KTBB News, Weather, Talk

EAST TEXAS — The National Weather Service said Friday that a tornado touched down Thursday evening near Gladewater, one of five twisters confirmed across East Texas. The Gladewater tornado was classified as EF-1 and touched down at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday just west of the city, the weather service said. According to the Longview News-Journal, also confirmed Friday were an EF-2 tornado near Garrison in Nacogdoches County; an EF-0 tornado near Edgewood in Van Zandt County; and an EF-1 tornado near Minden in Rusk County. Another tornado was also classified as an EF-1. The National Weather Service performed damage assessment throughout Friday in Gregg, Upshur, Wood and Smith counties. Those assessments had not been completed as of late Friday afternoon. Continue reading Weather Service Confirms Several East Texas Tornadoes

DALLAS (AP/STAFF) — A Dallas-area military veteran will serve life imprisonment without parole for the 2013 shooting deaths of four women, including his girlfriend and estranged wife. A judge sentenced Erbie Lee Bowser, 48, on Friday after a Dallas County jury deliberated for 10 hours over two days before becoming deadlocked on a death penalty. Bowser was a 1986 all-state football selection while attending Tyler’s Robert E. Lee High School. He was convicted of capital murder on May 5 in the fatal shootings of girlfriend Toya Smith and her 17-year-old daughter, Tasmia Allen, in Dallas. Investigators say Bowser then drove to nearby DeSoto and fatally shot his wife, Zina Bowser, and her 28-year-old daughter Neima Williams. Four other children were wounded. Bowser’s attorneys had argued that he’s mentally ill and suffered concussions playing football. Bowser is a former member of the Dallas Mavericks ManiAAC male dance troupe.

SHREVEPORT – Two damage survey teams from the National Weather Service-Shreveport office are investigating storm-related damage from Thursday’s storms in East Texas. One team is focusing on Smith, Upshur, and Gregg Counties. Another team is focusing on Nacogdoches, Rusk, and Shelby Counties. The strongest of the storms was an EF-2 tornado in the Garrison area of northeastern Nacogdoches County. It had winds of between 111-135 miles an hour. Reports also indicate an EF-1 tornado on the west side of Gladewater and an EF-1 tornado in southeast Rusk County, on the east side of Minden. Continue reading East Texas Storm Damage Being Surveyed

EAST TEXAS – East Texas letter carriers will be doing more that bringing mail to your home Saturday. They will also be picking up food in their annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. The country’s largest single-day food drive provides you with an easy way to donate food to those in need in the community. All you have to do is put bags of non-perishable goods next to you mailbox before tomorrow’s mail delivery. The letter carriers will pick up the food and distribute them to local food agencies. This marks the 25th year of the letter carriers’ annual food drive. You are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag, paper or plastic, containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned meats and fish, pasta, peanut butter, rice or cereal, next to your mailbox. You can visit http://www.nalc.org/food to learn more.

ATHENS – The Henderson County sheriff’s office is seeking additional help in solving a couple of cold cases. They are seeking the help of the Sheriff’s Association of Texas Cold Case Review Team. Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said the team will bring “fresh eyes” to old cases. One is the death of Shelly Watkins, who was found floating in the Trinity River just west of Seven Points on Labor Day in 1993. The second death is that of Ricky Gene Herriage. His body was discovered March 8, 1987 under a bridge, next to Walnut Creek. According to Sheriff Hillhouse, they will continue to gather the evidence needed to solve the crimes and bring the suspects to justice.

DALLAS — A Dallas County jury remains sequestered in the death penalty phase of Erbie Bowser’s capital murder trial. Defense attorney Andy Beach said the jury may have rejected the insanity plea, but it cannot ignore Bowser’s brain injuries, mental illness, and anti-psychotic drug prescriptions. The night Bowser killed four women and wounded four children, Beach said, was the night he snapped. Prosecutor Glen Fitzmartin portrayed Bowser as a self-centered, controlling manipulator. He said it’s time for the jury to serve up justice. The jury has two possible results: life without parole or death by injection. Bowser was a 1986 all-state football selection while attending Tyler’s Robert E. Lee High School.

