KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — The Texas Department of State Health Services advised Tyler Animal Services Thursday that a bat found near the corner of Charnwood and Chilton tested positive for rabies. City officials say the known individuals and animals with possible exposure have been identified and addressed. Authorities remind you it is critical for people not to handle bats, skunks, raccoons or other wild animals. It is important for children to tell their parents of any contact with wild animals or any sick animals. Anyone who knows of a person being bitten by an animal must report the bite incident to the Local Rabies Control Authority for proper investigation. Continue reading Rabies Advisory in Tyler

LONGVIEW — A Gilmer woman has been found incompetent to stand trial on charges stemming from an October wreck in Warren City that sent her two young boys and two others to the hospital. 33-year-old Tenia Michelle Rose has been ordered to undergo treatment with the goal of attaining competency. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Rose, who’s jailed in Gregg County, faces four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Rose’s children, boys ages 7 and 8, were taken to a Dallas hospital for treatment — one with a fractured skull and another with broken vertebrae and internal bleeding. Two people in the other car suffered broken bones.

LONGVIEW — Longview police and Longview ISD continue to conduct an investigation into a gun found at Foster Middle School. KETK reports the loaded gun was found Tuesday by a staff member in a bathroom. That same afternoon parents were notified of the incident through a mass recorded call. Parents are now planning a meeting with the school’s principal to discuss security. This incident is the second known gun-related incident at the campus this calendar year.

LONGVIEW — Longview City Manager David Willard announced during Thursday’s City Council meeting that he plans to retire at the end of 2017. Willard has served in the post since June 2007. In a news release, Willard says he’s “humbled to have served alongside wonderful city employees” and “proud of the work that has been accomplished even in the midst of significant economic recession.” Mayor Andy Mack says he “can’t say enough wonderful things” about Willard and his leadership. The City Council will begin discussing the process for filling the city manager position at its meeting on September 28.

TYLER — An East Texas couple will spend decades behind bars for sexually assaulting children. According to KETK, Johnny Crocker, 57, and Angela Crocker, 42, both of Whitehouse, entered a guilty on Thursday. The husband, a former law enforcement officer, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on each of five counts of aggravated sexual assault. The sentences will be served concurrently. Continue reading Whitehouse Couple Sentenced to Prison

TYLER — More information has been released on Sunday’s theft of 78 cellphones from Sam’s Club in Tyler, with the loss estimated at $43,000. Police Officer Don Martin says the thieves had loaded a mattress and merchandise on a flat cart to shield them while they cut the lock off a storage shelf unit to gain access to the phones. The suspects are four females and one male. It is believed that the females stuffed the merchandise into compartments inside their dresses to walk out the door undetected. The suspects were observed by video getting into a small dark SUV and leaving the scene. Sam’s has relocated the storage units to prevent this from occurring again. Anyone with information is urged to contact police at 903-531-1000 or Crimestoppers at 903-597-CUFF (903-597-2833).

LONGVIEW — East Texas Regional Airport has been notified by American Airlines that Sunday, November 19, through Tuesday, November 28, a third flight will be added to better serve Thanksgiving holiday travel. The holiday schedule will provide an early morning departure, a midday roundtrip, a late afternoon roundtrip, and a late evening arrival to and from Dallas-Fort Worth. Airport Director Roy Miller says there’s an opportunity for American to extend the service if demand justifies it. Travelers should check with American reservations, their travel agent, or travel website to take advantage of the new schedule.

LONGVIEW — Longview Police need your help finding two suspects believed to be involved in an August 27 hit and run in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Estes Parkway around 6:45 a.m. According to KETK, police were told the driver of a white truck, possibly a GMC or Chevrolet, clipped the shopping cart corral with the truck. Video surveillance footage shows the truck dragging the shopping cart corral through the parking lot until it finally falls off and the driver flees the scene. The suspects are pictured in a surveillance photo at left. Anyone with information should contact Officer Mike Grisham at 903-237-1199 or Gregg County Crimestoppers at 903-236-7867 and reference case number 17-13386.

