KTBB News, Weather, Talk

LONGVIEW – A Longview man will be locked up at least 15 years before parole eligibility for a 2015 five-hour standoff with Longview police officers. KETK reports Shayne Afzal was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison for aggravated assault against a public servant and 20 years for aggravated assault. On February 18, 2015, Afzal began to fire a shotgun inside his apartment. He fired so many shells into his neighbor’s apartment that she was able to see Afzal through the wall. She hid in her upstairs bathroom for roughly five hours. SWAT tried to subdue Afzal multiple times in a non-lethal manner. Afzal fired at officers multiple times before he was finally subdued. A review of Afzal’s Facebook messages and text messages showed him to be actively selling marijuana and Xanax for the year leading up to the incident.

TYLER – The Texas Transportation Commission has approved the update of the Unified Transportation Program authorizing partial funding for the expansion of FM 2493 from Loop 323 in Tyler to FM 2813 in Gresham. The Commission has allocated $26.15 million for construction funding. According to TxDOT, FM 2493 will be widened from 4 lanes to a 6-lane divided highway with flush median, from Loop 323 to FM 2813. Tyler District Engineer Glenn Green says the action allows TxDOT “to move forward with schematic development and environmental coordination for the project.” Continue reading Commission Approves Funding for FM 2493 Project

TYLER – A senior at Robert E Lee High School is preparing for life after high school. Brandon Vittitow wants to become a firefighter. For the past four months, he spent four nights each week in an Emergency Medical Technician course through the Emergency Medical Services Program offered by Tyler Junior College. He recently completed the course and will take his National Registry EMT exam January 6 to earn EMT certification. With his EMT course completed, Brandon can continue to receive his Emergency Medical Services certification if he chooses. As of now, he is focused on volunteering with the Flint-Gresham Fire Department and applying to fire academies in College Station and at TJC.

CANTON – The Canton office of Workforce Solutions East Texas is closing. The office is closing on December 22nd. The organization’s board approved the action, which was confirmed by the Chief Elected Officials board. The action was taken because of funding reductions and low visitor traffic. They will continue to serve the area. They encourage new and existing customers to access services and assistance through its call center and website. You can also use the visiting mobile unit that will make regular visits to the county. Continue reading Workforce Solutions Closing an East Texas Office

TYLER – A man wanted for two Smith County robberies has been arrested. Lance Cody Scott, 21, of Tyler turned himself in at the Smith County Jail. His bond was set at $400,000. He is accused of the December 1st robbery of the AZ Food Mart on Highway 69 North. Two days later, the AB Country Store on Farm Road 14 was held up. In both cases, a white male entered the business, armed with a handgun, and demanded money. When Scott turned himself in, Detectives had already obtained two arrest warrants charging him with two counts of aggravated robbery.

TYLER — Tyler Police Department announced they are participating in a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) in Tyler, looking for Red Light violators in targeted areas of the City. They said due to the increased volume of traffic during the holidays, drivers have the tendency to become more impatient and often run red lights, which might result in a crash. So far this year, Tyler Police have issued 3,749 citations for a red light violation. The Tyler Municipal Court fine for running a red light is $301. The number of crashes in Tyler this year caused from someone running a red light is 161. The (STEP) program is a Texas funded grant that provides extra traffic enforcement for law enforcement agencies who participate within the guidelines. This enforcement program will run through January 15, 2018.

TYLER – A visiting judge has named longtime law officer Bobby Garmon as interim Precinct One Constable. Judge Richard Beacom selected Garmon for the post when he learned that Garmon was favored for the position by the county judge. County Judge Nathaniel Moran administered the oath of office Thursday afternoon. Garmon has over 30 years in law enforcement, including being a former chief deputy in the sheriff’s office. Garmon was selected for the post during a hearing in which Judge Beacom suspend Precinct 1 Constable Henry Jackson from office. Jackson is currently in federal prison, where he is serving a six month sentence for income tax evasion. A petition to remove Jackson from the post is currently moving through the legal system.

TYLER – Two persons in jail on unrelated charges have been named named in murder warrants by Tyler Police. Seydadrian Montrez Brown (pictured), 26, and Christopher Benard Hardy, 21, are both from Tyler. They were named in warrants for murder and aggravated assault in a shooting that occurred a month ago at the Chelsea Creek Apartments on Thistle Drive. Killed was Darryl Dewayne Washington Jr., 25. Wounded were Terry Demond Rogers, 23 and Nadarius Houston, 18. All three are from Tyler. Investigators say the shooting stems from narcotic activity. It wasn’t hard to find the suspects. Brown is in the Gregg County Jail and Hardy is in the Smith County Jail.

MINEOLA – An employee of the Mineola school system has been arrested as the result of an investigation that started last month. Arrested Thursday after being accused of an improper relationship with a student was Todd Karch of Lindale, the district’s Director of Transportation. He is currently free on a $40,000 bond. A news release from school superintendent Kim Tunnel said a student brought to the district’s attention a possible inappropriate relationship between a high school student and an employee. During the initial investigation, Karch was placed on administrative leave. Tunnell said the District then obtained his resignation. The Mineola Police Department is continuing their investigation in the case.

