KTBB News, Weather, Talk

SMITH COUNTY – Polls will open Saturday in city and school board races in Smith County. During early voting for the city and school elections in Smith County, 2,145 ballots were cast. The break out looks like this, in the Tyler city council and school board races, a combined total of 826 people voted. In the Bullard school board races, 439 people voted. The Winona city and school board races saw 193 persons vote and in the Chapel Hill school board election, 687 people voted. The polls will open Saturday morning at 10 polling sites around the county.

MARSHALL – Marshall police say their drug take back drive was successful. It was held Saturday at Marshall High School. Over 165 pounds of expired or unnecessary drugs were turned in. The drugs were given to the DEA in Tyler on Monday. Anyone who might have missed the event can bring their unused or expired prescription medication to the drop-box located in the lobby of the Marshall Police Department. The drop box is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

TYLER – Smith County has received the 2018 Excellence in Safety Award from the Texas Association of Counties. The award is for maintaining a safe workplace. The award was presented at the Texas Association of Counties Conference in Austin. During the Smith County Commissioners Court meeting, County Administrator and Human Resources Director Leonardo Brown recognized his staff members Esmeralda Delmas, HR Coordinator; and Jaye Lynn Collins, Administrative Assistant who handles the county’s day-to-day workers’ compensation program.

WASHINGTON – A new federal judge will be seated in Tyler. The U.S. Senate voted to confirm Campbell Barker in the post. The vote was 51 to 47, with 2 GOP senators not present. Barker was former Deputy Solicitor General of Texas. He served four years in the criminal division of the Justice Department before his duties in Texas. Both Texas senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz voted in favor of Barker and both released statements with high praise for him.

LONGVIEW – A man accused of killings at a Longview hospital gets life prison terms. Kyron Rayshawn Templeton, 28, of Longview, pleaded guilty in state district court Wednesday. He was given two life terms for the two stabbing deaths. They will run concurrently. He also pleaded guilty to injuring a nurse and a visitor. He was given two twenty year sentences for the assaults. The Longview News Journal reports, they will also run concurrently, but will not be served until the life terms are complete. The attacks occurred in November 2013 at then-Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, while he was at the hospital for his mother’s surgery.

TYLER — The Tyler Junior College Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Juan E. Mejia as the lone finalist to be TJC’s next President. Mejia currently serves as TJC’s President for Branch Locations & District Provost. The Board’s decision comes after an extensive national search and thorough interview process, according to a news release. TJC received 83 applications. A screening committee interviewed 11 semifinalists, eventually narrowing the field to four finalists. TJC Board President Mike Coker noted that Mejia was the first choice of the faculty, staff, students, and community members who participated in the selection process. As sole finalist, Mejia will be confirmed at a meeting on May 23 and will begin July 1 as the seventh President of Tyler Junior College. He’ll succeed the retiring Dr. Mike Metke.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 472 is open to drivers after a culvert replacement. CR 472 — between Farm-to-Market Road 849 and CR 411 — was closed Monday to replace a cross pipe and was opened back up to traffic on Tuesday. The road is just east of Hideaway, in Precinct 3.

EAST TEXAS – The 4th annual East Texas Giving Day produced a record amount of donations. In the 18 hours ending at midnight last night, $1,308,861 was raised. The money from 3,603 donations will go to 183 East Texas nonprofit agencies. The East Texas Communities Foundation said that that the current results on the website are still subject to final review and verification. Last year 158 area nonprofits received over $750,000 in donations.

TYLER – Tyler Junior College trustees are scheduled to name a new president on Wednesday. In January, Chancellor Dr. Mike Metke announced he planed to retire June 30. A total of 83 men and women applied for the position, and after a thorough review of each applicant by a board-appointed screening committee, the pool was narrowed to several semi-finalists, who were interviewed. Last week, TJC hosted the four finalists. Each candidate spent a day participating in a variety of visits, interviews, and forums attended by the TJC Board, community members, faculty and staff. School trustees met in a closed session Monday afternoon to deliberate on the new president. The board has its regular meeting Wednesday morning at 11:00 at which time they are scheduled to announce the sole finalist. A 21-day waiting period will then begin. On May 23, the TJC Board will vote and make it official, the person who will be the seventh president of Tyler Junior College, who will take office on July 1. Continue reading Closer to a New President for TJC

SHREVEPORT – Caddo Parish authorities have identified a Harrison County man killed in a weekend vehicle/pedestrian accident. Raymond Abercrombie Jr., 37, of Waskom, died in a Shreveport hospital just over half an hour after the accident. It happened just before 4:00 Saturday morning on state Highway 3132. Investigators say he was wearing dark clothing when he tried to cross the highway. The driver said he thought he had hit a deer trying to cross the road.

