KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has launched a text-alert system that promises to send word to thousands of students, faculty and staff when emergencies, delays or cancellations arise. The TJC Alert Notification System will be used when weather or security issues warrant immediate notification of TJC students and employees.

The service is available to all faculty, staff and students of TJC. It offers the opportunity for TJC to send notification to subscribers via cellphone text, e-mail and voice-mail.

Though the service was first announced to faculty and staff during the fall semester as “opt in,” new State legislation requires that employees and students be included in such a system beginning with the Spring 2012 semester. TJC is working to make certain all faculty, staff and students are enrolled with at least one mode of emergency notification. “The service is the result of a contract with e2Campus,” said Larry Mendez, TJC chief information officer.

You can go to http://www.tjc.edu/it/training/e2campus/tjcanfaqsfinal.pdf for more information about creating or modifying an account.

TYLER — The first leg of construction for the $35 million, voter approved jail bond kicked off Thursday morning in Tyler.

This first phase of construction will include the relocation of Smith County kitchen and laundry facilities in order to streamline jail services. It will also include the addition of a video visitation station that will improve safety and security during the visitation process. Construction of the Low Risk Facility portion of the jail project is expected to last about 36 weeks. Construction on the downtown portion of the jail improvement plan is scheduled to begin late in the year.

“It’s been a long time comin’ and a long time overdue, but thanks to this Commissioner’s Court and the public’s confidence, we see a brighter future,” Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A registered sex offender was arrested Wednesday night after he was chased from a Lufkin home as a suspected chain saw thief. Clyde Jackson Sr, 52, of Diboll, was arrested on a charge of theft after the victims and witnesses identified him as the suspect, according to a Lufkin Police report.

A witness reported seeing Jackson hide the chain saws under the porch of a nearby residence, but the saws had not been recovered as of 3 p.m. Thursday. He was taken to the Angelina County Jail, where he remained on a $1,500 bond Thursday afternoon.

ackson’s sex offender status stems from a 1983 sex crime against a 5-year-old girl, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety sex offender registry. He has a lengthy criminal history with at least 10 arrests dating to 1996. Those charges include aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, forgery of a financial instrument, assault causing bodily injury, interfering with a 911 call, unlawful restraint, theft and robbery.

HALLSVILLE — Hallsville administrators have hired two police officers to fill positions that opened this past week after the mayor fired a former police chief and two officers and the city’s lone remaining officer resigned later the same day.

Hallsville Police Chief Lukas Reynolds on Thursday said he hired Shane Guthrie to fill the city’s sergeant position that was formerly filled by Sgt. Mack Fuller; and Paul Montoya was hired as a patrol officer. Guthrie, 47, is a patrol sergeant with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. Montoya, 32, was employed by the Longview Police Department as a patrol officer, where he worked on the SWAT team. He begins his employment with Hallsville today.

Since the officers were terminated, Harrison County Sheriff’s deputies have provided extra patrol of the area to ensure Hallsville had officer coverage.

BERRYVILLE – A Tyler man is in the Henderson County jail, charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance. Joshua Seth Friedlander, 23, was a passenger in a car that had been stopped in Berryville by a sheriff’s deputy for a traffic violation. Inside the car the officer noticed narcotics paraphernalia on the floor along with a couple of baggies containing what appeared to be methamphetamine and marijuana. After Friedlander told the deputy the items belonged to him, he was taken into custody. His bond was set at $100,000.

TYLER — It’s always tragic when a child dies. But according to KETK, one little girl who left this world this week claimed the hearts of many folks in East Texas because of her sweet disposition — and the family says community response has been overwhelming.

Three-year-old Haven Grace Davis had a difficult life, riddled with health problems — but it never seemed to slow her down. Haven was born with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome and received a heart transplant when she was two, but her problems continued. She was flown from Dallas to Tyler for treatment at least six times. Haven took a turn for the worse just days ago and finally died Wednesday. But during the ordeal, Facebook posts drew hundreds, even thousands of posts from people praying for a miracle. Family members commented, “Our little angel has astounded and brought tears to the strongest of the strong. There have been so many people God has reached through this child.”

