KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SULPHUR SPRINGS – Icy roads may have played part in a one vehicle accident in Hopkins County that killed one person. The wreck happened Tuesday afternoon on State Highway 11 at Farm Road 1870 east of Sulphur Springs. Dead at the scene was Stephannie Greinart, 22, of Winnsboro. The Department of Public Safety reports her vehicle left the road and hit a tree.

AUSTIN — Governor Rick Perry has appointed three members to the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents for terms to expire January 31, 2017.

Brigettee Henderson of Lufkin is an independent consulting interior designer and executive assistant at Carnes and Co. Auctioneers. She is secretary of the Angelina Arts Alliance Board of Directors, chair of the Angelina County American Cancer Society’s 2011 Cattle Baron’s Gala, and a member of the Buckner Family Place Board of Directors, Buckner Family Services Circle of Angels, and Junior League of Lufkin Sustainers. She is a past board member of the Lufkin Salvation Army, Museum of East Texas and Angelina Beautiful Clean. She is also past president of the Junior League of Lufkin and past vice president of the Angelina County Aggie Mother’s Club. Henderson received two bachelor’s degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Ken Schaefer of Brownsville is owner of Schaefer Stevedoring Inc. He is director of the West Gulf Maritime Association, and a past board member of University of Texas Pan American, Texas Commerce Bank, Fondo de Inversion de Veracruz, and Almacenadora Regional del Gulfo. Schaefer received a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Ralph C. Todd of Carthage is a senior account manager at Baker Hughes Inc. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, Gideon International, and Patriot Guard Riders. He is also a member of the Panola County Masonic Lodge and Bill Glass Champions for Life Prison Ministry, and is a deacon at Central Baptist Church. Todd attended the Peacock Military Academy and received a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.

These appointments are subject to senate confirmation.

MARSHALL — A Marshall family is desperately seeking a kidney donor for its 16 month old daughter. 16-month-old Charlie Ray Furr was born with only one functioning kidney. The kidney was set to be removed last Tuesday, and Charlie Ray was expected to make a full recovery. However, during the operation, the good kidney was compromised, and then removed along with the bad organ. Now, Charlie Ray is at Children’s Hospital in Dallas undergoing life-saving dialysis treatments. A prayer vigil for Charlie Ray will be held in downtown Marshall Thursday night. Hundreds are expected to attend.

JACKSONVILLE — Some people in the Jacksonville area may have noticed lowered water pressure Wednesday. Afton Grove Water Supply is urging customers to conserve water. They tell KETK they are dangerously close to running out completely. Their plants can’t keep up with increased usage — which may be due to people running water to keep pipes from freezing.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Jail Officials will hold a public meeting February 10th. They’ll discuss plans for a new jail and will take community input. It will be held at the Smith County Courthouse at 4:00.

TYLER – Morning commuters in Tyler were greeted yesterday with traffic sign problems all over the city. KTBB traffic reporter Kerri Compton reported at mid-afternoon Wednesday that all traffic signals in Tyler were functioning. Earlier, the Tyler Police Department cautioned citizens that the city was experiencing traffic signal problems due to sporadic power outages. Those were attributed to a state directive that rolling blackouts be implemented. The state’s ERCOT agency lifted that directive yesterday afternoon.

Lufkin– A Lufkin man is being held on a collective $1 million bond after he’s arrested for the second time in six months for the alleged sexual assault of a child. Joseph Weeks, 19, was arrested Monday after he reportedly had an inappropriate relationship 15-year-old girl inside a movie theater in the Lufkin Mall Dec. 27. Weeks allegedly touched the girl inappropriately, according to an arrest report. The girl told her mother about the incident and her mother contacted Lufkin Police. The girl’s cell phone was searched and text messages between she and Weeks were discovered that confirmed the sexual contact, the report stated. Weeks was indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in July. He’s currently in the Angelina County Jail.

LUFKIN — An Angelina County man who pleaded guilty to robbery was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday afternoon. Bradley Durham, 40, appeared before state District Judge Barry Bryan Tuesday afternoon, begging to be sent to a prison-style drug rehabilitation program, blaming his behavior on addiction. He sank down in his chair on the stand, visibly shaking as he addressed Bryan Tuesday afternoon.

Durham was arrested for robbery and burglary of a habitation last year after injuring homeowner Cyrus Poling in his getaway attempt Jan 10, 2010. Poling was nearly ran over by Durham as he attempted to stop him from driving away with his property. Hanging onto the side of Durham’s getaway vehicle, Poling was dragged several feet.