TYLER – A court reporter has been honored for her 25 years of service to Smith County. Kim Christopher was honored at Tuesday’s commissioner’s court meeting. She was the first African American woman to be hired as a Smith County court reporter. She has worked for numerous judges over the years. She served as a roving reporter, working in a different court each day or for weeks at a time. She has also taken the record for grand jury proceedings. She is currently the court reporter for County Court-at-Law Judge Jason Ellis.

MARSHALL – The City of Marshall unveiled a new “no littering sign.” It is part of a larger anti-litter education campaign that the city is promoting in an effort to get citizens to tackle the litter problem. In an effort to create a cleaner and safer environment and maintain a focus on creating an attractive community, the City Commission passed legislation last week strengthening the existing litter regulations. Continue reading Marshall’s Battle Against Litter

SMITH COUNTY – The annual Smith County-Wide Clean Up ends this Saturday. The program allows residents to take bulky items to the landfill for free. Smith County residents can use vouchers which are available at the Smith County Courthouse Annex and all justice of the peace/constable offices. They can be redeemed at the Greenwood Farms Landfill, at 12920 Farm-to-Market Road 2767, or Old Kilgore Highway, in Tyler. Smith County citizens will be able to take 3 cubic yards of solid waste, which fills the bed of a regular sized pickup, and/or bulk items to be disposed of at the landfill. Items not accepted include: hazardous waste, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, gasoline, oils, paint, acid, batteries, Asbestos, wet paint, Freon, whole tires, televisions, computers, refrigerators and freezers.

KILGORE – Traffic on Business 259 at Kilgore College continues to be rerouted after a weekend accident. The pedestrian bridge at the school was struck last Saturday by an oversized load. The impact caused significant damage to the underside of the bridge. The location could remain closed for several days. The pedestrian walkway is also closed to foot traffic until further notice. Motorists should use alternate routes to avoid delays. TxDOT engineers, along with a Kilgore College consulting engineer, are evaluating the bridge and options for opening the roadway to traffic. Traffic will remain detoured as follows:- BU 259 northbound rerouted to FM 1249 – BU 259 southbound rerouted to Houston St., then SH 135.

TYLER — A Tyler man has now been charged with intoxication manslaughter following a wreck March 4. Ethan John Craft, 24, of Tyler, was booked into the Smith County Jail April 29 with bond set at $500,000. The wreck at Loop 323 and Paluxy left Dan Gonzalez, 24, of Tyler, dead at the scene. According to the original police report, a Jeep driven by Craft was traveling southbound on Paluxy at a high rate of speed when he ran a red light and hit the driver’s side of a Yukon driven by Gonzalez. Investigators say Craft’s blood/alcohol content was three times over the legal limit.

LONGVIEW – The Texas Department of Public Safety is asking for assistance from the public on a hit and run accident. It happened Sunday night just after 8:20 on Farm Road 2767 near State Highway 31 in Gregg County. Injured was a pedestrian, Bridget Lee Scott, 38, of Longview. She is in critical condition at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler. She was hit by a northbound white pickup, possibly a Chevrolet. Video obtained from a nearby business shows a white pickup truck traveling north about the same time as the accident. Continue reading Vehicle Sought in Gregg County Hit and Run Accident

TYLER – An investigator with the Tyler Police Department submitted her resignation following her arrest Saturday morning. Melinda Weaver, 32, was charged with public intoxication. She is currently free on a $260 surety bond. Police public information officer Don Martin said Weaver had been with the department just over 6½ years.

HALLSVILLE – A manager of a Brookshire’s store in east Texas is in the running for a national award. Ray Jackson, who is store director at the Brookshire’s store in Hallsville, is in the running for the Food Marketing Institute’s 2019 Store Manager Award. Jackson has been with Brookshire’s for 38 years. He took over his current duties in 2012. Even though there was no growth in the community or reduction in competitors, his store saw a sales increase of 2.26% last year. The winners will be announced on May 14th in St. Louis, Missouri.