Funeral services will be held Monday at Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler. If you’d like to help the family out, you can go to any Austin Bank and make a donation under “Brandon Davis for Haven Grace.”

BULLARD — Bullard needs a new school building. But KETK reports that before going through the usual bond election and other ways to pay for it, townspeople are doing it the old-fashioned way — by just pitching in.

For years, an old run-down house has been used as an alternative school. But it was recently discovered to have significant termite damage — so school officials turned to the community for help. Now Campbell Custom Homes has agreed to build an 1800-square-foot metal building encased in brick for a very low cost. The city jumped on board too and said it would waive the building fees for the project.

BISD Superintendent Keith Bryant says the help will save the district at least $100,000. He remarks that the effort “says a lot for our citizens.” According to Bryant, the district plans to vacate the old building January 13 and will start demolition immediately thereafter.

LONE STAR (AP) – A 19-year-old man has been seriously injured in an explosion at a machine shop in Morris County. Lone Star Police Chief Larry Fleet says the man was burning the top off a barrel that contained flammable fuel in an unventilated area when the accident occurred Thursday afternoon. Fleet says the worker’s clothing caught fire and he suffered second and third degree burns from his torso on up. Tyler television station KLTV reports that the man was airlifted to a Dallas hospital for treatment. Although other employees were doing fabricating work at the shop, Fleet said no one else was injured.

LONGVIEW — A water leak forced part of Bill Owens Parkway to shut down. It has since reopened. Bill Owens between Fairmont and Stonewall was shut down for several hours yesterday as crews repaired the leak.

MARSHALL — A Marshall family was displaced from their home Thursday morning after a fire started in their living room. Marshall Assistant Fire Marshal Jack Hanson said firefighters were dispatched shortly after 2:15 to the 800 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in connection with a residential house fire.

“The family was actually awakened by their dog, and the children and parents were able to get out of the house without injuries,” Hanson said. Hanson said the home had “heavy damage” and the family was displaced. “The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it’s not considered suspicious,” Hanson said.

FRANKSTON — An Anderson County man accused of biting his child’s face during a domestic disturbance late last year, has turned himself in. County Sheriff Greg Taylor said his agency had a warrant for the arrest of Billy Ray Hicks, 31, of Frankston. He has been charged with a felony charge of injury to a child.

Authorities say on December 26th, Hicks reportedly bit his 7-year-old daughter on the left cheek after the girl attempted to intervene during a confrontation involving Hicks and his 31-year-old common-in-law wife at a residence on Kickapoo Street in Frankston. The sheriff said the girl suffered “bruising” and “swelling” to her left cheek as a result of the bite.

The charge against Hicks carried a $25,000 pre-set bond.

ANGELINA COUNTY — An Ellen Trout Zoo gift shop employee has been arrested after admitting to embezzling more than $14,000. On August 8, gift shop employee Rita Cambiano, 53, went to Ellen Trout Zoo director Gorden Henley and admitted she had not been making the daily deposits, according to an arrest report. She told him she had instead been keeping the money and presented him with the deposit slip receipts totaling $14,150.

Henley took the matter to the zoo board, which decided to fire Cambiano and pursue legal action. Cambiano provided investigators a written statement admitting to the crime. Cambiano booked out of the Angelina County Jail Tuesday on a $2,500 bond. If convicted, she faces up to two years in state jail. According to county records, Cambiano spent one year on probation in 2004 for Class A misdemeanor theft of property stemming from an August 2002 incident.