RUSK COUNTY — Before the cold air arrived Tuesday, a line of strong thunderstorms moved through the area. They were responsible for one tornado that formed in the Oak Hill area in Rusk County. The small EF-1 tornado caused damage to a couple of houses and some trees shortly before 6:15 Tuesday morning. The Shreveport National Weather Service reported the damage path was 1/2 mile long and 100 yards wide. No injuries were reported.

KILGORE – Kilgore is getting a new police chief. Jasper Police Chief Todd Hunter has announced he has accepted the post. Hunter announced Monday his last day on the job will be February 19. He has served as the Jasper Police Chief for six years.

TYLER – The Tyler Police Department has a new Sergeant. Tuesday, Chief Gary Swindle promoted Investigator Brian Bulman, on the left, to the position of Sergeant.

Brian Bulman was hired by the Tyler Police Department on May 30, 2000. He attended the Tyler Junior College Law Enforcement Academy and was assigned to the Patrol Division upon graduation. Officer Bulman worked midnight shift patrol from 2001 until July 2004.

In July 2004 Officer Bulman was selected as an Investigator in the Special Investigations Unit. Detective Bulman worked in this capacity until February 2008 when he was assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration to work as a DEA Task Force Officer. He has served in this capacity as the DEA Task Force Officer until his promotion to Sergeant today.

Detective Bulman holds a Masters Peace Officers Certification through TCLEOSE and has been the recipient of the Life Saving Award, the Expert Marksman Award, the Safe Driving Award, and the Plainclothes Officer of the Month Award.

AUSTIN – A Tyler lawyer is running for the state bar of Texas. He is F.R. “Buck” Files, a shareholder in criminal-defense firm Bain, Files, Jarrett, Bain & Harrison. At a recent meeting the board approved candidates for the 2011-2012 State Bar president-elect race. According to a state bar news release, the other candidate is Guy Choate, a partner in personal-injury law firm Webb, Stokes & Sparks in San Angelo.

AUSTIN — Texas Mutual Insurance Company has awarded a combined $300,000 in grants to Kilgore College, Midland College and College of the Mainland in Texas City. The grants will continue to fund free workplace safety courses for employers, employees and the general public through the colleges risk management institutes.

“We are grateful for the support that Texas Mutual continues to show Kilgore College and the emphasis the company places on safety education,” said William Holda, president of Kilgore College. “Since the beginning of our partnership, we were confident that the KC Risk Management Institute would be a valuable resource for area employees and employers. It has not only proved to be an important educational tool, but has also helped to make participants more competitive in today’s job market.”

Courses at the safety institutes include general topics, such as back safety and OSHA standards, but students may also choose to attend courses tailored to the dominant industries in the Houston, Midland and Kilgore areas.

GLADEWATER (AP) — The mother of Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith has died in an East Texas hospital at the age of 77. Mae Smith had long suffered from diabetes. Gregory Dearion of Dearion & Davis Funeral Parlor in Gladewater said her funeral is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. Dearion said Smith’s husband died in 1996.

Born in the small East Texas town of Big Sandy, Mae Evelyn Chalk Smith was a longtime resident of nearby Tyler. In a 2007 interview with the Tyler Morning Telegraph, she said she had been a Dallas Cowboys fan until her son became the Bears coach. Lovie Smith, a former Tulsa University football star, led the Bears to that year’s Super Bowl, where they lost to Indianapolis.

NASHVILLE (AP) – Lindale’s Miranda Lambert has so many nominations for Academy of Country Music Awards that Ronnie Dunn jokes it seems like she has 35. She actually leads with seven and she says that’s “awesome.” Lambert and Dunn announced many of the nominations Tuesday morning on “The Early Show” on CBS. Lambert will compete for entertainer of the year with Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Toby Keith and Jason Aldean. Carrie Underwood won that top award the past two years, but isn’t nominated this year. Lambert’s fiance Blake Shelton has two nominations and will co-host the ACMs with Reba McEntire on April third.

LONGVIEW — Longview police say they’ve arrested a Gilmer man on burglary charges. On Saturday, around 10:00 p.m., Officers received information that the suspect in several area commercial burglaries was seen in the area of North Eastman Road and East Marshall Avenue. When officers arrived they located the subject walking in the 1900 Block of East Marshall Avenue. Police say the suspect led officers on a short foot pursuit. The DPS helicopter was also deployed, and the suspect was apprehended a short time later. The suspect was identified as Keir Jacques Harris, 40, of Gilmer. Harris was arrested for evading arrest and two counts of burglary. The investigation continues, and more charges may be filed at a later date.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Police Department has a new chief and assistant chief today. Yesterday morning, Don Dingler, pictured here, took the oath of office as the new Chief of Police. Chief Dingler has served in a variety of capacities during his 37 years with the Longview Police Department, including serving as Assistant Chief since 2003. Dingler succeeds Chief J.B. McCaleb who recently retired.

