KTBB News, Weather, Talk

JACKSONVILLE – The Department of Public Safety has released the name of the victim of a fatal Cherokee County crash. Killed in the one vehicle accident was Brandon Steven Morton, 35, of Jacksonville. The initial reports shows his pickup left the road and ended up in a ditch where it hit a tree. The accident occurred shortly before 9:00 Sunday night on Farm Road 22, just over 3 miles southeast of Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE – Hundreds showed up for a Jacksonville meeting to get answers on their contaminated water. Representatives from the Craft Turney Water Supply Company and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality were on hand for the session. Our news partner KETK reports the public’s questions were often met with the boards inability to answer since the investigations is ongoing. One of the unanswered questions was how the chemical that caused the problem got into the water. Even though the water ban, which was issued October 3rd, has been lifted for most residents, there are some who are still under the do not use the water notice. And there is no time line when their water will be safe.

GLADEWATER – Police in Gladewater have charged two persons with the sexual assault of a child. Arrested Monday were Jessie Ray Sorrells, 33, of Gladewater, and Tiffany Diana LeBlanc, 36, of Longview. Sorrells is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and LeBlanc is charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children. The police say their investigation shows both suspects were present and both took part in the sexual assault of the same child. They say they have also learned that LeBlanc had been involved in the repeated sexual abuse of a child for several months before to this case was opened. Continue reading Two Charged in Child Sexual Assault Case

LONGVIEW – A Longview murder suspect is now back in Gregg County. Judicial records show Ladadrian Deontae King, 22, of Longview was booked into the Gregg County Jail on Monday. His bond has been set at $1,000,000. He was arrested in Mabank last week and had been held in the Kaufman County Jail. King was arrested in connection with the September 29th shooting death of Henry England Williams, 32. He was found wounded and sitting in a chair on his front porch on Clover Lane. He died nearly three hours later at a Longview hospital.

SMITH COUNTY — A two vehicle wreck on I-20 West has left three women dead. It happened around 4:20 Monday morning near the 557 mile marker, east of Lindale. According to the DPS report, a tractor trailer rig was parked on the shoulder when it was struck by a Jeep SUV, driven by Elizabeth Brewer, 36, of Grand Prairie. Brewer was transported to UT Health-Tyler were she was later pronounced dead. Two 16-year-old female passengers in the Jeep were pronounced at the scene. The operator of the truck, who was asleep in the sleeper cab, Joseph Allen Bettis, 31, of Milton, Florida was not injured. The wreck remains under investigation.

PALESTINE – The burglary of a Palestine convenience store is under investigation. It was reported just before 3:00 Monday morning at Kim’s Convenience Store on East Palestine Avenue. The ignition of a stolen pickup had been tampered with and driven through the front doors of the store. The rear end of the vehicle was still inside the store when officers arrived. It appears the suspects were trying to steal the store’s ATM machine, but the truck became high centered from the debris from the crash. Nothing appears to have been taken from the store.

HENDERSON – The Henderson School District has been the victim of a financial scam that has cost it over $600,000. Our news partner KETK reports the school district sent a direct electronic payment to RPR Construction Company. The company is overseeing work at the district’s former elementary school and high school stadium. Five days after the transfer it was discovered the money was actually transferred to a fraudulent account and not the RPR account. The investigation is now in the hands of the United State’s Secret Service. School superintendent Keith Boles says they will pursue every means to recoup the money and bring the criminals to justice. A local attorney told KETK, it was important to get the word our since the same thing could happen to other school districts.

NEW YORK – Sears filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday. They plan to close 142 unprofitable stores in the hopes that it can stay in business. At its peak, the operator of Sears and Kmart had 4,000 stores. Now, it will be left with a little more than 500. In September it was announced the Sears store in Tyler’s Broadway Square Mall will close its doors in December. In May, the mall received zoning approval from the city of Tyler to tear down the Sears building and replace it with new retail space. The store’s liquidation sale is now under way. With Monday’s filing, the company has secured $300 million in financing from banks to keep the operations going through bankruptcy. It’s also negotiating an additional $300 million loan from Lampert’s ESL Hedge fund.

ARP – An Arp volunteer fireman, injured in an August fire, is now back home. Chris Vannoy, 24, saw smoke coming from a shed behind a neighbor’s house. He called it in and then went to check on it. When he opened a door, the flames flashed around him. Vannoy, who is a Longview police officer and also an EMT, was airlifted to a Shreveport hospital with burns over 50% of his body. Our news partner KETK reports, Vannoy, who spent 53 days in the hospital, is now back home. The community has come together and helped raise over $20,000 for his medical expenses.

