KTBB News, Weather, Talk

AUSTIN – The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has appointed a Tyler educator as a member of the Political Science Field of Study Advisory Committee. He is Tyler Junior College’s Department Chair of Government and Economics Geoffrey Willbanks. The committee is composed of 24 voting members, 12 from public community colleges and 12 from public universities. They come from a representative sample of institutions of varying sizes, peer groups, and regions of the state. The is charged with identifying the block of courses that students may transfer to a general academic teaching institution. Continue reading Tylerite Named to State Advisory Committee

WODEN – A former Woden teacher is being charged with two counts of improper relationship between educator and student. Kelly Diann Searles, 45, of Nacogdoches, was also charged with two counts of Indecency with a child when she was arrested around 9:00 Monday morning. Nacogdoches County Sheriff Jason Bridges says warrants for her arrest came after after analyzing hundreds of texts messages, pictures and other information.

PALESTINE – A naked man, identified as Tiron Billups, has been arrested in Palestine. According to the department’s Facebook page, the arrest came after they received several reports of a naked man walking the streets. He was arrested after climbing onto the hood of a police car. According to the posting, “He was arrested for public intoxication, unknown narcotic.” The photo was taken by a Palestine resident.

LINDALE – Three persons have been killed in a two vehicle accident in a northern Smith County wreck. The accident happened around 12:30 Sunday morning on State Highway 110, 8 miles west of Lindale. Dead at the scene were a passenger in a pickup driven by Gilberto Gomez, 26, of Saginaw and Jaewoong Jang, 34, of Lindale. A passenger in Jang’s car, Mikyung Ji, 29, of Lindale, was also killed. Gomez is in stable condition in a Tyler hospital. The Department of Public Safety reports the truck, driven by Gomez, was heading south when it crossed over the double yellow lines and hit the northbound car. Both vehicles burned. The accident remains under investigation.

NEW YORK — Tyler native Johnny Manziel is speaking out — revealing he’s been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. And he wants to get back to the NFL. In an interview with “Good Morning America,” the former A&M football standout admits he’s struggled with depression — and turned to drinking and partying as a way of coping. Manziel says he would self-medicate with alcohol, only to wake up to nothing. Manziel says about a year ago he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and is now on medication for that. He also says he’s stopped drinking. Manziel hasn’t played an NFL game since 2015 but says he’s working on a comeback and is asking NFL owners to give him another chance.

PALESTINE – Begining at midweek the Palestine Municipal Court is offering amnesty to those with outstanding warrants. Persons who have failed to appear in court and have arrest warrants or defendants who have been convicted and failed to pay their fine and have capias warrants will both be given amnesty. Beginning Wednesday through March 29, defendants who appear in open court before the judge can take advantage of this offer. The judge will be available every Wednesday, excluding March 14, at 9:00am or 1:30pm and March 1 and 29 at 9:00am. Continue reading Palestine Municipal Court Offering Warrant Forgiveness

ATHENS – The Henderson County Jail in Athens has passed state inspection. The unannounced review took place late last week. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the inspector from the Texas Commission on Jail Standards performed a top to bottom inspection. Every aspect of the jail was reviewed including maintenance records, general paperwork, medical records, mental health reports, logs and time-check records. The sheriff said the two-day inspection left no stone unturned.

HENDERSON COUNTY — An East Texas man is arrested on drug charges Sunday. Henderson County Deputies were patrolling the Seven Points area looking for a woman wanted on outstanding warrants. Instead, they found a man with methamphetamines and several pipes. Gary Dewayne Ramsey, 42, of Kemp, was arrested in a camper trailer behind a home on Spring Velley Drive in the Seven Points area. A glass pipe was initially discovered inside the camper. Continue reading East Texas Man Arrested for Outstanding Warrant, Meth

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of Feb. 12, 2018. These 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. In Smith County, the contractor for the Lindale Relief Route will be conducting single lane closures of the I-20 westbound mainlanes and the frontage road for Toll 49 bridge work. The closures of the various lanes will occur throughout the week. Local law enforcement will be assisting with work zone traffic control. Message boards have been installed to provide advance notice of the closures. Motorists should remain alert when traveling through this and all work zones. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates for the Week of Feb. 12

