ski mask with a shark emblem, a white shirt with a dark colored hoody, dark colored jeans and a sty under his right eye. No injuries were reported.

AUSTIN (AP) — Lawmakers have defeated the vast majority of measures tea party legislators tried to pass into the Texas House rules to boost transparency in the Legislature. Republican Representatives David Simpson of Longview (pictured), Van Taylor, and Bill Zedler saw most of their measures fail Monday.

TYLER — The murder trial of a retired Tyler dentist is beginning in 7th State District Court. Dr. Bobby Ray Nichols is accused of killing his wife of 26 years. Nichols was in court for pretrial motions Monday. Jury selection was set to begin in the case Tuesday.

Last summer, Nichols told the Associated Press he regrets fatally shooting his wife. Dr. Nichols said that he misses and loved his wife. He said, “We just got in a fight and I screwed up and killed her with a gun.”

Tyler police arrested Nichols and charged him with the June 29 death of Rosiland Nichols, 71. Nichols said he’s never been in trouble, but after a few drinks with his buddies he came home and his wife began nagging him. Nichols said he doesn’t really “remember what happened” before the shooting. He said it was “almost like blacking out,” so he had hoped it was only a dream.

TYLER — Smith County Republican Chairman Ashton Oravetz resigns from his post effective this Friday. Oravetz tells KETK the national and state GOP are run by the establishment. He says they don’t follow the rules and are acting unethically. Oravetz says he’s not getting out of politics but will concentrate his full efforts on Grassroots America – We the People.

LONGVIEW — Suspects are sought in a Gregg County home invasion. Shortly after 10:30 yesterday morning, Gregg County Deputies and Texas DPS Officers responded to 6873 Judson Road in the Longview area for a reported burglary. Upon arrival, Deputies located the resident, an elderly female, bound in the trunk of her vehicle. The woman reported that three men entered her residence and then assaulted and robbed her. Afterward, she was bound with tape and placed in the trunk of her car. The suspects then took property from the residence and left the scene.

One suspect was described as a tall slim black male with no facial hair and a short haircut. He was wearing a dark colored hoodie. A second suspect was a shorter black male wearing a dark ski mask and hoodie. The third suspect was not seen by the victim. All three left the scene in a white mini-van type vehicle. You’re asked to forward any information regarding this case to Investigator Terry Mitchell at (903) 237-2529 or call Gregg County Crime Stoppers at (903) 236-STOP.

WOOD COUNTY — Wood County emergency officials say an injury sustained by a firefighter Monday was a serious hand injury, not a head injury as initially reported. Randy Selman with Wood County Emergency Management tells KETK that a Holly Lake firefighter was injured during a house fire on Monday morning. The firefighter seriously cut his hand while working a fire in the Holly Lake subdivision in Wood County. While he was being treated, he began to have heart complications as well. He was flown to a Tyler hospital.

TYLER — The Tyler Salvation Army is responding to the cold weather that has hit East Texas. On Sunday, 24 people came into The Salvation Army lodge to escape the cold weather. Temperatures dropped below freezing starting Monday and are expected to continue as such for at least part of the week. Many men, women, and children suffer through the winter temperatures with little food to eat, no shelter, and inadequate clothing to keep warm. The Salvation Army’s doors are never closed as they welcome everyone to come in from the cold. Blankets, warm meals, warm showers, safety, and a place to rest are all readily available every day of the year.

As people enter and exit the shelter or come in for assistance from Social Services, the supply of blankets, coats, and other items continues to deplete. In preparation for the spike in lodge residents, The Salvation Army is in need of more blankets, coats, twin size sheets, pillowcases, and large and small towels to ensure that there is plenty of supply on hand for everyone. You can make your donation to 633 N. Broadway Ave. Tyler, TX 75702. You can also make a monetary donation by going to http://www.salvationarmytyler.org or visiting the office.

TYLER — The Tyler Together Race Relations Forum announces the 27th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Interfaith Community Program for 2013. It’s set for Monday, January 21. This year’s theme is “A Perspective on Character, Color & Courage in America.”

Individuals and groups will meet downtown on the Square at 8:30 am for a short program and then begin the march at 9:00 am to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The program at the church will begin at 10:00 am. The keynote speaker is Fred McClure, who is the Director of the George H.W. Bush Library Foundation at Texas A&M University. Organizers are encouraging groups to come out on the Square, bring your banner and signs, and participate in the march to the church.

For more information you can either visit the Tyler Together Race Relations Forum’s website at http://www.tylertogether.org or contact the Chair, Herwanea Lewis-Sirles, at (903) 372-9791.

SMITH COUNTY — Officials reported Monday that one person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries due to a Smith County fire Saturday. Multiple crews responded to the fire in the 5300 block of County Road 314. Officials say the fire started in the garage, and because of the high winds, spread quickly throughout the house. Six people were inside the house, but all of them made it out. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the owner of the home says the fire was apparently started by a blown generator.

HOUSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review the case of an East Texas man on death row for a robbery a decade ago where three people were abducted and shot, one of them fatally. The high court Monday without comment rejected the case of Richard Cobb, 28. Cobb was 18 in 2002 when evidence showed he and a companion, Beunka Adams, walked into a convenience store in Rusk and announced a holdup. They took two female clerks and 37-year-old Richard Vandever from the store and drove to a remote area where one of the women was raped. All three captives were ordered to kneel and were shot. The women survived and one was able to summon help. Adams was executed last year. Cobb doesn’t yet have an execution date.

TYLER — Jury selection is underway in Smith County for the Whitehouse man accused of murdering a female acquaintance. Larry Joe Smith, 69, is charged with murder for fatally shooting Sandra Greenshaw on the front porch of his home on County Road 2171 in Whitehouse. According to KETK, Smith said someone broke through his front window and tried to break into his house, when he fired a shotgun in that direction. Authorities found Greenshaw on the porch with a single gunshot wound to her upper body. She died at a local hospital. Officials said evidence found at scene did not match up with Smith’s story.

TYLER — Tyler Police have arrested a man suspected of robbing a gas station. It happened around 2:45 Monday morning at the Food Fast, 805 West Houston. Two officers riding in the same patrol car pulled into the parking lot and noticed a black male exit the store. The clerk told the officers that she had just been robbed by the man. Both officers immediately ran towards the suspect in attempt to detain him. The suspect ran from officers, eventually climbing a fence leading into a residential back yard. Additional officers arrived in the area and surrounded the residence. Robert Jackson, 34, Tyler, was taken into custody a short time later. An undisclosed amount of cash was recovered at the scene. Jackson was booked into the Smith County Jail and charged with robbery.

According to online records, Jackson has several previous arrests including DWI and most recently in December for public urination.

TYLER — A stolen vehicle has been found on fire at a Tyler auto dealership. Around 8:15 Sunday night, officers were dispatched to a service station at 1516 South Vine. A man told officers he parked his 1999 Chevy Suburban in front of the business and walked inside. A short time later, when he left the business, his vehicle was gone.

About 30 minutes later the Tyler Fire Department received a call of a vehicle fire at Tyler Ford at 2626 WSW Loop 323. The vehicle on fire turned out to be the same one that had been stolen from the gas station. Several new vehicles that were parked in the dealership parking lot were also damaged due to the fire.

LONGVIEW — As the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, influenza vaccine is getting tougher to find across Longview. “We’re getting lots of phone calls asking if we have the shots,” said Shawn Sams, a pharmacist at Louis Morgan Drug No. 4, one of the few places in the city that still has a healthy supply of the vaccine. “People come in and say, ‘I tried this place and that place but they were all out.’” According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Sams said 125 people were vaccinated at the pharmacy Thursday, setting what he believes is a record. It was the same story Friday across Longview, with one pharmacy after another running out of flu vaccine as well as the antiviral prescription medicine that helps lessen symptoms.

Cheryl Herbert, executive director of infection prevention at Good Shepherd Medical Center, said the hospital still had plenty of vaccine and Tamiflu despite being inundated with patients suffering from the viral infection. “This was a rapid attack,” she said. “There were no cases, and suddenly, boom, a large number of cases quite rapidly.”

LONGVIEW — A normally quiet Longview neighborhood was stirred when a K-9 unit police chase ended with an arrest in a resident’s front yard. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said officers responded Friday to a report of a vehicle burglary in progress at the Texas Department of Health Services building in the 1700 block of North Eastman Road. Three people were arrested, but one ran from police across U.S. Highway 259 and into the neighborhood on the other side of the road.

Betsy Dunnavant, who has lived in the Robbinwood Place neighborhood for years, said she was in her front yard when an officer on a motorcycle advised her to go inside. “We were amazed,” she said. “It is always very quiet in this neighborhood. Once the street was closed off, people only come in here if they need to be here.” Several years ago, the city closed streets to stop traffic from passing through the neighborhood to Tryon Road.

Dunnavant said she watched from her window as five police vehicles and a K-9 unit pulled into her neighborhood and began a search for the suspect who was found, hiding in bushes, just before noon. “We don’t usually have many cops in here, thank goodness,” said Jimmy Johns, a longtime neighborhood resident. The suspect, who had not been identified, was charged with hindering apprehension and evading arrest. Of the three others, one was charged with possession of marijuana, one with six outstanding city of Longview warrants and one with burglary of a vehicle. All four were taken to the Gregg County Jail.

