KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW – The cause of a weekend fire in Longview remains under investigation. A woman in the home when the fire started was taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and minor burns. Several of her pets died in the fire. The fire was reported shortly before 2:30 Sunday morning on Sandlin Street, west of Willow Park.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the week of April 16th. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.

The Legacy Trails – Hike and Bike Trail Development:
The contractor continues sidewalk construction on the West Trail, which runs from Three Lakes Parkway to FM 2813. Sidewalk construction also continues along the Oncor easement between Dueling Oaks and Cumberland Road. No lane closures are planned. This project consists of constructing 4.4 miles of hike and bike trails in Southwest Tyler. It includes the construction of parking lots, driveways, landscaping, pedestrian ramps, crosswalks and drainage structures along the 10-foot wide hike and bike trails. The anticipated completion date is the spring of next year. Continue reading TxDOT Road Projects Update

HOUSTON (AP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to review an appeal from a Hopkins County man on death row for strangling his girlfriend 18 years ago. The high court decision, without comment, upholds a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling last year rejecting arguments that Daniel Acker, 46, was innocent of the March 2000 killing of Marquetta George, 32, of Sulphur Springs. Attorneys also contended Acker’s trial court erroneously excluded evidence of his innocence, that appeals he previously lost were based on false evidence and that he had poor legal help in earlier appeals. Prosecutors said Acker killed George and dumped her body on a Hopkins County road. Trial attorneys said she jumped from Acker’s truck and then was hit. Acker doesn’t yet have an execution date.

LONGVIEW — Spring Hill ISD has approved adding and paying off-duty Longview police officers for extra campus security. Our news partner KETK reports the move is in response to the February 14 Parkland school shooting. Longview officers make money doing off-duty work at various places. Since officers have various off days, the district says it could have up to nine officers around during the week. District officials say having more officers familiar with the campuses keeps students safe.

LAS VEGAS (ABC/Staff) — Lindale’s own Miranda Lambert scored big again at the 53rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards — and set an all-time record in the process. Lambert took home the Female Vocalist of the Year award — her ninth consecutive win in that category and her 30th ACM overall, making her the winningest artist in ACM history. During her acceptance speech Sunday night, she said she would never take the honor for granted. She told the Las Vegas audience, “I love country music. It is my entire life. I dedicate everything I have to it.”

SMITH COUNTY — A wreck on Highway 271 in Smith County has been cleared after stalling traffic for a time. DPS troopers say an 18-wheeler and SUV collided at the Brookshire’s warehouse entrance around 7:30 this morning. One driver was seriously injured.

GREGG COUNTY — No criminal charges will be filed in a March standoff between a Kilgore man and SWAT agents, according to Gregg County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Cpl. Joshua Tubb. The Longview News-Journal reports, Tubb said the investigation into the four-hour standoff at a Kilgore residence on March 26 is inactive and concluded that criminal charges would not be applicable. Officials said at the time the man was apprehended on a mental health warrant and was taken to a hospital for evaluation after firing multiple shots inside of his home. No one was injured in the incident.

EAST TEXAS — The National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes touched down in Harrison County, Caddo Parish and Caddo and Bossier Parishes Friday evening. According to our news partner KETK, the first was an EF-0 tornado reported in Waskom at around 11:50 p.m. It touched down along FM 9 near FM 451 where it broke several large branches. It continued east-northeast just north of CR 1220. The tornado blew the roof off a small barn before it crossed into Caddo Parish. It was on the ground for a total of 14 minutes and traveled more than 10 miles. Continue reading Tornadoes Confirmed in Texas and Louisiana

EAST TEXAS — The Dallas Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Tania Robinson, 52, listed as a “critical missing person.” According to KTBB’s news partner KETK, on Friday around 4:00, Ms. Robinson left the hospital on Gaston Avenue possibly heading to Van. She’s said to be driving a white 2008 Ford Escape with Texas plate number: FLC-9643. Robinson is described as 4’11”, 300 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. If you see Robinson or know of her whereabouts, please call 911 or contact the Dallas Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at (214) 671-4268.

EAST TEXAS — Severe storms with high wind and hail moved through the area Friday night and early Saturday morning leaving many residents and businesses in East Texas without power. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office said there were 13 reports of trees and or power lines blocking roadways. The Gregg County Emergency Management Coordinator has been assessing the damaged areas Saturday. No injuries have been reported. Continue reading Severe Storms cause Power Outages, Damage across East Texas

TYLER – Tyler Junior College has announced Presidential Honors Scholars Ebony Griffin and Jairo Tec as the recipients of its annual Rotary Young Citizens Award. Selected by a vote of TJC faculty and staff, each received a $500 scholarship from the TJC President’s Circle fund. Griffin is a biology major from Rusk, and Jairo Tec is a general studies major from Henderson. Both plan to transfer to the University of Texas at Tyler.