LUFKIN — An Angelina County man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy. Williams Joseph Bass, 55, of Lufkin, was arrested for sexual assault of a child, prohibited sexual conduct and displaying harmful material to a minor, in August. According to previous reports, on Aug. 15, the boy spent the night at Bass’ home on Ricks Road. The next day, the boy told his mother, Bass got drunk and assaulted him. The boy was taken to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin for a sexual assault exam and did have injuries consistent with his story. Bass has remained in the Angelina County Jail on a collective $106,500 bond since his arrest in August.

LONGVIEW – A Longview man remains in the Gregg County Jail after being charged with robbing a Longview nightclub. Charged with aggravated robbery is Reginald Deneal Alex, 28. He is accused of robbing two women out side the Cloud Nine nightclub on West Marshall Avenue on December 10th. Following the robbery he was chased by two persons. During an exchange of gunfire he was wounded in the arm and leg and required hospitalization. His bond has been set at $75,000.

LUFKIN — A former dialysis nurse accused of capital murder has made what was likely her final court appearance before jury selection starts in three weeks. That’s according to KETK and the Lufkin Daily News. Kim Saenz’s attorney called a hearing before a state district judge because of an issue with a report he subpoenaed from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. The 37-year-old Saenz is accused of injecting five patients with bleach during their dialysis treatments in Lufkin in spring 2008. If convicted, she could face the death penalty or life in prison.

JACKSON COUNTY, MISS. — The alleged “handsome guy” bandit has been taken from a Jackson County, Mississippi, hospital to the county jail to await extradition to Texas. Steven Ray Milam, 44, of Tyler is accused of nearly a dozen North Texas bank robberies over the last year, including a weekend heist in Richardson. Sheriff Mike Byrd tells KETK he shot out Milam’s right rear tire on his red VW Jetta while traveling northbound on Interstate Highway10 near Pascagoula, Mississippi, Tuesday morning around 10:00, after a 17 mile pursuit, and after three different attempts to stop Milam’s vehicle.

Milam faces up to 12 counts of armed bank robbery in the Dallas area, along with attempted capital murder charges related to an attack on a Richardson police officer. Byrd said Milam would also be charged in Mississippi with evading arrest, stemming from Tuesday’s pursuit. The Richardson Police Department says the U.S. Marshal’s Office will be traveling to Mississippi in order to extradite Milam to Dallas County sometime later this week.

AUSTIN – Daingerfield resident Fredia Thomas claimed a $1 million Powerball prize Tuesday at the Texas Lottery claim center in Tyler. The prize was from the October 19 drawing. Thomas’s ticket matched all five numbers (16 – 26 – 35 – 52 – 58), but not the Powerball (2) drawn on October 19. Since Thomas added the Power Play option to her ticket for $1 extra, what would have been a $200,000 5-of-5 prize increased to a guaranteed $1 million. The winning ticket was purchased at the Rite Track #15 located at 1304 Linda Drive in Daingerfield. The claimant requested minimal publicity.

HENDERSON — Gregg and Rusk County authorities tell our news partner KETK 21-year-old Lindsey Blake Montana was arrested Tuesday for allegedly having sexual relations with an inmate while employed as a jailer. Rusk County officials say the incident happened on February 10, 2010, at the Bradshaw State Jail facility in Henderson. Montana was indicted in Rusk County on November 4, and a warrant was issued after she failed to appear. Gregg County authorities arrested Montana on January 3 and transported her to Rusk County on January 4.

TYLER — A 33-year-old Carthage man has pleaded guilty in Tyler federal court to drug violations. Billy Glenn Carroll pleaded guilty to possession of pseudoephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine when he appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie. Carroll faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to information presented in court, on August 1, 2009, Carroll purchased cold pills containing 3.60 grams of pseudoephedrine from a CVS Pharmacy in Carthage. Carroll also admitted to purchasing cold pills on 18 different occasions from August 1, 2009 to April 8, 2010, which amounted to approximately 47.58 grams of pseudoephedrine, with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Carroll was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of last year.