KILGORE – A Kilgore hospital has lost its Medicare certification. Allegiance Specialty Hospital in Kilgore was cited following an inspection by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. They found deficiencies in the building infrastructure. There have been some layoffs as result of the action. The emergency department operated by Christus Good Shepherd Health System and a sub lease to Kilgore College were not affected. Administrator Karen Ross told the Longview News Journal “The hospital will remain open while it awaits the resurvey and completes the reinstatement process.”

LONGVIEW — Police arrested a Longview man after finding more than 800 grams of drugs in his house. KETK reports 25-year-old Patrick Toliver was held on bonds Wednesday and charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. On Tuesday, police responded to a house on Peach Orchard Road after an officer found drugs on the back porch. Police say they found more than 20 bags and multiple bottles filled with different drugs.

TYLER — One person is in custody after Smith County deputies responded Thursday morning to a reported shots fired call. Sergeant Darrell Coslin tells KETK gunfire was called in around 11:20 on Highway 64 West at a mobile home park. Two people have been detained, but only one was arrested. Bacilio Chavez of Tyler is charged with deadly conduct. No injuries were reported. Two weapons were seized at the scene.

TYLER — Tyler Police have arrested three suspects from Dallas following several reported burglaries at local pharmacies. It started just after midnight and ended around 1:30 with the arrests of Alexis Foster (pictured), 22, Traymall Cherry, 23, and Damion Spearman, 24. responded to burglaries at 1041 NNE Loop 323, 2701 WSW Loop 323 and 108 Shelly dr. Witnesses at the Shelly dr. burglary reported seeing two black males run from the business and get in a black four door car. They reported the vehicle left the scene north on Old Bullard Road. A short time later, an officer spotted a vehicle matching the description at Amherst and Broadway. The vehicle was stopped and stolen property from all three burglaries was located inside. The suspects were charged with three counts of burglary of a building each.

AUSTIN – The governor’s request for low interest federal disaster loans for those affected by the tornadoes that swept through Texas on the weekend of April 28th has been granted by the Small Business Administration. The request was granted for Van Zandt, Smith, Henderson, Hunt, Kaufman, Rains and Wood counties. In a news release from Austin, Governor Greg Abbott said, “I extend my sincerest appreciation to the SBA for their swift action in aiding those affected by these deadly tornadoes,” said Governor Abbott. “Texans have always worked together to help their neighbors and rebuild their communities after a tragedy strikes, and this time will be no different.” Continue reading Disaster Assistance Granted Because of the April Tornadoes

TYLER – A Louisiana man has been sentenced in Tyler federal court for his part in a kidnapping conspiracy scheme. Gary Cutright, 22, of Zwolle, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in January. He was sentenced Thursday by judge Thad Heartfield to 13 years in federal prison. Over an 18 month period, ending in January of last year, Cutright and four others, who have already pled guilty, conspired to commit kidnapping, robberies and assaults in East Texas and West Louisiana. They are acused of kidnapping a person and bringing them to Carthage in December 2015 and a kidnapping in Longview in March of last year. Continue reading Sentencing in a Federal Kidnapping Case

WHITEHOUSE – Whitehouse police are looking for a black or blue truck that hit a Whithouse student and left the scene. The boy was treated and released from the hospital. The accident happened shortly before 7:45 Thursday morning at the exit drive of the Holloway Sixth Grade Campus.

CHANDLER – Another East Texas traffic stop has resulted in a drug bust. The latest occurred around 1:00 Thursday morning Thursday in the Forest Grove subdivision in south of Chandler. Two Henderson County sheriff’s deputies stopped a suspicious vehicle. After the driver got of out the vehicle, deputies noticed a white-colored plastic bag on the road. Inside the bag was about 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine. Arrested was David Wayne Cummings, 49, of Chandler. He’s being charged with possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence. Continue reading Chandler Man Busted Again On Drug Charges

TYLER – Smith County judicial records indicate a Tyler man has been busted on pornography charges. Arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshal’s Service was Edgar James Penland, 54. He has been charged with possession/promotion of child pornography. He remains in the Smith County Jail on a $750,000 bond.

