KTBB News, Weather, Talk

WASKOM – A death of a Harrison County man is under investigation today. Waskom police are hoping an autopsy report will shed more light on the death of the man. The victim, whose name has not been released, was found by his sister Monday afternoon. He was found face down on the floor of his home with a knife in his chest. It’s hoped the autopsy will be able to tell if the death was accidental or they have a homicide on their hands.

TYLER — The Tyler Police Department is investigating a hit-and-run that occurred in the parking lot of a local discount store. According to police, the accident happened in the parking lot of Fred’s Discount Store, 1803 East Gentry Parkway. The victim was not seriously injured, according to Sgt. Adam Colby.

GRAND SALINE — The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office asks for the public’s help locating a man who ran from authorities. According to KETK, the Grand Saline Police Department released a statement saying Kenneth Shane Henson is wanted in Van Zandt County after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase. Henson was last seen running in a wooded area on County Road 1308. Contact the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, 903-567-4133 or Crime Stoppers, with any information.

TYLER – The weigh-in period for the 5th annual Lighten Up East Texas is underway through the end of February. Created by the Fit City Tyler Coalition, this free weight loss event challenges individuals, teams and communities to have friendly competition while losing weight and improving their health. Anyone in East Texas, over the age of 18, can take part in the program. Terrance Ates, with the North East Texas Public Health District, says participants will receive entries into a grand prize drawing for every 5% of weight that is lost. Among the prizes, a man and a woman will each win $5,000. You can go to LightenUpEastTexas.com for more details.

TYLER – A person, out for a walk, has been robbed in Tyler. It happened shortly before 12:45 Monday afternoon on East Vance Street. The victim, a 73 year old Hispanic male, says a car pulled up next to him. The driver got out, displaying a handgun tucked into his waistband. He then began struggling with the victim. He punched him in the face, took his wallet, then drove away. The victim received minor injuries. The suspect was described as a heavy set Hispanic male.

TYLER – A Tyler argument has resulted in the arrest of two persons. Daquion Ray Wheeler, 21, and Darshae Lashaun Calloway, 19, both of Tyler, were arrested on New Year’s Day. They were arrested in a yard on Texas College Road. They have been charged with aggravated assault. They are said to have pulled knives and were trying to cut each other. The situation calmed down when an officer pulled his taser. Witnesses say the altercation stemmed from an argument over a hat.

EAST TEXAS – With the arrival of the new year came two new arrivals to East Texas. The first baby of the year arrived at East Texas Medical Center Sunday morning at 2:30. Diego Perez is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jose Juan Perez. The couple’s first child weighed in at 7 pounds and 1 ounce and measured 20.5 inches. At 5:00 Sunday morning, Longview’s first baby of 2017 arrived at Good Shepherd Medical Center. Vincent Simpson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Simpson. He tipped the scales at 7 pounds 6 ounces.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in TxDOT’s Tyler District during the Week of Jan. 2. 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.

Starting Tuesday, January 3, motorists in Tyler are encouraged to take alternate routes to avoid work on the West Loop 323 project at SH 31. The contractor, Longview Bridge and Road, will be placing the final pavement surface on the roadway. Work will be conducted between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. starting with the northbound lanes. Expect lane closures and delays with traffic reduced to one lane at various times throughout the week. Continue reading TxDOT’s Weekly Roadwork Update

DALLAS — A year ago there was no drought in Texas, and now there is. 7 1/2 percent of the state is in drought, and more is abnormally dry; Northeast Texas and the Panhandle are the hardest hit, despite recent rains in our area. Larry French with the Texas Water Development Board says this has been developing for some time. Continue reading Drought Conditions Return to Texas

GILMER — A Gilmer-area church has been destroyed by fire. KETK reports Concord Missionary Church, north of Gilmer near the intersection of Dahlia Road and F.M. 2263, caught fire Saturday morning. The Gilmer Volunteer Fire Department was one of seven departments called to help fight the massive blaze. According to authorities, no one was hurt. The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately available.

TYLER — Well-known personal injury lawyer Keith Miller of Tyler has been arrested in Smith County for possession of marijuana. According to KETK, county jail records show Miller, 59, was found in possession of under two ounces of the drug on Friday. He was later freed on a $500 bond. Miller’s TV commercials have helped make him a well-known figure in the region for a number of years.

TYLER – A memorial service for longtime Baptist leader Dr. Paul Powell is scheduled for today at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. According to the Stewart Family Funeral Home website, private burial will follow at Cathedral In The Pines Cemetery. Powell, who was 83, died Wednesday. He served for 17 years as pastor of Green Acres and had previously pastored four other Texas churches. Over the years, Powell served in numerous offices with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, including a term as president from 1985–87. The author of 36 books, Powell was selected as Distinguished Alumnus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1990.

EAST TEXAS — East Texans are gearing up for a new year, and there’s lots to remember when it comes to playing it safe. For starters, officials remind you that thousands of people, often children and teens, are injured each year while using consumer fireworks. There are city ordinances in Tyler and Longview that ban using fireworks within the city limits. And remember, you cannot discharge a firearm in the city limits. Those bullets are going up in the air and they have to come down somewhere. Continue reading Officials: Play It Safe This New Year’s Eve

LONGVIEW – A Longview man has been arrested following a burglary report. A witness told officers they saw a man exit an apartment on Pine Tree Road through a window. He was carrying a flat screen TV. Arriving officers found the suspect’s vehicle trying to leave the property. Inside his vehicle the found a flat screen TV and a rifle. In his pocket they found a semi-automatic handgun. They also found several clear plastic baggies containing a crystal-like substance, believed to be methamphetamine, in his pants pockets. Arrested was Reagan Cole Schriver, 24, of Longview. He has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, unlawful carrying of a weapon and two Class C misdemeanor warrants. He has been booked into the Gregg County Jail.

