KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – It is now easier for Texas College students to transfer to the University of Texas at Tyler. The two schools have signed a memorandum of understanding. It took place Thursday morning as the officials from the schools signed the document in the Ratliff Library on the U-T Tyler campus. With this partnership, undergraduate students from Texas College will be able to transfer into selected undergraduate programs at UT Tyler. Also, well-qualified students from Texas College will begin limited study in selected master’s programs at UT Tyler as they complete their baccalaureate degree from Texas College.

GILMER – An Upshur County man has been identified as the victim of a two vehicle accident near Gilmer. Pronounced dead at the scene was 29 year old Dexture Domona Carr of Gilmer. His car hit the rear of a tractor trailer rig that had stopped to turn from State Highway 300 on to Flamingo Road, about 4 1/2 miles southeast of Gilmer. The truck’s driver, 39 year old Dewan Tyrel Mosley, of Henderson, was not injured.

TYLER — Tyler ISD board members will vote Monday on a complete revision of elementary school attendance zones. It’s a followup to recent approval of new middle and high school attendance zones for 2018-19. Several elementary schools have split zones dating to TISD’s days under a federal desegregation order that has since been lifted. Two notable examples are Bell and Clarkston elementary schools. Their zones reach to areas between Loop 323 and I-20, nowhere near the schools, making for some excessively long bus trips. Officials point out that demographics have changed significantly since the 1970 desegregation order, with the district now about 72 per cent minority.

TYLER — Another delay is requested in a high-profile Smith County murder trial. Gustavo Zavala-Garcia is facing the death penalty for reportedly killing 10-year-old Kayla Gomez-Orozco in 2016. The trial was set to proceed in October, but KETK reports current District Attorney Matt Bingham requested the court move that date to 2019. That’s when newly-elected DA Jacob Putman will be taking over that office. Jury selection is currently set for August. Police say Kayla went missing from a Bullard church and that her body was found inside a well on Garcia’s property a couple of days later. There’s still no official word on when that trial will be moved, if moved at all.

TYLER — The City of Tyler says it is not responsible for damage to vehicles due to the slag/sand mixture it used to de-ice roads in January. According to KETK, Tyler drivers had complained of ruined tires after driving on slag-covered roadways and blamed the city. Jenny Wells, public relations specialist for the City of Tyler, said the city had received a total 34 claims notices related to the use of the slag/sand mixture. The claims were forwarded to the City’s Third Party Claim Administrator, Innovative Risk Management, for review. INR “performed an independent evaluation and found that the City is not liable for property damage caused to tires by the use of this material on the streets during this ice event,” Wells said. Continue reading City of Tyler Not Responsible for Slag Damage

TYLER– Following approval by UT regents, resident student tuition at UT Tyler will go up 4.99 percent a year over the next two years. The regents recently approved such hikes for the Tyler school and other colleges around the state. UT Tyler had requested the tuition increase in December. At that time, UT Tyler President Dr. Michael Tidwell pointed to the importance of student success and the need for the resources necessary to make that happen. University officials note that some won’t be happy with any increase. But they say many students still see UT Tyler as the
best higher education value in East Texas.

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has named Mark Dunn of Lufkin as chairman of the Texas Workforce Investment Council. Dunn is president of Dunn’s Construction. A state news release says the council assists the Governor and the legislature with strategic planning for and evaluation of the Texas workforce system to promote the development of a well-educated, highly skilled workforce for Texas.

LUFKIN – A three year old girl who was pulled from a Lufkin motel swimming pool has died. She has been identified as Arianna Smith of Lufkin. She died Wednesday afternoon at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. Police say the girl got out of her family’s downstairs room which faced the pool while her father was asleep and her mother was running errands. She was able to enter the fenced pool because the gate latch was broken. After the girl was pulled from the Motel 6 pool on South Timberland Drive, a bystander administered CPR. She was first taken to a Lufkin hospital and then flown to the Houston. The incident remains under investigation, but based on preliminary information, police do not anticipate charges being filed.

MARSHALL – Marshall police are asking the public’s help in finding Jerry Lee Pope, 72. He was last seen leaving his Marshall home last Sunday. Family members say he missed his doctor appointments on Tuesday and they are concerned for his welfare. Pope was last seen wearing blue overalls, a camouflage jacket and Platinum Collision ball cap. He was driving a white 2016 Nissan Frontier pickup truck with Texas plates DV90020. If you know where he can be found, you are asked to call the Marshall Police Department.

TYLER – Earlier this month we told you about a phony delivery driver who stole over $60,000 worth of jewelry from a Tyler store last December. A suspect is now in custody. Investigators obtained a warrant for 49 year old James Albert Oliver of Longview. This week, Oliver was arrested at a Longview motel. Oliver, who was also wanted on outstanding warrants out of Florida and Gregg County, was booked into the Gregg County Jail. He is being held on bonds totaling over $1 million. Investigators say it was Oliver, wearing what appeared to be a UPS uniform, who took the package of jewelry from the Zales store on South Broadway, and then fled.

