KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — Toll 49, Segment 3B construction begins to impact traffic on Farm Road 724 at County Road 1148. CH2M Hill, the NET RMA’s Design/Build contractors, is starting construction of the FM 724 at County Road 1148 intersection, and this work is scheduled to be underway over the next several weeks. The construction will require the closure of a lane of FM 724 to traffic. Flaggers will be directing motorists on the remaining open lane during this period. There are message boards set up to remind traffic and area residents of the flagging operation and the work in on FM 724. Motorists need to be prepared for potential delays in the construction area.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tyler Congressman Louie Gohmert joins other Republicans going after President Obama’s long-term deficit package. Gohmert remarks, “He does more damage to the economy than I could have dreamed.” Among other things, Gohmert says the package would wipe out independent oil producers, opening the door for big oil companies to charge more. Gohmert also targets the American Infrastructure Financing Authority, which the congressman terms “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on steroids.” And he criticizes the package’s increased taxes on the wealthy.

HALLSVILLE — A 44-year-old Longview man was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy early Tuesday morning after authorities say he pointed a gun at three law enforcement officers in a standoff that lasted nearly six hours. That’s according to KETK and the Longview News-Journal. Harrison County Sheriff’s spokesman Jay Webb said two Hallsville police officers and one Harrison County sheriff’s deputy were dispatched at about 2 a.m. Tuesday to Lansing Switch Road in connection with a family disturbance.

Webb said when officers arrived, Richard Owen Dean had a gun and barricaded himself in a motor home. Webb said after Dean denied the deputies’ attempts to speak with him, he continually pointed the gun at his head and made threatening gestures with the weapon toward the law enforcement officers. Deputies then fired a shot, killing Dean. Webb said the Harrison County deputy was placed on administrative leave while Texas Rangers investigate. He was unsure whether the two Hallsville officers were placed on leave.

ANGELINA COUNTY — A Matagorda man who critically injured a Lufkin man in a drunk driving accident last year will serve time in prison. Cecil Brannon, 50, was sentenced to 10 years in prison last week for intoxicated assault causing serious bodily injury. With the charge against him being a third-degree felony, Brannon received the maximum sentence but is to be considered for shock probation within 180 days.

Brannon is responsible for the Nov. 6 wreck that critically injured 61-year-old Koshy Alexander. Alexander was taken to Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin following the accident in front of Winston 8 Ranch and then airlifted to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Alexander was traveling north on U.S. Highway 59 when his white Honda CRV was struck by Brannon. Brannon, traveling south on U.S. 59, lost control of his vehicle after slamming on his brakes to avoid rear-ending a vehicle in front of him. He then went into the northbound lane, hitting Alexander’s car head-on.

Brannon has a history of DWI and DUI in Matagorda County dating to 1990.

JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville police obtained a warrant for the arrests of three men suspected of brutally assaulting Jose Arredondo in his vehicle as his family watched July 6. Arredondo and his family identified Jimmy Upshaw, 28, Jarvis Glenn, 25, and Jonathan Duke, 22, as the alleged suspects. Officers say after a reward for information was offered, an anonymous tip was called in. Authorities say the men have extensive histories with police.

LONGVIEW – Longview firemen have contained a grass and woods fire off Toler Road. The fire, which had threatened a construction and an oil field site, was reported around 1:15 Monday afternoon. Longview fire officials called in extra units to battle the blaze near McWhorter Park. Volunteers from the White Oak Fire Department, along with the Texas Forest Service, helped bring the blaze under control. No word on what caused the fire.

LONGVIEW – An Upshur County man has died in a weekend traffic accident in Longview. Killed was Franklin Walton, 87, of Gilmer. The accident happened just after 2:45 Sunday afternoon in the 3200 block of Dundee Road.