TYLER – Tyler police are looking for a woman who is accused of theft. She is said to have entered the office of a business and stole items from a purse while the employee had left the office. If you can identify her, please contact Detective Wayne Allen at 903-535-0121 or call Tyler Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833.

TYLER – Another delay is expected in the capital murder trial of Gustavo Zavala-Garcia. He is accused of kidnapping Kayla Gomez from a Bullard church in November of last year. Her body was found in a well on the man’s property. During a Thursday pre-trial hearing, it was learned that DNA evidence in the case, which was expected to be ready at the end of this month, will not be ready until the end of next month. The next pre-trial hearing in the case in January 4th. At that time we could learniof the trail will be pushed back from its scheduled March 19th date.

The second man wanted in a Tyler robbery has been arrested. The United States Marshals Service has arrested 18 year old Dikembi Spencer of Tyler in Forrest City Arkansas. He was wanted for the November 14th armed robbery at the Fox Run Apartments. The suspects are said to have stolen a pound of marijuana along with a firearm. Arrested early last week in the case was 23 year old Devonte Black of Tyler. Besides armed robbery, he is also charged with possession of marijuana and a parole violation.

TYLER – Two Houston men were sentenced Thursday in Tyler federal court in connection with gas pump skimmers found in Smith and Gregg Counties. Dennys Miguel Arias Gonzalez,46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark to 11 months confinement. Beniurkis Hernandez Rodriguez, 31, got 10 months behind bars. They are among four men found in the area with the gas skimming devices. Another suspect in the case,Tamara Valle, has already been sentenced to 10 months in prison following his guilty plea. A fourth suspect, Tomas Falcon Casanova, has pleaded guilty, and is still awaiting sentencing.

QUITMAN – A one vehicle accident southeast of Quitman has left one person dead. Pronounced dead at the scene was 52 year-old Robert Clifton Wattis of Winnsboro. The accident happened just before 8:00 Wednesday night on County Road 3230, about half a mile south of State Highway 154. The Department of Public Safety Report says the man’s pickup was heading south at an unsafe speed when he went into a skid on a curve, left the road and hit several trees. The vehicle then caught on fire.

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld a Henderson County capital murder conviction. On Wednesday, the appeals court affirmed the conviction of Raheem Mark Miller, 22, of Athens. He was convicted of capital murder, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the death of a Malakoff man. Cedrick Collins, 23, was found beside his car on Robbins Road in southeast Athens in June of 2014. Miller, who as 18 at the time, is said to have shot Collins during a robbery.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson is asking people to refrain from burning until the area sees a substantial amount of rainfall. There is a chance of rain this weekend. “With the low humidity and high winds, the fire danger is extremely high right now.” she said. With the New Year’s fireworks season approaching, Mrs. McCoy-Wasson cautioned residents who may use fireworks to be extremely careful. If fireworks cause a fire, the person setting them can be held liable, she said. On Wednesday, December 13, the National Weather Service out of Shreveport, La., issued a fire danger statement. Continue reading Smith County Fire Marshal Asks Residents Not to Burn

PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg Police Department has issued a ‘Be On the Look Out’ (BOLO) for a robbery suspect. According to KETK, Jamiriquan Enalls, 19, is wanted for aggravated robbery. He is believed to be in the south part of the city. Enalls is described as 6’1, 245 pounds. Authorities say he is considered dangerous and not to attempt to apprehend him. Call 911 immediately.

TYLER – The Tyler City Council has awarded contracts for nearly half a million dollars for improvements to Tyler’s water, drainage and sanitary sewer systems. Mayor Martin Heines said all of the projects are part of a $100 million plan to reinvest in Tyler’s infrastructure. At Wednesday’s meeting, the city council awarded to Adams Engineering an $113,616 contract for design and construction of a new culvert at Robertson Avenue. With heavy rainfall bring to the forefront storm water and drainage issues, a Drainage Capital Improvement Plan was developed. Twelve key projects, including Robertson Avenue culvert replacement, were identified. Continue reading Improving Tyler’s Infrastructure

TYLER – The Tyler City Council has approved a contract with Adams Engineering for $306,188 to design and construct an additional 1.46 miles of sidewalk along both sides of MLK Boulevard from Broadway Avenue to Gentry Parkway. “This is the largest sidewalk improvement at one time we’ve done in this area to date,” said Scott Taylor, Managing Director of Utilities and Public Works. “Increasing walkability in the City is important for mobility and safety.” This project is estimated to take 18 months to design and construct. Over the last three years, the city has implemented a districting plan for the Texas College area within the boundaries of MLK Boulevard to 29th Street and Grand Avenue to Glass Avenue. So far, $2,000,000 has been invested to add sidewalks, pavement improvements and district street lights and banners.