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville’s new city manager didn’t waste any time getting to work. Monday, Greg Smith was unanimously approved for the post. He was at work the following day. He comes to Jacksonville from Shenandoah, just south of Conroe. He has been city administrator there for eight years. He has also served as city manager in Henderson, Overton and Angleton. Smith was one of 43 applicants for the position. That was trimmed to four from which the two finalists, Smith and Chuck Ewings of Ennis, were picked.

LAIRD HILL — The Rusk County Sheriff’s Office says a mail-stealing device was discovered after officials responded to the Laird Hill Post Office on initial reports of a suspicious package. The RSCO tells KETK a post office employee witnessed a young man tampering with the blue mailbox outside of the post office. When the man saw the employee, he ran to his vehicle, described as cream-colored pickup truck, and left the scene. The employee told law enforcement she then saw a string hanging out of the mailbox. When officials arrived on scene, they found the string was attached to a package inside the mailbox. Law enforcement has determined the package did not contain an explosive device, but that the device was one used to steal mail. The RCSO says it’s still important to remain vigilant, especially after a recent string of deadly package explosions rocked the city of Austin.

GILMER — Good news if you use the Yamboree Park. According to KETK, Gilmer police say a man wanted for taking inappropriate pictures was a false alarm. Witnesses said he started talking to some of the young girls at the park and asked them to go down the slide. Police say the girls were wearing dresses and it looked like he was trying to take pictures up their dresses. The police chief says he was actually just taking pictures of his son with the girls at the park.

CANTON — After much debate, vendors at Canton Trade Days will not be allowed to sell alcohol. KETK reports the city council voted against the proposition Tuesday night. Councilmember Connie Odic said, “They’re literally pulling their cooler and drinking it in their coozies. They’re not even putting it in their Yeti cups; some of them are most of them aren’t. So, I think there’s other more serious topics like theft.” But others feared if it did get out of hand, once alcohol sales were allowed, it would be difficult to control. The council did pass one item regarding alcohol. Vendors who are sponsored by the city will be allowed to sell it at specific events and festivals.

LINDALE – A controlled burn just west of Lindale got out of control Tuesday afternoon. It has now been contained to seven acres. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said the fire spread to high stacks of plastic tree tubs, causing the black smoke seen throughout the county. The fire crossed the property line into a pine thicket, which slowed the wind and the fire. A plow line is around the fire, but it will continue to smolder for hours. Some firefighters will be monitoring it throughout the night. Continue reading Wildfire Near Lindale Now Contained

TYLER – Abel Keith Fulton, 19, has pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of ricin. The plea was entered on Tuesday in an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. Prosecutors say from August to September 2016, Fulton possessed ricin at his home. Ricin is a biological toxin that can be fatal if ingested, inhaled, or injected. There is no known antidote or cure for ricin poisoning. Fulton made the ricin using supplies that he purchased online. He now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.

MARSHALL – Three Marshall residents have been arrested for auto theft. Booked into the Harrison County jail for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle were Richard Parrott Jr., 29, (pictured) Renae Pack, 24 and Vernon Williams, 29. They are said to be responsible for the theft of three vehicles from Garrett’s Automotive Center on East East End Boulevard last Sunday. Two of the vehicles were recovered in Marshall and the third was found in Harrison County. The case remains under investigation.

TYLER (AP/STAFF) — A Tyler man on death row for the slaying of a 93-year-old woman during a robbery at her home has received an execution date. State District Judge Christi Kennedy signed an order Monday setting Clifton Williams, 34, for lethal injection June 21 in Huntsville. The execution is for the fatal beating and stabbing of Cecilia Schneider at her home in Tyler in July 2005. Evidence showed Williams entered through a back door, attacked her and then set her body and bed on fire. He fled with her car and her purse containing $40. Authorities said he wanted money for drugs. Defense attorneys argued he was mentally impaired and ineligible for the death penalty. Williams came within hours of execution in July of 2015 when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals halted his scheduled punishment.