TYLER – Tyler has a new city librarian. Appointed to the post is Ashley Taylor. She is no stranger to the Tyler Public Library. For over 12 years she has served as the library’s Circulation Supervisor and Manager of the Library’s MakerSpace. And, since June, she has been servings as Interim City Librarian. She obtained her Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of North Texas and received a Bachelor’s degree from DeVry University. She says she is honored to be named to the post. And she reminds the community. the library is more than just books. She says they “circulate games, literacy kits, have STEM programming and so much more.”

SMITH COUNTY — Two people are dead following an early morning crash on Interstate 20. According to our news partner KETK, DPS Troopers were called to the scene near U.S. Highway 69 and Jim Hogg Road around 4:30 a.m. Troopers say a car ran into the back of a 18-wheeler, causing it to slide under. Two people in the car were pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers, Lindale Fire Department, Smith County Sheriff’s Office and EMS responded. One lane of westbound traffic on Interstate 20 was still shut down at last report.

FLINT – An argument about going to church has resulted in the death of a Smith County man and the arrest of his son. It occurred around 3:00 Sunday morning on County Road 1232 in Flint. Dead at the scene was Patrick Crowder, Sr., 46. Charged with his murder was Patrick Lerue Crowder Jr., 22. Witnesses say the two had been arguing about whether the son was going to church. The son is said to have gotten a knife from the kitchen and stabbed his dad. He is currently in the Smith County Jail under a $500,000 bond.

TYLER – TxDOT is planning to conduct a range of construction and maintenance work throughout the Tyler District during the week of Oct. 15. Nighttime pavement marking operations will continue for several weeks. The contractor is utilizing slow-moving mobile operations to install new pavement markings at locations around Tyler. Work will be conducted from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights until the work is completed. Brief delays are possible during this project. Go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/044-2018.html for a complete rundown of this week’s projects in the district.

LONGVIEW – A missing Longview teen is back home. They had been looking for Destini Lacace Ann Davis. She was last seen on October 4th. They say she has returned home and is safe.

LINDALE – The Smith County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a woman accused of stealing from a business in the Lindale area. Ashley Stephens, 33, who also known as Ashley Boyd, is said to have stolen over $60,000. They say she is reported to be living in the Mineola area and has changed her appearance to avoid capture. She has dyed her hair black. If you have information regarding her whereabouts, you are asked to call the Smith County Sheriff’s Office at 903-566-6600.

EAST TEXAS — Rough weather is making its way through East Texas. Tornado warnings were earlier posted for several area counties, including Henderson and Smith. The system began to weaken as it moved east, and by 4:15 or so, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning effective till 5:00 p.m. for southeastern Smith and northern Cherokee Counties. Those two areas had earlier been under a tornado warning. There has been plenty of heavy rain in the area but no initial reports of serious damage. The Tyler/Longview area was placed under a tornado watch effective until 8 p.m.

JACKSONVILLE — State environmental officials are reporting significant progress in resolving a water issue southeast of Jacksonville. According to a news release, a do not use order has been lifted for most residents served by the Craft-Turney Water Supply Corporation based on sample results received Friday. But the officials note that 11 connections are still under the order. Those are the connections directly affected by a backflow incident that initially prompted the do not use order on October 3. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality suspects a fungicide entered the water supply. The water utility has indicated that the 11 connections have been isolated from the distribution system. The do not use order was initially issued to customers served by the 11 connections but was expanded to the general vicinity of those connections as a precaution. Continue reading Do Not Use Water Order Largely Lifted; Meeting Tonight

TYLER – Tyler police have arrested three persons who are accused of robbing an individual. They are Christian James Nichols, 18, of Elkhart, Draven Ray Starr, 21, and Scottie Lee Smart, 18, both of Palestine. Shortly before 2:45 Friday afternoon, the victim told an officer he had just been beat to the ground, robbed of his belongings by three white male suspects who jumped him on the sidewalk in the 4400 block of South Broadway. Officers located one suspect on foot near Winchester Street and South Donnybrook. A witness to the incident told officers that the two other suspects had ducked into the Subway at Shelly Drive and South Broadway, where they were arrested. The 21 year old man from Tyler, who was robbed, had just got off work after his first day on the job and was walking home. He was transported to U.T. Health Center on Beckham by EMS with non-life threatening injuries.

LONGVIEW – Longview police are asking for the public’s help in locatin ga missing teenager. She is Destini Lacace Ann Davis. She was last seen on October 4th and it not know what she was wearing when she was last seen. She is described as a black female with black hair, brown eyes, about 5’4” tall, and weighs around 130 pounds. If you know where she can be found, you are asked to contact the Longview Police Department at 903-237-1199 or Detective Christopher Bethard 903-237-1161. Continue reading Missing Longview Teen Sought

HENDERSON – One of the suspects arrested in the robbery of a Henderson bank has made a court appearance. The Longview News Journal reports Ashley Alexderia Page, 32, of Nacogdoches, appeared in court Thursday. She was indicted by the Rusk County grand jury last week. She is accused of taking part in the robbery of the Texas Professional Credit Union in Henderson on January 13th. She was identified by her fingerprints on the bank’s counter. Paige was arrested in July following a traffic stop in Dallas County. Also charged in the case is Michael Danyl Hopkins, 38, of Dallas. Hopkins is in jail in West Virginia on unrelated charges. He is said to have held everyone at gunpoint while Page collected the money.

