KTBB News, Weather, Talk

KILGORE — Two East Texans will be back in court Monday in connection to the disappearance of a Kilgore woman. Allen Lamont Sutton, 28, and Laneshia Lashae Young, 22, both of Overton, were named in sealed indictments returned by the Rusk County Grand Jury. The two count indictments are for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (human corpse), felony 2, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence Felony 3. Sheryia Grant was 8 months pregnant when she disappeared August 20th, 2016. Grant’s body has not been found. However, evidence uncovered during the investigation indicates she was murdered shortly after she was reported missing. Investigators say additional forensic evidence is still being evaluated and processed as the investigation is continuing.

TYLER – The high school name issue will be back before Tyler school trustees on Monday. The TISD school board has called a special meeting to consider changing the name of one or both of the high schools. If they decide on the name change, then they will begin the process to select a new name, or names. People on both sides of the issue discussed it at the last school board meeting. Monday’s meeting starts at 6:30pm at the Jack L. Davidson Conference Center on West Glenwood.

TYLER – Here’s a look at road work planned in the Tyler district of TxDOT during the week of August 6th. 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.

Summer seal coat operations are winding down in the Tyler District. Motorists should expect lane closures and delays during this work to seal and protect roadways from water, and provide a longer life cycle. Because the time to complete work on each roadway is estimated, these schedules are subject to change. Striping and button installation operations will continue on various roadways for the next few weeks with little traffic disruption. Continue reading TxDOT Road Work Update

ELKHART – A one vehicle accident in Anderson County has left two persons dead and two injured. Dead at the scene were two back seat passengers who were unable to get out the car when it caught fire. There are identified as Luis Sardina, 17 and Javier Sardina, 14, both of Palestine. The driver, Miguel Morales-Ochoa, 17, of Palestine and the front seat passenger, Trina Bambeck, 18, of Palestine, were able to get out of the car. Bambeck is being treated at Palestine Regional Medical Center while Morales-Ocho is being treated at Christus Trinity Mother Francis Hospital in Tyler. The Department of Public Safety says their car left the roadway to the right and entered the west ditch in a side skid where it struck a tree causing it to flip and come to rest on its top. The accident happened at just before 1:00 Saturday morning on County Road 136, about half a mile west of Elkhart.

TYLER – The city of Tyler is conducting a survey to get community input on city planning. An independent consulting firm, ETC Institute, will randomly select households to participate in the survey and share their feedback. According to a city news release, the survey will establish priorities for #ItsTimeToBuildTyler: infrastructure, parks, recreation facilities, programs and services within the community. In 2006, the City completed its first survey to coincide with the adoption of the Tyler 21 Comprehensive Plan. Another survey was conducted in 2012 for the five-year update of the Plan. City completed another survey in 2015. This survey is intended to be the first part of the 2019 review of the Tyler 1st Comprehensive Plan.

TYLER – Graduates from three of TJC’s nursing and health sciences programs earned high marks in their recent licensing exams. In the TJC Vocational Nursing program, 93% of graduates passed their National Council Licensure Examination on the first try. The national average passing rate is 83%, and the state average is 87%. In the TJC Physical Therapist Assistant program, 100% of the recent graduating class passed their Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy exams on their initial attempt. The national average was an 85.7% pass rate on the initial attempt. Dental hygiene graduates must pass two board exams to receive their license. Recent TJC graduates had a 100% pass rate on the Western Regional clinical exam and a 97% pass rate on the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam.

LONGVIEW – The Gregg County grand jury has indicted a man in a Longview murder. Arrested in early May was Rodrick Deshun Arkeith Elliott, 20. He had earlier said to have been a resident of DeSoto. The jail log lists him as homeless. He was arrested for the stabbing death of Sandy Smith, 51. She was found bleeding at her home on East Grand Avenue. She later died at a Longview hospital. Elliott was later arrested with the help of the victim’s neighbors. He remains in the Gregg County Jail under a $500,000 bond.

TYLER – Officials with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler announced that Gerald R. Ledlow, Ph.D., MHA, FACHE, has been named permanent Dean of the School of Community and Rural Health. He has served as interim dean since last October. The school offers a master’s degree in public health, and will soon offer a master’s degree in health administration. Continue reading A New Dean at UT Health Science Center at Tyler

MARSHALL – Marshall police say they have foiled a murder for hire scheme with a woman’s arrest. She is Trisha George, 33, of Marshall. Detectives received a tip she was trying to hire someone to kill her husband. Marshall detectives reached out to the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division for assistance with the case. The police say, during the joint investigation, George paid an undercover officer to commit the crime. On Thursday, George was arrested and charged with capital murder while remuneration, which is murder for hire. She is currently in the Harrison County Jail under a one million dollar bond.

