KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TATUM – A one vehicle accident between Marshall and Tatum has killed a Tatum High School sophomore. Killed in the accident on State Highway 43 around 8:00 Thursday evening was Sarah Paige Stanfield, 16. The Department of Public Safety said her Hummer was heading south when it veered off the roadway onto the west unimproved shoulder an hit the edge of a driveway embankment with its undercarriage. The vehicle was then vaulted over the driveway, landed and then rolled several times to the left and then end over end coming to rest upside down, facing north, on the west unimproved shoulder. Stanfield was pronounced dead at the scene. Continue reading Tatum Student Killed in a One Vehicle Wreck

TYLER – A benefit concert will be held in Tyler to support relief for towns in Van Zandt County affected by the April 29th tornadoes. The concert will be on Saturday from 2:00 till 10:00pm, on the downtown Tyler square. Bands performing include Kris Jones from “The Voice,” Lauren Alexander Band, Tuxedo Catz and much more. There will be local food vendors. Wine and beer sales will also be available. Continue reading Tornado Relief Concert

TYLER – A man in a motorized wheelchair has been injured in a Tyler accident. Hospitalized with serious injuries is Robert Wyatt, 53, of Tyler. He was crossing on the Old Henderson Highway when he was hit by a pickup turning off of the loop. The driver, Jose Trevizo, 26, of Tyler said he did not see Waytt in the crosswalk when he made his turn. The accident, which happened shortly after 8:30 Friday morning, remains under investigation.

LONGVIEW – A homeless man has been arrested in Longview for robbery. Adrian Demon Simpson, 20, was arrested last night after a woman was robbed in the area of Green and East Whaley Streets. She said the suspect grabbed her and took her phone. In the process, she received minor injuries. Simpson was found and arrested a short time later. He has been charged with robbery and possession of Marijuana. He remains in the Gregg County Jail with bonds totaling $26,000.

AUSTIN – Unemployment in Texas is holding steady. But some East Texas cities have see jobless numbers fall. The Texas unemployment rate held steady during April at 5%. The Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday last month’s jobless figure copied the March unemployment rate. Nationwide unemployment for April was 4.4%. But it was a different story in Tyler and Longview. Tyler’s unemployment fell from 5% in March to 4.1% in April. It was 4.1% in April last year. Longview’s unemployment went from 6.2% in March to 5.7% in April. It was 5.6% in April, 2016.

TYLER – In Tyler federal court, a Dallas woman has pled guilty to bank fraud charges. Rachelle Dashner, 44, pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. She could get up to five years in prison during a future sentencing hearing. Five others have already been sentenced in the case. Federal prosecutors say they were part of a scheme to set up surgical centers in the state through a loan with Community Trust Bank. But the doctors the documents said would guarantee the loan didn’t know about it and had not authorized it. In many instances, the medical facilities for which the financing was obtained were never built. The five fraudulent loans totaled over $7.5 million.

LONGVIEW — Three East Texas members of the white supremacist prison gang the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas have pleaded guilty to charges related to the death of a fellow member from Longview. According to the Longview News-Journal, Brian Thomas Green, 44, of Mount Pleasant pleaded guilty May 10 to the use or carry of a firearm during a crime of violence causing death. The charge was in connection with the 2011 murder of Kenneth Earl Ayres, 48, whose last known address was in Longview. Travis Lee Hill, 28, of Ore City and Kalvin Kyle McCown (pictured), 43, of Longview pleaded guilty Jan. 6 to kidnapping charges related to the case. Continue reading Three Aryan Members Guilty in Death of Member

TATUM – A one vehicle accident between Marshall and Tatum has killed a Tatum High School sophomore. Killed in the accident on State Highway 43 around 6:00 Thursday evening was Sarah Paige Stanfield, 16. Details about the accident are unavailable. In a letter from School Superintendent J.P. Richardson on the district’s Facebook page said Stanfield was involved in cheerleading, National Honor Society, yearbook, homecoming court, debate and much more. There is no school in Tatum on Friday, but Superintendent Richardson said they will have counselors set up at the high school when the students return on Monday.

ARP – Two persons have been killed in a Smith County accident. The two vehicle wreck was reported around 6:15 Thursday evening on U.S. Highway 64 East, just west of Farm Road 2089. Dead at the scene was John Ruben Jones, 35, of Arp and Eric Rene Narvaez (pictured), 26, of Henderson. The Department of Public Safety says the car driven by Narvaez was heading west when, for some unknown reason, it crossed over to the east bound lane and hit the Jones vehicle. The crash remains under investigation.

