KTBB News, Weather, Talk

PEORIA, Ill. — A Whitehouse man pleads guilty in Illinois to sextorting young girls online. Mark Barnwell, a registered sex offender, pleaded guilty to an elaborate scheme in which he used false personas on Facebook to attract young girls to a modeling opportunity. He claimed it would pay thousands of dollars. The girls were told to take compromising pictures of themselves. Prosecutors say Barnwell then threatened the girls if they didn’t send more images. This involved more than 40 girls across eight states. Barnwell also filmed women in public bathrooms. He’s scheduled for sentencing in January.

TYLER – There are 7 new Tyler police officers today. They were sworn in Monday afternoon by police chief Jimmy Toler. The seven then received their badge. The new officers are Amber Thomas , April Peddy , George Edwards III, Kelly Womack, Rusty Adair, Spencer McGregor and Thomas Jenkins.

LUFKIN – A man wanted on theft charges in Tyler, has been arrested in Lufkin where bomb making equipment was found. Daniel Scott Standley, 36, of Lufkin, was wanted in Tyler. He was arrested Monday afternoon at apartments on South First Street in Lufkin. Police were called when running water damaged a downstairs apartment unit. What was first thought to be a meth lab turned out to be bomb making material. That brought out a Garland, Texas Bomb squad and federal ATF agents. Evacuated residents have since returned to their apartments. A second Lufkin man was arrested on drug charges. Additional charges are pending against both men

MARSHALL – Harrison County authorities are looking for a suspect that is responsible for multiple vehicle burglaries. The burglaries have occurred at night in the Liberty Church Road and Underwood Road areas of southwestern Harrison County. He has been seen on other security videos over the past couple of weeks. In one case he was seen taking a pistol from a vehicle. He appears to be a black male in his early 20’s with short dreadlocks. If you can identify him, you are asked to contact the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.

TYLER – A McKinney man is arrested in Smith County for gambling violations. Currently free on bonds totaling $150,000 is Amerier Siddique, 33. He is charged with keeping a gambling place, gambling promotion and possession of gambling equipment. His arrest is said to have stemmed from gambling activities on Highway 64 east. The investigation had resulted, back in April, in the arrest of Monica Prado, 40, of Tyler. The sheriff’s department says the incident remains under investigation and further information can not be released at this time.

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld the conviction in a Henderson County murder case. The court upheld the conviction of Jeremy Robert Lane, 27, of Athens. He pleaded guilty to the August, 2016 murder of Mark Groendyk, 27, of New Jersey. The victim was stabbed multiple times at a party early that morning in Athens. Lane was arrested, in Smith County, around 17 hours later at a friends home on County Road 1100 near Flint. He was taken into custody without incident. In March of last year, Lane pleaded guilty. Four months later, State District Judge Dan Moore sentenced him to 35 years in prison.

TYLER COUNTY – Four people have been killed in a traffic accident in Tyler County, including one man from Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, the crash happened around 1:45 Monday afternoon between Ivanhoe and Woodville. DPS Troopers said a Ford F250 pickup driven by Travis Layne Jordan, 18, of Devers, was traveling south when it crossed over into the north lanes and hit a Dodge pickup towing an RV driven by Robert Alan Beard, 48, of Tyler. Beard (pictured), Jordan, and his grandparents, Harvey Lamar DuBose and Ann Jones DuBose, both of Hull, died at the scene. A passenger in Beard’s truck, Leslie McCaa, 41, of Tyler, was transported to a Beaumont hospital with serious injuries. Troopers continue to investigate the cause of the crash.

TYLER – Here’s a look at roadwork planned in TxDOT’s Tyler District during the week of September 3. Among the projects:
The Spur 248 Widening Project in Smith County from 1.75 miles west of FM 848/Old Omen Road going east to SH 64 southeast of Tyler. Daytime lane closures are anticipated as the contractor places striping and seeding. The speed limit is 55 mph during construction to widen Spur 248 from two lanes to a four-lane divided roadway with a flush median. You can go to https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/local-news/tyler/037-2018.html for a complete rundown of projects around the district.

TYLER — For the 22nd consecutive year, Tyler Junior College has received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association for its comprehensive annual financial report. According to a news release, the certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting. The report is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, according to the release.

KILGORE — The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fire Protection at Kilgore College recently ranked No. 4 on a list of the top ten online fire protection associate degree programs in the nation for 2018. KC was notified of the national recognition August 29 by Online Associate Degrees. According to a news release, that’s a web-based guide for two-year online degrees that ranks the best online degree programs in the United States. It bases its rankings on accreditation, program affordability, and degree customization options. Ranking officials at Online Associate Degrees also highlighted the KC Fire Academy’s comprehensive curriculum, according to the release.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP/Staff) – A second funeral has been held for the second wife of the imprisoned leader of a polygamous sect whose members ran two communities on opposite sides of the Arizona-Utah border. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that 130 people attended the service for Barbara Jeffs held Thursday near Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. Those included many who couldn’t attend the first funeral in 2004 in Texas. Barbara Jeffs was a wife of Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He’s serving a life sentence at the Lewis C. Powledge Unit near Palestine for sexually assaulting underage girls he considered brides. Barbara Jeffs died of cancer at age 39 and was buried at a sect-owned ranch near Eldorado, Texas, but Texas subsequently seized the property. Her body was recently exhumed and transported to Arizona, with daughter Rachel Jeffs saying family members pitched in to pay the costs.

