KTBB News, Weather, Talk

KILGORE – Kilgore College is being named in a federal lawsuit. According to the Longview News Journal, former instructor Toledo Montgomery filed the lawsuit on Monday at the federal courthouse in Tyler. She claims the school racially discriminated against her and retaliated after she complained about the discrimination. Montgomery, who is black, accused the school of firing her after she complained that a co-worker refused to follow her instruction because of her race. She is seeking back pay, compensatory damages, equitable relief and court costs. No comment from the school on the suit. College spokesman Chris Craddock told the paper the college does not comment on pending litigation.

LINDALE – An animal rabies case has turned up in Smith County. The disease was in a skunk that was found near County Road 437 in Lindale. The Texas Department of State Health Services notified Smith County Animal Control of the positive test. Smith County reminds you not to handle bats, skunks, raccoons or other wild animals. Any youngster who comes in contact with any wild or sick animal, should tell their parents. If you know of someone who has been bitten by an animal, it must be reported to the local rabies control authority for proper investigation. Also, make sure your dogs and cats are currently vaccinated for rabies.

TYLER – The state appeals court in Tyler has upheld the murder conviction of a Houston man in a Tyler killing. Jared Eugene Wilson, 32, had been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Thomas Glen Wilson. He was also fined $10,000. Prosecutors had described Wilson as a known gang member, convicted drug dealer and pimp. The shooting occurred at a Tyler hotel on the West Northwest Loop in July, 2016. Wilson fled the scene. A state trooper found his vehicle in Anderson County and arrested him a few hours later.

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld the murder conviction of a Smith County man. The appeal was from Joshua Adam Scales, 31. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the shooting death of Jordan Ladue, 30, in July of 2016. He was killed during a robbery in Troup. Scales was arrested a few days later in Reklaw at a relative’s house. He was caught as he was trying to crawl out of a back window of the house. Investigators say LaDue wasn’t shot where he was found. The initial investigation revealed he got into an argument at a house on North Noble Street and shots were fired. A woman then took him to the West Duval location and called police. Three others have been previously sentenced in the case.

GREGG COUNTY — A roadway is open again after a tanker truck hauling fuel caused traffic delays following a leak. FM 2087, just before the overpass at I-20 in Longview, was tempirarily shut down. TxDOT now says the area has been cleared.

LONGVIEW – The Longview Chamber of Commerce is joining forces with United Healthcare to offer small businesses health care plans. According to a news release from the Longview Chamber, It is for chamber members who have 50 or less employees. The businesses can pick from 20 Affordable Care Act-compliant plans. They say some of them will cost up to 15% less than Adjusted Community Rating equivalents in the market. The coverage is set to begin November 1st. The chamber started the program in 2009. Changes in the law forced the chamber to scrap it in 2014. But, under revised federal regulations, the chamber is making it available again. You can check out the Longview Chamber’s web site https://www.longviewchamber.com for more information.

TYLER – Over 150 students from Canton, Chapel Hill, Central High, Lindale, TISD, and Winona, attended the Pre-Health Conference Wednesday at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. High school students learned about possible career opportunities, including, medicine, public health, nursing, dentistry, agriculture health and safety, and veterinary medicine. They also met with health professionals, advisors, graduate health students, and other high school students.

TYLER – A Tyler woman has been arrested for drug violations. Rome Sheleese Hayward, 26, is facing two drug charges. Her Wednesday arrest came after Tyler police narcotics and SWAT units executed a search warrant at a home on West Trezevant Street. The officers found in the house marijuana, crack cocaine and Hydrocodone. Hayward remains in the Smith County Jail.

KILGORE – Kilgore College has been re-approved by the Department of Veteran Affairs to train veterans and other eligible persons. The re-validation means that all programs listed in the 2018-19 KC Academic Catalog and several continuing education courses are approved by the federal government for veteran education. KC is approved to offer courses to veterans through the following types of training: resident, independent study, practical training, cooperative training, open-circuit TV and developmental/remedial. Continue reading Veteran Affairs Grants for Kilgore College Re-Approved

TYLER – With the opening of the East Texas State Fair on Friday, The historic Mayfair Building will host its first performance in over 20 years. The Mayfair Building was once the prime venue for events in East Texas, like performances by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. Magician Sheldon Casavant will take to the stage each night at 8:00. The level of equipment being used for the production has never been seen in the Mayfair Building. And, while the building has undergone renovation, the original stage, that holds so much history, has not been touched. The Sheldon Casavant Show is one of six new attractions the Fair has added this year, alongside sea lions, lumberjacks, a chili cook-off and more.

LONGVIEW – A warrant scam has surfaced in Gregg County. Someone claiming to be Michael Jones with the Gregg County Warrants Division is telling people they owe $2,000 for missing grand jury. He them tells them to go get four Green Dot cards at various grocery stores in Longview. They are to stay on the phone until all cards are purchased. The Gregg County Sheriff”s Department says all of the reports, so far, have been in the Hunters Creek Addition. They also remind you, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office will never solicit money by phone.