TYLER — More information was issued Wednesday following the announcement of a big merger announced earlier in the day. ETMC will partner with Ardent Health Services and The University of Texas System. With that merger they are hoping to expand by bringing in more job opportunities and better education. The partnership will invest $150 million for improvements over five years and provide other resources to support the operation. Ardent will assume majority ownership and day-to-day operations of the new system. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. This past February, ETMC leadership began the search for a strategic partner to assist the organization.

TYLER — A Tyler man has been arrested for DWI after a wreck Wednesday night. According to KETK, Quincy Ilya Gips, 22, was said to be traveling at a high rate of speed when he attempted to turn left on Rieck Road from Broadway. He lost control of the vehicle and struck a light pole, knocking out electricity to surrounding businesses. Gips was booked into the Smith County Jail.

TYLER — The Tyler City Council adopted its 2017-18 budget Wednesday and increased the tax rate of 23 cents to 24 cents per $100 valuation. The city is currently projecting to be $867,572 below budgeted sales tax revenues for the General Fund, with two months remaining in the fiscal year. The city has maintained a hiring freeze on General Fund positions since the spring of 2016, as well as deferred replacement and maintenance on city equipment, to balance the current budget. The City Council has approved the increase of fees for many departments, including the Parks and Recreation Department. In the Parks Department, fee increases will be seen in the athletic field rental rates and elsewhere.

LONGVIEW — Longview ISD authorities say they’ve identified the student who brought a loaded gun to Foster Middle School on Tuesday. According to KETK, school officials say no threat was made to any student or faculty member by the student. The .380 pistol was discovered in a bathroom by a staff member and reported to law enforcement immediately, according to LISD. There were no other students or staff in the bathroom when the gun was located. The student faces expulsion for up to a year for bringing a gun onto campus. The juvenile will also be facing criminal prosecution by the Gregg County District Attorney’s Office. The district said it will pursue punishment to the fullest extent.

TYLER – All activities of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity at The University of Texas at Tyler have temporarily been suspended amid allegations of hazing. According to KETK, Justin Angotti, the fraternity’s assistant executive director for prevention & accountability, says, “Pi Kappa Phi recently received a report of alleged hazing by members of our Theta Pi Chapter at the University of Texas at Tyler. The Fraternity takes all allegations of hazing seriously and is working with the university to investigate the report. Chapter operations have been temporarily suspended during the investigation.” Lucas Roebuck, the vice president of marketing at UTT, released a statement saying in part that the university “is committed to student safety. All reports of impropriety by any student organization are taken seriously.” But he added, “The university does not comment on specific ongoing investigations.” We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

TYLER – For the first time in its history, The University of Texas at Tyler now enrolls more than 10,000 students, based on preliminary enrollment numbers for the Fall 2017 semester. As of the 12th class day, the university has 10,527 students on record. That includes the Longview University Center enrollment of 285 students, up from the 210 recorded last fall. UT Tyler President Dr. Michael Tidwell says UTT combines the best of a UT System education with a student-focused community. He also called the caliber of incoming students “impressive.” UT Tyler is one of the fastest growing higher education institutions in the state, growing an average of eight percent annually since 2011.

NATCHITOCHES PARISH, Louisiana — A man wanted for armed robbery in Longview was arrested by Natchitoches Parish, La., deputies during a traffic stop on I-49 near Natchitoches on Saturday afternoon, according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones. KETK reports MaCailyn V. Wilder, 21, of Hallsville, remains jailed in Natchitoches Parish pending extradition proceedings. Jones adds Wilder was driving 102 MPH in a 75 MPH zone — on a suspended license. Deputies say Wilder was traveling from Alexandria to Hallsville. The vehicle was impounded by a local wrecker service.