HENDERSON COUNTY — A three vehicle wreck east of Athens has left one person dead. According to the DPS report, around 2:00 Sunday afternoon, a passenger vehicle traveling west on US-175 toward Athens and possibly have hydroplaned on the wet roadway. The car veered into the path of a truck tractor semi-trailer that was traveling eastbound. The female driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. Two juvenile passengers were transported to ETMC- Athens, their condition are unknown. A third vehicle struck the disabled passenger car. The crash remains under investigation. Identities have not been released.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Investigators in Norman say the theft of tires and rims from vehicles at a Norman car dealership appears similar to thefts reported in Texas, including Tyler. Norman police say tires and rims were discovered missing removed from about 40 vehicles at a car dealership in Norman on Monday. Officers say rims and tires were removed from about 40 vehicles and the vehicles were sitting on wooden blocks. Investigators estimate that 160 rims and tires were taken from the dealership. Investigators believe that the suspects entered the dealership by cutting the lock on the gate and then turned off the lights in the dealership’s parking lot to conceal their movements. The group targeted trucks as well as SUVs and cars. Continue reading Norman Police Investigate Theft of Tires, Similar to Tyler Thefts

GREGG COUNTY — One person was taken to the hospital early Sunday after a shooting at a nightclub west of Kilgore. According to the Longview News-Journal, Gregg County sheriff’s deputies responded to the incident before 4 a.m. at Club Sensation on Texas 31. The victim sustained non life-threatening injuries, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Cpl. Joshua Tubb. Tubb said officials believe no one else was injured in the incident. Deputies are working to identify the suspected shooter. No arrests have been made.

KILGORE — Kilgore College trustees will consider tuition and student fee increases for the 2018-19 school year during a board meeting Monday. According to the Longview News-Journal, the board’s agenda indicates trustees will weigh the fee increases following a report from the chair of their investment and finance committee, Trustee Joe Carrington. The board last raised tuition and fees a year ago. Tuition increased $5 an hour for in-district students and $6 for out-of-district scholars. That brought those respective hourly tuition rates to $73 and $146. Trustees blamed that increase on a declining number of credit hours being taken, a factor that determines state aid. Continue reading Local College Considers Fee Increase

KILGORE – Gregg County authorities continue their investigation into an early morning robbery. It happened shortly after 1:00 Friday morning at Zippy J’s #7 on Old Highway 135 near Kilgore. Two men with a handgun demanded money from the clerk. They took an undisclosed amount of money and left in an unknown direction. They may have been driving a late model, light-colored Dodge Charger R/T. They are described as two thin White or Hispanic males; both wearing dark clothes and both had their faces concealed. One suspect is said to be around six feet tall, and the other was around five feet five inches tall. No injuries were reported. Continue reading Kilgore Area Robbery Probed

LONGVIEW – Construction has now started on a large warehouse being built in Longview. It’s the Dollar General distribution center that is being built in Longview’s North Business Park. The Longview Economic Development Corporation signed the deal with the Dollar General Corporation in December. The nearly 1 million-square-foot distribution center, which is being built on a 110-acre site, will be bringing 400 jobs to Longview. The Longview Economic Development Corpation estimates the economic impact of the project could reach $700 million during the next 25 years. The facility is expected to open sometime next year

WINONA – Smith County authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying two robbery suspects. The robbery occurred January 25th at the that the Aces High Liquor Store on South Main Street in Winona. Two white males entered the store and pointed guns at the clerks. They demanded money from the cash register, took several bottles of liquor and then left the store. The store’s employees were not injured. Detectives have been using video surveillance footage in their investigation. You can see pictures from that video at the Smith County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page

ATHENS – Traffic stops in Henderson County lead to drug charges and three persons arrested. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse says when Roderick Gerard Young, 47, of Athens, was pulled over, he had 35 white rocks, believed to be crack cocaine, in his possession. Deputies also found a large sum of money. From the evidence, investigators believe Young was selling drugs in Henderson County. He was booked into the Henderson County Jail on the charge of the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance. Continue reading Two Traffic Stops Leads to Drug Charges in Henderson County

LONGVIEW – The Longview Municipal Court is offering a warrant amnesty program in an effort to clear outstanding warrants. When a person comes in voluntarily and either pays in full or pays a minimum of half the total amount due and starts a payment plan for the balance owed, all warrant fees will be removed. You can save an additional 20% off the fine amount. The percentage savings is only on the fine, not the court costs. And, if you see them now, they will lift the warrants and give you an extension of time to pay. This way you can use your income tax refund to pay the fine. The amnesty program will run through the end of next month.