EAST TEXAS — East Texans are busy helping out with Hurricane Florence relief. Red Cross of East Texas in Tyler sent five volunteers to the Carolinas and Virginia before Florence arrived, and the Longview Fire Department dispatched a fire captain trained in water rescues. According to our news partner KETK, Red Cross volunteers Allan and Janet Sherman headed September 11 to Texarkana to pick up an emergency response vehicle bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, said East Texas Executive Director Tammy Prater. She added David Brown of Gilmer left last week to meet a driver in Oklahoma headed to Virginia. Continue reading East Texans Aiding Florence Disaster Relief

NACOGDOCHES – A reward is being offered as a man with family in Tyler, the Dallas area, and Mexico remains wanted by Nacogdoches County authorities. It was initially reported last week that Jose Uriel Rendon, 52, is wanted for continuous sexual assault of a child. It is said that Rendon, who is a pastor in Nacogdoches County, used his position in the church to take advantage and sexually assault a child. It is believed he sexually abused the child numerous times in 2004 and 2005. Nacogdoches Crime Stoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for the first, most accurate tip. The tip can be sent to their secure website, website at http://www.ncstips.com or called in at 903-560-INFO.

TYLER – The East Texas State Fair has modified it’s new security policies. The action comes in the wake of strong negative reaction they have received over the ban of permitted firearms. Fair officials now say visitors will be permitted to carry a concealed firearm with a state-issued license-to-carry. But the fair will not allow the open carry or open display of firearms and will post signs to that effect at all entrances. And, starting Friday when the fair opens for it’s ten day run, officers will be randomly checking certain large bags and will randomly use metal detecting wands at all entrances. They say this is an effort to prevent illegal items from entering the fairgrounds including non-licensed firearms.

TYLER – Because of a water main issue under the street, the eastbound lanes in the 1500 block of Rice road are temporally shut down. All eastbound traffic is using the center turn lane to keep traffic flowing in both directions. Traffic cones and barricades are being utilized to control the traffic flow at this time while the water department is working on the problem.

MARSHALL – A report of an aggravated sexual assault is under investigation in Marshall. It is said to have occurred on the campus of Wiley College. The school’s Facebook page says the college and Marshall police are investigating the report. The Marshall Police Department’s Public information Officer, Kelly Colvin, said they responded to Wiley Avenue shortly after 6:00 Saturday evening. The school is offering counseling for any student who wants it. President Dr. Herman Felton says the individuals involved have been identified. No other details were released.

TYLER – An Overton man has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Being held in the Smith County Jail under a $45,000 bond is Kevin Wade Cooper, 40. He is accused of hitting his ex-wife’s daughter with his car. The incident was reported Monday night on County Road 2228, just south of Tyler. Cooper was later stopped by Whitehouse police who had received a description of his vehicle. The girl is said to be in stable condition at a Tyler hospital.

LONGVIEW — LeTourneau University students Rahsheen Lewis Jr., a freshman engineering technology student from Longview, and Sha’Donnaver Young, a junior kinesiology/exercise science major from Houston, have been selected to receive UPS Scholarships provided by the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT) Foundation and its national partner, the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). According to a news release from LETU, CIC teams up with the UPS Foundation to distribute $120,000 in funding to 40 low-income students at private institutions across Texas. CIC is an association of over 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities advancing institutional excellence and enhancing public understanding of private higher education’s contributions to society, according to the release.

LONGVIEW — The murder trial is underway for a Longview man charged in the fatal shooting of a Gladewater man outside a nightclub in 2017. According to our news partner KETK, a jury was picked Monday to hear arguments in the case of Kyron Delyn Adams, 39, accused of shooting Thomas Lynn Harper, 34, after a fight outside J’s Place on February 4, 2017. According an arrest warrant filed by Longview police, Adams shot Harper in the back after a fight. Adams faces charges of first-degree murder and third-degree unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Adams has been held in the Gregg County Jail on $600,000 bond and a Texas Department of Criminal Justice parole warrant since Feb. 9, 2017.

TYLER – The Smith County grand jury has indicted a Henderson County man for murder in connection with a fatal accident. Sean Eammon Waite, 34, of Murchison was arrested after leading law officers on a chase on his motorcycle in mid June. It started as Waite was being chased by Tyler police on Highway 31 West towards Toll 49. Sheriff’s deputies then joined in the chase. It ended when the motorcycle crashed at the intersection of Highway 31 West and Farm Road 2661. Waite was arrested after a short foot chase. His passenger, Alicia Ann Adams, 28, was dead at the scene. Waite remains in the Smith County Jail on bonds totaling nearly $1 million.

TYLER — Judicial records show a Tyler man has been indicted in the death of his 4 month old daughter. Sofia Ibarra died after being removed from life support in a Dallas hospital in late June. Her dad, Andres Ibarra, 19, is charged with capital murder. He remains in the Smith County Jail under a bond of $1 million. He told sheriff’s department investigators that he hit the child in the ribs and abdomen with his fist four or five times and then threw her. After the incident, he went outside and smoked marijuana and then went to sleep. He discovered the next morning the child was pale and not breathing normally and took her to a Tyler hospital and was later transferred to Dallas.