Investigators say the accident began when a Ford Expedition driven by Raina Romero, 32, of Longview, veered into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting another vehicle that had stopped in front of her. Romero’s vehicle hit head-on a vehicle driven by Jerri Fort, 44, of Gilmer. Walton was a back seat passenger in Fort’s vehicle. The drivers of both vehicles were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. The accident remains under investigation.

MAUD – A northeast Texas woman has been killed when the golf cart she was driving was hit by a car. Killed in the weekend accident was Correne Cox McKeever, 82, of Maud. The Saturday morning accident happened on Farm Road 2149. The Department of Public Safety says the woman had used the golf cart to check her mailbox. She was hit by the car when she tried to turn the golf cart around in the road.

TYLER – No injuries were reported in a drive by shooting at a Tyler apartment complex. It was reported around 8:30 Monday night at the Varsity Place Apartments on Varsity Drive. Witnesses say someone drove through the complex shooting. Some shell casings were found in the apartment’s parking lot. The investigation is continuing.

AUSTIN — Texas Tea Party groups want Governor Perry off the presidential campaign trail long enough to pursue a crackdown on illegal immigration. They’re dropping off letters signed by thousands at Perry’s office. The groups want him to call another special session or sign an executive order saying police have the power to enforce immigration laws. Among those applying the pressure: Smith County activist JoAnn Fleming. “This simply sets free law enforcement free to enforce law,” says Fleming. “That word really means something. It is the reverse of illegal.” Fleming says she can’t believe an Arizona-style crackdown hasn’t already happened here.

LONGVIEW — Gregg County residents who suffered housing-related damages from recent wildfires can now register for assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. According to KETK, FEMA sent crews to Northeast Texas after five counties were added to a Domestic Assistance Declaration this past Friday. The other four are in the Houston area. “It applies to homeowners, people that rent or businesses,” FEMA spokesman Bill Lehman said. “The critical thing to pass on to people is that … FEMA assistance covers people who are uninsured or under-insured.”

The assistance includes reimbursement for hotels or other temporary housing, repairs to homes and items that are not covered under insurance policies. The assistance does not apply to property damage other than to residences, Lehman said.

MARSHALL — The Marshall Independent School District suffered a big blow Saturday, when a tax ratification proposal was defeated by a two-to-one margin. Only about 10% of the district’s registered voters took part in the election, with 66% of those voting against the tax increase. MISD Board President Helen Warwick says the defeat will mean tough cuts within the district, likely including jobs. The district suffered a $2.4 million dollar cut in state funding during the recent legislative session.

CANTON — Anonymous callers who provided valuable tips that led to the arrests of six individuals in the last two months have been given rewards totaling $2,600 by the Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers. Rewards ranged from $600 for an arrest on a manslaughter warrant to $100 for a bad checks warrant. Four of the six arrests were of individuals listed on the county’s Top 10 Most Wanted list.

The $600 reward was for a tip that resulted in the arrest of a Ben Wheeler man on separate warrants for manslaughter and drunk driving. The man is accused of beating another man to death. There were two $550 tip rewards, one for the arrest of a Wills Point man wanted on a sexual assault charge and another for arrest of a second Wills Point man who had been sought on a charge of assaulting a public servant.

Two awards, for $400 each, went to the anonymous callers whose tips led to the arrest of a Wills Point woman on two counts of fraud and engaging in organized crime, as well as of a Gun Barrel City man accused of stealing six saddles. Authorities say the saddles, worth about $3,000, were taken from a First Monday Trades Days vendor — and that the suspect had his girlfriend try to pawn them in Gun Barrel City. The $100 award was for the arrest of a Fruitvale man who had been sought on 10 warrants for writing bad checks.

“Crime Stoppers is working more effectively than ever,” said Andy Flowers, president of Van Zandt County Crime Stoppers. “In the past five months, we have paid out nearly $5,000 in rewards and helped take nearly a dozen criminals off the street. Because the calls to the Crime Stoppers tip line, 903-567-7867, are always kept completely confidential, people know they can turn in criminals and never have to worry about being identified. The callers win, because they get rewards for their tips, and we all win when fewer criminals are out walking the streets.” Go to http://www.vanzandtcrimestoppers.org for more information about Crime Stoppers.

