KTBB News, Weather, Talk

GILMER – Another marijuana field has been discovered in the area. The latest was found Friday morning in Upshur County. A contingent of law officers converged on the fields around 5:00 this morning. It is located about eight miles north of Gilmer off Highway 155. Officers found six different fields with over 7,000 plants. And, like the others that have been discovered recently, they found a camp and a nearby water source that was used to irrigate the plants. No suspects were found at the site. The landowner told officers he didn’t know the plants were being grown on his property. In mid August, 2,500 plants were found growing in a field in northern Upshur County. Since then, other marijuana fields were found in Smith, Anderson, Henderson and Van Zandt Counties.

The annual East Texas State Fair is up and running in Tyler. The fair opened off west Front Street Friday morning with Boomers and Senior Day activities in the Rose Garden Center. Saturday night, JB and The Moonshine Band will perform. The entertainment is free with your fair admission. And today, you will be able to see a sword swallower, the extreme high dive show, exhibits, carnival and a lot more. The fair runs through October 2nd.

HENDERSON — A man wanted in Dallas County has reportedly been spotted around the Rusk County area. KETK reports 37-year-old Johnny Ray Smith is considered armed and dangerous. Authorities also say he’s a heavy drug user. If you see Smith, you’re asked to immediately call the Rusk County Sheriff’s office at 903-657-3581 or Rusk County Crime Stoppers at 903-655-8477.

TYLER – Testing results from ongoing monitoring show Tyler Water Utilities continues to improve the city’s drinking water quality. The latest readings from all eight sampling sites are below the maximum contaminant level threshold of 60 parts per billion for haloacetic acids. An excessive amount of the acid was noticed in the water last October. Very heavy rains last spring are believed to have caused the problem. Mayor Martin Heines requested a third party evaluation of Tyler Water Utilities and its water treatment processes. The company hired by the city found the facilities to be well maintained and effectively operated. They did make several recommendations to reduce the formation of disinfection by products. Some have been completed and others will be completed in several months.

SMITH COUNTY (Staff/AP) — The State Commission on Judicial Conduct has announced Smith County Judge Joel Baker has agreed to resolve the pending SCJC investigation against him by signing a Voluntary Resignation Agreement. According to KETK, the Commission approved the agreement. The effective date of his resignation from the office of Smith County Judge will be the earlier of the resolution of the pending TOMA criminal case or November 4, 2016. The Commission’s Suspension without Pay Order remains in effect until the effective date of this agreement. Continue reading Suspended Smith County Judge Resigns

MARSHALL — Marshall police have recovered the body of a woman reported missing. Officials said around 7:50 Thursday night, they department received a call regarding a suspicious vehicle parked at the entrance of the “clay pits” on Bell Cut Off. Officials said the car belonged to Frances Jackson, of Marshall. Jackson had been reported missing by her family. A short time later, Texas Game Wardens recovered her body from the water.

SMITH COUNTY — The Smith County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a body found Thursday morning and officials said foul play is suspected. The victim is said to be a male. According to KETK, a large law enforcement presence was seen in the 10,700 block of County Road 383 near Littlefield Drive. Authorities say the body was found in the Antioch Community near a cemetery. Authorities are searching for a person of interest.

TYLER – After searching for nearly half a year, the City of Tyler has selected David Coble of Fort Worth as the new fire chief. He will officially start his new job on November 7. Coble served as the executive assistant fire chief for Fort Worth for the past seven years and was the acting fire chief for most of 2015. He managed two of the department’s three divisions, including the Educational and Support Services division which includes the functions of training, EMS, supply, fire equipment services, fleet management, communications and emergency management. Coble succeeds Tim Johnson, a 35-year veteran of the City of Tyler Fire Department. He retired in April.

TYLER – It’s time for the ten day run of the East Texas State Fair in Tyler. The fair runs through October 2nd off West Front Street. It all started with Boomers and Senior Day activities this morning. And this year, those activities took place in the Rose Garden Center. Entertainment this year includes Restless Heart and Tracy Bird. And the entertainment is free with your fair admission. Add to that the attractions, livestock exhibits, a carnival and the great fair food, its entertainment for the entire family. You can go to East Texas Fair-dot com for a schedule of activities. Continue reading It’s Fair Time in Tyler

WASHINGTON (AP) – Scientists used radar from satellites to show that five East Texas earthquakes, one reaching magnitude 4.8, were caused by injections of wastewater in drilling for oil and gas. In 2012 and 2013, earthquakes – five of them considered significant – shook an area near Timpson. A team of scientists for the first time were able to track the uplifting ground movements in the earthquake using radar from satellites. A study in the journal Science on Thursday says it confirms that these were not natural, something scientists had previously said was likely using a more traditional analysis. Study co-author Stanford University William Ellsworth said the technique provides a new way to determine what quakes are man-made. Ellsworth said the shaking stopped when injection of wastewater was dramatically decreased.