TYLER — East Texans are making their way to the Carolinas help with Florence recovery. A group from Tyler’s Green Acres Baptist Church says it’s ready to ship out. According to our news partner KETK, the group has supplies and all hands on deck if they are needed. Director of Local Missions Andria Horton says, “God tells us to be the hands and the feet of Jesus Christ to give out, to just do basic hospitality for our neighbors and to take care of them whenever a time of disaster has come.” This isn’t the first time they’ve helped people in need. They tell us 13 years ago they shipped out to New Orleans to help during Hurricane Katrina.

TYLER — We’re used to being on the lookout for deer while driving — but come mid-fall, you’ll want to be super careful. Deer mating, or rut, season is fast approaching; that’s when does go into heat. Smith County Game Warden Chris Swift says the bucks will have one thing on their mind. Swift says the bucks are very elusive for 95 per cent of the year. But he cautions that once they get on a doe, they’ll run through a back yard — and are sometimes seen in downtown Tyler. According to Swift, “It’s just kind of a crazy time” of the year, though it only lasts for two or three weeks. Swift says the rut season in East Texas runs from Halloween to Thanksgiving, but it’s earlier closer to the coast. He says it keeps troopers busy answering car versus deer wrecks.

TYLER — The 8th annual Art of Peace celebration is underway in Tyler, and this year it’s getting some unexpected international attention. Again this year, the festivities include a peace poetry anthology, published under Art of Peace co-founder Anne McCrady’s literary imprint, InSpiritry. McCrady recently heard from the teacher of two high school students in Bhutan whose poems are included in the anthology, “Sowing Seeds of Peace.” He let her know that Art of Peace, InSpiritry, and his students were honored with a front-page story and full-cover photo in Kuensel, the national newspaper of Bhutan. As quoted in a news release, McCrady said, “For me as a peace advocate and for all of us with Art of Peace, having an international impact is a dream-come-true.” Continue reading Art of Peace Celebration Underway; Gets International Attention

TYLER – When the East Texas State Fair opens in Tyler on Friday, new regulations will be in place on items allowed to enter the fairgrounds. The new rules, which are designed to keep visitors safe, are similar to rules set by other events, stadiums, and fairgrounds across the country. The fair will be using metal detector wands and bag searches to aid in the enforcement of rules prohibiting potentially hazardous items. These items include: permitted and non-permitted firearms, knives, or other weapons, tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, oversized bags, ice chests/coolers, pets, obscene material, unauthorized marketing, drones, hover boards, and non-permitted golf carts. Persons trying to bring any of these items to the fair will not be admitted into the fairgrounds. Continue reading New Security Measures at the East Texas State Fair

TYLER – Here’s a look at road work planned in the Tyler district of TxDOT during the week of September 17th. Schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions, equipment failure or other unforeseen issues. Slow down and pay attention when traveling through work zones.

Tyler Maintenance and Special Jobs crews plan to continue milling operations on Farm Road 14 between U.S. Highway 271 and Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard. Once complete, crews will move the operation to Farm Road 2015 at US 271. Base repairs are ongoing on Farm Road 2908 just north of Farm Road 2767. Expect lane closures with flaggers providing traffic control at all work locations. Continue reading TxDOT Area Road Projects Update

TYLER -Tyler Junior College will observe its 92nd Founders Day on Monday. The ceremony begins at 7:30am at Windsor Plaza, located at the corner of Apache Pass and South Mahon Avenue on the TJC main campus. The annual event celebrates the day the school was founded , September 17, 1926. It also serves as a time to remember TJC employees and board members who passed away last year. This year, TJC will honor the memories of: John Burket, Noamie R. Byrum, Gene Carney, Kenneth English, Norman Hoot, Steve Morrow, Tracy Rea, Ann M. Snyder, William L. “Bill” Thomas, and William W. “Bill” Wilmeth. The public is invited to addend the ceremony.

LONGVIEW — Additional details are still not available concerning a Longview shooting that left one person dead and one injured. Both were taken to to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center where Lee Brightman Jr., 29, died. An 18-year-old suffered non-life threatening injuries. His name has not been released. According to the Longview Police Department’s Facebook page, the shooting happened around 3:45 Thursday afternoon at a business on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. . Continue reading One Man Dead, One Injured in Longview Shooting

LONGVIEW – A suspicious vehicle call has resulted in the arrest of a Longview man. He is Jace Martin Laws, 33. He was found sitting in a car in the area of Farmer Street and West Pliler Precise Road. He ran from arriving officers, but was arrested after a short foot chase. He is said to have fought with the two officers and all three received injuries. They were taken to Longview Regional Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries. Laws was booked into the Gregg County Jail on 2 charges of assault on a peace officer and a charge of evading arrest.