LONGVIEW – A memorial service has been set for former Longview Police Chief Don Dingler. Dingler will be remembered starting at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, September 15, at Rader Funeral Home in Longview. He died at his home on Wednesday. Dingler was Longview’s police chief from February 1, 2011 until July 31, 2015 when he retired. He had been with the police department since 1973, serving in patrol, traffic, training, jail services, and narcotics. Chief Dingler was a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. According to a posting on the department’s Facebook page, “Chief Dingler was a smiling face around the police department and the community for over a quarter of a century and his direction and kindness will be dearly missed.”

TYLER — A crash has closed a Tyler street for repairs to a utility pole. Tyler police said the accident happened at the intersection of Front and Palace early Monday morning. Starting at Front and Borden Street, crews closed all westbound lanes of traffic. East Front Street was closed at the Palace intersection. Oncor crews have been on the scene working to repair the damaged pole and lines. Drivers have been instructed to use alternate routes until further notice. Keep checking this web page for updates.

TROUP — Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced the city of Troup has achieved specific debt transparency and public pension goals through the Comptroller’s Transparency Stars program. The city received a Transparency Star in the area of debt obligations, which recognizes entities whose websites show visual and narrative detail on outstanding debt, tax-supported debt obligations, historical bond elections, and more. The city also received a Transparency Star in the area of public pensions, awarded to local governments whose websites provide visual and narrative explanations of actuarial valuations, contribution rates, and benchmark comparisons and meet other criteria. These stars are in addition to Troup’s previous financial transparency star for traditional finances awarded in June 2018.

JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Police Department has installed a prescription “take back” container in the main lobby of the police department on West Larissa. It can be used by anyone who wishes to turn in unused or no longer needed prescription drugs to be disposed of properly. Acceptable items for disposal are prescription medications, prescription ointments and liquids, over the counter medications, vitamins, and medications for pets. Non-acceptable items are hydrogen peroxide; illegal drugs; inhalers, aerosol cans, ointments, lotions, or liquids that are not prescription; needles or sharps of any kind; and medication from businesses or clinics. The container is available during business hours Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

TYLER — Tyler Junior College has added anthropology classes to its history and geography program. The classes will be taught by Dr. Keith Eppich, who recently joined the full-time faculty at TJC. Eppich holds multiple degrees from Louisiana State University and San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University. He specializes in the study of the Classic Maya ceramic arts, Native American urbanism, and the Mesoamerican economy — and has recently published on all three. Eppich joined his first archaeological project at age eight and has performed a variety of excavations since then.

TYLER — Shortly after being released from jail in a related incident, 19-year-old Dwight Shears, of Lufkin, has been arrested for a Saturday morning assault and robbery on Muller Garden in Tyler. Officers answering a 911 call about the Muller Garden attack were told Shears was threatening his ex-girlfriend with a knife and that the woman had a protective order against Shears. Shears left before officers arrived, but they caught up with him on South Broadway. Police say Shears forced his way into the victim’s apartment and assaulted her before two men tried to intervene. Shears then reportedly used a screwdriver and a knife to cut one of the men, causing minor injuries. Police say Shears took the other man’s cell phone. Shears had just been released from Smith County Jail for a previous assault incident involving his ex-girlfriend. Shears was charged with 3 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated robbery, and violation of protective order.

TYLER — Tyler investigators have obtained an arrest warrant for the suspect in an August 24 altercation at the Family Dollar on East Gentry. Bond is $250,000 for 21-year-old Quidaejan Reanne Crawford, charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. According to a news release, Crawford told investigators she would turn herself in but has failed to do so. If you have any leads, you’re asked to contact Tyler police at 903-531-1000 or Tyler Crime Stoppers at 903-597-2833. Police say Crawford first got into a verbal altercation with an employee, then began throwing items around the store and then left. Police tell us the employee walked outside to obtain Crawford’s license plate number as Crawford left the parking lot. According to the news release, Crawford abruptly circled around, accelerated, and struck the employee with her vehicle, throwing him into the front doors of the business. He was taken to the hospital and released.

TYLER — Justin Bryant Davis went from salesman to scammer. According to our news partner KETK, the Flint man pleaded guilty this week to stealing at least $100,000 from his employer — and may have stolen from another workplace as well. The owner of Tyler’s American Gold and Diamond Exchange and a private investigator discovered altered receipts that accounted for money stolen over seven months. After the receipts were shown to Davis, he confessed to forging them. After the discovery, the owner of American reached out to Jim’s Jewelers in Tyler, where Davis had earlier worked for six years. He was soon accused of stealing up to $30,000 in jewelry from Jim’s. That included a bracelet discovered in American’s inventory after Davis reportedly sold it to American. Davis is still facing trial in the Jim’s Jewelers cases.