LONGVIEW – The University of Texas at Tyler recently announced the new Laura B. Jackson Endowed Nursing Scholarship, which will provide financial assistance to nursing students who are taking classes at the UT Tyler Longview facility. Laura Blanche Jackson died of cancer at age 29 in 1992. Prior to her death, she requested that some type of recognition be made to nurses. Laura’s cousin, Leah Killingsworth Darby, fulfilled her wish, and in 1993 a charitable trust was created by the Darby Family with Leah, husband John, son Miles, and daughter Beth as Trustees.

KILGORE – Kilgore College is accepting applications for two board appointments to fill the vacant seat of the late James Walker and the seat of Bob Heath, who is retiring. Heath represents the South Zone, Voting Unit #1, Place 7. The remainder of the term for this seat lasts until May of 2019 when a regular election will be held. Walker’s vacant seat is Voting Unit #2, Place 2, North Zone. Anyone interested in being appointed to serve in one of these two vacant board seats can submit a letter of interest to Nancy Law, located in Office 100 on the first floor of the Stewart McLaurin Administration Building on the Kilgore campus. Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm on Monday, April 30.

TYLER – A San Antonio law firm is filing a claim against CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital and the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital. The action is planned following the arrest of a former nurse who has been charged with murder.The Crosley Law Firm, with the assistance of a Tyler firm, is filing the action on behalf of a man who is said to be one of the victims of William Davis, 34, of Hallsville. Tyler police arrested Davis on Tuesday in connection with the death of a decorated army veteran. Davis was fired by the hospital in February. Davis’ license was suspended last month by the Texas Board of Nursing. The law firm contends the hospital knew of its Davis’ improper and dangerous conduct, but failed to intervene, causing further harm and injury to their patients. After the hospital receives notice of the claim next week, the lawyers will be able to file a lawsuit in 60 days.

LUFKIN — The father of an East Texas toddler who drowned in a motel pool has filed a lawsuit against the motel and its parent company. According to KTBB’s news partner, KETK and the Lufkin Daily News, Rondarius Smith, the father of 3-year-old Arianna Smith, is seeking $1,000,000 from Motel 6 Inc. and G6 Hospitality LLC after the child was found at the bottom of the motel pool on South Timberland Drive, Tuesday, March 20. Authorities say Rondarius had fallen asleep while watching television in a room with his daughter. Arianna wandered away from the room and was able to access the pool area due to a faulty lock on the gate. She was pronounced dead the next day at a Houston hospital. Rondarius’ lawsuit claims “the incident occurred because of a lack of security on the motel’s part.

EAST TEXAS — A former nurse charged with murder in a patient’s death at a Tyler hospital this past year also is a former nurse at Good Shepherd Medical Center, according to the Longview News-journal. William George Davis, 34, remained jailed Thursday in Smith County on $2 million bond, charged in the death of Christopher Greenaway, 47, and with causing at least two other patients to enter vegetative states at a Tyler hospital. Seven patients were reported as experiencing “profound and unexplainable incidents resembling stroke-like symptoms” after being visited by Davis, according to a warrant for his arrest issued this week. Continue reading Nurse Charged in Patient Death Former Good Shepherd Employee

2017 was a strong economic year for Tyler and Smith County. That was the message presented Thursday at the annual appreciation luncheon of the Tyler Economic Development Council. Council president and CEO Tom Mullins said, last year, over $200 million in new investments and over 1,900 jobs were announced. The biggest project last year was announced by Sanderson Farms, which will have facilities in the Lindale and Winona areas. And Mullins said he feels 2018 will be even stronger than last year.

KILGORE – High school students in the Kilgore area will soon have access to new dual credit courses in agriculture thanks to a partnership between Northeast Texas Community College and Kilgore College. The two schools held an official signing for the formal agreement late Thursday morning in Kilgore. The new dual credit courses will be available for the fall semester. The courses will lead to certificates and associate’s degrees in Farm and Ranch Management and Conventional and Sustainable Agriculture. Career opportunities for graduates of these programs include: equipment retail sales and service, farm operations, crop production management and agribusiness opportunities such as farm insurance, commodity marketing and more.

MARSHALL – A video showing a Marshall teacher’s altercation with a student last week is getting a lot of social media attention. The video shows a girl arguing with her teacher because she took her phone. The argument then turns physical as the student pushes the teacher and she falls to the floor. Her injuries were said to be minor. School Superintendent Jerry Gibson told the Marshall news Messenger, the student was placed under arrest by the school district’s police department and has been charged with assault of a public servant and injury to the elderly. Both are third-degree felonies.