TYLER — The former Executive Director of the Jacksonville Housing Authority has appeared in Tyler federal court to plead guilty to federal violations. Georgina Denise Bridgeforth, 38, of Mesquite, pleaded guilty yesterday to theft of government funds in excess of $1,000. She appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John D. Love. Bridgeforth faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to federal prosecutors, from September 26, 2007 to April 16, 2008, Bridgeforth devised and executed a scheme to steal $37,474.93 from the Jacksonville Housing Authority program funds. Bridgeforth admitted to using credit cards for personal items, fuel, a computer and rental cars. She also increased her salary payments without authorization. Bridgeforth was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 13, 2011.

TYLER – During an appearance in Tyler federal court, a Colorado man was sentenced to prison for income tax violations. Randall Craig, 62, of Aurora, Colorado, pleaded guilty on May 19 to failure to file a federal income tax return. He was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in federal prison by U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith K. Guthrie.

Federal prosecutors say Craig failed to file a tax return for 2003, when he had gross income of just over $212,000. The tax loss for that year was $51,882.00. Craig was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $376,714.77, which included taxes owed for other years.

TYLER — The first leg of construction for the $35 million, voter approved jail bond kicked off Thursday morning at the Smith County Low Risk Facility, located at 2811 Public Road. This first phase of construction will include the relocation of Smith County kitchen and laundry facilities in order to streamline jail services. It will also include the addition of a video visitation station that officials say will improve safety and security during the visitation process.

Construction of the Low Risk Facility portion of the jail project is expected to last about 36 weeks. Construction on the downtown portion of the jail improvement plan is scheduled to begin late in the year. “It’s been a long time comin’ and a long time overdue, but thanks to this Commissioner’s Court and the public’s confidence, we see a brighter future,” Smith County Sheriff J.B. Smith said.

A total of $40.875 million in bonds was issued in July, 2011: $35 million for the jail bond at an interest rate of 2.564 percent and the refunding of about $5 million in existing county debt at 1.7489 percent interest. Due to the high bond ratings that Smith County received from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s in June, along with falling interest rates, officials say the County will pay off the jail bond much faster and less expensively than originally anticipated.

The jail bond was structured with a 12 year amortization schedule, which is three years shorter than originally projected. When combined with the lower interest rate of the re-issued debt, Smith County is set to save approximately $376,000 in total interest expenses, according to officials. “We are proud that we will be able to pay this off even sooner and save money for the citizens of Smith County because of these lower rates and our high bond rating,” County Judge Joel Baker said.

KILGORE — Officials say they have identified a suspect in a Kilgore homicide that happened almost a year ago. Investigators say they are not yet releasing the suspect’s name. Renee Garrett, 25, was found dead with a gunshot wound to her torso just after midnight on January 10 at an adult video store in the 1900 block of Industrial Avenue. Garrett worked at the store. In addition to the slaying, an unknown amount of money and a cash box were taken from the store in the attempted holdup, officials said. Kilgore police Lt. Roman Roberson said Wednesday that DNA evidence taken from the scene confirmed the identity of one of the three suspects who was involved in the robbery and homicide.

LONGVIEW — A man is losing his job as a Longview High School janitor after police arrested him Monday night. The arrest came after a mother said her 14-year-old son told her the 52-year-old man had been sexually assaulting the boy for more than a year.

The Longview school district announced Tuesday morning it will fire Bobby Ray Jackson and is reviewing the charge against him to determine whether further district action is warranted. District spokesman Adam Holland said Jackson was hired in 1996 and spent his entire career with the district at LHS.

Jackson was arrested shortly after 9:00 Monday. He is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child and was held Tuesday morning on $100,000 bond.

The boy, whom police said is mentally disabled, told his mother he had been at Jackson’s apartment where Jackson had sexually assaulted him several times. The teen also said the abuse had been occurring for more than a year, whenever he ran away from home and visited Jackson. Those visits sometimes lasted two or three days, the report said. Officers first met with the teen at his home, which is about 10 blocks from Jackson’s residence, before accompanying him and his parents to a local hospital.