TYLER — Authorities issue a renewed warning about outdoor burning. Tyler Deputy Fire Marshal James Suggs says the small amount of rain that’s fallen apparently entices people to think such burning is all right. But Suggs says it’s not, and is in fact still illegal in Smith County and nearly everywhere else in the state. Suggs tells KETK everyone needs to continue exercising caution.

Officials say illegal burns continue to be a dangerous issue within Smith County, and the fire marshal’s office is advising the public that all violators will be issued citations. According to a Smith County news release, all types of ground burning fires, including those for trash or brush, are strictly prohibited and will result in being ticketed. Outdoor grilling is only permitted within a fully contained cooking device which must be supervised at all times. The news release says the sheriff’s office has worked with volunteer fire departments and the fire marshal’s office to put out, investigate and write citations for illegal burns throughout the county in the last week or so — and will continue to do so as fire-prone conditions are expected to continue throughout the month.

NACOGDOCHES — Three people are arrested in Nacogdoches County over the weekend and charged with possession of a controlled substance. According to KETK, Lavina Whiteside and Billy Husband were arrested at a home in Kingtown. They’re charged with a second-degree felony. Kevin Meek, 22, also arrested after authorities found him near the home, sleeping in a tent. Deputy constables discovered ten grams of crystal meth at the home along with several firearms, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia.

MANGUM, Okla. (AP) – A prosecutor says a former Oklahoma prison warden’s wife wanted “fun and excitement” when she allegedly helped a convicted killer escape from prison. Greer County Assistant District Attorney Eric Yarborough made his closing argument in the trial of Bobbi Parker. The 49-year-old Parker is charged with helping convicted killer Randolph Dial escape the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite. Parker’s husband was deputy warden. Bobbi Parker and Dial disappeared Aug. 30, 1994. They were found living on a chicken ranch in Campti, Texas, in 2005. Prosecutors say Parker fell in love with Dial, became his mistress and helped him escape. Defense attorneys say Dial kidnapped Parker and held her hostage by threatening her family. Closing arguments at trial were expected to take all of Monday.

WOOD COUNTY — Wood County Sheriff’s authorities are searching for a 41-year-old Winnsboro man in connection with a home that was set on fire Friday afternoon. According to Wood County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jerry Blaylock, deputies were dispatched to the 300 block of County Road 4400 in Winnsboro at just after 3:15 Friday afternoon in connection with an assault and arson. Blaylock said a victim and witness told authorities that James Roy Henson had been “acting strange all day and took a torch and set the victim’s house on fire while she and a friend were at the residence.” Blaylock said Henson was facing charges for arson and assault.

PITTSBURG — U.S. 271 was closed for two hours Friday while four people injured in a wreck were airlifted to a Tyler hospital. Department of Public Safety Trooper Brandon Love said the wreck happened about 5:20 p.m. at the Upshur/Camp county line. The four people were hurt after a 2005 Chrysler Pacifica, turning left off U.S. 271 onto Water Lily Road was hit from behind by a 2010 Chevrolet HHR, driven by Lloyd Seagroves of Tulsa, Okla., the trooper said.

Love said an 18-wheeler was passing the Pacifica as it was stopped in the inside lane to make a left turn, and the HHR got into the left lane to pass the truck. “Mr. Seagroves did not see the other car, and as soon as he changed lanes, he rear ended the Pacifica,” he said. Seagrove, 69, who was listed in critical condition, and his wife, Beverly, 64, were airlifted to East Texas Medical Center Tyler, as were 19-year-old Rosa Almeida and 16-year-old Julio Mendoza, both passengers in the Pacifica. Guadalupe Almeida, 47, the driver of the Pacifica, and Amanda Almeida, 19, received minor injuries in the crash. Two infants in the vehicle we not injured. The trooper said Seagrove was cited for failure to control speed.