TYLER – The Smith County grand jury has indicted two Tyler men on separate child sex charges. They are Larry Foley, 40,and Jessie Lee Shurum, 41. Foley was indicted on one count of indecency with a child. In March, a woman told officers that Foley had exposed himself to her and two children as he stood between two houses on Claude Street. Continue reading Two Indicted On Child Sexual Assault Charges

TYLER – Tyler Mayor Martin Hines has pledged continued improvements for the city’s infrastructure. The pledge came this week during the mayor’s annual State of the City Luncheon. Currently underway is over $4 million dollars in improvements to the Golden Road Water Treatment Plant. And, over the next ten years, the city anticipates spending over $97 million on 100 projects to improve water and wastewater systems. And they feel over two-thirds of those improvements will be paid for in cash. Also planned are improvements for city streets and drainage. Continue reading Infrastructure Improvements Planned for Tyler

TYLER – CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital has been granted recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility. This also includes the the Louis and Peaches Owen Heart Hospital and CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. The designation comes after a years-long application process. The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. According to a news release from the hospital, most hospitals and medical organizations do not meet the criteria necessary to apply for Magnet recognition. It is one of the most difficult statuses to achieve. CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler is the only health care provider in the region to hold this designation. Continue reading Special Recognition for CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital

GILMER – An Upshur County man has learned, the hard way, you need to show up for your trial. Jarrod Craig McBride, 36, of Ore City, was due in court Wednesday for his trial for possession of methamphetamine, with intent to deliver. He was going to trial after he backed out of a previous plea offer of 13 years in prison. Deputies had to force their way into his house to arrest him and bring him to court in handcuffs. Back at the courthouse, McBride entered into a plea bargain agreement, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He waived his right to appeal. He was also sentenced to 180 days for contempt of court, which was stacked on top of his prison sentence.

ATHENS – Five Athens residents have been arrested in a drug raid by Henderson County sheriff’s deputies. They were arrested Thursday morning at a house on Roosevelt Street in Athens. They are identified as Kristi Costlow, 39, Johnny Sieger, 45, Brandon Rios, 21, John Minter, 58, and Carlton Lewis, 30. Costlow was charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance. Not only was she in possession of suspected methamphetamine, but also had items commonly used to traffic the narcotic. The arrests follows an investigation by Henderson County narcotics investigators.

LONGVIEW — A longtime Longview High School teacher died Wednesday during an International Baccalaureate Awards ceremony at the Summit Club in Longview. According to KETK, Charles Parsons, a Latin teacher, apparently began feeling ill during the ceremony, stepped to the bathroom and later died. A doctor who was at the club attended to him, as did emergency medical technicians who were called to the scene. Longview High School Principal James Brewer is said to have made an announcement to students about the death at the end of the ceremony.

TYLER – The death of a Smith County Jail inmate is under investigation. Teddy Wayne Parker, 32, of Whitehouse, was rushed to the hospital shortly after being booked into the jail on Sunday. He was put on a ventilator at the hospital. Tuesday afternoon, the decision was made to remove the ventilator and Parker died. Justice of the Peace Quincy Beavers ordered an autopsy to be performed in Dallas. The investigation of the death has been turned over to the Texas Rangers. Continue reading Smith County Inmate’s Death Investigated

TYLER- Law officers served search warrants at 7 Tyler businesses that contained suspected gambling devices. Tyler policemen and sheriff’s deputies went to the businesses as a result on an on-going investigation. It was conducted by the police department’s vice unit. Numerous gambling devices were seized in the Wednesday raids. Tyler police spokesman Don Martin said no one was arrested, but investigators will continue to gather evidence for future prosecution. Continue reading Tyler Businesses Served Warrants

LONGVIEW – A candidate has stepped forward to run for the post that will be available since Judge David Brabham will not seek re-election. Gregg County attorney, Scott Novy has announced he will be running for Judge of the 188th State District Court. Novy will be running as a Republican in the primary election next March. In 1989, he went to work in the Gregg County District attorney’s office. In 1992, he joined a Longview Law firm. He was also appointed Municipal Judge for the City of Lakeport, which he served for 25 years. Novy is currently in private practice, specializing in estate planning, probate and guardenships.

TYLER – The Tyler city council meeting contained the swearing in of one new member and two returning members. The new member is Bob Westbrook, (pictured) who took his Oath of Office for City Council District 5. he is a past Chairman of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. The returning members are District Linda Sellers, who represents District 1. She took Oath of Office for her second term and Ed Moore, in District 3, took Oath of Office for his third and final term.

FORT SMITH, Ark – Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is buying four area radio stations. All of the stations are owned by the Waller family. One of those is the Tyler station known as the Breeze, which shut down last August following the death of Dudley Waller. The station could be back on the air soon. According to InsideFortSmith.com, Huckabee’s East Texas Results Radio filed the paperwork for the sale with the FCC on Monday. The filing said the deal is worth $1.2 million. Continue reading Mike Huckabee Buying Area Stations

LONGVIEW — 21-year-old Yarshim Shaw of Longview is jailed after police say she hit a man with a wrench and slammed his head into a wall. KETK reports that Longview police responded on Sunday to a house on Nowlin Street. A man told officers he and Shaw were in a relationship and she got upset after he asked her to pay back a $10 debt. She has been charged with aggravated assault.