TYLER – Starting at 8:00 Friday morning, the intersection of Tenneha Avenue and 26th Street will be closed. This is being done as part of the Palace, 26th and Grand Project. Construction plans for this area include a sanitary sewer relocation, installation of two six foot by six foot box culverts and grading, subgrade and asphalt work. All of this is for the extension of 26th Street from Tenneha Avenue to North Palace Avenue. The intersection is expected to be closed for the duration of the construction, whic his estimated to take about two months

LONGVIEW – A Gregg County man is in custody in a sexual assault case. The Gregg County Sheriff’s Department has arrested Thomas Levi Coty Ferrell, 22, of Gladewater. He has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Ferrell has been booked into the Gregg County Jail. His bond is $100,000.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University has been issued a U.S. Patent for a closed-loop microwave joining device. It can weld ceramics to metals and has the potential to be used in numerous industries. Two engineering professors, Dr. Yoni Adonyi and Dr. Seung Kim, along with two LETU engineering alumni, Alan Worchester and Ithamar Glumac, are co-inventors of the patent, number 9,374,853. All four names appear on the patent, which marks the first U.S. patent awarded to full time LETU faculty working with full time students since the school was founded in 1946. Potential uses for the device are where critical joints between advanced metals, ceramics and composites cannot be made any other way in the electronics, defense and aerospace industries. While the vast majority of microwave joining applications focus on polymers, or plastics, this invention tackles the other two major material types, advanced manufacturing of metals and ceramics.

LONGVIEW – A Kilgore man, who had been out of jail on bond following a Longview murder, is back in jail today. Gary Joe Murphy, 52, had been out on a $10,000 bond. He had earlier admitted to the stabbing of Arnold Lee McCollaum, 47, Jr., of Longview, in September of last year. He told officers he had held him down until he bled to death. He had been out on bond because the Gregg County District Attorney’s office had failed to indict him within a 90-day deadline. The Longview News Journal reports American Bail Bonds filed an affidavit stating they intended to surrender the bond because Murphy did not contact his bondsman. Continue reading Longview Murder Suspect Back in Custody

TYLER — There was a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning at the University of Texas at Tyler. It marked the start of construction of the future home of the school’s College of Business and Technology. It’s a four-story 140,000 square-foot building. The school’s new $56 million structure is part of a larger project that will include an adjacent parking garage, adding roughly 400 parking spaces. There will also be renovations to the current business building, which will become the new home of the College of Arts and Sciences. The new building will feature student meeting places, classrooms and specialized experimental labs, as well as faculty offices, a courtyard, specialized landscaping and a second floor terrace. It’s expected to be completed in June 2018.

TYLER – The United Way of Smith County is adding five new agencies. The board of the United Way approved the allocation committee’s recommendations at Wednesday’s meeting. The new agencies are Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances, Christian Women’s Job Corps of Tyler, East Texas Food Bank, Meals on Wheels Ministry and PATH. They join some twenty other agencies under the United Way umbrella. The new agencies will immediately participate in the current campaign and will be eligible to receive designations. They will then participate in the next grant process, which will start in April.

TYLER — 30-year-old Jared Wilson of Houston has been indicted for the July 5 murder of 49-year-old Thomas Wilson of Lindale. KETK reports that Tyler police received a report around 9:10 that morning of shots fired at the Royal Inn Suites on West Northwest Loop 323. Police said Wilson had been shot and was later pronounced dead. The altercation which led to the shooting took place in the motel’s parking lot. Police said the victim’s niece was involved in a dispute with the shooter. When the victim arrived at the scene to give her some keys, the suspect allegedly pulled a gun and shot him. Jared Wilson reportedly ran south from the scene. He was taken into custody near Anderson County after DPS located his vehicle. He remains jailed on $500,000 bond.