TYLER – Three Jacksonville men are heading to federal prison for drug trafficking violations. Carlos Brejohn Battle, 33, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In Tyler Thursday, he was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Ron Clark. Battle was one of 8 persons indicted by a federal grand jury last October following a a federal investigation into wide-spread drug trafficking in East Texas. The 8 were charged with multiple drug trafficking and firearms related charges. Judge Clark sentenced two other Jacksonville men on Wednesday in connection with the case. Carlton Deshan Johnson, 28, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison and David Lee Williams, 32, was sentenced to 57 months.

FRANKSTON — A well-known Frankston restaurant is destroyed in an early Friday morning fire. Multiple fire departments were called to Glaspie Cattle Co. on Pine Street around 4:00 a.m. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is not yet known. Owner James Glaspie told our news partner KETK he opened the eatery in February of this year and it was insured. U.S. Highway 175’s westbound mainlanes were closed as crews worked to put out the fire and the cleanup that followed. The highway has been reopened.

TYLER — On Friday, Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran issued a burn ban due to rapidly increasing wildfire conditions. Moran issued the “Order Prohibiting Outdoor Burning” after receiving the recommendation from the Smith County Fire Marshal’s Office and Office of Emergency Management. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said in the previous two days, fire departments battled six fires burning about 35 acres in Smith County. On Thursday, the humidity dropped dangerously low and winds picked up, increasing the risk of wildfires. She said they are expecting the conditions to worsen over the weekend. Continue reading Burn Ban in Effect in Smith County

GREGG COUNTY — A burn ban has been issued for residents in Gregg County. The ban will be in effect until August 13, when the Commissioners Court meets, or if it’s rescinded. The ban prohibits outdoor burning of any kind (including trash in burn barrels) or the use of aerial fireworks. Officials enacted the burn ban because of extreme wildfire danger due to hot, dry conditions. In Texas, local governments are empowered to take action on the behalf of those they serve. When drought conditions exist, a burn ban can be put in place by a county judge or county commissioners court prohibiting or restricting outdoor burning for public safety.

TYLER – The subject of a high school name change will be back before school trustees on Monday. The TISD school board has called a special meeting to consider changing the name of one or both of the high schools. If they decide on the name change, then they will begin the process to select a new name, or names. People on both sides of the issue discussed it at the last school board meeting. Monday’s meeting starts at 6:30pm at the Jack L. Davidson Conference Center on West Glenwood.

LINDALE – An investigation by the Smith County Sheriff’s Department has turned up several gambling machines. Acting on a tip, undercover officers made several trips to the Oasis gas station on Highway 110 north in Lindale. on Thursday, officers served a search warrant at the station. They seized three gambling machines, miscellaneous paperwork and over $12,500. Sheriff’s department Sgt. Darrell Coslin said no arrests have been made at this time. The investigation is ongoing and criminal charges may be filed when the investigation is completed.

TYLER – Highway 64 East, in the vicinity of Big Oak Bay Road east of Tyler, has been reopened after being shut down by a large grass and pasture fire. Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson said hay raking equipment started the fire that quickly spread to about 10 to 15 acres. Two barns and a shed burned but the firefighters were able to save five structures in the area. The fire was brought under control by 3:40 Thursday afternoon. At one time, a total of 8 fire departments were on the scene, battling the large fire.

TYLER – An Athens man has been sentenced to prison for the unlawful possession of ricin. Abel Keith Fulton, 20, pleaded guilty back in March. He has now been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder in Tyler. He was also ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution for costs incurred by law enforcement officials in connection with the removal of the hazardous materials and decontamination of his residence. Prosecutors say he possessed the drug at his home in August and September of 2016. Ricin is a biological toxin that can be fatal if ingested, inhaled, or injected. There is no known antidote or cure for ricin poisoning. He is said to have made the toxin using supplies that he purchased online.

EAST TEXAS – Three persons have died in three separate area accidents. They occurred in Gregg, Cherokee and eastern Smith County. The Smith County crash occurred around 12:15 Wednesday afternoon on Farm Road 850, one mile west of Overton. Slater Dylan Brabec, 17, of Arp, later died at UT Health-Tyler. The Department of Public safety says the accident remains under investigation. The preliminary report said that the victim’s car was heading east at an unsafe speed. The driver lost control of the vehicle in a curve and it left the road and hit a tree. Continue reading Three Area Wrecks Result in Three Deaths

GREENVILLE (AP) – An East Texas man convicted in the fatal shooting of his sister has been sentenced to 99 years in prison in an attack in which she called 911 and identified him before dying. The Greenville Herald-Banner reports Martin Ray Malone was sentenced Wednesday in Greenville. Jurors on Tuesday convicted the Wills Point man of murder in the May 2017 slaying. Authorities say Jayme Malone Lopez, after being shot, called 911 to say her brother attacked her. Her vehicle then crashed. Lopez died at a hospital in Quinlan. Records show Malone had a 2007 conviction for hitting Lopez. Prosecutors believe Malone killed his sister because he feared being convicted of aggravated assault against her in a 2015 case. Lopez, also of Wills Point, was slain days before a scheduled court hearing.