TYLER – The Tyler police department could soon be using a drone to help them with their work. The Tyler city council on Wednesday gave approval for the police department to seek a drone permit from the Federal Aviation Administration. With the help of a private donation, the police department has purchased a $6,000 drone. It can help officers in many ways, including assisting in finding lost persons. And you don’t have to worry about your privacy. The commercial model drone purchased by the police department is noisy, it can’t sneak up on you. It should take several months before they get the FAA approval.

LONGVIEW — A Gregg County commissioner candidate has filed suit against her opponent. According to our news partner KETK, Kasha Williams claims her opponent, Shannon Brown, was involved in vote harvesting. Williams lost her Democratic primary bid by a five-vote margin. Williams’s suit claims the vote was tainted by manipulating mail-in ballots — and now 231 ballots are being called into question. Her filing names five people, one of whom is Brown’s wife. Brown’s campaign expenditures reveal over $4,000 in personal loans with no explanation of what was purchased. Brown’s campaign finance director declined to comment on the lawsuit.

TYLER — Due to high winds in Smith County today, the Fire Marshal’s Office is urging residents to refrain from doing any outside burning. You’re urged always to use caution when burning outside. Officials say you should never burn during windy days and never leave a fire unattended.

TYLER — Tyler city crews have put a temporary barrier in a curve on Grande Boulevard near the Old Jacksonville Highway intersection. According to our news partner KETK, it’s a first step to improve safety, with an eye on eventually constructing a median. City officials say three people have lost their lives on the curve in recent years. They say the best solution is a raised median with a guard rail. Reflective barriers have been put in place to get drivers used to the idea of a separation in the roadway.

TYLER (AP) – The man police say was killed by a former nurse at a Tyler hospital was a pilot and a decorated veteran. Police have identified the victim as 47-year-old Christopher Greenaway, who died Aug. 6. According to his obituary, Greenaway was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and had worked as a pilot for medical transport. He served in the U.S. Army and had received several awards. Authorities have charged 34-year-old William George Davis with murder in Greenaway’s death when he was a patient at a Tyler hospital. Davis could face assault charges for injuring other patients. Tyler police spokeswoman Jenny Wells says there are “not any indications” that this could be a case of assisted suicide.

CANTON – Van Zandt County authorities have seized 87 animals from some property near Canton where they found 50 dead horses. According to the SPCA of Texas, the animals consist of 70 horses, 9 donkeys, 6 pigs and 1 longhorn. More than half of the horses, the donkeys and the longhorn were roaming on a large, fenced pasture on the property. They had no access to food and little to no access to water. The other horses were confined to two smaller pastures on the property with no access to food and minimal water. They said the horses were so desperate for food that they were eating the bark off of the trees, leaving some trees completely bare. The pigs were confined to a small wire pen with no access to food. The animals, which were seized on Tuesday, will be examined by medical staff and cared for until a custody hearing takes place. That is scheduled to be held in Canton on April 19th.

TYLER – A former nurse at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital’s Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital in Tyler remains in jail on a murder charge. Arrested in the lobby of the Tyler Police Department Tuesday night was William George Davis, 34, of Hallsville. Davis is said to have entered a patient’s room and performed an “unskilled and/or unnecessary and/or inappropriate intervention.” His actions are said to have caused the patient to have a stroke which led to their death. Davis was jailed under a $2 million bond. Continue reading Tyler Nurse Charged With Murder

TYLER – A gun has been found on a Longview school campus. The handgun was discovered around 10:00 Wednesday morning in the possession of a Pine Tree middle school student. The gun was not loaded. District officials say the campuses did not go into lockdown and there was no threat to their students at any time. According to a statement released by the district, the district’s safety plan was followed and the student was removed from the campus.

AUSTIN – Tyler and Longview’s sales tax allocation continues to run ahead of last year’s numbers. The State comptroller is sending out $651 million in local sales tax allocations for April. That is 5% more than in April last year. These allocations are based on sales made in February. Tyler’s allocation tops $3 million. That is nearly 3% more than last April. For the year Tyler’s allocation exceeds $14million, which is up nearly 5%. Longview’s April allocation is $2.3 million. That’s an over 5% increase. For the year, Longview’s checks top over $10.5 million. That’s an increase of nearly 8%.

KILGORE — Kilgore College’s Business Department has redesigned its curriculum. Officials say the move will streamline offerings, make the curriculum more student-friendly, and ensure its students are prepared to excel in today’s businesses and industries. The department previously offered 13 awards in accounting, management, and business. The new curriculum will consist of four awards — two degrees and two certificates. According to a news release, the Accounting Program has been strengthened to provide students with a more focused approach to the associate of applied science degree and certificate of completion. The Management Program has been combined with the Business Program and is now called the Business Management Program. Business Management will consist of an associate of applied science degree and a certificate of completion.