TYLER – Plans for a new three-story building for the School of Community and Rural Health on the UT Health Northeast campus are moving forward. The Board of Regents of the UT System gave their approval on Wednesday to add the building to UT System’s Capital Improvement Program and to proceed with its design and development. The building will be located south of the Academic Center on the main campus of UT Health and will take approximately 18 months to complete, according to a UTHNE news release. Total project cost is $39 million. Groundbreaking will take place this summer. Continue reading UT Health Northeast To Construct Building for New School of Community and Rural Health

LONGVIEW — A Longview man has been charged in connection with an April 29 robbery. According to KETK, Michael Fred Houston, 36, was booked into the Gregg County Jail on a charge of aggravated robbery and credit card abuse. He’s being held on bonds totaling $157,500. Police were called to the Dollar General on Judson Road in reference to a robbery in the parking lot. The victim told officers a man opened the passenger door of her car and grabbed her purse. The suspect then reportedly demanded her cellphone and pointed a gun at her. After the victim told him that her phone was in her purse, the suspect fled the scene.

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has asked the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) to declare Van Zandt County a disaster area following the deadly storms that swept through North Texas on the weekend of April 28th and devastated the area. The Governor is asking the SBA to make long-term, low-interest-rate physical disaster home and business loans and economic injury disaster loans available to citizens and businesses affected by the catastrophe so that they may begin to rebuild their communities and pick up the pieces of their lives. If granted, these loans will be made available to affected citizens who qualify in Van Zandt and contiguous counties. Continue reading Governor Abbott Requests Disaster Assistance For Van Zandt County

TYLER – The U.S. Marshals Service has arrested a Tyler man in connection with a fatal February accident. Arrested on Tuesday, and charged with intoxication manslaughter was Terry Lee, Jr., 24. Killed in the wreck was Harold Wayne Coleman, 58, of Tyler. The accident occurred on February 9th on Gentry Parkway. The car driven by Lee veered across the southeast bound lanes, left the roadway and struck a guide wire for a telephone pole. The vehicle rolled and struck a building on the corner of Shawnee Boulevard. Four others in the car were injured. Lee’s toxicology test shows his alcohol blood content level was at .092 following the wreck. The legal limit is .08. He remains in the Smith County Jail under a $500,000 bond.

LONGVIEW – A road rage incident has resulted in a man being shot. Hospitalized with life-threatening injuries is Cody Joshua Blood, 23, of Longview. Questioned and released was Robert Lee Walton Jr. 40. Both men had been driving on Hawkins Parkway. Longview police say their actions while driving led to the shooting that occurred just before 10:00 Wednesday morning, at the gas station in the parking lot of the Brookshire’s store on Gilmer Road. When the investigation is complete it will be presented to the Gregg County District Attorney. At this point in the investigation, detectives are filing charges of aggravated assault.

TYLER – Two Tyler schools are being singled out for national honors. The schools are Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy and Moore MST Magnet School. They have been named as one of more of 727 public schools in Texas to receive the title of 2016 Honor Roll school. The honor comes from the Educational Results Partnership and the Institute for Productivity in Education. Schools receiving this distinction have shown consistent high levels of student academic achievement.

TYLER – A man wanted in Hopkins County has been arrested following a Smith County Traffic stop. A state trooper stopped a pickup for a traffic violation on Interstate Highway 20 near U.S. Highway 271 around 9:00 Wednesday morning. It turned out that the driver, 51 year old James Cooper of Sulphur Springs, was named in multiple warrants in Hopkins County. Then it was discovered the pickup he was driving had been reported stolen in Ardmore, Oklahoma. Cooper was arrested for the outstanding warrants and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was transported to the Smith County Jail.