KILGORE – Some students have won scholarship money at Kilgore College just by playing a game. The “Clash for College” video game tournament, hosted by the KC Gamers Guild, awarded $4,000 in KC scholarships as prizes for the top five winners of the tournament. It was open to KC students and high school juniors and seniors, it featured Overwatch for Xbox in a one-versus-one double-elimination format. Continue reading Win a Game, Earn Scholarship Money

TYLER – Three Tyler Junior College professors have distinguished themselves as endowed teaching chairs for 2019. The program enables professors to nominate and reward their peers who demonstrate excellence as educators. This year’s recipients are:
• Jae Jerkins, professor, humanities and philosophy – The Thomas Shelby, Jr. Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence
• James Ledet, coordinator/professor, public administration and criminal justice – The George W. Pirtle and El Freda Taylor Pirtle Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence
• Regan Minkel, English professor – The Dorothy Fay and Jack White Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence

TYLER – Some Tyler students got a first had look at the effects of drunk driving with a mock accident. Juniors and seniors at Lee High School were dismissed from class for the Shattered Dreams alcohol awareness event. Tyler fire, police and EMS units, as well as the Air One helicopter, all respond to the scene. There was also a hearse from a local funeral home on hand. The students got to see how the jaws of life were used to removed the injured, who were treated on the scene. Police officers were also on hand to investigate, arrest, and book the mock student “drunk driver.”

LONGVIEW – A woman has pleaded guilty to the kidnapping of a Kilgore College Rangerette. Nancy Alice Motes, 59, pleaded guilty Monday morning to 2 counts of aggravated kidnapping. She was sentenced to five years in prison on each count. The sentences will run concurrently. In December, 2016, Motes kidnapped Alexa Blair, 19, at gunpoint from Blair’s home on Airline Drive in Longview. She was reportedly choked until she passed out and later was tied up in a storage building in Rusk County. Blair was able to escape and call police. Blair’s mother, Rangerettes Director Dana Blair, was at home at the time of the kidnapping and was tied up by Motes.

FLINT – A Smith County man has died in a motorcycle accident. Pronounced dead at the scene was Shane Curtis Chaffee, 53, of Flint, who was not wearing a helmet. The Department of Public Safety says, for some unknown reason, his motorcycle left them road. He was thrown from the vehicle. The accident happened around 7:45 Sunday night on County Road 168, just over 4 miles northwest of Flint.

TYLER – The TSA pre-check mobile enrollment, which was so successful in Tyler in late late January, has returned to the airport. The mobile RV will be at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport through Friday, May 10. It will be located in the back corner of the airport’s long term parking lot. The pre-check is an expedited screening program that enables identified low-risk air travelers to enjoy a quick and efficient screening experience. For travelers who have been pre-checked, there is no need to remove shoes, 3-1-1 liquids, laptops, light outerwear or belts. Currently, the pre-check has more than 450 lanes at over 200 U.S. airports, including the Tyler airport. Continue reading TSA Pre-Enrollment at Pounds Field

LONGVIEW – A Gregg County County Assistant District Attorney has resigned following his arrest. Assistant DA David Hagan, 29, submitted his resignation Monday morning. This follows his arrest early Saturday morning for DWI. He is currently free on a $1,500 bond. Hagan was a felony prosecutor in the 124th state district court. He had been an assistant with the DA’s office since April of 2017. District Attorney Tom Watson accepted has the resignation. He says he intends to have a special prosecutor appointed to handle the case. Watson emphasized that no one is above the law and Hagan’s case will be filed and prosecuted regardless of who has been accused.

SMITH COUNTY — Smith County Road 472 is closed until further notice for a culvert replacement. CR 472 is between Farm-to-Market Road 849 and CR 411; that’s just east of Hideaway, in Precinct 3.

TYLER — UT Tyler Police are looking for the suspect accused of domestic violence at an on-campus apartment complex. According to our news partner KETK, Jaquavion Slaton, 20, is accused of physically assaulting, choking and pointing a gun at a woman Sunday afternoon at the Victory Village Apartments. He then fled on foot towards University Boulevard. Police say that Slaton should be considered armed and dangerous and that he has a history of assault. Slaton is described as 5’5″, 150 lbs with short, curly hair. He has a tattoo of a bird on the right side of his neck and was last seen wearing red shorts and a white shirt.

TYLER – We should know this week who will be the next president at Tyler Junior College. The four finalist for the post were hosted last week. Each candidate spent a day participating in a variety of visits, interviews, and forums attended by the TJC Board, community members, faculty and staff. School trustees will meet in a closed session Monday afternoon to deliberate on the new president. The board will meet Wednesday for their regular meeting at which time they are scheduled to announce the sole finalist. A 21-day waiting period will then begin. On May 23, the TJC Board will announce the seventh president of Tyler Junior College, who will take office on July 1. Continue reading TJC, Close to a New President