TYLER — Tyler’s City Council Wednesday learned of many grant funding opportunities representing over $13 million worth of programming and construction cost support over the next fiscal year. A number of grants have already been accepted. Tyler Pounds Regional Airport has accepted a large grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for the rehabilitation of Runway 4/22. Tyler Transit applied for and accepted two grants to support the city’s public transportation system. The city is also pursuing funding for the Police Department for deployment off-duty officers involved in traffic enforcement. You can go to http://www.cityoftyler.org/News.aspx for more details.

ATHENS – An after-midnight stop at a Seven Points game room ended with a wanted woman behind bars for possession of methamphetamine and a glass pipe, Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said Wednesday. Tanya Lee Akers, 33, of Kemp, was arrested by Deputy William Thornton around 1:30 a.m. after she left the game room. Akers is also being held on an outstanding Class C midemeanor warrant out of the Seven Points Police Department for possession of drug paraphernalia.

GREGG COUNTY — A Department of Public Safety Trooper arrested Michael Lydall Grant, 37, of Overton, around 2:15 Wednesday morning. According to KETK, he’s been charged with accident involving death and intoxication manslaughter. Grant also had an outstanding parole warrant out of Austin. He was booked into the Gregg County Jail. Bond has not been set. According to DPS, around 9:20 Tuesday night, witnesses say Grant was traveling southbound on County Road 3652 when he ran a stop sign. Officials say he then struck Lechell Scott, 34, of Kilgore, who was walking in the roadway. DPS says Grant drove off, but was arrested a short time later. Scott was pronounced dead at the scene.

TYLER — Tyler Police say they have found a missing teenager. Mario Alvarado, 15, was found around 11:30 last night. He had been reported missing Tuesday night in the area of South Clayton and East Lawrence. Further details on his disappearance were not immediately available.

TYLER — A longtime Smith County Precinct One constable has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for criminal tax violations. Henry Phillip Jackson, 65, of Tyler had pleaded guilty May 16 to four counts of willful failure to file federal income tax returns. Jackson was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $157,489. According prosecutors, Jackson, who has served as an elected constable since 1999, received income from 2010-2013 that required him to file federal income tax returns for those years. However, Jackson failed to file those returns and now owes more than $160,000 in taxes.

TYLER — Dr. Michael Tidwell was inaugurated Tuesday as the fourth president of The University of Texas at Tyler, with UT System Regent Kevin Eltife of Tyler presiding. “Our vision is simple, The University of Texas at Tyler will be the primary educational and economic driver of East Texas,” Tidwell said in his inaugural address. Tidwell identified three areas of focus for UT Tyler to achieve the vision: building student success, building strong faculty, and building a more diverse economy. Former UT Tyler presidents Dr. James Stewart, Jr. and Dr. Rod Mabry were in attendance, as was Janie Hamm, wife of former president the late Dr. George Hamm. UT System Chancellor William McRaven also attended and offered comments.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University ranked 23rd in the top tier of the national 2018 U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings of “America’s Best Colleges” in its category of “Best Regional Universities in the Western Region.” Among only the Texas schools, LETU was ranked 6th. The LETU ranking is up from 27th in 2017, and 32 in 2016. This year marks the 24th year the university has ranked in the top tier of its classification. Among “Great Schools Great Prices” ranking of schools that provide a Best Value for regional universities in the West, LETU was ranked 11th. LETU also ranked 15th among Best Colleges for Veterans in the West. LETU President Dr. Dale A. Lunsford comments that the report “says much about the quality of the faculty and staff serving at LETU.”

TYLER — The Tyler street department has closed Easy Street between Paluxy Drive and Kidd Drive to through traffic in order to repair three large utility cuts. Residents will have access to their homes. City officials say the street will reopen by 2:00 this afternoon.