HENDERSON – A reward has been issued in hopes of finding a missing Rusk County woman. Kimberly Flint, 51, of Reklaw, was reported missing June 26th. Her car was later found wrecked on the Highway 84 bridge over the Angelina River. The car had hit a guardrail. Several searches have turned up no trace of the woman. Her family and Crimestoppers are offering a $6,000 reward for leads to help find her. You can call the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office or Rusk County Crimestoppers with information.

TYLER – The University of Texas at Tyler police department is seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect. He is though to have been involved in an indecent exposure incident. It occurred on Monday in the Herrington Patriot Center. The man, who has a large tattoo on his left forearm, appears to be very familiar with the HPC building so they feel someone knows who he is. They are offering a $100 reward for anyone who can provide his identity him. You are asked to call 903-566-7300 with information.

EDOM — The Edom Art Festival continues Sunday from 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. following its Saturday opening day. For more than 46 years, the small artists’ community of Edom in East Texas has hosted a festival for working artists presenting their talents to an appreciative audience of gifters and collectors, according to organizers. They say high quality art, fine crafts, live music, and great food and wine fill the festival grounds behind the resident artists’ studios on the one main street in town, Farm to Market road 279. Admission is free. Go to http://www.visitedom.com for a detailed schedule of events and a map.

TYLER — Crucial Catch Day is a reminder that the best defense is a good offense. You are invited to this special event with health screenings on Saturday, October 13th. It will be from 9:00am till 1:00pm at the Tyler Family Circle of Care on North Glenwood in Tyler. The first 75 registered guests receive a special gift. There will be low cost mammograms, colorectal cancer screenings, blood pressure checks, breast and colon cancer education classes, flu shots, games, entertainment, door prizes, a bounce house, a photo booth, vendor booths, and more. For more information and/or to register for a low cost mammogram, call Jennifer Blake at 903-535-9041.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate has approved the nomination of Jeremy Kernodle to fill a judicial vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Tyler. Kernodle is currently a partner at Haynes and Boone, LLP, where he founded and chairs the firm’s False Claims Act practice group and focuses on representing healthcare providers and government contractors in Federal courts throughout the country. He fills the seat vacated on January 7, 2016, by Judge Michael Schneider’s move to senior status. In February 2017, Kernodle applied for a judgeship with the Evaluation Committee set up by Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. He interviewed with the Committee on March 16, 2017. Kernodle then interviewed with Cornyn and Cruz in May 2017, after which his name was submitted to the White House. Continue reading A New Federal Judge for East Texas

EAST TEXAS – An East Texan is said to be one of the richest men in the country. According to the annual Forbes 400 list, tied for 136th on the list, with a net worth of $4.7 billion, is Kelcy Warren. Born in Gladewater, Warren graduated from White Oak High School. Warren is the chairman and largest shareholder of Energy Transfer Equity, a partnership with more than 83,000 miles of U.S. energy pipelines. The Dallas-based company owns most of Energy Transfer Partners and has terminal and storage facilities in 38 states. He’s also the majority owner of a power company in Roatan, Honduras.

JACKSONVILLE — More will be revealed Monday about the problems going on with Craft-Turney’s water. According to our news partner KETK, a meeting will be held then to discuss the issue further. Representatives from TCEQ and the Craft-Turney Water Supply Corporation Board of Directors will answer questions from the public. It will be at the Norman Activity Center in Jacksonville at 6 p.m. A do-not-use order has been in place since last week. Part of the water system was contaminated with a fungicide that entered through a backflow. Officials are currently trying to resolve the issue.

TYLER – A student at the University of Texas at Tyler is one of 20 students selected nationwide for an internship with Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, New York. Biology senior Alyssa Blanton of Whitehouse recently joined other science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduates in a three-week scientific computing skills internship. It is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, which is designed to prepare students from underrepresented populations for STEM careers. Participants were selected based on their performance on an analytical aptitude test, past involvement in LSAMP research and letters of recommendation.

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld a murder conviction out of Henderson County. The panel affirmed the conviction of Danna Lynn Busby, 56, of Ben Wheeler. She was sentenced to 30 years in prison. In July of last year, after three days of testimony, jurors deliberated less than 20 minutes and found her guilty of the murder of Wendell Eric Harris, 54, of Brownsboro. He was shot to death at his home in March of 2016. Officers learned of the shooting when Busby went to the police station to report it. Busby has said she shot Harris because she feared for the life of her daughter.