TYLER – Robert E. Lee High School senior, Fritz Hager III, has been named one of six finalists in the National Endowment for the Arts 2018 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge. This is a national songwriting competition where the winner receives $25,000. The finalists, five individual composers and one pair, will each have their songs published by Samuel French. They will find out late next month who gets the top prize. The winner will be announced in New York during a weekend of workshops with well-known musicians, singers, songwriters and producers. Continue reading Lee Student Finalist in National Songwriting Competition

CHANDLER – A Henderson County couple is accused of exposing a baby to drugs. Arrested over the weekend were Christian Alexander David Hart, 25, and Katie Lynn Sheppard, 22. During a CPS investigation, the Chandler couple and a 10 month old child each tested positive for methamphetamine. Both have been charged with endangering a child. Hart is also charged with violation of bond or a protective order. Both remain in the Henderson County Jail. Continue reading Infant Tests Positive for Drugs, Couple Arrested

MARSHALL – Marshall police are trying to locate an armed robber. Just before midnight on March 13th, the man held up the Alon Food Fast Fina on West Grand Avenue. Armed with a handgun, he demanded money and cigarettes from the clerk. He later fled the business in an unknown direction. The suspect is described as a black male who was wearing a mask, red hoodie, blue jeans and dark colored shoes. The store’s employee was not injured. Continue reading Marshall Armed Robbery Suspect Sought

SMITH COUNTY – Wednesday is Texas Tobacco Free Kids Day, and some students have a message to pass along. At least 70 students and faculty at 5 Smith County schools will be wearing shirts about standing up to tobacco. The number 70 represents the number of people who die every day in Texas from tobacco related deaths. The activity is an awareness event to encourage students to live tobacco-free lives. It also serves as a way to encourage schools to participate in efforts to help kids achieve this goal. High schools taking part in the campaign are John Tyler, Robert E Lee, the TISD Early College High School as well as high schools in Chapel Hill and Whitehouse.

SMITH COUNTY — Sheriff Larry Smith and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Bullard Southern Baptist Church, are offering “free active shooter training” to the public. The training, “Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events”, teaches what happens during an event. The training will be Thursday March 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. at the Bullard Southern Baptist Church, 716 N. Houston Street, in Bullard. This subject is graphic and some portions of the training may not be suitable for children. Parents are strongly encouraged to “not” bring children younger than 13 to the training. For more information on the Smith County Sheriff’s Office visit http://www.smithcountysheriff.com. The Sheriff’s Office also has a Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter at @SmithCSO.

TYLER — Tyler Police are searching for a man accused of impersonating an officer. Around 12:30 this morning, a woman said she was pulled over at the intersection of South Broadway and FM 2813 by a dark colored SUV with red and blue dash mounted lights. The victim said a white male, in his 30’s, with scruffy facial hair, approached her vehicle and demanded money from her purse. After showing him she had none, he grabbed her by the head and slammed her face on the steering wheel, causing minor injuries. He fled the scene on FM 2813. The suspect was wearing a black hat, black gloves and blue jeans. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tyler Police at 903-531-1000.

PALESTINE – The University of Texas at Tyler will invest around $600,000 to make safety renovations to the Innovation Academy STEM charter school facility in Palestine. School officials made the announcement Monday night at a town hall meeting in Palestine to parents of students attending the school. There had been some concern the school may have to close. The Innovation Academy closed its primary Palestine building last summer after the state fire marshal flagged safety concerns. A short-term facility solution was using Mathis Hall on UT Tyler’s extension campus in Palestine, which allowed classes to continue this academic year. The renovations will begin soon as possible. No date has been set on completion. The charter school has over 200 students from second through 11th grades. Continue reading Renovations Announced For a Palestine Charter School

TYLER – Independent candidate Neal Katz kicked off his campaign Monday for Texas House of Representatives District 6. He will be on the ballot in November against incumbent Matt Schaefer, the winner of the March 6 Republican primary. No Democrat is on the ballot for that race in November. Katz says he’s running because he believes Smith County needs stronger and more effective representation in the Texas House. He says his focuses include the future of neighborhood schools, smarter planning and funding to expand roads, and actual relief for the property taxpayers.

GILMER – Gilmer police are seeking the name of a man taking pictures of children at a playground in the city. The photographer is a white male, who appears to be in his 40s, and had a baby at the playground of the Yamboree Grounds. He was said to have been driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup. He was taking pictures of girls going down a slide. A witness said it appeared the man was attempting to take photos up the dresses of the children. If you know who was driving this truck, you are asked to contact Gilmer police.

LONGVIEW – The Sabine River Authority of Texas will award the City of Longview a Community Assistance Program Grant. The $10,000 will be used to assist the city to build a pond on the city’s arboretum site at 706 West Cotton Street. The city says this will help prevent run-off and improve drainage.

TYLER – A Tyler man is heading to prison on child porn charges. Benjamin Andrew Cole, 34, pleaded guilty in state district court in Tyler Monday morning. He pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and an online solicitation charge. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison. Cole was arrested last August 17th following an extensive investigation by the Department of Public Safety. He has been in the Smith County Jail since his arrest. The child porn charges stem from incidents which investigators say occurred on August 17, 2017, and September 25, 2017. The online solicitation charge is said to have occurred on August 17, 2017.