TYLER – All lanes of Tyler’s South Broadway reopened hours after a wreck yesterday morning in the 2100 block. Police say a vehicle hit a utility pole. The driver, Quinten Mackey, 39, Whitehouse, was not injured and was arrested for driving while intoxicated. According to KETK, jail records show he has been released from jail. The accident left utility poles in the roadway. Police Sgt. Jason Burton says ONCOR electric was called to the scene to clear the downed power lines. Travel was disrupted for about 8 hours.

MARSHALL – Marshall police continue their investigation into a fatal car-pedestrian accident. Laurie Ann Herz, 46, of Marshall, was hit by the car shortly after 6:00 last Friday evening. Herz later died at Shepherd Medical Center-Marshall. The car’s driver was uninjured. So far, no charges have been filed in the case.

WASKOM – A Harrison County man has died when the tree he was cutting fell on him. Dead at the scene last Thursday was Nathaniel Fletcher, 61. The accident happened at his home on Fox Hunting Road.

According to a news release from Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Fletcher’s son called 911 and told dispatchers that he was inside when he heard what sounded like an explosion in his back yard. When he went into the yard, he found his father was lying under a burning tree that had been lit prior to being cut down. Deputies and firefighters were able to remove the tree from the victim, who appeared to have multiple lacerations, burns and broken legs.

WASHINGTON — The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has granted the request for a stay of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule. It was scheduled to have gone into effect on January 1st. The court decided to stay the rule until it determines whether or not the rule is lawful.

Earlier this fall, Luminant and multiple other petitioners filed motions to stay the rule because of the irreparable harm it would cause to our company and others. Yesterday’s decision allows employees across Luminant’s system to continue working on important generation, mining and other operations. It also allows Luminant’s Monticello units 1 and 2 in Titus County to continue operating and providing needed generation for the Texas electric market.

The company said in a news release, it intends to continue closely evaluating business and operational decisions given that the stay does not invalidate the rule, but delays a decision on its implementation until a final court ruling is issued.

QUITMAN — A man shot last Friday in Wood County has died. Authorities identify the victim as Bruce Straub. According to KETK, Straub was reportedly shot in the head on County Road 2210 around 4:00 Friday afternoon. Officials say Straub was a passenger in a pickup traveling east on the road. The driver of the truck stopped at a flea market to place the 911 call. Straub was taken by emergency helicopter to East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. Officials say the suspect in the shooting is Joel David Head, 44, (pictured), who was taken into custody Friday on unrelated charges.

NACOGDOCHES — On the first day of his bench trial on the charge of injury to a child, Anthony Watts pleaded guilty to the first-degree felony. A bench trial occurs when a court case is tried in front of a judge rather than a jury. According to KETK and the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel, Watts is accused of scalding his then-two-year-old son, ZaTaurean Pleasant, during a bath. There was an apparent malfunction with the heating unit at Watts’ apartment, which is why boiling water from the stove was added to the child’s bath, Nacogdoches Police Sgt. Greg Sowell has said. However, doctors believe the boiling water most likely was poured over the child’s head, according to Child Protective Services officials.

The guilty plea spurred the punishment phase of his trial to begin, but Nacogdoches County 420th District Judge Ed Klein had not made a finding of guilt at last report. “At this point, I’m withholding a finding of guilt solely due to a fact that one of the outcomes the defense is going to ask me to entertain would not be accomplished if there was a finding of guilt,” Klein said in court Tuesday.

Klein said one of outcomes the defense will seek is deferred adjudication. If the judge doesn’t make a finding of guilt, Watts has a punishment range from deferred adjudication to life in prison. With deferred adjudication, the judge does not find the defendant guilty, but instead defers the finding of guilt, leaving a conviction off the defendant’s record if the terms of probation are completed, according to Texas law. If the defendant violates the terms of probation, the defendant is then subject to the entire range of punishment for the original crime. The punishment phase continued today in Klein’s courtroom.