TYLER – Two new fire stations are on the horizon for the city of Tyler. At Wednesday’s meeting, the city council approved a $586,000 agreement for the design of fire station 1 and fire station 4. Fitzpatrick Architects were hired to design the new fire stations and to oversee construction management. Construction is planned to begin at the end of next year and both stations are planned to be completed by the end of 2019. Fire Station 4 will move from the north to Cumberland Road and Cherry Hill Drive. This will serve the growth in south Tyler. Fire Station 1 will move to Gentry Parkway and Palace Avenue. This will accommodate the area once covered by Station 4. The location will also have an administration building.

TYLER -The Tyler Police Department (PD) and Municipal Court will be upgrading to new software next year. This will increase efficiency and data collection. At Wednesday’s city council meeting, a presentation outlining a switch to a new ticket book software for the PD and overall system change for Municipal Court was given. Tyler police will make the switch from its current system to Brazos e-citation. Brazos has the software capabilities to deal with state-mandated requirements. The aging of Tyler PD’s current system is not capable of maintaining all the needed data capabilities. According to police chief Jimmy Toler, “This new software and equipment will allow us to create reports that easily collect information that we will have to collect manually beginning January 1st. This program is easier to use and makes data sharing with municipal court reliable and more efficient. Continue reading Tyler Police Department and Municipal Court to Receive Software Upgrades

GILMER – An Upshur County Jury has given a man, responsible for many robberies, a lengthy prison sentence. The jury in 115th State District Court sentenced Gerald Michaul Hiam Jr. 30, of Dallas, to 75 years in prison. He was also fined $10,000. Hiam was accused of robbing a store on Highway 154 back on April 17th. He used the money to buy heroin and then drove to Dallas where he robbed a student at Coppell High School and a mother in a store’s parking lot. He testified in his defense and admitted under cross examination there were multiple crimes he had committed in which he had not been caught.

TYLER – The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle drive continues to inch its way toward this year’s goal. This year’s goal is $375,000. And, with a week and a half to go in this year’s drive, they still need to raise over $180,000. Every dollar raised here by the drive remains here. The money goes to provide food, clothes, and shelter to those needing help in Smith County. Salvation Army Captain Robert Parkersays the funds are critical to their ability to continue to provide much needed programs and services in the community. And he added ” We have faith that people will step up to help us continue to do the most good to the most people in the most need.” Continue reading Red Kettle Drive in the Final Stage

HOUSTON — The University of Houston is heading up a new institute to study hurricanes and their effects on the gulf coast — and UT Tyler is involved. A new hurricane research center backed by universities in Texas and elsewhere will examine hurricane modeling, flood mitigation, and public policy so officials can better anticipate and respond to gulf coast storms. A U of H press release says money funding the research will come from the institutions, cooperative agreements, and outside grants. Besides UTT and U of H, the universities involved are Rice, Texas Tech, Louisiana State, the University of Miami, and the University of Florida. Academics from the seven campuses can apply for the first round of funding for projects that involve collaboration across institutions. Applications are due early next year.

WHITE OAK – Wednesday was the last day of school this week in the White Oak School District. There will be no classes in all White Oak schools Thursday and Friday. School superintendent Superintendent Mike Gilbert said there has been a growing number of students becoming sick with flu- and strep-like symptoms. As they look at what they call an “escalating problem,” it is hoped that two days off before the weekend will give students time to recover. The district’s attendance is usually around 96%. But Gilbert said that has dropped to 85%.

MARSHALL – A new president has been named at Wiley College in Marshall. School trustees have named Herman Felton Jr. to the post. He will be succeeding President Haywood Strickland when he retires next June. A search firm provided several candidates for the post from which Felton was selected. He has served as the President of Wilberforce University in Ohio since 2016. Prior to that he was senior vice president, chief operating officer and vice president of institutional advancement for Livingstone College in North Carolina. Felton said “It is an honor and privilege to be a part of the rich legacy of Wiley College.”

MARSHALL – The cause of death of an East Texas college student has been determined. Marshall police say Derrick Lockwood, 23, of Jasper died of natural causes. The preliminary autopsy report, which had been released earlier, was unable to pinpoint the exact cause of death. His body was found by officers who had responded to a dorm at Texas State Technical College in Marshall on October 22nd.

PALESTINE – Palestine Municipal Court Judge Alex Nemer II submitted his resignation to City Manager Michael Hornes. This marks the second time Nemer has served in the position. He was Municipal Court Judge from January, 1974 to December 1976. Hornes said “Judge Nemer wished to spend more time with his family and focus on his private practice.” The search for a new Municipal Court Judge is underway.

TITUS COUNTY — Two school districts in Titus County closed Wednesday due to a major gas leak. Officials report the Mt. Pleasant and Chapel Hill ISDs did not hold classes. All of the schools will reopen on Thursday.

TYLER — There are a number of contested races in the Smith County primary elections next March, now that the filing deadline has passed. Among the highlights: Louie Gohmert has an opponent in the GOP congressional race, and two people have filed on the Democratic side. In the state House District 6 contest, incumbent Matt Schaefer will have an opponent, with one independent and one Democrat to appear on the ballot as well. The district attorney race includes two Republicans, and County Judge Nathaniel Moran will face a Democratic opponent in November. Continue reading Long List of Candidates for March Primary in Smith County