BULLARD — Volunteers are sought for this coming week’s construction of the Bullard Kid’s Park. Planners say the park is a “very unique” interactive park for kids of all ages, with separate areas for younger and older children. Guy Martin of the Bullard Rotary Club says 1,200 volunteers will be needed January 16-20, working four-hour shifts. The total cost of the two-acre playground is $250,000. When completed, the playground will be given to the City of Bullard, which will assume responsibility for its repair and maintenance. You can go to https://www.facebook.com/BullardTexasCommunityPlayground for more information.

TYLER — American Cancer Society supporters gathered this past week at a local home to kick off the 2013 Cattle Barons’ Gala, “Rigs to Riches — Drilling for a Cure.” The event is a major fundraiser for ACS. This year’s Gala is set for Saturday, June 8, at the 1500-acre Rio Neches Ranch.

A number of support levels are available. Baron’s Level supporters will be treated to a private reception, becoming the first visitors to the ranch’s new winery, Pella Legna Vineyards. They’ll also be treated to gourmet cuisine provided by Eddie Deen Catering. All guests may purchase tickets to win a suite of jewels from Susan Robinson Jewelry, and there’ll be a drawing for a special edition pickup truck from Hall GMC. Tickets to the Gala are $100 and available by contacting the Tyler ACS office. You can email [email protected] for more information on the Gala.

TYLER — More and more cases of parvo are being reported right now in East Texas. The folks at Animal Medical Center of Tyler tell KETK they are seeing several cases a week. Parvo is a virus that attacks a dog’s body, specifically the intestines, and it can be deadly. Dr. Laura Cauthen says it can affect canines of every age, especially if they’re not vaccinated. And, she says, it spreads quickly.

Dr. Cauthen says, “It is something that’s easily prevented with vaccination, but it isn’t just one shot. A lot of people think it’s just one shot and they’re protected. It’s usually a series of 3 to 4, depending on the age of the puppy once they start the vaccine.” Symptoms include lack of appetite, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Parvo is most commonly treated with hospitalization and IV treatments. Your best bet is to take your pet to the doctor right away.

HENDERSON — A Henderson High School English teacher has been arrested at a home in northwest Henderson and charged with possession of child pornography. That’s the report from KETK and the Longview News-Journal. James Brent Malone, 42, of Henderson was arrested around 7:30 Friday night when deputies said he was “in possession of more than three images of child pornography,” according to the probable cause affidavit for his arrest.

“The individual has been arraigned but is not currently on an HISD campus at this time. The individual has been placed on administrative leave for the foreseeable future,” said Stacey Sullivan, director of human resources and communication for the school district, in a prepared statement. Malone was held Friday afternoon in the Rusk County Jail under a $10,000 bond. “The safety of our children is our utmost priority, and HISD will do everything we can to protect the well being of Henderson students,” Sullivan said.

MT. PLEASANT — A followup was issued Friday in the case of a former state agency employee accused of ID theft. In coordination with law enforcement, the Texas Department of State Health Services is investigating the actions of the former DSHS Mount Pleasant clinic employee, who is alleged to have fraudulently used credit card and other personal information from local clients and colleagues to make recent purchases.

According to a news release, several hundred people have been identified so far as possible victims. DSHS officials say they will be notifying those people as soon as possible, though the list of potential victims may be incomplete. It is unclear whether the matter involves only recent patients, or whether older records were accessed. There is no indication at this time that clients receiving DSHS services in other parts of the state were affected.

The Titus County Sheriff’s Office arrested the former DSHS employee, Selena Patino (pictured), Jan. 4 on fraud and credit card abuse charges. Patino had been working in the DSHS Mt. Pleasant clinic since 2008 before becoming employed by the Northeast Texas Public Health District in October 2012. She was terminated by NET Health Jan. 3, 2013. Officials say DSHS is reviewing Patino’s alleged fraudulent use of credit card and personal information and is cooperating with the Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and local law enforcement.

People who received services at the clinic and believe they may be the victims of identity theft are urged to contact the credit bureaus to review their histories and evaluate whether a fraud alert or credit monitoring is warranted. They also can contact DSHS at 1-800-350-6029 for information. The credit bureaus can be contacted as follows:

Equifax
P.O. Box 740241
http://www.fraudalerts.equifax.com
Atlanta, GA 30374
Fraud hotline (toll-free): 1-877-478-7625

Experian
P.O. Box 2002
http://www.experian.com
Allen, TX 75013
Fraud hotline (toll-free): 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion
E-mail to report suspected fraud at: [email protected]
P.O. Box 6790
http://www.transunion.com
Fullerton, CA 92834
Fraud hotline (toll-free): 1-800-680-7289

The DSHS Mount Pleasant clinic, located at 1014 North Jefferson, offers immunization and social work services, tuberculosis management and other public health services.