TYLER — TISD Officials said the have lost power to their main server and email and phone services are currently down. This comes after the storms hit the area last night. Crews are working to repair those services.

EAST TEXAS — Fallen tree limbs and power lines are reported after powerful storms sweep through the area. In Smith County, officials dealt with downed power lines caused by falling branches and high winds. Oncor says at one point more than 4,000 people were without power due to outages caused by high winds. Almost 30,000 statewide were left without electricity. Both numbers had been significantly reduced by late Monday.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at other work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY — Construction crews this week are scheduled to install centerline rumble strips on the following roadways on the following days:
*Tuesday, on Farm Road 848 between Spur 248 (University Drive) in Tyler and Farm Road 346 in Whitehouse;
*Wednesday, on Farm Road 2493 (Old Jacksonville Highway) between Farm Road 2813 in Gresham and Brook Hill School.

Applying centerline rumble strips requires the work of a slow-moving convoy, so while lanes will not be closed for the work, long delays similar to those encountered with a striping crew, are possible. Motorists are encouraged to use caution while passing the convoy, and to avoid the convoy altogether by seeking alternate routes if possible. Studies have shown that centerline rumble strips, which create a vibration and a humming noise when crossed with tires, can help reduce incidents of head-on collisions by keeping motorists alert and helping prevent them from unintentionally crossing into oncoming traffic.

TxDOT contractors have been installing centerline rumble strips and widening the shoulders of various roadways across the Tyler District in the past year as part of a statewide safety initiative aimed at reducing the high number of fatalities on Texas highways each year. Similar rumble strips have been added on State Highway 64 east of Tyler and on U.S. Highway 79 east of Henderson.

GREGG COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 1844 north of Longview between State Highway 300 and U.S. Highway 259. A second crew is scheduled to perform ditch and culvert work on Farm Road 2605 between Farm Road 1845 and the end of state maintenance. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

RUSK COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform base and pavement repairs on Farm Road 839 between U.S. Highway 79 and Farm Road 1798. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

VAN ZANDT COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews on
Wednesday are scheduled to begin several days of pavement repairs on State Highway 64 in various locations between Interstate Highway 20 and State Highway 19 in Canton. A second crew is scheduled on Monday to apply a seal coat to Farm Road 857 south of Grand Saline. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

HENDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue pavement repairs on U.S. Highway 175 east of Athens between Farm Road 804 in Baxter and Farm Road 315 in Poynor. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

ANDERSON COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to perform resurfacing operations on U.S. Highway 79 near State Highway 294 in the southwest corner of the county. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

WOOD COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue resurfacing operations on Farm Road 2088 between Farm Road 14 in Oak Grove and the Upshur County Line Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic in two-lane areas.

CHEROKEE COUNTY — Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to resume resurfacing operations in various locations on Farm Road 856 between Farm Road 13 and U.S. Highway 79 east of New Summerfield. Daytime lane closures will be in effect in each location while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic.

TYLER — Sgt. Lee Dona Henry, Jr. was finally laid to rest Saturday in his hometown of Tyler at the Evergreen Cemetery. Henry was listed amongst those missing in action by the U.S. military in August 1950 during the Korean War. He was just 17 years old when he enlisted in the Army. Now, 61 years after his death at age 22, his family, loved ones, and friends have finally buried his remains, which were found in a shallow mass grave and identified through DNA sampling earlier this year. Henry’s survived by six brothers and sisters, who tell KETK they never gave up hope searching for him.

TYLER — A two alarm fire has extensively damaged a Tyler home at 4504 Gretna Green. Five engines and one ladder company, along with a district chief and an investigator, responded to the scene shortly after 1:15 Sunday morning. Arriving firefighters reported the back of the house on fire. The occupant was awakened by a smoke alarm and was able to flee without injuries. Investigators believe that the fire started in the attic.

