KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER – If you have a Smith County jury summons asking you to report for jury duty today, you do not need to show up at the courthouse. Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett says Smith County jury duty has been cancelled for all courts on Wednesday. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.

KILGORE – Gregg County Sheriff’s deputies are looking for the person who stole a homemade barbecue pit. The theft occurred around 1:15 Tuesday morning on Farm Road 2276 southeast of Kilgore. It is black in color, with double smoke stacks, and 2 tier shelves inside. The pit also has a wood box located near the hitch, and a rusted fire box located at the rear of the unit. The BBQ pit is made on a double axle trailer with aluminum wheels, with a melted left tail light, and the wiring for lights is not working. If you know where it can be found, you are asked to contact the Gregg County Sheriff’s Department.

LONGVIEW – Longview police are looking for two men who passed counterfeit $20.00 bills. A Hispanic male passed one of the bills at the EZ Mart on McCann Road. The other bill was passed by a white male at Super 1 Foods on East Marshall. If you recognize these men, you are asked to contact Longview police. Continue reading Counterfeit Bills Turn Up in Longview

LONGVIEW – A Longview man has been arrested, accused of attacking his girlfriend. The woman ran into a restaurant to escape Leonard Edward Smith, 39, of Longview. She hid there till police arrived. The Longview News Journal reports the woman said Smith, “punched, grabbed, choked, dragged and slapped” her. She said he even choked her with an extension cord. Jail records show Smith has been charged with assault/family violence by impeding someone’s breath or circulation. His bond is $30,000.

TYLER — It was standing room only for a highly anticipated Tyler ISD school board meeting Monday night. The public turned out to express their opinions “for” or “against” a possible name change for Robert E. Lee High School. Some Tyler ISD parents want to change the name of the school.Another parent who, would like to see the name changed, said Robert E. Lee himself was not a fan of statues honoring Civil War Generals. The topic was not on the agenda and a motion was not called. TISD has not announced if they will take up the issue. Continue reading Full House for TISD’s School Board Meeting

SAN AUGUSTINE — A train derailed in San Augustine County . According to KETK, it happened on FM 1279 around 10:00 Monday morning. The Department of Public Safety said a semi hauling timber was headed west on FM 1279 when it collided with the northbound train. Thirteen rail cars carrying sodium hydroxide overturned. Haz-Mat crews were called to the scene and three homes were evacuated. The driver of the log truck, James Cartwright, 33, of Shelbyville, was taken to San Augustine County Memorial Hospital. His condition is unknown.

LONGVIEW — Longview Police investigate an armed robbery Monday night. It happened around 11:30 at Domino’s on Estes Drive. The suspect was wearing a mask when he entered the store, pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money. He fled the scene in a dark color Chevy Cobalt with an undisclosed amount of money. Contact Longview Police with any information.

TYLER – Smith County Commissioners Monday approved a $39.5 million dollar bond package to go before voters for November 7th. This is phase one of a road and bridge capital improvements project. It covers the first half of a six year plan. It would be paid out over 10 years. The bonds would be issued as needed in increments of $12 million during the first year, $12 million during the second year and $15.5 million during the third year. Approval of the plan will result in a increase in property taxes of $11.61 for the average home owner. The cost of phase two, the following three years, will be discussed several years down the road.

EAST TEXAS – Authorities have released the name of a man who shot himself following a standoff on Interstate 20 between Longview and Hallsville. He is Reginal Bussle, 26, of Grand Prairie. Department of Public Safety troopers began chasing the driver in Grand Prairie. The chase went through at least six counties before the standoff began involving Harrison County sheriff’s deputies and members of Longview Police Department’s SWAT team. It ended around 10:00 Saturday night when Bussie shot himself. The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident.

LONGVIEW – A Longview burglary suspect was arrested after fighting with the car’s owner on Rosedale Street. The car’s owner was tying to recover what Ceylan Javar Bridges, 20, of Longview, had taken. When Bridges saw the police, he ran. They arrested him after he ran into a house. The items taken in the auto burglary were recovered along with marijuana they found on him. Bridges is in the Gregg County Jail, charged with robbery, theft of property, evading arrest with previous convictions, failure to identify as a fugitive and possession of marijuana. His bonds total $85,000.