Following the swearing in of Chief Dingler, the Police Department also swore in Michael Bishop as an Assistant Chief for the department. Serving in the position previously held by Dingler, Assistant Chief Bishop will provide oversight to the Administrative Bureau.

LONGVIEW — Three persons have been arrested and a Longview massage parlor has been shut down. An undercover officer entered Sakura Spa at 2010 Gilmer Road and made arrangements for a 2 person massage. When it was agreed upon, officers entered the business and requested to see the massage therapist licenses. Two women who did not have licenses through the state of Texas to perform massages were detained. The owner, Sam Gee, 60, of Bellerose, New York, was arrested for operating a massage establishment without a license. The women, Thye Ng, 51, and Vivan Huang, 46, both of Longview, were charged with massage without a license.

MARSHALL — One East Texas city is taking steps to help out its most vulnerable citizens during this cold snap. The city of Marshall is opening an emergency shelter for residents who can’t escape the cold on their own. City Manager Frank Johnson says the shelter will be open until the weather warms up, probably sometime this weekend.

TYLER — Austin Bank was recently selected as one of the Best Companies to Work for in Texas 2011. This is the third year for Austin Bank to receive the award. The awards program is a project of Texas Monthly magazine. “Austin Bank is especially proud to receive this honor because it came from the input of our employees,” said Jeff Austin III, Vice Chairman of the Board. “The success of our bank has been built by a wonderful team of dedicated, professional employees.”

TYLER — With the snow and freezing temperatures, the City of Tyler is recommending continued precautions. Residents are encouraged to wrap exposed faucets, use caution if driving and turn off any irrigation and sprinkler equipment that could potentially reach streets and sidewalks.

“Commercial faucet covers and pipe insulation are available to reduce the chances of freezing,” explained Public Works Director Greg Morgan. “However, if commercial products are not available residents can also use newspaper or towels duct taped around the faucet to provide some protection from the freezing conditions and help prevent breakage.”

During episodes of freezing temperatures, residents are encouraged to avoid driving if possible. Overpasses and bridges are typically the first areas that freeze, so extreme caution should be taken in these locations. Sand trucks have been fully loaded and stand ready should icy conditions manifest. However, the Police Department advises avoiding the following areas should the temperature fall below freezing:

Beckham Street Overpass near Gentry Parkway; Fifth Street Overpass near Beckham; Fleischel and Saunders Overpass; Shiloh Road east of Paluxy (sloping road) and Loop 49 at overpasses.

The airport has completed all winter storm preparation procedures, including ensuring that de-icing materials are available, checking all generators to confirm they are operational, preparing sidewalk cleaning equipment and materials, and readying tractors for quick response. Travelers are urged to check the City web page at
http://www.cityoftyler.org for the latest flight information.
In the event of extreme weather, Transit service may be briefly postponed or cancelled. Check the City web page for the latest information.

LUFKIN — A Lufkin man accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl was found not guilty by an Angelina County jury Monday afternoon. Felix Aguirre, 46, stood accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a girl in his family from the time she was age 13 to age 16. The girl testified last week that Aguirre would come into her room after her mother went to sleep and force her to have sex with him about three times a week.

The jury heard a recording the girl made of her and her mother confronting Aguirre about the abuse was brought into evidence. At one part in the tape, the mother can be heard asking Aguirre for money, $15,000 and she would “keep her mouth shut,” according to testimony. Aguirre took the stand Friday, saying he never sexually assaulted the girl and he believed it was about money to the girl and her mother.

TYLER — A Rusk County woman has pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges. Ivana Robinson Adkins, 35, of Mt. Enterprise, pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison for the violation. A sentencing date has not been set. Federal prosecutors say Adkins traveled to various pharmacies in the East Texas to purchase cold pills containing pseudoephedrine to aid her in her methamphetamine manufacturing activities.

KAUFMAN, Texas (AP) — A 21-year-old Virginia man is hospitalized in fair condition after falling 110 feet from an East Texas water tower. A Kaufman County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman says Brandon Milley of Hampton, Va., fell Sunday morning while painting the North Kaufman Water Supply tower.