TYLER – Two persons have been arrested after two suspected gambling operations are raided in Smith County. Dilshad Ali, 58, and Salin Hussain, 65, were placed under bonds of $150,00 each for keeping a gambling place, gambling promotion, and possession of gambling devices and equipment. Their arrests follow raids at the Minute Stop Valero gas station as well as the Express Beer and Wine store, both on Highway 64 west. Deputies seized 11 gaming machines and money, issued 6 citations. They also served a warrant at a residence on Heritage Drive looking for financial records. Continue reading Two Arrested following Game Room Raid

EAST TEXAS — A bill named after an East Texas woman will now make its way to the desk of President Donald Trump. Early Friday morning, H.R. 582, the Kari’s Law Act of 2017, filed by Rep. Louis Gohmert was approved by the United States House of Representatives, an almost definite sign the bill will now become law. Introduced first in 2015, Kari’s Law of 2017 will ensure anyone who dials 911 can reach emergency personnel even if the phone typically requires the user to dial a prefix such as “9” or “7” to reach an outside line. The bill is named in memory of Kari Hunt Dunn who was fatally stabbed in December 2013 by her estranged husband in a Marshall hotel room. Continue reading Kari’s Law becomes U.S. Statute on Birthday of Namesake

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — A traffic stop in Van Zandt County turned into a huge drug bust. Authorities said they stopped a car headed westbound on I-20 Thursday night. Once they investigated the car they found two pounds of heroin. According to KETK, police were lead to a home a short distance away from the stop where they discovered 33 pounds of heroin worth almost $3,000,000 and nearly $20,000 cash in the house. Authorities said they arrested several people as suspects in the case. They have not been identified.

PALESTINE – A Palestine man is accused of making a bomb threat. Charged with making a false report or alarm is John Arthur Stephens Jr., 35. Employees with Metro PCS told officers Stephens came into the store on Crockett Road wanting to disconnect his phone. They said that Stephens said that a bomb would be delivered to the store. He then left. Officers found Stephens in a nearby parking lot and arrested him. He was booked into the Anderson County Jail.

TYLER – The Women’s Fund of Smith County awarded four high-impact grants at its 2018 Grants Announcement Reception Thursday evening. Grants totaling $298,457 were presented to nonprofit programs which benefit women and children in Smith County. The Women’s Fund of Smith County was created in 2007. As members of the organization, more than 250 women benefit from education on community needs and best practices in philanthropy, as well as by participating in the annual grants process. Continue reading Women’s Fund Announces 2018 Grants

TYLER – A suspect has been arrested in a Tyler robbery. Cornelius Andre Brown, 37, of Tyler was arrested Wednesday night after the car he was in was stopped on Park Street. He is accused of the robbery of the Valero station on Tyler’s West Southwest Loop around 7:30 Wednesday night. a man is said to have entered the store, stole several music CD’s and t-shirts and then ran out and got into a car. The clerk took a photo of the suspect’s license plate. When the car was stopped, Brown had items taken from the robbery in his possession and confessed to the crime. Continue reading Tyler Robbery Suspect in Jail

TYLER – A Tyler man, severely burned when his clothing caught fire, has died. Family members of Otis Brown, 90, tell KETK, he died at in the burn unit at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. He was burned around 4:00 Wednesday afternoon at a home on North Border Avenue. Police say Brown was standing too close to a space heater when the trench coat he was wearing caught fire. He then started running through the house and into the yard where a neighbor saw him and called for help. He suffered 2nd and 3rd degree burns over half of his body.

TYLER – A man’s request for a new trial is being denied. James Arthur Fulton, 42, Bulverde wanted a new trial in the death of Haile Beasley, 21, of Tyler. On Wednesday State District Judge Jack Skeen approved Fulton’s request for a new attorney. But, during a Thursday hearing, the judge rejected Fulton’s request for a new trial. Fulton had wanted a new trial because he says evidence that the prosecutors had was not made available to his defense team. Two months ago, Fulton was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the wreck that killed Beasley. Continue reading No New Trial for a Man Convicted of Criminally Negligent Homicide

San Antonio – The Heartland National TB Center in San Antonio, part of UT Health Northeast in Tyler, has been awarded a 5-year, $6.7 million grant by the Centers for Disease Control. The center was also selected as one of four TB Centers of Excellence in the U.S. The center works through education to reach the CDC’s goal of preventing, treating, and controlling tuberculosis (TB) and tuberculosis infection. Continue reading Heartland National TB Center Receives Grant

LONGVIEW – A narcotics search warrant served at a Longview house has resulted in the arrest of three persons. Arrested were Brenda Carol Smith, 51, David Ray Click, 59, and Paul Douglas Cash, 35, all from Longview. All three were booked into the Gregg County jail. They face a variety of dug charges. During the search of the house officers seized, 84.8 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, money, and a loaded handgun.

TYLER – Some new police cars are staring to appear on Tyler streets. There are 13 new 2018 Dodge Chargers, decked out with newly designed striping. The new graphics will include the departmental badge, larger “Tyler Police” lettering and improved reflectivity for visibility. Not only will the vehicles have a new look, but also include enhanced technology features meant to increase safety and efficiency for the officers. This new vehicle branding will be phased in over the next three years with all newly purchased Tyler police vehicles being outfitted with the new striping package. The last time they made a striping update was in the late ‘90s. Police chief Jimmy Toler said, “It’s time for an upgrade.”