GRAND SALINE – A two vehicle accident near Grand Saline over the weekend killed a Van Zandt County man. Ethan Landaverde, 27, of Van died at a Grand Saline Hospital after his motorcycle hit the rear of a homemade trailer that was turning into a private drive. The accident occurred on Farm Road 17. The Ben Wheeler man whose pickup was pulling the trailer, was not injured. The accident was reported shortly after 5:30 Sunday afternoon

MT. PLEASANT — For the first time since 2011, a homicide investigation is underway in Mount Pleasant after an innocent bystander was killed during a shooting overnight Saturday. KETK reports shots rang out just after midnight at two separate locations on Booker Avenue. Officers say two people at two different parties in a neighborhood began arguing. The argument escalated and the two people shot at each other. 38-year old Tammy Jordon was shot and killed. No arrests have been made.

HENDERSON COUNTY — A wanted felon is arrested after two deputies stop for gas. It happened around 2:00 Monday morning in Chandler. The Henderson County Deputies said they recognized Jeremiah McGregor, 40, of Wills Point, as a wanted felon. McGregor initially gave the deputies a bogus name, before admitting his true identity. A search of his motorcycle turned up a gun, more than 55 grams of meth, cash and drug paraphernalia. McGregor was charged with possession of contraband, possession of a firearm by a felon, failing to properly identify himself and a parole violation warrant.

TYLER – A proposed name change for Tyler’s Robert E Lee High School is expected to come up at tonight’s school board meeting. The White Nationalist rally in Charlottesville has sparked renewed attention to Confederate monuments and memorials across the country. Some Tyler ISD parents want to change the name of the school. DG Montalvo, who is behind the movement wanting change, told KETK, there is a lot of racial tension still in the city. Another parent who, would like to see the name changed, said Robert E. Lee himself was not a fan of statues honoring Civil War Generals. An online petition to keep the name of the school showed over 9,000 signatures. Supporters for a name change are planning to raise the issue at the school board meeting Monday evening at 7:00 at the Davidson Conference Room at the Jim Plyler instructional Complex located at 807 West Glenwood Boulevard. Continue reading Tyler School Board and Call for a School Name Change

TYLER – Smith County commissioners have called a meeting for Monday morning to discuss the capital improvement plan for roads and bridges. In several meetings over the past couple of weeks, the plan was discussed, including possibly undertaking the plan in stages. They have also discussed ways to fund it. The commissioners are considering a bond election to generate money for the improvements. If they decided to put the bond issue to a vote in November, the deadline to call the bond election is Monday. They have called a special meeting for Monday to discuss the issue. It will be at 10:30am in the commissioner’s court on East Ferguson Street.

TYLER – One of the biggest science events of the year, a solar eclipse, takes place today. While East Texas is not in the path of totality, we will see a partial eclipse, and there are a couple of events in connection with it. The Center for Earth & Space Science Education at TJC offers outdoor viewing and the showing of a 25-minute film about solar and lunar eclipses and how they occur. Those activities began at 10:00am. And the Tyler Public Library is hosting a special event that began at noon. They even have 200 free solar eclipse viewing glasses to hand out. You can get more information on these two activities on the calendar of events on our web site.

TYLER – Here’s a look at work planned in the district during the Week of August 2ist. These schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues.

In Tyler, repairs have been completed on Donnybrook Ave. at Loop 323 at the Torchy’s Taco drive. On Monday, crews plan to perform ditch repairs on Loop 323 in front of Goodwill Industries. No lane closures are planned during this work but caution is advised.

You can go to http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/044-2017.html for a complete rundown of Tyler District work for the next several days.

EAST TEXAS — A standoff on Interstate 20 between Longview and Hallsville ended when a man barricaded inside his vehicle shot and killed himself. Harrison County Sheriff’s Office Administrative Lt. Jay Webb told the Longview News Journal the driver killed himself at around 10:00 Saturday night. Department of Public Safety troopers began chasing the driver in Grand Prairie. The chase went through at least six counties before the standoff began involving Harrison County sheriff’s deputies and members of Longview Police Department’s SWAT team. The man’s name was not released. According to Webb, “There were two shots fired about 8:00pm into the floorboard of the vehicle, and police backed off. The Longview SWAT (team) was talking with him during this time, and he took his life with a single shot.”

TYLER – Three persons have been arrested in connection with the burglary of Tractor Supply on Highway 110 South. It was reported Friday morning around 2:30. Arrested walking east of the building was Ediel D. Jaramillo, 31 (pictured). He’s been charged with burglary of a building. Numerous items believed to have been taken in the burglary as well as drugs were found during a search of the suspect’s vehicle. The second suspect, whose mother said he was not home, was arrested climbing out a home on Haynie Avenue. Ronald Christopher Crank-Harris, 30. He was arrested after a brief foot chase. And his mother, Reina Melendez, 47, was arrested and charged with hindering apprehension.