TYLER – According to the National Weather Service, the weather in Tyler in August turned out to be warmer and drier than usual. The summer of 2018 tied with 1934 for the fourth warmest summer on record. The warmest summer on record in Tyler was in 2011. August 2018 was in sharp contrast with the previous August. August 2017 was 3.4 degrees cooler, and 10.02 inches wetter than normal. In fact, August 2017, with 11.65 inches, was the wettest August since record-keeping began in 1883. There were three daily rainfall records set during that month, and two days on which record low maximum temperatures were experienced. The summer of 2018 contrasted with that of 2017, as well. The 2018 summer saw temperatures 4.4 degrees warmer than normal, and rainfall 3.70 inches less than normal. The summer of 2018 was 3.8 degrees warmer than that of 2017, and 14.61 inches drier. Year-to-date rainfall was less than normal, and 16.42 inches less in 2018 than through August 31, 2017.

TYLER – One person has been killed and three injured in a one vehicle accident in Tyler. It happened just before 3:30 Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 271 near the U.T. Health Science Center. The victim is identified as Manny Osorio, 4. Police spokesman Don Martin said a Jeep Wrangler was heading north when the driver lost control and drove off the shoulder and hit a pole with a cement base. It then flipped. The accident remains under investigation.

SMITH COUNTY – A Smith County man is in the Wood County Jail after being chased by the Department of Public Safety. Derrick Markeith Francis, 27, of Lindale. Reports say he would stop for officers in Wood County and headed south into Smith County on Farm Road 14. He stopped just south of Farm Road 2015 and ran away. State troopers were able to find him and arrest him.

NEW SUMMERFIELD – A Cherokee County accident has killed one person. The one vehicle crash occurred around 6:30 Friday morning on County Road 4228, about 4 miles northwest of New Summerfield. Dead at the scene was Gavin Taylor, 19, of Troup, who was not wearing his seatbelt. A passanger, Garrett Zane Massey, 17, of Jacksonville, was taken to a Jacksonville hospital for treatment. The initial report from the Department of Public Safety says Taylor’s pickup left the road on a curve, ran into a ditch, hit a fence and overturned, landing upside down.

BULLARD – Bullard police have arrested two burglary suspects and recovered guns taken in the burglary. Arrested were Malik Jamal Barb, 17, of Bullard, and Ty Jalon Taymont Crayton, 18, of Tyler. Both were booked into the Smith County Jail on charges of burglary of a habitation. The guns were in a safe that was taken from a home on Redbud Lane last weekend. The safe was found on the side of the road in eastern Smith County. Nine guns were found at various locations in the area. The investigation into the burglary is continuing and more arrests are anticipated.

WASHINGTON – Senator John Cornyn has announced Tyler Pounds Regional Airport has been awarded an $11.5 million federal grant. The funding comes through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. Airport manager Davis Dickson says the funds will be used in conjunction with the Runway 4-22 Rehabilitation Project. The money will go toward construction of a taxiway parallel to the runway and for a new instrument landing system for the runway. Dixon says they hope to award contracts for the two projects in the next couple of months.

LONGVIEW – The Longview city council has adopted a new budget. The $169 million budget will take effect the first of October. Thursday’s vote for the new budget was unanimous. And it proposed that the tax rate remain the same, which is 50.99 center per $100 valuation. That vote on the tax rate is scheduled for September 13th. If it remains the same, that will make six straight years the tax rate has remained steady.

TYLER – Officials at Tyler Junior College have named two associate vice provosts for the college. Dr. Bryan Renfro, formerly dean of the TJC School of Professional and Technical Programs, has been named associate vice provost for academic and workforce affairs. And, Dr. Tim Drain, formerly assistant vice president for athletics and student life, has been named associate vice provost for student affairs. Renfro joined TJC in August of 2016 from Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Iowa. Drain is a 20-year TJC athletics administrator. He has also been the College’s athletic director since 2002.

TYLER – A former Tyler nurse, charged with the murder of a patient, is now facing additional charges. According to Smith County judicial records, William George Davis, 34, of Hallsville, has now been indicted for capital Murder. He also faces three new counts of aggravated assault. The new indictments were filed on Tuesday. He had already been indicted for murder and two counts of aggravated assault back in June. Davis was a registered nurse at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. He is accused of causing death or harm to patients by introducing air into their arteries.

TYLER – Two more suspects have been sentenced in connection with a Smith County shooting. In state district court in Tyler Thursday, Tarrance Dashawn Reggie, 20, (pictured) and Carlos Alberto Ochoa, 18, both of Tyler, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. Each man was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On Wednesday, a co-defendant in the case, Joel Camacho, 23, of Tyler, also received a 20 year sentence. The shooting, which wounded one person, occurred last September near the Eagle Creek Mobile Home Park off State Highway 271 North.