RUSK COUNTY — A Kilgore man is in the Rusk County Jail on charges including aggravated assault. According to our news partner KETK, Isaiah Dominique Ross, 24, was arrested Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Violent Crime Task Force and the Gregg County Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit. Ross was arrested in Kilgore at a local motel for several outstanding warrants which included aggravated assault causing bodily injury from Rusk County; evading arrest or detention from Harrison County; escape while arrested and fail to identify as a fugitive from Corrigan Police Department. Ross is currently in Rusk County jail awaiting bond.

TYLER – Law enforcement agencies gathered in Tyler Wednesday to talk about school safety for the new school year that is fast approaching. There was an increased number of school hoax threats since the first of the year. Tyler Police Chief Jimmy Toler said they take all threats seriously. Those responsible will be prosecuted. FBI-Dallas Special Agent-in-Charge Eric K. Jackson encouraged the public to report any suspicious activity by calling 911. Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Darrell Coslin encouraged area residents to take part in active shooter training. The hope of everyone is for a safe school year. You can go to https://www.facebook.com/TylerTexasPolice/videos/1921381654586238 and see the full news conference.

TYLER – The 12th Court of Appeals in Tyler has upheld the capital murder conviction of a Henderson County woman. Stacie Parsons, 29, of Athens had been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She was convicted of killing her 4 year old daughter, Victoria Wyatt in July, 2014. According to court testimony, she tried to kill the little girl several ways, before drowning her. She then carried the body home in the trunk of her car. Parsons then went to the Athens Police Department and confessed to killing the girl. Officers found her body in the yard of her home.

TYLER – Tyler police have released the name of a man found dead in a wooded area July 24. He’s been identified as Gregory Jock, 50, of Tyler. A citizen found his body in the woods behind the Valero Gas Station at East Front Street and SSE Loop 323. Investigators said foul-play was not suspected.

TYLER – A couple of weather records were put on the books in Tyler in July. The National Weather Service says there were two temperature records set in the month. July 20th equaled the record high maximum first set in 1896 and on July 22nd, the 106 degree reading beat the previous record of 105 recorded in 1925 and 1963. July 12th was the wettest July 12th on record. The 2.03 inches beat the previous record of 1.62 inches set in 1893. July 2018 turned out to be 3.9 degrees warmer than normal and 2.2 degrees warmer than July of last year. The rainfall was 23% percent greater than normal. And year to date rainfall is 89% of normal. So far, 2018 is running 38% warmer than normal. The 30 day outlook for August calls for above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall.

AUSTIN – A Henderson County resident is a millionaire today. The Texas Lottery has announced a resident from Gun Barrel City claimed a second tier Mega Millions prize worth $3 million. It was for the drawing on July 24. The ticket was purchased at Food Fast #1063 on West Main Street in Gun Barrel City. The winning ticket with Megaplier matched all five of the white ball numbers drawn (1-2-4-19-29), but not the Mega Ball number (20). The Megaplier number was 3. The winner decided to remain anonymous.

TYLER – A woman wounded in a fatal Tyler shooting is out of the hospital. Investigators have been told that Ladidre Patrice Blevins, 32, has been released. Two persons were killed in the July 23rd shooting, the woman’s teenage son and a man who was said to be her boyfriend. The suspect, Tony Waters, 55, of Kilgore, the woman’s ex-boyfriend, was later arrested in Longview. Waters later died after he was found hanging in his cell at the Gregg County Jail. With Waters’ death, investigators say the case is now closed.

TYLER – There is no burn ban yet in Smith County, but we are getting close. That was the message Smith County Fire Marshal Connie McCoy-Wasson presented to the county commissioners on Tuesday. She said the drought index for Smith County was 651. Wasson said, in the past, the county has issued a burn ban when the drought index falls around 700. County Judge Nathaniel Moran said he plans to keep the discussion of a possible burn ban on the agenda for next Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting to keep the public informed.

TYLER – A proposed property tax hike for Smith County residents has been given preliminary approval. The county commissioners, at Tuesday’s meeting, approved a tax rate of 33.7311 cents per $100 valuation. The current tax rate is 33 cents. The slight increase in the tax rate is solely due to the amount of debt service funding needed on the voter approved bonds for road and bridge projects. The commissioners will make a decision on the property tax rate when when they approve the budget on August 28th. Public hearings on the proposed rate hike have been scheduled for August 7th and 14th.

TYLER – A Flint man is free on a $20,000 bond after being charged with sexual assault of a child. Tyler police arrested Jordan Davashun Taylor, 30, on Monday. Police said Taylor admitted to having consensual sex with the minor. But in Texas, a person 16 or under can’t consent to sex, otherwise it becomes known as “statutory rape.”