LONGVIEW – A Friday afternoon traffic stop in Longview resulted in drug charges against two Gregg County women. Their vehicle was stopped in the area of Bancroft Circle and Sheffield Drive for a traffic violation. Officers learned a passenger, Stephanie Leigh Garner Robertson (pictured), 34, of Longview, had an outstanding warrant for violation of probation/driving while intoxicated. She was arrested on the warrant. During a search of the car officers found a pill bottle in the console which contained a quantity of a crystal-like substance, believed to be methamphetamine, and a plastic baggie with what appeared to be marijuana behind the driver’s seat. Robertson and the driver, Ashlee Babb Tubbs, 26, of Kilgore, were both charged with possession of a controlled substance. Officers also located additional suspected methamphetamine on Tubbs at the Gregg County Jail.

PALESTINE – Anderson County authorities have released the name of a teen found shot to death just before Christmas. It happened on County Road 350 around 8:45pm on December 23rd. Authorities found Dustin Shane Mann, 19, of Huntsville, with a gunshot wound to the head. He was first taken to a Palestine hospital, and then transferred to a Tyler hospital where he died. So far, the investigation is pointing to the death as an accidental shooting.

TYLER – Tyler police have arrested two men accused of human trafficking.It started with an investigation into credit card abuse. That led officers to a hotel on the Loop at Highway 69 North. There, they found two Dallas girls under the age of 18 who were being used for prostitution. Arrested were Quintus Kentrell Blaylock, 24, of Tyler (pictured) and James Ray Ellis, 21, of Addison. Both are charged with trafficking of persons under the age of 18. Blaylock was also charged with indecency with a child sexual contact and Ellis is charged with sexual assault of a child. The two girls were sent back to the Dallas area on a directive to apprehend by the juvenile courts.

A Longview kidnapping has ended with the victim escaping and a suspect in custody. The call came in to police of a robbery in progress just before 6:15 Thursday night. Officers learned a woman had entered a home on Airline Road and kidnapped a woman at gunpoint. The victim was Alexa Evonne Blair, 19, of Longview, the daughter of Kilgore College Rangerettes Director Dana Blair. She wAs later able to escape and call police. A short time later they found and arrested the suspect. Nancy Alice Motes, 57, of Kilgore, is charged with aggravated Kidnapping. She was released on a $500,000 Friday afternoon. The police are still trying to determine a motive for the kidnapping.

TYLER – Visitation for Dr. Paul Powell is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Stewart Family Funeral Home in Tyler. Funeral Services are pending for the former pastor of Tyler’s Green Acres Baptist Church. Powell, who was 83, died Wednesday. Powell, who never went to church until he was 14, served for 17 years as pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church. He had previously served as pastor a four other Texas churches. Over the years, Powell served in numerous offices with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, including a term as president from 1985–87. The author of 36 books, Powell was selected as Distinguished Alumnus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1990.

LONGVIEW – A young Longview boy has been taken into custody by Child Protective services. The action was taken after a police officer found the boy’s home littered with feces and the mother was said to be too drunk to care for him. The boy said he had not eaten in several days. The Longview News Journal reports the officer had been conducting a welfare check on the family at the Willow Lake Apartments. The officer reported the boy’s mother came staggering to the door and she was an alcoholic and had been drinking a lot. Arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child, criminal negligence, was Sybil Jewett Gray, 40. She is being held in the Gregg County Jail with a bond of $5,000.

LONGVIEW – A Longview burglary suspect has been busted with the goods. A police officer was responding to a call around 9:00 Wednesday night when he saw 34 year old Jose Luis Carnejo of Longview walking down Bolten Street. And he was carrying a television. As he stopped to investigate, he heard a call of a burglary on Birdsong Street. He was told a TV had been stolen. The TV Carnejo had matched the description of the stolen TV. He’s been charged with burglary of a habitation. Bond was set at $20,000.

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration reports the recall of a green bean casserole sold in Brookshire’s Grocery Stores. Farm To Market Foods of Santo, Texas is recalling the green bean casserole, because it may contain undeclared Peanut Allergens. The green bean casserole was sold as 32 oz. retail trays and were included with Holiday Smoked Turkey and Ham Dinner Kits at the retail deli departments. Persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanut allergens run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product. No illnesses have been reported to date. Continue reading Casserole Recalled from Brookshire’s Stores

TYLER – A Tyler robbery is under investigation. The robbery occurred shortly after 11;30 Wednesday night at the Game Room on South Vine Street. An employee told officers she had been robbed by a Hispanic male. He was about 5′ 10″ with a heavy build. He was wearing a face mask, hooded shirt and shorts. left the business on foot with an undisclosed amount of currency. No injuries were reported.

LUFKIN – An investigation has led to the firing of an Angelina County jailer. Fired Wednesday was Roger D. Grimes. He was arrested and charged with official oppression, a class A misdemeanor. Sheriff Greg Sanches said the arrest came after Grimes was alleged to have assaulted an Angelina County inmate on December 19.

LONGVIEW – Gregg County authorities are investigating a body found around noon on Wednesday. A sheriff”s deputy check of a car turned up the body nearby. It was found near the intersection of State Highway 42 and Red River Road. Currently, authorities do not believe this case is criminal in nature. No other information has been released about the case.