LONGVIEW — Restaurant owner Dudley Lang, who was severely burned in a cooking explosion nearly a year ago, has reached a settlement with the manufacturers of an automatic pilot safety valve device blamed in the incident. KETK and the Longview News-Journal report Lang’s attorney reached an out-of-court settlement Aug. 31 with the Houston law firm that represented manufacturers Baso Gas Products LLC and Johnson Controls Inc. As a consequence, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap on Wednesday issued an order of dismissal. Terms of the agreement remain confidential, the attorneys said Monday. Lang operates Dudley’s Cajun Cafe in Longview.

LONGVIEW — The City of Longview is investigating after a venomous snake bit a child at a local soccer complex. According to KETK, the Greater Longview Soccer Association said Monday, a child was bitten by a water moccasin while playing in the creek area at the Lear Soccer Complex on Pals Parkway. The City of Longview Parks and Recreation Department has been notified and staff members are searching the area for more snakes. The GLSA is asking residents to keep a close watch on their children and to restrict them from the creek and woods near the complex.

LONGVIEW — A Longview man was arrested after a short foot pursuit by Longview police on Friday afternoon. According to the Longview News-Journal, Tyrone Melvin Garner, 39, was found to be in possession of 87.5 grams of methamphetamine among other drugs. According to a probable cause warrant for arrest, Garner, 39, was stopped because of expired registration and ran from police carrying a backpack with a large quantity of narcotics. He gave officers a false name and date of birth. Because there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest, the new charges were being enhanced to fail to identify as a fugitive, unlawful possession of a firearm, which is a felony, and possession of a controlled substance between 4 and 200 grams. Garner was charged on seven counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm. He remained in the Gregg County Jail on bonds totaling $94,000.

LONGVIEW — Longview police have arrested one man on drug charges after a traffic stop over the weekend. According to KETK, around at 4:20 Saturday afternoon, they stopped Kevin Lee Mann, 47, for failing to signal. A backpack was in the car that Mann gave the officer permission to search. Inside the backpack the officer found syringes, baggies and a scale. The officer then searched the vehicle locating methamphetamines and Xanex. Further investigation led officers to believe Mann was selling the narcotics. He was arrested for Manufacture and Delivery of controlled substance, and booked into jail with a bond of $60,000.

TYLER — Citing a recent accident at a nearby facility, Brookshire’s Food and Grocery Company has temporarily closed its museum and playground on Old Jacksonville Highway. According to a statement released by the company to KETK, there are no plans for the venue to close permanently. “However,” the statement continues, “this location will remain temporarily closed until we have taken every possible measure to ensure the highest degree of safety for our visitors and staff. Although OSHA has given us the all-clear to reopen, we are going above and beyond and taking proactive measures to perform extensive diagnostic testing following a recent ammonia leak at one of our warehouses.” The company offered no definitive timeline. More than 60,000 people tour the site every year.

LINDALE – 32-year-old William Potts of Grand Saline and 34-year-old Brian Wright of Alba were arrested Sunday night when authorities say they injured an officer during a concert in Lindale. Around 9:15, a police officer was working off duty at Love and War when a fight broke out between bar patrons. As the officer tried to break up the dispute, police said he was grabbed and thrown onto a table which broke, sending the officer to the ground. The officer, whose name wasn’t immediately released, was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for a leg injury. He is expected to be okay. Potts is charged with aggravated assault against a peace officer and assault; Wright is charged with assault. Both were jailed on $3,000 bond.

TYLER – A large crowd of East Texans gathered on Tyler’s downtown square Monday morning to honor first responders who died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001. KETK reports the event was called the “Revitalization of Patriotism,” and organizers hope to make it a yearly ceremony. The event featured singers paying tribute with patriotic songs, and Smith County students were on hand for a balloon release. Fallen K-9 officers were also honored as part of the ceremony. “For this to be the first event in Smith County of its nature on 9/11 was outstanding,” Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said. “Be proud to be an American. Be proud of our first responders.” Addressing those responders, Pastor James Dill added, “We are so grateful. You will never know the debt of gratitude that we have towards every one of you. Thank you!”