LONGVIEW — Good Shepherd Medical Center is showcasing an accomplishment in its cardiovascular care. A recent study by the American Heart Association has significantly lowered the national average on “door-to-balloon” times for angioplasty patients. The national study, recently published in the August 2011 release of “Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association,” stated that between 2005 and 2010 average times adjusted down from 96 to 64 minutes. Good Shepherd officials say their facility’s average “door-to balloon” time was under 57 minutes during the last year (July 2010 to June 2011).

According to a Good Shepherd news release, for heart attack patients, angioplasty should always be performed as fast as possible. Angioplasty is often referred to as “ballooning” due to the use of a catheter, a thin balloon-tipped tube, which is inserted into the heart vessel to restore blood flow. The “door-to-balloon” time measures the critical time spent from hospital arrival until treatment of the blockage.

Good Shepherd has found that between July 2010 and June 2011 it had a door-to-balloon time average of 56.58 minutes. This set of data ranged from a low of 44 minutes in May 2011, with only one month reaching above 67 minutes — 76 minutes in January 2011. “Good Shepherd is extremely proud to continue to raise the standard for cardiac excellence both in East Texas and beyond,” said Good Shepherd CEO Ed Banos.

TYLER — With devastating fires popping up all over East Texas, the wildlife that live among the now scorched woods have to find a new place to live with food and water. Nathan Garner with the Texas Parks and Wildlife office in East Texas tells KETK white-tailed deer hunting season may be good this year due to just that. “That combined with a lot of areas just don’t have the acorn crop this year, because of the drought — don’t have the hickory nuts, that’s always been a fall food item for deer too, and it’ll be lacking or in very short supply this year. So the feeders and that water — they’re coming to it, they’re gonna go to it and hunters should take advantage of that,” Garner said.

He says the deer may look a little different, though. “The deer are going be a little slim, their weights are probably going to be down — antler development may be below average because of the nutritional stress of the drought,” Garner said. Garner says the deer are mainly looking for food so they can put weight on for the winter. But water is hard to come by in some areas as well. Regardless, hunters can take advantage of the situation with feeders and water troughs. “They can be there hunting over water, hunting over deer feeders, and I think they’re gonna see a lot of deer this year and other wildlife at these locations,” Garner said. Garner says as East Texans go out to hunt this season, they need to be especially careful due to the dangerous wildfire conditions — even more so than previous years, as burn bans will likely still be in effect.

OWENTOWN — The financial problems with the U.S. Postal Service may bring lots of changes to our mail service. Now, according to KETK, they may also mean some local jobs. The U.S. Post Office is as old as the nation, and is even included in the Constitution. But technology has changed everything, and cutbacks are coming — some of them, right here.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahue laid out the grim news for the nation that some time-honored traditions in mail delivery may go the way of full-service gas. The U.S. post office sorting facility in Owentown is among 250 centers slated for probable closure due to lack of business. The cause is as close as your computer. What’s left of the Lufkin facility is also on the list. Spokesman McKinney Boyd says postal officials hope the job losses will be minimal. As for the other postal services, Boyd says they are competitive. But the simple act of writing a letter or mailing in a bill is becoming a thing of the past, and the Post Office will have to change. The feasibility study will take about 4-6 months, but most assume the writing is on the wall.

NACOGDOCHES — Two Baltimore, Maryland, residents were arrested after a Nacogdoches County traffic stop on Thursday afternoon after a drug dog reportedly found a significant amount of cocaine in the vehicle. That’s according to the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel and KETK. Melvin James Perry, 27, and Ashley Nicole Perc, 23, were both charged with first-degree felony possession of a controlled substance following the initial traffic stop at about 4:45 p.m. Thursday for passing a school bus while it was unloading children, according to a DPS spokeswoman. After speaking with the two, the trooper said criminal indicators of drug trafficking were observed and the consent to search the vehicle was denied.