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – Two of the Department of Public Safety’s 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders, including one sought in East Texas, have been caught in Texas and Louisiana. DPS in Austin Friday announced the arrests of 42-year-old Jimmy Ray McMillan and 52-year-old Edward Dwin Jackson. McMillan (pictured) surrendered Wednesday in New Orleans after apparently getting into a dispute with another person and finding himself without transportation or shelter. McMillan is wanted in Nacogdoches County for failure to register as a sex offender. His criminal history includes sexual assault, burglary, evading arrest and DWI. Jackson was arrested Thursday night in Houston for failure to register as a sex offender and parole violation. A tip led to his capture at a residence. Investigators say Jackson’s criminal history includes indecent exposure, carrying a prohibited weapon, burglary, drug use and evading arrest.

LONGVIEW — Just a couple of days after former Longview Officer Leigh Ann Snyder’s termination was upheld by the city, the drunk driver who hit her pleaded guilty in court Friday. KETK reports Officer Snyder was present at the hearing. Snyder was critically injured after her squad car was hit by an uninsured drunk driver, Ramon Antonio Dominguez, 23, of Longview, on the job in December 2011. Dominguez was arrested following the wreck and charged with two counts of intoxicated assault. His bond was set at $100,000. 188th District Court Judge David Brabham sentenced the drunk driver to 12 years in jail.

Dominguez read a statement following his sentence saying, “sorry, [he] never meant for it to happen and prays one day Leigh Ann Synder can forgive him.” Officer Snyder also spoke at the hearing, reliving the painful experience. “I thought I was going to die that day. All I could think about was my children,” said Snyder. “I was excited about my future.”

Since the crash, Snyder has undergone multiple surgeries and has been unable to return to duty due to her injuries. She spent four weeks in a local hospital before she was released. Due to a Longview city policy, the officer was terminated a year after the accident on December 11, 2012. In 2007, the city changed its policy to allow employees to remain off duty for 12 months before being terminated. Prior to that time, workers would be terminated after six months. Snyder is the fifth city employee and first police officer to be terminated under this policy.

LONGVIEW — A Longview woman will serve seven years probation to avoid a 10-year prison sentence. According to KETK, this comes after she pleaded guilty Wednesday to a fatal hit-and-run. 24-year-old Anna Catherine Shore was arrested shortly after she struck and killed 45-year-old William J. Jones. Shore was charged with failure to stop and render aid, which was enhanced to the third-degree felony when Jones died.

WHITEHOUSE — Some Whitehouse citizens may have noticed a change involving a controversial stop sign near an abandoned railroad crossing. As our news partner KETK reported in March of 2011, Whitehouse drivers on Acker Tap Rd. complained about having to make an unnecessary stop because of a sign posted at an unused railroad. At the time, a citizen said that the “railroad ties are caved in, weeds are overgrown. The tracks haven’t been used in about 8-10 years.” Despite the lack of use, drivers were still getting tickets if they failed to make a stop.

At the time of the 2011 report, there had been more than 200 tickets written at the location. But in a release to KETK, Whitehouse Assistant City Manager Kevin Huckabee stated that there had been no tickets written there since Craig Shelton was appointed as Police Chief in March of 2012. Now Huckabee says the city has taken steps to handle the problem. He noted it presented other issues besides unnecessary tickets. According to Huckabee, the traffic would back up on Acker Tap Rd. from the stop sign and on FM 346 in front of the local fire station because buses would be required to stop at the railroad. “This was an issue for the Municipal Fire Department and EMS Services trying to respond to emergencies during certain times of the day,” Huckabee said.

Huckabee made contact with Union Pacific, the company that owns the railroad. They informed him that the tracks were indeed no longer in service, but they did not want to remove them. Since Union Pacific would not remove the railroad, the City of Whitehouse is hesitant to remove the stop sign completely. However, the city discovered a solution. Officials have installed “EXEMPT” signs on the stop signs, so that drivers know the railroad tracks are not in use. TxDOT officials have also been notified about the crossing on FM 346, since that part of the road is maintained by them. TXDOT has opted to install “EXEMPT” signs at that location as well. The signs in that location will be replaced in the near future.

TYLER — Tyler Police responded to a report of a robbery Thursday night. It happened around 11:40 at the Lone Star Motel, 3236 W. Gentry Parkway. The victim claims he he was robbed at gunpoint while sitting in his vehicle. He claims he was approached by a black male wearing a dark colored ski mask who asked him for a cigarette. The victim declined when the suspect pointed a gun at him and demanded all the money in his wallet. The victim gave the suspect an undermined amount of case before fleeing the scene. The victim was not injured during the incident and could not provide any further suspect description. Anyone with information about the suspect is urged to contact the Tyler Police Department, at 903-531-1000, or Crimestoppers, at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).