ATHENS – A man convicted of murder in Louisiana has been arrested in Henderson County. The manhunt began with the arrest of one man but another man ran into a wooded area near loop 7 and Farm Road 59, south of Athens. About an hour later authorities arrested Rodney Wayne Baker, 47, (pictured) originally from Athens. He was taken to jail on a parole violation from a Louisiana homicide case. The other man, Richard Anthony Brown, 64, of Athens, was arrested for an outstanding warrant.

AUSTIN – The latest report out of Austin shows area unemployment continuing to fall. Tyler’s unemployment number is not only better than the state’s rate, it also easily beats the national jobless figure. Tyler’s July unemployment rate is 3.9%. This compares to June’s figure of 4.6%. In July of last year, Tyler’s figure was 4.9%. Longview’s unemployment rate went from 5.4% in June to 5.1% last month. A year ago, Longview’s unemployment rate was 7%. Both Texas and the nation had a 4.3% unemployment rate last month.

SMITH COUNTY — A portion of County Road 192 remains closed off. Heavy rain Thursday caused a washout of pavement in a section of the road, between Texas Highway 155 South and Crow Road (CR 159). Drivers will need to take an alternative route. Smith County Road and Bridge crews are working on repairs. Crews said exposed telephone and cable lines are causing delays. The road is expected to remain closed for several days.

TYLER — The White Nationalist rally in Charlottesville has sparked renewed attention to Confederate monuments and memorials across the country. KETK reports, some Tyler ISD parents are wanting to change the name of Robert E. Lee High School. DG Montalvo, who is behind the movement wanting change, said there is a lot of racial tension still in the city of Tyler. He has two children who went to the school and said this is the right thing to do. Another parent who would like to see the name changed said Robert E. Lee himself was not a fan of statues honoring Civil War Generals. An online petition to keep the name of the school showed close to 7,500 signatures. Continue reading Parents Push for Name Change at Robert E. Lee High School

TYLER – With just under two weeks left in the month, August 2017 is already the wettest August in Tyler since records started being kept in 1896. Through Thursday, The National Weather Service figures show Tyler has recorded 10.95 inches of rain. The previous August record was 10.25 inches in 1915. Three daily rainfall records have also been recorded this month. They are 2.99 inches on August 2nd, 2.54 inches on August 13th and 3.52 inches on August 17th.

TYLER – Smith County commissioners have called a meeting for Monday morning to discuss the capital improvement plan for roads and bridges. In several meetings over the past couple off weeks, the plan was discussed, including possibly undertaking the plan in stages. They have also discussed ways to fund it. The commissioners are considering a bond election to generate money for the improvements. If they decided to put the bond issue to a vote in November, the deadline to call the bond election is Monday. They have called a special meeting for Monday to discuss the issue. It will be at 10:30am in the commissioner’s court on East Ferguson Street.

CANTON – A man has been arrested in Tennessee after being accused of severely beating a woman in Van Zandt County. The U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force arrested Patrick Alan Bieber, 49. He is said to have put a 70 year old woman in her car in Terrell and beat her all the way back to Wills Point, where the two were living. When he found out she reported the incident to police, her took car, purse and rings and fled to Tennessee. He is charged with injury to the elderly and retaliation against a witness for threatening telephone and text messages he left on the victim’s phone.

DIANA – Upshur County authorities continue their efforts to find several bank robbers. Around 5:00 last Friday afternoon, the three men, one who was armed, took an undetermined amount of money from the Security State Bank in Diana. They then fled the bank on foot. No injuries were reported. Authorities have released a picture from a video that was made at a near by business. It shows two of the suspects just before the robbery and before they covered their faces. If you recognize them, you are asked to contact your local law enforcement agency.

MARSHALL – Marshall police detective Carlos Pacheo is promoted to sergeant. After three years in the U.S. Army, Pacheo became a sheriff’s deputy in Wilson County. He came to work in Marshall in 2007. Over the next ten years, he has worked in many areas. Besides currently being in the criminal investigations division, he is also a member of the department’s SWAT Team.

AUSTIN – The Texas Water Development Board has approved financial assistance totaling $12,605,000 for 4 water and wastewater systems in the state. Two of the systems are in East Texas. The TWDB approved $750,000 to the city of Chandler and $1.9 million to the D&M Water Supply Corporation in Nacogdoches County. Both will use the money to finance the planning, acquisition, design, and construction costs associated with water system improvements