Authorities say Perry then tried to run and was caught by the trooper. A DPS drug dog assisted and alerted on the trunk area where 9.5 kilos, or 9,500 grams, of cocaine were reportedly found. Perry also has a misdemeanor evading arrest charge from the incident. Perc remained in the Nacogdoches County Jail in lieu of a $75,000 bond. Perry’s bond was set at a combined $77,500.

NACOGDOCHES — A Nacogdoches County Grand Jury on Friday returned an indictment for a man charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. That’s according to KETK and the Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel. Paul Bryan Motes, 43, says he lives in Nacogdoches, though records show he resides in Wichita Falls. He turned himself in to police on July 23 on a warrant for his arrest.

According to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest, the then 9-year-old girl told her mother, after some amount of time had passed, that he had sexually assaulted her in April 2010. The probable cause affidavit said Motes spoke with a detective on July 19 denying the offense ever occurred. Within minutes of leaving the police department, Motes said in an interview with The Daily Sentinel that he called back and admitted to the events. In January of this year, Motes was arrested and charged with indecency with a child after another girl’s mother, in a separate incident, said he watched her daughter while in the shower, according to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest.

TYLER — From 1963 to 2010, Tyler Junior College’s Hudnall Planetarium introduced countless East Texas schoolchildren to science and space. Following a massive expansion and reconstruction, the facility is opening today as the Center for Earth and Space Science Education at Tyler Junior College. Beginning with a 9 a.m. ribbon cutting assisted by Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass, the public is invited to attend and to enjoy the exhibits, shows and other fun, and educational activities all day, free of charge.

According to a TJC news release, “With state-of-the-art facilities and expanded programming, the Center promises to inspire and entertain a new generation of East Texans, making it a premier field-trip destination for area schools as well as an educational attraction for TJC and the community.” Located at the corner of Lake Street and Palmer Avenue, the Center features a 40-foot, domed theater equipped with Digistar 4, termed the latest in digital projection technology. Real-time space flights and visits to other locations in the known universe are made possible by various interactive digital graphic software packages. TJC is one of two facilities in Texas to house the Digistar 4 system and one of 50 worldwide. The Center also includes an instructional/workshop space and a series of outdoor, educational plazas, including a 15-foot diameter, granite sundial etched with analemmatic hour and month lines.

The TJC news release continues, “The planetarium’s inaugural show, ‘Cosmic Collisions,’ launches visitors on a voyage through space and time – well beyond the calm face of the night sky – to explore the hypersonic impacts that drive the dynamic and continuing evolution of the universe. Narrated by award-winning actor, director and producer Robert Redford, the 25-minute film features groundbreaking scientific simulations and visualizations based on research developed by astrophysicists, scientists at NASA, and other international colleagues – many seen for the first time – to depict the dramatic and explosive encounters that shaped our solar system.”

TJC officials say the original Hudnall Planetarium remains an important part of the new science center and has been converted into an interactive area where visitors can enjoy ever-changing exhibits and plasma-screen displays with real-time video from NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute. The debut exhibit is “Great Balls of Fire: Comets, Asteroids and Meteors.” It will include a variety of interactive, multimedia experiences, ranging from straightforward computer-based activities to a larger scale “pod” in which visitors play the role of explorers-in-training – an important theme that threads throughout the exhibit, according to college officials. TJC is the host venue for the national premiere of the “Great Balls of Fire” exhibit.

For more information on the Center for Earth & Space Science Education at TJC, go to
http://www.tjc.edu/cesse or call 903-510-2312.