TYLER – Tyler police along with Smith County sheriff’s deputies are raiding game rooms in Tyler. The concern is some may be running illegal gambling operations. The raids follow similar raids last November and December. Late last year and early this year, Tyler police sent out warning letters to businesses with known gambling machines. Smith County sent out a similar letter to 50 game rooms in unincorporated areas within the county back in February. We’ll have more information on the raids when it becomes available

TYLER – Tyler Police Chief Jimmy Toler spoke Tuesday evening about crime statistics and racial demographics for citations issued in 2016. KETK reports Toler was the guest as the Tyler Together Race Relations Forum held a meeting on those topics. Toler says transparency is key for the department as it makes fostering diversity a priority of 2017. “We go through cultural diversity training, we have outreach, but you know any time that we meet with our officers and we meet with our employees, we talk about their performance and we talk about issues that come up,” Chief Toler said. Continue reading Police Chief Addresses Crime Stats, Demographics

GREGG COUNTY — A Longview man was arrested Monday after police said a woman stopped him from choking another woman by using a stun gun on him. According to KETK and the Longview News-Journal, Antonio Bernard Richardson Jr., 24, was held Tuesday in the Gregg County Jail on $5,000 bond, charged with assault of a family/household member impeding breath or circulation. Police said the incident happened around 4:00 Monday afternoon at the Longview Square Apartments on Pine Tree Road. Police said Richardson punched the mother of his two children in the mouth and then wrapped his arm around her throat and lifted her off the ground. A bystander said she was not able to get Richardson off the woman, so she used a stun gun on him, causing him to let go and flee, police said. He was arrested about 10 minutes later at his home.

WHITEHOUSE — A local school band director is retiring after 46 years as a music educator. KETK reports, Whitehouse ISD’s Denny Whitley is also being inducted into the Texas Bandmasters Hall of Fame this summer. His students say it’s not just his teaching of music that has changed their lives. Whitley said his last count was about 25 students who have gone on to become band directors themselves after being influenced by him. Monday night was his last spring concert after leading bands in Texas for 46 years, 28 of those at Whitehouse ISD. “Falling in love with your instrument, that’s the fun part of seeing the kids getting serious about what we tell them to do,” said Whitley. He retired once in 2005 but decided to come back for another 12 years before retiring for good in 2017. Continue reading Beloved Band Director Retiring after 28 Years

LONGVIEW — A former Longview police officer has received the maximum sentence for sexually abusing four boys over a 30 year period. Michael Patrick Healy, 68, who pled guilty last Friday, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to indecency with a child by sexual contact and attempted indecency with a child by sexual contact. They carry prison terms of 20 and 10 years. State District Judge David Brabham assessed the maximum punishment and ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, making it a 30 year prison term. Healy has indicated he will appeal the sentence. According to the Longview News Journal, testimony during the punishment hearing indicated the Longview man sexually abused his now-grown son and at least three other boys, two of them the son’s cousins.

LUFKIN – A grand jury has no-billed a Lufkin police office in a fatal March 1st shooting. Killed was Epthen Lamont Johnson, 40, of Lufkin. Police said Johnson was on top of his victim, Jose Isabel Rodriguez Jr. attempting to cut his throat when Officer Robert Blake Witherspoon, a six year veteran officer, shot him. Authorities said the officer’s verbal commands were ignored when the officer took lethal action. Rodriguez was hospitalized with multiple injuries. Continue reading No Indictment for a Lufkin Police Officer

TYLER – Precinct One Smith County Constable Henry Phillip Jackson, 65, has pleaded guilty to federal tax violations. Jackson pleaded guilty Tuesday to four counts of willful failure to file federal income tax returns before U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Nicole Mitchell. According to federal prosecutors, Jackson, who has served as an elected constable since 1999, received income from 2010-2013 that required him to file federal income tax returns for those years. However, Jackson failed to file those returns and now owes more than $160,000 in taxes. Continue reading Smith County Constable Guilty of Federal Tax Violations

TYLER – Tyler Junior College has done it again. For the 6th straight year, the school has met and exceeded its goal of collecting 50 gallons of blood. Jacque Decker, Carter BloodCare manager of operations and field recruitment says the week long blood drive at the college brought in 54.6 gallons or 437 units of blood. According to the school’s website, since TJC began its “50 Gallon Challenge” six years ago, more than 300 gallons of blood have been collected, potentially saving more than 7,200 lives in East Texas.

TYLER – Smith County jury duty has been cancelled on Wednesday. If you have a Smith County jury summons for duty on Wednesday, you do not need to report to the courthouse. Smith County Jury Coordinator Lisa Bennett said jury duty has been cancelled for all courts. However, if you have been asked to return for jury duty by a specific court, you must still report.