TYLER – The Tyler city council as authorized contracts that will lead to improvements of the city’s infrastructure. The city council has authorized City Manager Ed Broussard to award a construction contract for the 2017 Seal Coat Program. The asphalt binder restores the aging road and seals the asphalt pavement from water damage. Streets were selected using data from the 2013 PCI study. Data from the 2016 PCI study will be available in the next two months. Continue reading Infrastructure Improvements Planned for Tyler

AUSTIN – There has been a slight drop in sales tax allocations in the area. But, the state as a whole saw an increase. The state comptroller’s office is sending out over $787 million dollars in sales tax allocations for May. This is up 6% from May of last year. This is based on sales made in March. Tyler’s check is for $3,738.844.98, which is down 0.86% from May of last year. But, for the year, Tyler’s sales tax allocations are up 2.87%. Longview’s May sales tax allocation is $2.779,702.15. This is down 2.33% from May of last year. Longview’s sales allocation for the year is off 0.85%.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County inked its approval for a major highway improvement project for Precinct Two. KETK reports the more than $40 million investment project will look to widen Farm to Market Road 2206, also known as Harrison Road. This connects the Loop from Longview to Highway 42 going to White Oak. The project will widen the roadway from two to four lanes, making Interstate 20 easier to get to for those who live in west Longview. Officials also say the easier access will encourage business owners to use the area, bringing in economic growth for west Longview.

CANTON — The American Red Cross continues to focus on mobile outreach and encourages anyone who has major damage due to the April 29 tornadoes to contact 1-866-505-4801. Red Cross mobile casework teams will be available to deliver client assistance cards and resources. Through Friday, May 12, a Red Cross representative will be present at the Van Zandt County Fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. At that time, the Red Cross will evaluate the need to man the site further, according to the agency’s Tammy Prater. Continue reading East Texas Tornado Response Continues

ATHENS — A man said to be a Dallas fugitive is jailed following a high speed-chase in Henderson County. According to Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse, Randy Blair, 57, of Dallas, was arrested in the Cherokee Shores subdivision of Mabank Tuesday evening. Sgt. Matt Jistel first noticed Blair when he allegedly committed a traffic violation. When the suspect stopped the vehicle by the side of the road to let a female passenger out, officials say he took off at a high rate of speed with the deputy in pursuit. Unable to navigate a turn, Blair drove his vehicle into a field, according to Hillhouse. Asked to identify himself, he reportedly gave a false name, but Hillhouse says a driver’s license identified him. Continue reading Sheriff: Dallas Fugitive Faces Multiple Charges in Henderson County

TYLER — On Thursday, the City of Tyler Parks Department and Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) will have a crew mulching the understory along a portion of Rose Rudman Trail. The work will close that part of the trial until next Tuesday. Officials say the mulching project is being done to reduce safety concerns of users, increase aesthetics of the trail, remove invasive species, and mitigate hazardous fuel in the wildland urban interface. The portion of the Rose Rudman Trail to be closed is the length of trail from Rieck Road moving south to Grande Boulevard. Continue reading Portion of Rose Rudman Trail to Be Temporarily Closed

TYLER — Smith County residents will be able to buy fireworks to celebrate Memorial Day again this year. On Tuesday, county commissioners voted to approve an order authorizing fireworks sales from May 25-30, 2017. The 84th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1150, authorizing three additional periods that fireworks may be sold to the public as long as the commissioners court in each county issues an order authorizing such sales each year. The three additional holidays, which were also approved in Smith County last year, are Texas Independence Day, celebrated on March 2; San Jacinto Day, April 21; and Memorial Day, May 29, 2017. Continue reading Smith County Commissioners Approve Fireworks Sales for Memorial Day

TYLER – The Junior League of Tyler raised $307,000 during the 2016-2017 year. The Fund Development committee made the announcement Monday night at Willow Brook Country Club during the final membership meeting of the year. “We are truly grateful to all of the individuals, businesses and foundations who continue to support the league in our fundraising efforts,” said Karolyn Davis, Fund Development Vice President of the Junior League of Tyler, in a news release. Continue reading Junior League of Tyler Raises $307,000 for Area Non-Profits