NORTHEAST TEXAS — Authorities issue an update on the Northeast Fire Complex. The complex consists of the Magnolia Complex in Marion and Gregg counties, the Bear Creek Fire in Marion and Cass counties, the Dotson Fire in Cherokee County, the Johnson Creek and Bowles Creek Bottom fires in Rusk County, the Rhonesboro Fire in Upshur County, and the Gethsemane Fire in Cass County. Total current acreage for the complex is 53,570 acres with 95 percent containment for the overall complex. “We are glad to bring in our resources to work these large fires so the local firefighters get a well-deserved break,” said Incident Commander Mike Morcom of the Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Team.

According to information from the Texas Forest Service, temperatures will be slightly down from previous days and the relative humidity across the complex will likely stay above 30 percent while winds are predicted to be from the south/southeast at 5-10 mph. Though the weather has moderated some, conditions on the ground remain extreme with very low fuel moistures across all of East Texas. Potential reburn from dropped leaves and singed pine needles is significant for all of the fires within the complex. “The trees are so dry that the needles and leaves are dropping at the slightest bit of wind and creating a new path for fires to cross our lines,” said Texas Forest Service Regional Forester Wes Moorehead.

The Magnolia Complex is 4,800 acres and 90 percent contained. The complex includes the Moore, Locker Plant and Old Magnolia fires. Crews were successful in working interior islands and corralling small slopovers pushed outside the lines by leaf and needle litter. Firefighters continue to seek hot spots within the interior of the fire and monitor the perimeter.

The Bear Creek Fire is 40,963 acres in size and 100 percent contained. Unburned islands in the interior have been secured and the perimeter lines are established. Firefighters will continue to monitor the fire looking for latent heat sources that may ignite newly dropped leaf and needle litter.

The Dotson Fire, which is located approximately 30 miles west of Nacogdoches and 5 miles west of Alto, is 1,784 acres in size and 100 percent contained. Like the other fires, monitoring will continue because of the possibility of reburn because of the leaf and needle drop.

The Bowles Creek Bottom Fire is 795 acres and the Johnson Creek Fire is 2,143 acres. Both are 100 percent contained but firefighters will continue to monitor them due to the reburn potential.

The Rhonesboro Fire in the Raintree Lakes area west of Gilmer is 305 acres and 100 percent contained. Engines will continue to patrol the area because of the reburn possibilities and to ensure that no hotspots were missed near structures.

The Gethsemane Fire is north of Caddo Lake near the Louisiana border. The fire is 2,695 acres and 80 percent contained. Firefighters will spend the day strengthening the perimeter lines and providing structure protection.

In addition to staffing the fires, firefighters, engines, and other equipment will be available for initial attack of new starts if needed by Texas Forest Service or local departments.

Red Cross Shelter & Disaster Assistance:

The Red Cross and local charitable organizations are working together in transitioning from Voluntary Organizations Disaster Assistance Center (VODAC) in Jefferson to the long term recovery process. “These families will need so much more after the center closes, so we wanted to leave them with a way to continue using available resources,” said Alicia Toombs, Assistance Coordinator of the VODAC.

The Red Cross has arranged for local charities to access the Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) system. This will allow recovery efforts to transition from a physical assistance center to a virtual assistance center. Through CAN, caseworkers have access to secure client information providing collaboration and ease of referral between agencies. VODAC officially closed on Thursday, Sept. 15. The virtual assistance center plans to be open Monday Sept. 19.

Donations:

You’re asked to contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross for a list of agencies that are currently accepting donations.

Recovery & Needed Donations for Displaced Animals:

Texas Animal Health Service is working with AgriLIFE from the Marion and Cass County Extension Service offices; AgriLIFE will continue to provide assistance for the recovery effort. For large animal recovery in Cass County, you’re asked to contact Brian Triplett at 903-748-2343. For large animal recovery in Marion County, contact Jamie Suggs at 903-722-1214. For small animal recovery, contact Caroline Weddings with the Humane Society of Marion County, at 903-790-9012. Anyone wanting to donate feed is being asked to contribute hay for horses and cattle. Location for animal feed is at the Linden Rodeo Arena on State Highway 8 in Linden.