TYLER – What was supposed to be a purchase through social media has turned into a Tyler robbery and police looking for three suspects. A TJC student was robbed around 7:30 Wednesday night at 1414 Magnolia Street. The student told officers he was in a car when a suspect pulled a gun on him. One of the suspects took the student’s cell phone and undisclosed amount of money. They drove away in a dark blue Honda sedan. They were last seen driving north of Beckham. The suspects were described as a black female and two black males. No injuries were reported. Continue reading Two Incidents Involving Guns Reported on TJC Campus

TYLER — Uber officially launched in Tyler Thursday. To celebrate the launch, Uber will be offering free rides through Sunday, September 25. Uber is a smartphone app that connects riders and drivers at the touch of a button. Councilman John Nix welcomed Uber to town as Rider Zero. “Residents, students, and visitors in Tyler can now request a ride or make money – all at the tap of a button,” said Beth Huddleston, Uber General Manager. “Whether folks are headed to school, work or dinner with friends, Uber offers direct access to an affordable and convenient way to get around town.” The launch of Uber in Tyler comes after the City Council voted to adopt modern ridesharing regulations on August 24. Continue reading Uber Launches in Tyler

TYLER — The former owner of a popular East Texas haunted house has been jailed on child pornography charges. According to KETK, Derek Ryan Laepple, 36, of Tyler, was arrested for possession of child porn by the United States Marshal Service on August 18, 2016. He is the former owner of Terror Nights Haunted House. Laepple’s sister, Laney Laepple, the company was sold to Wild Card Entertainment about two weeks ago by the mother of Laepple. The negotiation process began about two months ago. Continue reading Former Haunted House Owner Jailed on Child Porn Charges

LONGVIEW – A Longview man is facing a couple of charges after being accused of burglarizing a home. Officers say as they answered a suspicious person call, they saw a man coming from the back of a Lane Wells Drive home. He was carrying what appeared to be a duffel bag and a back pack. He was said to have grabbed a bicycle and fled officers, but was arrested a short time later. Detric Deshawn Sheffield, 31, was booked into the Gregg County jail on charges of burglary of a habitation and evading arrest.

LUFKIN – A man claiming to be Jesus, has been arrested by Lufkin police. Officers were called to a North First Street home on a man who was trespassing. When they tried to arrest him, 22 year old Darion Anthony Amie told officers several times he was Jesus. On his way to jail, he also told officers he was rich, had a pretty girlfriend and they would have to release him, because he was Jesus. Amie has been charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest. His bonds total $3,000 and he was booked into the Angelina County Jail.

TYLER – Smith County has received an award from the National Procurement Institute. The county’s purchasing department earned the 2016 Annual Achievement of Excellence in Procurement Award. The award measures state-of-the-art best practices. Smith County also received the award in 2011, 2012 and 2015. The county was one of only eight counties in Texas and one of 48 counties in the United States and Canada, to be recognized by the organization. Smith County Purchasing Director Kim Gould will accept the award for the county at the association’s annual convention in November.

MARSHALL – In its opening tournament of the year, The East Texas Baptist University Debate Team has every reason to be proud. Among the 11 teams competing in the Lee College Mendoza Debate Tournament, the ETBU team placed third. The seven member team came in ahead of such schools as Stephen F. Austin State University, Southern Methodist University, and Northwestern State University. Continue reading ETBU Debate Team Fares Well in Competition

TYLER – The National Association of Biology Teachers has awarded a Tyler Junior College biology professor its highest honor. Dr. Margaret “Betsy” Ott has been named the 2016 NABT Honorary member. Honorary members become lifetime members of NABT.She will be formally recognized with the award during the NABT Honors Luncheon on Saturday, November 5, in Denver. Ott has been a professor at TJC since 1982, teaching anatomy and physiology, general biology for non-science majors, and biology for majors.

ALTO — Two former city of Alto clerks have been indicted for reportedly stealing thousands of dollars from the city. According KETKn court documents indicate former court clerk Jeanie Migon Curtis Selman and former city clerk Whitney Arriola stole between $30,000 and $150,000 from the city of Alto. The theft of the money allegedly took place on October 1, 2010, according to the indictment. The duo have been charged with theft by public servant. Both were released Monday from the Cherokee County Jail on a $5,000 bond each.

LONGVIEW — A reward of $5,000 has been offered for information on two recent robberies at the same credit union. According to KETK, the Letourneau Federal Credit Union at 2301 S. High Street was held up on August 31 and September 15. Police have not said if the crimes are related. In both instances, the business was held up at gunpoint. The robberies are cases 16-14867 that occurred on 8-31-16 and 16-15724 that occurred on 9-15-16. Anyone with any information about these cases please contact Det. Terry Davis at 903-237-1157 or Det. Richard Reeves at 903-237-1151.

LUFKIN — Two men were arrested after police say they smoked K2 and passed out at a traffic light in Lufkin. According to KETK, Angel Enrique, 32, (pictured) and Martin Guerrero, 24, both of Moscow in Polk County, were arrested, around 2:15 Monday afternoon after allegedly smoking K2 and passing out at a traffic light in the 4600 block of South Medford Drive. Police say when they arrested Enrique and Guerrero, the men admitted to smoking the substance and were also in possession of it. Both men have since posted $1,500 bail.