Spokeswoman Pat Laney tells The Dallas Morning News that Milley employed by Worldwide Industrial Corp. of Butler, Pa., which has the tower maintenance contract. She also says he was wearing a safety rig when the fall happened and an investigation continues into just how it happened.

Laney says Milley was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital after the 9:21 a.m. Sunday accident in critical condition and saw his condition improve by Monday.

TYLER — East Texas is again expecting very low temperatures this week. So far, this winter, PATH has given out more blankets than ever before. The need for heat during these extreme temperatures will result in higher than normal utility bills for families that simply can’t afford it.

“We don’t have any blankets right now,” said Christina Fulsom, executive director of PATH. “This is really a dangerous scenario. People, especially children, the ill and elderly, are at risk in these extremely low temperatures.”

PATH officials urge supporters to donate new blankets or money towards helping people with their utility bills. “Those on fixed incomes may be inclined to keep their heaters off to avoid the higher utility bills,” she added. “And some may need to purchase propane to keep warm. …Donations towards this kind of assistance are always needed and can literally save lives.”

You are asked to bring new blanket donations to the PATH office, 402 West Front Street Tyler from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Monetary donations can be designated for blankets or heat assistance and can be mailed at the West Front Street address or you can go http://www.PATHhelps.org and make a donation online.

TYLER — A Tyler hospital is among entities paying close attention after Monday’s Florida ruling on health care reform. Physician Hospitals of America (PHA) and Texas Spine and Joint Hospital are challenging the constitutionality of Section 6001 of Healthcare Reform in Texas Federal Court. An official decision is awaited in that case. Section 6001 bans further expansion or construction of Physician Owned Hospitals (POHs).

In response to the Florida ruling, lead attorney Scott Oostdyk of McGuireWoods says, “The Florida federal court has declared the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be unconstitutional in its entirety. Section 6001 of that law bars expansion by only one type of hospital — those that are physician-owned. We are hopeful that the Florida decision will stop the enforcement by the federal government of all unconstitutional limitations on hospital expansion, and PHA will seek that relief in the courts.” A news release from the hospital says PHA and its attorneys will continue to analyze this ruling and their various options moving forward.

There are currently 285 POHs in 34 states. These hospitals include general acute care, long term acute care, emergency medicine, multispecialty, women’s, children’s, rehabilitation and psychiatric.

JACKSONVILLE (AP) – An East Texas woman cited as the world’s oldest person has died at the age of 114. Patricia Ellis of Boren-Conner Funeral Home of Jacksonville says Eunice G. Sanborn of Jacksonville died Monday morning at her home. A message left with Sanborn’s caretaker, David French, was not returned Monday. The Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group in Los Angeles listed Sanborn as the world’s oldest person, based on data from the 1900 census. Robert Young of the group said the title now passes to 114-year-old Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia, who is 114 years and five months old. Sanborn acquired the distinction November 4 upon the death of a French nun, Eugenie Blanchard, on the French Caribbean island of St. Barts. She was 114.

TYLER — Tyler police say that it will not be up to the drivers of the vehicles involved in a Monday accident on Highway 271 to file charges against each other. A report on the incident, outside Loop 323, will be sent to a property claims department, where it will be decided whether or not both drivers will face charges.

Witnesses tell officers a Volkswagen was driving too close to a pickup truck, and the driver of the truck began tapping his brake to get the driver of the car to let up. When the VW driver went to pass the truck, witnesses say the driver of the truck jumped to the other lane to prevent the car from passing. Eventually the vehicles hit. One vehicle ran off the road and hit a power pole. No outages were reported. One driver was taken to the hospital but was quickly released. The vehicles were both towed away. Witnesses say both drivers were at fault. Police say it is fortunate that the incident did not cause a head-on collision.

TYLER — Over a month after they were discovered, some good news for a group of abused horses in Lindale. Two of them made their way to a new home in Tennessee on Sunday. In December, after numerous complaints about a herd of malnourished horses, rescuers found 43 emaciated horses and about a dozen skeletal remains. The SPCA of East Texas and the Humane Society brought the horses to the East Texas State Fairgrounds for rehabilitation. For the past month, they’ve been getting good food, exercise and vaccinations, all in preparation to find the horses a new home.

TROUP — Alcohol measures could possibly make the ballot again in East Texas. Troup’s city manager says he’s heard of petitions circulating in his community. He says petitions must have 115 signatures and be turned in by Friday. If the signatures are verified, the measures would be on the May 14th ballot.